3. To quicken us to diligence, let us often think of this. When God intended to give Canaan to Abraham, he biddeth him ' walk through the land, and view it,' Gen. xiii. 17. He hath promised to give the joys of heaven to us ; we should often consider it ; then en- couragement is no encouragement if it be not regarded.
Lastly, The same words are used to both alike ; the second servant is approved, his faithfulness commended and rewarded, as well as the first servant.
Boot. Whether our talents be few or many, yet if we be but sincere, we shall be put into everlasting happiness.
The essential happiness of the saints is the same, though the degrees differ ; ten cities, and five cities, in Luke.
1. They may be alike in fidelity, though a difference in opportunity. Their industry will be alike. Though their gifts and opportunities be not alike, their zeal to God and love to souls will be alike.
2. The grounds of essential happiness are the same to all.
[1.] They have the same Kedeemer and Mediator, Exod. xxx. 15. If they had a better Christ, another mediator to ransom their souls, they might expect another happiness ; but all is brought about by the same Kedeemer, Jesus Christ, theirs and ours, 1 Cor. i. 2, by his mediation, sacrifice, and meritorious righteousness.
[2.] The same covenant, which is the common charter of the saints : Acts ii. 39, ' The promise is to you, and to your children, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.' A covenant which oft'ereth the same benefits, and requireth the same duties. The same benefits, pardon and life. Pardon : Rom. iv. 23, 24, ' Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him ; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead.' Life is the common portion of all the saints : 1 Tim. iv. 8, ' Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteous- ness ; and not for me only, but for all those that love his appearing.' It requireth the same duties of all the saints, and they have the same rule to walk by, Gal. vi. 16 ; ' This same gospel is the power of God unto the salvation of every one that believeth,' Rom. i. 10. Weil,
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then, if all have no other charter from God to show for pardon and life, and all are bound to the same duties, surely all shall have the same happiness.
[3.] The same Spirit to be Christ's agent, to sanctify, and to prepare them for this glory. He is at work in all the saints : 1 Cor. xii. 4, 'There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit;' 2 Cor. iv. 13, 1 We having the same Spirit of faith.' This is considerable, because the Spirit doth form us for this very thing ; that is, prepare us for this very estate. If all have the same heavenly principle, all shall have the same heavenly happiness. We have the same almighty power within to destroy sin, to raise our dead and earthly hearts to God, to keep in us the same love to him, and prepare us for this blessed estate.
[4.] The same mercy of the same God distributeth the reward. The main grounds of the expectation of the best are the mercy of God and the merits of Christ ; and we have the same mercy to trust unto : Bom. x. 12, ' For the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.' As rich in mercy to you as to others, to pardon your failings, to wash off your stains, and finally to receive you into his blessed presence. They look for mercy, and we look for the same mercy, Jude 21. All that keep themselves in the love of God may do so.
3. The things which are absolutely requisite to this essential hap- piness are the same. As the vision and fruition of the same God, 1 Cor. xiii. 12, with John xvii. 24, 'All that believe in me through their word:' they have the same place, heaven; the same state, the same company ; they all make one family, Eph. iii. 15. Now some are in heaven and some on earth, but then they shall all make one heavenly society, called ' the city of God/ Heb. xii. 22, 23 ; they shall all 'sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' They have the same work, which is, to love and laud God for evermore.
Use 1. To persuade us to be contented with the meanest estate, till God's providence call us to a higher. Every one must glorify God in the place where he hath set him ; as in a choir of voices, it is not who sings the bass or who the treble, but who well discharges his own part, bass or treble. So in our account, it is not what part we have acted, so much as how we have acted it, whether glorified God in the work which he hath given us to do, John xvii. 4. If thou hast doubled thy talents, thoughbut two, Christ will welcome thee into the 'joy of thy Lord/ It is not who hath undergone the greatest bodily labour in religion, or passed the severest sufferings, or gone through the emi- nentest offices and employments, but who hath most honoured God in his place, got most holiness in his heart, been most humble and con- tented with his condition.