Almighty we shall be found faithfull in our places and shall haue the fruit thereof an eternall blessing as our Sauiour doth teach saying Mat. 24.45 46. Who is a faithfull Steward and wise whom the Master shall make ruler ouer his household to giue them their portion of meate in season Luk. 12.42 43 44. Blessed is that seruant whom his Master when hee commeth shall find so doing Of a truth say vnto you that he will make him ruler ouer all that he hath that is hee will make him an heire of eternall life Hee shall inherit the Kingdome prepared from the beginning of the world Math. 25.34 Hee shall walke with the Lord in white garments that is hee shall be glorified Reu. 3. and haue life euerlasting and the glorious company of Christ He shall be in Abrahams bosome as Lazarus was Luke 16. and eate of the tree of Life in the middest of the heauenly Paradise of God Reu. 2.7 Hee shall haue the Crowne of glory Hee shall be a pillar in the Temple of God that is hee shall be firme and stable in glory as a pillar irremoueable c. Eye hath not seene Reu. 3.12 neither eare heard neither euer did enter into the heart of man what good things the Lord hath prepared for them that loue him and serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of their life Illud verum et summum gaudium est saith Bernard in a Sermon that is the true and greatest ioy and therefore as it were rauished with a great loue thereof cryed out O beata regio Paradist ó beata regio deliciarum O blessed region of Paradise O blessed region of delights And therefore hee exhorteth vs to bee out of loue with this world whiles we bee heere and to hasten thither saying thus Festinemus ad locum tutiorem ad agrum vberiorem ad pastum saniorem vt habitemus sinè metu abundemus sinè defectu epulemur sinè fastidio that is to say Let vs hasten to a more safe place to a more fertile ground to a more sound feeding where wee may inhabit without feare abound without defect banquet without disdaine Here is the hauen the blessed port of rest and the liberall portion of the good and faithfull Steward But the slothfull wastfull cruell and vnfaithfull Steward shall be cut off or cut into pieces and haue his portion with hypocrites there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth Math. 24.51 Wherefore seeing that we all rather desire to be reputed yea be indeed good Stewards then bad to enioy a good place and portion rather then a bad let vs depart out of the Kingdome of sinne and Satan and come to the Kingdome of light let vs shew and approue our selues good Stewards keeping our Farme places the world the body and the soule well and let vs not get our goods in the first mannor house the world wrongfully nor put our trust in them idolatrously nor keepe them to our selues basely nor spend them wastfully and vngodly but lay them out for the maintenance of the Gospell and helpe of the poore indigent members of Christ Iesus liberally Againe let vs looke to our second Farme place and mannor house our bodie that it be cleane and fit for the chiefe Lord and Master of all and his Sonne Iesus Christ and the holy Ghost to come into Let vs diligently watch the ports and gates of the same our Hearing Seeing Talking Tasting and Touching that nothing goe in nor come out that may defile the body Lastly let vs haue an especiall care of our principall part the soule the last mannor house Let repentance sweepe it cleane from impure thoughts and wicked cogitations let a good conscience be his bedding let faith be euer looking to Christ Iesus and cleansing and let the graces and vertues of the holy Ghost be the ornaments of his lodging And in all things and in all our places and charges let vs proue our selues good wise and faithfull Stewards that it may be said vnto vs to euery one of vs It is well done good seruant thou hast beene faithfull in little I will make thee Ruler ouer much enter in into thy Masters ioy This approbation and allowance of our Stewardship and vnspeakeable reward giue and grant vs O heauenly Father not for our worthinesse for we haue no merits but for thy mercies and graces in Iesus Christ Amen The end of the first Sermon THE SECOND SERMON And the same was accused AS all men are Stewards vnder God what good Talents gifts so euer they haue they receiue frō him the fountaine of all graces Euen so they ought to occupy imploy the same according to the good pleasure of him the Collator and Donator as it is plaine in the Parable of the Talents Math 25. And as S. Peter teacheth 1. Epist 4. saying As euery one hath receiued the gift euen so minister the same as good Stewards of the manifold graces of God Whosoeuer doth this is commended and rewarded of his high Lord and Master with these words of grace to his comfort O well done thou good faithfull Seruant thou hast been faithfull ouer few things I will make thee Ruler ouer many things enter thou into the ioy of thy Lord Mat. 25.21 But if a seruant haue much cōcredited vnto him if it be but of an earthly Master and imploy it ill spend it wastfully eating and drinking with the Drunkards participating with the Adulterers and intreating his fellow-seruants hardly and yet thinketh that his euill carriage and outragiousnesse shall not be knowne but that he shall escape with impunitie O how this man deceiueth himselfe For the fellow-seruants will relate the treacheries bad vsages and cruelties of their fellowes to their Lord. As those seruants did which saw their fellow-seruant so cruelly handled Math. 18. And heere the bad Steward is accused to his Lord. Now if wee see by dayly experiences that bad Stewards to earthly Masters escape not alwayes free with their false dealings and other euill behauiours but one or other will espy them and disclose them and giue their Master intelligence and then he reckoneth and accounteth with them and displaceth them then we may much more assure our selues that no cloud of darknes no maske nor veile can be cast before the Lords eyes Psal 79.9 For hee that planted the eare shall be not heare Or he that made the eye shall hee not see God knoweth noteth seeth ouerseeth al things yea the very secrets of the heart and yet if he were not so quicke of capacitie of hearing and seeing Yet there are many tell-tales and pick-thankes in the Familie which relate all our misdemeanours and accuse vs vnto him as in my Text the false Steward is said to be accused And here beginneth a lamentable discourse a Tragicall Relation of the miserable estate of a bad Steward laid down in my Text in these points First He is defamed or
commaunded the cruell seruant himselfe his wife and children and all that hee had to be sold Math. 18. inflicting the punishment not onely vpon himselfe but also vpon his wife and children Therefore let men be not vniust and cruell but true and mercifull for as the holy father hath August Sola misericordia est comes defunctorum Onely mercy accompanieth the dead That a man shall carry away with him and God in his mercy will reward mercy Fourthly men play the bad Stewards when they receiue the Lords goods and lay them not out according to his will but spend them vnlawfully wilfully and wastfully for which they are culpable and accusable as this bad Steward was The idolatrous person layeth out his riches vpon superstitious workes as Ahab and Iezabel The quarrelsome man layeth out his goods vpon vnnecessary suites of law hindering himselfe and his neighbours as the Corinthians did The vncleane person in chambering and wantonnesse as Sardanapalus and Absalon liuing altogether in carnalitie The Epicure and belly God in faring deliciously euery day as the rich Glutton Gamâ—ters in gaming as Octauius Augustus To conclude euery one which layeth out his goods in idle superfluous and vngodly courses of life playeth the parts of an vnthrifty and vnfaithfull seruant as the prodigall sonne And if a Preacher Magistrate or other Officer rebuke any of these for their vnfaithfull dealing and prodigall swaggering they will say What haue they to doe with vs we wast and spend but our owne money and goods building vpon a base ground for no man is Lord and proper owner of his wealth but onely a Steward for a time to the high Lord of all And as a great mans Bayliffe and Steward on earth ought to lay out the goods of his Master as he commandeth and must render an account how he doth it euen so must euery man being made a Steward in this farme the world employ the talents and gifts which he receiueth as the Lord of Lords the high Master of all commandeth and shall render an account as hereafter followeth The second Farme or Mannor-house wherein man a Steward vnder this rich man God is to be employed and which he ought carefully to looke vnto is his owne body the goods whereof as health power and strength are to be employed to the honour of God to supply our owne necessary occasions 1. Cor. 6. and to helpe our neighbour in all godly and honest affaires This Farme ought to be well and cleanly kept that it may be a fit dwelling Place and Temple of the holy Ghost for if wee will adorne our houses decke them sweepe them and euery way as much as in vs lyeth make them hansome and commodious for a great earthly person much more should wee haue a care to preserue from pollution and keepe cleane our owne bodies because they are the houses of the holy Ghost and further to giue our members instruments of righteousnesse vnto God Rom. 6.13 and to offer vp our bodies a quicke sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God Rom. 12.1 This Farme a good Steward should carefully looke vnto lest death should enter through the ports and gates thereof to the soule and worke the destruction thereof which ports and gates I will set open vnto you making as much haste as the Porter doth when his Master waiteth for him at the gate The ports and gates of the body are these fiue Hearing Seeing Talking Tasting and Touching Which gates should be heedfully watched that nothing goe in or out but that which pleaseth the Lord for as a great earthly man hath a Porter to keepe his gates that no lewd filthy nor contagious person should enter in to pollute his house or infect his people and so procure danger or death vnto theÌ„ or otherwise disorder himselfe Euen so euery Christian man should looke to the gates and doores of his body lest sinne enter in by them and death follow to the subuersion of body and soule The first port and gate of the body is the care the proper organ and instrument of hearing it is the mouth of the soule which giues it nourishment and sendeth downe foode into it and which makes it liuely and fructifie in all the rest of mans members Mans eares should be open to heare good things Reuel 2. Math. 13. as the Word as our Sauiour would haue vs and the Prophet Esay verse 3. exhorteth vs so to doe shewing the vtilitie thereof saying Incline your cares and draw neere Heare and your soule shall liue This word is the sincere milke whereby our soules are nourished and receiue their spirituall growths it is a lanterne to carry light 1. Pet. 2.2 and to direct it is a medicine to heale a guide to conduct a bit to restraine a sword to defend water to wash fire to inflame salt to season wine to reioyce raine to refresh a treasure to inrich a key to vnlocke heauen gates vnto vs and by the merits of Christ Iesus to let vs into an inheritance immortall and vndefiled and that fadeth not away Now beloued seeing that mans eares are the instruments vessels to receiue this Word let vs study to keepe them cleane and open to receiue the Word 1. Cor. 15. Moenan but shut this gate against al blasphemous speeches slanderous and filthy talking for euill words corrupt good manners The second port of the body is the eye which must not let in bad sights it must not couetously looke on his neighbours goods lands or liuings 1. King 21. as Ahab did on poore Naboths vineyard nor wantonly looke on his neighbours wife as Dauid did vpon the wife of Vrie 2. Sam. 11. This caused Iesus the sonne of Sirach in his ninth chapter verse eight to say Turne away thy eyes from a beautifull woman looke not vpon others beauty for many haue perished by the beauty of women for through it loue is kindled as a fire What harmes enter in by this gate it may appeare by the example of Putiphar his Lady and wife Gen. 39. who steadily beholding the beauty of Ioseph after many dayes at the last said Come lye with mee Let vs therefore take heed of wanton looking sinfull lusting and vngodly committing of sinne and wickednesse The third port and gate which letteth in sinne and death to the soule is talking out of the mouth executed by the tongue This should not be filthy nor foolish Ephes 5.4 Col. 3 8. Ephes 4.29 but good to edifie withall that it may minister grace to the hearers The tongue is the best member that a man hath if it be in tune in good order but the worst member if it is out of order And therefore Anacharsis being demanded what was the best member of a man and what the worst The people looking for a double answere vnto a double question He spake in one word and said The tongue for the former reasons Therefore the Poet said Est vitae pariter
to the truth as thou shalt finde it and perswade thy selfe that this is written howsoeuer it may crosse thy humours in taking thy fleshly pleasures yet for thy learning and to doe thee good and to set thee in the way to Heauen in the which way God speed thee with faithfulnesse and constancie to the end and then thou shalt be sure of thy wished desire a crowne of incorruptible glory Which God of his infinite goodnesse and mercy grant mee and thee and the whole Church quickly Amen THE STEVVARDS LAST ACCOVNT The first Sermon LVK. 16.1 2. 1. There was a certaine rich man which had a Steward and he was accused vnto him that he wasted his goods 2. And he called him and said vnto him How is it that I beare this of thee Giue an accounts of thy stewardship for thou maist be no longer Steward THese two verses and the other following vnto the ninth verse according to the plaine literall and verball sense and meaning containe a parable spoken by our Sauiour Christ vnto his Disciples concerning a certaine rich man which had a Steward that dealt falsely with him iniuriously scraped and raked together great store of worldly riches and all that he could get from his Master by hooke and by crooke by any meanes were they neuer so vngodly vniust and wrongfull that hee ill imployed and wastfully spent in pleasures and sinfull courses of life Of which fraudulent dealing and wasting his goods as soone as his Master had intelligence hee called him and reprehended him saying How commeth it to passe that I heare this of thee And presently calleth him to account and putteth him out of his Office Which thing when the Steward perceiued he knowing hee could not frame himselfe to painefull labours as to digge and delue because in former times he had liued idly and pleasantly but yet in reputation and therefore he was ashamed to begge for that as hee was perswaded would much abase him and make him contemptible then he resolueth himselfe of a third way which was priuily to call his Masters debters together and to abate the debts which they owed him and to one that owed his Master an hundred measures of Oyle he parteth at halfe and abates fifty And another that owed his Master an hundred measures of Wheate hee bids take his writing and write fourescore cutting large thongs of another mans leather thinking by these meanes to procure friends that afterward when he was put out of his Office might receiue him into their houses and maintaine him thus carefully prouiding for the time to come And the Lord not allowing falsehood and wrongfull dealing for he loueth righteousnesse but to shewe that worldly men are more carefull to obtaine earthly things and prouide for this world then the children of God are desirous of heauenly treasures that inrich them in the world to come for the children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light is said to commend the vniust Steward for dealing so wisely and so carefully prouiding for this world wishing a farre greater care to the children of light to prouide for the world to come Which thing we may see to be true by the fit application of the parable made by our Sauiour in the ninth verse saying thus And I say vnto you Make you friends with the riches of iniquitie that when yee shall want they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations To bee yet somewhat more plaine The true sense scope and purpose of the holy Ghost as it were by way of comparison and resoluing vpon the best is this The Steward of a certaine rich man is carefull what shall become of himselfe when hee is put from his Office much more therefore Christians who are Stewards vnto God in sundry gifts should be carefull what shall befall them when they shall depart out of this life and make their accounts vnto God for the same But as the worldly Steward purchaseth him friends with the Mammon of vnrighteousnes that may receiue and maintaine him when hee is remoued from his Office So should Christian folke with their goods gifts and talents concredited vnto them make the poore so beholding vnto them that they by their prayers made to God for them Verse 9. may receiue them into euerlasting habitations as in the ninth verse This briefely is the sum of this present Gospell Howbeit to the intent that it may minister more plentifull instruction to all Gods people I will by the assistance of Gods holy spirit intreate of these two points First the persons mentioned in the parable which are three First the rich man in these words There was a certaine rich man Secondly the Steward in these words which had a Steward Thirdly the accusers of the Steward in these words and he was accused c. The second point What the rich man did to his Steward when hee found him false and vniust in the second verse in these words And hee called him and said vnto him How is it that I heare this of thee Giue accounts of thy Stewardship for thou maiest bee no longer Steward In the first part I will shew vnto you who the rich man is who is the Steward and who are the accusers when I come to handle that point In the second part to wit what the Lord did to his Steward when he proued him vntrue is declared in foure points First hee called him in these words And hee called him Secondly he reprehended him saying How is it that I heare this of thee Thirdly he calleth him to account saying Come render account of thy Stewardship c. Fourthly he putteth him out of his Office For thou maiest be no longer Steward Of these in order and first of the rich man The rich man is God who is chiefe Emperour Lord King true owner and possessor of all good things temporall and spirituall earthly and heauenly For of earthly things Dauid Psalme 24. Psal 24.1 truly speaketh saying The earth is the Lords and all that therein is the world and they that dwell therein Againe Psal 50.10 11 12 verses he saith All the beasts of the forrest are mine and the beasts on a thousand mountaines I know all the fowles of the mountaines and the wilde beasts of the field are mine If I be hungry I will not tell thee for the world is mine and all that therein is This is most plainely proued in the 115. Psal verse 16. where the Psalmist saith The Heauens are the Lords and the earth which hee hath giuen to the sonnes of men Hee is rich also in spirituall and heauenly things and so euery way rich as Bernard 57. Sermon noteth Deus vndique diues diues misericordia magnifious in iustitia munificus in gratia that is to say God is rich euery way rich in mercy Ephes 2.4 Ephes 3.16 Iam. 2.5 1. Pet. 5.10 magnificent in iustice liberall in Grace Hee is rich in mercy rich in glory rich in wisedome
rich in grace for he is called the God of all grace All which graces and gifts he giueth vs in his Sonne Christ Iesus the most plentifull fountaine of all goodnesse in whom and by whom all these and many other good gifts ineffable are conferred vnto vs Chap. 1.16 as Iohn well proueth saying Of his fulnes haue all we receiued and grace for grace as if he should say grace vpon grace or graces heaped one vpon another The consideration of this doctrine should make vs in faith and full assurance to pray to this rich God and to none other for vnto whom should wee pray and of whom should wee craue for all good things but of him which hath all to giue and from whom euery good giuing and perfect gift commeth Iam. 1.17 Gen. 17.1 who is able to helpe in all extremities for hee is omnipotent is present with vs and neare vs as hee is vnto all that call vpon him faithfully And lastly he is willing to helpe and saue for hee would haue all to bee saued and to come to the knowledge of his truth 1. Tim. 2.4 And therefore our Sauiour Christ calleth all vnto him promising vnto all that come vnto him in repentance and faith refreshing Math. 11.28 Math. 28. He commands his Gospell to be freely preached vnto all and he biddeth all to his great Supper Luk. 14. O let vs in repentance and faith come vnto him and pray vnto him continually for he is the rich man here ment able to grant our requests Againe if all the good things we haue come from our rich God it should make vs most thankfully to acknowledge him to be the giuer and to returne all laude and praise to him from whom the benefit commeth for as all the waters come from the Sea and returne thither againe so all the benefits which we receiue come from God Iam. 1.17 and by our thankes-giuing should returne to him againe O let vs be thankefull and say with Dauid from our hearts and speake to our owne soules as he did Praise the Lord Psal 103.1 2 3 4 5. O my soule and all that is within mee praise his holy name Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits which forgiueth all thy sinne and healeth all thine infirmities which saueth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and louing kindnesse which satisfieth thy mouth with good things making thee young and lusty as an Eagle Let vs praise God our selues and exhort others to doe the like for it is good and godly so to doe And therefore the Prophet said 147. O praise the Lord for it is a good thing to sing praises vnto our God yea a ioyfull and pleasant thing it is to bee thankefull Thus much concerning the person meant by the rich man to wit God Now of his Steward The iudgement of ancient Writers concerning this Steward who he should be what should be his name haue been diuers euery man hauing a seuerall opinion and speaking as he thought quothomines tot capita tot sententiae Look how many men so many heads so many opinions which thing is to be deplored that so many learned men and famous in other matters should in this point bee so much deceiued Rom. 15.7 as to restrict this parcell of Scripture written for all our learning to one particular Man People or Nation it being also parabolically spoken Whereas it deepely concernes vs all and is to bee applyed particularly to euery seuerall man of vs. Some haue thought that Saint Paul was this Steward Act. 9.4 For he was a bad one vntill he was called of Iesus Christ and of this iudgement was Theophilus Bishop of Antiochia Some affirmed that the Iewes were this Steward and the Gentiles these Debtors Of this opinion was Tertullian lib. de fuga cap. 13. Gaudentius writing to Germinius supposeth that this Steward was the Diuell mis-implying all his gifts his wit and power to tempt men to their destruction Many others haue diuersly and strangely set downe their opinions which I thinke more fit to omit then to fill my paper with friuolous matters Let vs harken to them who come neerer to the scope of the place In this number I place Ambrose in his Commentaries Aug. in quaest Euang. Augustine in his Euangelicall questions Theophilact others who affirme that this Steward is all mankind further say that the word OIKONOMOS a Steward doth signifie not only Villicum a Bayly of Husbandry but one to whom all manner of goods and possessions in a Farme are concredited committed to tâ—â—â— to wit a generall Steward best expressed by the word dispensator which signifieth an Officer laying out money for an houshold vnder another man And therefore these reade the words following Render account of thy Stewardship for thou mayest be no longer Steward Thus Redde rationem dispensationis tuae non enim poteris amplius dispensare So then this Steward is all mankinde For euery man hath receiued of God the proper owner of all one good gift or another in trust which he ought to dispose and employ not as he listeth but as God the proper owner of al would haue him and must yeeld an account to him euen as the earthly Steward doth to his earthly Master For this cause euery man must needs be a Steward and a disposer of some good gift of God Kings then are Stewards to the highest of all acknowledge their aduancements to come froÌ„ the Lord and therefore in their stiles of Dignity vse these words by the grace of God Ministers are Stewards of the Lords House which is the Church and ought to breake the Bread of Life to their Flockes to preach the Word in season and out of season and must render an account 2. Tim. 4.7 All Magistrates are Stewards of the common house which is the weale publique and ought to consider that they are set ouer the people for the punishment of euill doers 1. Pet. 2.14 and for the praise of them that doe well Masters are Stewards of their owne Houshold and ought not onely to dispose all things in order but especially to make this resolution that they and their housholds will serue the Lord. Iosu 24.15 All men are Stewards of their owne bodies and of the priuy closet of their own conscience as Pontan hath There is none so mighty that is greater or so meane and base that is lesse then a Steward to the King of Kings to the Highest of all and what goods or goodnes he vseth hee hath receiued them all of the Father of Lights Iam. 1.17 1. Cor. 4.7 For what hast thou that thou hast not receiued He it is that deliuereth to his Seruants his Talents to some more and to some lesse Which doctrine confuteth the Pelagians Math. 2.5 and all such as ascribe all that they haue to their owne industry Whereas all that is good