patimur so St. Gregory Few are the goods we enjoy few the evils we suffer in this life Ro. 8.18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us No compare them and there is no comparison joy is incomparably beyond whatever we can do or suffer so far that St. Paul cannot reach it with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mount Hyperbole upon Hyperbole and heap one exceeding upon another and still it comes short it is such a superexcessive 2 Co. 4.17 a far more exceeding weight of joy and glory Novarinus Pauca sunt omnia praesentis vitae si aeternis Patriae bonis comparentur We may have here some competent accommodations for our Pilgrimage but they are nothing to our immortal stock to the goods of our Countrey that treasure in heaven which faileth not What God is laying out upon us now is little to what he is laying up for us Quam magna multitudo dulcedinis tuae O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee Psa 31.19 I find two Trods most beaten by Expositors give me leave to make a step into them they are not out of our way Few things are either our Temporal or our Spiritual Talents both are few 1. Temporal Talents The fatness of the earth the lower springs the blessings of the left hand the good things of this life these are few little nothing The great Lords of the earth may take a view of their Estates in a Map where a Title is big enough to express a Town an Iota will serve a Lordship Or to give you the World in that proper language of the Prophet Take the Nations of it with all their additaments and advantages and they are but Stilla Situlae Isa 40.15 Momentum Staterae Pulvis exiguus A drop of a Bucket the small dust of the Balance a very little thing Luk. 16.10 In the Parable of the unjust Steward they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the least of all things Nothing is less than they or as the Prophet they are less than nothing and vanity Isa 40.17 Worldly enjoyments are positively little comparatively nothing nothing to the glory to be revealed nothing to the exceeding great reward Look what earth is compared with heaven such is the proportion of their stock and furniture The furniture of heaven is like it self great and glorious It is glorious in the skirts and suburbs what is it then in the heart and center There is a world of splendour and brightness in the floor and pavement what is there then in the walls and roof And the little earth is sutably provided The Inhabitants thereof are as Grashoppers nay Isa 40.22 they are but grass and all their goodliness as the flower of the field Vers 6. the wind passeth over it and it is gone Ps 103.16 and the place thereof shall know it no more The earth is little and all earthly comforts are few Thou hast been faithful in a few things Level thy thoughts then thou high-flying nothing Thou aspiring piece of vanity Thou whose mind can tread no ground but Mountains Thou hast made a shuffle in the World and got a good deal of creatures and now thou trustest in the abundance of thy riches Psal 52.7 and hast need of nothing Alas thou hast nothing thou miscountest thy goods a carnal eye like a multiplying Glass makes thy few things seem many whereas in truth hadst thou the rifling of both the Indies and the spoils of whatever is called creature couldst thou overlook as much wealth of thine own as the Sun doth and take the whole World into thine own hands all 's but little and thou that hast but little of that little but few of those few things hast little reason to look high And thou that art over-hot in pursuit of the things of this life let this give thee check set thee at a stand I pray you why so great pains for so little matters why so many troubles for so few things I may say to an immortal soul hunting after the transient toyes of the World as David did to Saul when he followed him with three thousand men 1 Sam. 24.14 After whom doth the King of Israel pursue after a flea O be ashamed then to act upon such disadvantages lose not the great the many things of heaven for the little the few things of earth Temporal Talents they are the first of these few things 2. Spiritual Talents they also are little they are few things compared with the numerous glories of the other life Grace is but Infant-glory and glory will be grace made perfect A Believer is a man of great incomes and receivings now in this life if you look at his spiritual stock and the riches of grace but these are little to his hopes and expectations his greatest riches are in reversion His main estate lies in his glorious Debenturs and the blissful increases of the life to come We are now the sons of God 1 Joh. 3.2 but it doth not yet appear what we shall be He is often with God now he shall then be with him alwayes his light now is but a dawning to the great day a glimpse of that eternal brightness His clearest apprehensions now are but praeludia gloriae the ante actings of his after-estate He sees now but through a Glass darkly then face to face 1 Cor. 13.12 he now knowes but in part he shall then know even as also he is known Spiritual Talents they are the second of the few things and shall close the second particular in the discharge or acquittance the Servant approved Thou hast been faithful over a few things I hasten to the third and last The Servant advanced I will make thee Ruler over many things Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. I and who but he Christ is the Fountain of honour Col. 1.19 It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell as of wisdom and knowledge of power and strength of grace and holiness so of Honour and Majesty He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 1.5 6 the Prince of the Kings of the earth and he makes Kings and Priests to God and the Father I it is I. I will make thee Ruler They are right Rulers that are of Gods making We know by sad experience what it is for men to make themselves Rulers we have had too many of them Pro. 28.2 For the transgression of a Land many are the Princes thereof They come honestly by their Power that have it by Commission from God We know who sayes elsewhere By me Kings Reign and here Ego constituam I will make thee Ruler I will make thee Salm. in Par. Tract 39. Qui fuit in meritum erit in praemium He that helped to be faithful honours him
therefore let these few things have fewer of our thoughts and let us set many thoughts many desires upon these many things If they be our treasure let them have our hearts Set your affections on things above Col. 3.2 all your affections the things above are enow for them all for they are many I will make thee Ruler over many things I am now come to the last clause of the Text which illustrates the Servant's Advance with a second expression to the same purpose Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Intra Enaâ—rat in Maâ— p. 223 est res arcana Gaudium est res jucunda Domini tui est res dignissima as Nicolaus de Gorran glosseth Enter that intimates it is secret Joy that tells us it is pleasant Of thy Lord that speaks it eminent Or if you please that we may contract here is Magnificentia Excellentia Gaudij The good servants joy illustrated by the magnificence and by the excellence of it 1. The magnificence Enter for so Salmeron and others make it an allusion to the Entrance of some Stately Structure some beautiful building graced with an Elegant coming in Your fairest houses commonly have some Porch to Preface to them In Parabol Tract 39. Intrat in Gaudium tanquam in cubiculum sayes he He enters into this joy as into some spacious and delightful room gilded and made shining above with the Vision of God below by the glory of the body within by peace of Conscience without by the Company and communion of just men made perfect And what do those multiplyed Gates of the New Jerusalem which shall not at all be shut Rev. 2â— 12 2â— but bear this inscription on their front in great and legible Letters Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. In loco praedict Modò intrat in nos gaudium sayes the fore-named Author quia parvum est in coelo intrabimus in gaudium quia nos parvi gaudium immensum Now joy enters into us because it is little but then we shall enter into joy because we are little to that joy which will be so immensely great Now with the Behemoth Job 40.23 in Job we can draw up Jordan into our mouths then like the Leviathan in David Ps 104 26 we shall play and take our pastime in the Ocean The soul may easily take in the little Rivulets of Sublunary pleasures but the joyes of Heaven like the great Deep will swallow him up He casts himself into this joy as Aristotle is said to have done into the River Euripus when he could not understand the mystery of the strange Flux and Reflux seven times a day Quoniam ego non capio te tu capies me since I cannot conceive thee thou shalt receive me I cannot take in thee and therefore take thou me Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. But this Ocean is too deep for us It will drown both mine and your thoughts to go any further Enough therefore of the first expression illustrating this Joy to us in the Magnificence of it Enter 2. Here is the Excellence of it The joy of thy Lord. It is no less and it can be no greater It is excellent upon a twofold account 1. The joy of thy Lord that is Quo ipse Dominus gaudet The same joy in the which thy Lord himself is One and the same joy for both Which certainly is the meaning of that promise Luke 22.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That you may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom The Saints shall have the same fare with their Saviour their joyes are all of a piece The joy of thy Lord. 2. The joy of thy Lord that is Quod per seipsum Dominus praestat That joy which God makes by himself by communication of the light of his own countenance and not by creatures This is that rich choice and overpowering joy the Psalmist celebrates Laetificabis eum in gaudio cum vultu tuo Thou hast or Thou shalt make him exceeding glad with the joy of thy countenance This is joy of the best for it is of God's own making Redemptor census August de Salutar doc c. 10. haereditas dignatur esse ipsa Divinitas sayes the Father Here God rejoyceth us by proxy there in person now he derives joy to us by creatures he will then make it himself The joy of thy Lord. It is observed when the Scripture would express some thing more than ordinary it intitles God to it So those Lapides praegrandes Ezek. 13.11 are called God's hail And that sound sleep which seized upon Saul and his Guard is said to be Sopor Domini 1 Sam. 26.12 a deep sleep from the Lord. And those lofty and tall Cedars of Lebanon are stiled The Trees of the Lord. Ps 104.16 God's Name heightens every thing this joy of the servant here is the joy of his Lord. The Lord makes all joy His presence is the complement and perfection of all things desirable When Ezekiel had made a large description of his Visionary Jerusalem in the last of his Prophecy he closeth all with this which indeed is all and after which nothing more can be said The Name of the City from that day shall be Jehovah Shammah the Lord is there Where the Lord is there is nothing wanting he is the height and top and excellency of every thing it is that in which this joy excells The joy of thy Lord. And now if any ask what this joy is he must never expect a satisfying answer in this life As one returned answer when he was asked what Death was Si Scirem mortuus essem If I knew I should be dead so may I say of those joyes of Heaven I shall know them when I am with them and I 'll tell you when I meet you there Till then as well may we think to grasp the spheres of Heaven within our arms as take in the joyes of Heaven with our apprehensions Speranza observes Script Select punct 144 P. 29â— l. B. give me leave to borrow the observation from him that St. Paul makes use of three large measures and yet none of them can hold out with this joy 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him The eye commands a great way can reach the Starres which Philo laughing at the folly of the Jews sayes are so high that a Mill-stone would be some years in falling from them to the earth And yet this eye comes short here The ear hath a larger command than the eye the eye sees only present objects the ear takes in things past recovers the lapse of time and represents them as in being Rome in her glory Saint Paul in the Pulpit Christ in the flesh Saint Augustine's three wishes And yet this ear is not open enough here The heart is larger than
Of all the Providences of God his ordinary ones are least observed and among them this of turning man to destruction Psal 90.5 and calling again for the return of the sons of men is as much slighted as any though none being of equal concern to it as standing betwixt both worlds and influencing upon our everlasting and unchangeable Beings Dies mortis natalis Aeterni the day of Death is the birth-day of Eternity And therefore it is that I have chosen to speak to you out of a Parable that I may take faster hold on your hearts and give the present occasion an advantage to gain upon your affections Parables having the knack of insinuating themselves into the memories and lodging truths in the minds of the Hearers They are like plain cut Seals that leave a fair impression behind them They are like Threds to string the Jewels of heavenly Truths that they may not drop off and be lost They are a great help to the practice of that Apostolical Exhortation We ought to give earnest heed to the things which we have heard Hebr. 2.1 lest at any time we should let them slip The Parable you may read at your leasure and save me the labour The purport of it is under the plain and familiar Discourse of a Lord going far from home intrusting his servants with money returning reckoning with them and remunerating of them to set before us in a most lively and apposite Representation our lives and concredited mercies our deaths and following judgments our sutable retributions and final rewards I shall not trouble my self nor you with a disquisition whether this be the same Parable with that of Luk. 19. or not St. Chrysostom in his 79. Homily upon St. Matthew's Gospel gives us many differences among the rest these two which may serve the turn They differ both in the weight of the Trust and in the number of the Trustees In the weight of the Trust there a pound here a Talent which is one hundred twenty and five pounds In the number of the Trustees there ten here but three But I shall leave such discussions to them that have leasure enough and to spare Nor shall I meddle with the Allegory which does but spend time and sport with the Text. The plain English of the Parable is this The man travelling into a far Countrey ver 14. is the Son of Man the Lord Jesus Christ leaving the Earth Eph 4.10 and ascending far above all Heavens Psa 72.11 His servants ver 14. are the Inhabitants of the World men of all degrees and conditions Li. 2. ad simpl qu. 1 Pelarg. Quaest Evang 〈◊〉 238. All Kings shall fall down before him all Nations shall serve him The Goods given are called Talents ver 15. which are according to St. Augustine Munus aliquod divinum some divine kind of charge or employment Gratia sine merito Li. 2. de vnc Gent. cap. 8. in St Prosper's sense Grace and the gift by grace something freely derived to us to which no worth of ours could intitle us nor merit lay claim Quaelibet Dei dona In Regul brev Inter. 253. if you 'll have it from St. Basil Any the Gifts of God All the Goods we hold of him Goods of Nature Wit Memory Understanding Goods of Fortune give leave to the expression Honors Houses Riches Possessions Inheritance Goods of Grace Eph 1.3 spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Word Worship Sanctuary seasons of grace the dayes of the Son of man These all these and whatever is dispensed and concredited to us by the Lord are our Talents The diversity of these Gifts To one five To another two And to another one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to every ones capacity or ability De vita Christi P. ◠cap. 49. ◠3. is Ne quem gravaret ne cuiquam deficeret sayes Ludolphus That none might have more than he could manage or less than he could imploy Or else Salm. in Par. Tract 39. n. 7. Ob pulchritudinem Ecclesiae quae ex variis gradibus resultat For the beauty of the Church which is a Symmetry or elegancy of proportion a comely Result of several parts each contributing his share to the whole The Trading with the Talents or the committing them to the Nummularii vers 16.27 is the expending and laying out of all receivings of all our betrusted and concredited mercies thriving by them and gathering in the use of them as if we were driving on a Trade for Heaven and immortality The long time after which the Lord cometh and reckoneth with his servants vers 19. is in general all the dayes of the Son of man the Time of his forbearance and long-suffering with the World from the day of his departure till the day of his last appearance when he shall come again in power and great glory Vers 31 and all his holy Angels with him In particular The dayes of Man of every man the time of natural life Dies Peregrinationis as Jacob calls them Gen. 47.9 the dayes of the years of our Pilgrimage Eccles 12.6 7. the space of our abode on this side the Grave till the silver Cord be loosed and the golden Bowl be broken and Dust return to Earth as it was Then He reckons reckons righteously reckons indispensibly with every soul and then he will bespeak every faithful servant in the language of the Text. His Lord said unto him Well done Thou good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. So that the Text as you may see by this time is the Soul's Audit for another world Wherein is observable 1. The Auditor His Lord. 2. The Accomptant Him His Lord said unto him 3. The Acquittance or discharge which is made 1. By Applauding him Well done good and faithful servant 2. By Approving him Thou hast been faithful over a few things 3. By advancing him I will make thee Ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. The Particulars are many and the Time short I must post through them please to let your Attentions keep pace with me and I hope I shall not tire them The Auditor He 's first Col. 1.15.17 and well he deserves it it is his place He 's the first-born of every creature He is before all things and by him all things consist His Lord. Lord. That 's the Auditor's Greatness His Lord. There 's the Accomptant's Happiness Tolle meum Tolle Deum better for him there was no Lord than not be his His Lord. It will be the work of this Lord in the great day of his appearance all judgment being committed to him to summon the dead small and great Rev. 20.12 13. to stand before him to call to the Sea to give up her Dead and Death and Hell to deliver up the Dead which are in
for his faithfulness He rewards his own works and crowns his own gifts Thus is grace the first and the last the beginning and the end the Author and finisher of our faith and salvation Thus is life eternal not so properly Merces operantis as munus largientis It is not wages Rom. 6.1 but largesse The gift of God is eternal life Satan once asked it of Job Job 1.9 and we may ask it of every one Doth any man fear God for nought Psal 119.122 Rev. 22.12 He will be surety for his servants for good in the phrase of the Psalmist His Reward is with him and they shall not be without it their former Truth shall be overplus d with future trust Thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things Ruler 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will set thee above and appoint thee over I will set thee on high because thou hast known my Name I will make thee Ruler Psa 91.14 When the Saints rise they shall Rule Mat. 19.28 Dan. 7.18 In the Regeneration they shall sit upon thrones The Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom and possesse the Kingdom for ever Luk. 12.32 even for ever and ever It is their Father's good pleasure to give them the Kingdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle commends it A Kingdom that cannot be moved Heb. 12.28 That violent and tempestuous men cannot tosse and roll hither and thither as the winds do the Sea which is the import of the word I shall not discourse the manner of their Rule it can only discover it self Only thus You must not look on it as an Univocal Rule wherein Kings and Subjects perform mutual protection and obedience each to other after the manner of Earthly Kingdoms But it shall be a Rule aequivocal an Exaltation or setting up on high As the Sun is a kind of Monarch in the World and Rules the day Mat. 13.43 so shall the Righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Let me make use of this Expression to perswade to a double duty and I 'll ha' done with it You that shall be Rulers hereafter I pray you 1. Be Rulers here over your lusts I mean Let not sin Rule over you Rom. 6.12 let it not reign in your mortal bodies that you should obey it in the lusts thereof Be not sin-troden you that shall tread the Moon under your feet Pro. 26.1 Honour is not seemly for a fool It is an unseemly sight to see foolish lusts as the Apostle calls them set up for themselves and exercise supreme authority in the soul Enter then upon command take the sword into your hand call for your corruptions Luk. 19.7 Those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me Fortior est qui se quà m qui fortissima vincit maenia It is the greatest command in the world and that which the greatest Commanders seldome attain to to command corruption and be Governour within He that can Lord it over his own lusts hath a great Empire Turn all your ambitions after this conquest This is a command worthy of you Thus Rule now you that shall one day be made Rulers I will make thee Ruler 2. Be Ruled here you that shall one day Rule Submit to the Scepter obey the Commands conform to the Laws and Edicts of Jesus Christ Gal. 4.1 The Heir whilst a child differeth nothing from a servant but is under Tutors and Governors You are Heirs but as yet must be under government This life is the time of the Saints Minority and Pupillage they are yet in their Childhood and must be in subjection till the time appointed of the Father Subject your selves then to the King of glory Psa 110.3 be A willing people in this day of his power Be subject to your Lord 1 Pet. 2.13 14. and to every Ordinance of men for the Lord's sake to the King as supreme and to Governors as unto them that are sent by him We have a company of unruly spirits amongst us of late that will needs be Ruling before the time a number of sick-brain'd Sectaries people that have neither wit to rule nor will to be ruled And if such Brambles could get to be Kings nothing could be expected from them but fire to devour the Cedars of Lebanon Judg. 9.15 But those that will rule must first learn to be subject be faithful in your few things first and then your Lord will advance you then I will make thee ruler over many things Which is the next particular I now come to The extent of this Rule Over many things I will make thee Ruler over many things Many things Salmer in Parab Tract 39. Super multa that is super omnia minus dicit majus significat He means more than he speaks Other Lords say more than they intend Ostentant dum ostendunt All these will I give thee Mat. 4.9 sayes Satan when he could not make good the least of them It is the goodness of God that he will be better than we can believe him he will give us more than he tells us of words cannot express what he will do for us I will make thee Ruler over many things Many things many more than I can now meddle withal my time is short So many that if I had all time even till time shall be no more and the tongue of an Angel to boot I could not tell them they would still be too many for my undertakings Only for a Scantling I may say to you as God did to Abraham when he would give him a ghess at his infinite posterity Gen. 15.5 Suspice Coelum Look now towards Heaven and tell the Starres if thou be able to number them So more than so many more than so shall thy many things be Oh the happy difference betwixt this and that other life here we have but few there many things Here we have Racemos only some gleanings of comforts which lie scattered up and down in creatures there we have Vindemiam the whole Vintage those lovely clusters of joy and peace the reaping whereof shall be the delightful and unwearied employment of the Saints to all eternity Psa 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee It is have in Heaven and desire on earth On Earth we are all wants in Heaven we shall be all possession Here our souls are craving and thirsty there they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house Psal 36.8 and thou shalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleasures Here is desiderium quietis there quies desiderij here desire of rest there rest of desire In short Acquiri possunt aestimari non possunt They may be obtained they cannot be told and