so deeply interested that our motion may not be Retrograde and we loose the things that we have wrought As also for the carrying on your affairs at Sea and the war wherein you are ingaged with Spain wherein you would ask counsel from Heaven this day it is not for me to advise any thing in these things they being so much out of my sphaere I shall only say The Lord direct you Yet only this I shall say that the Monarchy you have to do against is deeply defiled with blood and with that blood which hath the loudest cry and when its iniquity is at the full and its defence taken off it shall be as Caleb said of the Canaanites but as bread for those Instruments that God shall employ to take vengeance Only let me bold humbly to advise you as that which is of the greatest concernment to the success of your Affairs That you would Interest God as much as may be in them all For seeing you are men that do pretend to God in what you do and have his Name upon you you are to expect your success to come in not in a common way of Providence but in a way of prayer faith and sincere serving him in all your undertakings This is the third Inference Fourthly I shall infer somthing by way of Tryal in a word or two that we may a little know our own hearts and whom we are serving whether our selves or the Lord. You may know it First by this If you serve the Lord in what you do then you expect your Reward principally from him for the thing or the person that man is serving from the same doth he expect his reward He that is serving man expects his reward from man He that is serving mammon from mammon he looks for his reward And he that is serving the Lord he expects also his chief reward from the Lord And the sence of that reward which he shall have from God is the motive that quickens him more in his work then any he may receive from man Secondly He that serves the Lord in what he doth hath his eye upon him as his ultimate end He that looks no farther then himself this man is serving himself let his work be what it will be as I said before But when the Lord is Finis operis the end of the work or at least Finis operantis the end of him that worketh then is the Lord served Lastly He that serves the Lord he endeavours to manage his work so as it may be most serviceable to him If a Minister uprightly serve the Lord he will preach the Word and manage the whole course of his Ministry not in such a way as may be most pleasing to men but most to the good of souls and the honour and service of Christ And so I may say of Magistrates and of private Christians if they are serving the Lord they then will so endeavour to act and so steer the whole course of their life as that the Lord may be most served and honoured by them Vse 5 The last thing I infer from the Doctrine is encouragement and comfort to the good and faithful servant The service of the Lord though we may suffer reproach in it yet it is the most honourable and loss in it yet it is the most gainful and pain and trouble in it yet it is the most pleasant service in the world Ah much honoured Senators you that are in the integrity of your hearts serving the Lord besides all that peace and pleasure that you may have at present there is a day coming wherein all your service and labour of love will be returned into your Bosoms an hundred fold Oh how honourably doth that man live and how blessedly shall that man die that hath been doing the Lord's work in the world Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord c. for they rest from their labours and their works follow them Rev. 14. 13. their works are ceased as to the labour of them but follow them and will be with them for ever as to the reward of them The rich mans riches shall not follow him the voluptuous mans pleasures shall not follow him nor the honours of the honourable shall not follow them but the faithful servants works shall follow him and be with him for ever It is said of David that after he had served his generation according to the will of God he fell asleep Acts 13. 36. How sweetly may that man lay himself down in the sleep of death that hath in his life been serving his generation according to the will of God The Lord himself will give Testimony to such a man as he doth to the faithful servant in the Parable VVell done thou good and faithful servant For a Magistrate for a Minister Mat. 25. 21. for a Christian to have an Euge from Christ for the Lord himself to give an honourable Testimony to a man and his service is the truest honour and the highest commendation And though he be but a servant yet his Master will make him sharer with himself and that in the best thing which he hath which is his joy Enter thou into thy Masters joy And is not this enough to encourage you But yet if a bigger word then this can be spoken we have an expression or two falling from Christ's own mouth and recorded by Luke chap. 12. which I cannot think of without wonder The one you find in the 43 44. verses Blessed is that servant whom the Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Of a truth I say unto you that he will make him Ruler over all that he hath Can any thing be spoken more Yes in ver 37. we have a greater word then this which I durst not have spoke if Christ had not spoken it himself Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching Verily I say unto you he shall gird himself and make them to sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them In the former expression he saith That all that he hath shall be at their service and that is very much But in this latter he saith a great deal more That he himself will gird himself and put himself as into the posture of a servant and come forth and serve them And now Beloved who would not be the Lord's servant And thus I have spoken to the matter of the counsel here given to the Kings and Judges of the Earth which is to Serve the Lord. I shall next in a word speak to the manner how the Lord is to be served and that the Text saith is with Fear Serve the Lord with fear Though they are Kings and Judges and are a Terror to others yet even they must serve the Lord with fear and though they are men that usually have the greatest defence about them yet lie as open and naked to God as any others and therefore must serve with fear Quest But
the World may offer yet God doth infinitely out-bid them what they offer is but a piece of light and fading vanity but what God offers is a weight an eternal weight of glory The Reward must needs be great because God rewards not only according to mans work but according to the riches of his own grace and bounty A great King accounts it his shame to give a mean reward he must do all things like himself It is said Heb. 11. 16. of those believing Patriarchs God was not ashamed to be called their God why for saith the Text he hath prepared for them a City that is if God had not well provided for them if he had not prepared a glorious habitation for them somewhat like himself he might have been ashamed to be called their God so This Reward excels in the sureness of it It will certainly come Though we may fail of success in our work yet we shall not misse the reward of it as the Prophet Isaiah speaks Isai 49. 4. I have laboured in vain there he mist his success yet my judgment is with the Lord and my works with my God there he finds the reward And it is the Apostles argument 1 Cor. 15. ult let us abound in the work of the Lord and the Argument is not only because there is a reward but the reward is sure as knowing that our labour is never in vain in the Lord. It is true God doth defer it at least the greatest part of it but why is it that he might learn us to live upon Trust He having given us such a sure promise he may presume that we have enough to support and encourage us though the reward be for a season deferred Therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 10. 35 Cast not away your confidence which hath great recompence of reward Oh but we do not see the recompence we possess it not therefore he adds yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry and the just shall live by faith 2. The second work of the spirit is a work of mortification Mans selfish nature must be mortified else he will be serving himself and not the Lord. That life in a believer that serves the Lord springs out of the death of his carnal life as man ceaseth to be his own so doth he come to serve the Lord and live to him The message that Moses carried to Pharaoh from the Lord was this Let my people go that they may serve me they must go out of the Land of Egypt and from under the power of Pharaoh that they might serve the Lord. So must man go out of that selfish nature that keeps him in bondage and out of the power of the infernal Pharaoh before he can be capable of serving God And this is done in us by the Spirit that smites those enemies that held us in bondage that we might go forth into the liberty of serving God pride must be smitten and self-love must be smitten and unbelief must be smitten c. before any man doth indeed enter into the Lords service No man saith Christ can serve two Masters especially two Masters whose commands are contradictory now every lust is a Master which man is serving and till the Spirit crucifie them man cannot be serving Jesus Christ 3. The third work is a work of renovation The faculties of the soul must pass under a spiritual renovation before they can be fit to serve the Lord. For I am not of their opinion who think that if lust be mortified the soul would of it self return into its primitive course as a river that is stopt if you remove the dam it runs of it self or a stone that hangs in the ayr by a string if you cut the string of it self it falls to the centre but there must be aliquid divinitus infusum a principle infused from above to act it towards the Lord and in his service Lust it is a confining thing it makes man dwell at home and serve himself but grace is enlarging it lets man out of himself and brings him home to the Lord and to the service of the Lord. He that is a fit servant for a Prince must have many accomplishments to fit him for it And so would I dwell here I might shew you how many things are necessary to accomplish a man for the Lords service as Faith Love Hope Humility Self denyal c. are all necessary that he may be a vessel of honour prepared for his Masters 2 Tim. 2. 21. use For natural accomplishments may fit a man for the service of man but man must be accomplisht from Heaven to fit him for the Lords service But I passe Use 2 That which I infer next from the Doctrine as more suitable to the day is matter of Lamentation Ah may we not mourn over our selves mourn over the City mourn over the Nation yea mourn over the world that that which is mans great work is laid aside as if it was none of his work at least other work hath the praeeminence Oh that the Devil that hath no true right to us for he neither made us nor bought us and that payes no wages but death and misery and that the lusts of the flesh to which as the Apostle saith we are no debtors yet these should have more real more free more chearful service then God then Christ to whom we are indebted by so manifold ingagements and obligations This is true but ah is it not sad Hath not Christ think you better deserved of the World Hath he not Might not Jesus Christ promise himself that after he had manifested such stupendious love as to lay down his life for an undone world that they should be so amazed so ravisht with this love as to be ambitious who should love him most and honour him most and serve him most that the very naming the name of Christ should be argument enough to provoke them to ingage in any service for him Yea and after he had laid down the price of his blood the greatest price that Heaven or Earth could give to purchase us might he not promise himself that the Sons of men would no longer be their own but his wholly his But alasse we see nothing lesse then this in the world Men after all this are their own live to themselves serve themselves and Christ and his service both are despised and rejected of men may not Heaven and Earth even tremble and be astonisht at this Or when men are serving Christ do they serve him with the best do they serve him with such life and vigour as they serve themselves and the world do not they bring him the lame the blind the torn the maymed as if any thing was good enough for Christ as Jeroboam made Priests of the lowest of the People so do men think the lowest of their affections the very dreg of their time and strength good enough for God Was there ever
THE FAITHFUL And Wise Servant Discovered in a Sermon preached to the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland at their late private Fast in the Parliament House Jan. 9. 1656. By Matthew Barker a Servant of Christ and his Church in the work of the Ministry at Leonards Eastcheap London And his Lord said unto him Well done thou good and faithful servant Matth. 25. 21. Keep therefore and do my STATVTES and JVDGEMENTS for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the Nations which shall hear all these Statutes and say Surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding People LONDON Printed by J. Macock for Luke Fawn and are to be sold at his Shop at the Signe of the Parrot in Pauls Church-yard 1657. To the Truly Honourable the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England Scotland and Ireland THE Great Lesson that the Lord hath been teaching man in all Ages which alas he hath yet but a little learned is That he is nothing without God David sought to teach his Son Solomon this in that Psalm that he composed on purpose for him Except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build it Except the Lord keep the City the Watchman waketh but in vain Salomon he knew was to succeed him in his Throne and to have affairs of a Publique and weighty Import in his hands and therefore would have him well digest this first and best Rule in Christian Policy That the creature acts in all things in vain wherein it acts without God No rule is more needful for Magistrates to learn and which when once well learned and well practised will of all other things if the world could but once believe it most avail to the prosperity and success of their Affairs When God called Gideon forth to a Publique Work he first tells him he would be with him and then adds Go forth in This thy might If the Creature goes forth in any might but this it is a poor weak thing It is Recorded in Sacred Story that the Israelites followed Saul trembling when he went to Battel against the Philistims They thought they should be strong and victorious when they had gotten a King and no sooner had they him but they follow him trembling Such will all creature strength be to us it cannot deliver us from Fear and Falling or be a Rock to the heart of Man Your deep sense of this Right Honourable was that which I suppose moved you to set apart a day for a more solemn seeking Aid and Counsel from God and wherein you was pleased to call for my poor Service in that days work together with two others far more able That we might do for you according to what Jonathan did to David when he was in streights in the Wilderness of Ziph strengthen your hands in God You were then as in a Wilderness and you did not clearly see your way but have your hands been since more strengthned in God You was pleased to command for so is your Desire to me that I should speak somthing from the Lord to you and what I spake as it was calculated for your Meridian so I intended it for no wider a Sphaere then the Walls of your own House But seeing you are pleased to call for it to walk abroad I have obeyed you though not without some reluctance The Work you met upon was Serious and the Day Solemn so that I durst not but preach plainly as those will find that read Only I must acquaint you that the latter end of the Sermon I preached not because I was prevented by the time chusing rather to be abrupt then tedious Which indeed was a further Motive to me to yeild it to the Press and that I might present that to your Eyes which I could not then present to your Earâ— And here and there I have added somthing above what I spake as being then compelled to shorten where I could with least loss So that this I can say I have presented you with a fuller expression of what was in my thoughts and papers in the Sermon as Printed then the Sermon as Preached VVhat-ever it is though it shews forth much of my weakness yet I assure you it shews forth my hearty willingness to serve Christ and to serve you in a subordination unto him One generation passeth to make way for another and so men serving their generations have past away that others might come in Moses was taken off that Joshua might come in and David to make way for Salomon And so other Powers and Parliaments have past away to make room for you And now ye are upon the Stage and therefore endeavour to Act Nobly to Act Gallantly as standing in the view not of men only but of God and that when you go off you may go off with the Applause I will not say of men but of God himself There is a Providence that orders in what Generation every man shall be brought forth and therefore every man should be enquiring why was I brought forth in this generation and not another And what is the work of this Generation wherein the Lord expects that I should come forth and serve him And it is Satans design and policy to amuse men about other work that concerns them not that so he might divert them from that which is their proper work And shall I be bold here Honoured Gentlemen to put you in mind of that which I hear hath been some time already under your consideration and that is to do something toward the payment of the debts that are yet behind upon the Publique faith especially to the poorer sort Many poor honest people live yet in hope that that Faith will not fail I know the wants and expences of the Nation are great yet Mercy and Justice never to this day did any wrong to a State The condition also of poor Prisoners that would pay if they could as I was solicited to present it before you so I humbly leave it to your Justice and Wisdom to consider of it I know also your work is great and God may cut out more work for you and for his people in this Nation ere long then they are â—â—t aware of Oh it is an happy thing to have Spirit fitted to what work God will engage us in And let us take heed that calm times do not make us secure and settle in the world You know when Sampson slept in Delilah's lap then he lost his strength and lost God and when he went to rouse up himself as at other times then he felt his weakness So if through security and lying in the lap of any beloved Delilah we do fall asleep we hazard the loss of our strength and the departing of God and then when we may be called forth to any work we may arise and think to prevaile as in the days of old when alas our strength is gone Oh be watchful faithful low
intentional serving God there are three things necessary that it find acceptance 1. That mans principle be right 2. That his rule be right 3. That his end be right 1. That his Principle be right It is somthing of God in man that can alone aright serve God So saith the Apostle Heb. 12. 28. Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably Now grace is a divine principle and it is only this whereby a man can serve acceptably The Apostle speaks in Heb. 11. of many Heroick acts of service done by these ancient Worthies as Abel Noah Abraham Isaac Moses c. But that which gave them their acceptance was the Principle they did them by Faith saith the Text and tells us in verse 6. that without faith it is impossible to please God There must be the out-going of the soul toward God in that service which finds acceptance Now no principle can act the soul towards God but that which is divine and springs from him 2. As his Principle so his Rule must be right for God must be served according to his own rule which is his revealed Will and where the rule is dark we must either forbear until God doth clear it up or else act up to it as near as the light we have will lead us And this is the praerogative of man above the creatures below us though they all act by a rule and to an end which their Creator hath set them yet they are not capable of understanding either their rule or their end but man is and therefore if he would be accepted he must have respect to his rule As Saul he offered Sacrifice which in it self was a good thing and the case was somwhat urgent for Samuel came not and the people began 1 Sam 13. to scatter from him and the Philistims to gather together against him but because he walked not by rule in that action he was rejected of God Mans righteousness lies especially in his conformity to the Rule as the Schoolmen speak of a Lex aeterna in Deo an eternal Law according to which God doth all his works both in Heaven and Earth which is the righteousness of God So there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lex scripta a Law written either inwardly in mans heart or without in the Scriptures which is the rule of mans walking and conformity thereunto is the righteousness of man His End must also be right For God is not served when he is not our end A man may be praying and fasting and yet not serve God doing justice giving alms punishing sin rewarding vertue and yet not at all serve God Men indeed look most to other matter and substance of their actions because they lie more open to the view of men but that which God especially looks at in man and which is the most material thing in his actions is his end Somtimes when a man through ignorance mistakes his rule yet if hi◠end be upright he may be accepted notwithstanding As the Apostle in Rom. 14. tells us of two sorts of Christians in that Church some that understood their Gospel liberty and Gospel rule of walking and therefore did not observe days nor confine themselves to eat herbs as others did but yet because in what the one and the other did they had respect to God they did both serve him as he saith verse 6. He that regardeth a day regardeth it to the Lord and he that regardeth not the day to the Lord he doth not regard it And they were both living to the Lord and so both living and dying they were both the Lord's as he also speaks And now these few things being premised I shall proceed to draw forth such inferences from the Point as may most naturally spring from it and be most sutable to the present day and this honourable Assembly And what may be needful by way of Argument to confirm it I shall present in the Application that so I may make the best improvement I can of a little time and speak to your judgements and affections both together Vse 1 And first I shall infer hence somthing for Instruction If this be to serve God as you have heard Then no man can serve God without the spirit of God So that the generation of men that are indeed serving God in the world are alone those that have received the spirit God is a spirit and must be served in spirit and no man can serve in spirit but he that hath received the spirit The Apostle in Rom. 7. 4. speaks of Believers that they were dead to their first husband the Law that they might be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead And why must they be thus married That we might bring forth fruit unto God By marrying with Christ by our union with him we come to partake of his Spirit and so to bring forth fruit unto God The Spirit is that divine sap which is shed from Christ the root into those souls that are in union with him whereby they bring forth fruit unto God And there is a threefold work of the Spirit that must pass upon man before he can be made a true servant 1. A work of Conviction He must be convinc'd of that absolute dependance he hath upon God that he cannot subsist and live of himself without God For until a man doth see his dependance he will not serve A man will not willingly subject himself to the will of one upon whom he hath no dependance Now a man without the spirit his heart speaks that he can subsist of himself by his own wit wisdom providence industry and creature Interest and therefore he regards not God he serves not God but himself or the creature as thinking he depends more upon these then upon the Lord. And this is the reason that when men are to transact any work they are careful about the means but they look not at God or very slightly it is because they think they depend more upon the means then God which is a piece of Atheism that grows in all our hearts and those have found it that are come to know their own hearts and must be rooted up by the convictions of the Spirit before man will indeed become the Lord's servant Yea again He must also be convinc'd that in serving God there is the best reward Every man before he enters upon work is looking what his reward and wages shall be As those in the Gospel that we read of in Matth. 20. 6 7. being asked why they stood all the day long idle they answered because no man hath hired us they would not work till they had some promise of wages now when man is throughly convinc'd that Gods work will have a reward and the best reward this inclines him and draws him to his service now the Reward that God gives it excels 1. In the greatness of it no reward can match it what ever the Devil or
wisdom they had their wise men whom they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they loved to be applauded with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the end of their Orations and who hath not heard of their seven Wise men The Romans they pretended to it as the Apostle speaks 1 Rom. 22. Professing themselves to be wise they became fools The Persians they pretended to it and they had their Wise men among them who were called Magi. The Jews they had their Wise men whom they called Chacamim and the Pharisees affected to be called Rabbi Rabbi which iâ— as much as to say a man of much learning or wisdom But if you would know where true wisdom lies the Text tels us it lies in serving God The Veyn of True Wisdom runs all along in the service of God This is wisdom though not in the worlds ballance yet in the Ballance of the Sanctuary The Oracle of Apollo was once consulted to shew who was the wisest man But it is only Gods Oracle that can resolve this and that tells you every where it is the godly man the man serving God And here first I shall shew how it is the wisdom of men in general and then particularly of Magistrates to serve the Lord. First in general 1. Is it not wisdom for a man to be seeking his own happiness and to depart from that evil which would destroy him We see this Instinct of wisdom planted in the Nature of every creature whereby it gathers into it self that good that is conâ—ucible to its happiness and expels and avoids what it may that evil which is contrary and so destructive to it Now he that is sincerely serving the Lord he is the only man that is pursuing that good that is mans true happiness which is God himself and avoiding and expelling that evil which would destroy him and that is sin and the consequences of it So that he is truly serving himself that serves the Lord. As Job in his 28. Chapter brings his discourse about wisdom to this conclusion in the last verse Behold the fear of the Lord that is wisdom and to depart from evil that is understanding And Salomon a man well able to judg of wisdom and folly gives us a character of both Prov. 22. 3. A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself the wicked passe on and are punished 2. Is it not wisdom to bestow a mans service and labour where it will turn most to his account A wise man will not run and sweat to catch a Butterfly He will see whether that which he toyls and travels for will countervail his pains For what profit saith the wise man hath he that hath laboured for the wind Eccles 5. 16. Now no labour doth bring in such a rich Revenue doth so turn to a mans account as that which is bestowed upon the service of God Again Is it not wisdom for a man to improve his season There is a season for every thing under the sun saith Solomon and the wise man watcheth his season The wise Merchant will observe his season and the wise Physician his season and the wise Statesman his and the wise Husbandman his yea the Ant doth embrace its season the Swallow the Crane the Stork they do all observe their seasons And therefore the Apostle exhorts the Ephesians Eph. 5. 15. To walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time or the season Now mans season it is in general the fruit of his being in this world or that day of grace that is in his hand which he is to make use of to get acquaintance with God and to lay up for himself a good foundation against the time to come which no man is doing but he alone that is faithfully serving God 4. It is wisdom to subject a man's self to that Lord that hath a true Right to him to whom of Right he owes subjection and service And a wise man will not willingly subject himself to any that upon no account hath Right to him A servant willingly subjects himself to his own Master and a child to his own Father for they see they have a Right to them but not to strangers Now he that is serving the Lord he subjects himself to that Master that hath a true Right to his service whereas now carnal men subject themselves to strange Lords Satan and fleshly lusts c. that have no Right at all to Rule over them which as it is their sin so it is their folly also 5 It is wisdom to make provision for the future a fool only looks at what is just before him but a wise man is able to see a far off Now he that looks beyond this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this present time and is making provision for eternity this is the wise man and no man doth this but he that in good earnest is serving the Lord. But then especially it is the wisdom of Magistrates to serve the Lord and I will shew it only in these two particulars 1. It will be their stability And 2. Their Prosperity 1. This will be their Stability Nothing doth more establish Common-wealths and Kingdoms then when the Power and Authority of those that sit at Stern is improved for the Lord. As God told Solomon 2 Chron. 7. 17 18. If thou wilt walk before me as David thy Father and do according to all that I commanded thee and observe my Statutes and Judgements What then Then will I establish the Throne of thy Kingdom c. But he adds If you turn away then will I pluck you up by the root out of my Land c. Yea he makes such a promise to Jeroboam 1 King 11. 38. If thou wilt walk in my ways and do that which is right in my sight and keep my Statutes c. Then I will be with thee and build thee a sure House I need not tell you in what a tottering condition the Nation stands how it is shaken by divisions and what a discontented spirit is working every where now if any thing in the world do establish us I do not say take it from me but take it from the God of Truth it must be a holy subjection to the Lord and an hearty serving his Will his Glory and his Providence with what Talents he entrusts us with 2. This will be their Prosperity It was the counsel that David gave Solomon at his death and therefore sure had weight in it 1 Kings 2. 3. Keep the charge of the Lord thy God and walk in his ways c. And what then That thou mayst prosper in all that thou dost and whithersoever thou turnest thy self What can be more plain So that now Honoured and Beloved ye see what is the way to have Counsel and direction come in upon you and successe and prosperity to follow you in your Affairs and what will be found to be wisdom when all wicked and Machiavilian Policy which hath too much acted the Counsels of men and the power of the world shall be discovered to be but meer folly in the end Now is it not an unseemly thing to see a Counsel without wisdom and a Christian Counsel without Christian wisdom Thus I have done yet only give me leave to add these two words by way of enforcement upon the whole 1. Consider that your day is short The day of your life is short but your day of service may be shorter And therefore What ever your hand findeth to do do it with your might Eccles 9. 10. Which is the Counsel of Solomon the wisest Prince and States-man that ever sate upon Throne And as he Counselled so he practized For with what vigour and industry did he manage that great work which was in his hand of building the house of God So that he finisht it in seven years and an half as you may easily compute it if you read the 1 Kings 6. But he was thirteen yeares in building his own house 1 Kings 7. 1. which is recorded not for his disparagement but his commendation that he followed the work of Gods House with greater vigour then his own house A good pattern for our imitation Yea we have the example of one greater then Solomon even Christ himself for the improvement of our day John 10. 4. I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day the night cometh wherein no man can work The natural day was appointed for work so is the day of life the day of grace and the day of service and when the night comes upon any of these dayes then is the time of work ceased with you with me and with all men And is not this day short at longest and much of it is already past and that which remains flees faster away then an Eagle in the Ayr or an Arrow from the Bow of the mighty Therefore let me beseech you to be walking and working and living apace for the shadows of the evening will suddenly be upon you 2. Consider lastly that your account is hastening when You must give an account of our Stewardship and be no longer Stewards And stand naked at the Bar of Christ devested of all your external Ornaments whether Riches Power Honour greatness and the like and every one give account of himself unto the Lord. And the Judgement will not proceed so much upon this or that particular action as what hath been the main end and Scope of your life Whether you have been living to Christ or to your selves Those that now can summon others to stand at their bar must ere long stand at the bar of Christ themselves and give up their accounts to him that is the Great and only Poâ—enâ—ate the Supream Judg of the World from whom there is no appeal and against whom there is no resistance and according to the Judgment they receive there so to stand either Justified or Condemned for ever FINIS