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ON THE PARABLE OF THE TARES.

SERMON

XVIII.

MATTHEW XIII. 24, 25.

The kindgom of heaven is likened unto a man which Jowed good feed in his field; but when men flept, his enemy came and fowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

S

UCH is the impatience, the ignorance, and the ingratitude of mankind, that whilft the manifold bleffings poured on them by their divine Benefactor, are utterly forgotten or dif regarded; the few evils which they fuffer are most warmly refented, and moft grievously complained of. The goodness and mercy of the Almighty are every day called in queftion by his murmuring and discontented fubjects, who boldly arraign his Providence, and impioufly accufe him of partiality and injustice: because it was in the power of God to have made men unchangeably and perpetually happy, they haftily and rafhly conclude that he ought to have done fo. God, fay they, might, had he fo pleafed, have communicated to man a much larger fhare both of happiness and virtue, and rendered us throughout the exact image of his own divine perfection.

Thus

Thus argueth the pride and felf-fufficiency of man, which dareth to difpute the wisdom and goodness of that God who made him. In oppofition to these weak and impious suggestions, our bleffed Redeemer hath, in the parable now before us, taken upon him to defend his almighty Father, and to vindicate the divine conduct in this important particular.

The image which he hath thought fit to make use of in this beautiful allegory, is adapted, we may obferve, to the meáneft capacity, taken from an humble state of life, and therefore more proper to convey general and univerfal inftruction.

God is here reprefented to us as a careful and industrious hufbandman, cultivating and improving his farm to the best advantage, by fowing good feed in his field; after which he appointed (which, though not expreffed, is vifibly implied) proper perfons to guard and look after it. His enemy, however, (and fuch the most innocent will always have) watching his opportunity, came by night, whilft the men flept, fowed tares amongst the wheat, and went his way. The confequence of this malevolent action was fuch as might naturally be expected: when the blade was fprung up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares alfo; and the fervants came and faid unto him, Sir, didft thou not fow good feed in thy field? whence then hath it tares? He faid unto them, an enemy hath done this. Then the fervants faid unto him, Wilt thou that we go and gather them up? But he faid, nay; left, whilst ye gather up the

tares,

tares, ye root up the wheat alfo. Let both grow together until the harveft: and in the time of harveft, I will fay to the reapers, Gather ye together firft the tares, and bind them in bundles, to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.

Thus endeth this beautiful parable, which our bleffed Saviour not only delivered, but did himfelf gracioufly condefcend to explain. He that foweth the feed, fays he, is the Son of man: the field is the world: the good feed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one: the enemy that fowed them is the devil.

The parable being thus fairly explained by him who doubtlefs was beft able to explain it, it remaineth only for us, who read, to make the proper ufe of it, by fuch reflections on the various parts, as may beft tend to illuftrate the defign, and to enforce the precepts inculcated in it.

And first, then: Those who accuse the Supreme Being as the author of evil, would do well to obferve, that the husbandman reprefented in the parable fowed not evil but good feed in his field: and in like manner alfo did our beneficent Creator, when he made all things, fee that all things were good. But when Sin and Satan came into the world, they indeed polluted this clear ftream, marred his divine work, defaced the image of God, and fpread error, vice, and deformity over the fair face of nature.

God moreover not only fowed the good feed, but appointed also proper perfons to guard and

protect

protect it. In spite, notwithstanding, of all his care and caution, the fervants were idle and flothful; the careleffness of those who were fet to guard the field, excited the vigilance, and enfured the fuccefs of their adverfary: whilst they flept, the enemy came, and fowed tares among the wheat. Here, my brethren, let us ftop a moment to obferve, that this hath ever been the cafe with regard to the word of God. The fupineness and indolence of mankind in general, and particularly of those who have been appointed to watch over and direct human affairs, have caufed all the errors and innovations, all the fects and herefies, which from time to time have altered, polluted, and disguised true religion. These have affifted and encouraged Satan to fow his tares in the field, and cover it with those baneful and pernicious weeds which choak and deftroy the rifing harvest.

up

Our bleffed Saviour fowed the good feed of the Gospel: his difciples watched it for a time, but foon grew liftlefs and inattentive; when the enemy came, and fowed the feeds of error, atheism, and infidelity: thefe took root, fprang up, mixed with, and have ever fince been growing with Christianity,

What then, my brethren, is the leffon which this part of the parable doth moft naturally fuggeft unto us? Is it not plainly and indifputably this? that we should be awake, vigilant and active; that we should not fleep as thofe did who were appointed to guard the field, but watch carefully to prevent, if poffible, the

intrufion

intrufion of Satan: tares enough are already fown in the field; it is our bufinefs to take efpecial care that no more be dropped in it. When thofe to whom the guardianship of religion and virtue is more peculiarly intrusted neglect their duty, then it is that error and fuperftition, bigotry and enthusiasm, rush in upon us. To this we are indebted for Arians, Socinians, Gnoftics, Popes, and Antichrifts; for all the idle fopperies that from age to age have polluted the sweet fountain of Christianity. To this we are indebted for all the various fects and herefies, all the caufelefs feparations, which have been made from the church eftablifhed. To this indolence and fupineness, both of teachers and hearers, we are alfo indebted, I will venture to add, for the fashionable enthusiasts of the prefent age, whose abfurdities it is easier to ridicule than to put a ftop to; whofe tenets and principles may produce evils which we are not fufficiently aware of, and be attended with fatal confequences which we little expected. The charge of indolence and remiffness, which they lay upon us in excufe for their feparation, may perhaps have fome degree of juftice in it: be it our firft and neceffary bufinefs to remove this objection by our future conduct: this may bring them back to the plain road of sense and reafon, turn afide the waters of piety from thefe new currents, and teach them once more to run into their own purer channel.

But the chief end and scope of this divine parable feems, as I before obferved to you, to

be

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