Meditations the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
In which Application is made of the foregoing Doctrine; in shewing how much it concerns every man to improve his Portion from God; and in giving Directions for the doing of it.
I Have already shewed, That God gives to every man a Portion to be improved; together with the Reasons for his so doing. I now proceed to the Uses we are to make hereof. And
1. This exhorts us to consider our selves as Children who must give an account of our Portion to God our Father, and as Servants to our Lord. We have all a Stock to husband; Matth. 25.every one hath one Talent at least; There is a price even in the hand of a fool, Prov. 17.16.
God gave Adam at first the whole World for his Portion, and his own Image, Gen. cap. 1, 2.besides a special Commandment as his Talent to improve. Matth. 28.19.And since Christ ascended, God hath given the World the offer of Christ as their Portion, besides the things of this life.
But as Adam abused his Portion, Mark 16.16. John 3.16.and was therefore thrust out of Paradise, and the Earth that was part of his Blessing, was cursed: so the World now abuseth their Talent, especially the offer of Christ; and this will be their condemnation, John 3.19.that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light. And if this Judgment pass not on the Heathen, yet they have the light of Nature, with the Book of the Creation, to point them to God, to fear, and love him, and to admire, and adore his power, and wisdome, and goodness: and their miscarriage in these will leave them without excuse. And Christians have another Book besides that of Nature, Rom. 1.20, 21.and that of the Creature, the holy Scriptures, and there Christ offers himself, and grace and glory with him; and if you improve not these Talents well, the Scriptures will judge you: He that rejecteth me, John 12.48.saith Christ, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
And men that have grace have more Talents than all others; they have all five Talents in respect of other men, though amongst themselves, one hath five, 1 John 2.12.another two, and another one; there are fathers, young men, and children among them.
My Brethren, there is nothing that any man hath but it is part of his Portion, and he must be accountable for the management of it; his degree, his calling, his time, his strength, his weakness, his comforts, his crosses, his natural parts, his spiritual gifts, his grace, his means of grace, his estate, his priviledges, his ways, his words, his thoughts, God takes notice of a man's thoughts, and how he improves them. Thou understandest my thoughts afar off, Psal. 139.2. Matth. 3.16.And a Book of Remembrance was written before the Lord for them that thought upon his Name. Psal. 139.3, 4.And there is not a word in my tongue, but, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether, and art acquainted with all my ways. I say unto you, saith Jesus, Matth. 12.36that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of Judgment: Rom. 14.10, 12 2 Cor. 5.10.And we shall all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ; And every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
But I cannot name all things Christians must be accountable for; it is certain for all their trust. 1 Pet. 4.5.Paul had his trust, 2 Tim. 1.11. and Timothy had his trust, 1 Tim. 6.20. and we have every one of us our trust.
And by the way, Let the thoughts of this either prevent or prevail over your grudgings at the greater estates, larger parts and priviledges which others have above you; they are but Trustees in all; as to men, they are Masters of their own in a manner; but as to God, they are all Stewards and Servants, even the greatest of men, of Lords and Ladies; give an account of thy stewardship.Luke 16.2. Num. 12.7. & 14.24. Psal. 116. Jer. 25.9.
The Lord called Moses his Servant, and Caleb his Servant, and David his Servant, and Nebuchadnezzer his Servant, yea, Jesus Christ, as man, his Servant, Isaiah 42.1. It was the Reply of a great Lady to one that told her, God had given her much; No, saith she, God hath lent me much to improve, and I must be accountable to him for all I have.
O let all consider their Portions, and their improvements of them for God: Prov. 3.9.Honour the Lord with thy substance; 1 Cor. 10.31.God expects you should eat, and drink, and rest, and work, and do all to his glory. Men must give an account how they have used the light of Nature, and the light of Grace; their honour, their parts, their time, their trades, their relations; they are intrusted with all to improve for God as well as themselves; as the Apostle saith of the gifts of the Spirit. 1 Cor. 12.7.But alas, how many spend their stock upon their lusts; The lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, or the pride of life? And of those that do not thus, how many let their gifts lie fallow, and do little or nothing for God with them? Others devote their Estates to their covetous hearts: This is for a Lamentation.
Yea, where is the Christian that leaves all sin he might, and does all the good he might; that prays so much as he might, and walks by Faith as he might, and denieth himself so much as he might, and hath his conversation in Heaven so much as he might? We all need Christ to make up our Accounts to God, more than Onesimus did Paul to make up his to Philemon.
Quest. But where lies the power of improvement? Not in us; 2 Cor. 3.5, 6.it lies in the hand of God: We are not sufficient of our selves, as of our selves to think any thing; John 3.35.all our sufficiency is of God. And the Father hath given this power into the Son's hand; Without me, John 15.5.said Jesus, ye can do nothing.
Answ. It is true; but there is an open way for us to God by Christ; and an open way to Christ by his own offer; Come unto me—And St. James saith, Ye have not, James 4.2.because ye ask not.
But now to those that lay this block in their own way, and make this Objection, either they make it of experience and proof, or else of meer cavil. If the former, if you have willed it, and laboured for it, and bemoan'd your selves in the want of it, then you have but one step to it; for if you are come to self-despair, through sense of impotency, now is the time of that Promise, Zach. 12.8. Isa. 40.29.The feeble shall be as David: and that, He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might, he increaseth strength. Do but now fix your eye on God, as the lame man did on Peter and John, Acts 3.and he'll bid you rise and walk.
When Saul went to seek his Father's Asses, and could not find them, he went to a Seer, 1 Sam. 9.to a Prophet, and had good speed: Why so when you cannot get grace, or ask grace, or do duty of your selves, by your own strength, take hold on God, and welcome; Let him take hold on my strength.Isa. 27.5.
But if you make this Objection of Cavil, be it known to you, you mistake your selves; you'l miss of your excuse you phansie to your selves. He that had but one Talent had his Cavils; his Master was a hard Master, &c. But did this excuse him? Matth. 25.24. &c.No.
It is one thing to know your own impotency to get grace, or improve grace, only by hear-say; and another to know it by experience and trial. If you object it, when you know it only by hear-say from the Minister and the Word of God, it is but a Cavil and a sorry Excuse: It is your knowledge of it by trial and proof that will make you look out of your selves for your strength, and that will bring you in grace, with power to improve it. You should work out your own Salvation with no less pains, than if your own pains should procure it.
It is true, God gives the success; this is all in his hand, 1 Cor. 3.7. But he gives success to him that labours for it. St. Paul makes not his inference thus; Because God hath all grace, and gives all, I'le do nothing; Phil. 2.12, 13.but therefore do you work, because it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do. You must labour as much, as if to will and to do were in your own power: You must work that God may work.
Many from their impotency father their sin and their condemnation for it on God; it is in way of Cavil, and not from their bewailed sad experience.
Nay, the truth is, it is common with natural men to think themselves abler than they are, witness their frequent resolutions in good moods; O what they will do and be! Rom. 1.21.As those Heathens professed themselves to be wise, so do natural men; they sometimes profess their ability, and sometimes their impotency, but have little practical knowledge of either.
Some men again disable themselves beyond their natural disability; they weaken their natural power by their own wilfulness; and this is so farr from an excuse, as it's an aggravation of their sin. If a Master send his man to Market, and he is drunk, and so cannot do his business, will this disability excuse him? Surely no; it rather doubles his fault. This is the case of these Objectors of their impotency; their impotency is their own, they cannot charge it upon God; they may charge it in part upon Adam indeed; but when they come to declare their own will, they make it their own impotency.
Ye will not come to me that ye might have life. John 5.40.They are impotent, and they love to have it so, as the Lord said of the Jews. Jer. 5.31.They would not come to Christ, as he would have them, if they could. Thus much for answer to the Objection, and also for the use of Exhortation.
This Doctrine may also put us all upon enquiry after direction in this case of infinite moment. Ʋse 2
1. We must take an account of our Receipts from God, what our Talent and Trust amounts to. As those that take in work from others, observe what they take, that they may know what to return; we should consider, That God observes what he gives, and so should we what we receive, what estates, what education, what parts, what means of grace, what motions of the Spirit, what workings of Conscience, what temptations, what afflictions, what deliverances, what experiences, what encouragements in promises and providence.
Remember, God himself takes an account of what stock he hath put into our hands, as he ordered Samuel to tell Saul, 1 Sam. 15.17.When thou wast little in thine own eyes, wast thou not made the head of the Tribes of Israel? and the Lord anointed thee King over Israel, &c.
And this account God ordered Nathan to give to David; Thus saith the Lord, 2 Sam. 12.I anointed thee King over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hands of Saul, and I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosome, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah, &c.
Suppose thy self to be thus charged of God with an account of all he hath put into thine hands: for as he will set mens sins in order before them; Psal. 50.21.so he will do their Talents and Trust.
2. Be sensible, and knowing by experience, of your own inability to discharge your Trust, though you have but one Talent; be as sensible in the case as Moses was of his insufficiency to deliver Israel out Egypt; Exod. 3.11. Exod. 4.10.Lord, who am I, that I should go in to Pharaoh, &c. I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
So sensible was Gideon of his weakness in himself to deliver Israel; Judges 6.Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Thus sensible be you of your own impotency to improve your Trust from God, be it never so small.
3. Look to the great assistance that is provided for you; Phil. 4.13.I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me. 1 Cor. 15.10.I have laboured more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Phil. 2.13.It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do. O look with incouragement for help, for auxiliary grace in all your Trust: I will instruct thee, Psal. 32.8.I will teach thee and guide thee: I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what to say. Thou shalt guide thine affairs with discretion. Exod. 4.12. Psal. 112.The Spirit shall teach you all things, Job. 14.26. When our Lord Jesus Christ sent forth the Seventy upon special business, they did his work with his power, and so returned with a joyful account; Luke 10.17.Lord, even the Devils are subject to us through thy Name, or Power.
4. Look to your Undertaker, for your accounts, even your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. As Paul was for Onesimus; Philem. v. 8.If he hath wronged thee any thing, put it on my account; I will repay it. The same is our dear Lord Jesus to a Believer, Col. 2.10. Heb. 7.22.and much more; Ye are compleat in him: He is a surety to God for Believers; and what thou canst not make up of thy account, put it upon his.
It hath been great relief to the Consciences of many poor sinners, that when Satan hath charged them, and they have owned the charge, but withal have seen their liberty to turn him over to Christ their Surety: Thus maist thou humbly, and reverently, 1 John 2.2.and believingly do; Lord, I come short in my accounts of the portion which thou hast put into my hands, and committed to my trust; but Lord, be pleased to look on Christ's accounts, and there are mine made up to the full. Not that every man may make thus bold with our Lord Jesus Christ; but those that indeed believe in Christ, that have cast themselves upon Christ upon the tearms of the Gospel; they that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity, and live to him, as well as look for life by him, such may doubtless use this freedom. Christ pays the true Believers Debts, Col. 2.14.and blots out all hand-writings that are against him. So much for the 12th Verse.