There is

Saints at the refurrection: 1 Cor. xv. 41.
one glory of the fun, another glory of the moon, and another
glory of the ftars: for one ftar differeth from another star
in glory. So alfo is the refurrection of the dead. Mat. v.
10. 11. Bleffed are ye, when men fhall revile you, and
perfecute you, and fpeak all manner of evil against you for my
name's fake: rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your
reward in heaven. Which words, if they do not fignify a
more glorious reward to thofe who fuffer perfecution for
Chrift, have no emphasis or encouragement in them. For
what caufe of exceeding joy and gladness is it, to be perfecut-
ed and fuffer for Chrift, if a peculiar reward did not belong
to those who fuffer for him? If there do not, then thofe
who fuffer for Chrift, are plainly in a worfe condition
in this world, than other good men who efcape 'thefe
fufferings; and yet are in no better condition than o-
thers in the next world: and then why should any man
be glad to fuffer? Mat. x. 41. 42. He that receiveth a
prophet in the name of a prophet, fhall receive a prophet's
reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man, in the
name of a righteous man, fhall receive a righteous man's
reward. Where you fee a difference intimated between
the reward of a prophet, and a righteous man, namely,
that a prophet fhall have a greater reward than an ordi-
nary good man. Mat. xix. 28. 29. where our bleffed
Saviour tells us, that all that denied themselves for
Chrift, fall inherit everlasting life; but for his difciples,
who were continually attendants upon him, and fuffer-
ers for him, that a more eminent degree of glory should
be conferred on them; which is expreffed by their fit-
ting upon twelve thrones, to judge the twelve tribes of
Ifrael. But moft plainly in the parable of the talents,
where every man's reward is according to the improve-
ment of his talents. He that had gained five talents, is
made ruler over five cities; and he that had gained ten ta-
lents, ruler over ten cities, Luke xix. 15. 1 Cor. xv.
58. Be je ftedfaft, unmoveable, always abounding in the
work of the Lord; forafmuch as you know that your labour
is not in vain in the Lord. But if our reward fhould not
hold a proportion to the degree of our fervice, it would
be in vain to be abundant in the work of the Lord. 2 Cor.
iv. 17. Our light affliction, which is but for a moment,

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worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; that is, our affliction contributes to our glory, and adds to the degree of it. 2 Cor. ix. 6. The A-poftle ufeth this as an argument to perfuade the Corinthians to be very liberal and bountiful to their diftressed brethren, becaufe according to the degree of their charity, would be the degree of their reward. This I fay, he that foweth fparingly, shall reap sparingly; and he that foweth plentifully, fhall reap plentifully than which I cannot imagine any thing can be fpoken more plainly to this purpofc. And the faine argument he ufeth to the Philippians to ftir them up to charity, Phil. iv. 17. Not because I defire a gift; but I defire fruit that may abound to your account : clearly implying, that the more good we do in this world, the more abundant shall be our reward in the next.

(2.) It is likewife as plain from fcripture, that the punishment and torment of wicked men will be abated or increafed proportionably to the degree and aggravation of their fins. Upon this account our Saviour threatens those who continue impenitent under the gofpel with more heavy and dreadful punishments, and tells us, that in the day of judgment their condition fhall be far worse than theirs of Tyre and Sidon, of Sodom and Gomorrah, Mat. xi. 20. 21. And Mat. xxiv. 51. he threatens that fervant, who, because his Lord delayed his coming, prefumed fo much upon the patience of God, with a more fevere punishment: The Lord of that fervant fhall cut him in funder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites; intimating that the punishment of hypocrites will be very fevere, and, as it were, the standard of the highest punishment. And fo likewife, Luke xii. 47. 48. our Saviour tells us, that according to the degree of light and knowledge which men fin against, fhall be the degree of their torment. The fervant that knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself to do according to it, fhall be beaten with many ftripes: But he that knew it not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, fhall be beaten with few ftripes. And in general he tells us, that the punishment of finners takes its aggravation from the advantages and opportunities which men have neglected. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him

much

much fall be required; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. So likewife the Apoftle to the Hebrews tells us, that God will vindicate the contempt of the gospel more feverely than of the law of Mofes, Heb. ii. 2. 3. 4. If the word spoken by angels was fredfaft, and every tranfgreffion and difobedience received a juft recompence of reward; how fhall we efcape if we neglect to great falvation? And chap. x. 28. 29. He that defpifed Mofes's law died without mercy, under two or three witnelles; of how much forer punishment, think ye, fhall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God?

So that it feems very evident from fcripture, that the degree of happiness or mifery which men fhall be fentenced to in the next world, fhall be correfpondent to the degree of good or evil which they have done in this world; and I can hardly imagine any thing more clear. But it feems the fchoolmen, and other divines who have been at leifure to tie knots, and to make objections against the plainest truths, have called this alfo into queftion. And therefore I fhall, in the

24. Place, briefly examine the grounds of the contrary opinion; which, though they do but immediately ftrike at the degrees of glory and happiness, yet, by a parity of reafon and confequence, they likewife overthrow the degrees of punifhment; and they are thefe

I. They fay, that the merits of Chrift, by which eternal life and happiness is purchased for us, are equal to all those who have any intereft in them, and are of value fufficient to purchase the highest degree of glory for them; and the meritorious caufe being the fame, there is no reafon to imagine any difference of degrees in the effect.

Anfw. The weaknefs of this objection, how fpecious foever it may appear, will be evident to any one that confiders, that eternal life and happinefs doth not accrue to us by way of neceffary and natural refult from the merit of Chrift's obedience and fufferings, but of voluntary compact and agreement, and therefore is only available. fo far as it pleafed God the Father and him that it should, be. Now the fcripture hath declared, that Chrift is the

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author of eternal falvation to them that believe and obey him: but it hath declared likewife, that according to the degrees of our holinefs and obedience, shall be the degrees of our happiness; because the happinefs which Chrift hath purchased for us, is not bestowed upon us but upon certain terms and conditions to be performed on our part, upon the performance whereof, and the degree of that performance, the degrees of our happiness do depend.

II. The other objection is from the parable of the labourers in the vineyard, Mat. xx. where it is faid, that they that came in at the last hour received as much as they that came in at the first, and had borne the heat and burden of the day, every one his peny. For answer to this, it is a known rule among divines, that Theologia parabolica non eft argumentativa; by which they mean, that we cannot argue in divinity from every circumftance of a parable, but only from the main fcope of it. Now this parable feems plainly directed against the envious Jews, who murmured because the Gentiles were to partake of the bleffing of the Meffias, and that they who were called in the laft age of the world, fhould share in this benefit, as well as the antient people of God; fa that by the murmurers, the Jews are defigned, who were offended that falvation fhould come to the Gentiles. And then the fcope of the parable is not, that all good men fhall have equal degrees of glory; but that the Gentiles, which were called long after the Jews, fhould be faved as well as they. I proceed to the

Second thing I propofed to enquire into, viz. the grounds and reafons of this, why the rewards which hall be diftributed at the day of judgment, fhall bear a proportion to the good or evil which men have done in this life? And,

1. That they fhall be correspondent to the nature and quality of our actions, the juftice and equity of the divine providence doth plainly require. For juftice is to give to every one that which of due belongs to him : now of equity it belongs to them that do well, that it fhould go well with them; and to the evil, that it should be ill with them; that every one should receive the fruit of his doings. Not that we can ftrictly merit any

thing at the hand of God. It is goodness to reward an innocent creature, and it is goodness to reward the good actions of those who have been finners; but justice requires that good and bad men fhould not fare alike. Thus Abraham reafons from the juftice of God, that the righteous fhould be as the wicked, that be far from thee; fhall not the Fudge of all the world do right? And confidering the promifes which the goodness of God hath made freely to good men, for their encouragement in goodness, the performance of thefe promifes is founded in the righteoufnefs and faithfulness of God.

2. That the rewards of the next life fhould bear a proportion to the degree of the good or evil done by us in this life, is clearly founded in the equity and reafonablenefs of the thing; it being very much for the encouragement of holiness and goodness, to be affured that whatever we do for God now, will be fully confidered and rewarded hereafter; that he will take notice of the leaft fervice that we do for him, and that every degree of grace and holiness fhall be crowned with an anfwerable degree of glory and happiness. And fo, on the other hand, it tends very much to discountenance fin, and to keep men from running to the height of impiety, to confider that every fin will aggravate their mifery, and that every degree of wickednefs will add to the weight of their torment; and that though they be children of wrath already, yet by adding iniquity to tranfgreffion, they may caufe the wrath of God and his jealousy to smoke against them, and bring more curfes upon themselves, and make themselves ten times more the children of wrath.

And indeed in the nature of the thing, it cannot be otherwife, but that the better and more holy any man is, the more capable he fhould be of happiness, and the more difpofed for the enjoyment of God; and the more wicked any man is, the more he should exafperate his own confcience, and awaken thofe furies which rage in his breast. He treasures up more wrath against the day of wrath, and piles up more fuel for everlasting burnings. The torments of hell are in fcripture compared to fire; now the more fuel and greater ftore of

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