24. and should so imploy and minister the gifts of God as becommeth good Stewards of the manifold graces of God To bee briefe should get their goods truly and bestow them in godly affaires 1. Pet. 4. and matters bountifully may not he worthily be accused of infidelitie and falsehood which maketh waste of his Masters goods when he is in office and seruice and when he knoweth that he shall out will not study amendment nor craue mercy nor fauour nor forgiuenes of his faults but will perseuer in his naughtinesse and study further to deceiue at the last as this false Steward did which being accused and knowing that hee should goe out of his Office to make vp the full measure of deceit he compareth and complorreth with his Masters debters and abateth their sums to this end that they might maintaine him when he was put out of his Office Valer. Max. l. 9. Occultum insidiosū malum est haec perfidia this treachery is a secret and deceitfull euill Such fellowes shew themselues to be no true members of the Church Psal 15.2 for euery one that is such walketh vprightly and doth the thing that is right and speaketh the truth from his heart Such a wicked Steward commeth by riches but not righteously in the middest of his life must be leaue them behind him Ier. 17.11 Luke 12. and at the last be found a very foole Such a one was the rich man Nothing crosseth the Lords loue more then this for the righteous Lord loueth righteousnesse his countenance doth behold the iust Psal 11.7 Secondly the euill and naughty Steward is accused of crueltie Math. 24.49 because hee beateth his fellow-seruants that is dealeth rigorously Mat. 18. cruelly and iniuriously with them as the other seruant did to his fellow that ought him an hundred pence and was not able to pay him and therefore fell down be sought him saying Refraine thine anger towards me and I wil pay thee all but the creditor would shew no mercy vpon him but hauing caught him by the throat ready to thrattle him cast him into prison O cruell pranke rather agreeable to the nature of a beast who wil huntch his fellow that is vnder him thē the humane qualities that should be in a man who should succour relieue the poore that are next him and not to be currish vnto them like churlish Nabal 1. Sam. 25. 1. King 21. nor cruell like Ahab not suffering them to haue any thing neere them nor any way to prosper but the more is the pitty as the high trees drop vpon the low and hinder their growth and as the mountaine Radish being planted neere the Vine causeth it to starue and wither away So the great wicked ones of this world being too neere the poore godly make them to decay and fall away to nothing for where the hedge is lowest the beasts will breake ouer and it is vsually seene that the great fish wil eate vp the small In the holy Booke of God we find that Eliah was fed by Rauens 1. King 17. Dan 6. Daniel not hurt among hungry Lions and man indued with reason and who should be led by Gods holy Spirit and his word a asse for pitty is many times neither charitable nor mercifull to the poore but most cruell and vnmercifull So true is that saying of Cyprian lamenting this case Serm. de erat dominic O detestandam humanae malitiae crudelitatem aues pascunt ferae parcunt homines saeuiunt that is to say O detestable cruelty proceeding from the malice of man birds doe feed men wild beasts spare men but men doe rage one vpon another But what becomes of the wicked cruell and vngodly Steward They consume suddenly perish and come to a fearful end although for a time they beare neuer so faire a shew in this world for as fire made of thornes burneth fiercely for a time and keepeth a great noise and crackling but yet is speedily burnt out and consumed So the attempts of the wicked are for a time violent and dangerous but God in his good time doth with speed extinguish and quench them This Dauid doth proue by his owne experience who speaking of his cruell aduersaries Psal 118.12 Psal 68.2 saith They came about me like Bees and are extinct euen as the fire among the Thornes For in the Name of the Lord I will destroy them And therefore as the smoke vanisheth and commeth to nothing so the wicked and vngodly perish at the presence of God So that they hurt themselues most and therfore are little better then mad men For as mad men franticke are wont to rent and teare themselues So wicked and vngodly men inflict vpon themselues most deadly and incurable wounds yea they are most wilfull murderers of their owne soules and bodies and when they hurt a poore man a little they most wrong themselues And so the rich Glutton in this Chapter by his vnmercifulnes cruelty towards poore Lazarus did hurt himselfe more then he did the poore man For the poore man went presently to Heauen and he to Hell The cruelty of Pharaoh towards the Israelites Exod. 14. hurt himselfe and the Egyptians more then the Israelites as their fearefull end most plainely shewed when the Waters ouerwhelmed them in the Red Sea so sodainly ouertaking and couering them that no signes of true repentance could appeare The griefe and torments of Cain his conscience Gen. 4. his feare and trembling perfecting his miseries with death of the body here euen an end vnnaturall and euerlasting torments afterward must needs bee worse then the onely vntimely death of the body to Abel Gen. 3.19 Heb. 9.27 death being euer certaine a misery incident to all flesh Adonibezec was a most vile and cruell Tyrant to many For he cut off the great Toes and Thumbes of seuenty Kings Iudg. 1. and made them to gather bread vnder his Table but at the last the iudgements of God laid on him were such that hee was taken and his owne were cut off and his owne conscience made him acknowledge his owne worthinesse of that punishment and to say Verse 7. Seuenty Kings hauing the Thumbs of their hands and of their feet cut off gathered bread vnder my Table as I haue done so GOD hath rewarded mee So they brought him to Ierusalem and there he dyed O beloued Christians seeing that cruelty is a thing so hurtfull to your selues and others let me beseech you that are men of valour might and power euen great and mighty Stewards to lay aside the same and all wrath the cause of the same Lib. de morib as Seneca counselleth saying Euitabis crudelitatem ministram crudelitatis iram that is to say Auoid cruelty and anger a seruant of cruelty And againe Reijce crudelitatem matrem crudelitatis iram that is Reiect cruelty and anger the mother of cruelty Cassiodorus thinketh that Ambition Pride and desire of
is downe as Wolues Dogs Kites Crowes and such like doe vpon a Sheepe that lyes in a Ditch and is not able to rise But this dangerous and hurtfull sore is commonly bred and maintained by the inferiour sort of Lawiers who wringing out matter from poore silly men bring it vp out of the countrey to the better sort of Lawyers and worke them to vndertake businesses concealing the truth many times from them which these good Lawyers whereof God be thanked we haue great store learned and godly skilfull in our Lawes would neuer vndertake if the truth at the first were deliuered vnto them O God giue them knowledge of the truth and righteous causes and make them maintainers and followers of the same Amen Husbandmen Artificers Trades-men and all other workemen of occupation and labourers whatsoeuer are Stewards and ought trustily and not deceitfully diligently and not idly labour and take paine early and late lest pouerty come vpon them as one that trauelleth and necessity like an armed man Prou. 6.11 Prou. 6. He that will not worke in Haruest shall want at Christmas The very Bees and Emmets by the instinct of nature labor diligently in Summer 1. Tim. 5.8 to prouide for Winter So should poore labourers do to prouide for them and theirs that they may not proue worse then Infidels A slothfull hand saith Salomon maketh poore Prou. 10.4 but the hand of the diligent maketh rich He that gathereth in Summer is a wise sonne but hee that sleepeth in Haruest is the sonne of confusion Let euery man therefore in his place shew himselfe a good Steward that he may eate the labours of his hands Psal 128. which is a blessed thing and then hee may eate with a good conscience Salomon gaue good counsell Prou. 5.15 when he said Drinke the waters of thine owne cisterne and of the Riuers out of the mids of thine owne Well Get thee goods with thine own honest labours and then eate with thanksgiuing but if thou art idle 2. Thes 3.11 12. and labourest not the Apostle thinketh thee vnworthy to eate The Heathens did hold that no good thing could be had without labour and paines taking and therefore spake of vertue and knowledge thus Virtutem posuere dij sudore parandam Non iacet in molli venerandae scientia lecto Ipsa sed assiduo parta labore venit Man must depend vpon God yet vse the meanes and he will giue a blessing Our Sauiour Christ Iesus could haue giuen fish vnto Peter without casting out his net but he would not to teach him and the Church that is to say all the faithfull by his example Luk. 5. to labour and to vse the meanes Vse 1 This doctrine teacheth vs that all men of what Profession Trade or occupation soeuer they are of are Stewards vnder the high God are seruants or at least-wise ought to be so vnto God and therefore must needes serue labour and not loyter and then they shall better auoide the baites and snares of Satan for the Diuell hath neuer so fit opportunitie to sow Tares among the Wheat Math. 13. as when men are asleepe carelesse and idle for then hee hatcheth and breedeth many vices in vs for like as in a standing water wormes are ingendred and bred and not in a sweet and swift current So likewise in an idle and not in a labouring body many idle and euill thoughts are bred and fostered In which lamentable estate as long as man lyeth in he is in the Diuels seruice he is the Diuels labourer as Bernard writeth vpon the Canticles saying Qui in labore hominum honesto non sunt in labore profectó daemonum erunt that is in effect as if he should say Men that are loyterers are the Diuels labourers Rom. 6. and what is the wages and pay of the Diuell Death and destruction the wages of all sinne The Crab-fish as Plinie saith when he seeth the Oyster lye gaping against the Sunne-beames priuily stealeth vpon him and putteth a pibble into the mouth of the Oyster and so getteth out the fish and leaueth nothing behind him but the shell good for nothing So likewise when we lie idle rocked and lulled in the cradle of securitie the Diuell stealeth into vs getteth away our hearts and destroyeth our soules and leaues nothing but a body subiect to sinne which he also will haue at the last 2. A man that laboureth shall thereby the better be able with a good conscience to prouide for himselfe and his family without making false reckonings to deceiue his Master as this false steward did 3. A painfull man shall the better be able to relieue and helpe others and this is a Christian mans duty for as Plato de legibus hath Non solùm nobis sumus nati sed partem patria partem parentes partem amici vendicant that is to say We are borne onely for our selues but our Countrey claimes part for her own our parents part and our friends part We must doe good to all but chiefely to the household of faith Wee must doe good to all I say yea euen to our enemies that hate vs following the example of our heauenly Father who letteth his Sunne to shine and the raine to fall vpon the good mans ground and the bad And this must a man doe with his true gotten goods for the gift that is giuen being truly gotten maketh the almes more pleasing to God 4. This sheweth the true end wherefore God maketh men rich Stewards and deliuereth them his goods not that they should lay them vp and doe no good with them nor put their trust in them nor keepe them basely nor spend them wastfully sinfully but that they should gladly distribute them according to the good pleasure of the chiefe Owner God to the benefiting of the Church Gods faithfull people for as a sheepe beareth a fleece of wooll not for himselfe but for the necessitie and benefit of men Euen so the gifts of God which he giueth either spirituall or temporall we are not to keepe onely for our selues but to supply the necessities and wants of others for so the Apostle teacheth vs 1. Pet. 4.10 saying As euery man hath receiued the gift let him minister the same one to another at good disposers of the manifold graces of God Wee as feeling members one of another ought to relieue and support one another for as the Stagges when they swimme ouer a great riuer to feed in some meddow swimme all on a row and lay their heads one ouer anothers backe carrying the waight of one anothers hornes and when the first is weary another takes his roome and so doe it by course Euen so must we doe beare one anothers burthen helping and doing good one to another til we haue passed the troublesome waues of this world and are come to the hauen of eternall saluation Then shall we approue our selues good Stewards good seruants to our high Master the Lord God
be thanked the Lawes are so well established and executed that no man dareth to lay violent hands vpon his Minister but yet the wicked will hurt him with their slanderous tongue many times and keepe his dues from him sometimes priuily that hee shall not know it And if hee doth know it then many times they will plead a custome their custome to deceiue yea they will say Our custome is an ancient custome Whereas Mala consuetudo est erroris vetustas that is An euill custome is the antiquity of an errour Some when they are called are somewhat more Formall Morall and mannerly then the former were For although they are meere Worldlings and preferre earthly things before heauenly yet they couer their affections and make comely excuses and reasonable as they thinke and will say when they are absent from a Sermon Wee were hindred by such and such meanes that wee could not be at it very like to them that were bidden to the great Supper and made seuerall excuses One said Luke 14. I haue bought a Farme and I goe to see it Another said I haue bought fiue yoke of Oxen and I goe to proue them and the third said I haue married a Wife and therefore I cannot come But none of these excuses pleased the Lord the maker of the Feast For hee being angry with these said None of these shall taste of my Supper of my spirituall and heauenly dish-meates and of my costly banquet What greater ingratitude and churlishnesse could any shew Nay what greater sottishnesse can the whole world bewray then to preferre Chaffe before pure Wheat rust before Iron Lead before Siluer Copper before pure Gold earthly and fraile things before heauenly and eternall good things And yet so foolish are we and ignorant yea so void of discretion and piety that we will still pretend and alledge one cause or another to hinder our comming when we are called thinking that we thereby help our selues when we most of all hurt our owne soules We pretend lets as that man did who when our Sauiour called him said Suffer me first to goe and bury my Father and we are worse then hee that would goe and bid them that were of his houshold Farewell and then resolued to come For many neuer resolue to obey their calling at any time but stand backe with wily shifts good for nothing but to beguile themselues So truely spake Christ No man commeth to me saith he vnlesse the Father draw him Marke the word draw as though a man were holden backe of some Tyrant as of Satan or were of himselfe so vnwilling to come that he must be drawne and haled along Let vs make excuses no longer but pray vnto God to giue vs both to will and power to performe Phil. 2. for in him it is to performe both The speciall and effectuall calling a benefit proper to Gods Children hath euer election going before it for it is the first fruit of it and comes next from it and therefore Paul sets our falling next to predestination Rom. 8.30 This speciall and effectuall calling takes place onely in them that are elect when as God doth by the preaching of the Gospel call vs out of the kingdome of Satan and sinne and as it were out of this world of wickednesses to the kingdome of Christ of grace and of light to be of the number of his children to be sheepe of his fold And here we are to note that God doth not call vs all at one time but at sundry times as it shall please him to dispense his grace vnto vs as we may see by his sending of labourers at seuerall houres into his Vineyard Mat. 20. Some are sanctified in their mothers wombe and speedily called and sent to their offices Mat. 3. as Iohn Baptist in his youth Peter when hee was of ripe age Paul somewhat late and the theefe when he was readie to be crucified Before the time of their calling they wander in the vast solitude and wildernesse of this world nothing differing from other men in outward shape but in qualities and maners and they being Christs sheepe are so saued and guided by him that they cannot bee taken from him Ioh. 10. neither runne into the pit of destruction This effectuall calling is wrought by the preaching of the Word and by these three meanes First God openeth and prepareth the eares which are the mouthes of the soule the bodie hath but one mouth to receiue corporall nutriment to sustaine it but the soule being the better part of man hath two mouths I meane his two eares to receiue in food for it which God openeth to that purpose as Dauid doth teach vs by his owne example Psal 40. saying Sacrifice and offerings thou didst not desire for mine eares hast thou prepared Secondly attendance is giuen to that which is preached and taught for he that hath cares to heare is commanded to heare Mat. 13. Reuel 2. Esa 55.3 And the Prophet Esay craueth and calleth for this attendance saying Encline your eares and draw neere heare and your soules shall liue Thirdly there followeth this preaching eares opening and good attendance giuen a wonderfull compunction and pricking of the heart as it may appeare by the example of those people that heard the Sermon of Peter who said vnto Peter and the other Apostles Act. 2.37 Men and brethren What shall we doe Well Peter followed them so earnestly when he saw them comming with good doctrine and exhortation that he did win them and there was added to the Church about three thousand soules But beloued note this that there is euer much adoe before that the Law compared to an hammer can breake the knottie affections of the heart and so currie and make the ground of mans heart fit to receiue the seede of the Gospel and there plant faith that may purifie it Acts 15.9 But here perhaps some may desire to know by what characters markes and signes a man may assure his soule that hee is predestinated to eternall life that he may take comfort by this doctrine For resolution marke this which I haue penned for thy good If thou seest thy sinnes and perceiuest Gods wrath and anger ready to fall on thee for them dislikest them art grieued for them bewailest them and heartily crauest pardon for them and beginnest to become a new man continuest with increase in the faith of Iesus Christ and doest seeke after the kingdome of God then no doubt thou art elected and effectually called Moreouer if thou art readie as it were with an Eccho to answere to euery thing that the Spirit of God shall endite and the Preacher shall speake truly out of Gods Booke then thou art effectually called Looke to Dauids example Psal 40. Psal 40. In the volume or rolle of thy booke it is written of me that I should doe thy will O my God I am content to doe it or I am delighted with it
that which the blessed Euangelist Matthew setteth downe saying Wake therefore for ye know not what houre your Master will come Many other exhortations we haue to moue incite and stirre vs to a godly life drawne from this day of Iudgement as that of Paul Act. 17.30 31. verses where hee preached against idolatry and told the idolatrous people that God admonished all men euery where now to repent Because hee hath appointed a day wherein hee will iudge the world in righteousnesse c. Let the recordation hereof make vs to be sober and watch and haue feruent loue as Saint Peter exhorted the faithfull 1. Pet. 4.7 8. saying Now the end of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watching in Prayer But aboue all things haue feruent loue among your selues Watch therefore beloued and againe I say Watch. Take instruction of the Hare who not knowing when her enemy may come vpon her yet fearing the worst sleepeth with her eyes open and by that meanes seeth the least glimpse of her enemy that may steale vpon her The Nightingale fearing lest she should be deuoured of a Serpent setteth her brest against a sharpe Thorne or some hard thing that when she oppressed which sleepe noddeth shee may by and by be awaked and then shee will sing most cheerefully melodiously So doe you deare brethren sleepe as the Hare doth with her eyes open that you may awake sodainly auoid when your enemy Satan with his alluring temptations would steale vpon you Sleepe also when you are heauy and drowsie as the Nightingale doth with some sharp thing at your brest I meane sorrow for sin at your heart that though against your wil you nodde sometimes with sleepe yet you may with the Nightingale speedily awake and sing melodious but yet spiritual songs Ephes 5.19 I meane Psalmes of thanksgiuing vnto the Lord as Dauid doth exhort vs saying Sing wee merrily vnto our Lord God Psal 81. make a cheerefull noise vnto the God of Iacob O let vs be mindfull of our latter end of death and this last account which that we may the better doe let vs call to minde diuers domesticall and familiar things dayly conuersant before our eyes that they may put vs in minde of our latter end and all circumstances touching the same all antecedents coniuncts and consequents Our beds may bring to our remembrances our graues our sheetes that we lye in 1. Thes 4. our winding sheete our sleepe death for vnto the same Death is compared the very Flea that bites vs the worme of Conscience that shall gnaw the wicked the crowing of the Cocke that awaketh vs out of sleepe and warneth vs of the passing away of the night may presage vnto vs the Trumpe of the Lord the sweet Bels of Aaron sounding out and ringing alowd to call vs to the Church the societie of the faithfull to knowledge faith and a godly life here in this world yea and our awaking out of the sleepe of death at the last Day the last audit and account at the time of the Resurrection Therefore beloued giue mee leaue for your good to shake you out of the cradle of your sleepe securitie and carelesnesse be lulled and rocked therein no longer For then you are said to bee asleepe in the Scriptures when all the powers of the minde and senses are so ouercome with the sound and dead sleepe of sinne that you cannot heare when Christ calleth nor see him when he commeth vnto you nor feele him when he knocketh at your hearts nor taste him how gracious hee is when ye come to receiue the Sacraments but only to your condemnation when ye doe not smell him whether hee bee a sauour of life vnto life or death vnto death so that yee cannot know the day of your visitation when such darknesse ouershaddoweth you that you cannot comprehend Christ the light when he commeth among his owne On the contrary then are we said to watch when all our senses are apt to all godly exercises when our eares are open to heare Christ our Master when we continue our watch and ward neuer putting off our armour or betaking our selues to our rest least Death the Lords Bayliffe should sodainly arrest vs or our Sauiour the high Iudge comming to Iudgement when wee least thinke of his comming 1. Thes 5. 2. Pet. 3. and therefore it 's compared to the comming of a Thiefe who giues no warning should sodainly we vnprouided and not looking for him steale vpon vs. And this is the reason that my Text giueth mee occasion to presse you with now The speciall exercise that we are to vse in our Watch and Ward is Prayer 1. Pet. 4. Mat. 24.42 And because wee know not the certaine time of the Lords comming to take this account we should bee the more vigilant and watchfull hauing on our spirituall armour Ephes 6. whereof Paul speaketh Watch therefore good Christians whiles it is the time of light the time of grace before the night of death commeth wherein no man can worke out his saluation Ezek 7. Augustine yeeldeth a reason why man knoweth not the time of his death nor the Day of Iudgement His words are these Magna Dei misericordia monuit In Psal 34. vt rectè viuamus ideo diem mortis extremi Iudicij nobis abscondit ne nobis in futurum aliquid promittamus that is the great mercy of God hath taught vs to liue well and for this cause he hath kept vs from the day of our death and of the last Iudgement that wee might not promise any thing to our selues afterwards August de disciplina Christiana The same saith Latet vltimus dies vt obseruentur omnes dies that is to say the last day is vnknowne that we should obserue all dayes Therefore I say Watch for you are not certaine to liue one houre I wil tell you how I would haue you watch Vigilate rectè credendo Helm firmiter sperando sincere Deum proximum diligendo mandata Dei custodiendo sanctè piè iustè viuendo sine intermissione orando in patientia Deo in omnibus bonis operibus fructificando quae edificationis sunt vbique sectando in omni bonitate vsque in finem permanendo that is to say Watch truely beleeuing stedfastly hoping sincerely louing God and our neighbour keeping the commandements of God liuing holily godly and iustly praying without ceasing in patience fructifying to GOD in all good workes following in euery place those things that tend to edification continuing in all goodnesse to the end If thou doest these things thou shalt neuer perish neither in this world nor in the world to come The doctrine of the vncertainty of the day of Iudgement ouerthroweth all the coniecturall and doubtfull opinions of them which haue gone about to set downe the certaine time of Christs comming to Iudgement and the purging of the world by fire Elias whether the Prophet