for my body in preserving it from sickness. And this rule is the more strictly to be observed, because it is as great a fault in a servant not to lay out his master's money when he should, as to lay it out when he should not. In order, therefore, to avoid both these extremes, there is a third rule to be observed, under this resolution, and that is, to keep a particular account of all my receipts and disbursements, to set down in a book every penny I receive at the hands of the Almighty, and every penny I lay out for His honour and service. By this means I shall be in a manner forced both to get my money lawfully, and to lay it out carefully; for how can I put that amongst the money I have received from God, which I have got by unlawful means? Certainly such money I may rather account as received from the Devil, for his use, than from God, for His. And so must I either lay every penny out for God, or otherwise I shall not know where to set it down; for I must set down nothing but what I lay out for His use; and if it be not for His use, with what face can I say it was? And by this means also, when God shall be pleased to call me to an account for what I received from Him, I may with comfort appear before Him; and having improved the talents He had committed to my charge, I may be received into His Heavenly Kingdom, with [Matt. 25. a "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into 21.] thy Master's joy." RESOLUTION III. I am resolved, by the grace of God, to improve the authority That all power and authority hath its original from God, and that one creature is not over another, but by the providence and will of Him Who is over all, and, by consequence, that all the authority we have over men is to be improved for 1 Cor. 4.7. God, is clear, not only from that question, "Who made thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive?" but likewise, and that more clearly from that positive assertion, "The powers that be are ordained of God." Rom. 13. 1. That therefore I may follow my commission, I must stick close to my present resolution, even in all the power God gives me, to behave myself as one invested with that power from above, to restrain vice and encourage virtue, as oft as I have an opportunity so to do, always looking upon myself as one commissioned by Him, and acting under Him. For this reason I must still endeavour to exercise my authority as if the Most High God was in my place in person as well as power. I must not follow the dictates of my own carnal reason, much less the humours of my own biassed passion, but still keep to the act which God Himself hath made, either in the general statute-book for all the world, the Holy Scriptures, or in the particular laws and statutes of the nation wherein I live. And, questionless, if I discharge this duty as I ought, whatever sphere of authority I move in, I am capable of doing a great deal of good, not only by my power, but by influence and example. For common experience teaches us, that even the inclinations and desires of those that are eminent for their quality or station, are more powerful than the very commands of God Himself; especially among persons of an inferior rank and more servile disposition, who are apt to be more wrought upon by the fear of present punishment or the loss of some temporal advantage, than any thing that is future or spiritual. Hence it is that all those whom God intrusteth with this precious talent, have a great advantage and opportunity in their hands for the suppressing sin, and exalting holiness in the world a word from their mouths against whoredom, drunkenness, profanation of the Sabbath, or the like, yea, their very example and silent gestures, being able to do more than the threatenings of Almighty God, either pronounced by Himself in His word, or by His ministers in His holy Ordinances. This, therefore, is my resolution, that whatsoever authority the Most High God shall be pleased to put upon me, I will look upon it as my duty, and always make it my endeavour, to demolish the kingdom of sin and Satan, and establish that of Christ and holiness in the hearts of all those to whom my commission extends; looking more at the duty God expects from me, than at the dignity He confers upon me. RESOLUTION IV. I am resolved, by the Divine grace, to improve the affections God stirs up in others towards me, to the stirring up of their affections towards God. If the authority I have over others, then questionless the affection others have to me, is to be inproved for God; and that because the affection they bear to me in a natural sense hath a kind of authority in me over them in a spiritual one. And this I gather from my own experience; for I find none to have a greater command over me than they that manifest the greatest affections for me. Indeed, it is a truth generally agreed on, that a real and sincere esteem for any person is always attended with a fear of displeasing that person; and where there is fear in the subject, there will doubtless be authority in the object; because fear is the ground of authority, as love is, or ought to be, the ground of that fear. The greatest potentate, if not feared, will not be obeyed; if his subjects stand in no awe of him, he can never strike any awe upon them. Nor will that awe have its proper effects in curbing and restraining them from sin and disobedience, unless it proceeds from and is joined with 1 John 4.18. love. I know the Scripture tells me, "There is no fear in love, but that perfect love casteth out fear." But that is to be understood of our love to God, not to men, and that a perfect love too, such as can only be exercised in Heaven. There I know our love will be consummate, without mixture, as well as without defect; there will be a perfect expression of love on both sides, and so no fear of displeasure on either. But this is a happiness which is not to be expected here on earth; so long as we are clothed with flesh and blood, we shall, in one degree or other, be still under the influence of our passions and affections. And therefore as there is no person we can love upon earth but who may sometimes see occasion to be displeased with us; so he will always, upon this account, be feared by us. This I look upon as the chief occasion of one man's having so much power and influence over another. But how comes this under the notion of a talent received from God, and so to be improved for Him? Why, because it is He, and He alone, that kindles and blows up the sparks of pure love and affection in us, and that by the breathings of His Own Spirit. It was the Lord that gave Joseph favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison, and that brought Gen. 39. 21. Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. And so of all others in the world: for we are told Dan. 1. 9. elsewhere, that as "God fashioneth the hearts of men," so [Ps.33.15.] "He turneth them which way soever He will." Insomuch [Prov. 21. that I can never see any express their love for me, but I 1.] must express my thankfulness to God for it: nor can I feel in myself any warmth of affection towards others, without considering it as a talent hid in my breast, which I am obliged in duty to improve for Him, by stirring up their affections unto Him, whose affections Himself hath stirred up toward me. And this will be the more easy to effect, if I take care, in the first place, to express the zeal and sincerity of my own love to God, by making Him the chief object of my esteem and adoration, and manifest my aversion to the sins they are guilty of, by representing them as most loathsome and abominable, as well as most dangerous and damnable. For wherever there is a true and cordial affection to any person, it is apt to bias those that are under the influence of it, to choose the same objects for their love or aversion that such a person does, i. e. to love what he loves, and hate what he hates. This, therefore, is the first thing to be done, to stir up the affections of others to love and serve God. Another way of my improving the affections of others to this end, is by setting them a good example; for commonly what a friend doeth, be it good or bad, is pleasing to us, because we look not at the goodness of the thing which is done, but at the loveliness of the person that doeth it. And if the vices of a friend seem amiable, how much more will his virtues shine! For this reason, therefore, whensoever I perceive any person to shew a respect for, or affection to me, I shall always look upon it as an opportunity put into my hands to serve and glorify my great Creator, and shall look upon it as a call from Heaven, as much as if I heard the Almighty say to me, I desire to have this person love Me, and therefore have I made him to love thee, do thou but set before him an example of goodness and virtue, and his love to thy person shall induce and engage him to direct his actions according to it.' This, therefore, is the rule that I fully resolve to guide myself by, with relation to those who are pleased to allow me a share in their esteem and affection, which I hope to improve to their advantage in the end: that as they love me, and I love them now, so we may all love God, and God love us to all eternity. RESOLUTION V. I am resolved, by the grace of God, to improve every good thought to the producing of good affections in myself, and as good actions with respect to God. Whatsoever comes from God being a talent to be improved to Him, I cannot but think good thoughts to be as precious talents as it is possible a creature can be blessed with. But let me esteem them as I will, I am sure my Master will reckon them amongst the talents He intrusted me with, and will call me to an account for, and therefore I 2 Cor. 3. 5. ought not to neglect them. The Scripture tells me, "I am not sufficient of myself to think any thing as of myself, but Why, by Does God |