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own, whether we be willing or unwilling to be fo; and that he will ufe us as his own, and do what pleaseth himself with us, whether we be contented with it or no, whether we do actually refign our felves to his Will and Difpofal or no; and that our voluntary and fincere devoting ourselves to his Service, is the only Thing that can affure us, that he will deal gracioufly with us, and enrich us as we defire with his Bleffing. Will not this, if any thing, make us give up our felves in good earneft? It may be we have long diffembled with God, and yet he hath not put us out of his Family, nor out of his care; but we have been fuffer'd to live in the World, and he hath provided for us in it. It may be fo, I grant; but are fure, that as we have a place, yet in his Family, we have a place alfo in his favour? That as we have yet a place there, fo we fhall have a place there long? God is rich towards all, and all that live, have, whilft they live, fome fhare in the Provision he makes for his great Family. But if whilft diffembling with God, we fhare in the ordinary Provision made for all in general; are we alfo fure we fhall fhare in the Inheritance, which, according to the riches of his Goodness, he hath provided and referv'd in Heaven for his Children? Why will we content our felves with a worfe fhare, when we may have a better? Is it poffible we should be fo foolish, as to hope our diffimulation fhould be hid from Omniscience? Can we be fo impudent as to fin, when we remember God to be prefent with us? Can we have fuch Blafphemous Thoughts of him, as to think he will not be offended at our Hypocrify? Dare we provoke omnipotent Juftice to vindicate it felf against our Mockery? Well, think of it in

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earneft? Could we ever have been at all, hadt not God given us Being? Can we fubfift one Minute longer if he preferve us not? Can we have any Thing but what he gives us? Can we think" that God fets fo little by his Bounty, as to fuffer us always to abuse it, and never call us to an account for it? How then dare we dissemble with God, and not become seriously Religious?

Thirdly, What an encouragement have we here from this Confideration to go on cheerfully in the Service of God, and to be fincerely religious? We are fure that we ferve a rich Master, one that is able abundantly to Reward and Enrich us. I confefs, that to have a rich Master is no Encouragement to a good Servant, if he be not a good Mafter too. If a rich Master be a wicked Man, if he be proud or covetous, imperious or churlish, profane and debauched; a Man of no Confcience, Honefty, nor Sobriety: If he be one that confidereth not that be him

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felf alfo bath a Mafter in Heaven, to whom he is more a Servant, than any one can be to him : If he remember not, that he who is his Servant may be the Lord's Free-man; and it he ufe him as fuch, taking care that he may ferve the LORD, whilft he serves him; then may it be better for one to beg his Bread, than to be fuch a Man's Servant. But here lieth our Encouragement to ferve God, That he is rich in all Goodness, as well as Mafter of the whole World. We are told of the riches of his Goodness, Rom. 2. 4. And that he is Rich in Mercy, Ephef. 2. 4. Of the exceeding Riches of his Grace, v. 7. And that he giveth us richly all things to enjoy, 1 Tim. 6. 17. He may therefore give us feafonable Correction and Chaftisement;

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ftifement; but he will alfo give us fufficient Maintenance, and a bountiful Reward. The whole VVorld is at his Command, and by his Power he can do what he will for us, by his Wisdom he knows what's fitteft to be done for us, and by his Goodness he will do what is best for us.

This our great and good Mafter hath one only begotten Son, the well-beloved, whom he hath appointed Heir of all Things. Heb. 1. 2. To whom all Power is given in Heaven, and in Earth, Mat. 28. 18. Whom be bath fet at his own right Hand in Heavenly Places, and hath put all Things under his Feet, and gave him to be the Head over all things to the Church. Epb. 1,20. 22. This eternal SON of God, JESUS our LORD, tho' he was rich, yet for our fakes be became poor, that we through his Poverty might be rich. 2 Cor. 8. 9. He made himself of no Reputation, and took upon him the form of a Servant. Phil. 2.7: And humbled himself to the death of the Cross for us. v. 8. That he might redeem us v.8. from all Iniquity, and purifie unto himself a peculiar People, zealous of good Works. Tit. 2. 14. We must confefs this JESUS Chrift to be the LORD, to the Glory of God the Father. Phil. 2. 11. We are to bonour him, even as we honour the Father. Joh. 5, 23. And if we thus receive him as our LORD, and live in Obedience to him, we ferve God acceptably, and continue in his Favour and Love, and thus much we are affured of by him whom he hath set over us; that we have his Friendship. Joh. 15.14 Te are my Friends (faith he) if je do what foever I command you, I call you not Servants, but Friends. As many as receive him, to them giweth be power to become the Sons of God. Joh. 1. 12. And because we are Sons, God bath fent forth the Spirit

Spirit of his SON into our Hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore we are no more Servants, but Sons; and if Sons, then Heirs of God through Chrift. Gal. 4. 7. Even to an Inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, referved in Heaven for us. I Pet. 1.4. In the mean time, we may be well affured, that continuing faithful to God in his Service, we can want nothing that is good for us. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall be not with him alfo freely give us all Things? Rom. 8. 32. We know that all Things work together for good to them that love God. v. 28. And when our Service is at an end in this World, which will be very fhortly, the fame rich LORD whom we now ferve, will thus welcome every one of us into the poffeffion of the Inheritance referved for us, faying. Well done, good and faithful Servant, enter thou into the Joy of thy LORD. Matt. 25. 21.

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Y the Rich Man, who is here faid to have had

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a Steward, our bleffed Saviour calls to our remembrance the great and rich LORD of all the World, whofe we all are, and whom we are all bound to ferve. And now by the Steward which this Rich Man had, he would mind us of our own relation to the fame rich LORD. Every one of us, every Man and Woman in the World, is the Steward of God. Some part, more or lefs, of his Goods he hath committed to our charge, and expects we should be faithful in our Truft, and make a right Ufe, and a good Improvement of every Thing, obferving Religiously all the Rules and Orders that he hath given us.

This is our prefent condition in this World, in this relation we all ftand to God, we are all of us God's Stewards, and fo we are to account our felves, and to behave our Selves towards God, and towards one another, as Stewards intrufted by God with the management of fome part of his Goods. Here then two things are to be confidered by us.

1. That

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