Lerve, Almighty God; whether He had called SER M. upon them in an extraordinary Manner to do XIX. it, or not. But He has thought fit to Speak unto them by bis Son. And by this his beloved Son, and his Apostles, it has been declared, conftantly, in a multitude of the strongest Expreffions often repeated, That without our Practice of all Virtue, and Obedience to all his holy Commandments, here below, We fhall never arrive at the Place of Reward, and Glory, above. This is, indeed, fo plainly the uniform Voice of the New Teftament, that it alone may juftly be thought a fufficient proof that the Unprofitableness of our Services, affirmed in the Text, cannot be intended to fink the Value of Moral Good

Works, fo as to make them appear of little Importance in the Affair of Chriftian Salvation. This therefore, being certain, in the Difpenfation of the Gospel, That a finçere Obedience to all God's Commands, is abfolutely necessary to our Salvation; I shall now proceed to what I next propofed from the Words of the Text, viz.

II. That the Beft Chriftians, when They bave done all that is commanded them, or, their whole Duty, in the Service of God; and have fincerely practifed all Virtue and Righteouf

4

nefs;

SERM. nefs; ought, after this happy Conduct, to XIX. confefs Themfelves to be Unprofitable Servants;

and to acknowledge that They cannot claim fuch Rewards, as the Gospel propofes, as of Right due to their utmost Endeavours. So ye, have done all that is commanded you,

when

ye

fay, We are unprofitable Servants.

In which Words We muft not imagine that our Lord declares, or infinuates, that the beft Chriftians, and fuch as have exercifed themselves in all the Good Works of his Holy Religion, ought to acknowledge Themfelves to have done Nothing in what is called the Service of GOD, or for the Good of Mankind; or of any Significancy to their own Salvation; or That any thing like this is the Meaning of the Words unprofitable Servants. Far be fuch Thoughts from Us, concerning Him, who, in this very Parable, represents Himself, or his Father, as speaking to Every Chriftian of this Sort, Well done, good and faithful Servant; enter into the Joy of thy Lord. And from this Paffage it may justly be inferred, That a Man may be a good and faithful Servant, in the Sense of the Gospel; and yet be an unprofitable One, as the Word is intended in the Text. For the Name, unprofitable Servant, here ufed, is fo far from being opposed to One who has faithfully performed all

due

due Obedience and Service to his Master, that s ER M. it is actually given to Those who are supposed xix. to have done all thofe Things which are commanded them.

Nor can the Unprofitable Servant, in the Text, be the fame with the Unprofitable Servant, Matth. xxv. 30. For the Unprofitable Servant, in the Text, is exprefly described as One who has ferved GOD fincerely, and actually done what it was his Duty to do: and the Unprofitable Servant, in the other Place, is as exprefly declared to have, knowingly and willfully, neglected his Duty; and called, by his Lord, a wicked and flothful Servant; and by his Appointment, ordered to be caft into outer Darkness, where there is weeping, and gnashing of Teeth. But the Meaning of the Words of the Text muft be, that, as that Servant, of whom Our Lord had been speaking, in a Parable before, though he had been ferving his Lord well in the Field, either plowing, or feeding his Cattle, could not at his Return home, claim, as his Right, any extraordinary Favor from his Mafter; could not, for instance, demand, or expect, to be invited by his Master to fit down to Supper before He himself had supped, as it is expreffed in the Parable; or to be treated otherwife than as a Servant who had

done

SER M. done what it was his Business to do: So, the XIX. beft Chriftians, Those who have served God

1

most faithfully, in all the Duties of their several Stations, cannot claim, as their juft Due, the extraordinary and unconceivable Joys and Happiness of Heaven; but muft acknowledge that They are unprofitable Servants; and that the Duty They have performed bears no Proportion to Thofe incomprehenfible Rewards They are to enjoy. I come now, as I propofed,

III. To confider on what Accounts the Best of Chriftians may be juftly faid to be Unprofitable Servants; And to have little Reason to overvalue their Services.

1. They may be faid to be Unprofitable Servants, because they cannot, with all their Services and all their Labours, make any the least Addition to the well-being, or Happiness, of Almighty GoD, their great Mafter. And, in this, the Servants of God, and the Servants of Men, differ; that the Servants of Men can, by their Diligence and their honeft Service, contribute greatly to the Increase of their Masters Riches or Honour; and, in fome Inftances, very much promote their Happiness in this World. But the Servants of God can only, by their Service, do Themselves good, and

increase

AndsERM.

increase their own true Happiness. Ands ERM. the Reason is, That the richeft and moft xIx. powerful of Mankind are frail and imperfect. Beings; liable to many unfortunate Accidents; standing in need of many Supports; and owing much of their Greatness to the meaner Sort who are under them: But Almighty' God, being moft perfect in himself, and enjoying all poffible Happiness, is therefore, utterly incapable of the leaft Addition or Increafe" of Glory, or Pleasure. What therefore, can Our Services demand of Him, to whom they add not one Grain of Greatness, or Happiness?

Every Mafter amongst Men would account him but an unprofitable Servant, who, with all his Pains and Care, could not poffibly do any thing for his Advantage, or for his Satisfaction; and hardly think himself obliged to reward him, in an extraordinary Manner, for a Service, out of which He could reap no real Benefit. And that Servant himself would' hardly have the Face to expect or demand the leaft Favour from his Lord, on that Account. Thus it is with Us, confidered as Servants to the great God. We are truly unprofitable Servants, to Him; utterly uncapable of doing any thing that can increase or improve his Happy Estate,

It