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Joy it felf, Sweetness it felf, Pleasure it felf. And how can the whole Soul then chufe but Acquiefce, and highly Rejoice when every way fo Provided with the mat ter of all manner of Delight?

But the Third word is that, which doth Aggrand it into an Immenfe and boundlefs thing; That it is the Joy of [thy Lord;] Not fuch a Joy only, wherein Men or Angels do Rejoice: But wherewith God himself, in whom all things are Infinite, does Rejoice. And who can think what is the Joy of God? Who perfectly knows his own Infinite Goodness, and Enjoys it, and Joys in it,after an Infinite manner. Yet O Chriftian! What thou canft not now Think, Thou may'ft Defire it, thou may'ft Tafte it; Yea and fhalt for ever Enjoy it; If thou wilt but be the Good and Faithful Servant.

And let us fee now, What is that, and to Whom fuch a Glorious Promife does belong? 'Tis to them that faithfully Improve the Talents committed to their Truft. For the Figure here is taken from a Rich man, committing his Goods to his Servants; To one Five Talents; to another Two; to another but One: Commanding 'em all wifely. and carefully to manage their Truft, to the beft advantage.

What

"What these Talents are, Expofitors have variety of Senfes. Some understand by em, Divine Graces; fome, the Holy Scriptures ;-Some, Natural Goods; As Judgment, and Ingenuity; Some, the Spiritual; fuch as Faith, Hope, and Charity; Some, by the Five Talents, that Knowledge of Exterior things, which comes in. at the Five Senfes: By the Two Talents, the Intellectual and Executive Power; and by the One, barely the former. • Some of thefe Senfes may pafs for Trifles and fome, little to the purpose.

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The Author here runs out into fome 'Length; but with all his Penetration, feems to be upon an Excursion befide the Matter: While he makes the Talents to be only Souls themselves: Souls, entrusted in greater numbers, to the Bishops; in leffer numbers, to Parochial Minifters: And in the fingular number, to each private Perfon. Much he has here to fay of the Charge of Ecclefiafticks; not quite excluding Princes, Magiftrates, and Mafters of Families. But with small pertinence (I think) to the present purpofe; and much to argue his Forgetfulnefs of many brave Men in the World, who, though out of Office, yet may enjoy more and bigger Talents, than fome that fit in the Public Places.

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But

• But whatever Gifts and Endowments any Men have, whether of Body or Mind; Whatever we enjoy of Power, Intereft, or Friendship in the World: Whatever Wit or Parts, Health orStrength, Wealth or Credit, Gifts or Graces; Whatever Advantages or Opportunities ' of Glorifying God, and doing our felves · or others the true Good, To promote our own, or our Neighbour's Happiness ' and Salvation; Thefe I take to be our Talents; whether we have 'em in the greater Measure, or leffer.

As the Parable then fhews, Eternal Fe licity to be the thing, which above all, we fhould defire, Because it comprizes the greateft Power, joyn'd with the moft Exquifite Pleasure; So it discovers the way to that Felicity, even a daily Diligence, laid out carefully, according to every one's ca pacity and Ability. But they that ftill refufe to be at the Pains, not only deprive themselves of the Blifs, but expose themfelves to that Curfe; ver. 30. Caft the Unprofitable fervant into outer Darkness, where Shall be Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth. Where he fhall lofe all manner of Liberty, that he cannot go where he would, nor do what he would; But fhall be compell'd to Abide, where he would not, and to fuffer, what he can neither Out-run, nor Undergo.

Yet

Yet the Servant thus Doom'd, is not faid to be the wicked Criminal, or notorious Malefactor; Only the Negligent, Slack, and Deficient in his Bufinefs. For whoever may plead themselves clear from other Of fences, Yet for their wilful continual Omiffion, they'll receive the Sentence of Condemnation; That as to all which is Soul'faving, they were Good for nothing:

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Though they might be Men of Substance, 'for their Enjoyments of the World,or men · of Parts, for their Endowments of Mind, They did not catch the Opportunities,nor exert the Abilities which God gave 'em,to bring Glory to his Name, and do Good ' in their Generation; by Relieving poor Indigent Bodies out of their Abundance, which was not lent 'em, to Engrofs all to themselves, but, as God's Almoners, to dispense out to his neceffitous Receivers round about 'em: Or by Admonishing, 'Inftructing and Affifting poor ruinous 'Souls that lay in their way, To speak or "Act in fome fuch manner, as might look fignificant and hopeful to Turn,and Gain, · and fave 'em.

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'Nor is it doing a Little here, which will fuffice for them, upon whom God has heaped great Bleffings: But where much is Given, Much will be required. And ' if they are for holding it in, where they fhould be Tender-hearted and Openhanded, Heavy will be the Reckoning

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of fuch falfe Stewards, fuch wicked and flotbful Servants: whom many that lye extremely fhort of their Ability, put to utter Confufion, by fuch frequent and noble Acts of Charity, as tell the World, how much more they can find in their hearts to Spare out of their Little, than the other will ever be perfuaded to do out of all their Superfluity.

O how much Good might be done by many fuch Great men as fwim in Wealth, and by many fuch Knowing men as excel in Gifts, who yet do e'n nothing but hide their Talents, and let 'em lie fo dead on their hands, that how few are the Better for 'em? And then, how much the worfe will it go with 'em, That all which the Giver of every good Gift conferr'd upon 'em was fo Referv'd or Mif-employ'd by 'em, as only to Aggravate their dreadful Doom upon 'em? • When inftead of Devifing Liberal things and ftudying (out of their Plenty,) how to exprefs their Gratitude for Heaven's Bounty, in fome worthy deeds of Charity, they clutch all in Harpies talons, only to their own Ufes, and harden their Hearts againft the miferable Creature's Neceffities. Inftead of Running o're, as the rich and fluent Fountains, to water and refresh the Lower grounds, They are like the foaking Spunges, that

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