Thirty-One Select Sermons 2, Sermon collection · Sermon 11

Thirty-One Select Sermons 2 · Sermon collection · Sermon 11

p. 705Gifts and Talents Shall be accounted for.

Preached before the Parliament on a day of Thankſgiving, Sept. 3.

LUKE 12.48.

To whomſoever much is given, of him much ſhall be required.

CHriſt having before exhorted his Diſciples to a continual, watchful and conſtant preparedneſs for his coming, (the coming of the Lord) as it is the great hope of the Saints, they long for and haſten to the coming of that day of God; ſo it is the great care of the Saints, they knowing the terror of the Lord; and they are to give their utmoſt diligence to be found of him p. 706in peace, that they may be like unto the ſervants that wait for their Lords return, becauſe they know not the hour when the Son of man will come. Upon this Peter propounds the queſtion, ver. 41. Lord. ſpeakeſt thou this parable unto us, or even unto all? Chriſt anſwers not directly, who is the faithful and wiſe Steward: Non negat ad omnes pertinere, praecipue tamen ad Apoſtolos. What I ſay unto you, I ſay unto all, watch, Mark 13.37. where the ſame Exhortation is given.

Theſe Verſes ſet forth two high aggravations of ſin when the Lord comes to reckon with his ſervants. Firſt, the knowledge that they have. Secondly, the gifts and talents that they have received. Firſt the knowledge that they have; he that knows his Maſters will and doth it not, ſhall be beaten with many ſtripes; its true, that knowledge is a great gift, in ſo much that the Jews have a proverb, foreign Pauper non eſt niſi ſcientia deſtitutus. There is no man poor but he that wants knowledge; to be richin knowledge, is to be indued with all riches: but yet knowledge is given unto many a man in wrath, and not in mercy, to aggravate the contumacy, and ſo the condemnation of a man. Nihil aliud eſt ſcientia noſtra quam culpa quoad hoc tantum legem novimus ut majori offenſione peccemus, Salv.Salv.

Its a great miſery to live without the Ordinances of God, to be out of the Valley of Viſion, and in the dark places of the earth; better is the bread of affliction, and the water of trouble, then a famine of hearing the word of God, Amos 8.11. yet it is much better to be without a teaching-Prieſt, and without the Law, then to enjoy them to no other end, but with the higher hand to ſin againſt them, there is no burthen like unto that p. 707of the valley of viſion, Eſay 22.1. No woe like unto that of Ariel, Eſay 29. The word is by ſome rendered the Lyon of God, becauſe of the ſtrength of that City, and its power to ſubdue other Nations: that it is as a Lyon of invincible ſtrength, no beaſt of the field could ſtand before it: but others do render it the Altar of the Lord, and it is the name given to the Altar, Ezek. 43.16. The Altar ſhall be twelve cubits long; it is Ariel; ſo that they that had the ordinances of God, and the ſacrifices of God amongſt them, there is a wo unto them above all other people, though it were the City where David dwelt: ſo that they that abuſe their knowledge, and walk not anſwerable unto it: here you ſee, the Lord will ſurely reckon with them for their knowledge in the great day that he hath appointed to judge the world.

Secondly, not only the knowledge, but the gifts of men, the gifts that men have received, they will alſo aggravate their ſin and increaſe wrath in the day of their account: the Lord will require nothing, where he hath given nothing; he will reckon with his ſervants only for the talents that they have received: he doth not expect to reap where he hath not ſown; but where he hath committed a depoſitum, he will require it, and he will account with men according unto what their receits have been; and anſwerable unto that, ſo will their Judgement be; there ſhall be different degrees of puniſhment, anſwerable unto the different meaſure of Talents abuſed and neglected; foreign. Ch…yſoſt.

The Obſervations out of the text are four.

Firſt, What ever a man hath here, is both given to p. 708him as a gift, and committed to him as a Talent. Secondly, They are not given or committed unto all in the ſame meaſure, but unto ſome much, and unto ſome little, in different meaſures. Thirdly, Whether a man hath much, or little, it is given or committed to him, as that which he ſhall be called to an account for, it ſhall be hereafter required of him. Fourthly, The more any man hath received, the more ſhall be required of him in the general day of Judgement; mens accounts ſhall be anſwerable to their receits.

Doctrine.

Whatſoever men receive from God, they are given them, or committed unto them; There is that overflowing fulneſs in him who is the fountain of living waters, that there is no man but receives ſomething from him, much or little every man doth receive, and theſe bleſsings are to be conſidered in a double reſpect; either as given, or as committed.

Firſt, They are all given, and are to be looked upon as dona, gifts meerly of grace: a man can receive nothing, unleſs it be given him from above, Iohn 3.27. Every good gift comes down from him who is the father of lights. James 1.17. All good things are from above, and they come unto us only in a way of gift. There are but four ways of the conveyance of any thing one from another.

Firſt, Ex debito, by way of debt, which is due to be paid, and ſo the Lord is debtor unto none: who can ſay they gave unto God firſt, and he ſhall be recompenced? and though by his promiſe, he ſeems after a ſort to become p. 709come a debtor unto us; yet its true, reddit debita, nulli debens; the rice of his promiſes are meerly his own grace, and his obligation by them is not ſo much unto us as his own faithfulneſs; that is true of Aquinas, touching all the bleſſings of God beſtowed upon men, Opus juſtitiae divinae ſemper ſupponit opus miſericordiae, & in eo fundatur.Aquinas.

Secondly, Ex pretio, By way of purchaſe, and ſo we have nothing to pay, for they are not our own.

Thirdly, Ex merito, by way of deſert, and ſo we can have no right; for, when we have done all that is commanded, we are unprofitable ſervants; it cannot be agreeable to a created nature to merit any thing at the hand of his creator; even the Lord Jeſus Chriſt himſelf cannot be ſaid abſolutely, and in a full ſenſe to merit as Mediator, at the hand of God the father; and therefore grace was the foundation even of the merit of Chriſt himſelf; there is gratia unionis, and gratia unctionis, according unto that ordinary ſaying of the Schoolmen: Etiam meritum Chriſti habet Gratiam inviſceratam: and if the Mediatour who paid the debt, could not merit, much leſs can we.

Fourthly, It muſt therefore be ex dono, purely, meerly of gift; all our receits from God are of his grace: he ſhews mercy for his own ſake.

Secondly, They are not only given unto them, but they are alſo committed to them, and ſo, that they are to be looked upon as depoſita committed unto them: the one implyes grace in God, and cals for thankfulneſs; the other, truſt in us, and cals for faithfulneſs; the Lord is that great wiſe man ſpoken of in Luke 16.1. and he hath put his goods into their p. 710hands, that they may preſerve and imploy them: as there is no man that is ſine dono ſo there is none abſque officio they are all of them ſtewards but not proprietaries, and the time of their ſtewardſhip will have an end, and then will the day of their account be: that as it is ſaid of the Jews, that the Scriptures, the Oracles of God, that they were committed unto them, Rom. 3.2. The word is foreign, they were concredited to them, or left to them as a depoſitum, which they were ſo to keep, as they were to tranſmit unto their poſterity ſo its true of all the pledges that the Lord doth betruſt his people with, they are committed unto them, concredited with them, as goods left in the hand of Officers; for every man is a Steward of ſome of the graces of God: and under this double notion all men are to look upon the bleſſings and mercies that they enjoy, not only as gifts beſtowed from the grace of God, but as pledges committed unto their truſt: and here interpreters upon this place do point us unto a double diſtinction.

Firſt, Ratione rei, ſo they are gifts to be received, that the free grace that is given may be acknowledged. Man in his fall had forfeited all his right to the bleſſings of God for he was now under the curſe of the Law: But the Lord did by a ſecond Covenant give all things into the hand of the Son; the Father loves the Son, and hath given all things into his hand; for he is appointed heir of all things; which cannot be underſtood of him as God, for ſo he is haeres natus; but as Mediatour, ſo he came under an act of the will of God, and is now haeres conſtitutus, Heb. 1.3. So that now the Lord Jeſus raigns, all Judgement being committed to him; the donation and diſpenſation of all things is p. 711now in his hand: he hath now a double ground of beſtowing of gifts: one is from common bounty, and the other is from peculiar mercy; the one by right of providence, and the other by right of promiſe, unto the one as ſervants, unto the other as ſons; the one as their portion in this life, and the other but as added unto the Kingdom of God and his righteouſneſs, Matth. 6.32.

Secondly, as Talents wherein our diligence and faithfulneſs is to be exerciſed, both in imploying and in improving; for there is no Talent but its given to trade withall, and being employed it will be encreaſed, for men do gain by trading; they are as the bread that Chriſt fed the Diſciples with, it multiplyes in the breaking; and as the widdows oyl, it encreaſeth in the ſpending: for all that a man hath received here, it is in reference unto trading, whether it be grace or gifts: for all is given that a man might imploy it, and by imploying it, improve it.

Secondly, Ratione perſonae, as they are data in ſalutem propriam, and commendata in ſalutem & aedificationem aliorum.

Firſt, ſome there are that are heirs of ſalvation, Heb. 1.14. and all the dealings of God do tend to prepare them for that great end, but to qualifie them for their inheritance, being they are as yet but in their nonage, that they may be made meet inheritors, &c. foreign, Col. 1.12. there is a ſpiritual preparation by which the ſoul is fitted for ſo great mercies as the Lord doth intend in reference to eternity, to beſtow upon man: and ſo the Saints have an intereſt in the ſoveraignty of God over all things in the providential, in reference unto the ſpiritual Kingdom; that as the Lord Jeſus p. 712Chriſt hath undertaken the government of it in order unto this end, Eph. 1. ult. and therefore all things work together for good, Rom 8.28. the word is foreign, all things (that is) omnis creatura, omnes eventus…, ſhall work together, that is, not of themſelves, but by a gracious concurrence or co-operation of God with them; and Miniſters are ſaid to be, foreign, workers together with God, 2 Cor. 6.1. by a gracious concurrence of the principal cauſe together with the inſtrument; for inſtrumentum agit diſpoſitive in virtute principalis agentis. Others do refer working together unto the creatures themſelves, that is not apart, they may not ſeem ſo, but by a bleſſed diſpoſition and a ſweet combination and concatenation, they do work together for good; the Greek word is, foreign, that is, ad aeternam ſalutem; for ſine ſummo bono nil bonum: There is nothing good to him that is without the chief good, there is nothing good but that which is in order to the chief good; the Ordinances of God are good, and they are therefore good, becauſe they are Ordinances that God hath appointed for ſo good an end as to fit us to enjoy the chief good, Heb. 6.7. The ground that drinks in the rain that it may bear fruit meet for him that dr…ſseth it, and ſo receive a bleſsing from God; and ſo Paul, &c. is yours, 1 Cor. 3.22. that is, given for your ſakes, and with a ſpecial tendency to your good; and ſo alſo it is true of providences, there ſhall be deliverance, Iſa. 35.7,8. The parched ground ſhall become a pool, and the thirſty land ſprings of water; that which had nothing but barrenneſs, now ſhall become fruitful; and that which was no way profitable but hurtful for men, a habitation of Dragons, that ſhall now bear graſs for the uſe of man; for the Lord will make a way for their p. 713return into their own Land, and it ſhall be a way of holineſs, that is, via ſanctitatis & ſanctificata; for a way in which they that are holy ſhall walk, and a way that ſhall tend to make them to become more holy. Joel 3.17. Then ſhall Jeruſalem be holy, and no ſtrangers ſhall paſs through her any more; their deliverance ſhall come upon their holineſs; and Dan. 11. ult. when Daniels people ſhall be delivered by the overthrow of the Turkiſh Empire; for that great Empire ſhall fall by the hands of the Jews in the glorious Land; and it is the coming together of bones, Ezek. 37.7. the noyſe and the ſhaking that is ſpoken of, is tidings out of the North and the Eaſt; and there he ſhall come to an end, and none ſhall help him; and whereas Canaan was not called the holy Land, nor Jeruſalem the holy City, after the death of Chriſt, yet until this time it was called ſo, ver. 41. the glorious or the pleaſant Land: but now it ſhould be a mercy beſtowed upon a holy people, and it ſhould be ſanctified to make them holy, and now it is called the glorious holy Mountain; and ſo its ſaid of Jehoſaphat, 2 Chron 17.3,4,6. His Kingdom was eſtabliſhed, they all brought him preſents, he had ſilver and gold, and he walked in the wayes of David his Father.

Secondly, there are ſome things that are given unto men, but it is for the good of others, & ſuch as tend not unto their own ſalvation at all; So ſome men ſhall be raiſed and exalted, not for their own ſakes, Iſa. 44.28. Cyrus is my Shepherd, ſaith the Lord; he ſhall perform all my pleaſure; I will hold his right hand and ſubdue Nations before him; I will looſe the loyns of Kings, break the gates of braſs in pieces, and cut aſunder the bars of Iron, give him the treaſures of darkneſs, and the hidden riches of ſecret places, for Jacob my ſervants ſake, p. 714and for Iſrael my elect, Iſa. 45.1,3,4,7,14. There is authority given alſo for the ſake of others, as many times power and ſucceſs is given for the ſake of others, and yet they that are in power, &c. themſelves have no good by it, he hath not known me, ſaith the Lord. So there is many a man makes riches his glory, that his houſe is increaſed, but it is not for his own ſake, but the wealth of the ſinner is laid up for the juſt, Prov. 13.22. He that by uſury and unjuſt gain increaſeth his ſubſtance, he ſhall gather it for him that will pity the poor: Prov. 28.8. And a man may ſay of ſuch Bees in all their gatherings, Sic vos non vobis, its not for your ſelves, but it is for the good of others that all this is done: and indeed all good things that ungodly men do receive, it is not for their own good, as it is not for their own ſake; it is for the Saints ſake, and it is by their Covenant, and therefore Luther ſaith, omnia conſervantur propter verbum & ſanctum ſemen: Deus non curat Politiam & Oeconomiam niſi propter Eccleſiam.

It is true that there are many that receive great mercies, great deliverances, but its not for their own good, but for their hurt. Eccleſ. 5.5. Biches are for the hurt of the owner: and ſo it is alſo of honours and victories, which are mercies in the things, but not to the men: as Cyprian ſaith of the Sacrament, Petro …emedium, Iudae venenum: ſo it is of all bleſsings, unto one in perniciem, unto the other in ſalutem, to the good of others which he himſelf had no good by.

Doctrine 2.

The gifts beſtowed by God, and the talents that are committed, they are committed, they are not given unto all in the ſame meaſure, but according to different p. 715meaſures: ſome have much, and ſome have little: ſome have two Talents, and ſome have five Talents: and here are two things to be conſidered.

Firſt, He doth not give in the fame meaſure unto all perſons: it is true, that there is no ſervant that is without his talent to trade with: for the Lord doth not expect to reap where he hath not ſown, or to gather where he hath not ſtrawed: but yet he doth not ſow alike plentifully everywhere, and that neither of grace, nor of gifts, nor of opportunity. Firſt, Not of grace, Epheſ. 4.7. Unto every one of us given according to the meaſure of the gift of Chriſt, but not to every one according to the ſame meaſure: and he gives grace unto us by meaſure: imperfectionem quandam neceſſario importat, tum partium tum graduum: if we underſtand it of foreign gifts, ſo no one man receives all gifts: and if we underſtand it of grace, though the Saints have all grace in the habit, yet there is but a meaſure, and it is not in fulneſs and perfection, as Chriſt is ſaid to receive the ſpirit without meaſure: John 3.34. Non ſignificat infinitatem: for it is in the humane nature, which is not capable of infinite perfection: but the meaning is, he had it without meaſure, in oppoſition unto our meaſure: that is, he had all gifts and graces in him, and he had them all in their perfection, and in the higheſt degree that ever was communicable to a created nature: Bodius.Bodius in loc. All have not the ſame meaſure of grace: nay the Saints that have grace, they have not the ſame meaſure of all grace: but as in ſin there are ſome peculiar corruptions in the body of ſin, ſo there are ſome peculiar graces, & as it were proper excellencies; for though all grace grows in the growth of any one that is regenerate, p. 716yet there are ſome graces that do grow in a man more then others, according as the Lord is pleaſed to act them and to draw them forth; as in Abraham his faith, and Ioſephs chaſtity, in Iob patience, and in Iohn Love; graces that they were eminent for.

Secondly, All have not the ſame Gifts, but God hath appointed unto every one a meaſure of faith; Rom. 12.3. And it is not put for the grace of faith, but for the gift of Knowledge of the doctrine of faith; and 1 Cor. 1.7. There are ſome that are foreign, men that come behind others in gifts, and there are ſome that do excel others in Knowledge, in parts; they do propheſie, but in Part; but yet ſome have a greater part of knowledge then others have; I ſpeak with tongues more then you all, ſaith Paul, 1 Cor. 7.7. There is an foreign, as God gives to every man his proper gift, ſome after this manner, and ſome after that.

Thirdly, All have not the ſame opportunities; opportunity is the ſpring-time both of gifts and graces: Phil. 4.10,11. Ye were willing, but ye wanted opportunity: but now you care, foreign, Reviviſcere, it is to wax green again: it is true it was winter, and your care did not appear, nor your love to me, becauſe ye had not opportunity; but now opportunity coming is as the ſun waiting upon your graces; now they do grow green again. 1 Cor. 6.9. A great door and effectual is opened to me. Oſtium pro occaſione & opportunitate, if given, a man may enter and make a progreſs, which if miſſed, the door is ſhut, and there is no entrance for that man, he can do nothing: the people of God have this promiſe, Rev. 3.8. I will ſet before p. 717thee an open door, and no man ſhall ſhut it: if at any time the Lord do open a door, and give his people any opportunity, Satan and the adverſaries do endeavour all they can to ſhut it; yet the people of God many times by their own folly, by their unobſervancy commonly ſhut their own doors upon themſelves: the Saints have two doors which they ſhould eſpecially look upon: one is Hoſ. 2.15. a door of hope, and the other is a door of ſervice: and if the one be ſhut, truly there is no great ground to expect that the other ſhould be opened; ſhut the door of ſervice, and in a great meaſure the door of hope muſt needs be ſhut; but all men have not the ſame doors opened unto them: ſome have much more then others have.

Fourthly, All have not the ſame ſucceſs, and yet they may have as great gifts and graces, and may take as great pains, yet ſucceſs is proportioned to neither of theſe; Paul plants, and Apollo waters, but it is God that gives the increaſe. 2 Cor. 10.13. We do not ſaith the Apoſtle, boaſt of things without our meaſure, but according to the meaſure of the rule: regula eſt donum dei, the rule is, that every man ſhall thrive and proſper in his work according to the bleſſing of God upon, and concurrence of grace with his labours; menſura perſonae ſecundum menſuram Regulae: for it is this bleſſing and concurrence that is the rule of our ſucceſs in all our labours: and ſo Paul had this meaſure, even unto them in preaching the Goſpel, and all the great things that by his miniſtery the Lord had wrought among them, but it was according to the meaſure of this rule abundantly: the Lord Jeſus in his labours complains, I have laboured in vain: The word is foreign, it ſignifies to labour with wearineſs, p. 718it is toyling labour, it is hard, ſore, exceeding, extream labour; it anſwers the word in the Greek foreign, ſore labour, and it was ſpending foreign humidum Radicale, a mans natural moiſture, and yet it was in vain, the ſucceſs anſwers not the labour; the Diſciples did convert more ſouls by their Miniſtery, when they were ſent forth to preach the Goſpel to all Nations, then the Lord Jeſus Chriſt did in the days of his fleſh, as he was the Miniſter of Circumciſion; not that they laboured more, and with more faith, fulneſs and integrity, but yet he had not the ſame ſucceſs: as wicked men have the ſame wicked ſpirits that other wicked men have, and take the ſame pains in their wickedneſs, but yet they have not always the ſame ſucceſs in their wickedneſs; as we ſee, looſe the four Angels which are bound by the River Euphrates,…ev 9.14 the divided Empire of Rome, &c. Firſt for the Weſt it was poſſeſſed by ten Kings who made one body with the Beaſt, or Antichriſt with them made up the Beaſt; and the Eaſtern Empire was invaded by the Saracens and Turks, and they ſeized upon a great part of it, but yet could go no further then the River Euphrates: there was yet Aſia the leſs and all Greece ſtill remaining under the power of the Roman Emperours with Conſtantinople their royal city. Now the Turks hovered about for the ſpace of two hundred years in four Colonies or Armies at Iconium, alſo Aleppo, Damaſcus, all bordering upon Euphrates: but now they are looſened, and they make an inrode upon this part of the Empire alſo; not that they had not a will and endeavoured it before, but they were bound: but now the Lord doth give ſucceſs unto their endeavours for the execution of that remaining vengeance: p. 719now they are ſaid to be looſed, and now this part of the Empire is alſo immediatly over-run by them.

Secondly, As it is true of Perſons, ſo it is of Ages alſo; they are not meaſured unto all ages al…ke, but unto ſome much, and unto ſome little.

As firſt of light. All ages do not enjoy the ſame light; they do not ſee the days of the ſon of man; Kings and righteous men have deſired to ſee the days that you ſee, and have not ſeen them, and to hear the things that you hear, yet have not heard them: Plus uno die vident pueri quam per totius vitae tempora philoſophi. Gerhard in his Chronology ſpeaks of Infoelix ſeculum exhauſtum hominibus ingenio & doctrina claris; Gerhard.there are dark times, and there are times alſo when the light of the Moon is as the light of the Sun, and the light of the Sun ſevenfold: Eſay 30.26. One age hath much, and another age hath little.

Secondly, They have not the ſame deliverances: for three hundred years ſhe travelled under cruel perſecution under the power of the Red Dragon, but at laſt the Church brought forth a man-childe, who was exalted upon the throne of God, as the fruit of all their travels, all their prayers, and as the price of all their blood, principem à quo libertatem & exemplum fidei mundus accepit. Sulpic.

There is a time when the Lord doth lift up the rod of the oppreſſour, and there is a time when he doth break their yoke from off the neck; there is a time when the enemies do plough upon the backs of the people, and make long their furrows; and there is a time alſo when God doth cut their harneſs, and they are able to plough no longer; there is a time when God gives p. 720his people to be troden down as … in the ſtreets, and there is a time when no ſtranger ſhall any more paſs over it; there ſhall be no more a grieving thorn, or a pricking bryer; there ſhall be none to hurt or deſtroy in my holy Mountain, &c. there is a time when God doth bend Judab for him, and when he doth raiſe the worm Jacob to threſh the Mountains, &c and the Lord delivers the land out of the mouths of the Enemies, &c.

Doctrine 3.

Whether men have received little or much, it is all in reference to an account: there is a time when the King will take an account of his ſervants: for he will come to reckon with them, Mat. 18.23. There is not a talent that the Lord beſtows, but it is in reference to this account; all mercies received muſt ſurely be counted for: every one of us muſt give an account of himſelf unto God; and there are not only perſonal, but there are national accounts: he that is Judge of all the world, he is the Judge of all Nations, Iſa. 5.3. Iudge I pray you between me and my vineyard: he that refers unto men to judge, he will be the Judge himſelf alſo, and he will ſurely judge them with righteous judgement. For,

Firſt, All their mercies are recorded by him: they may forget them, but he records them: what is a great part of the Scriptures, but the records of God? Chronicles of his ſeveral mercies and deliverances that he hath beſtowed upon his people in ſucceeding ages, Micah 6.5. Remember from Shittim to Gilgal: it was the place of their Tranſgreſſion when they committed abominations with the daughters of Moab, and ſacrificed unto Baal Peor, did eat the offering of the dead: p. 721and Gilgal was the firſt place that they ſet their foot upon in the Land of Canaan, when the Lord rolled away from them the reproach of Egypt, from whence it had its name: and in the very places the Lord wrote in their names the memorials of his mercies, that the very names of the places might be a witneſs of his mercies to them, in memoriam, and in teſtimonium; Jehovah jireth, Gilgal, Berachah, &c. as you record your victories by the names of Dunbar, and the name of Worceſter, &c. the 78. Pſalm is nothing elſe but the Lords records in which he hath written the memorial of that continued Tract of mercies which he gave unto them: and the Lord wrote the memory of their mercies in the months, Exod. 12.2. This month ſhall be unto you the beginning of months; the Lord changed the beginning of their years in the remembrance of his mercy. Ver. 14. This day ſhall be unto you for a memorial. How ſhould the third of September be for a memorial unto you? &c. though the Canon of the Scripture be conſigned, and the Lord will write this ſtory by an infallible ſpirit no more to remain upon records amongſt men: yet they are all of them recorded before him, as the Law is written in the hearts of the people of God, not with paper and Ink, but by the ſpirit of the living God; ſo doth the Lord record his mercies which he doth multiply upon his people, not with pen and Ink, but by the ſpirit of the living God, in the heart of God for ever: as its ſaid of the ſins of men, Deut. 31.34. Is it not laid up in ſtore with me, and ſealed up amongſt my Treaſures? they are laid up amongſt the treaſures of God: ſo God hath treaſures of mercy alſo, as well as of ſins by him, &c.

Secondly, they are numbered by him, as the Miracles p. 722of Chriſt in the daies of his fleſh were numbered, as its ſaid, this was the firſt Miracle that he did, and this was the ſecond Miracle that Jeſus did after he came out of Judea into Galilee: So alſo the Miracles that Chriſt did work in glory are all numbered; as the Lord numbers the ſeveral degrees of his enemies downfal, in ſeven Seales, ſeven Trumpets, and ſeven Vials; ſo he doth number alſo the ſeveral degrees of his peoples deliverances; and 2 Numb. 14.22. he doth number their ſins anſwerable unto the number of his mercies; they have ſeen my Miracles in Egypt, and in the wilderneſs, and they have provoked and tempted me now theſe ten times: it is true that the mercies God beſtows on us are a multitude of mercies, and it is as eaſie for us to number the ſtars as it is to count them all; but though we cannot do it, yet God can do it, and he doth it, who can tell the number of the ſtars, and call them all by their names, Pſal. 71.15. David ſaith, that he would ſhew forth the ſalvations of God all the day long, for I know not the number of them, &c. and we muſt conſider God hath his ſet number of mercies for a people; if they abuſe them and walk unworthy of them, he will not ſhew mercy for ever, he will not draw forth his loving kindneſs from generation to generation: Ceſſat deſcenſus ſi in perpetuum aſcenſus ceſſat; as Beliſhazers Kingdom was numbered, the Lord wrote a memorial for him, ſo he will write a memorial upon ſome mercies, as the number of ſins is finiſhed, as Antichriſt hath his Numbers, the number of the beaſt is the number of a man, &c. and mercies may have their number alſo: even your mercies: the Lord may ſay, Now your proſperity is numbered, your deliverances & victories are numbered, I will deliver you no more, as our Lord Chriſt p. 723after his ſatisfaction is ſaid to finiſh tranſgreſsion, and make an end of ſin: ſo men by their tranſgreſſions may finiſh and make an end of mercy alſo, it may come to its full number. Now why doth the Lord in this manner record and number the mercies he hath beſtowed upon a people? ſurely it is in reference unto a Judgement: he will call them to an account for the place where he ſet them, on a fruitful hill; the wall he made about them of protection, the wine-preſs of Ordinances that he ſet up in them, and the overthrow of their enemies that he wrought for them.

Thirdly, the abuſe of mercies is by God imputed to men, and puniſhed by him: wo to Ariel: Ariel was either the Altar of God where the ſacrifices were offered, or the Lyon of God, quod vicinas Gentes ſubjugaſſet: and yet there is a woe unto them: Have I been a Wilderneſs to you, or a Land of darkneſs? and what iniquity have your Fathers found in me? therefore I will be a Lyon unto Ephraim, and as a Leopard I will obſerve them. And what are theſe but ultimi judicii praeindicium? for now the reaſons of Gods Judgements are ſecret, and no ſoul ſees them, but the Lord will make it appear in the day foreign; the day of Revelation of his righteous Judgement, and all the Nations of the world ſhall ſee that it is not without cauſe all that the Lord hath done: therefore particular Judgements are reſemblances of the general Judgement; its ſaid, the Sun ſhall be turned into darkneſs, and the moon into blood, Rev. 6.12,13,14. There was a great earth-quake, and the Sun became black as a ſack-cloth of hair, &c. which ſome have miſapplyed unto the day of Judgement, becauſe of the reſemblance in the deſcription of it: but it hath a great reſemblance becauſe it was all in reference to p. 724it; therefore all the mercies that people do receive, they are in reference to an account.

Doctrine 4.

Fourthly, anſwerable unto mens receits, ſo ſhall their account be; they that have received much, ſhall account for much: and they that have received little, ſhall but for a little; he that hath received five talents muſt look to reckon for five: and he that hath received but two, ſhall count for no more; it is ſome kind of comfort unto them that have received but a few talents, that they count but for a few; as he did comfort his friends that had but one eye, he ſhould count but for the ſins of one eye; and it is a comfort unto godly men many times, who have little of the things here below, that their account for them ſhall be leſs then many another mans; and it is a great ground of fear and terrour unto them who have received much from God; ſurely great will their account be; ſome ſhall account for an hundred talents, and others but for few: indeed much mercy is ſweet in the receit, but it is ſad in the account; and yet thus it muſt be upon a double ground.

Firſt, becauſe all the mercies of God are given unto eternal ends, and therefore they ſhall all of them be brought forth and accounted for in the eternal Judgement; its true that the Lord hath ſome temporal acts that he doth in time, but he hath no temporalends; they are all of them eternal: and all that men do, all their actions alſo are in reference unto eternal ends; therefore they ſhall all be brought forth at the eternal judgement; ſo ſhall all that the Lord doth alſo, and though p. 725the frame of this world ſhall ſtand but for a ſeaſon, yet the Lord will have an eternal glory thereby, when all the creatures ſhall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the ſons of God; ſo though there be great variety of mercies given to the children of men, yet the glory that God ſhall have by them ſhall be everlaſting glory: as it is in our acts of ſin, though it be but for a ſeaſon, yet the miſery will be everlaſting: ſo though Gods acts to the creature in this life be but temporal, yet the glory of them will be everlaſting; there is not any one of theſe temporal mercies that you enjoy, but the Lord doth them to eternal ends, and therefore he will reap by them eternal glory; and therefore ſome make that the meaning of that place, Eccleſ. 3.14. What ever the Lord doth, he doth for ever; ab imutabilitate; men can change none of the works that they do; indeed men may do works in one age, which the next age may deſtroy and pluck down; but men cannot do ſo of the worksof God: what he doth, there is no man can add to it, or take from it. For the ends of all Gods works they have all of them reference to eternity: he doth them all for an eternal end, which ſhall remain; when the work is deſtroyed, yet it ſhall attain its end, and ſhall redound unto his eternal glory.

Secondly, becauſe all the Judgements of God ſhall be righteous Judgements; now, righteouſneſs doth conſiſt in a proportion; therefore it ſhall be exactly anſwerable unto mens ſins which they have committed; and to the mercies which they have received; it muſt neither exceed nor fall ſhort: there is a great deal of difference between acts of ſoveraignty and dominion in God when the will of God only is to be looked upon, p. 726and the acts of his Juſtice wherein he will deal with the creature by a rule, and will plead with him in a rational way, ſo as he ſhall in the Judgements of God be his own Judge alſo; therefore he is ſaid, Eſa. 28.17. to lay Judgement to the line, and Righteouſneſs to the plummet, that is, ſumma equitate jus reddere. Forer.Forer. Therefore the Lord will be very exact in it, in ſetting mens accounts in order before them; for Jeſus Chriſt ſhall Judge as man; by the man Chriſt Ieſus; and therefor it ſhall be done in ſuch a way as men may be capable of, and may underſtand the reaſon of his proceedings; that ſo they may juſtifie the Lord: and therefore the Saints are ſaid to Iudge the world, becauſe they ſhall be aſſeſſors with him when they ſhall hear the mercies that he hath beſtowed, and how he doth require of men his own again in that great day of their account.

Uſe.

If it be ſo that anſwerable to mens receits ſhall their account be; then let us conſider our mercies that God hath beſtowed upon us; what perſons, what people can equal us in mercies? ſurely ſuch will our account be without parallel; we are all for receiving mercies, at receits we are good: but who doth think of his account? Go to now you rich men; weep and howl you great men; men of great gifts, men of high place, men of great intereſt, let me tell you, anſwerable unto all this will your account be; ye that pride your ſelves in what you have received, and never conſider what will be required for all this: as it is a great Iudgement to ſow much and to bring in little, ſo you are the moſt miſerable p. 727men alive, to have received much and returned ſo little.

The ſame is alſo true of Ordinances: you that receive much, Manna from heaven is rained upon you every day, conſider what your returns are: the ground that drinks in the rain, that comes oft upon it, and bears briars and thorns, is nigh to curſing; ſurely you that keep daies of Thankſgiving now, and do not live thankfully, do not return to God accordingly, you will have a time when you ſhall curſe the day of your mercies, and wiſh that the light of it had never dawn'd upon you.

But what is the thing that ſhall be required? it ſhall not be in the thing, but in the fruit: the mercy indeed God beſtows upon us, but he expects the fruit from us, and that he will ſurely require of us: and more particularly he will require theſe four things.

Firſt, with what hearts did you receive this mercy? did you receive it with a heart ſet upon the mercy it ſelf, or elſe was your heart carried out towards the God of the mercy? Hannah received mercy in a ſon: I but, ſaith ſhe, My heart rejoyceth in the Lord, 1 Sam. 2.1. Can any of you ſay, it is not the thing we rejoyce at ſo much as the preſence of God, and the appearances of God, and the return of prayers; and without this the mercy would have no ſweetneſs in it? how were our hearts carried towards God in the receiving of it? how are they drawn out in the remembrance of it? Ordinances are nothing without the enjoyment of God in them; even heaven is nothing without the enjoyment of God there: and therefore mercies are nothing of themſelves any further then the ſoul ſavours God in the mercies: as he ſaid, Give me mercies O p. 728Lord, but give me thy ſelf in them; give deliverances, but give me thy ſelf in them: To love the gift more then the giver, it is an adulterous affection: the Lord hates it, Zach. 11.5. Bleſſed be the Lord, for I am rich: and ſo many may ſay, I wiſh there were none ſuch amongſt you, that ſay, bleſſed be the Lord, for I am preſerved, we are delivered, and ſay that in an hypocritical and formal way: men may bleſs God whoſe ſpirits are not at all drawn out to God: and to rejoyce in a mercy from God, and not in the God of the mercy, is to rejoyce in a thing of nought; creatures without God are vanity, and mercies without God are a lye; ſo it is with the ſoul that is filled with the bleſſing, but not with the Lord; and as the heart ſhould be filled with the love of God, ſo alſo it ſhould be filled with the fear of God. Hoſ. 3.5. They ſhall fear the Lord and his goodneſs. There are no diſpenſations of God more aweful to a gracious heart, then the diſcoveries of goodneſs: how ſhall I be ever able to anſwer this goodneſs of God, ſayes a gracious heart? as the neere… the Lord comes to any in waies of grace, the more the fear of God is exalted in their ſouls: I am undone becauſe my eyes have ſeen the Lord of Hoſts: ſo the more God draws neer unto a man or a people in the wayes of mercy, how dreadful is it to the ſoul! it rejoyceth with trembling; but men uſually being delivered from the fear of their enemies, they are deprived of the fear of their Redeemer; its a ſad Judgement when mercy hardens mens hearts from the fear of God.

This is all that the Lord requires, Deut. 10.12. What doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God? &c. Surely the Lord that looks with p. 729what heart we receive our puniſhments, and therefore he requires that men ſhould accept the puniſhment; he doth alſo look with what hearts men do accept their mercies, their deliverances; and in our ſervices that we perform to God, we ſhould eye with what hearts God receives them, Mal. 2.13. That he receives it not with good will at their hands; We ſhould alſo be ſure that God looks into our hearts to ſee how we accept his mercies; mea non placent niſi mecum, tua non ſatiant, domine, niſi tecum.Bernard.

Secondly, how they are remembred by us? They remembred not his hand, nor the day that he delivered them from their enemies, was the charge upon them. Pſal. 78.42. They ſoon forgot his works; nihil citius ſeneſcit; there is nothing that obtains in our hearts an act of oblivion ſooner then mercies, but they kept a yearly remembrance of it; there was an Ordinance for the remembrance of it made to that purpoſe in their generation, but it was not with affection and with like, it was but a formal thing. Now that is in Scripture ſaid not to be known, which is not known with an affecting knowledge; and ſo that is ſaid not to be remembred, which is not remembred with an anſwerable affection and impreſſion of ſpirit; the Lord looks what impreſſion Ordinances leave upon us, and what impreſſion mercies alſo leave upon us, and how the heart is moulded and faſhioned by the one and by the other; the Apoſtle ſaies, in Heb. 2.1. That we ought to give the more earneſt heed to the things we have learnt, leſt we ſhould let them ſlip, &c. the word is, foreign, and as we are to do ſo in the Ordinances that we partake in; ſo alſo we had need of the ſame mercies that we receive, and to remember the affections that p. 730were ſtirred up in us when we did partake of them; ſo it is on the other alſo, and if that be not done, the truths we hear are forgotten, and ſo are the mercies alſo if our memories prove leaking veſſels; charta bibula, let the mercies be what they will, that the Lord writes upon us, yet they run abroad in us, and come to nothing, that they cannot afterward be read by us: there is a demy-appearance of mercies; as ſpiritual appearances of comfort, if there be barely the remembrance of them that it was ſo, but be no affections ſtirr'd up in it, the ſoul is not cheared by it; ſo it is in the remembrance of mercies alſo, only a dull foreign, and no more: in regard of our own attainments, we ſhould forget that which is behind; but in regard of the Lords mercies, we ſhould never ſo preſs towards that which is before, that that which is behind ſhould be forgotten; and the leaſt mercies ſhould be regarded with moſt life; They ſhall ſay no more the Lord lives that brought his people out of Egypt, but the Lord lives that brought his people out of the North Countrey, &c. Jer. 23.7,8. Thoſe mercies which were then called crowning mercies: I ſhould think ſo too, if I could ſee the crown ſet upon the head of Chriſt in them, the King exalted in his glory, &c.

Thirdly, how they have been improved, and what hath been returned unto God for them, What ſhall I return unto the Lord? &c. Hezekiah returned not according to all that God did for him.

Let me put ſome queſtions to you, to what ends you think God hath wrought deliverance for you? Firſt, was it that the Truths of God might be corrupted? In Ieruſalem there ſhall be deliverance and holineſs: and is the firſt ſtep to holineſs the ſubverſion of Truth? p. 731it remains as a brand upon their Tayls for ever, Rev. 9.7,10. Their faces were as the faces of men, and they were locuſts; they conquered whereſoever they came, but they had a ſting in their tails; they corrupted Religion whereſoever they came, and is the way to holineſs to corrupt truth? that cuts up holineſs by the root: ſhall it be ſaid, this is the Army that conquered all enemies, but generally poyſoned the people whom they conquered? and ſhall it be ſaid in this age, men aſſerted the liberties of men, but corrupted the truths of God? ſhall we contend for every thing but truth? and this is a Truth, there are fundamentals in Religion: let ſcorners ſay, what are fundamentals? let me ſay, how long halt you between two opinions? &c.

Secondly, were you delivered that your brethren might be oppreſſed, that ſome few men might ſhare Nations between them? I looked for Iudgement and behold a cry; I, and its a cry that will enter into the ears of the Lord of Sabboth, every man is for gain from his quarter: and no man abates of his own private intereſt, whatever he can ſtretch forth his hand unto he takes, let the people be oppreſt, yea authority over-awed, rather then we be retrenched, we groan under the peoples oppreſſions, and yet we are the greateſt oppreſſors, let all oppoſition be removed, that ſo none but we may oppreſs.

Thirdly, to trample the Miniſtery under your feet, and to remove that ſtanding Ordinance, to pluck the ſtars out of the right hand of Chriſt; but yet they will be preſerved notwithſtanding all oppoſition: and take the Jeſuites counſel Contzen, begin with them firſt, that there may be none able to maintain any thing in the p. 732Religion which we oppoſe, & error cui patrocinium deerit ſine pugnâ concidet.

Fourthly, was it that the Ordinances of God might be by every one prophaned, and to turn liberty unto Libertiniſm, a free liberty to make Arminians, Socinians? &c. and all manner of abominations, and they muſt not be reſtrained, no nor diſcountenanced, though the Apoſtle will not allow a man to ſhew that common humanity to them that he would do to a Heathen: Receive them not into your houſe, becauſe they bring not this truth; is there nothing men have to dally with but the truths of Chriſt? is there nothing to be turned into wantonneſs but the grace of God? it is the word of his grace; were we delivered to commit all theſe abominations? &c.

I beſeech you, nay, charge you, to beware of theſe things: elſe firſt your mercies will be witneſſes againſt you, and let me tell you, then the witneſs of mercies and of conſcience, there are not any more dreadful, but him who hath ſaid, I will be a ſwift witneſs, &c.

Secondly, your deliverance is then not in mercy, but in wrath; mens pleaſures may become plagues, and their liberty their deſtruction.

Thirdly, if you forſake God, then your deliverances will be your ruine, Joſh. 24.20. if you depart from him after he hath done you good, he will turn and do you hurt; but conſider the Lord doth make glorious promiſes to his people, Jeruſalem ſhall be a quiet habitation, &c. and the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad Rivers, Eſa. 33.21. Rivers, firſt for fruitfulneſs, Deut. 10.7. a fruitful land, a land of Rivers, &c. Secondly, defence, Amos 3.8. Whoſe rampant was the Sea, and p. 733whoſe wall was from the Sea. Thirdly, for plenty, Eſa. 23.3. The harveſt of the River is her revenue, and this is a Mart of Nations, &c. And whereas Siloah was a little River, what they wanted in the creature ſhould be ſupplyed in God, he would be a place of broad Rivers to them. But Rivers may give acceſs to enemies, as well as do good to the inhabitants; there were but two ſorts of ſhips, ſome for burthens, and ſome for war: but no galley with oars, or ſhips for war ſhould paſs; but the ſupplies from God ſhall be without any inconvenience, they ſhall receive good from God without evil, &c.

Fourthly, conſider how mercies ſhall be avenged, there is no provocations like unto them of ſons and daughters, becauſe there are none that are ſo much againſt mercy; and thoſe mercies that are not returned in thankfulneſs and obedience, wil ſurely be required in puniſhment: in rewards the Lord doth not return unto men according to their ſervices, but he doth reward men in the foreign of mercy, Hoſ. 10.12. but puniſhments ſhall be anſwerable to abuſed mercy, and that either here or hereafter: there is no people ſo highly the people of his curſe as thoſe that have been the people of his mercies, and thoſe to whom he hath ſhewn moſt love: you have I known of all the Nations of the earth, &c. therefore you will I puniſh, Amos 3.3. and its mercy and light that will be the great aggravations of mens ſins hereafter; the Lord doth come to ask fruit here in waies of grace, but he will exact hereafter in waies of Juſtice, for he will not loſe any of his mercies; but if he hath them not returned here in way of thankfulneſs, he will hereafter in a way of torment, p. 734as mens mercies have been, ſo ſhall their torments be; the greater veſſels of mercy men have been in this life, the greater and the larger veſſels of wrath they ſhall be in the life to come, for mercy here doth but inlarge the heart for wrath hereafter.