3. Christ's Abundant Reward
soul to Christ, in the true gospel method; to furnish the tempted Christian with proper weapons against Satan's assaults, and teach him how to manage them; to dissolve the doubts, and remove the scruples which arise almost in every step of his way to Christ; and so to settle the fluctuating soul in a sweet and sure dependence upon him by faith. These things, I say, require much faithful prudence, and prudent faithfulness.
And thus we see the manifold usefulness of both these graces in the servants and stewards of Christ. Of such I may say, as Christ in the text, Who then is a faithful and wise servant! Hic nuncii (inquit Piscator) rari sunt, ita ut ex mille hominibus vix unus reperiatur, qui munere illo recte fungi possit, i.e. These servants (saith Piscator) are so rare, that out of a thousand scarce one man may be found that discharges that office aright. Christ hath not many such servants, yet, blessed be God, some such there are. And, 3. Christ's Abundant Reward Whoever, or wherever such faithful and wise servants are, Christ will abundantly reward them in the day of their account. Which casts me upon the third and last doctrinal head I promised to speak to. The glory prepared for, and promised to such servants of Christ, is elegantly laid out, in shining terms, by the prophet Daniel, Dan. 12:3.
"And they that be wise, shall shine as the brightness of the firmament: and they that turn many to righteouness, as the stars for ever and ever." A promise which points directly to faithful and wise ministers. What a beautiful sight is the azure canopy of heaven, when it is about to shut its beautiful eye-lids in a serene evening! and much more, when it is about to open them with smile or blush, in the
dawning of the ruddy morning! And how is that beauty again outvied by the glory of the stars, where the pleasing light sports and twinkles! how doth one star excel another in glory! Yet thus, and more than thus, even above the brightness of the sun itself, shall the servants of Christ shine; who by their faithfulness and prudence, have instrumentally turned many into righteousness!
The question about degrees of glory in heaven is not necessary, but problematical. We reject with abhorrence the popish doctrine of diversity of glories, as founded in the diversity of merits: Nor is it questioned, among the orthodox, whether there be an equality of glory, as to the essentials; but only in respect to the accidentals, and concomitants: Amongst which, they place the additional glory and joy of such ministers, whose faithful and prudent labours God hath blessed, and crowned with the conversion and edification of many souls. And of this the apostle speaks, 1 Thess. 2:19, 20. "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy. Where we find a very remarkable gradation. He calls his
Thessalonian converts, "his hope, his joy, nay, his crown of rejoicing.
His hope, that is, the matter of his hope, that they should be saved.
His joy, as they had already given him abundant cause of joy, in their conversion to Christ by his ministry. And the "crown of his rejoicing in the presence of Christ, at his coming." This is an high strain indeed! The meaning, I suppose, is that the fruit and success of his ministry among them, would add to his crown, and redound to his glory in the day of Christ.
O brethren! who would not study and pray, spend and be spent, in the service of such a bountiful Master! Is it not worth all our labours
and sufferings, to come with all those souls we instrumentally begat to Christ: and all that we edified, reduced, confirmed, and comforted in the way to heaven; and say, Lord, here am I, and the children thou hast given me? To hear one spiritual child say, Lord, this is the minister, by whom I believed: Another, this is he, by whom I was edified, established, and comforted. This is the man that resolved my doubts, quickened my dying affections, reduced my soul, when wandering from the truth! O blessed be thy name, that I ever saw his face, and heard his voice! What think we of this, brethren? But far beyond this; what will it be to hear Christ, the prince of pastors, say in that day. "Well done good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord, Mat. 25:21 O sirs! we serve a good Master, who is not unrighteous to forget our work, and labour of love for his name-sake. He keeps an exact account of all your fervent prayers, of all your instructive and persuasive sermons; and all your sighs, groans, and pantings, with every tear and drop of sweat, are placed like marginal notes against your labours in his book, in order to a full reward.
But I have far out-run my own intention, and (I doubt) your patience too, in the doctrinal part. I consider to whom I speak, and shall be the shorter in the application; which I shall dispatch apace, in three uses. (1) For Information. (2) For Reprehension. (3) For Exhortation.
Uses Use I And first for our information, briefly, in two or three consectaries.
Consectary 1. By this it appears, Christ hath established an order and government in his house, which none must violate. The church is a well ordered family, or household, whereof Christ is the Head, Christians members, ministers stewards, the ordinances food to be dispensed by them in season. Every one is to keep his own place and station. Pastors must faithfully feed and govern the flocks of Christ, Acts 20:28. People must know, honour, and obey those that are over them in the Lord, 1 Thess. 5:12. Heb. 13:17 the one must not impose, nor the other usurp! but each walk according to the rule of Christ, with a right foot, ordinately and comely.
This order is the church's beauty, Col. 2:5 and truly we may expect so much of Christ's presence, as we have of his rule and order amongst us, and no more. O that the rules and orders of his house were better known, and observed! then ministers and people would clearly understand, what they are to expect from each other in the way of duty, and each person keep his proper station. Ministers would not invade the civil callings of the people, nor the people the sacred calling of the ministry; but all things would move ordinately secundum, sub et supra. The pleasure of such a sight, would as much transport gracious souls with joy and pleasure, as the order of Solomon's house did the queen of the South.
Consectary 2. In the light of this truth, we may also read our duty, how we ought to govern ourselves in the ordination of men to the ministerial office. This office is to be committed unto faithful and able men, 2 Tim. 2:2. not to novices, 1 Tim. 3:6. I know the necessities of the churches are great, but no more haste (I beseech you) to supply their wants, than good speed. Satis celeriter fiet, quicquid commode geritur: That is soon enough, that is well enough. It is a less hazard, to put an ignorant rustic into an apothecary's shop, to compound and prepare medicines for men's bodies, than to trust a man, destitute both of faithfulness and prudence, with the dispensation of Christ's ordinances to men's souls.
Some men are moved by pitiful low ends. 1 Sam. 2:36. "Put me into the priest's office, that I may eat a piece of bread." Some by ambition, conceiting themselves as able and holy as the best, Numb. 16:3. What men's secret ends are, we cannot know; but their qualifications for that work we may, and ought to know. We are solemnly charged, to 'lay hands suddenly upon no man,' 1 Tim. 5:22. In Solomon's time, the Jews were exceeding careful and wary in admitting proselytes, because they were then a flourishing and prosperous state; not so cautelous in time of adversity, as Josephus observes. I would discourage none that appear to have pious inclinations, matched with competent qualifications. Many be useful, that cannot be excellent.
Weaker gifts, rooted in a gracious heart, will grow by using; but nothing grows without a root. I think the plainest men have done the greatest service in the church of Christ: as tender-eyed Leah brought forth more children than beautiful Rachel. But still fidelity and prudence are indispensible qualifications.
Consectary 3. If there be such rewards, in the hand of Christ, for all his faithful and wise servants; Then we have no just cause or reason to repent of our choice of this office, whatever sufferings and reproaches it hath or yet may expose us to. I believe none of us ever yet felt such straits, endured such miseries, or sustained such labours, as the apostle mentions to have befallen him,
2 Cor. 11:23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and yet he heartily thanks the Lord Jesus Christ, (for all that) who had counted him faithful, and put him into the ministry.
Brethren, we have served a good Master, and have cause to admire his care over us, and bounty to us; and whatever we have suffered, we may say to them that shall succeed us, as Tossanus did to his children and kindred, in his last will and testament:8 'I charge you my dear children and relations, That ye never be ashamed of the evangelical truth, either for the sake of offences arising from within the church, or of persecutions from without it. Truth may labour, but cannot be suppressed: And I have often found by experience, the Lord to be wonderfully present with them, that walk before him diligently and uprightly.' O he hath been a good God to us! he hath covered us in days of danger, made provision for us and ours, and yet his best rewards are behind. Let none scare at the reproaches and persecutions that attend the gospel.
Use II This point casts an ireful countenance upon all unfaithful and imprudent ministers, who give their people the chaff for the wheat, and stones for bread; who glory in the title, and live upon the profits, but neither feed the flock, nor mind the account. They preach, they pray, because they must do so; but none are the better for their prayers, or preaching. They seem to labour an hour or two in a week, but their labours turn to no account; nor can be expected to turn to any good account, whilst they are neither animated by faithfulness, nor guided by prudence.
Agricola, writing de animantibus subterrancis, tells us of a certain kind of spirits that converse with minerals, and much infest those that work in them. They seem to busy themselves according to the custom of workmen; they will dig and cleanse, melt and sever the metals, yet when they are gone, the workmen do not find that there is any thing done. I came not hither (I confess) to deal with this sort of men; and therefore shall leave them to consider the words immediately following my text, which, like a thunder-clap from the mouth of Christ, discharges woes and threatenings upon them; ver. 48 to the end: "If that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken: The Lord of that servant shall come in a day that he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of; and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with hypocrites. There shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth." Who can aggravate their misery more, than these words of Christ have done?
But I am principally concerned at this time about our own defects, both in faithfulness, and in prudence; though neither of these (I
hope) to be totally wanting in us, yet our defects and short-comings may, and must greatly humble us. Our vain expence of much precious time, our shuffling haste in so weighty a study as the salvation of our people is; our sinful silence, when conscience saith, reprove; our coldness and dead-heartedness; our unserious and unprofitable converses; our pride and ostentation of gifts; our neglect and personal conferences: all these evidently discover, that both our brains and bowels need more strength and tenderness. I will not insist here upon these particulars, (let us do that in our studies) but hasten to the exhortation, and therein to the close of this discourse.
Use III Are faithfulness and prudence the essential requisites of the servants and stewards of Christ's house? And will he so amply reward them in whomsoever he finds them? Then let it be our care and study to approve ourselves to him, such as he here describes and encourages.
But who am I, to manage such a work as this, among men every way above me! However, you have called me to this service, and Christ hath directed me to this subject: And should I now silently pass over this part of my work, how shall I approve myself, either a faithful, or a wise servant to him that sent me?
I despair of ever having such another opportunity; I see many faces in this assembly, whom I shall never see any more in this world. I speak to the ministers of Christ, the guides and pastors of so many flocks. May I be in the least instrumental to quicken them in their duties, their respective numerous congregations will reap the benefit of it.
My brethren, this is the day I have often wished for, when in the sad and silent years that are past, I have been searching my own heart, and enquiring into the causes of God's indignation (as I doubt not you also have done;) I have bewailed the forementioned defects before the Lord, and engaged my soul by solemn promise to him, that if he would once more open the door of liberty, I would
(through his grace) labour to reform, and do my utmost to persuade all my brethren to exercise more ministerial faithfulness and prudence.
And now I am where my soul hath long desired to be, and the vows of God are upon me; suffer therefore (dear brethren) yea, suffer from unworthy me, This word of exhortation: Take heed to your ministry that you fulfil it: Take heed to yourselves, and to the flocks over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers. Let us so study and preach, let us so pray and converse among our people, that we may both save ourselves, and them that hear us; let us frugally and industriously husband our time and talents for Christ; let us prudently contrive, zealously and unanimously execute our holy contrivances, for the advancement of his kingdom and interest in the world: These are plotting times, wicked men are every where plotting to disturb the civil peace; let us have our plot too, an honest plot, how to advance the interest of Christ in the souls of our people; wherein we shall also promote and secure the civil peace of that happy government we live under. Let us learn prudence from our past follies, and constancy from our past experiences. I look upon you that are aged ministers, as seasoned timber, that hath lain out near thirty years in the weather, yet neither warped, rained, nor rotten, I confess, in all this time, the sun hath not much tried the force of his influence upon us, though the storms have. I suspect our greatest danger will be in
the sunshine of liberty. If we hold it now, and manage this trial by liberty, with eminent faithfulness and prudence, humility and peaceableness, zeal and diligence; Christ may account us fit materials to build his house. Let us now redeem our many silent Sabbaths, by double and tripple improvements of those we enjoy: Let none of us dare to bring our old sins into our new pulpits. Then will the Prince of pastors delight in us here, and crown our prudent faithfulness with a full reward hereafter. In order whereunto, give me leave to hint (for I can do no more than hint) these three things by way of motive, which are worth thinking on:
We have a solemn charge given us by Christ.
We have a solemn account to pass shortly with Christ.
We have now a great opportunity to improve for Christ.
1. We have a solemn charge given us by Christ, 2 Tim. 4:1, 2. "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing, and his kingdom; preach the word, be instant in season, and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine." It must be a powerful opiate indeed, that can so benumb and stupify the conscience of a minister, as that he shall not feel the awful authority of such a charge.
The precious and immortal souls of men are committed to us; souls, about which God hath concerned his thoughts from eternity; for the purchase of which Christ hath shed his own blood; for the winning and espousing of which to himself, he hath put you into this office; at whose hands he will also require an account of them in the great day.