A second volume of sermons preached by the late reverend and learned Thomas Manton…

(3.) The Argument is still more binding, if there be a formal Covenant and Promise on their part, that they will faithfully perform this trust. Now there is a Covenant between God and us: I will be your God, and you shall be my people. In that Covenant we bind our selves to seek his glory, and to do his people good. As we take God, whole God to be ours, so we give up our selves, and all that is ours to him, to be for his use and Service. In this Covenant the altera pars paciscens is an inferior. Though there be a mutual interest, yet there cannot be such an Interest in God, as God hath in us: God hath not only an interest in us, but a dominion over us, which an Inferior cannot have over a Superior; so that we are Gods more fully than he can be ours. Now a trust accepted and broken afterwards, involveth us in the greater Crime. I am Gods, and will be Gods, and would I could do more for his glory; as a Christian in general, as a Husband, or Wife, or Father, or Child, or Servant, I will more honour God in my place.

(3.) The Argument is still more binding, if there be a formal Covenant and Promise on their part, that they will faithfully perform this trust. Now there is a Covenant between God and us: I will be your God, and you shall be my people. In that Covenant we bind our selves to seek his glory, and to do his people good. As we take God, whole God to be ours, so we give up our selves, and all that is ours to him, to be for his use and Service. In this Covenant the altera pars paciscens is an inferiour. Though there be a mutual interest, yet there cannot be such an Interest in God, as God hath in us: God hath not only an interest in us, but a dominion over us, which an Inferiour cannot have over a Superiour; so that we are Gods more fully than he can be ours. Now a trust accepted and broken afterwards, involveth us in the greater Crime. I am Gods, and will be Gods, and would I could do more for his glory; as a Christian in general, as a Husband, or Wife, or Father, or Child, or Servant, I will more honour God in my place.

(4.) The Fruit, Comfort, and Excellency of the thing trusted is most seen in the use. 'Tis true of all sorts of Talents; take the lowest outward subservient helps, Wealth, Power and Honour. A man doth not see the comfort and use of Wealth so much in any thing, as when he doth employ it for God. If he hoard it up he hath it only for show, if he layeth it out to clothe his back, or to feed his belly, he doth but make himself a more honourable sort of brute Beast, all the while he is sowing to the flesh, or Sacrificing to his God, the Belly, or offering up a Meat-offering or a Drink-offering to Appetite: But how sweet is it when we have opportunities of doing more for God! then he seeth the use of Wealth indeed; it giveth him advantages of service, and a more diffusive Charity. Ordinances, the worth of them is most known in the use and improvement; not when we resort to them out of custom and fashions sake, but use them as means to do our Souls good. So for Gifts; as Wells are the sweeter for draining, so gifts are improved by using: So Graces of the Spirit; Gods most precious gifts should not lye idle,