Now the saved having accounted for all their evil, and confessed to
God's glory how they fell short and did not the truth in this or
that particular, and having received their eternal acquittance from
the Lord and Judge, in the sight of both angels and saints,
forthwith the Lord Jesus will make inquiry into all the good and
holy actions they do in the world. Now here shall all things be
reckoned up, from the very first good thing that was done by Adam or
Abel, to the last that will fall out to be done in the world--the
good of all the holy prophets, of all apostles, pastors, teachers,
and helps in the church--here also will be brought forth to light
all the good deeds of masters of families, of parents, of children,
of servants, of neighbors, or whatever good things any man doeth.
1. Here will be a recompense for all that have labored sincerely in
the word and doctrine. Now shall Paul the planter, and Apollos the
waterer, with every one of their companions, receive the reward that
is according to their works.
Now all the preaching, praying, watching, and labor thou hast been
at, in thy endeavoring to catch men from Satan to God, shall be
rewarded with spangling glory. Not a soul thou hast converted to the
Lord Jesus, not a soul thou hast comforted, strengthened, or helped
by thy wholesome counsel, admonition, and comfortable speech, but it
shall stick as a pearl in that crown which the Lord the righteous
Judge shall give thee at that day; that is, if thou doest it
willingly, delighting to lift up the name of God among men; if thou
doest it with love, and longing after the salvation of sinners:
otherwise thou wilt have only thy labor for thy pains, and no more.
If I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, a
dispensation of the gospel is committed to my charge.
But if thou do it graciously, then a reward followeth; "for what is
our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye," says
Paul, "in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For
ye are our glory and joy."
Let him therefore that Christ has put into his harvest, take comfort
in the midst of all his sorrows; and know that God acknowledges that
he that converteth a sinner from the error of his way, doth even
save that soul from death, and covereth a multitude of sins.
Wherefore, labor to convert, labor to water, labor to build up and
to feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight
thereof not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but
of a ready mind; and when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall
receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
2. And as the ministers of Christ's gospel shall at this day be
recompensed, so shall also those more private saints be with tender
affections and love looked on and rewarded for all their work and
labor of love which they have showed to the name of Christ, in
ministering to his saints and suffering for his sake. "Whatsoever
good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord,
whether he be bond or free."
Ah, little do the people of God think how largely and thoroughly God
will at that day own and recompense all the good and holy acts of
his people. Every bit, every drop, every rag, and every night's
harbor though but in a wisp of straw, shall be rewarded in that day
before men and angels: "Whosoever shall give to drink to one of
these little ones, a cup of cold water only, in the name of a
disciple, verily I say unto you," saith Christ, "he shall in no wise
lose his reward." "Therefore, when thou makest a feast," saith he,
"call the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind, and thou shalt
be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt be
recompensed at the resurrection of the just."
If there be any repentance among the godly at that day, it will be
because the Lord Jesus, in his person, members, and word, was no
more owned, honored, entertained, and provided for by them, when
they were in this world; for it will be ravishing to all to see what
notice the Lord Jesus will then take of every widow's mite. He will
call to mind even all those acts of mercy and kindness which thou
hast showed to him when thou wast among men. He will remember, cry
up, and proclaim before angels and saints those very acts of thine
which thou hast either forgotten or through bashfulness wilt not at
that day count worth the owning. He will reckon them up so fast and
so fully that thou wilt cry, "Lord, when did I do this, and when did
I do the other? When saw we thee hungry and fed thee. or athirst and
gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger and took thee in, or
naked and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick or in a prison, and
came unto thee?" And the King shall answer and say unto them,
"Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least
of these my brethren, ye did it unto me. The good works of some are
manifest beforehand, and they that are otherwise cannot be hid.
Whatever thou hast done to one of the least of these my brethren,
thou hast done it unto me. I felt the nourishment of thy food and
the warmth of thy fleece; I remember thy loving and holy visits,
when my poor members were sick and in prison and the like. When they
were strangers and wanderers in the world, thou tookest them in.
Well done, thou good and faithful servant; enter thou into the joy
of thy Lord."
3. Here also will be a reward for all that hardness and Christian
enduring of affliction that thou hast met with for thy Lord, while
thou wast in the world. Here now will Christ begin from the greatest
suffering even unto the least, and bestow a reward on them all, from
the blood of the suffering saint to the loss of a hair.
4. There is also a reward at this day for all the more, secret and
more retired works of Christianity. 1. There is not now one act of
faith in thy soul, either upon Christ or against the devil and
antichrist, but it shall in this day be found out, and praised,
honored, and glorified in the face of heaven. 2. There is not one
groan to God in secret against thy own lusts, and for more grace,
light, Spirit, sanctification, and strength to go through this world
like a Christian, but it shall even at the coming of Christ he
rewarded openly. 3. There has not one tear dropped from thy tender
eye against thy lusts, the love of the world, or for more communion
with Jesus Christ, but as it is now in the bottle of God, so then it
shall bring forth such plenty of reward, that it shall return upon
thee with abundance of increase. "Blessed are ye that weep now, for
ye shall laugh." "Thou tellest my wanderings and puttest my tears in
thy bottle; are they not in thy book?" "They that sow in tears shall
reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed,
shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with
him."
If thou indeed and in truth close in with Jesus, thou shalt be
lovingly received and tenderly embraced of Christ at that day, when
he hath thousands of noble saints, as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David,
Isaiah, Jeremiah, with all the prophets, apostles, and martyrs,
attending on him; and many thousands of glittering angels
ministering before him. When the ungodly shall appear there, with
their pale faces, with their guilty consciences and trembling
souls--who would then give thousands of worlds, if they had so many,
if they could enjoy but one loving look from Christ--then shalt thou
have the hand of Christ reached to receive thee, saying, Come, thou
blessed, step up hither; thou wast willing to leave all for me, and
now I will give all to thee. Here is a throne, a crown, a kingdom;
take them. Thou wast not ashamed of me when thou wast in the world
among my enemies, and now will not I be ashamed of thee before thine
enemies, but will, in the view of all these devils and damned
reprobates, promote thee to honor and dignity. Come, ye blessed of
my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world. Thou shalt see that those who have served me in truth
shall lose nothing, but they shall be as pillars in my temple and
inheritors of my glory, and shall have place to walk in among my
saints and angels. Oh, who would not be in this condition? who would
not be in this glory?
At the day of judgment, Israel will be sufficiently weary of this
world; they will even as it were inexpressibly groan to be taken up
from hence: wherefore the Lord will come, as making use of the
weariness and groaning of his people, and will take them up into his
chambers of rest, and will wipe away all tears from their eyes.
That we are justified in the sight of the divine Majesty by free
grace, through that one offering of the body of Jesus Christ once
for all, I bless God I believe it; and that we shall be brought to
glory by the same grace, through the same most blessed Jesus, I
thank God I believe that also Again, that the glory to which we
shall be brought by free grace through the only merits of Jesus, is
unspeakably glorious and complete, I question no more than I
question the blessed truths but now confessed.
But notwithstanding all this, there is a reward for the righteous, a
reward for their works of faith and love, whether in a doing or in a
suffering way, and that not principally to be enjoyed here, but
hereafter: "Great is your reward in heaven."
Paul was as great a maintainer of the doctrine of God's free grace,
and of justification from sin by the righteousness of Christ imputed
by grace, as any one that ever lived in Christ's service from the
world's beginning till now; and yet he was for this doctrine: he
expected himself, and encouraged others also to look for such a
reward for doing and suffering for Christ, which he calls "a far
more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Surely, as Christ says
in a case not distant from this in hand, "If it were not so, he
would have told us."
Wherefore a reward I find, and that laid up in heaven; but what it
is I know not, neither is it possible for any here to know it any
further than by certain general words of God, such as these:
"Praise, honor, glory, a crown of righteousness, a crown of glory,
thrones, judging of angels, a kingdom, with a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory."
Wherefore, though in the day of judgment thou shouldst there slight
all thou didst on earth for thy Lord, saying, "When, Lord, when did
we do it?" he will answer, "Then, even then when ye did it to the
least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me."