DISCOURSE XX.

LUKE xii. 48.

Unto whomfoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

THE equity of this general rule is so apparent to

common sense, that it admits of no difpute, and calls for no explanation. A fingle mite offered by a poor widow is a present fit for the King of heaven, which from the hand of a rich man would hardly be a decent charity to a poor widow. And thus the cafe is in all inftances to which the rule is applicable.

But plain as this general maxim is, yet we are very apt to mistake in the application of it to particular cafes for then felf-love and felf-intereft will not permit us to difcern that true proportion of one thing to another, from which the equity of the rule arifes. If we have any claim to make in our own behalf, we think nothing too much, and are apt to overrate the ability of the perfon upon whom we have the demand, and to expect from him much more than he in reafon ought to grant: if any claim be upon us, we are ready enough to excuse ourfelves, to diffemble, or to undervalue our power, and consequently to do less than may in reason and jus

Hence it is that we are

tice be required from us.

rarely pleased with those who are above us, and feldom able to fatisfy those who are below us.

As this rule has place in the intercourse of all the offices of life, fo ought it especially to influence the diftribution of rewards and punishments: but the weakness and wickedness of men have almost totally excluded it from human judicatures. For as it is in every body's power to pretend ignorance of the law, or fome other inability, in excuse for the crimes for which they are to anfwer; were the plea as eafily admitted as it is pleaded, it would open a door to all kind of licentiousness, and take off the fear of punishment, which is so neceffary a restraint upon the depraved inclinations of men: and fince the wifeft and ableft judges cannot discern, fome few cafes perhaps excepted, between real and affected ignorance; or fo diftinguish the powers and abilities of one man from another, as to proportion rewards and punishments according to this rule; therefore the law puts all, except those who are manifeftly deficient in reason, upon the same level, and supposes every man to know the law of his country; and confequently, where a malicious act is proved, a malicious intention is implied, and the criminal is fentenced accordingly.

But how juftifiable foever this proceeding is, upon the neceffity there is for it in order to maintain fome tolerable degree of peace and quiet in the world; yet it is evident that these general prefumptions, upon which all human judicatures proceed, do not leave room for an exact diftribution of juftice; but it often happens, that men are made equal

in the punishment, whofe crimes, could all circumftances be confidered, were not equal.

But could you introduce a judge endowed with the perfect knowledge of men's hearts, there would be an end of all fuch general prefumptions: he would do in every case what was exactly right and equitable; and the only standing rule of the court would be that of the text, Unto whomfoever much is given, of him fhall be much required.

One fuch court there is in whihc he who knows the fecrets of every heart will fit judge himself; before whofe tribunal there will want no evidence to convict the guilty, no advocates to defend the innocent: there no pretended excufe will be admitted, no real one excluded: there every man with all his actions, with all his talents and abilities, and all his opportunities of knowing the will of God, will be weighed in the balance; and unto whom much was given, of him fhall much be required.

Since then we are to be judged, and finally fentenced, by this rule, it concerns us to be careful in the application of it to ourselves; for if we mistake, we shall gain only a deceitful fecurity, and which at the laft will prove fatal: and there is the more reafon for this care, confidering how apt men are to make unreasonable allowances to themselves, where their own intereft is concerned.

It is no uncommon thing for men who have no hopes of being juftified by the terms of the Gospel, to take shelter in this general declaration, and to imagine that they see an equity in their own case, which fhall ftand between them and the rigorous execution of the Gospel law. When they read in

the New Teftament, that all whoremongers and adulterers, all drunkards and riotous perfons, all extortioners and fraudulent dealers, in a word, all who in any manner injure their neighbours and fellow creatures, shall without doubt perish everlastingly ; they plainly perceive that the crimes and the punishment are so infeparably annexed, that, being conscious of the crimes, they have no way to ward off the punishment. But when they read, that unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required, and infer from thence, that unto whomsoever little is given, of him fhall little be required; they immediately conclude, that all their errors and miftakes, of what kind foever, are well fecured: for whoever is in error, be it through want of underftanding, or of the external means of knowledge, or be it through paffion and prejudices, does, fo long as the error continues, want the light, and is fo far to be confidered as one to whom little is given. This is one step towards their juftification: but ftill confcience remains, and proves that they had the light in many inftances in which they have been offenders. But then they confider, that to render a man accountable for his actions, it is not enough that he knows the terms of his duty, he muft also have power to put them in execution: for no man ought to be punished for not acting, who never had it in his power to act, or for doing what was not in his power to avoid doing. Being thus far advanced, they recollect all the temptations and incitements they met with, and how ftrongly their paffions were moved to the commiffion of thofe iniquities of which their confcience accufes them; and, being

judges difpofed to favour the criminal, they conclude, it was not in their power to do otherwise than they did; and fince fo little was given them, they shall be answerable but for little and thus fecured, they imagine they may fafely appear before the judgment-feat of Chrift, and plead to him his own rule of equity against all the peremptory laws of his Gospel.

Allow this plea, and it will indeed justify all men, and leave no room for judgment; but it must reflect great difhonour and reproach on him who made them, and has declared to them a judgment to come, as well by the reafon which he has given them, as by the revelation which he has published.

Few men are fo effentially wicked as to choose wickedness for its own fake; either error or paffion is pleaded in all cafes. The Canaanites, who worshipped the work of men's hands, were greatly in error; and the wicked inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah had ftrong unnatural paffions: but these by fire from heaven, and those by the fword of Joshua, were rooted out. Which part now would you take? Were they finners, or was the Judge of all the world unjust?

If men are really of fuch a make, that their pasfions are too ftrong for their reason, and reason of no use but to contrive means for the fatisfaction of the paffions and appetites; it is impoffible to juftify God in giving fuch creatures any notion of a judgment to come: for to what purpose does it ferve but to plague and torment them unneceffarily? And how is it reconcileable with the goodness of God, to plant such feeds of mifery in our very nature ?