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to learn Application, and Diligence in the Execution of Duty, from the Activity of very inconfiderable Creatures, labouring in pursuit of their natural Tendencies and Direction, Go to the Ant, thou Sluggard, confider her Ways, and be wife: There we are fupplied by our Blessed Saviour Himself with an Argument, for the Actual Exercife of Goodness, taken from an Observation upon the Trees of the Field; * Every Tree that bringeth not forth good Fruit, is hewn down, and caft into the Fire. Not only thofe Trees which produce Corrupt Fruit, but those which do not Actually bring forth Good Fruit, those which produce No Fruit at All, must be destroyed. For, that this is the Meaning of the Text, is very plain from our Lord's Parable of the Fig-tree; The Owner whereof † said unto the dreffer of his Vineyard, Behold, these three Years I come feeking Fruit on this Fig-tree, and find none; cut it down, why cumbreth it the Ground? To which nothing could justly be oppofed but this, Lord,

Matt. vii. 19.

† Luke xiii.

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let it alone this Year alfo, till I shall dig

about it, and dung it: Fruit, well; and if not, thou shalt cut it down.

And if it bear then after that When it finally

proves Fruitless, it muft, in all reafon, be finally Destroyed.

To this purpose our Bleffed Saviour, in the Parable of the * Seed Sown, represents the Faithful and only acceptable Servants of God under the View of That Seed, which Actually brought forth Fruit, fome an hundred-fold, fome fixty, and some thirty. And in the Parable of the + Talents, he introduceth the Perfon, who had hid his Talent in the Earth, under the Character of a flothful, and wicked, and unprofitable Servant, and juftly obnoxious to the fevereft Punishment: Where it fhould be well obferved, that This Servant had not employed his Talent to his Lord's Detriment or Difhonour; that he had not Abused it, or perverted it to any Evil Purposes, in Contempt of his Lord, or direct Rebellion against him; he had not fo much as

* Matth. xiii.

Matth. xxv.

Squandred

Squandred and Wafted his Talent by any Means whatsoever: But he had neglected to improve it, to apply it to Any Purpose, to make any Use of it at All; and upon this fingle Point, because he was Slothful and Unactive, did his Condemnation turn: Though he had Actually committed no Evil, yet because he had not actually done any Good, the dreadful Sentence is given against him, Caft ye the unprofitable Servant into outer Darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth. The unprofitable Servant is the Parallel to the fruitless Tree, which muft not be fuffered to ftand at all, because it would ftand to no other purpose but to cumber the Ground.

How fuperficial therefore and imperfect muft our Notions of our own State be, if we do not plainly perceive our felves obliged, in order to Salvation, not only to withstand the Temptations of Sin, but to fulfil the various Duties which are enjoined: Which may still further appear from that more Particular Confideration of this point which is now in the

Second

Second Place to be added to the General One already offer'd: Where I shall represent our obligation to Good Works, or, to the actual Exercife of Goodness, as fuch Good Works may be confidered,

1. In refpect of God, as we are Created and Redeemed by him, and Subject to him, and therefore Obliged to contribute our utmoft to His Honour. For thus St. Paul does at once give us a Rule of Duty, and the Reason of it, * Glorify God in your Bodies, and in your Spirits, which are GOD's. And the Method of Answering this high Obligation, and Accomplishing this great End, is affigned by our Bleffed Lord himself; Let your Light so shine before Men, that they may fee your good WORKS, and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven. Whilft we deny our felves unlawful Pleafures, and unlawful Advantages, out of a Sense of Duty, grounded upon the Love of God, we do undoubtedly acquit our felves in an Acceptable manner

I Cor. vi. 20.

† Matt. v. 16.

before

before him; and if the Other parts of our Behaviour are but Agreeable to This, we shall not fail of the Recompence of Reward: And, as Corrupt Inclinations Within are More Powerful, and Temptations from Without More Engaging, Acts of Self-denial will be ftill More Approved in the Judgment of God, and Crowned with a Higher Reward. But ftill 'tis poffible that we may deny our selves the commiffion of moft agreeable Sins, and yet contribute Little or Nothing to the advancement of God's Glory. The abstaining from finful Actions is indeed the preventing direct Dishonour to God; but our Obligation to promote God's Honour does fignifie a great deal more than our avoiding plain inftances of Difhonour towards Him: It implies Positive and Abfolute Duties, whereby we shall give direct occafion of Celebrating His Praise, and propagating the Glory of His Name. And therefore all Those who are fo far Innocent and Harmlefs, that they do not launch out into any Enormities, but yet fpend their Lives, and possess their Talents, in a Dream

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