of fire This doth Iames teach vs saying Iam. 5.1 2 3. Goe to now ye rich men weepe and howle for your miseries that shall come vpon you your riches are corrupt and your garments are moth-eaten your gold and siluer is cankred and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you and shall eate your flesh as it were fire Ye haue heaped vp treasures for the last dayes How foolish then are greedie couetous men Rom. 1. which heape vp wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God Mat. 5. How much better were it for them to lay vp treasures not vpon earth where the rust and moth doth corrupt and where theeues breake thorow and steale but rather to lay vp treasures in heauen where neither rust nor moth doth corrupt and where theeues doe not breake thorow nor steale Fourthly a mans conscience shall witnesse with him or against him as the Apostle doth testifie Rom. 2. speaking thus of the Gentiles When the Gentiles saith he which haue not the Law doe of nature the things conteined in the Law they hauing not the Law are a law vnto themselues which shew the effect of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witnesse and their thoughts accusing one another or excusing at the day when God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ according to my Gospel Note I beseech you the Apostles words He saith That the conscience of the Gentiles shall beare witnesse and he telleth when she shall doe this to wit when God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ meaning the day of Iudgement But that I may speake more plainely note I beseech you beloued Christians that as mens doings are two-fold good or bad They are good which proceed from faith and are agreeable to the Law of God and they are euill which proceed from infidelitie and are repugnant to the Lawes of God So the motions of mens hearts are two-fold either ioyfull which concomitate good deedes or sorrowfull which alwayes accompany euill deedes Hereupon it commeth to passe that one Conscience may bee called good another bad Omnis Conscientia cum scientia Now a good conscience is a ioyfull motion of the heart arising from a certaine knowledge of wel-doing or it is the iudgement of the mind grounded vpon knowledge concerning a mans good deeds ministring ioy vnto him Hereupon Paul said Our reioycing is this the testimonie of a good conscience 2. Cor. 1.12 Paul bended his wit and will and laboured earnestly to haue a good conscience towards God and man and he had such an one and with it could truly say I am pure from the blood of all men And further at his end his conscience so comforted strengthened and emboldened him that he without any scruple or hesitation 2. Tim. 4.7.8 said I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith c. A good conscience makes a merrie heart whiles wee liue makes vs to sleepe more quietly then if we layd our heades on a Doune-pillow and when death approcheth she causeth man not to feare to die and then will not forsake him when all worldly vanities and shadowes vanish fade away and yet she wil doe him the best seruice that she can shee will plead for him and witnesse with him O what a treasure is a good conscience She is as it were mount Tabor a glimpse of glory vpon earth a comfortresse of thy heart at the houre of death and a faithfull friend and witnesse to stand by thee at the day of Iudgement when thou shalt haue most need But an euill conscience is in this world as it were an hellish Hagge an infernall Furie euer tormenteth man followeth him she alwayes keepeth a true record of all mans euill thoughts words and workes troubleth man with direfull suggestions and temptations she is neuer at peace and quietnesse she bringeth man to destruction as it may appeare by the examples of Cain Iudas Arrius and many others and yet she hath not done but continuing an enemy at the last Day will witnesse against a man all his sinnes his swearing forswearing lying stealing iniuries oppressions and all other his workes of the flesh and darknesse She will not nor cannot forget them For all mens faults are so perfectly knowne vnto her and so firmely impressed in her that shee is compared to a booke a booke of remembrance wherein all things are so perfectly recorded that they cannot be forgotten Reu. 20 12. Iob saith Thou hast sealed vp our sinnes in a bagge to shew the exact and strict kind of keeping of them against that Day of account So that not an euill thought not an euil word not an euill deed can be forgotten they are all so surely recorded and the time of opening this booke and reading them ouer to the hearing of the world is the day of Iudgement For then all mens faults shall be knowne and in them that haue offended they shall be punished Foolish men and women think that all their wicked thoughts all their idle and euill words passe away with the wind but it is not so for in this booke they are written and recorded and once the booke shall be opened and thy secret sinnes discouered Now if we come to the liues of men and women alasse they are most wicked they are nothing else but a continuall practice of sinne Well let vs labour to keepe a good conscience an vnblotted and vnblurred booke and then we shall preuent and escape the danger The booke and touchstone of the triall The Booke and touchstone whereby all our thoughts words and workes shall be examined and tried is the Word of God it is I say the Rule and Line by which they ought to be leuelled squared and wrought by The Apostle Paul saith Rom. 1.16 That at the day of Iudgement God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ according to his Gospel he meaneth that Gospel whereof he was a preacher not an authour Our thoughts words and workes must be tryed by the Word of God If therefore our thoughts words and workes are not agreeable to the Word of God to Gods rules and commandements they are as odious distastefull and vnpleasing vnto the Lord as the offering vp of brused things were in the time of the Law Therefore let the Word of God O man be a lanterne to thy feet and a light vnto thy pathes that thou mayest not wander out of the old ancient wayes of the Lord but goe the straight wayes to Heauen alwayes directing thy steps by this Word of God When the poore wretched sinner accused by his own thoughts is found culpable in his words and workes and is conuicted by euident and plaine testimonies as before because he made no conscience of his wayes and neuer directed his goings according to the Word of God behold in what lamentable
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
Almighty we shall be found faithfull in our places and shall haue the fruit thereof an eternall blessing as our Sauiour doth teach saying Mat. 24.45 46. Who is a faithfull Steward and wise whom the Master shall make ruler ouer his household to giue them their portion of meate in season Luk. 12.42 43 44. Blessed is that seruant whom his Master when hee commeth shall find so doing Of a truth say vnto you that he will make him ruler ouer all that he hath that is hee will make him an heire of eternall life Hee shall inherit the Kingdome prepared from the beginning of the world Math. 25.34 Hee shall walke with the Lord in white garments that is hee shall be glorified Reu. 3. and haue life euerlasting and the glorious company of Christ He shall be in Abrahams bosome as Lazarus was Luke 16. and eate of the tree of Life in the middest of the heauenly Paradise of God Reu. 2.7 Hee shall haue the Crowne of glory Hee shall be a pillar in the Temple of God that is hee shall be firme and stable in glory as a pillar irremoueable c. Eye hath not seene Reu. 3.12 neither eare heard neither euer did enter into the heart of man what good things the Lord hath prepared for them that loue him and serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of their life Illud verum et summum gaudium est saith Bernard in a Sermon that is the true and greatest ioy and therefore as it were rauished with a great loue thereof cryed out O beata regio Paradist ó beata regio deliciarum O blessed region of Paradise O blessed region of delights And therefore hee exhorteth vs to bee out of loue with this world whiles we bee heere and to hasten thither saying thus Festinemus ad locum tutiorem ad agrum vberiorem ad pastum saniorem vt habitemus sinè metu abundemus sinè defectu epulemur sinè fastidio that is to say Let vs hasten to a more safe place to a more fertile ground to a more sound feeding where wee may inhabit without feare abound without defect banquet without disdaine Here is the hauen the blessed port of rest and the liberall portion of the good and faithfull Steward But the slothfull wastfull cruell and vnfaithfull Steward shall be cut off or cut into pieces and haue his portion with hypocrites there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth Math. 24.51 Wherefore seeing that we all rather desire to be reputed yea be indeed good Stewards then bad to enioy a good place and portion rather then a bad let vs depart out of the Kingdome of sinne and Satan and come to the Kingdome of light let vs shew and approue our selues good Stewards keeping our Farme places the world the body and the soule well and let vs not get our goods in the first mannor house the world wrongfully nor put our trust in them idolatrously nor keepe them to our selues basely nor spend them wastfully and vngodly but lay them out for the maintenance of the Gospell and helpe of the poore indigent members of Christ Iesus liberally Againe let vs looke to our second Farme place and mannor house our bodie that it be cleane and fit for the chiefe Lord and Master of all and his Sonne Iesus Christ and the holy Ghost to come into Let vs diligently watch the ports and gates of the same our Hearing Seeing Talking Tasting and Touching that nothing goe in nor come out that may defile the body Lastly let vs haue an especiall care of our principall part the soule the last mannor house Let repentance sweepe it cleane from impure thoughts and wicked cogitations let a good conscience be his bedding let faith be euer looking to Christ Iesus and cleansing and let the graces and vertues of the holy Ghost be the ornaments of his lodging And in all things and in all our places and charges let vs proue our selues good wise and faithfull Stewards that it may be said vnto vs to euery one of vs It is well done good seruant thou hast beene faithfull in little I will make thee Ruler ouer much enter in into thy Masters ioy This approbation and allowance of our Stewardship and vnspeakeable reward giue and grant vs O heauenly Father not for our worthinesse for we haue no merits but for thy mercies and graces in Iesus Christ Amen The end of the first Sermon THE SECOND SERMON And the same was accused AS all men are Stewards vnder God what good Talents gifts so euer they haue they receiue frō him the fountaine of all graces Euen so they ought to occupy imploy the same according to the good pleasure of him the Collator and Donator as it is plaine in the Parable of the Talents Math 25. And as S. Peter teacheth 1. Epist 4. saying As euery one hath receiued the gift euen so minister the same as good Stewards of the manifold graces of God Whosoeuer doth this is commended and rewarded of his high Lord and Master with these words of grace to his comfort O well done thou good faithfull Seruant thou hast been faithfull ouer few things I will make thee Ruler ouer many things enter thou into the ioy of thy Lord Mat. 25.21 But if a seruant haue much cōcredited vnto him if it be but of an earthly Master and imploy it ill spend it wastfully eating and drinking with the Drunkards participating with the Adulterers and intreating his fellow-seruants hardly and yet thinketh that his euill carriage and outragiousnesse shall not be knowne but that he shall escape with impunitie O how this man deceiueth himselfe For the fellow-seruants will relate the treacheries bad vsages and cruelties of their fellowes to their Lord. As those seruants did which saw their fellow-seruant so cruelly handled Math. 18. And heere the bad Steward is accused to his Lord. Now if wee see by dayly experiences that bad Stewards to earthly Masters escape not alwayes free with their false dealings and other euill behauiours but one or other will espy them and disclose them and giue their Master intelligence and then he reckoneth and accounteth with them and displaceth them then we may much more assure our selues that no cloud of darknes no maske nor veile can be cast before the Lords eyes Psal 79.9 For hee that planted the eare shall be not heare Or he that made the eye shall hee not see God knoweth noteth seeth ouerseeth al things yea the very secrets of the heart and yet if he were not so quicke of capacitie of hearing and seeing Yet there are many tell-tales and pick-thankes in the Familie which relate all our misdemeanours and accuse vs vnto him as in my Text the false Steward is said to be accused And here beginneth a lamentable discourse a Tragicall Relation of the miserable estate of a bad Steward laid down in my Text in these points First He is defamed or
accused in these words and the same was accused Secondly called and he called him Thirdly reprehended in these words How commeth it to passe that I heare this of thee Fourthly he yeeldeth an account Come render an account of thy Stewardsh Fiftly he is put out of his Office in these words For thou mayest be no longer Steward Of these in order and first of his accusation Wherein we are to note first his Accusers Secondly the capitall and hainous crimes whereof he is accused The Accusers or complainants are these 1. Satan 2. Angels 3. Saints 4. His owne Conscience 5. Sinnes 6. Creatures of God The hainous crimes wherof the euill Steward is accused of are these fiue 1. Vnfaithfulnesse 2. Cruelty 3. Slothfulnesse 4. Ill company-keeping 5. Wastfulnesse First the euill vnfaithfull and vngracious Steward is accused of the Diuell For which cause hee is called Reu. 12. The accuser of the Brethren which accuseth them before God day and night Hee accuseth our workes words and thoughts as Gregory noteth saying thus Lib. 2. moral Diabolus prima opera nostra deinde verba tandem cogitationes accusat He defameth man accuseth him of wickednesses reporteth them before God calleth for vengeance and speedy death lest the thred of mans life should be drawne out along and he should repent and obtaine eternall life Iob 1. If Satan was so impudent that he blushed not to defame and accuse before God holy Iob a man to whom there was none comparable in his time on the earth a perfect and iust man one that feared God and eschewed euill What is it that he will not alledge against a sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquitie a seed of the wicked corrupt children in whom from the sole of the foote vnto the head there is nothing sound in them but they draw wickednesse with cords of vanity and sinne as it were with a cart-rope Secondly an vniust Steward is defamed and accused of Angels Iob 20.27 Reuelant coeli iniquitatem improbi Esay 1. The Heauens reueale the iniquitie of a wicked man Per coelos Angelos qui in coelis sunt accipe saith the ancient Father In Math. 18. The fellow-seruant told to the Lord the cruelty of his seruant Now the Angels are our fellow-seruants as we may probably gather out of Iohn Reu. 22. where he fell downe to worship the Angell who said vnto him See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow-seruant and the fellow-seruant of thy Brethren the Prophets which keepe the sayings of this Booke Worship thou God Loe the Angell said to Iohn that he was his fellow-seruant and not onely his but of his Brethren the Prophets which kept the sayings of Gods Booke The Angels then tell God our faults as here Our prayers holinesse and righteousnesse as in Tobie 12. Let vs therefore that liue in the presence of God and his Angels carry our selues godly and honestly knowing that most pure eyes doe looke vpon vs. Thirdly a bad Steward is blamed and accused of Saints both triumphant which are in Heauen and militant which liue on earth Of Saints triumphant whose bloud was shed on earth by cruell Tyrants and persecutors for the Word of God and testimonie which they had For these being in the blessed port of Heauen cry out against them that imbrued their hands in their bloud Reu. 6. saying How long tarriest thou O Lord which art holy and true to iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell on earth And that an vngracious Steward is accused before God of Saints that are liuing in this mortall life it is also most manifest Ieremy blamed and accused the Iewes vnto God yea and craued reuengement against them in these words O Lord of hosts thou righteous iudge Ier. 11. thou that tryest the reines and the hearts let me be auenged of them For vnto thee haue I committed my cause When Antiochus oppressed the Church of God with great tyrannie Dauid accused him vnto God in these words Psal 74.10 18. Remember this O Lord how the enemy hath rebuked and the foolish people hath blasphemed thy Name Ieremy in like manner accused and blamed his persecutors vnto GOD and craued him to reuenge him saying Ier. 15.15 O Lord thou knowest remember me and visit me and reuenge mee of my persecuters If the poore is oppressed of the rich and make his mone vnto the Lord accusing him and crying for reuengement The Lord respecting the deepe sighing of the poore will awake as one out of sleepe and as a Gyant refreshed with Wine Psal 12. and will smite their enemies in the hinder parts and put them to a perpetuall shame True it is and memorable which Siracides hath chapter 35. where he saith God hath no respect of persons against the poore but doth heare the prayer of him that is wronged hee will not neglect the prayer of the fatherlesse nor the widdow if she complaine Doe not the widdowes teares goe downe her cheekes and they cry out to God on high in Heauen against him that hath caused the same Now beloued brethren and sisters if wee should wrong an innocent and harmelesse man in a righteous cause vpon earth we would be vnwilling yea we would tremble and quake to haue a complaint we knowing our selues guilty to bee made vnto a mighty Iudge or Potentate that can punish vs seuerely How much more then should it grieue vs and astonish vs and cause vs to make recompence and satisfaction to the parties whom we haue wronged when wee know that the complaints and cryes of them that are iniured doe sound in the eares of the Lord that an accusation is made against vs that an account must be giuen to the high Iudge and iustice without partialitie ministred Fourthly Rom. 2. the bad Steward is accused of his owne thoughts and testified against of his owne conscience and this is as forcible to conuict a man as a thousand witnesses and hereupon grew the prouerbe Socrates Conscientia mille testes When a mans Conscience is wronged hee liueth as merry as a Bird in a pitfall Lib. de moribus For Conscientia laesa est nunquā secura as Seneca writeth Chrysostome writing vpon the 50. Psalme saith Conscientia peccati formidinis mater that is to say The Conscience or knowledge of sin is the mother of feare If a man feare any creature Man Beast or Worme he may auoid them but hee can neuer flee from his Conscience she is a bird which hee alwayes carrieth in his bosome pleasant as the Nightingale if shee bee not violated but being wronged shee is like a Waspe or Snake vnder a mans cloathes or rather like the Bots in a Horse belly which neuer suffereth him to be quiet but are still eating and gnawing Sat. 12. And therefore Inuenal said that this is the greatest punishment and we must needs all yeeld vnto it Nocte dieque suum gestare in pectore testem This
griefe of Conscience is an inward tormenting of the soule Vpon 1. Cor. 11. void of Faith Hope and Charitie which Melancthon calleth Erinnys Conscientiae that is to say an hellish Hagge or infernall Fury of the Conscience A wronged Conscience is neuer quiet neuer at rest but makes her possessour to flee hither and thither and seeke to depart from her Tom. 8. fol. 286. but he cannot Augustine in his enarration of Psalme 45. saith that he which hath a violated conscience will flee ab agro ad cinitatem à publico ad domum à domo in cubiculum that is he will flee out of field into the City out of the Citie into his house out of his house into his Chamber and what there Ecce hostem inuenit quò fugiturus est nempe seipsum and there he finds the enemy that he would flee from to wit himselfe These torments are the most grieuous torments Aristides And therefore Lucan truely although mournefully said of an afflicted conscience Heu quantum misero poenae mens conscia donat Alas what punishment the filly wretch endureth by reason of his guilty conscience Esay 57.21 Act. 24.16 Such a one hath no peace Let vs therefore with Paul endeuour yea exercise our selues to haue alwayes a cleere conscience towards God and towards men Let vs take the counsell that Paul gaue to Timothy 1. Tim. 1. Fight that is earnestly striue that we may haue Faith a good conscience For quaenam summae boni Mens quae sibi conscia recti Prou. 15.15 A good Conscience is a continuall feast the cheere ioy in the Holy Ghost and the Musicke such a peace with God our neighbours and our selues as passeth all vnderstanding Rom. 14.17 Fiftly the very sinnes which a man committeth are said in the Booke of God to accuse reproue and condemne him Ieremy in his second Chapter said vnto the Iewes Thine owne wickednesse shall reproue thee and thy turning away shall condemne thee For as the workes of the godly do follow them ad defendendum exhilarandum Reu. 14.13 to defend and cheere them so the workes of the wicked do follow them ad accusandum contristandum to accuse make them sad Among the sinnes that cry vnto God against man and most grieuously accuse him there are foure detestable sinnes as some will but I reduce them to two The first crying sinne First is the shedding of innocent bloud the greatest wrong that can be wrought to humane nature euen worse then the taking away of a mans goods for they may bee restored but mortall life neuer Besides this as much as in the murtherer lyeth he taketh away from the party killed all time to dispose and set things in order and also to repent that the man may obtaine remission of his sinnes This is not a dormient and silent but a crying sinne This sinne was in Cain that bloudy butcher killing his godly and innocent brother Abel vnto whom God said Behold the voice of thy Brothers bloud cryeth vnto mee out of the ground Gen. 4.10 Secondly The second crying sinne the oppression of the poore lifting vp their voices vnto God their reuenger who heareth helpeth them As in the 12. Psalme ver 5. At the crying of the poore I will vp saith the LORD Siracides 30. God hath no respect of persons against the poore but doth heare the prayer of him that is wronged hee will not neglect the prayer of the fatherlesse nor the widdow if she complaine Doe not the widdowes teares goe down her cheekes but they cry out to God on high into Heauen against him that hath caused the same And such a sinne as this was that sinne of Pharaoh his exaction Exod. 5. imposition and cruell oppression of the Israelites And very aptly to this purpose may be applyed the crying of hirelings defrauded of their hire by the rich whereof Iames speaketh Chap. 5.7 saying Behold the hire of Labourers which haue reaped your fields which is of you kept back by fraud cryeth and the cryes of them which haue reaped are entred into the eares of the Lord of Hosts And of this sort was the cry against Sodom and Gomorrha whereof God speaketh Gen. 18.21 O beloued beware of these hainous sinnes and assure your selues that neither these nor other the least sinnes that we commit shall goe vnpunished without vnfained repentance and quicke apprehension of the merits of Christ Iesus by a true and liuely faith And so much of the two crying sinnes Sixtly the creatures abused not onely the sensible creature groaning and trauelling in paine till it be deliuered from the bondage of corruption and vanity Rom. 8. which against it will it suffereth vnder the wicked but euen the very senselesse creature Habuc 2.11 Iam. 5.2 The stone crying out of the wall and the beame out of the timber answering it The moth of the garment and the rust of the cankred gold witnessing against the couetous worldlings yea the dead letter of the Bible cryeth and accuseth as Christ sheweth in the Gospell Ioh. 5.45 Doe not thinke saith hee that I will accuse you to my Father there is one that accuseth you euen Moses in whom yee trust that is The law or writings of Moses shall accuse you for playing the bad Stewards To conclude the heauens shall declare his wickednesse and the earch shall take part against him as Zophar said Iob 20.27 Let vs therefore not deceiue our selues thinking that our abuses in our Stewardship will not be known to the Lord for although he knoweth all things already yet the Scriptures speaking after the manner of men tell vs that many criminations and accusations one after another will come out against vs and be brought before the Lord stirring him to reuengement And yet alas how carelesse man is in this point He without any care or feare of God abuseth his creatures euen sensible and liuing things that are subiect to vanitie and the touching and abuses of him Man when hee hurteth any liuing creature will laugh and reioyce at such times as he is willing to exhilarate himselfe withall when the creature it selfe being subiect to vanitie the touching and abuses of the wicked doth grone for sorrow and man at his pleasure will kill the same But yet hee considereth not that for these his abuses and other his wickednesses if he repent not hee shall himselfe die eternally O sinfull impietie mercilesse cruelty and carelesse securitie from the which God deliuer vs. So much concerning the accusers of the bad Steward The capitall and deadly faults and haynous crimes whereof the euill Steward is and shall bee accused are these 5. 1. Infidelitie 2. Crueltie 3. Slothfulnesse 4. Ill company-keeping 5. Wastfulnesse First vnfaithfulnesse and falsehood for whereas faithfulnesse is required in the Lords disposers and they should so carry themselues in their offices that they may be called faithfull and wise Math.
and with-holding part of their owne goods from the Apostles He spared not Hierusalem no nor the very Angels that sinned but cast them downe and deliuered them into chaines of darknesse to bee kept vnto iudgement To conclude hee spared not Christ Iesus his deare Sonne but our sinnes beeing imputed to him he laid the punishment also vpon him both in his body and also his soule whose bloudy wounds and paines were sufficient to saue all but efficient and effectuall onely to redeeme all the soules and bodies of his elect and faithfull Therefore seeing that we know that he left no sinne vnpunished in the vnrepentant in all former ages but seeing hearing and knowing them all as wel the offenders as their offences straightwayes armed himselfe with iustice and iudgement and punished them most seuerely We may assure our selues that he hauing perfect knowledge and notice of all our misdemeanours and manifold transgressions perpetrated against his diuine Maiestie will not spare vs but will reprehend vs and say vnto euery vnrepentant and bad Steward How commeth it to passe that I heare this of thee and presently will call vs to account Which is the fourth point wherein the lamentable estate of a bad Steward a wicked man consisteth The end of the third Sermon THE FOVRTH SERMON Come render account c. AS the benefits which our good GOD bestoweth vpon the good Stewards are in number infinite in dignity excellent and in measure incomprehensible and as the ancient Father hath Chrysost Beneficia Dei omnibus horis consideranda For who is able to expresse to the full the happy state of that Steward to whom it is said of him that neuer dissembleth nor deludeth O well done thou good and faithfull seruant thou hast beene faithfull in little I will make thee Ruler ouer much enter into thy Masters ioy Math. 25. So on the contrary no man can expresse to the full the lamentable estate of an euill Steward and vnprofitable seruant to whom it will be said of the true Iudge Cast that vnprofitable seruant into vtter darknesse there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth two bad dishes to come in at the last where the first dish is weeping and the second gnashing of teeth And to this passe is this bad Steward come before him is praecipitium a place to fall downe forward behinde him is occipitium a place to fall downe backward on the one side Scilla on the other side Charybdis so that he can flee no way without great danger He must needs stand still and indure all hazzards and perils and come to his account to the true audit For now hee must take his vltimum vale his last farewell and sing his dolefull and euerlasting euen song Such a great and horrible day is come Ioel 2. Mal. 4. as the Prophet speaketh of Yea the day shall burne like an Ouen But first the account shall be taken For as a Prince and Nobleman when he taketh a dislike of his Steward first reckoneth with him and then putteth him out of his Office So this Rich man is here said to deale with his Steward and Christ with all at the last day yea his account shall bee more exactly and accurately taken then of any other in this world For he is God the Searcher of the heart and according to the same hee will iudge righteously hauing no respect nor regard to any mans person For before him the King and the Begger is all one when he shall come to take an account and iudge then Scepters and Shepheards shall be all one Princes and Pesants noble and ignoble yea the very King and the Begger shall be fellowes no better regarded shall bee the highest then the lowest but as when men put gold and siluer into a bagge many pieces are shuffled together and yet the best may be the lowest So will it bee at this generall audit If the greatest men of this world are the worst in faith and godly life and conuersation there will be no partiality vsed by the Iudge but they shall be tumbled to the bottome of the pit as soone as the poorest delinquent in the world For when our Lord shall come with his holy Angels to take an account and iudge the world all are alike For if great men and meane persons are in the same sinne they shall be bound together and cast as a faggot into hell-fire The glorious Angels at the great Haruest shall first gather the Tares separating them from the Wheat Mat 25.32 which is poena damni that is the punishment of that a man loseth a plaine priuation of God and all that is good Angels Saints Friends and then they shall binde them in Sheaues to be burnt which is poena sensus the sense of punishment as it were a possession of Hell and all that is euill Ludolphus thinketh that they shall not bee bound all in one but in many Faggots An Adulterer with an Adulteresse shall make one Faggot a Drunkard with a Drunkard another faggot c. Hee thinketh that they shall not bee bound together that haue commited distinct and seuerall sinnes neither according to the greatnesse of their Persons as King and King together rich and rich base and base But as there are seuerall sinnes so seuerall Sheaues and all this shall bee done without respect of person This account shall bee taken not onely of externall things but also of internall that is to say both of bodies and soules No man can excuse himselfe or vse any cunning to deceiue as before an earthly Iudge but euery man shall appeare rightly as he is For Christ to whom the Father hath giuen all iudgement will respect no man for his purse sake nor friends Ioh. 5. Therefore let vs deale sincerely towards God and Man knowing that we shall be called to account most strictly and accurately for euery idle word much more for euery wicked deed and because a good conscience is a perpetuall and best supersedeas in this point let vs follow the example of Paul who said Act. 24.16 that in this hee exercised himselfe that he might haue a good conscience towards God and men Tremble and quake O sinner at the cogitation of these things Repent reuert and turne vnto the Lord. For what art thou to stand in the presence of this Iudge being fraile vaine weake naked miserable filthy and horrible A man that hath imperfections in his eyes cannot looke on the brightnesse of the Sunne And how canst thou be perswaded that thou being an Infidell fraile and full of blemishes shalt looke vpon the Sunne of righteousnesse Christ Iesus Repent and beleeue and thou shalt look vpon him otherwise thou shalt be reiected For as the Eagle when she hath yong ones taketh them out of the nest and such as can looke on the Sunne them she keepeth and such as cannot she casteth away Euen so they that with the eyes of their Faith looke on Iesus Christ shall bee