The good masters plea, against the evill servants cavill. Discovering the vanity of those men, who judge the service of God to be vaine. Delivered in certaine sermons upon Malachi, 3. 14. Being a taste of the labours of that reverend, faith full, and holy servant of God, Nicholas Stanton, M. of Arts; late preacher of the gospel of Christ, at the parish of Margarets in Ipswich, in Suffolk.

A TABLE OF The maine things contained in this fol∣lowing Treatise.

THe Doctrine is,

• 1. Propounded.
• 2. Proved.
• 3. Cleared.
• 4. Applyed.

• 1. The Doctrine is propoun∣ded. viz. That Carnall hearts

• do judge the true service of God a vaine service, Pag. 5
• 2. The Doctrine is proved,
  • 1. By Scripture.
  • 2. By reason.

• 1. That their judgement is so. (A.)
• 2. Why they doe so judge. (B.)

• (A.) 1. That their judgement is so which is demonstrated,
  • 1. By their wilfull and totall omission of some knowne duties. 9
  • 2. By their slighty perfor∣mance of those duties they doe undertake. 13
  • 3. By their wearinesse even in those slighty performan∣ces, 17

• ...
  • 4. By those base thoughts they harbour of such as serve God better then themselves, 20
• (B.) 2. Why they doe so judge, as,
  • 1. Because, they question whether there be any such God to serve, 26
  • 2. Because it is in vaine to them, they judge it to bee in vaine to all others also, 29
  • 3. Because many great and learned men are not most forward in it; 35
  • 4. Because God doth some∣times defer the pay∣ment of his servants wages, 37

• 3. The Doctrine is cleared by answering a maine Obje∣ction.
  • Object. If carnall hearts doe judge Gods service as vaine, why doe they then serve God at all? 39
  • Ans. There are two speciall reasons for it.
    • 1. They are forced and haled thereto by Example, Cu∣stome, Conscience, power∣full Ordinances. 41
    • 2. They doe it to make sure uncertainties, in some stirrings of conscience, 44
• 4. The Doctrine is applied by way of,
  • 1. Information, for it in∣formes us,
    • 1. Why the Lord hath no more servants to wait upon him, 50

• ...
  • ...
    • 2. What is the ground of so much lukewarmnesse, and indifferency in Gods service, 50
    • 3. What is the ground of so much Apostacy, and back-sliding from God. 53
  • 2. Reproofe,
    • 1. Directly to the wicked,
      • 1. To those who judge men to be the worse for Gods service. 57
      • 2. To those who judge it vaine. 58
    • 2. By consequence, to Gods own people, (if it be a sinne in carnall hearts, much more is it so, in the people of God) 61
• Quest. What doe Gods people object against the service of God, that (under temp∣tation) they think it vain?

• Ans. Objections doe arise in their hearts, springing.
• 1. From themselves in re∣spect of
• 1. The non-apprehension of any good that ever they got by the service of God. 62
• Answ. To this Objection;
  • 1. Thy service may be profi∣table to others, though not to thy selfe. 66
  • 2. God payes thee by way of exchange. 71
  • 3. Thou shalt be better for it hereafter, though not for the present. 74
• 2. The indiscernable diffe∣rence that is in them∣selves, betweene their serving, and not ser∣ving of God; they thrive as well, &c. 78

• Ans. To this Objection,
  • 1. It is a sad thing that a gracious heart should tempt God, in this manner. 80
  • 2. If there be no difference in thy outward man, yet there is difference in thy soule. 81
  • 3. Though sometime there is no difference, yet at o∣ther times there is. 82
  • 4. They are not such speciall mercies if they come not in this way. 84
• 2. Objections doe arise in the hearts of Gods people, springing from others; 84, 85
• For such as have no care to serve God at all, fare as well, (in their apprehension) as those that serve him most, and best of all. 85

• Answ. to this Objection.
  • 1. They fare not so well in their Soules, though they fare as well in outward bles∣sings, 85
  • 2. Those outward blessings may be the fruit of other mens service, and not of their own. 86
  • 3. The prosperity of this life is not worthy the name of reward. 88
• Obj. If Gods people may judge the service of God to be vaine, then say carnall men, we hope our conditi¦on is not so bad, as we fea∣red, though we also do judge the service of God, as vaine. 91, 92
• Ans. To this Objection, there is a wide difference be∣tweene the thoughts of the godly, and of the wicked

• in this respect; 93
  • For, 1. Such thoughts in the godly are injected by Sa∣tan, not setled in the heart, as it is in the wicked. 94
  • 2. Such thoughts in the God∣ly are not about the ser∣vice of God it selfe, but onely about their particu∣lar service of God. 95
  • 3. Such thoughts, beat them not off from his service, as they doe the wicked. 96
  • 4. Such thoughts in the god∣ly are followed with sor∣row and repentance, but not in the wicked. 99
• 3. The Doctrine is applyed by way of caution and ex∣hortation.
  • 1. To the wicked, to warne them to take heed of this sinne, of censuring Gods service and servants. 100

• ...
  • 2. To the people of God; to take heed how they harbour such hard thoughts, about the ser∣vice of God, or how they suddenly cast a∣way their confidence in God. 102
  • 3. To all in Generall to take heed that as the service of God is not vaine in it selfe, so it may not prove vaine to them. 108
• And that it may not prove vaine take these directions.
  • 1. Get into Covenant with him, for whom wee worke, as were expect acceptance, Reward. 112
  • 2. Take heed of a slighty spirit, and of meane thoughts of the duties of Gods service. 119
  • 3. Be Faithfull in the per∣formance

• ...
  • of this service. 121
• This Faithfulnesse must bee shewed in five particulars. 122
  • 1. In Carefulnesse; seene in the universality of our obedience active and passive. 122
  • 2. In Diligence; seene in in doing all Gods work, with all our might. 124
  • 3. In Sincerity; seene in ma∣king Gods, command the principle, Gods glory the end, of all our worke. 126
  • 4. In Beliefe; seene in re∣sting upon Gods promise for assistance, acceptance 129
  • 5. In Perseverance; seene in holding out to the end without wavering. 133

Hee that doth these things shall never be removed.

His labour in the Lord shall not be in vaine.

FINIS.