`Ihe Stevards Summons. I that made this hnprcl(ìon upon thy confcience by thy own guilt ? :. What wilt thou fay for thy felt? bathany one.accufed thee wrongfully ? hath any one wrote ¡ it by miffake ? No , all is done with thy own hand, and you cannot ,deny your own hand writing, when it is brought toyour face. Hach anyone had the keeping ofthis bookof thy confcience? haftthounotalwayes had it in thy ownPofieffìon r what canft thou alledge for thy felf? I know. (beloved) and it is true, that there are many other wayes wherebyun- godly then (hall be açcufed at the laic day : God himfclf (hall accule thee, and be a fwift witnefi againfl thee, theSaints !hall accufg thee, wicked men (hall accule thee, the Devils (hall accufe thee : but themain procceding,and that that (hall cleat Gods juftice, andflop the mouthes of all ungodly men, is this, that the accufation is by their ownhood- writing, their ovvnbook fhallaccufethem, that they have vvafted; their Lords goodsand mif-fpent them.' 4. Betaufe The fourth and laft thingvvherein thisproceeding at the lalt day, (hall be Iike a God will ex- reckoning is this : Thatthere fhall an accountbemade in meafure, and proportion eel of every to the traincommitted to men. TheMatter vvhen he-reckonethvvith fervant,he Rowh bong calleth him to account, not for fotne leffer fums, or for fome one or tvvo things, hall been but for all that he bath intrufted him vvith, and if one fervanthave more than ano- tmited with. ther, hisaccount ¡hall be greater than anothers, according to the greatnefs of that that is committed to him, fo Ihall thelargenefs ofhis reckoning be ; to whommach Luke tz, 4s H given, of them much isexpelled , and to vvhom little, little is expethed ; but of every one fomethingis expe&ed, becaufe everyone is a Steward. The reckoning,I I fay, it (hall beaccording to the differenceofgiftsandendovvments, vvherevvith vve are intrufted. When the Matter in the Gofpel,called his fervants toan account for the Talents, vve fee he that had ten Talents, madeaccount for ten, andhe that had five, for five, and he that had one, vvas called to an account but for one, every one for fomuch as hehad received. He that bath received bodily abilities of healchand ftrength, (hall account for that : He that hath had vvealth and an eftate in the vvorld, (hall make anaccount further for that. He that bathhad all there; and authority and place, wherein hehadpovver to do right, and to glorifie God amongft men, he mullmake an account for fo,much the more. Alas beloved, ifmenconfider, that the more wealth theyheap up, andthe more places of authority, and preferments they have in the world, their accounts thall be greater at thedayof the Lord, certainly it would make them more fober, and walk more humbly, and watchfully, it would make them fo much the more indu-i lirions, to improve their talents, to the bell advantageof their Lord, that intrufted them with them. So much for the opening of the point. I will conclude briefly with a few ufes of it. You fee (Beloved) not only that all are GodsStewards,but that all GodsSteward. (hall be brought to a reckoning, brought to it in this life, and in another. You fee why it is called a reckoning; whyGod will proceed withmen in this manner. Ì The fidt De then thall be for confutationofthofe Atheifts, that put far from them the fear of the dayofJudgement. Is it poffible that there fhould be a generation of the world, that fhould doub of the Judgement to come? Nay, (hall we go further and comenearer,not only in the world but in the Church, that there fhould be fuch as doubt of the time and day ? By that that is done daily, it appears that there be many at this day in the Church, that doubt of a Judgement day. Firft, do but try mens courfes. What fins do theymolt fear,andmolt avoid ? by that ye (hall know whatJudgement they fearand what they fear not.They fear only fuch fineas in the courfeof juftice, men andaheirlaws take hold of fuch as are on- ly a breach of the fecond Table. Menwill not be injdtious to men, left menpro- ceed in 'mans juftice againft them. But how cometh it to pats that there is fo little regardofGod ? ofreverence of his name? of felting up his worthip in their hou, fes, and in their hearts ? Certainly you donot think that God will be as exa& in his judgement, in matters that concern his own honour immediately, as any man will of t. For confutati- on. Atheifla inthe Church.
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