LUKE xvi. 2.
Give an account of thy stewardship; for thou canst be no longer steward.
1.THE relation which man bears to God, the creature to his Creator, is exhibited to us in the oracles of God under various representations. Considered as a sinner, a fallen creature, he is there represented as a debtor to his Creator. He is also frequently represented as a servant, which indeed is essential to him as a creature: insomuch that this appellation is given to the Son of God when in his state of humiliation: he took upon him the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.
2. But no character more exactly agrees with the present state of man than that of a steward. Our blessed Lord frequently represents him as such; and there is a peculiar propriety in the representation. It is only in one particular respect, namely, as he is a sinner, that he is stiled a debtor. And when he is stiled a servant, the appellation is general and indeterminate. But a steward is a servant of a particular kind: such a one as man is in all respects. This appellation is exactly expressive of his situation in the present world; specifying what kind of servant he is to God, and what kind of service his divine Master expects from him.
It may be of use then to consider this point throughly, and to make our full improvement of it. In order to this, let us, first, inquire, in what respects we are now God’s stewards. Let us, secondly, observe, that when he requires our souls of us, we can be no longer stewards. It will then only remain, as we may in the third place, observe, to give an account of our stewardship.
I. 1. And first, we are to enquire, in what respects we are now God’s stewards. We are now indebted to him for all we have; but although a debtor is obliged to return what he has received, yet until the time of payment comes, he is at liberty to use it as he pleases. It is not so with a steward; he is not at liberty to use what is lodged in his hands, as he pleases, but as his master pleases. He has no right to dispose of any thing which is in his hands, but according to the will of his Lord. For he is not the proprietor of any of these things, but barely intrusted with them by another: and intrusted on this express condition, that he shall dispose of all as his master orders. Now this is exactly the case of every man, with relation to God. We are not at liberty to use what he has lodged in our hands, as we please, but as he pleases who alone is the possessor of heaven and earth, and the Lord of every creature. We have no right to dispose of any thing we have, but according to his will, seeing we are not proprietors of any of these things: they are all, as our Lord speaks, ἀλλότρια, belonging to another person; nor is any thing properly our own, in the land of our pilgrimage. We shall not receive τὰ ἵδια our own things, ’till we come to our own country. Eternal things only are our own: with all these temporal things we are barely intrusted by another; the Disposer and Lord of all. And he intrusts us with them on this express condition, that we use them only as our master’s goods, and according to the particular directions, which he has given us in his word.
2. On this condition he hath intrusted us with our souls, our bodies, our goods, and whatever other talents we have received. But in order to impress this weighty truth on our hearts, it will be needful to come to particulars.
And first, God has intrusted us with our soul, an immortal spirit, made in the image of God, together with all the powers and faculties thereof, understanding, imagination, memory; will, and a train of affections, either included in it, or closely dependent upon it; love and hatred, joy and sorrow, respecting present good and evil; desire and aversion, hope and fear, respecting that which is to come. All these St. Paul seems to include in two words, when he says, The peace of God shall keep your hearts and minds. Perhaps indeed the latter word, νοήματα, might rather be rendered thoughts: provided we take that word in its most extensive sense, for every perception of the mind, whether active or passive.
3. Now of all these, it is certain, we are only stewards. God has intrusted us with these powers and faculties, not that we may employ them according to our own will, but according to the express orders which he has given us: (although it is true, that in doing his will, we most effectually secure our own happiness, seeing it is herein only that we can be happy, either in time, or in eternity.) Thus, we are to use our understanding, our imagination, our memory, wholly to the glory of him that gave them. Thus our will is to be wholly given up to him, and all our affections to be regulated as he directs. We are to love and hate, to rejoice and grieve, to desire and shun, to hope and fear, according to the rule which he prescribes, whose we are, and whom we are to serve in all things. Even our thoughts are not our own in this sense: they are not at our own disposal: but for every deliberate motion of our mind, we are accountable to our great Master.
4. God has, secondly, intrusted us with our bodies, (those exquisitely wrought machines, so fearfully and wonderfully made) with all the powers and members thereof. He has intrusted us with the organs of sense, of sight, hearing, and the rest: but none of these are given us as our own, to be employed according to our own will. None of these are lent us in such a sense, as to leave us at liberty to use them as we please for a season. No: we have received them on these very terms, that as long as they abide with us, we should employ them all, in that very manner, and no other which he appoints.