----------~------~~~--~~~------~--------~ 778 dCJ'reatifeofCallings. fouldiers,& their expeces. Butby thefe boo~s .l we mu!\: vnderfland : fir£1: ofall, the infinite knowledge andprouidcnce ofGod: fecondly, the confciences ofmen , totdlifie ofour do– ings,&: be asa thoufand witnelfes. The third thing chat isdone in this account, isthe triall ofeue.y mans worke, inrefi,ec!l: ofobedience, or difobediencc. The trialllhall bee made py the wil ofGotl,reuealcd partly inthe law,and partly in the Gofpel , which is therule tddif– cerne good and euill workes. The fourth and lafr af.lion, isthe giuiog of reward to euery mau, aecotdingro his workes. Hethat hath bcene a faithfull feruant, lhall hearethe voice ofChrifr, fayingvnto 1-im; Matb.z5 .... lt u weDdme,thougoudandfaitlfMIIjiruam, thouh4jl beenefaithfu~in alittlt, tl<t<rint• thymajlerswy. Rut he t!Jat hath b'eene vnfaithfull, or voiu£1: B iorhcworkes ofhis calling, lhall heare the fame voice ofChri£1:,faying;:i .,k_<him,biHdhi"' handand}oott, andc.jl him int11ltt<rd4r~t11ej{<. And thus we fee what this accountlhallbe. Now then, let vs a little fearchhow we may be able to make a good acoount bef9re <iiod at the la£1: day.For rho doing wherof,wc mu£1: take a fore-hand reckoning of our felues, in the time ofour life. For in common experi– ence we fee , that fuch as dtlite to make iu£1: ' reckonings with others, doereekon firft with rhomlelues. In this fore.had reckoning, three things mu£1: be done. Firfr, we mu£1: draw out thebill of ourreceiprsand expences. The bils ofreceit are framed thus: we mu£1: call to re– membrance, what graces,blefsings,and gifts, wehaue receiuedofGod, whether temporal!, C or fpirituall. For tcmporall blefsings,we mu£1: througbly bethinke vs ofout peace, health, wealtll, liberty and goodname, and all things ofthiskinde. For things fpirimall, wee muft confider whatknowledge, faith,hope, lone & repentance God bath be!l:owed vpon vs : as alfo what gifts we haue rcceiued for the dif. charge ofourcallings: yea, ofall other things tliat we haue enioycd,we mu!l:take a full and iu£1: receit;for they arethe talentsofqur Lord, and helookesfor areckoning. This done, we are next to frameourbilsof cxpences: which are nothing elfc' but large con!iderations of our owne Ctnnes, calling them all to outre– membranae,as much as we can,whethercorn· mitred againftGod orman, withal the abufes D ofour gifts,all our ignorances, negligecffand t[ailties whatfoeuer. Ttadcf.-nen, for their temporall e!l:ates , kccpe in their lhoppes bookes ofreccits and expences: lhall not we then mach moredoe the like for oar fpirituall cfrates!loh f~ith;[•b9·3· IfhedijpMttWith God, hecannot anfweronelvordforathoMfand; wherby he in!iRuatcsthus much, that hee had looked into thewhole courfeofhis life, & had found enen thoufands offinnes in himfc:le. When the Prop~et Da•id faith, Pfa/. 19. u. Who kgowethtbe <rr01mo/thislife!he fignifieth that he had cxcrcifed himfelfe in fcarching outhis owne offencesand trangrefsions. Ezra could not haue·faid,that hisfinnes,a•d thefinnei of the people~wtreManh~gemountaine:but that he firfl: Ezn9 ..s. tooke a narrow accountofhisowne life, and ofthe liuesofthc people. And fo mufieuery oneof vsdoe for all thethingsthat euer w<e did. The confl<leration ol our earthly mat– ters,makesvsknow our worldlycfrate:and fo wil the confiderationof ourdailyoflcnces & our fpiriruall t!l:ate, giue vs fome lighr~nd knowledge, how thec~fe will !l:and withvs, when we lhal appcarc before the great<iiodof all the world, to giuevp our account. Now, when thefe two bils ofour accounts are made, wemu£1: confider in the next place, whether weebee able to make an euen recko– ning with Gocl,ono. Thus doing,welhal find that our reckoningswilbe farce lhorrofthat, which God rcquiretlJat our hands. Fewthere be thatthinkc on thefethings : for men com– monly perfwadethemfelaes, that alllball goe well with them at the day ofjudgement, aod that they lhall make a lhott and eafie recko. ning,becaufe Gedismerciful,It ishard tofind men whofc hearts are touched, ortheir eyes open,to fee and beleeue: firll, thatthey mu£1: make an account: And fecondly,that they are Vtterly vnable todee it;as ltb was,that coald not excufe one ofa thoufaud of his offences before God.Let vs therofore labour tofc:eour vncuen aod skant reckonings, & to lhake off thatfpiritual drowfmes which polfelfcth our mindes,that wee cannedo much as fay; what haue I done 1 and how !l:ands the cafe be– tweene God and me ? and when we haue at• tained to this knowledge, that we arc vnable to make a iufhcckoning with God • in the 3· place, wee mu!l:cleaue.toour furety Cbrill Iefus, the onely fonne ofGod,God andman: & for the timeofthis life,we mull humbleour felues before God aodpray vnto him, chat he would accept the onely fatisfatlion of Chri:lt in his death and pafsion, as a fufficient pai. ment for all our finnes and wants whatfoeuer: for rhus we are taught to pray; l!orgiMe 11s ''" Math.l. dtju, And we mu!l:not onely be hearers of '" thefe thiags. butdoersalfo, And the better to perfwade vs to the prallifeofthefe three duties, let vs confider, thatthis account at the la£1:day,lhall be a!l:rairaccount: for as Chrifl faithsWe ,oftgioe AnAC<DNntfor eMery idle word. }!ar.u. And$, P••llaith, ThtbtWisAnhAnd-writinggf 3~ condtmnati••: that is, a llill ofour owne hand C ·'·' 4 again!I vs:for by the law , wee aredeb~ers.to God ; and either wee mu£1: fulfill the iulliCc thercof,or elfe, accordingto the tenour ofthe law, vndergoeetemalliu~gement,vnle':fe we be acquitted by the obedteRcc of aMedtator. Ifwe thinke tocfcapethis occount, by abfentingour felues, we aredcceiued: fur then,not fo much asoneman inallthe world , lhall bee wanting. Many lha.Jl then wi!h with alltheir hearts that hils andmountaines would fal vp· on the:U aodgrind them to powder, that they might b;hid from the prefe~ceofthe l~rd. Butthatwillnot ferue.All,Wttheutexceptton, mufr
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