Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

You know Jehu did the work of the Lord very diligently, but not faithfully: for his zeal was not for the Lord, but for himself. They that followed Christ many of them followed him far; but it was not for him, but for the loaves, because they were fed with them, and were filled. You see Balaam professed much, that if Balaak would give him his house full of gold and silver, yet he would not go from the Word of the Lord; but yet this was not done faithfully, he had an eye to himself in all this. So I say, a man may do the things of Christ diligently, and yet not faithfully. Two servants may both be very diligent in their masters work, and yet there may be a broad difference between them, the one hath indeed an eye to his masters profit, the other to his own.

You know Iehu did the work of the Lord very diligently, but not faithfully: for his zeal was not for the Lord, but for himself. They that followed Christ many of them followed him far; but it was not for him, but for the loaves, because they were fed with them, and were filled. You see Baalam professed much, that if Balaak would give him his house full of gold and silver, yet he would not go from the Word of the Lord; but yet this was not done faithfully, he had an eye to himself in all this. So I say, a man may do the things of Christ diligently, and yet not faithfully. Two servants may both be very diligent in their masters work, and yet there may be a broad difference between them, the one hath indeed an eye to his masters profit, the other to his own.

This is all in all therefore to consider whether the talents that we use, we use them for our Masters advantage or our own. Thou mayest do very much, thou mayest use thy talent as diligently as any man; yet if thou examine thy heart, and deal strictly with thy self, thou mayest find that, these are used for thy self and not for thy Master, which is the greatest folly in the world. For, my brethren, what do we gain when we take a great deal of pains for Christ? surely there is nothing ours, but the sincerity we do it withal. It is for other mens advantage, the most glorious and specious, works we perform, the greater they are, the more may be the profit and benefit of the Church by them: but there is nothing thine own, but thy faithfulness and sincerity in doing them.