"lents, to the third six thousand; it is evident that "the reward is measured out to each of these ac"cording to the different measure of their labour: "but yet it were ridiculous for a man hence to con"clude, that the labour of him that wrought six days "deserved six thousand talents, yea or so much as "six talents, yea or so much as one talent, and so in "the rest. After the same manner are we to con"ceive of the divine remuneration. For although

66

we affirm, that God measures out to every man a "different degree of glory, according to the different "measure of his labour; yet it doth not follow from "hence, that between the work and reward of one "and the same man there is an equality of propor"tion; but only that between the different works "and rewards of different men there is an equality "of proportionality. If therefore the work of any "man be compared with the reward of the same "man, viz. eternal life, we may presently discern an "infinite inequality between them; but if the works "of different men and the rewards of different men "be compared, according to the degrees of eminence "in the same life eternal, there will appear an accu"rate proportionality. And this is to reward every "man according to his own labourf."

I need not say any more in answer to this argument, and shall therefore pass to the next.

2. They thus argue. The future glory of the saints is the purchase of Christ's righteousness, which is alike imputed to all true believers, and they have an equal share therein, and consequently they shall share equally in the future glory.

f Davenant de Just. Act. P. 608.

I answer, The doctrine of the imputed righteousness of Christ, as it hath been too commonly taught and understood, hath been a fruitful mother of many pernicious and dangerous errors in divinity. In this objection, it is supposed, that the righteousness of Christ is so imputed to every believer, that it becomes formally his righteousness, and that upon the sole account thereof he hath a right to the future glory. And if this were true, if Christ's righteousness were thus ours, that righteousness being the most perfect righteousness, nothing less could answer it than the highest reward in heaven; and so indeed it would necessarily follow, that the future glory of all the saints should be alike and equal. But this supposition hath no foundation in Scripture, yea it is plainly false. And that it is so, if we had no other argument, the very doctrine we are now upon were sufficient to evince. We have proved by very plain texts of Scripture, that there will be a disparity of rewards in the life to come, according to the disparity of men's graces and good works in this life; and from hence we may safely conclude, that the doctrine of those who teach that the perfect righteousness of Christ is formally the righteousness of every believer, and that thereupon he hath a right to the highest reward in heaven, is certainly false. Nay indeed, if that doctrine of their's were true, a consequence would follow, which cannot be uttered without trembling, that every saint shall be equal to Christ in glory; Christ's righteousness being his, and so he having a right to whatsoever that righteousness deserved.

But to answer more directly to the objection, there is nothing more certain, than that the future glory of the saints is the purchase of Christ's righteousness.

But how? By the meritorious obedience of Christ, in his life and death, a covenant of grace, mercy, and life eternal was procured, ratified, and established between God and the sinful sons of men; the condition of this covenant is faith working by love, or a faith fruitful of good works; and there is also sufficient grace promised to all that shall heartily seek it for the performance of that condition. It is from this covenant of infinite mercy in Christ Jesus alone that our imperfect good works have any ordination to so excellent a reward as the future glory; and it is the mercy, the rich mercy, the royal bounty and liberality of God, expressed in the same covenant, that assigns to greater degrees of grace here, greater degrees of glory hereafter. This is the plain truth. But to be short, and to shew the perfect sophistry of this objection, I ask the objectors, whether they do not acknowledge that the present grace of the saints in this life is as well the purchase of Christ's righteousness, as their future glory? They must, they will, they do confess it. Now then, according to their argument it will follow, that all the saints have equal degrees of grace in this life, because they have an equal share in the righteousness of Christ, by which that grace was purchased; than which assertion nothing can be more notoriously false. This their argument therefore is a manifest fallacy.

3. Their last objection is taken from the parable of our Saviour, Matt. xx. 1. &c. where the kingdom of heaven, that is, the church of God, is compared to a vineyard, the master whereof went out in the morning to hire labourers, and agreed with them for a penny a day. Three hours after, or at the third hour, he went out and hired more; and so again

at the sixth and ninth hours; yea at the eleventh hour he did likewise. And when they came all to receive their wages, he gave the last he had hired as much as he had agreed for with the first, viz. every one a penny, neither more nor less. Whence they infer that the future reward, signified by this penny, shall not be proportioned according to the difference of men's works, but be one and the same to all.

I answer, this parable belongs not at all to the matter in question, seeing the scope of it is to justify God's proceedings in the dispensation of his grace towards the church of the Jews, and that of the Gentiles; the latter of which was not called till a long time after the former; and though being so much junior to it, yet was made its equal in the benefits and blessings of God's gracious covenant. The Jews were first hired into the vineyard betimes in the morning, in the more early ages of the world, in the days of Abraham, with whom and his posterity God made a special covenant of grace and mercy; and in the after-ages, (which seem to be signified in the parable by the third, and sixth, and ninth hours,) at such times as the true religion was in danger to fail among them, he by extraordinary means and instruments raised and restored it again; as in the days of Moses and Elias, and after the captivity of Babylon. But the Gentiles were not called into the vineyard till the day was far spent, in the last time and dis pensation; (undoubtedly signified in the parable by the eleventh hour;) and yet these, by the goodness of their heavenly Master, are admitted to the same privileges with the Israelites, and they receive the same reward which was promised to the Jews, with whom

the covenant was first made, and who bore the heat of the day, whilst the others stood idle.

This admission of idolatrous Gentiles, upon their conversion to the faith of Christ, unto equal privileges with the Jews, was a great offence to them, and an occasion of hardening many of them in their unbelief and rejection of Christ's Gospel. They would rather quit, than share in the benefits of the Gospel with the Gentiles, whom they so much despised and hated, as if they scorned to go to heaven in their company. This discontent of the Jews, at the gracious dispensation of God towards the Gentiles, by the Gospel of Christ in the latter ages, is doubtless signified in the parable by the murmuring of those servants that were first hired into the vineyard, against the equal retribution given to those servants that were hired last of all, mentioned ver. 11, 12. And now what is all this to the purpose of the objectors?

In a word, it may seem strange that any man should fetch a proof out of this chapter for a parity of rewards in the life to come, and that from a parabolical discourse delivered therein, and that manifestly designed to a quite different purpose; when in the very same chapter, ver. 23, 26, 27, our Saviour plainly teacheth the contrary doctrine, as I have already undeniably evinced.

The objections against this truth being thus cleared, I shall add only one caution, necessary to prevent the misunderstanding of it, viz. that though there shall be different degrees of glory in the life to come, yet to every saint his own degree shall be a satisfactory beatitude.

To receive those rivers of pleasure, that flow from