counter-balance the grieviousness of his troubles Psal 69. ver 7 8 with ver 13. He could bear the reproach of enemies when he knew his prayer should be acceptable unto his God No Courtier despis'd by Rebels is so happy in his Prince's Favour and free access to his Prince's Person as such diligent and faithful Servants are in their access to and acceptance with their God You may guess at what I say by the resentment Cain of men one of the worst had of Gods refusing to accept him Gen. 4. ver 5. It cast him down and fill'd him with trouble No condition is uneasy to a soul that enjoys Gods Favour for it is better than life Psal 63. ver 3. and every condition is dark and doleful without his favour What is Hell but a place where hopeless Souls are under the inconceivable Tortures of an eternal rejection and separation from God What is Heaven but a glorious free full and eternal state of nearness to God and of favour with him This acceptance is the great blessing God hath promised to such as serve and love him Isa 56.7 It is the sum of all we obtain through Christ in whom we are accepted with God Eph. 1. ver 6. Matt. 25. ver 21 Well done good and faithful Servant is enough to make us blessed now enter thou into the joy of thy Master is fulness of the future blessedness In every state and at the coming of the Lord thus blessed is the good Servant 3. This Blessedness of the faithful and good Servant doth lie partly in the peace and tranquility of his mind perswaded that now sin is pardoned and his duties are accepted every condition shall at last give place to what is best and all shall work together for good to him though various troubles do tols him yet they like rowling waves carry the Ship toward the Harbour It is well with him because he knoweth the knife which lanceth him doth not make him a Sacrifice under avenging Justice And though he is corrected yet it is under the hand of a Father he is not destroyed by the hand of an Executioner He is satisfied that it is good for him that he hath been afflicted Psal 119. ver 67 71 75. When he suffers with others he seeth he needed it so all appears seasonable necessary and profitable to him 1 Pet. 1.6 We are in heaviness for a season if need be and for our profit Heb. 12. ver 10. It is blessed to be refined and God doth by his coming intend this Isa 48. ver 10 That he may chuse them before others Now this considered the faithful Servants of God do account their condition good for that it is always tending to and shall at last end in what is best for them It is on the increase towards full happiness 4. The faithful and good Servants happiness doth partly consist in that support which his Lord giveth to him under his burthens while he submits to the will of his Lord waits for him and doth his Duty he is supported by the presence of his Lord He sinketh not because the Lord upholdeth him Psal 94. ver 17 18. When Davids feet did well nigh slip the Lords mercy held him up It is an unutterable variety of helps that God affordeth to his faithful ones they are very secret unexpected strong and satisfactory many times beyond the belief of strangers and the hope of those who receive them Isa 43.2 In midst of Rivers and waters in midst of fire and flames if God promise to be with us we may account our condition good and safe for his presence shall save us from Rivers that they do not overflow us and from Fire that it kindle not on us Now thus safe and good is the condition of every faithful Servant of God he is pardoned accepted bettered and supported still The Angel of Gods presence is with him and saveth him Isa 63. ver 9. He is blessed whom God will save whom God will support It is sad to be left sinking under our burthens but to be supported under them is next to a blessed freedom from them or next to a life above them 5. However it may be death shall be the sad consequence of a faithful and diligent Servants sufferings with others yet he is in this case blessed too For he might die in peace and joy he doth at least die in safety and free from danger of suture evils It is possible a good Servant may die under fears but he doth not die under danger of condemnation Who walk in their integrity enter into their Rest Isa 57. ver 2. Though Death be an enemy it is last to a child of God Stewards and Servants though faithful and diligent yet they must die but after death there is no other enemy all is then safe to them they pass by Death to the enjoyment of the love of their Lord to be filled with that love which is inconceivable and possess that love which is eternal from which Nothing can ever separate them Rom. 8. ver 37 38. thus death is theirs 1 Cor. 3. ver 22. Now that is a blessed state indeed which is so full of safety How do dying men acknowledg this when Death brings no danger with it we are happy indeed This Balaam wish'd for though he never attained it The untrusty and slothful Servant is unhappy in his death because he dyeth under greatest danger he dyeth an evil and wicked Servant the good Servant dyeth as safe as he can wish and as happy as he can be made Which will appear in the Sixth thing wherein the blessed state of such doth consist They pass after death immediately into an inconceivable glory where their souls purifi'd from all sin and made perfectly holy enjoy a blessed though not a full consummated glory they are in the joys of their master they live in the sight of their glorifi'd redeemer triumph over sin and temptation assured of the future resurrection of their bodies without tediousness of a delay wait for it they possess their building of God their house not made with hands which is eternal in the heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 They are before the throne c. Rev. 7.14 Thus blessed in life in death after death are the faithful Servants of the Lord. And yet this is not all there is A seventh thing part of their blessedness which when their Lord cometh they shall enjoy that is the resurrection of their bodies in a glorious conformity to the glorifi'd body of their redeemer When the Lord of these Servants and Stewards we speak of shall come and awaken all out of their beds of dust His good Servants whose bodies were sown in dishonour shall receive their bodies raised in honour those bodies which were sown mortal and weak shall be raised immortal and in strength fit to be the eternal habitation of immortal souls and both soul and body united shall ever live in a most delightful regular and sinless harmony
it if glory honour immortality and eternal life can be a blessedness to us we are assured of this For every soul that doth good as God requireth whether Jew or Gentile Rom. 2.13 There is a crown of righteousness 2 Tim. 4.8 for St. Paul who had fought a good fight c. Yea but if it were limited to his person none could rejoyce herein with assurance for themselves or were it limited to his excellent qualifications and unparallel'd diligence few or none of us could argue our own right hereby therefore it is added not for me only but for all that love his appearing It is then unquestionable that when the Lord shall come by Death and particular Judgment to any of us and when he shall come in the general Judgment to us all every faithful and diligent Servant shall be blessed And the blessedness of that future state will as much make and keep every state here in our way to it good and happy as gains of thousands yearly will make and keep him rich who loseth some farthings or pence now and then Thus in general the common and ordinary Servants find their diligence and fidelity to be their happiness Stewards and Ministers of the grace of God find it much more their happiness to have been faithful and diligent So the Holy Ghost seems to speak for encouragement to the Angel of the Church of Smyrna Rev. 2.10 And 2 Cor. 4.1 Ministers of the Gospel are mentioned who did handle the word of God faithfully and commended themselves to the consciences of men vers 2. Who did preach not themselves but Christ vers 5. Who were troubled on every side vers 8. Of these it is said that light and momentary afflictions work for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory vers 17 18. The share Ministers shall have in answer to the diligence and faithfulness of their Labours shall be greater than the share of common or ordinary Christians at the coming of him who is Lord to them all When each Believer hath his Crown and all their joys are full then are those Believers an accession to the glory and joy of their faithful diligent Ministers who labour'd for their Conversion and helped forward their final and eternal salvation 1 Thes 2.19 20. And once for all that of Dan. 12.3 Who turn many to righteousness shall shine as the brightness of the firmament c. Each faithful Minister shall have his Aureola golden Ornament added to his Crown though all the faithful Servants of the Lord shall be as the stars yet one star differeth from another the most bright and glorious will be those who were on earth the stars that Christ held in his right hand Rev. 2.1 These Scriptures with others which might be added do confirm the blessed future state of faithful and diligent Servants and Stewards who in the Lords family attend to their work and serve the Lord by their affording what help they can to all and in proportion to their trust and fidelity shall be their happiness at Death and Judgment And in the mean time in what ever way of corrections or judgments the Lord may come to others and to them while they are among others and are liable to troubles yet they shall be found blessed in publick troubles blessed in private troubles blessed under personal trials at death more in the resurrection most blessed happy and in good state in all these cases Now wherein this blessedness consisteth is the fourth proposed head of our discourse to which your attention is now desired that you may be throughly affected with this undoubted truth and be brought to a greater resolution for fidelity and diligence according to your Talents and may at last have a larger measure of this present and that future blessedness which I thus range before you 4. Gen. What the blessedness of faithful Servants 1. The faithful and wise Servant of the Lord is blessed in the pardon of his sins and culpable blemishes which intermix with his services He that will be so wise for and faithful to his fellow Servants as to perswade direct encourage and help them to serve the Lord cannot be suppos'd will not be wise for himself or unfaithful to himself or neglect to sue out a Pardon for his known and unknown infirmities The good man Nehemiah cap. 13.22 sought this pardoning Grace from the greatness of Gods mercy when he reflected upon the great services he had done for God and his Church David the man after Gods own heart joins this suit for Pardon to his requests for guiding in the ways of God to which he was fully addicted Psal 25.4 5 6. and in midst of troubles he sueth for the same mercy Psal 25. ver 15.16 17 18. When his feet were in the net v. 15. when desolate v. 16. when troubles were enlarged into distresses v. 17. Then he pray'd that God would forgive all his sin So the returning Church Hos 14. ver 2 prays and God promiseth he will do it ver 4. And so Micah 7. ver 18.19 Now this maketh any condition good and safe The man whose transgression is forgiven Psal 32. ver 1 is in every place and in every condition a safe and happy man God who pitieth infirmities pardoneth them where he finds sincerity in his Servants He that faithfully warns another and calls on him to repent and seek his Pardon he that faithfully endeavours to engage others to do their Duty and seek for mercy is a man whom God hath affected so as to ensure the blessedness for himself which he perswades others to look after Parents Husbands Wives Friends and Ministers who heartily desire and labour to get others into the service of God on terms and encouragements sufficient to prevail with them are indeed the persons whom we must in charity believe are pardoned I should think he were pardoned who commended the Grace of his Prince who perswaded to all due Allegiance for future and urged his fellow Subject to sue for Pardon of what had been ill and undutifully done already It is certain the faithful are forgiven and blessed therein though perhaps they have not sense of it or we evidences to prove it of them Now no condition can come on such a man to render him miserable or in evil state 2. The blessedness of such faithful and diligent ones does lie in that gracious acceptance which God doth afford to them for all their sincere and willing obedience though imperfect in it self unsuccessful to others and altogether unprofitable to God It is a blessed thing to be accepted with God this is Heaven upon Earth this is Heaven after we leave Earth The Lord rejecteth none that he hath fitted for and who are faithful in his charge This was a blessing that David intreated of the Lord Psal 19.14 Let the meditations of my heart and the words of my mouth be acceptable in thy sight c. This gracious acceptance did in Davids troubles
necessary we stay until his last coming wherein you will I hope and wherein I pray that you may meet the faithful and diligent Servants of God his Stewards wherein I perswade my self you will meet this faithful servant of Christ whom you now lament but shall then ever rejoyce with him Sirs I believe you will scarce doubt the truth I have preached I am sure you cannot with reason contradict it I hope you will not through slothful hearts lose the proposed blessedness which is last that it may be best to you I have now done with all the Doctrinal part and think I have spoken to as much as needed to be handled in it I proceed to the Uses of the Point which I shall confine to these two following 1. Information Hence we may learn 1. Use Information 1. That the care and business of Christians is as their priviledg very great Happiness in every condition and state is an exceeding great priviledg and to be faithful and diligent in the Lords Family according to our Talents and Relations is no light and easy care or work it requires much wisdom and much heedfulness I wish we were more apprehensive of both that our endeavour to be faithful might somewhat answer our hopes to be happy if you separate them now God will separate you from them hereafter when death shall cut you off from your opportunities and Judgment shall cut you off from your hopes Be holy and serve your Lord as ever you hope to be happy with your Lord. 2. Hence learn The first part of a faithful Servants and Stewards work is the more troublesome the last part is most sweet and satisfactory Sincerity and Diligence are sweetest at last The idle revelling Servant is most at ease when his Master is at farthest distance but the diligent and faithful Servant doth most rejoyce when his work is nearest an end his Master nearest coming and his reward nearest to his hand All that is difficult is at first somewhat harsh to our weakness but when difficulties are well nigh conquered it is greatest quiet and satisfaction to the diligent hand and willing mind Religion grows sweetest to us at last if we are sincere in it 3. Hence learn That best men though they shall be fully blessed at last yet that last shall not be but when the Lord pleaseth None have our times in their hands to prolong them or shorten them to their humors or passions Good Christians should live too little and serve God and the Church too little if bad men might measure out the time of their service such men would send them to their happiness sooner than would be convenient for those that neeed them And were our arrival in glory at the disposal of our friends and such as love us we should be kept longer from it than we would It is fit it should and 't is best that it be in God our gracious Soveraign and Lords hand to measure out the time of our Service and to fix the time of our reward which shall be when he cometh and he will come when he pleaseth and never to the loss of his faithful Servants 4. Hence learn To check the inordinate and excessive grief or impatience of Spirit under our losses in the death of our Relations A thousand disputing thoughts will start up in your breast which must not be allowed any debate It is the Lord who might have come sooner though we should possibly think he came too soon crush such like surmizes look rather to the known piety diligence faithfulness and labours of your deceased Christian Relations and consider to whom they lived Servants to whom they are passed with whom they now do and ever shall live Be followers of them as they were of Christ that in Gods time i. e. the best and sittest time you pass to them and be with your Lord and theirs in fulness of rewards and joys But Secondly By way of Exhortation 2. Use Exhortation Since the faithful and diligent Servant shall be blessed at his Lords coming be perswaded all whether Hearers or Readers especially you who have such examples and who have a more peculiar concern in the occasion of these lines Be perswaded to get such a temper of soul and lead such a course of life as may best become the Servants of such a Lord who will come and as may most comfort you when he cometh I will not prolixly direct how you may thus do nor farther move with argument I will suppose you willing already and desirous to hear how you may be blessed in your temper life and death 1. Wisdom is necessary the verse before my Text tells us as much therefore you must get wisdom from the Scriptures Read consider and remember them they are the rule our Lord hath left for direction of his whole Family The entrance into these giveth wisdom and this wisdom will attemper both heart and life that both may be holy and the end happy 2. Settle your resolutions to do all the known will of your Lord Let it be your motive why you do and your warrant when you have done the things that are proper to your places and callings An unresolved man will never be throughly faithful or diligent the full purpose of your heart must be to do all the good to all as you can which is the will of him who is good to all and whose tender mercies are over all his works 3. Whatever advantage you have on men whether it be advantage of Interest or Authority use it all for God and the good of their souls who in likelihood will hearken to you and be advised by you Perhaps you may thus save some Where you may forbid let not sin be committed unforbidden Where you may command let not good be omitted through want of your Command use the Power God gives you to engage others to serve God Abraham would command his House to keep the Covenant of the Lord so do you 4. Watch over your selves that you may watch over others and ere you pretend faithfulness to others and diligence and care to make them good be sure to be good your selves none can believe you are in earnest bent on the good of souls if you neglect your own First Do the good which your places require and then perswade others to mind their Duty in their places Masters Fathers and Teachers will do more hurt by bad examples than they can do good by best Counsels 5. Look frequently to the future blessedness under the conditions with which it is proposed to you and others in the Text Context and other places a frequent view of that blessedness will heighten your desires and hopes A frequent view of the conditions will awaken your care and provoke to diligence lest you should come short of your hopes and be disappointed of your best desires We are apt to forget our hopes therefore look often to that blessedness we are apt to