2. Where to seek gifts and graces that are needful : ' If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask it of God,' James i. 5. But then you must use means as well as pray. They that cry for knowledge and under- standing must also dig for her as for hid treasure : Prov. ii. 3-5, ' If thou criest after knowledge, and liftcstup thy voice for understanding ; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures ; thou shalt then understand the fear of the Lord, and find the know- ledge of God.'
II. These things are entrusted as well as given ; for the word com- mitted is used. It is given us as an estate to trade with. Here is not only the word eSoStj, ' given,' but Trapedevro, ' committed,' That which we have is not only a matter of grace and favour, but a matter of charge and trust ; a depositum, something deposited with us, that we must not only be chary of them, that our gifts be not lost by luxury, ease, and idleness, but we must be faithful in the use of them, that God may have glory, others benefit, and we comfort and peace for the present, and everlasting life for the future. All is an estate in trust ; not for enjoyment barely, but for use and service. I will prove it —
1. From the nature of the gifts. They are not given us for them- selves, but for some other thing. I confess they are of a various nature, and it is hard to bring them under one denomination. Reason, health, strength, time, parts, interests, power, authority, wealth, providences, such as afflictions, prosperity, ordinances, means of grace, yea, grace itself ; all these are tt/jo? dX\6 not simply given us for their own sakes, but some other thing.
Eeason, or such a life as is light : John i. 4, ' In him was life, and the life was the light of men.' Why was it given us but that we might have a mind to know God and an heart to love him ? For therefore
SERMONS UPON LUKE XII. 48. 369
doth God teach ns more than the beasts of the field. It was a good saying of Epictetus, Si essem hisci'nia, canerem ut luscinia — If I were a nightingale, I would sing as a nightingale, &c. But alas ! how often do men use their wit against God rather than for him !
So for strength and time. Is it given us only to be employed in the service of sin, or for the service of God in our generation ? Is it to be strong to serve our lusts, or to have time to grow monsters in wicked- ness ? No ; we have strength and time to glorify God : Eom. vi. 13, * Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin ; but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.'
So for interests, honour, and power, and wealth. Is this given us to set up for ourselves ? No, but to be factors and agents for God, to glorify liim here in the world : 1 Tim. vi. 17, 18, ' Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy ; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate.' Every man should be what he is for God,
So for providences. Take the comfortable part of them, not afflic- tions, but deliverances. Afflictions are sent because we deny God big right : Hosea ii. 8, 9, 'For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal ; therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool, and my flax given to cover her nakedness.' But for deliverances, why are we delivered, and enjoy so much of comfort, peace, and ease from trouble, to satisfy our lusts or to glorify God ? They are branded as a wicked people that said, ' We are delivered to do all' these abomina- tions,' Jer. vii, 10. Because they were free and out of danger, there- fore they might harden themselves in sin, and live in a forgetfulness of God.
So for ordinances and means of grace, which are advantages and opportunities put into our hands of being more good ourselves, and doing more good to others : Prov. xvii, 16, ' Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it ? ' That is, why is the opportunity given, when men have no heart to solid wisdom ?
So for grace itself. The very nature of it showeth it is a trust : Luke xvi. 11, 'If you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, •who will commit to your trust the true riches ? ' To be trusted with an estate is not so great a trust as to be trusted with grace. This is a gift more precious, and should not lie idle. God trusts ordinary men with an estate, but his people with grace. When we suspect a vessel is leaky, we fill it with water before we fill it with wine. God expect- eth more honour from new creatures than he doth from all the world besides, and that they should do more good in their places. This is the most precious gift, yet given in order to some other thing ; it is made for God, that we should glorify him, and be capable of enjoying him to all eternity.