SERMON XVIII.

MATTHEW XIII. 24, 25.

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

SUCH

XVIII.

is the impatience, the igno- SERM. rance, and the ingratitude of mankind, that whilft the manifold bleffings poured on them by their divine Benefactor, are utterly forgotten or difregarded; the few evils which they fuffer are most warmly refented, and most grievously complained of. The goodness and B 2 mercy

1

SERM. mercy of the Almighty are every day
XVIII. called in queftion by his murmuring and

difcontented fubjects, who boldly arraign,
his Providence, and impiously accuse him
of partiality and injuftice; 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 so pleased, 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 argueth the pride and self-sufficiency of man, which dareth to difpute the wisdom and goodness of that God who made him. In oppofition to these weak and impious fuggeftions, our blessed Redeemer hath, in the parable now before us, taken upon him to defend his almighty Father, and to vindicate the divine

divine conduct in this important parti- SERM. cular.

The image which he hath thought fit to make use of in this beautiful allegory, is adapted, we may observe, to the meanest 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 induftrious hufbandman, cultivating and improving his farm to the best advantage, by fowing good feed in his field; after which he appointed (which, though not expressed, is visibly implied) proper persons to guard and look after it. His enemy, however, (and fuch the most innocent will always have) watching his opportunity, came by night, whilst the men flept, fowed tares amongst the wheat, and went his way. The confequence of B 3

this

XVIII.