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ceive the things done in the body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." At both these folemn periods, the faithful fervant of Chrift, whatever his character and station in life may have been, fhall be received with a "Well done, thou good and faithful fervant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

There are two things in thefe words that particularly deserve our notice. The character of those who fhall meet with the approbation of their Lord, in the great day of final awards; they have been good and faithful fervants. And the reward fuch fhall receive, on that folemn occafion, from the judge of quick and dead--They fhall be each one received with a "Well done, thou good and faithful fervant; thou haft been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

Agreeably to this view of my text, I fhall,

I. Briefly confider the character of the good and faithful fervant of Christ.

II. The nature of that reward here promised to all such, in the great day of the Lord.

Let us enquire,

I. What is the character of the good and faithful fervant of Chrift?

I have already faid this may be applied either to the difciples of Chrift in general of whatever nation, denomination, or character in life they may be; or to the minif ters of the Gospel in particular. I fhall confider the phrase as including both. And it implies,

1. Love to Christ and his service.-A good fervant always loves a good mafter. But it is neceflary to obferve here, that this love to Chrift and his fervice is not found in the heart of depraved man, in his natural ftate. We are by nature alienated from God: deftitute of every principle of love to him and his fon Chrift, in their true character. The apoftolic defcription of depraved human nature is, "having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is

in them, because of the blindness of their hearts."a Hence arifes the neceffity of being "renewed in the fpirit of our mind; and of putting on the new man, which after God is created in righteoufnefs and true holinefs." But one of the principal conftituents of this new man is, love to God and his fon Chrift Jefus. Love to God for his own divine excellence, as well as for the beneficence of his hand, to us-and love to Chrift, as being the "brightnefs of his father's glory, and the exprefs image of his person."c The fincere fervant of Chrift loves both his perfon and his character. His foul is pleafed with him, as he is exhibited in the oracles of truth. "He is the chief among ten thousand, and altogether lovely" in his efteem.d He loves alfo his service: He efteems his laws to be altogether equal and juft. This is the native effect of his love to his perfon and his government: "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous."e The love we bear to the perfon of Christ, in proportion to its prevalence, will not only induce us to obedience, but render that obedience eafy and delightful-We delight to oblige those whom we love.

2. The good and faithful fervant of Chrift loves his fel. low servants-He confiders them as children of the fame common father with himfelf: and we read, that "every one that loveth him who begat, loveth him alfo who is begotten of him. He confiders them as redeemed by the fame precious blood of Chrift; and as the fubjects of the fame fanctifying and comforting influences of the spirit of grace, which are the common privilege of every true Christian; for "If any man have not the spirit of Chrift, he is none of his." He confiders them as engaged in the fame common caufe with himfelf; the advancement of the kingdom of Chrift, and the illuftration of the honor of God in our world. These are the great ends the good and faithful fervants of Chrift have in view, however they may differ in fome of the modes of pursuing them. Yet this difference does not forfeit their love, or destroy their cha

a Eph. iv. 18. b ver. 23, 24. c Heb. i. 3. d Song. v. 10, 16. e 1 John v. 3. f1 John v. 1. & Rom. viii. 9. g

rity for each other. If the person whose character I describe, cannot agree to agree with his brethren, in denomi nation, or mode of worship, he will agree to differ with them-He will agree they fhould think and act for themfelves, in matters of fuch infinite concern; a privilege he juftly claims to himself. And in how many things foever the difciples of Chrift may differ in matters of leffer moment, they will all agree in loving their Master, his honor, his truth, and his fervice-They will agree in adorning their profeffion in all godlinefs of converfation.

Again-The good and faithful fervant confiders his fellow-difciples as in the fame vale of tears, and in the fame ftate of imperfection and trial with himfelf; and, therefore, that both they and he ftand in need of mutual fympathy, charity, and forbearance, one towards another. In a word, he confiders them as heirs of the fame future glory with himself; as travelling to the fame "city, which hath foundations, whofe builder and maker is God;" and that, therefore, they ought not to differ by the way.

Of fuch importance is this brotherly love, in the estimation of our Lord, that he not only enjoins it upon his difciples as their duty, but as their distinguishing and characteristic duty; that duty which more ftrongly marks their character as his difciples than almost any other; and that by which they are especially to diftinguifh themselves from the men of the world. You, therefore, hear him fay, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this fhall all men know that ye are my difciples, if ye have love one to another."a

3. Diligence in his Lord's work, is another ingredient in the character of the good and faithful fervant. You will eafily perceive the abfurdity of a good, and at the fame time a slothful servant, in common life; and it is ftill more fo in the cafe before us. We all have our work in life affigned us, in the course of a wife Providence: and this is two fold, our general bufinefs as men and Chrif tians, and the special bufinefs of our refpective stations.

a John xiii. 34, 35.

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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 ourfelves. 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 thefe relations and connexions, you will readily perceive these duties must be numerous, as well as important. But all thefe are fo many claims on the diligence of the fervants of Chrift; fo many obligations on them to be "not flothful in bufinefs, but fervent in fpirit, ferving 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, unlefs it be a life of open and undifguifed prophaneness. 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 feveral ftations 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 ftudies 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 finnera, was, the illuftration of God's declarative glory. He undertook the vindication of the character and government of God, from the contempt fin had caft upon

a R mans xii. 11. b John xv. 8. c 1 Cor. x. 31.

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 finifhed the work which thou gavest me to do."a You will perceive, then, that to aim at the honor of God, as the higheft end of all our actions, is, in a capital inftance, to have the "fame mind in us, which was alfo in Christ Jefus, our Lord."b The true fervant of Chrift regards the honor both of his character and of his perfon. By the honor of Chrift'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 thefe 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 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 willingnefs to fave him.

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

5. Faithfulness in the difcharge of the duties of life. The character under which our text reprefents the fervants of Chrift, is that of stewards, with whom their Lord had entrufted his goods; to fome he gave more, and to others lefs, to trade withall. But the Apoftle tells us, "That it is required in ftewards, that a man be found faithful."c And you will please to obferve, our text exprefsly files the true difciple of Christ, "a good and faithful fervant."

This faithfulness confifts, principally, in a confcientious fincerity and diligence in filling up the duties of our seve ral stations and characters in life. and the great rule by which we are to act, is the will of our Lord and Mafter. Thus much for the character of the good and faithful fervant.

Let us now proceed to enquire,

a John xvii. 4. & Phil. ii. 5. c 1 Cor. iv. 2.

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