Seventhly, and lastly, Their Reward from God is honourable. Though the world Crown them with thorns (as it did their Lord and Master before them) yet God will Crown them with honour, Dan. 12. 3. They shall shine as the Stars in the Firmament. You know Ambassadors have not preferments while they are abroad, but when they come home into their own Country, then their Princes prefer them, and put much honour upon them. So will God deal with his Ambassadors. 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth there 1is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. So in Isa. 49. 4, 5. I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain, yet surely my judgement is with the Lord, and my reward with my God. Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength. So in 2 Cor. 2. 15. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved, 2and in them that perish. Ministers shall be rewarded according to their faithfulness and diligence, though some perish. It shall be with them, as with Vine-dressers, you know Vinedressers are rewarded according to their diligence and faithfulness, though some Vines never bear, nor bring forth fruit at all. As Ministers are diligent and faithful, so the reward, the Crown shall be given full at last. You know the Barber is as much rewarded for trimming a Black-a-more, though all his pains in rubbing him can never make him white, as he is for trimming and rubbing of another man that is white, and by a little pains is made more white. This is many-a-faithful Ministers grief, that he takes a great deal of pains in rubbing and washing (as it were) to make souls white and clean, pure and holy, and yet they remain after all, as black as hell; but surely their reward shall be never the less with ⟨p. 319⟩God. The Nurse looks not for her wages from the Child, but from the Parent. If Ministers, like clouds, sweat themselves to death, that souls may be brought to life, great will be their reward, though those souls should perish for ever, for whom they have wept, sweat, and bled.
Seventhly, and lastly, Their Reward from God is honourable. Though the world Crowne them with thornes (as it did their Lord and Master before them) yet God will Crowne them with honour, Dan. 12. 3. They shall shine as the Stars in the Firmament. You know Ambassadors have not preferments while they are abroad, but when they come home into their owne Countrey, then their Princes prefer them, and put much honour upon them. So will God deale with his Ambassadors. 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth there 1is laid up for me a Crowne of righteousnesse, which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day, and not to me onely, but unto all them also that love his appearing. So in Isa. 49. 4, 5. I have laboured in vaine, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vaine, yet surely my judgement is with the Lord, and my reward with my God. Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength. So in 2 Cor. 2. 15. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved, 2and in them that perish. Ministers shall be rewarded according to their faithfulnesse and diligence, though some perish. It shall be with them, as with Vine-dressers, you know Vinedressers are rewarded according to their diligence and faithfulnesse, though some Vines never bear, nor bring forth fruit at all. As Ministers are diligent and faithfull, so the reward, the Crowne shall be given full at last. You know the Barber is as much rewarded for trimming a Black-a-more, though all his paines in rubbing him can never make him white, as he is for trimming and rubbing of another man that is white, and by a little paines is made more white. This is many-a-faithfull Ministers grief, that he takes a great deale of paines in rubbing and washing (as it were) to make soules white and clean, pure and holy, and yet they remaine after all, as black as hell; but surely their reward shall be never the lesse with ⟨p. 319⟩God. The Nurse looks not for her wages from the Child, but from the Parent. If Ministers, like clouds, sweat themselves to death, that soules may be brought to life, great will be their reward, though those soules should perish for ever, for whom they have wept, sweat, and bled.
- 1God will at last highly reward those very services that men don't regard, &c.
- 2Latimer in one of his Sermons, speaking of a Minister who gave this answer why he left off Preaching because he saw he did no good. This, saith Latimer, is a very naughty, naughty answer.
