Part 105 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Part 106 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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[1.] First, That all saints shall be equal sharers in the substantial and essential glory of heaven, etc. But of this I have spoken before; and, therefore,
[2.] Secondly, Though a father buys a rich inheritance for all his children—yet this lays no necessity nor obligation at all upon him to allot to everyone of his children an equal portion. Just so, though our Lord Jesus Christ has by his blood purchased a rich inheritance for his children—yet this lays no necessity nor obligation at all upon Jesus Christ to divide this rich inheritance by equal portions among his children. It is true that Christ has purchased all with his blood; and it is as true that he may divide his purchase among his people as he pleases. If every man may do with his own as he pleases, why may not Christ? Must he needs be bound, when others are free?
[3.] Thirdly and lastly, I answer, That as it is true that the merits and satisfaction of Christ is the ground and foundation of our reward, and that alone which makes our works capable of a reward—just so, it is as true that our works are the subject to reward, and this is most agreeable to the compact that was made between Christ and his Father—that everlasting happiness and blessedness, that eternal glory and felicity, should be measured out to the saints according to their different measures of grace, and different degrees of service that they have been engaged in this world, and all this upon the credit of Christ's blood. Certainly there is nothing under heaven, below the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, that can make differing works capable of a different reward.
The Papists are most sadly wrong, for they are so blind and bold as to affirm that the more grace any man has, the more glory he merits by his grace. These men make degrees of grace, and not the blood of Jesus Christ, to be the meritorious cause of degrees of glory; and therefore of all men I think they are furthest from glory. Certainly this is the believer's glory, and his crown of rejoicing, that all recompenses and rewards shall flow in upon him, not upon the account of his merits—but upon the account of Christ's blood; and thus much shall suffice to have spoken by way of answer to this objection.
Objection 2. But now, in the second place, I shall come to answer their grand and main objection; and that is taken from that parable in the 20th chapter of Matthew, where the kingdom of heaven is compared to a vineyard. Now in this parable there is mention made of a farmer that called several laborers into his vineyard, at several hours in the day; some he called at the first hour, and some he called at the third, and some at the ninth, and some at the eleventh. Now when they all came to receive their wages, the story tells us that he gave every man a penny, he gave every man an equal reward. Those who labored from the first hour, and those who labored from the third hour, and those who labored from the sixth hour of the day—had no greater a recompense than he who came in at the eleventh hour, and so had labored but one hour in the vineyard, and bore but little if any of the heat of the day. From whence the objectors conclude that there are no degrees of glory in heaven—but that all shall have glory alike, happiness and blessedness alike; every man shall have his penny, every man shall have an equal reward, and no man's penny in heaven shall be brighter or bigger than another's.
Now, by way of answer to this objection, give me permission to premise these three things:
First, That this parable of the householder, in giving to every man a penny, has no reference at all to heaven, nor to the reward, nor to the glory that shall be conferred upon the elect, and this I shall clearly and fully prove by these four following arguments:
Back to Part 104 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
Part 106 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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