they could; that Others, who live within the Pale of Chrift's Flock, and have opportunities, but will not use them when they may; that these several forts of People, I fay, fhould continue unfruitful, is nothing ftrange. But that Many, who have them, and do use them, nay, and ufe them gladly too; that They, who come to the publick Affemblies for Religious Worship, as God's People cometh, and fit before his Prophets as God's People fitteth, and attend to the Preacher with Eagerness and a fenfible Delight; that Thefe, after all, fhould prove barren and unprofitable, is Matter to be fure of great Grief, and must be allowed to carry fomewhat of Difficulty, and of Wonder in it. And yet that fo it is; that the Minifters of Chrift often fow where they never reap, but lofe the defired Effect of their Pious Intentions and moft Zealous Endeavours; our Bleffed Saviour acquaints us in this Scripture, and our own daily Experience does but too vifibly confirm the Truth of it. So that it concerns every Christian, diligently to examine into the Causes of fuch lamentable Difappointments. Which, that we may know, and effectually prevent, our Lord hath laid them down at large, in the Parable and Application now before us. Of which in order to make the best profit we can, it will be proper to obferve the following Particulars. Ver. 4. 1. First, That this Parable was spoken before a mixt and numerous Auditory, When much People were gathered together, and were come to him out of every City, The other Evangelifts inform us, That Jefus had no fooner left his Retirement, but the Multitudes, who had flocked in from the adjacent Towns, purfued him down to the Seafide; that at this very time he taught them out of a Ship; that, fcarce content to allow him leifure for the common Refreshments of Nature, they purfued him Matt. xiii. I. Mark iv. I, 36. ftill; and, when he put to Sea, procured other Vesfels, for attending him in his Voyage. Circumftances, all thefe, of great Significance and Ufe. Since thefe fo forward, fo infatiable Learners, were not in all Points what they ought to have been: Since even to Men, who expreft then a Zeal fo eager, as is fcarce any where to be met with now, this Lecture of profiting by what they heard, was nevertheless highly feafonable and neceffary. So far were They at that time from having done all that became them; So vain an Imagination is it at any time, for Chriftians to fuppofe, that frequenting the Church, and being diligent to hear God's Word, will fave their Souls at laft; without producing afterwards the fuitable Fruits of Piety and Virtue, in their Minds and Converfations. (2.) 'Tis fit we take good Notice, in the Next Place, how great a Lofs this Parable defcribes: Which, out of Four parts caft into the Ground, tells us but of One, that turn'd to account. No better did Matters go in our Saviour's Time, and with the Hearers of Him, who ftoke as never man spoke. Yet would not They, who confefs'd thus much, and could never convince him of Sin, or of Error, be either perfuaded by the Power of his Eloquence, or won over by the Perfection of his Example. And, though the mifcarrying of Three Parts in Four, may feem an aftonifhing Proportion under Any Circumstances; there is but too juft Reafon to fear, that, as the Frailties and Infirmities of our Preachers now are infinite, and will not allow any Comparison between the Best of Them, and their Great, their Divine Master: So the Numbers of thofe that fail under their Miniftry, are infinite alfo; and the truly faithful Hearers, but few, but very few, and far below the Proportion in this Parable. 3. This Ver. II. Compare Matt. xiii. 37. 3. This however, Thirdly, is not the Sower's fault. His Bufinefs is only to fcatter the Grain, in due Seafon, and with a liberal Hand. Now that Seed, according to our Lord's own Method of explaining himself, is The Word of God; and He that foweth it is the Son of Man. This Mafter of the Field went out to fow, came down from the Throne of his Glory, and, at the fulnefs of Time, converfed with Mankind in Flefh, accommodated himself to their Capacities and Wants, that no poffible Means might be wanting, to render his Gofpel acceptable and effectual. This Word he hath fcattered upon all Countries and Kingdoms; first by the extraordinary Influences of his Spirit and Power; then by the Establishment of a perpetual Succeffion and Order of Minifters, and the faithful Records of his moft Holy Religion. If they, who are now made Sowers of this Word, fhould be fo unhappy, as to mistake it through Ignorance; Or fo perverfe, as to corrupt it through Malice and Defign; Or fo profligate, as to difgrace it by fcandaloufly wicked Lives; Yet ftill our Bibles are our own. These give it us pure and plain, and command us not to judge our Brethren, or live by Their Patterns; but to approve our felves to God, by governing our Actions according to His Laws. The Sins or the Weakness of others, in which we take no part, shall never be imputed to us. Had the Errors, or the Vices of our Pastors been any real and natural Caufe of the Inefficacy of the Word, any, which might endanger the Hearers Salvation by receiving Inftruction from Men of polluted Lips, it would not furely have been omitted here. For the very Defign of this Parable is to put Men upon their Guard, by giving all neceffary Intimations, whence that Barrennefs proceeds in their Hearts, which brings their Souls into any manner of Hazard. Since then then the Seed is certainly good in its kind; and fince all due Methods have been taken for the diftribution of it; if He, who bath fown plentifully, reap but very. Sparingly, the Blame caft upon the Sower, can be no better than Miftake or mere Pretence. And, if we will be juft, we must acknowledge His Bounty and his Care, and are to feek for the fault fomewhere elfe. 4. Now, Fourthly, This is farther of very great moment, that, although there be many Accidents, as Floods, or Drought, or Frofts, or Blafts, which frequently spoil the Corn, after it is in the Ground; Yet none are taxed with unfruitfulnefs in this Parable, except fuch only, as are Defects peculiar to the Ground it felf. Thus, in proportion, many Things there are, not at our own disposal, which muft contribute to our Spiritual Growth, and yet no mention is made of them in this Parable. Very wifely, this. For, had fuch been infifted on, we might have had some reason to conclude, that Men fometimes difcharge Their part, but God does not blefs them with Increase: That he denies them neceffary Grace; and fo curfes and condemns them to Barrennefs, by checking those Improvements, which They are well difpofed and labour hard to make, but cannot with their utmost Pains effect it. But now, as the Cafe is reprefented to us, the Ground alone is accufed in the Figure; And confequently the Heart of Man, which anfwers to that Ground, in the Application. And it is but a fond Abuse, that Men are guilty of to themselves, when they look abroad for fome frivolous Excufe, to which the Scriptures give not the leaft Colour; when they would fhift off their own unprofitablenefs upon the Minifters of the Gofpel; or, which is yet more impious, upon the partial and too fparing Communications of God himfelf. Whereas it is the plain Intention of our Bleffed Master, and the true Scope of this whole Paffage, to charge the un unfuccefsful Preaching of God's Word, wholly and folely upon the Defects and Indifpofitions of them that hear it. 5. Nay, which is more, and brings the Matterhome, I beg it may be confidered, in the Fifth place, that thofe very Defects and Indifpofitions feem to be only fuch, as are owing entirely to Ill-husbandry and Neglect of the Tillers themfelves. Suffering Path-ways to be made over their ground, and their Lands and Furrows to be trodden down. Not gathering out the Stones, and rooting up the Briars and Thorns: Thefe are affigned for the Caufes of this Barrennefs, and not any Leannefs, or Natural Poverty, in the Soil it self. Accordingly we find that Ground commended for Good, whofe Product is anfwerable to the Quality of its Soil. For the Other Gofpels exprefs that Goodness, by bringing forth fruit, fome an hundred, fome fixty, and fome thirty fold. The plain meaning whereof is, That, where God hath endowed Men with greater Abilities, he expects a greater Increafe; and where he hath dealt them more fparingly, he is very well fatisfied with lefs. But though he does not, in this fenfe, gather where he hath not ftrewed, nor reap where he hath not fown; yet he always expects an Harveft agreeable to what he hath fown. The Man therefore, who brings forth thirty-fold, and was not in a Condition of doing more, is Good Ground; But He, who brings Thirty only, when he was in a Capacity of bringing Sixty or an hundred-fold, must never hope to be efteemed Good Ground. As God then requires an Account of our Abilities and Opportunities: fo he makes gracious Allowances for our Weaknefs and Want of them. He does not regard the Quantity, fo much as the Difpofition; but allows mean Attainments to confift very well with bringing forth Fruit: Such, and fo much, as he |