2. Others are pusillanimous and diffident, because they do not arrive at the eminency and perfection of the highest. David had other wor- thies besides the first three. There were two faithful servants ; one brought five talents, the other two. Now the middle is of those that can see in themselves more zeal than formality, more grace than cor- ruption, that, for the main, have made it their business to honour God, though conscious to many weaknesses and defects, yet throughout grace gets the upper hand ; according to the degrees of grace received they are faithful with God.
Secondly, The master's approbation, ' Well done, thou good and faithful servant/ The faithful servants are well accepted by Christ. First, he entertaineth them with praise, ver. 21, 23. Secondly, with preferment and advancement, ' Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many.' Thirdly, with joy, ' Enter into the joy of thy Lord.'
Doct. That at Christ's appearing, faithful servants shall not only be commended, but gloriously rewarded.
1 Peter i. 7, that your faith may be found unto praise, honour, and glory, at the appearing of Christ.
1. There is not only verbal commendation, but real remuneration ; glory and honour put upon them, as well as praise ascribed to them. (1.) Praise, because he shall then commend their faith before men and angels : Kev. iii. 5, ' I will confess his name before my Father and his angels/ (2.) There will be a solemn owning and honouring of them, when all the holy angels shall be present. Oh ! what a favour is it to be commended of God ! 2 Cor. x. 18, ' For not he that commendeth him- self is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.' When they had finished the tabernacle, all was viewed and approved by Moses : Moses blessed them. Oh ! what is it to be blessed and commended by the Son of God in that great assembly of the whole world !
2. Here is preferment and advancement to a higher place in the family. Christ will prefer them as men do their servants : Mat. xxiv. 47, ' Make him ruler over all his goods.' These expressions are taken
Vers. 19-23.] sermons upon matthew xxv. 455
from the greatest honours a man can do his faithful servants in the world, I Kings xii. 20. As Jeroboam was made ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph, so will Christ advance his servants to high dignity, sometimes expressed by ' setting them upon thrones,' Kev. iii. 21 ; ' giving them crowns,' 1 Peter iv. 13 ; 2 Tim. iv. 8. That antithesis is to be regarded ; few things, and many things. All things are few in comparison of heaven, our works, our gifts, our sufferings ; the reward is far above all these: Eom. viii. 18, ' For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us ; ' 2 Cor. iv. 17, ' For our light afflictions, that are but for a moment, work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.' It is all little that we do or suffer ; it is little that God hath done for us in this world, in comparison of what he will do for us there. Here is the earnest ; that is but a small part of the whole sum.
3. The next expression is, ' Enter into the joy of thy Lord.' Here Christ slideth into the thing signified by the parable, as afterward in assigning punishment unto the unfaithful servant : ver. 30, ' Cast him into outer darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Here is joy, and ' the joy of the Lord ; ' and faithful servants are said to enter into it.
[1.] The estate of the blessed is a state of joy ; which ariseth partly from the beatifical vision ; partly from their own blessedness, and also the blessed company.
(1.) The beatifical vision, or the vision of God : Ps. xvi. 11, ' In thy presence is fulness of joy, and at thy right hand pleasures for ever- more.' There is a mighty complacency that we take now in seeing, knowing, loving, and being beloved of God. What can be found in the creature is but a drop to the ocean in comparison of what a believer findeth in God himself. God is to them an overflowing fountain of all felicity. But there is gaudium vice, and gaudium 'patriae. Here it admits of increase and decrease ; but there the soul is so filled that it cannot receive any more : Ps. xvii. 15, ' As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness ; I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness.' God maketh out himself in the utmost latitude. As to the wicked, he stirreth up all his wrath. Here he punisheth by the creature, and so doth not put forth all his power ; as a giant striking with a straw cannot put forth his strength. In heaven the soul shall be filled with unspeakable joy and delight. What delight is to the sense, that joy is to the mind. Three thing are necessary to delight — a faculty, or power of the soul capable of pleasure ; and then the thing itself ; which being brought to the mind, doth stir up delight. As in bodily things, colours, fruits, tastes, pleasure consists in the near union and conjunction of these things. The more noble the faculty, the more excellent the object ; the nearer the conjunction, the greater the delight and pleasure. Now in heaven our faculties are perfected : God is the subject, and there is a near conjunction. Oh ! what embraces between him and the soul !