Use 1. See that you do not make an ill use of it.
1. It is not to discourage men from beginning betimes, or remember- ing their Creator in the days of their youth. No ; we should believe with the first. Epenetus is called the first-fruits of Achaia, Eom. xvi. 5. Surely it is an honour to be first in the service of God. The sooner the better. The more experience of God, the more inured to his blessed yoke. All the sacrifices of the law were to be offered to God young, and in full strength. We expect eternal life, and therefore no part of our temporal life should be diverted from God. Therefore to discourage beginning early were to play the devil's game, who would fain feast upon the flower and freshness of our youth, and leave God the scraps and fragments of old age. No ; begin betimes ; but hold on and keep your crown.
2. Not to quench your zeal and forwardness in profession of godli- ness, provided it have a root : Dent. v. 29, ' Oh that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep my command- ments always, that it might be well with them, and their children after them.' And that you keep up this life and vigour, and still stir up yourselves that you may not grow dead, and drowsy, and sleejw, but acquit yourselves with a like affection in the progress as in the begin- ing : Heb. iii. 14, ' For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.' An old dis- ciple keepeth up his dignity still ; it is not the newness of the thing affected him. No forwardness in religion is good, if you do afterwards grow remiss and lazy.
Use 2. The right use that we should make of it — 1. Is to excite men to a perseverance in a course of holiness and righteousness, that the end may answer the beginning. Do not break off the race till you come to the goal : Heb. iv. 1, ' Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left with us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it ; ' Phil. iii. 14, ' I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.' If you trust to your former righteousness, and commit iniquity, all is lost, Ezek. xxxiii. 13. No; this work must be brought to an end, that you
48 SERMON UPON MATTHEW XIX. 30.
may not be rejected and disallowed at last, after all that you have done and suffered for Christ. They came into the vineyard at several hours, Mat. XX., but all tarried till the close of the day. Some are converted sooner, some later ; but all hold out to the end. In the work of re- demption Christ never gave over till all was finished, John xix. 30. So must we never give over till we can say, It is finished ; or, with Paul, 2 Tim. iv. 8, ' I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.' We have no licence to slacken our course and give over till all be finished, and then we keep our precedency to the lust.
2. To press 3'ou to diligence in growth and progress, that you may still go on from strength to strength, Ps. Ixxxiv. 7 ; for this is tlie way to keep up your precedency. Many do not fall off, nor make shipwreck of the faith ; yet they make no progress, but are soon out- stripped by those that come after ; they do not provoke them to an holy emulation : Heb. x. 24, ' Let us consider one another to provoke to love and good works.' Actively we must provoke others by our ex- ample, and passively we must provoke ourselves ; we must not justify and encourage that common negligence and forgetfnlness of God which 2)revaileth in the world. Cold dealing in Christianity doth so; but ■when zealous in the best things, we enkindle one another, and awaken one another to a greater zeal and mindfulness of God and the world to come. You should condemn the world by your seriousness, and you harden them in their impenitency by your straitness and worldli- ness, as if you had no other hope than what the world can afford you.
3. To an humble sincerity, thinking meanly of yourselves, or any- thing that you do or have done. Surely the first are last in their own iiccount. If you are low and poor in your own eyes, affect not to be great in the eyes of others. God will show you that it is his grace anade the difference, by raising up other instruments of his glory that have not half your advantages, and yet how do they grow both in the knowledge and love of Christ. Twice Christ marvelled ; at the faith of the centurion, having so little means : Mat. viii. 10, ' When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said unto them that followed, Verily I say imto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel ; ' and at the unbelief of his own countrymen, who had so great means : Mark vi. 6, ' And he marvelled at their unbelief.' And truly it is an humbling consideration to us when others have thriven in less time, and by smaller means than you have had ; though low in the esteem of the world, yet outshine you in meekness, patience, and blameless conversation, and fervent prayers.