t 6 `Ihe Stewards Summons. thatcome and fee himthere, becaufe he knows he is but a Prifoner, andhe (hall' be brought out at the Affixes, and then he (hall be righted. The world is the commonJayle,whereinto Adamwas caft after he had fenned,and we are all prifoners in this prifon- hoofe: theenemies 6f Godsglory,and ofhis Church and people,they cannot efcape out of this prifon, here they are tied, Gods chains areupon them, and he will bring them to an account before his Judgement feat, and that before all men and Angels. With thefe things let us comfort and fupport our felves. A word concerning the prefent occafon, Ye have heard that all men are Gods Stewards : ye have heard that God bath a time, wherein he will call all his Stewards to an account : the fore-runners of this great account, thall be in this life, and after death, when God ftrikes mendown by death,it isthat theymaybe brought into his prefence,andthere receivethe fentence, either ofabfolutionor condemnation,as I(hewed youbeforeconcerning the foul of man, in that intelle&ual manner receiving the fentence. It is appointed to allmen once to die, and after that the Judgement. You have now a Ape&acleofmortality before you : one ofGods Stewards took away, and calledby death to give up his account. Concerning whom, it cannot be expe &ed that I fhould faymuch, or any thingat all, cfpecially by thofe that know both the condition ofhis living, and ofhis dying. For his living, It was not in the City,but for the molt part,it was from us in the Country. For his dying, He was here but a day or two before he was taken hence. J-le came to the City in the extremity ofhis weaknefs, and it tookhimwithforce vio fence, as the natureof that difeafe, the (tone, is. There was much cxpreffon ex- pe&ed from him: but it pleafedGod to make a Faddenchange more than we looked for, for (as I faid) his difeafe feized on himwith fuch violence, and extremity, that hehadno fpacc for any thing but to pray us, topray with him, and for him. That which we may learn from fuch examples as thefe, is this ; That we there- fore be good Stewards in the timeofour life. Weknow not what violentficknefs may feize uponus, and how it may dif-inable us, toexprefs our felves to men, or to fet our reckonings even with God. Be ferions therefore in the point,vahile you have health and ftrength.All of you are now called to a reckoning by the preaching of theWord andGofpel, if thiswill not prevail, eape& another calling by ficknefs, by terrors of confcience, by death. You are not forebut that the nextcalling may be by death, as it was with this our brother; let me put this therefore as a remem- brance toevery one ofyou, that you behaveyour felvesas dyingdaily; Remember thou art a Steward, and muff give anaccount ofthy Stewardfhip. eAlexanderhad his Remembrancer. Saint Jerome had another Remembrancer, Pt baker I eat or drink ( faith he) or whatfoever Ido, me thinks Ihear thevoyce of theleft trumpet, andof the Arch-Angel; Ariieeyoudead, and come to Judgement. Let me now be thy Remembrancer. Remember thou art a Steward, and that thoumuff be called to an account of thy Stewardfhip. When thon art in holy duties , remember thou mu& give an account with what ftrength thou ferreft God. When thou art in buft- nefs,in thy family,remember thou muff give an account how thou haft walkedtow- ard thy fervants,toward thy children,toward them that Godbathgiven thee. Thou that haft aneffate,remember that thou muff give anaccount to the great Lord,ofthe getting,and of the fpendingof that effate.Thou that art inplaces ofauthority over others ; remember thou muffgive an accounthow thoucome& to them, how thou haft behaved thy Pelf in them. Let every one remember, that he muff give an ac- count ofwhat fervicehe bath done to hisMafter;ofwhat ufehe bath beenuntoGod, and what to others : Themore God bath been glorified,andothers benefitted,the more (hall our fouls be comforted atthat great dayofappearance , when the lea& fmile ofGODS countenance, will be worth a thoufand worlds, and the te&imony ofagood confcience,will be preferred before all the treafuresoftheEarth. THE lieb. 9; a7.
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