92 SERMONS upon thé SERM. XII: our own, gaining upon them by aflìdúous Counfels¡ provoking them by our ex- ample : Otherwife we hide what we have in a Napkin ; and what profit hath the World by hidden Wifdom, more that# by hidden Treafure ? Secondly, The Reafons, or the Confirmation of this Point. (r.) They that have received Talents, mull trade with them, becaufe they are not only a Gift, but a Truft, given us to employ. As a G:''t they call for our Thank - fulnefs ; as a Tr:0, for our Faithfulnefs. He that hath an Eftate made over to him in truft, and for certain ufes expreffed in the Conveyance, bath indeed no Eftate therein at all, but only with refpeft to thofe ufes. The right of a Feoffee in truft, is Fidei Commiffarius, is quite diftin& from that of an Owner and Poffelfor : Juft fo 'tis here ; and Oh that we could make you fenfible, that all that you have is for fuch ufes, whereby you may bring fome glory. to God, and fome good to others; and fo fave your own Souls by the difcharge of your truft. Surely then men would. ufe their. Gifts more induftrioufly, .fpend their Eftates better, their Time better ; and be more profitable in all their Relations. (a.) This Truft is committed to Servants, not to Strangers or Freemen who, are at their own difpo!e ; fo that from the quality of the Perfons receiving, there is an Argument and obligation upon them. I may defire another to take a truft, who may refufe me ; but thofe under command muff do as their Lord would have them. Now thus are we to Chrift, who bath an abfolute right in us, and both made. us, and bought us. (3.) The Argument is ftill more binding, if there be a formal Covenant and Pro- m fe on their part, that they will faithfully perform, this truft. Now there is a Co- venant between God and us : I .mid be your God, and you 'hall be my people. In that Covenant we bind our felves to leek his glory, and to do his people good. As we take God, whole God to be ours, fo we give up our felves, and all that is ours to him, to be for his ufe and Service. In this Covenant the altera pars pa, cifcens is an inferiour. Though. there be a mutual intereft, yet there cannot be fuch an Intereft in God, as God hath in us : God hath not only an intereft in us, but a dominion over us, which an Inferiour cannot have over a Superiour ; fo that we are Gods more fully than he can be ours. Now a truft accepted and broken afterwards, involveth us in the greater Crime. I am Gods, and will be Gods, and. would I could do more for his glory ; as a Chriftian in general, as a Husband, or Wife, or Father, or Child, or Servant, I will more honour God in my place. (4.) The Fruit, Comfort, and Excellency of the thing trufled is mall feen in the ufe. 'Tis true of all forts of Talents ; take the loweft outward fubfervient helps, Wealth, Power and Honour. A man Both not fee the comfort and ufe of Wealth fo much in any thing, as when he doth imploy it for God. If he hoard it up he bath it only for Chew, if he layeth it out to cloath his back, or to feed his belly, he doth but make himfelf a more honourable fort of bruit Beall, all the while he is (owing to the flefh, or Sacrificing to his God, the Belly, or offering up a Meat - offering or a Drink - offering to Appetite : But how fweet rs it when we have opportunities of doing more for God ! then he feeth the ufe of Wealth indeed ; it giveth him advantages of fervice, and a more diffufive Charity. Ordinances, the worth of them is molt known in the ufe and improvement ; not when we refort to them out of cuftom and fafhions fake, but ufe them as means to do our Souls good. So for Gifts ; as Wells are the fweeter for draining, fo gifts are improved by ufing: So Graces of the Spirit; Gods moll precious gifts fhould not lye idle, a Cor. 6. r. We befeechyou receive not the Croce of God in vain. In fhort, you do not tafle the true fweetnefs of Wealth, when gorgeoufly attired, your Tables plentiful -. ly furnifhed, and you glut your felves with all banner of flefhly delights ; but in feeding the hungry, cloathing the naked, that fatisfieth the Mind and Confcience of them that do it ; as you do not reap the increafe of Corn by fcattering it in the Sand, but calling it into a fruitful Soil. YJ S E r. To profs us to this Negotiation : For if thefe things be fo, we fhould ell rouze up our felves, and fay, What honour hath God by my Wealth, my Parts, my Honour and greatnefs, my Place and Office ? what prote &ion to his taufe, what Relief and Comfort to his People ? (r.) Csn-
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