Vers. It5-18.] sermons upon matthew xxv. 439
3. For the good of others, their edification and benefit ; as the sun doth not shine for himself, nor the fountains flow for themselves. We drive a joint-trade for heaven, and God hath scattered his gifts, that every part may supply somewhat for the good of the whole ; as every member in the body hath its proper station and several use, by which the whole body receiveth benefit : Bom. xii. 4, ' For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office;' 1 Cor. xii. 14, ' For the body is not one member, but many.' A man hath not wealth for himself, nor parts for himself, not ministerial gifts for himself, to promote his own ends, but to bring in souls to God ; not for pomp, but for use. All have their proper and distinct offices, some to serve, others to rule, some to counsel, others to execute. Every one hath their proper and distinct use ; for God maketh nothing in vain, nor was the world appointed to be a hive for drones and idle ones. Therefore we should all in our places be doing good to others, helping them by our counsel, or by our estate and interest, or by our service ; but especially should we do good to their souls ; for we are to love our neighbour as ourselves, that is, by a regular love. Therefore first seek their spiritual good, as we would do our own, gaining upon them by assiduous counsels, provoking them by our example. Otherwise we hide what we have in a napkin ; and what profit hath the world by hidden wisdom more than by hidden treasure ?
Secondly, The reasons, or the confirmation of this point.
1. They that have received talents must trade, with them, because they are not only a gift, but a trust, given us to employ. As a gift, they call for our thankfulness ; as a trust, for our faithfulness. He that hath an estate made over to him in trust, and for certain uses expressed in the conveyance, hath indeed no estate therein at all, but only with respect to those uses. The right of a feoffee in trust is jidei commissarius, is quite distinct from that of an owner and possessor. Just so it is here ; and oh ! that we could make you sensible that all that you have is for such uses whereby you may bring some glory to God and some good to others, and so save your own souls by the dis- charge of your trust ! Surely, then, men would use their gifts more industriously, spend their estates better, their time better, and be more profitable in all their relations.
2. This trust is committed to servants, not to strangers or freemen, who are at their own dispose-; so that from the quality of the persons receiving there is an argument and obligation upon them. I may desire another to take a trust, who may refuse me ; but those under command must do as their Lord would have them. Now, thus are we to Christ, who hath an absolute right in us, and both made us and bought us.
3. The argument is still more binding, if there be a formal covenant and promise on their part that they will faithfully perform this trust. Now there is a covenant between God and us : '1 will be your God, and you shall be my people.' In that covenant we bind ourselves to seek his glory, and to do his people good. As we take God, whole God, to be ours, so we give up ourselves and all that is ours to him, to be for his use and service. In this covenant the altera -pars paciscens is an inferior. Though there be a mutual interest, yet there cannot
440 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SbR. XII.
Le such an interest in God as God hath in us. God hath not only an interest in us, but a dominion over us, which an inferior cannot have over a superior ; so that we are God's more fully than he can be ours. Now a trust accepted and broken afterwards involveth us in the greater crime. I am God's, and will be God's, and would I could do more fof his glory ; as a Christian in general, as a husband, or wife, or father, or child, or servant, I will more honour God in my place.
4. The fruit, comfort, and excellency of the thing trusted is most seen in the use. It is true of all sorts of talents. Take the lowest outward subservient helps, wealth, power, and honour. A man doth not see the comfort and use of wealth so much in anything as when he doth employ it for God. If he hoard it up, he hath it only for show ; if he layeth it out to clothe his back or to feed his belly, he doth but make himself a more honourable sort of brute beast ; all the while he is sowing to the flesh, or sacrificing to his god, the belly, or offering up a meat-offering or a drink-offering to appetite. But how sweet is it when we have opportunities of doing more for God ! Then he seeth the use of wealth indeed ; it giveth him advantages of service, and a more diffusive charity. Ordinances, the worth of them is most known in the use and improvement ; not when we resort to them out of custom and fashion's sake, but use them as means to do our souls good. So for gifts ; as wells are the sweeter for draining, so gifts are improved by using: so graces of the Spirit. God's most precious gifts should not lie idle : 2 Cor. vi. 1 , ' We beseech you receive not the grace of God in vain.' In short, you do not taste the true sweet- ness of wealth when gorgeously attired, your tables plentifully fur- nished, and you glut yourselves with all manner of fleshly delights ; but in feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, that satisfieth the mind and conscience of them that do it ; as you do not reap the increase of .corn by scattering it in the sand, but casting it into a fruitful soil.