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Dishonesty may be practised for a while, but it will generally defeat its own ends

This steward had hoped to derive pleasure, if not profit, from his unfaithfulness

But in the issue it involved him in much distress and poverty

No sooner was it discovered than it exposed him to shameAnd provoked his master to dismiss him from his service-] But he contrived a way to remedy, in a measure, the evil he had brought upon himself

[As soon as he had received warning, he began to say, What shall I do?

Nor ceased from his enquiries till he had devised an happy expedient

He felt in himself that he was too idle to work, and too proud to beg→→→

Nor had he any hopes of obtaining another situation of trust and confidence

It was probable therefore that he might soon experience the pressure of extreme indigence

An artful plan for supplying his wants speedily arose in his mind

He determined to make all his master's debtors accomplices in his iniquity

He remitted to every one a considerable portion of the sum he owed

Thus he secured their present friendship and future recommendations

They would not dare to oppose him, lest their own dishonesty should be revealed by him

He would be able to make them afterwards accede to any of his proposals

He cared not how much guilt he contracted, or how many souls he ruined

All which he desired, was, to secure a home till he should be otherwise provided

And doubtless his contrivance was well adapted to the end proposed-]

This device was commended by our Lord

[Christ himself seems to be the person who gave the commendationa_

But it was the ingenuity, and not the dishonesty, that he commended

The very epithet which he gave the steward shewed his disapprobation of the act

a It was the same person who uttered the words in the text.

The text itself explicitly declares the only ground of our Lord's applauseb]

It admirably illustrates (what alone our Lord intended to illustrate)

II. The comparative folly of God's own children "The children of this world" are very indefatigable in prosecuting their temporal interests

But "the children of light" ought to be incomparably more earnest in pursuing their spiritual interests [They are called "children of light" because they are enlightened by God's word and Spirit

They have been "brought out of darkness into the marvellous light" of the gospel

They see the vanity of all things that are visible and temporal

And the infinite importance of those that are invisible and eternal.

They know what a strict account they must shortly give of their stewardship—

1

And the necessity of improving every hour in securing an "everlasting habitation"

G

They know how much more important are their interests, more honourable their work, more certain their success, and more glorious their reward

They therefore should be more concerned about their souls than others are about their bodies

And "labour more for the meat that endureth, than others for that which perisheth"

It must be owned however that the children of this world discover more wisdom in the prosecution of their interests

They seek them more earnestly

[What quickness in conceiving, eagerness in maturing, disc promptness in executing his plans did the unjust steward

and

discover!e

Thus worldly men in general find it easy to put forth the whole energy of their souls

But where is the Christian that displays such ardour in his pursuits?

How rarely can the spiritual man thus engage in his work!Alas! what backwardness to duty, what languor in it, and what readiness to disengage himself from it, does he feel!

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b" He had done wisely." c 2 Cor. iv. 18.
e "What shall I do?I am resolved so he called

d John vi. 27. every one-sit

down quickly"

Happy indeed would he be who could fully equal the zeal of worldlings

But Christians have to oppose the tide of their corrupt nature, while others have only to commit themselves to its impetuous current]

They follow them more uniformly

[The children of this world have at all times an eye to their own advantage

Though their thoughts be not immediately engaged about business, they can turn them into that channel the very instant that prospects of gain arise

But the children of light are often wholly indisposed for spiritual exercises___

Too often do they find occasion to adopt the language of St. Pauls

And frequently are they ready to compare themselves with the very beasts that perish"]

They contrive for them more ingeniously

[If a worldly man have prospects of advancement he will devise a thousand means to attain this end

If he have reason to fear a loss, he will try many expedients to avert, to mitigate, or to remedy the evil

He will rarely lose any thing which his cunning will enable him to secure➡

But how often does the Christian suffer loss purely through his own folly!-

How often does he see infallible means of gain, and yet neglect to use them!

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And infallible means of injury which he is not careful to shun!

Many times is he forced to adopt that most humiliating confession1-]

To prevent misapprehension we subjoin a word of

CAUTION

[Let not any one suppose that one fraud may be committed in order to prevent the consequences of another

This is too often practised; but it plunges the offender in deeper guilt and shame

God has warned us in many places what will be the reward of dishonestyk

It is impossible that they who defraud an earthly master can be accepted of God

However their ingenuity may be admired, it will prove folly in the issue

f Gal. v. 17.

Rom. vii. 13, 15,

18, 19, 21, 22, 23.

k1 Cor. vi. 9, 10.

h Isai. i. 3. i Ps. lxxiii. 22. Prov. xxx. 2.

Let every one then, who professes to be a child of light, remember the apostles words]

To enforce the subject we conclude with suitable

ADVICE

1. Be faithful to your Lord and Master

[If ye be Christians indeed, Christ is the master whom. ye serve

Be faithful to him, then, whether ye have little or much Especially honour him in the distribution of the unrighteous

mammon"

He is a kind and liberal Master that does not grudge you any thing that is good

Nevertheless he expects that you improve for him the talents he has committed to you-]

2. Be diligent in his service

[We see how diligent worldlings are in the service of the world

Let not us be surpassed by them

We have a far better Master, and an infinitely richer reward-]

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3. Stand ready to give up your account to him

[We know not how soon he will say, Give an account of thy stewardship

But it will be a joyful word to those who shall be found ready

Let us then be daily inspecting and balancing our accounts→→→→ He will then give us the true riches°—

He will bestow upon us what shall to all eternity be our ownp-]

11 John i. 6. o Ver. 11.

m Prov. xxiii. 26.

n Ver. 13.

P Ver. 12. Matt. xxiv. 45-47.

CCLX. THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.

Luke xvi. 25. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tor

mented.

THE more strongly the discourses of a minister bear upon the prevailing vices of the day, the more will they, whose besetting sin is pointed out and reprobated, pour

a

contempt upon the preacher and his word. Our blessed Lord had spoken the parable of the unjust steward, in order to shew that every one should consider himself as responsible to God for the use he makes of that which is entrusted to him. "The Pharisees, who were covetous, immediately derided him. Our Lord, however, was not to be deterred by their derision; on the contrary, he addressed to them a personal and severe reproof, and added another parable, that should enforce, with tenfold energy, his preceding admonitions. He represented a rich man, after a short enjoyment of his carnal pleasures, doomed to eternal misery in hell; and a poor man, áfter a transient scene of sufferings on earth, exalted to a state of everlasting felicity in heaven.

In opening this parable we shall present to your view I. Their different conditions in this world

The rich man enjoyed all that could gratify an earthly

mind

-

[High titles, stately mansions, superb clothing, pompous equipage, numerous attendants, sumptuous entertainments, courtly friends, and flattering sycophants, were his distinguished portion, his daily enjoyment- --These were the things in which he took delight; nor had his vain, earthly heart a thought or wish beyond them. Doubtless he was to many in his day an object of admiration and envy. And many amongst ourselves are ready to say, Give me but such a portion as his, and I desire no more.]

The poor man was as destitute as an human being

could be

[He wanted even the most common necessaries of life. In addition to this, he was "full of sores" from head to foot; without medical aid to cure them, or even a friendly hand to bind them up; so that "the very dogs came and licked them." Unable to walk, he was carried, and, as if no man cared what became of him, was caste at the rich man's gate, to gather a scanty and precarious subsistence from the crumbs which fell from his table. Thus destitute of food, of health, of friends, a very outcast from society, he protracted a wretched `existence, till death relieved him of his sorrows.

Who would have thought that the setwo men were of the same species, or that, if they were, a just and merciful God should put such a difference between them?]

a Ver. 14.

“Thy good things."

- Εβέβλητο.

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