both of body and soule And I did beleeue and acknowledge it to bee so and yet like a desperate wretch reiecting counsell and all warnings I haue cōmitted all these euils When wee remember and speake these things in our cōsciences before God to whom the secrets of all hearts be open then Moses and the Prophets the Apostles and Euangelists whose bookes wee haue read then the ministers of Iesus Christ whose Sermōs we haue heard and the word of God written pronounced which wee haue seene and heard these do accuse vs before God These will be your accusers O wastfull cōsumers of your masters goods that abuse your soules your bodies your time your faculties members and houres your dignities goods offices and qualities otherwise then the Lord whose stewards you are hath giuen you in charge The diuell that hath bin a prompter and intiser vnto you hateful and lying that wil adde rather then omit Your owne harts and consciences priuie to your sinnes consenting to them and oft times also prouoking Your sins and actuall transgressions that remaine witnesses in recorde of your misled liues and lastly the word of God that hath called you vnto better waies and often warned you to take heed these wil accuse you In the first step of the stewards danger that was accused to his master to haue wasted his goods we are as deepe as he if we waste as he For we haue many accusers What shall we say then to these things I know that there is nothing that maketh men more bold to sin then spes celandi hope to keep hidden their doings Which hope foolish sinners conceiue deceiuing themselues imagining that they shall bee able to keep their doings secret both from God man Such we reade the wicked mans conceit to be Psal. 10.11 He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth away his face and will neuer see They acknowledge a Iudge and acknowledge a iudgement yet sin they boldly supposing the Iudge shall not know it nor they come to iudgement for it For so we find their words reported to be Psal. 73.11 Who doth know it or is there knowledge in the most high They hope that their sins secretly done can by no meanes come to the knowledge of God And hence doe they vse much cunning to hide and keepe secret their sins But in vaine is all that cunning and in vaine is all that hope God will easily come to the knowledge of al thy doings He needeth no informer to acquaint him for hee beholdeth all things And sillie man that which thou thinkest is done in secret is done in the presence and before the eyes of God who seeth in secret to whom the night is bright day the darknes is cleere light to whom the closet is as the wide fields and thine heart lies open before him as a volume spred Ierem. 23.24 the Lord saith Can any hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Doe not I fill heauen and earth saith the Lord But if the eye of the Lord could be shadowed with darknes cunning dealing if his knowledge could be deluded by thy suttleties sleights yet can it not be but he must know all thy doings there are so many accusers that will not spare to report vnto him thy falsehood and wickednesse if thou waste his goods The diuell thine own conscience the sinnes thou hast committed and Gods word which thou hast seene and heard Therefore the safest way for vs is to consider first what goods our master hath committed vnto vs then to inquire how he hath commaunded vs to vse those goods last of all diligently and faithfully to vse them according to his order that we may be out of danger of these accusers Thus much of this first degree of the Stewards danger And thus are wee now got through the first verse of our text And he called him and said vnto him How is it that I heare this of thee giue an account of thy stewardship for thou maist bee no longer steward In the words of this verse there follow two other degrees of the stewards daunger one that hee was called to account the other that he must be put out of office But before the words noting these steps of his danger there is recorded a checke that the master gaue his steward in these words He called him and said vnto him how is it I heare this of thee First let vs consider a little of this checke and then of the further degrees of his danger He called him and said vnto him how is it that I heare this of thee In this manner masters and Lords are not wont to speake vnto their stewards but when they heare of some disorder in them that they haue not behaued themselues so diligently and faithfully as they ought to doe nor answered the expectatiō of their Lords And they are wordes of rebuking words of reproofe wherein appeareth the displeasure of the master and wherein he giueth a check vnto his false seruant And this check doth teach vs in what sort wastfull stewards that is wicked men shall be intertained whē they come into their masters presence The faithfull steward that looketh to his masters order and the good seruant that vseth well the talent committed vnto him is intertained with words of kindnes that giue comfort and gladnes to the hearers Mat. 25.21 It is well done good seruant and faithfull thou hast bin faithfull in little I will make thee ruler ouer much enter into thy masters ioy And in the same chap. vers 34. Come yee blessed of my father inherit yee the kingdome prepared for you frō the foundations of the world These are words of comfort able to raise vp euen frō the gate of hell And with such words are good seruants and faithfull stewards intertained into their masters presence For wisedome dexteritie truth and fidelitie deserue fauour praise and reward But when the steward looketh not to his masters order but proueth wastful and when the seruant vseth not his masters talent left with him well but proueth riotous they are worthie to be intertained with rebukes for negligence falsehood disorder and riot deserue displeasure anger rebuke and punishment Therefore doth God say vnto the wicked that take his couenant in their mouth and know well al the orders of his household and yet hate to bee reformed and cast his commaundements behinde them making themselues fellowes to theeues and companions with the adulterers speaking deceitfully and dealing euen with their brethren vncharitably vnto them God saith Psalm 50.21 These things thou hast done and I held my tongue therefore thou thoughtest that I was like thee but I will reproue thee and set them that is thy sins in order before thee Surely though the euill steward wasting his masters goods be long spared and borne with in the patience of his master and inioyeth his place as if he inioyed al fauour yet let him know that
when his master intendeth to looke into his doings at his first appearing he must looke to bee intertained with words of heauie reproofe Consider the case of the rude guest that came vnto the wedding without a wedding garment which shadoweth vnto vs the case of all those that deale not vprightly and faithfully with God The King espied him among the guests and said vnto him Matth. 22.12 Friend how camest thou in hither and hast not on a wedding garment As if hee should say thou rude and contemptuous man how wast thou bold without al reuerence to come thus into my house and to dishonour me with this thy sordid filthines Thus will God checke the vnfaithfull as hee doth here his steward saying How is it that I heare this of thee And the waight of this checke who is able to esteeme much lesse to beare At thy rebuke O God of Iacob saith the Prophet Psal. 76.6 both the chariot and the horse are cast asleepe thou euen thou art to be feared and who shall stand in thy sight when thou art angrie Yea the rebuke of God casteth downe to hell And therefore the Archangel that stroue with the diuell about the bodie of Moses said vnto him The Lord rebuke thee as knowing that would be sufficient Oh consider this you that still are wasting that in time you may amend things and bee receiued of him with words of comfort and not with rebukes at your appearing Thus much of the rebuke giuen the vniust steward in these words How is it that I heare this of thee Giue an account of thy stewardship for thou maist be no longer steward Accusation went before the rebuke examination and condemnation follow after it Examination in these words Giue an account of thy stewardship Condemnation in the next For thou maist be no longer steward Which are the two further degrees of his danger in this verse But let vs consider them apart Giue an account of thy stewardship Rebuking him in his anger whom he meant to depriue of his office he first requireth an account of him and wil not put him out till he haue said and shewed what he can for his innocencie Let vs I pray you learne the like moderation to doe nothing vpon any accusation till the partie accused hath giuen account of his doings and said and shewed what he can for his defence If Potiphar had vsed this moderation he had not wronged Ioseph as he did And if Dauid had vsed this moderation he had not wronged good Mephiboseth so much Nichodemus saith Ioh. 7.51 Doth our law iudge a man before it heare him and know what he hath done Surely the law of God and euery law agreeable to the law of God giueth leaue to the accused partie to bring in his account and make his defence Giue an account of thy stewardship Men call their seruants to account and so doth God his Mat. 18.23 Therefore is the kingdome of heauen likened vnto a certaine king which would take account of his seruants In which parable and diuers others Christ sheweth vs that surely God will call vs to a reckoning for his gifts and talents committed to vs. For whē God sendeth a man into the world adorned with his gifts or bestoweth his gifts when hee hath sent him he doth it to this end that for those gifts he shuld giue account when he departeth out of the world Therfore is God in his kingdome compared vnto a Noble man that went into a farre countrey to receiue a kingdome and to come againe and at his departing called his seruants and deliuered vnto them his goods with charge to occupie vntill his returne that then he might reckon with them That departing into a far countrey with distribution of his goods among his seruants is nothing else but the sending of vs into the world with his gifts where we as strangers are farre remoued frō him As the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 5.6 Whiles we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. And his returne to take account of his seruants is nothing els but our appearing before him in death after which followeth iudgement vpon the account giuen and receiued God therefore will call vs to a reckoning and all men must deliuer in their account Heare this all of you hearken to it euery one let no man deceiue himselfe We must all giue account the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 5.10 We must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill All must appeare account must bee giuen and iudgement must follow accordingly And no age no sex no condition of life shall be exempted Euery age sex and condition hath his proper priuileges but all and euery one is bound to this to giue account vnto God No age is exempted Infants and children must account The infants of Amalech and the rude children of Bethel were examined iudged slaine for their wickednes Young men and maidens must For to that age Salomon saith Ecclesiastes 11.9 Reioyce O young man in thy youth and let thine hart cheere thee in the daies of thy youth and walke in the waies of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know that for al these things God wil bring thee to iudgement Old men and aged persons must All are put together in that speech of Ieremy saying I am full of the wrath of the Lord I am wearie with holding it I will powre it out vpon the children in the street and likewise vpon the assemblie of the yong men for the husband shall be euen taken with the wife and the aged with him that is full of daies And Helies age could not excuse him but he accounted for his negligence Neither hath the sex more priuilege then the yeeres for the woman with the man must giue account because the woman with the man is betrusted with the gifts of God And vnto the woman as well as vnto the man hath God giuen rules how they should behaue themselues in his seruice When Paul commandeth Titus in his sermons to the people to speake the things that become holesome doctrine he willeth him to exhort old women Tit. 2.3 that they be in such behauiour as becommeth holines not false accusers not giuen to much wine but teachers of honest things that they may instruct the yong women to be sober minded that they loue their husbands that they loue their children that they be discreete chast keeping at home good and subiect vnto their husbands that the word of God be not euill spoken of Thus doth God set downe rules and orders in his house vnto women And in examining iudging and punishing such as be found faultie he passeth not by thē for the women of Moab that intised the sonnes of Israel to fornication and idolatrie were destroyed euery one of them the sex therfore in this
where Iohn saith I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of life and the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes The booke of life is the register of heauen containing the â—ames of Gods elect The other bookes that were opened wherein their workes were seene were the registers of their consciences then laid open before Gods iudgement seate So that now we haue found two witnesses and two accusers to come foorth against vs the diuel that prouoked and thine owne conscience priuie to thy sinne And against this second accuser no exception to bee taken when thine owne heart speaketh in thine owne cause There are yet more accusers The very sinnes which thou hast committed shall accuse thee yea alreadie long since haue accused thee For so soone as thou committest them their crie ascendeth vp into heauen they appeare against thee before God and the remembrance of them remaineth vnto iudgement except by repentance and faith in the bloud of Christ they be done away God saith to Cain Gen. 4.10 The voyce of thy brothers bloud crieth vnto me from the ground Hee saith vnto Abraham Gen. 18.20 The crie of Sodome and Gomorrah is great and their sinne 〈◊〉 exceeding grieuous That is their grieuous sinnes crie alowd in my eares against them Esay 59. vers 12. in his complaint the Prophet hath these words Our transgressions are many before thee and our sins testifie against vs. And Iames 5.3 the Apostle saith Your gold and siluer is cankred and the rust of them shall be a witnes against you and shall eate your flesh as it were fire You haue heaped vp treasures for the last daies Behold the hire of the labourers which haue reaped your fields which is of you kept backe by fraud crieth and the cries of them which haue reaped are entred into the eares of the Lord of hostes Al these places of scripture testifie that our sinnes by vs committed doe accuse vs and they remaine euidence vpon record against vs to conuince vs to haue bin wastfull stewards And their mouth accusing vs cannot be stopped but by speedie conuersion vnto God And of these witnesses and accusers a clowde a tempest an armie yea a world is ascended vp against vs vnto God and hath cried out and still doth against vs. Infinite prophanations of holie things the prophanation of Gods holy name of his holy Sabboths of his holy word of his holy Sacraments of his holie religion Infinite wrongs and iniuries while euery one defraudeth another oppresseth another and spoyleth another Infinite excesses in wantonnes vncleannes and pride in furfetting drunkennes and idlenes and other our infinite sinnes Whereof the Prophet saith for his part that his sinnes were more in number then the haires of his head And we may well say for our parts that our sinnes are more in number then the starres of heauen then the sand on the sea shore These sinnes long since haue begun and cease not still with open crie to accuse vs to be wasters of our masters goods and yet we are secure as if none durst once open his mouth against vs. And what canst thou except against these accusers when it shall appeare that they are thy iniquities There is yet another accuser most faithfull and most incorrupt whom no mans greatnes can make to feare nor any mans gift blind that shall both accuse and condemne doing al things both with truth and with authoritie and that is the word of God both written and spoken The word and testimonie which we haue heard shall testifie against vs that we haue been better taught and would not amend And the Prophets Apostles and messengers of the Lord of hostes that haue spokeÌ„ vnto vs in his name shall come foorth and say We haue shewed them the way wherein they should walke and they chose rather to walke after the stubbornnes of their owne heart Iesus saith vnto the Iewes Ioh. 5.45 Doe not thinke that I will accuse you vnto my Father there is one that accuseth you euen Moses in whom ye trust And Ioh. 12.47 If a man heare my words and beleeue not I iudge him not for I came not to iudge the world but to saue the world He that refuseth me and heareth not my words hath one that iudgeth him the word that I haue spoken it shall iudge him at the last day Thus the word of God and his ministers accuse and condemne Which is not to be vnderstood as if Moses and the other seruants of God should come foorth in person to accuse or as if the word of God written or pronounced should found out against vs but the remembrance thereof in our consciences shall crie out against vs and accuse vs before God to whom the secrets of al hearts shall be manifest When we shall say in our selues and against our selues in such a booke leafe and chapter of the holy Scripture I read it and at such a Sermon in such a place and time and from the mouth of such a minister of God I heard it deliuered with authoritie my conscience euen trembling and quaking at the hearing of it That I should not lie nor blaspheme nor curse nor raile nor speake filthilie but that I should speake the trueth and glorifie God and giue holesome and good counsell to my neighbour And that I should not steale nor cousin nor deceiue nor oppresse nor vse false waights nor packe wares deceitfully but giue my selfe to honest labour and deale truly in bargaining and vse others as I would haue them vse me And that I should not delight in chambering and wantonnes in fornication and vncleannes but should keepe my vessell in holines and in honour and my body chast as a cleane temple for the holy Ghost and should vse the lawfull remedie of honourable mariage if the gift of continencie were wanting vnto me And that I should not be wrathfull furious cruell smiting wounding and killing but should be meeke louing and mercifull helping by all means to cherish and maintaine life And that I should not delight in surfetting and drunkennes consuming wastfully y â— creatures of God which others want and perish for want of them but that I should feed soberly that my very eating and drinking might be to the glorie of God that I should breake my bread to the hungry and refresh the thirsty soule And that I should feare God and flie the lusts of the flesh That I shuld call vpon God not trust in my wealth And should sanctifie his Sabboths and loue the assemblies of his Saints and serue God in spirit truth And when I read and heard these things which I now remember Gods spirit working together with his word told me that these were the holie rules of God that in keeping of them there was great reward and the contempt breaking of them was death