234

SERMON CXXIX.

The children of this world wiser than the children of light.

Preached at Whitehall, Anno 1684.

LUKE XVI. 8.

For the children of this world are 'in their generation wifer than the children of light.

T

Hese words are in the parable of the rich man's steward, who being called upon to give up

his accompts, in order to his being discharged from his office, cast about with himself, what course he had best to take, to provide for his fubsistence, when he should be turned out of his employment. At last he resolves upon this; that he will go to his Lord's debtors, and take a favourable account of them; and instead of a hundred meafures of oil, write down fifty; and instead of a hun dred measures of wheat, write down fourscore; that by this means he might oblige them to be kind to him in his neceffity. The Lord hearing of this, commends the unjust steward, because he had done wisely; that is, he took notice of his dishonesty, but praised his fhrewdness and sagacity, as having done prudently for himself, though he did not deal justly with him. And this is usual among men; when we fee a man ingeniously bad, to commend his wit, and to fay it is great pity he doth not use it better, and apply it to good purposes. Upon the whole, our Saviour makes this observation; that the children of this world are in their generation wiser than

the

children of light; as if he had faid, thus did the worldly wife man; thus provident was he for his future security and subsistence. He no fooner understands that he is to be turned out of his office, but he confiders what provision to make for himself against that time. And is it not pity, that good men do not apply this wisdom to better and greater purposes For is not every man such a steward, intrusted by God with the blessings of this life, and many opportunities of doing good? For all which, fince he must shortly give an account, he ought in all reason so to use them, as thereby to provide for the happiness of another life, against this temporal life have an end.

And this is all the parallel intended in this parable, as we may fee by our Saviour's application of it. For parables are not to be stretched to an exact parallel in all the parts and circumstances of them, but only to be applied to the particular point and purpose intended. A parable, and the moral accommodation of it, being (as one well observes) not like two planes, which touch one another in every part, but like a globe upon a plane, which only toucheth in one point. Thus our Saviour separates the wisdom of this steward from his injustice, and proposeth that to our imitation; The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

The words are a comparison; in which we have, 1st, The persons compared, the children of this world, and the children of light. It is a very usual phrase among the Hebrews, when they would express any thing to partake of fuch a nature or quality, to call it the fon or child of fuch a thing. Thus good men are called the children of God, and bad men the children of the Devil; those who mind earthly things, and make the things of this world their greatest aim and design, are called the children of this world; and those who are better enlightened with the knowledge of their own immortality, and the belief of a future state after this life, are called the children of light.

adly, Here 2dly, Here is the thing wherein they are compared, and that is, as to their wisdom and prudence.

3dly, The object of this prudence, which is not the fame in both; as if the sense were, that the children of this world are wiser than the children of light, as to the things of this world; but here are two several objects intended, about which the prudence of these two forts of persons is respectively exercifed; the concernments of this world and the other. And our Saviour's meaning is, that the children of this world are wiser in their generation, that is, in their way, viz. as to the interests and concernments of this world, than the children of light are in theirs, viz. as to the interests and concernments of the other world.

4thly, Here is a decision of the matter, and which of them it is that excels in point of prudence, in their way; and our Saviour gives it to the children of this world; they are wiser in their generation than the children of light.

Now this proposition is not to be taken in the utmost strictness and rigor; as if it were universally true, and without any exception, as if no man had ever been so wise and provident for his foul, and the concernments of another world, as worldly men are for the interests and concernments of this life. For there are some that are fools at large. and imprudent in their whole conduct and management, both as to the affairs of this world, and the other; who are in too strict a sense, the children of this world : They mind nothing but this world, and yet are grofsThey ly imprudent, even in their profecution of their temporal interests: They neglect and forego all other worldly advantages, for the fake of a little sensual pleafure; and then they lose and destroy that too, by an over-hot and eager pursuit of it, and turn it at last into gall and wormwood. And there are others (as St. Paul for instance) who, I doubt not, have been as prudent and zealous, and industrious for the promoting of religion, and the salvation of themselves and others, as any man can be about the affairs of this present life; and I hope there are somefuch

such in every age; but God knows they are very few, and their wisdom and industry is seldom so equal, and constant, and uniform, as that of the men of this world.

So that we are to understand this saying of our Saviour's with the fame allowance as we generally do all moral and proverbial speeches, that they are true for the most part, and the instances, and exceptions to the contrary are very rare. It is seldom seen, that good men are so wife for the concernments of their fouls, and of religion, as many worldly men are for their worldly interests.

In speaking to this proposition, I shall do these three things:

First, Confirm and illustrate the truth of it, by confidering the several parts and properties of wifdom.

Secondly, Give some probable account of this, by confidering what advantages the children of this world have above the children of light.

Thirdly, I shall draw some inferences from the whole, by way of application.

First, I shall endeavour to confirm and illustrate the truth of this, by confidering the several parts and properties of wisdom. Now this is wisdom, to mind and regard our chief end, and by all means to promote it; and this regard to our chief end doth express itself chiefly in these particulars ; in our being firmly fixed and resolved upon it; in choosing the fittest means for the compassing and accomplishing of it; in a diligent use of those means; in an invincible constancy and perfeverance in the profecution of it; and in making all things to fubmit and stoop to it. These are the principal parts and properties of wisdom; and I shall shew that in all these the children of this world do usually excell the children of light.

1st, They are usually more firmly fixed and refolved upon their end. Whatever they fet up for their end, riches, or honours, or pleasures, they are fixed upon it, and steady in the profecution of it. If they set up for riches or honours, they neglect and despise

i

despise pleasure, if it cross either of those ends. And this fixed resolution of the end is the great spring of action, and that which inspires men with vigour and diligence in the use of means; and the more refolved men are upon the end, the more active and industrious they will be in the use of means; for the end governs the means, and gives law and measure to our activity and industry in the use of them, and sweetens and allays the trouble and difficulty of them.

So that where the end is once firmly fixed and refolved upon, there will not be wanting fervour of profecution; but if we be wavering and unsteady as to our end, this will weaken our hands, and quench the heat of our endeavours, and abate the eagerness of our pursuit, and according to the degree of it, will derive a debility and inconstancy into all our motions. The double-minded man (as St. James says) is unstable in all his ways. Now the children of this world are commonly more fixed and refolved upon their end, than the children of light. It is rare to fee the whole life and actions of a good man, so constantly and uniformly confpiring to the furtherance of his great end, so directly tending to the salvation of his foul, and the increase of his glory and happiness in another world, as the actions of a worldly man, and the whole course of his life do to the advancing of his worldly interests. The covetous or ambitious men seldom do any thing to the best of their knowledge that is impertinent to their end, much less contrary to it; through every thing that they do, one may plainly see the end they aim at, and that they are always true to it: Whereas the best men do many things which are plainly cross and contrary to their end, and a great many more which have no relation to it; and when they mind it, it is rather by fits and starts, than in any even course and tenor of actions.

And of this we have a famous instance in that worldly and secular church, which now for several hundred of years hath more steadily pursued the