this is two fold, our general business as men and Chriftians, and the fpecial business of our respective stations. Both thefe are fruitful of a variety of duties, too numerous to be recited in this place-They embrace the whole compafs of duty, both moral and pofitive, that we owe to our God, our neighbour, or ourselves. Nor is there a fingle character we fuftain, or relation we bear, in either of thofe views, but what is the fource of important duties. And if you confider the variety and multiplicity of these relations and connexions, you will readily perceive these duties must be numerous, as well as important. But all these are so many claims on the diligence of the fervants of Chrift; fo many obligations on them to be "not flothful in business, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord."a We must be diligent too, that one duty may not interfere with another, for every thing is beautiful in its feafon.

Again-Diligence is implied in the idea of faithfulness; for the fervant cannot be faithful who is not diligent. No man ever employed a fervant to run idle; nor can any thing be more contrary to the defign for which Heaven has made us, than a life of floth and idlenefs, unless it be à life of open and undisguised prophanenefs. The author of our lives has fufficiently marked the great end for which he made us, upon the active powers with which he has endowed us-And this diligence is to be particularly employed in the difcharge of the duties of our several stations in life. This is one way, among others, by which we are to bring forth fruit to the honor of our Lord. “And herein," faith our Saviour, " is my father glorified, that you bear much fruit; fo fhall ye be my difciples."b

4. The good and faithful fervant has a sincere regard to his master's honor. This is the end at which he wishes and studies to aim in all his actions: agreeably to the Divine command, "Whether ye eat or drink, or whatfoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."c And in this the fervant of Chrift accords with his mafter: the great end of whofe incarnation, atonement, and interceffion, on the behalf of finners, was, the illuftration of God's declarative glory. He

a Romans xii. 11. John xv. 8,

CI Cor. x. 3!.

undertook the vindication of the character and government of God, from the contempt fin had caft upon them; and in this he fully fucceeded, and appeals to his father, that fo he had done" I have glorified thee on the earth; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do."a You will perceive, then, that to aim at the honor of God, as the highest end of all our actions, is, in a capital inftance, to have the "fame mind in us, which was alfo in Chrift Jefus, our Lord." The true fervant of Chrift regards the honor both of his character and of his perfon. By the honor of Christ's character, I mean his honor as mediator; particularly as the great atonement for fin, and as our interceffor at his father's right hand. But to honor Chrift under this character, in a proper manner, is not only to profefs our firm faith in these doctrines, but to accept him as the Lord our righteoufnefs; it is to truft in the merit of his atonement, as the fole ground of our acceptance in the fight of of God-Thus the good and faithful fervant of Chrift puts the highest honor in his power upon him, in the character of a Saviour. He practically risks his very falvation on his ability, fuitableness, and willingness to fave him.

I fhall mention but one ingredient more in the charac ter I am at prefent illustrating, and that is,

5. Faithfulness in the discharge of the duties of life. The character under which our text reprefents the fervants of Christ, is that of stewards, with whom their Lord had entrusted his goods; to fome he gave more, and to others. lefs, to trade withal. But the Apostle tells us, "That it is required in ftewards, that a man be found faithful." And

you

will please to obferve, our text exprefsly ftiles the true difciple of Chrift, "a good and faithful fervant."

This faithfulness confifts, principally, in a confcientious fincerity and diligence in filling up the duties of our several stations and characters in life. And the great rule by which we are to act, is the will of our Lord and Maf

ter.

Thus much for the character of the good and faithful fervant.

a Joha xvii. 4. 6 Phil. ii. 5. c Cor. iv. 2.

Let us now proceed to enquire,

II. What is the nature of that reward promifed in our text to all fuch good and faithful fervants?

And, as it is here defcribed, it implies, principally, the four following things:

1. The acceptance of their persons with God.-This is implied in the character here given them, and reprefented in the parable, as given them by their Lord, when he calls them to give an account of their ftewardship, good and faithful servants. And you will please farther to obferve, they are not only acknowledged as good and faithful, but received with a "Well done, ye good and faithful fervants." This, indeed, chiefly imports an approbation of their conduct; but it is no lefs expreffive of the acceptance of their perfons.

But to eftimate this bleffing in a proper manner, it is neceffary to recollect, that as finners, we had forfeited all right to this acceptance with God, and justly merited his fevere difpleasure. That we deferve nothing but indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguifh, from him, throughout an immortality of woe. Yea, that fuch is the nature of the forfeiture we have made of the Divine favor; and fuch the juftice of the fentence that binds us down to fuffer his difpleasure, that it appears not to have been compatable with the honor of God, to reverfe the fentence, and reftore the finner to favor, without an adequate fatisfaction. And the price paid for this bleffing, the precious blood of the Son of God greatly contributes to enhance its value. But how rich the mercy, for an heir of Hell to become, in this way," an heir of God, and a joint heir with Chrift Jefus !"

2. Itimplies the approbation and acceptance of their services for God, and his caufe in the world. Every individual among them fhall be received with a "Well done,a thou good and faithful fervant, thou haft been faithful over a few things." Language cannot exprefs the approbation of the great Judge of quick and dead, in ftronger terms.

a The original word Ev, here rendered "well done," has a forcethat cannot be fully expreffed in our language.

But did our time admit of confidering the many imperfections that attend the very best services performed, by the holieft of our Lord's fervants, for him, how deeply ftained they are with guilt, it would ferve, not a little, to illuftrate the riches of that reward conferred upon them, in this acceptance of their fervices for him. And this farther fuggefts, what it is of importance to attend to, that this acceptance of our perfons and fervices, when we come to ftand before unblemished purity, is not of merit, but of grace, through the atonement and interceffion of the Divine Mediator. "It is to the praise of the glory of his grace, that he makes us accepted in the beloved."a But it is nevertheless certain, for its being of grace.

This acceptance of our perfons and fervices, is of itself a high reward, for all we have ever done, or can do, for God, while in this life, were there none other: but this is not all-for,

3. This reward implies actual and superadded honours, conferred upon the faithful fervants of Chrift, in the great day of God. This is the import of "Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things." What the nature of these honors fhall be, we are not fo clearly taught. Two things, however, feem to be plain refpecting them, in the facred oracles, namely, That they fhall bear fome proportion to our faithfulness and diligence in our Lord's fervice here—and, that they fhall be great.

They fhall bear fome proportion to our diligence and faithfulness in our Lord's fervice in this life. We read, "There is one glory of the fun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars : for one ftar differeth from another in glory-So alfo is the refurrection of the dead." Thefe words plainly point us to a difference in the degrees of that glory which fhall be conferred on the several fervants of Christ, in the day when he fhall fihith the mediatorial fyftem, by raifing the dead, and judg ing the world in righteoufnefs. They fhall differ as the fun differs from the moon, and the moon from the ftars,

and the stars one from another. But the ground of this difference will be, the zeal, the diligence, and the faithfulness with which his fervants have ferved him in this life. I may not fay their fuccefs will have no influence, on this difference of reward: for we read, "That they who turn many to righteousness, fhall fhine as the stars, forever and ever."a But when we confider that it is an act of mere fovereignty in God, whether he will fucceed the faithful labors of his fervants, yea, or not, it is not fo consonant to our ideas of equity, to make it an equal ground of diftinguifhed honors, with thofe things that are voluntary in us, as our faithfulness and diligence, in a great measure are. Befides, this would be to weaken, if not to destroy, the encouragement to diligence and faithfulness, arifing from thofe promises of reward to them, fo frequent in the oracles of truth; especially as the most diligent and faithful fervants of Chrift, are not always the most fuccefsful. And it farther deferves our notice that the reward conferred, in our text, on the good fervant, is founded, not on his success but on his faithfulnefs; "Thou haft been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things."

I fhall only add, under this particular, that the parable of the ten pounds, entrusted by their Lord to the ten fervants, which you have in the nineteenth chapter of the Gofpel by Luke, fufficiently demonftrates, that the rewards that fhall be conferred on the fervants of Chrift at last, will not only differ in their degrees of honor, but that this honor fhall bear a proportion to their diligence and faithfulness for him in this life. They each one receive done pound a piece, as you may perceive by reading the parable. Of thefe, one, by his diligence and faithfulness, had gained ten pounds, and he is made ruler over ten cities.—Another by his diligence, had gained five pounds, and he is made ruler over five cities.

You will please to obferve, the fums entrusted to these fervants were the fame; but the improvement is repre