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he kindly accepts, and is exceedingly well pleased with. He imputes Barrennefs to no Man, but upon fuch Defects, as are not of Nature's, but of his own making. The honest and good Heart is what he requires, and what we are principally concerned to look After. He hath promised exprefly, upon this very Occafion, that our becoming fruitful fhall in great meafure depend upon our felves that They, who do their own Endeavours faithfully, fhall be by his Grace ftrengthened to do more. And he declares, that They who neglect their own Improvement, fhall fall from Bad to Worfe, lofe their own Powers, amd forfeit His Affiftances. Take beed (fays he) therefore how ye bear, for whosoever bath, to him fhall be given; and whefoever bath not, from him fhall be taken away, even

Ver. 18.

that, which he feemeth to have.

6. The Laft and Principal Thing, that calls for our Attention, is the different Character of the Good and Bad Ground, which, by comparing them together, will be found to confift in the Three following Particulars.

Ver. 12, & 15.

1. They that are fignified by the Good Ground keep the Word, and thus are opposed to those by the Way-fide, who immediately loft it. 2. They on the Good Ground keep it in an honest and good heart, and in this are contrary to them among Thorns, with whom the Cares, and Riches, and Pleasures of this Life choke the Word, fo that they bring no Fruit to perfection.

Ver. 14, & 15.

3. They on the Good Ground bring forth Fruit with patience, and herein differ from the Stony Ver. 13, & 15. Ground, which represents them, who receive the Word with joy, but have no Root; who for a while believe, and in time of Temptation fall away.

1. The First Qualification then obfervable in the Good Ground is, that the Perfons fignified by it keep the Word:

Ver. 12.

Matth. xiii. 19.

Mark iv. 15.

Word: and thus are opposed to the failing of them by the Way-fade. Thefe, (as the Applications of this Parable, when compared together, acquaint us) do not understand, or confider the Word, but Satan cometh immediately, and taketh it away out of their Hearts. Which laft Words in the Expofition answer to thofe in the Figure, that the Seed was trodden down, and the Fowls of the Air came and devoured it.

Ver. 5.

Matt. xiii. 4.

Hereby no doubt are meant the Careless and Unthinking Hearers. Such as frequent Religious Affemblies, to fave their Credit, or comply with Cuftom; to gratify a Curiofity, or perhaps to expofe and start new Cavils out of what we hear; but without any care to answer the true Purposes of Hearing. And therefore, they either attend not, or recollect not, or apply not to their own Confcience and Condition. But, like the common Way, have their Hearts open to every fresh Comer, and fuffer the next trifling or wicked Imagination to take place, and utterly to deface the former Impreffions.

Such vain Thoughts, I conceive, are intended by the Fowls of the Air in the Parable. For it is not by any visible or violent means, but by fuggefting idle Fancies, and diffipating better and more ferious Confiderations, that Satan catches away the good Seed. And we greatly mistake the matter, if we fuppofe, that Religious Truths convey themselves to our Underftandings, or influence our Affections, in a manner different from others. It is by ferious Application of Thought, careful Remembrance, and frequent Reflection, that we muft faften thefe Things also upon us. And God, who gave us reafoning Faculties, expects they should be employed in matters of this nature, at least as much as in any other. Where the Sower hath caft in the Grain, his business, as a Sower,

Sower, is at an end: But the covering up and cherifhing what we have received, must be every man's

Own work.

on.

That then, which we are principally concern'd for in this regard, is, To come to God's publick Worfhip, and all other Reading and Hearing of his bleffed Word, with due Reverence and earnest AttentiTo confider These as the means, ordinarily neceffary, for bringing us to himself; Confequently, that this Word was never defigned purely for our Entertainment or Diverfion, to be nicely diftinguish'd, learnedly difputed, eloquently enlarged upon, but to influence all our Powers, and put forth into Action: That it is therefore called Seed, because the first and common Principle, whence all our Virtue fprings: That the End of it therefore is never anfwer'd, but by bringing forth Fruit, and that Fruit is no other, than a good Converfation. These are Confiderations, which every Man fhould be poffefs'd with perpetually, but efpecially at all Seafons of Devotion and publick Inftruction. And, if We were fo, thefe would check all our loofe Wandrings, awaken all our Faculties, fix what we hear in our hearts, and fo effectually convince us of the vaft Importance of the Duty we are about; that we could fcarce continue to be Men, and not get above the negligent and fickle Difpofition of thofe Hearers by the wayfide.

Ver. 14.

2. The Next Qualification I took notice of, is, that the Perfons reprefented by the good ground, keep the word in an honest and good heart. This feems more particularly oppofite to them, which fell among Thorns; of whom it is observed, that the Cares of the World, and the DeMark iv. 18,19. ceitfulness of Riches, and the Pleasures of this life choak the Word, fo that they bring no fruit to perfection. These are fuppofed to have made a better

Pro

Progress than the Former; to hear, and perhaps to confider and apply very seriously. But when they come to Action, the Bufinefs and Diverfions, the Interests and Intanglements of the World interfere, and will not let them be good Chriftians. Thus they do, and thus they will do, wherever thefe Briars are fuffered to get a Head. For which reafon our Lord, very appofitely to this prefent Subject, takes particu lar notice of the Deceitfulness of Riches. For Deceitful they are, not only as they cheat Men in the Happi nefs and Satisfaction they fondly expect from them; but upon a yet more fatal Account, as they perpetually push them on to fresh Purfuits, daily kindle new and more vehement Defires, and defeat their repeated Refolutions, of ridding their hands of all Incumbrances, and seeking the Kingdom of God and bis Righteoufnefs. And thus they egg Men on to old Age, and the approach of Death; till they learn too late, at their laft Hour, that it is to no manner of purpose, that we hope to compound the Matter between God and Mammon; but that He, who will cleave to the one, must of neceffity despise and forsake the other.

What must be done to cure this unhappy Difpofition? The propereft Method I can advife, is to attend to the Advantage, and the Neceffity, of being truly Religious; To over-balance the Allurements of this prefent World, by the profpect of an Eternal Glory to come; To convince our felves throughly, how very childish and filly a Bargain a Man would make, though we should fuppofe him able to do that, which no Man ever will be able to do, that is, though he could gain the whole World, if at the fame time he muft lofe his own Soul; and that there is not, cannot be, any valuable Compenfation given in exchange for the Soul. This Senfe would bring Men to receive the Word impartially and fairly, without any Mixture of

R

Pre

Prejudice or Paffion; This would render us diligent in our Callings, but without Diftraction; careful for our Families, but without Anxiety; inflexible to finful, and moderate in our most lawful Pleasures and Enjoyments. And in fuch a clear and free Difpofition of Soul, which is ready to fubmit to the Whole of Religion; which clofes with its Duty, though it be unpalatable, and counter to the Affections of a sensual and worldly Mind; not cleaving to One Commandment, because it may be reconciled with our present Profit or Delight; and taking Distaste at another, because it checks us in, or debars us from them; In this candid, open, difpaffionate Temper of Mind, I take the Honest and good Heart, mentioned here, principally to confift.

Ver. 13, & 15.

3. The Laft Difference obfervable here, is, that the Perfons resembled by the Good Ground bring forth Fruit with Patience, whereas they on the Stony Ground receive the Word indeed with Joy, but have no Root, and therefore though for a while they believe, yet in time of Temptation they fall away. Thefe Men we may fuppofe to be Proof against common Cares and Accidents; But if fome unforeseen Difficulty, or trying Affliction affault them, those undermine the unfaithful Foundation quite, and wash the Building off from its fandy Bottom. The Mark then of an Honeft and Good Heart, in this refpect, is Patience. A firm and fteady Piety, (like that of St. Paul in the Epistle for this Day) not to be fhaken with Hardships and Sufferings for the Truth. And, though the giving Ground in fuch Cafes be what we are apt rather to pity than condemn, because it looks like the Effect of Human Infirmity; yet our Saviour here makes thofe Yieldings an Argument, that fuch Men have no Root; that is, they were not well principled at the bottom. And indeed the Similitude in this Parable proves this evidently. For the fame Heat of

the

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