the Good of our Souls. Then again, when we confider that She has carried him, who is Goodness and Mercy itself, for nine Months together in her Womb; and that She always carried him in her Heart, as the fole Object of her Love; we cannot but conclude, thatShe herself has received, in all that Time, fo ample a Portion of those Virtues; that it is to do her the greatest Injustice, not to regard her as a most merciful and tender Mother to all thofe, who ftand in Need of, and cry out to her for her Affiftance.

These then are the Grounds upon which our Devotion to the Blessed Virgin is built; these the Reasons why we fo often importune her to pray for us. If they who blame us for it, either think her not charitable enough to intereft herself in our behalf; or not powerful enough to obtain any Thing for us; or perhaps think themselves to have as good an Intereft with Christ, as his Blef fed Mother; let us, at least, be far from entertaining either fo mean an Opinion of her, or fo proud an one of ourselves: Let us acknowledge her to be the Mother of Mercy; and, of all Creatures, the most acceptable to God: Let us alfo own the Unworthiness of our own Prayers: And therefore fince, on the one Hand, we have no Hopes of Salvation but from the pure Goodness of

י

15

God,

God, through the Mediation of Jefus Christ; and are fenfible, on the other, that by the Multitude and Grievoufness of our Sins, we have deferved to be rejected by him; let us never ceafe to importune the Bleffed Mother of God to intercede for us, that we may find Mercy at his Hands; nor ever pass a Day without offering to her, from Time to Time, this short but excellent Prayer: Holy Mary, Mother of God; pray for us Sinners, now, and in the Hour of our Death. Amen.

The LVth ENTERTAINMENT.

The Parable of the Seed.

The Sower went out to fow his Seed.
Luke viii. 5.

TH

HE Parable I am going to explain is thus propofed by Chrift; The Sower went out to fow his Seed; and as he fowed, fome fell by the Way's Side; and it was trodden down, and the Fowls of the Air devoured it: And fome fell upon a Rock; and as foon as it was fprung up, it wilber'd away, because it lacked Moifiure:

And

And fome fell among Thorns; and the Thorns Sprang up with it, and choked it: And other fell on good Ground, and sprang up, and bare Fruit an Hundred-fold.

This is the Parable; and the principal Drift of it is to mark out three feveral Causes, by which the Seed of the Word of God, as Chrift himself explains it, is render'd fruitless; that is, three feveral Obftacles to Salvation; represented under the Figure of the Seed's falling, by the Way's Side, upon a Rock, and amongst Thorns. The first is thus fet forth by Chrift; Some of the Seed fell by the Way's Side, and it was trodden down, and the Fowls of the Air devoured it: Which he explains thus They who are by the Way's Side, are those who hear the Word; then comes the Devil, and takes it out of their Hearts, left believ ing they should be faved.

;

Here we have the Character of Obdurate Sinners, and the Power the Devil has over them, fet forth in lively Colours: Chrift compares them to that Ground which lies near the High-way, and is usually trod hard into a Path, by the Number of Paffengers that walk upon it: Now, whatever Seed falls upon this Ground, is certainly loft; First, Becaufe, by Reafon of its Hardnefs, it cannot fo much as enter into the Earth, much lefs be covered deep enough.

to

to take Root; and, fecondly, Because it is either trodden upon, or eaten up by the Fowls of the Air: In the fame Manner, the Seed of the Divine Word is loft upon the Hearts of obdurate Sinners: It falls indeed upon them; for they hear the Word, as Christ fays; and this renders them inexcufable before God, becaufe, hearing it, they give no Attention to it; but are of the Number of those who fay to God in their Hearts, We will not have the Knowledge of thy Ways: However, the Father of Mercies ceafes not to speak to them by his holy Inspirations; and they have Reflection enough to perceive them, and know them to be the Voice of God that calls upon them: But they refuse to entertain them; they will not let them enter into their Hearts, for fear they should faften upon them, and difturb them in their criminal Pleasures.

This is their unhappy Difpofition; and tho' it be, of its own Nature, Obstacle enough to the Grace that speaks interiorly to them; yet Chrift attributes it chiefly to the Power the Devil has over them, who is watchful to nourish this Difpofition, and harden them in it: They hear the Word, fays Chrift; then comes the Devil, and takes it out of their Hearts: He is Zealous of his Prey, and will not truft

them

them wholly to themselves; but keeps affiduous about them, to hinder the Seed of God's Word from working any good Effect upon their Souls: And therefore, as foon as any good Thought, or Truth relating to their eternal Intereft, presents itself to their Minds, the Devil is ready to fnatch it immediately from their Hearts; left, believing, they fhould be faved, or left by ruminating upon it, and giving it Time to make an Impreffion, they fhould think feriously of a Change, and break loofe from the Chains that keep them in Bondage.

But fince it is to be hoped, there are not many in this abandon'd and reprobate State; the whole Subject of this Entertainment shall be fome Directions, relating to the two other Obstacles to Salvation, which are far more common; marked out in the Parable.

The Second Hindrance to Salvation, or Caufe which renders the Seed of God's Word fruitless, is thus characterized by Chrift; And fome fell upon a Rock, and growing up it wither'd, because it wanted Moisture. By the Word Rock is underftood a rocky or ftony Ground; for if Seed were fown upon a bare Rock, it would lie naked upon the Surface of it, and it were impoffible it should grow up at all: And

there