-to The Stewards Summons. comfort in the day of the Lord. Thus it muttbe with you, ye malt give an account And fo for the ftate of your bodies. The health thou haft had : how haft thou fpent thy ftrength and thy health ? Mark the fj,cech of the Wife man to the young man , Rejoyce ( faith he ) in the dales of thy youth ; as if he fhould fay': Do.if thou wilt, do ifthou dare, but know that all theft things thou mußcome to judgement. Now thou haft a great deal ofhealth, a great deal of ftrength, but haft thoubeen the better forGods.fervice ? halt thou imployed it for Gods glory orno? . Andlo for the members of thy body,thou muff give an account for thy insploy- ment of thofe inftruments. Thy tongue : every' idle word ¡faith aria.) that men (halldjieak,, theyfhallgive an account of, at theday ofjudgement. Iffor every idle word, what then for thy (wearing and curling, and lying ? what for the abun- dance offilthy obfcen , and rottencommunication that cometh out of thy mouth. Thou muff give an account for thy tongue. And fo for every member and for every fen( ; I cannot ftand upon particulars. Thoumutt give an account likewife for the gifts of thy mind, how thou haft imployed thy wifdome and learning, and experience, Vic. For all thy paffions : be that is angry with his brother unadvifedly, is in danger ofjudgement. Mat. 115 191. Forall the difpofitions, and inclinations ofthy heart, for out ofthe heart cometh thefts and murthers; and adulteries. In a word, whatfoever ability thou haft, whereby thou mightcft have been bene- ficial, and ferviceableto the Church and Common- wealth , thou mull give an ac: count of it in particular unto Gòd, he will call thee to a reckoning of every par- , cel.bÿ it felt. .The Mafter ( in the Gofpcl ) that gave the talents to his ter- vanes , he called them to an account for every talent he gave them : fo there muff he a particular enumeration to God of all thofe feveral abilities wherewith he bath fitted thee for his fcrvice , how thou haft ' behaved thy felf in matter of health, flrength, and time ; in thy fenfcs, in the members of thy body, how with.thy mind, how with the difpofitions of thy foul, how in all the gifts and endowments he bath intrufted thee with -, for the ferviceof the Church and Com- mon- wealth. Secondly, it is called a reckoning, becaufe-in'this reckoning, God will go by a' method , keep an order , filch an order-as-men do in reckoning with their ac- countants , every thing bath his dueplace : God will proceed to give every one in the:day of judgement his chic place and ye (hall find then, many fins that ye have accounted the.lighteft of all , will be the molt heavieft , and grievous at that day. Pfal, so. I will fit thyfins in order before thee, faith God in Pfal. go. He had reckoned than upconfvdedl). here, theft things thotihaft done, but; -I will fit them in order before thee, God will obfcrve fuch an order, as every thing (hall have its due place, its due héad. In the firft.place (hall be thatApoftacy, whereof actsAdamspofferityare guilty. This David faw, and therefore when' he judged himfelf, he jùdged himfelf as one born in fin. I war born in fn, andin fin bath my mother conceived. me, .. Imthe next placédhall be thatconeupifcence, that depravationof nature, from whence all a&ual fins proceed. This Saint Pattiknew, and therefore he bewaileth Rom. 7. it as'the original, and root of.afh djtier aêtual fins, Rom. 7. God will begin firft with the fins of the heart, becaufé thence cometh all the outward a&ions of the whole man. . Then all the outward a&ions. He will begin firft with thofe againft the firíc Table, Atheifine, :Infidelity, Prophanenefs, contempt of God, and his fervice, negleft of his glory, and the opportunities he bath given us. And when the Law and .the Gape! come together , he Will proceed more feverely, for the fins againft.ehe:.,Cofpel, than the Law. , That is the reàfon . that Mat, 16. Mat. 5'. ba, ofyour:places, a. Besaufe be will proceed by method and order. Pfal, 5r.
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