Use. Let us improve our trust, and rouse up ourselves, and say, What honour hath God by my wealth, power, honour, greatness ? what protection to his cause ? what relief to his people ? To this end consider —
1. What is your business in the world. Our Lord Jesus said, ' To this end I was born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth,' John xviii. 37. Every one is sent into the world for some end, for God would not make a creature in vain. For what end did you come into the world, but to glorify God in your place and calling ? What part in the world would God have me to act ? Most men are ready to go out of the world before they ask for what purpose they came hither.
2. Every one is trading for somebody, either for God, or for the devil and the flesh ; either regarding his master's glory, or his own carnal satis- faction : Kom viii. 5, * They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh ; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.'
3. Consider how much you are entrusted with. Look within you, without you, round about you, and see how much you have to account for. For natural advantages, time, wealth, honour, estate : Neh. i. 11, ' Prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man ; for I was the king's cup-bearer.' For ordin- ances : Mat. xi. 23, ' And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be brought down to hell ; for if the mighty works which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained till this day.* Where the gospel is most clearly preached, that place and
372 SERMONS UPON LUKE XII. 4S.
people is most clearly exalted and made nearest to heaven ; but yet if these be not improved, they bring you into the deeper state of con- demnation. Persons honoured and favoured by God with spiritual advantages, shall be brought as low as they were formerly advanced. Yea, for grace itself. You are to be accountable, not only for corn and wine and oil, but for the saving gifts of the Spirit. Tt irepicra-ov, ' What do ye more than others ? ' Mat. v. 47. You are always to glorify his name, admire his grace, and live answerably to his love, and bring him into request among all about you.
4. Talents are increased the more they are employed, and we double our gifts by the faithful use of them ; as the widow's oil increased in the spending, and the loaves in Christ's miracle were multiplied in being divided, and the right arm, l)y being much used, is bigger and fuller of spirits than the left. Grace groweth by exercise, but decayeth by disuse. Gifts, if they be not employed, are lost. How many poor withered christians are we acquainted with that are blasted, and have suffered a shrewd loss, by slacking their zeal, and want of diligent exercise ! ' Whosoever hath, to him shall be given ; and whoso- ever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have,' Luke viii. 18. To have is to use or employ our present stock.
5. We must give an account to God. We must not think that when God hath given or committed anything to us, he will not look after it any more. No; he will call us to an account what honour he hath by us, as magistrates, ministers, or masters of families. Beasts are not called to an account, for they have no reason and conscience ; but man is. God will ask, What you have done with your time, strength, and estate ? An ambassador that is sent abroad to serve his king and country, if he could return no other account of his negotiation but that he had spent so much of his time in visiting the court ladies, and so much again in play, in cards, or dice, that he could not mind the employment he was sent about, would this satisfy the king that sent him? Or if a factor that is sent to a mart or fair should say that he stayed so long guzzling at the next alehouse, that the time was over ere he could part with his companions, and riotously wasted the money that he was to employ in traffic : these are odd things as they are represented to your imagination. Now consider how little better answer you can make to God, when he shall require and ask his own of you.
6. Consider what a sad thing it is to have gifts only to leave us without excuse. As the gentiles had the light of nature : ' God left not himself afidpTvpov, without witness among them,' Acts xiv. 17. But what was the issue ? * The invisible things of him from the crea- tion of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead ; so that they are without excuse,' Rom. i. 20. God is not aixdprvpo^, without a witness, and they are dva-iroXo'^/riToi without excuse ; they have not the excuse of 'faultless ones. To others the word is preached ek fxdprvptov, for a witness to them : Mat. xxiv. 14, ' The gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness to all nations.' But°it is, Mark xiii. 9, ' For a testimony against them.' And the Lord would have Ezekiel preach, ' That they might know that a prophet