SERMON XXII. GOD BLESSES THOSE WHO IMPROVE THEIR PRIVILEGES. ANNUAL THANKSGIVING, NOVEMBER 23, 1820. FOR unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have THESE words are immediately connected with the preceding parable of the talents, in which our Saviour represents a man who was about travelling into a far country, as calling his servants to him and giving them the charge of his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one. He that received five talents employed them in his master's service and doubled them; and he that received two talents was equally faithful and successful; but he that received only one talent went and digged in the earth and buried it. After a long time the lord of those servants returned, and called them to an account. The first, giving account of doubling his five talents, was approved and rewarded; and the second, giving account of doubling his two talents, was likewise approved and rewarded; but after the third had confessed his hiding and neglecting his talent, and the motives of his conduct, his lord said, "Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him who hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath." This parable applies to all men, who are the servants of God, who receive all their blessings from him, and who are accountable to him for his favors. The meaning of the parable is very plain and obvious. By every one that hath, is meant every one that faithfully improves his talents; and by every one that hath not, is meant every one that hides or abuses his talents; and by the general assertion is meant, that God will increase or diminish his favors, accordingly as men improve or abuse them. The truth which now falls under our consideration is, That if men faithfully improve the blessings which they have received from God, they have reason to expect farther tokens of his favor. I shall, I. Consider what is implied in men's faithfully improving divine blessings. And, II. Show that if they do faithfully improve them, they may reasonably expect to receive farther tokens of divine favor. I. Let us consider what is implied in men's faithfully improving divine blessings. 1. This implies their acknowledging that all their favors come from God. The faithful servants acknowledged that they had received all their talents from the hand of their master. And men, who are the creatures of God, ought to acknowledge that they have received all their blessings from his hand. "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." Men enjoy no favor but what they have received from their Maker. The apostle James says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." He is the source of all the good diffused through the universe. But mankind in general are far from realizing and acknowledging the hand which supplies their wants and daily loads them with benefits. They often feel and express a spirit of independence, and act as though they were not indebted to God for any of their common and special enjoyments. Hence the apostle demands of the stupid and self-sufficient, "Who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?" Men will certainly abuse every blessing which they do not consider and acknowledge as a divine favor; and therefore they must acknowledge that all their blessings come from God, in order to improve them faithfully. God employs so many secondary causes in bestowing blessings upon mankind, that they are extremely apt to overlook the primary and supreme Cause from whence they flow. But so long as they disregard the hand of the Giver, they will certainly despise and abuse his gifts. If they would faithfully improve the bounties of Heaven, they must realize and acknowledge God to be the author of all their mercies. It is because they are his favors, that they are morally bound to improve them faithfully. 2. A proper improvement of divine favors implies a grateful sense of divine goodness. Men may realize that their blessings come from God, and yet have no grateful feelings towards him. The slothful servant acknowledged that his master had given him one talent; but he did not thank him for it. He despised both the favor and the giver. But the faithful servants considered their talents as real favors, which called for their gratitude and fidelity. They felt their obligations to rise in proportion to the number of their favors, which prompted them to use them properly. It is the language of those who receive divine favors gratefully, "What shall we render unto the Lord for all his benefits?" The ungrateful never estimate divine blessings according to their worth; but the truly thankful highly prize them, because they flow from divine benevolence. It is the goodness of God manifested in his favors, which calls for gratitude, and gives them their highest value. So far as men's hearts rise in gratitude to the Father of mercies for the rich profusion of his favors, they will feel a solicitude to improve them wisely and faithfully to the important purposes for which they are put into their hands. 3. A faithful improvement of divine favors implies a cheerful and unreserved consecration of them to Him who gave them. Those who thankfully receive favors from the hand of God feel themselves bound to give them back again to him, and to renounce their absolute right to them. The faithful servants considered their talents not as their own, but as their master's. Though he had given the talents into their hands, he did not relinquish his supreme right to them; and they did not claim them as their own independent property. As soon as he gave them their talents, they in their hearts gave them back again to the real owner. Just so, all who thankfully receive favors from God consider them as his property, and consecrate them to his supreme direction and disposal. As soon as Zaccheus gave himself to the Lord, he consecrated all that he had to him. All the primitive christians felt and acted in the same manner. And this is always the practice of the faithful servants of God. They esteem no blessings or talents fit for use until they are sincerely devoted to God. Accordingly this is always implied in improving them faithfully. Besides, 4. Faithfully improving divine favors farther implies employing them in the service of God. This will naturally flow from receiving them thankfully and consecrating them unreservedly to Him who gave them. The faithful servants, who received their lord's talents, appeared to have no thought nor desire of employing them for their own private, separate interest. For when their lord returned, they said they had employed them solely for him; and accordingly of their own accord they freely gave up their talents to him with all the fruits and effects of them. They disclaimed all right to the least good that had been produced, both by their talents and their own labor. And their lord acknowledged that their faithfulness consisted in their employing his talents in his service. Divine favors are capable of being improved for God; and they cannot be faithfully employed in any other way than to serve his wise and holy purposes. Men are the servants of God, who has given them no talents to bury or abuse. He requires them to live to him and not to themselves, and to seek first the interests of his kingdom and renounce every interest in opposition to it. It is true, men may do some things for themselves, in subserviency to the glory of God; just as servants may do some things for themselves, in order to promote their master's interest. In order to employ their talents faithfully, men must do such things as God has expressly required, and such as they believe will promote his cause in general, or the good of some of his creatures in particular. And when they do all in their power to promote these benevolent purposes, they employ their talents in the service and to the acceptance of God. I now proceed to show, II. That those who faithfully improve the blessings which God bestows upon them, may reasonably expect farther marks of his favor. This will appear from various considerations. 1. The faithful improvement of divine favors affords the highest enjoyment of them. Christ intimates in the text, that only those properly have, or enjoy the gifts of God, who, like the faithful servants in the parable, rightly improve them. "For to him that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance." He shall be satisfied with the favors God has given him, and really enjoy them, while he improves them faithfully. Men never enjoy any of their talents, while they bury or abuse them; but when they employ their time, their health, their strength, their wealth, their power, or any other divine blessing, to the divine glory, they experience a peculiar satisfaction and happiness. So long as they conscientiously improve their privileges and advantages, they feel contented with those they possess, be they more or less; which is the complete enjoyment of them. The faithful servants of God are ready to adopt the language of David, "My cup runneth over." The primitive christians said, respecting their outward condition," as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." And Paul said, "God giveth us all things richly, to enjoy" and that "he was full and abounded." He that had two talents was as well satisfied as he that had ten. The faithful improvement of divine blessings always serves to increase the enjoyment of those who possess them. So that all men have, in the very frame and constitution of their minds, a solid ground to expect, that if they faithfully improve the blessings which they have received from God, he will give them more, and cause them to yield greater satisfaction and enjoyment. 2. The faithful improvement of divine favors in time past, prepares men for the reception of more and richer blessings in time to come. This is agreeable to the common opinion of mankind. Masters bestow the most favors upon their most faithful servants. Parents grant peculiar marks of their kindness to their most grateful and dutiful children. And princes never fail to distinguish their most faithful subjects, by great and distinguishing marks of their peculiar affection and esteem. Those who have faithfully improved the favors they have received, are proper recipients of greater and more numerous favors. So the master in the parable supposed. He said to each of those who had faithfully improved their talents, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things." The master in the parable represents God, the giver of every blessing to mankind; whose rule in the dispensation of favors is, "Them that honor me, I will honor." Those who have faithfully improved the blessings he has given them, he will distinguish with higher marks of his favor. Their past fidelity prepares them to employ future favors to greater advantage and more to the glory of God. This is agreeable to the declaration of Christ: "He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much." It is justly to be expected, therefore, that God will usually proportion his favors according to their past fidelity in improving the blessings he has already conferred upon them. 3. God has promised to reward past fidelity with future favors. "To him that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance." This is a promise to those who faithfully improve temporal blessings. And we find the same promise made to those who improve richer spiritual privileges and advantages. "Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given." This our Lord said in the fourth of Mark, to encourage men to hear divine truth in love. He tells them the better they hear, the |