4. This gradual increase is continued, till at length all be full and perfect. The apostle proyeth for the saints, Eph. iv. 19, that they ' might be filled with all the fulness of God.' God keepeth filling still, till grace, begun here, be fully completed in glory hereafter ; and in heaven they are filled up with God, as far as finite creatures are capable of enjoying that which is infinite. The reason is, because the riches of God's goodness are inexhaustible. God is never weary of
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well-doing ; where lie hath given, he will give ; and delighteth to crown his own gifts. Some gifts of God leave some obligation upon hini to give more. Deus donando debet. Christ's reasoning implieth so much : Mat. vi. 25, ' Is not life more than meat, and the body than raiment?' That is an argument, as long as God will use us for his glory he will provide for us : Zech. iii. 2, ' Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?' The argument is from a brand almost consumed. Would God so eminently appear for them, not to destroy them? Certainly he will still take care of them. This holdeth universally true in point of grace ; for it is given as an earnest ; not as donum, a gift, as men give a shilling to a beggar ; nor as pignus, a pledge, to be taken away ; but as arrha, an earnest of a greater sum, of which that is a part. So that he that hath shall have more, and so abundance in all perfection in heaven.
Secondly, Now I must speak to the loss. Talents may be said to be lost, or taken away, two ways — in this world or in the next. These proverbial speeches are made use of by Christ upon a twofold occa- sion— after the parable of the sower, Mat. xiii. 12, and here after the parable of the talents : the one relateth to losing in this world, and the other in the world to come. They that rejected the gospel, and would not hear, or heard it carelessly, or would not come under the power and obedience of it, all their external privileges, glittering profession, common gifts of illumination, fasts, partial practice, all will be lost. Only the good and honest heart, that receiveth the good seed so as to keep it, so as to be a principle of life to them, to these shall be given. And then here is the other occasion when Christ speaks this. The taking away of the talents is after the lord had been reckoning with his servants, after he had been a long time absent, and in a far country. Therefore this taking away the talent is not meant of the gift itself, as of the comfort, benefit, and reward of it ; for all trading then is at an end ; that is the time of recompense, and the talent is lost. It will do us no good to have had estates, and to have lived in pomp and splen- dour in the world, if we have not made use of it for God. Our fall will be the greater because of our height. It will do us no good to have borne office in the church if we have not been faithful : Mat. vii. 22, ' Many shall say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, we have prophesied in thy name.' Such as have taken up office and employ- ment in the church, and made no conscience of doing the duty that belongeth thereto, these will not have, but lose their reward : these are ' idle shepherds/ Zech. xi. 17 ; their unfaithfulness and idleness in their trust will cost them dear. So for the ordinances and means of grace : Luke xiii. 26, ' Then shall they begin to say, We have ate and drank in thy presence.' It will be no plea that you have been at God's board; nay, you will have the greater judgment: Mat. xi. 23, 'And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be brought down to hell.' A place that enjoyeth the gospel is near heaven, it is the suburbs of heaven ; but where not improved, these privileges plunge a man deeper in the state of condemnation. Sins against the law do not weigh so deep in his balance as slighting and neglecting the gospel ; that brings on heavy wrath. So for common gifts, good affections, partial reformation ; it is all lost, as to any reward, Ezek. xxxiii. 13.
490 SERMONS UPON MATTHRW XXV. [SeR. XVI.
Yea, it is worse : 2 Peter ii. 20, 21, ' For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome ; the latter end is worse with them than the beginning ; For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it to turn from the holy commandment.' The wrath against them that return back to their sins is much greater than if they had never been so enlightened and reformed. Those that have had more light, and some taste of the sweetness of heaven's way, if they fall away, it is hard to renew them to repentance. This is the principal sense intended in this place ; yet because the words are so contrived that they comprehend also the loss we may sustain in this world while we are trading for God, I shall show you how God pun- isheth naughty and slothful servants in this world with the loss of their talents.