all flesh because his mercie indureth for euer If cloathes be wanting he made the first garments for our first parents and cloatheth the grasse of the field If health he is the Phisition that killeth and maketh aliue that woundeth and maketh whole If peace it is God that maketh men to bee of one minde in an house that maketh warre to cease in all the world that breaketh the bow and knappeth the speare asunder and burneth the chariots in the fire If knowledge it is hee that teacheth man knowledge and it is his promise to his Church they shall be al taught of God If wisedome aske of God saith the Apostle who giueth to all men liberally reprocheth no man If faith it is not of our selues it is the gift of God Whatsoeuer thou wantest bodily or spirituall transitorie or eternall earthly or heauenly aske it of God for euery good giuing and euery perfect gift is from aboue from the father of lights Hee is most rich and wee most poore and if our eyes looke vp vnto him hee will open his hand and fill vs with his blessings Thus much of this rich man Which had a steward It was an vsuall thing from the beginning for Princes great men and rich men to haue stewards that did ouersee their households and had rule of theyr goods not that they themselues in the meane while would be idle nor giuing absolute power to their stewards to dispose of their goods at their pleasure but that being eased by their stewards in the ordering of their household affaires they might the better attend vpon publike causes and require account of their stewards at their pleasure So had Abraham his steward Eleazer of Damascus of whom he was afraid least he should be his heire because he was then childlesse And Potiphar hauing bought Ioseph of the Midianites finding that the Lord was with him and made all that hee did to prosper he made him ruler of his house and put al that he had into his hand so making him his steward And in the parable in the Gospel the Lord of the vineyard when the euening was come called his steward and commanded him to reckon with the labourers and to begin with the last And vnto this day Princes Noblemen and rich men haue stewards and like officers whose seruice they vse in gouerning their priuate estate And euen so almightie God the rich man in our text a King of the greatest dignitie an householder of the greatest family hath his stewards and officers whose seruice he vseth not for neede of their helpe but for triall of their fidelitie himselfe is the meane time most prudently gouerning hiâ— whole kingdome and most watchfully obseruing the behauiour of his stewards Now who this steward is wee may easilie learne by another parable Luk. 19.12 A certaine noble man went into a farre countrey to receiue for himselfe a kingdome and so to come againe And he called his ten seruants and deliuered them tenne peeces of money and said vnto them occupie till I come Euery man and euery child of man that hath receiued any gift of God is this steward betrusted with his masters goods What hast thou saith the Apostle that thou hast not receiued In which words hee sheweth vs that no man hath any good thing of his owne and whatsoeuer he hath is the goods of his master and he a steward to account for the same Such a one is the Magistrate in the Common-wealth Such a one is the Minister in the Church Great things are committed to their charge Such a one is the learned man that knoweth much The wise man that vnderstandeth the reasons and causes of things Such a one is the politique Captaine the valiant souldier the skilfull artificer the father of the familie many great precious things are committed to the disposing of these men Yea such a one is euery man and child of man though he be not called to any publike charge nor betrusted with those things that are esteemed great in the world Yet notwithstanding many talents of his masters goods are committed vnto him and he is made a steward of great trust He hath receiued of God his soule liuing vnderstanding and indeed with many excellent gifts of nature and grace He hath receiued his bodie strong comely and healthfull a house for his soule and a temple for the holy Ghost to dwell in the countenance whereof is lifted vp to heauen to behold the place of his rest which hee should aspire vnto and to contemplate and thinke vpon his Creator that dwelleth there hauing many members seruing to honourable vses the care to heare the eye to see the tongue to speak the throte to breathe the feete to walk and the hands to handle with many other members and organes both inward and outward of more excellent price then al the treasures of the earth Also he hath receiued of God his precious time a treasure much to be accounted of his houres his daies his moneths his yeeres in which many excellent workes may bee brought foorth honourable to Gods name profitable to our brethren and of great benefit to our selues These talents and portions of the goods of our God euery one euen the poorest is betrusted with and thereby he is made one of the stewards of God Therefore we are al stewards that must one day giue accounts to God for great things And what is required of Stewards but that they bee faithfull The Apostle faith 1. Cor. 4 vers 1 2. Let a man so thinke of vs as of the ministers of Christ and disposers of the secrets of God And as for the rest it is required of the disposers that euery man be found faithfull Whatsoeuer hee is to whose disposition God hath committed any thing the same is bound in dutie to be faithfull to him that hath trusted him Giue me leaue therefore to put you in minde of this your dutie You are stewards to God be faithfull to God Art thou called to a publike office God in his word teacheth thee how thou shouldest carrie thy selfe in thy office Follow thy masters rule and be faithfull If thou be a Iudge iudge iustly betweene a man and his brother If thou bee a Minister of the word preach the word in season and out of season Art thou a father bring vp thy children in the feare of God mildly Art thou a master doe vnto thy seruant that which is iust Whatsoeuer thy place is carrie thy selfe holily Thou art a steward therfore be faithfull Hast thou the goods of the world hast thou the graces of Gods spirit hast thou honour power riches health and strength hast thou wisedom counsel knowledge vtterance and the like The word doth teach thee that is God thy master doth commaund thee how to vse these things Doe so faithfully for thou art his steward If thou haue nothing els yet thou hast an immortall soule with the faculties thereof Thou hast an humane bodie with the members
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
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