Sermons Volume 4

SERMON VIII. ON MARK X. v. 21.

3 Doct. A LL those that follow Christ, should prepare their Shoulders for the Cross.

Here I shall show,

• 1. What it is to take up the Cross.
• 2. The Reasons why they must so do.

I. What it is to take up the Cross.

1. Negatively.

1. Not to devise a voluntary Affliction to ourselves; as Baal 's Priests gashed themselves. 1 Kings 18.28. They cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancers, till their blood gushed out upon them ; and the Pharisees had their Self-Disciplines. Christ is a lover of Human Nature, and he hath put no such severe Penance upon us. This is to make the Cross, not to take it up: Origen, that was too Allegorical in plain Texts, was too literal, when he castrated himself upon that Text, Matth. 19.12. There be Eunuchs, which have made themselves Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake : Christ only intended power over our Natural Affections.

2. Not to draw sufferings upon ourselves by our own Rashness and Folly. James 1.2. My Brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. He saith, when ye fall into them, not when ye draw them upon yourself. It was Tertullian 's Error to say, That Afflictions are to be sought and desired. Man is never satisfied with his present Condition; sometimes we question God's Love, when we have no Afflictions, and anon when we have nothing but Afflictions. In all these things we must refer ourselves to God's Pleasure, not desire Troubles, but bear them and improve them, when he layeth them on us. Christ hath taught us to pray, Lead us not into Temptation, it is but a fond Presumption to cast ourselves upon it. Philastrius and Theodoret speak of some that would compel Men to kill them out of an Affectation of Martyrdom; this was a mad Ambition, not a true Zeal. And no less fond are they that seek out Crosses and Troubles, rather than wait for them; or by their own Violence and Miscarriage draw a just hatred upon themselves. Christ would not that for his sake we should run headlong into Dangers, and without Necessity; there is a Medium between Faintness and Rashness. Christ himself did not take up the Cross till it was laid upon him. If a Man set fire on his own House, he is liable to the Law; if it be fired by Accident he is pitied and relieved: Therefore we are not to seek the Cross, or make it, but bear it, and take it up; not to fill the Cup ourselves, but to drink it off, when God puts it into our hands to take it up; when we cannot avoid it without Sin, or a breach upon our Consciences, we are not to shift then, or avoid it by unlawful means:

2. Positively : To bear it patiently and willingly, when we cannot avoid it without Sin. When we are brought into a Necessity of either Suffering or Sinning, in such cases there must be a cheerful, free, voluntary submission of ourselves to suffer the whole Will of God. To take up the Cross implieth,

• (1.) Faithfulness and Integrity without shifting.
• (2.) Patience and Submission without murmuring.
• (3.) Joy and Chearfulness without fainting.

(1.) Faithfulness and Integrity without Shifting. Many distinguish themselves out of their Duty, and when God calleth them to suffering put a Fallacy upon their Souls, Gal. 6.12. As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be Circumcised, only lest they should suffer persecution for the Cross of Christ. They cannot live without Honor, and Ease, and Plenty, and therefore turn and wind themselves to shift the Cross. Our Lord Jesus offered himself; Psal. 40.7, 8. Then said I, lo I come, in the Volume of the Book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God! yea thy Law is within my heart: So should we resign ourselves when the Will of God is so, and give up the Comforts of our Lives, when we can hold them no longer, and be glad we have something of value to esteem as nothing for Christ. The Apostle speaks of some, who are Enemies of the Cross of Christ, whose God is their Belly, whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things, Phil. 3.18, 19. Multum interest inter Theologum gloriae, & Theologum crucis. Men that have no love to God, but only serve their fleshly Appetites, and look no higher than Riches, and Honors, and Pleasures, and Applause, will never be faithful to Christ. There are a sort of Men that study to save themselves, not from Sin, but from Danger, and accordingly accommodate themselves to every Interest. As the men of Keilah dealt with David, they entertained him for a while, but when Saul pursued him, they resolved to betray him, they would come into no Danger and Trouble for him; so they deal with Religion.

2. Patience and Submission without Murmuring. We show our Obedience to God in suffering his Will, as well as doing his Will: He is Sovereign in his Acts of Providence, as well as in his Laws. And this we must do without murmuring or repining against God, as if he did us wrong, or did deal hardly with us. Isa. 30.15. In quietness and confidence shall be your strength ; that is, in Faith and Patience, humbly submitting to God's Will, and depending on his favor and gracious Protection. There must be a submissive Attendance upon God, Psal. 62.1. Truly my Soul waiteth upon God, from him cometh my Salvation — Psal. 39.9. I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, because thou didst it ; not uttering impatient words, God's Will silenceth all.

3. Chearful Behaviour under the Cross: Rom. 5.3. And not only so, but we glory in Tributation also. James 1.2. My Brethren, count it all joy, when ye fall into divers temptations. Afflictions to God's People do not only minister occasion of Patience, but great Joy, 2 Cor. 7.4. I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . I overflow with Joy. A dejected Spirit doth not behave itself answerably to its Principles, Privileges and Hopes. Are you at peace with God, and have you Communion with him at every turn? And have you Hopes of Glory, and are you so troubled, when you are a little cut short in your Temporal Comforts? A Christian should be at an indifferency, to rejoice as if he rejoiced not, and mourn as if he mourned not: Dejection of Spirit argueth too great addictedness to worldly Comforts, and Love of Ease and Flesh-pleasing, and Ingratitude for all the Spiritual Good we have received: Shall God lay in such great Comforts, and after such great Receivings do you take it ill to be put to a little Expence? Job 15.11. Are the Consolations of God small with thee? If you had a due sense of the World to come, you would be glad to keep your Conscience, though you lose your Coat: Hebr. 10.34. Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance. Rom. 8.18. For I reckon, that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Do you look for a Glory to be revealed in you? Then look upon all the Sufferings of this Life as a Feather put into the Scales against a Talent. We are to have a sense of our Condition, yet in regard of the Honor done to us, to bear a part of Christ's Cross, and in regard of the Comfort and Happiness provided for us, we should be cheerful, that it may not be known to be an unwilling Patience, and extorted by force.

There is one Expression more, Luke 9.23. Let him take up his Cross daily. How daily? There are fair days as well as foul days, and the Face of Heaven doth not always look sad and lowering: How then are we to take up the Cross daily? I Answer,

1. It notes a daily expectation of it, the first day that we begin to be Christians, we must reckon on the Cross. Mat. 16.24. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross, and follow me. These words are the Christians Indenture, and everyone must Seal to this before he can call Christ Master. As Porters stand in a Street waiting for a Burden for them to carry, so must a Christian be ready and prepared to meet with any hardship, which God may lay out for him in his Christian Course. Or as the Israelites eat the first Passover with their loins girded, their shoes on their feet, and their staff in their hand. Exod. 12.11. as ready for a Journey; so should a Christian be ready to go forth at God's Call. Acts 21.13. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus — Evils familiarized are less burdensome; by renewing our daily Resolution the evil is the less when it cometh.

2. The Frequency of our Conflicts, as if every day there were some exercise for our Faith and Patience. We are not to prescribe to God how long, or how much Affliction he shall exercise us with: No, though it were all the days of our Lives we must be content, it is but a moment to Eternity. We must take up our Cross as often as it lieth in our way, and we cannot baulk it without Sin, Gen. 47.9. Few and evil have the days of the years of my life been. — Man is Born to Trouble. The World is a Valley of Tears, not the Mount of the Lord, where is fullness of Joy. If there were no Cross, we should not be in Tune and Consort with the rest of the World, for here all the Creatures are a groaning.

3. The Word [ Daily ] showeth, That private and personal Calamities are a part of the Cross as well as the Afflictions of the Gospel, and for the Profession of the Name of Christ. Afflictions are either for God, or from God: Sickness and Death of Friends, and loss of Estate by an immediate Providence, are a part of our Cross: There is an enduring Persecution for the Name of Christ, and an enduring Affliction at the Will of Christ. Ordinary Crosses do not exclude the Comforts of Christianity; these occasion Experience of God, and Trial of Grace, and are a part of God's Discipline for the mortifying of Sin, and are happy opportunities to discover more of God, and of Grace to us: Yea there is more Reason for Submission in these, because God taketh us into his own hands. A Man that stormeth when a Bucket of water is cast upon him, is patient when he is wet with the Rain that cometh from Heaven.

II. The Reasons why those that follow Christ should prepare their Shoulders for the Cross.

1. That we may be conformed to our Head. He had a bitter Cup tempered for him by his Father's hand. John 18.11. The Cup that my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? and we must pledge him. Jesus Christ was a Man of Sorows, and acquainted with grief, Isa. 53.3. And there would be a strange disproportion between Head and Members, if we should altogether live in Delicacy, Ease, and Pleasures. The bitter Cup goeth by course and round, first to Christ, then to his Apostles, and it goeth from hand to hand ever since. The Apostle speaks of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Col. 1.24. that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ. There is Christ personal, and Christ mystical: Christ personal, as he is complete in himself, so his Sufferings are complete; but the Sufferings of Christ mystical are not perfect, until every Member have their own allotted share and portion. Indeed our Sufferings are but the drops upon the brim of the Cup, he drank up the Dreggs: The great Wave of Affliction did first beat upon him, and being thereby broken, some small sprinklings of it do light upon us; we bear the hinder part of the Cross of Christ. It is but Reason that those that will partake with Christ in his Kingdom, should be partakers with him in his Sorrows, and that the Soldiers should follow the Captain of their Salvation, Heb. 2.10. and fare as he fared, John 15.20. Remember the word that I said unto you, the Servant is not greater than the Lord; if they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. We cannot in Reason expect better entertainment than he found in the World: If you had an high esteem of Christ, and a low esteem of yourselves, you would easily consent to submit to the Will of God herein. It is an unseemly daintiness to be nice and tender of carrying the Cross after Jesus Christ, as if we were better than he. Many Christians will seem to express much Devotion to a Crucifix, or those Chips of Wood which Impostors cry up for pieces of the Cross of Christ; but here is true respect to the Cross of Christ, to be willing for Christ's sake to bear afflictions with patience and humble submission. The Apostle counted all things but dross and dung, Phil. 3.10. That I may know him, and the power of his Resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death. There is a great deal of sweetness and spiritual Comfort in suffering after, for, and with Christ; we should count all things dung and dross to gain this Experience. This should be comfort enough to a gracious heart, that thereby he is made more like his Lord and Master.

2. Because of the World's hatred, John. 15.19. If ye were of the World, the World would love it • own; but because ye are not of the World, but I have chosen you out of the World, therefore the World hateth you. A thorough Christian will be sure to meet with opposition; we are told, 2 Tim. 3.12. Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer Persecution. If a Man will be lukewarm, not caring how things go, he may find Frien • dship with the World; but he that hath any Zeal and Conscience, and would be faithful, the World will hate him as an Object reviving guilt, 1 John. 3.12. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his Brother; and wherefore slew he him? because his own works were evil, and his Brothers righteous. The Spiritual and Carnal Seed cannot agree, Gal. 4.29. For as then he that was born after the Flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, so it is now.

3. It is needful in order to our following Christ, that our Pride and Carnal Affections should be broken by the Cross, 1 Pet. 1.6. Now for a Season (if need be) ye are in heaviness through manfold Temptations. There is a need of the Cross to reclaim us from our wanderings, to cut off the Provisions and Fuel of our Lusts, to make us mindful of heavenly things, and that we may retreat to our great Privileges, and to humble us for sin, to stir us up to Prayer, and to wean us from the World. Tribulatio tam nobis necessaria est quàm ipsa vita, immo magis necessaria, & multo utilior quàm totius mundi opes & dignitates: Affliction is as necessary to us as Life itself, yea more necessary and profitable than all the Wealth and Honors of the World: And therefore being so necessary and profitable for us, we should be willing to take up the Cross.

1 VSE. Is of Information: It informeth us

(1.) With what Thoughts we should take up the stricter Profession of Christianity, namely, with expectations of the Cross. We cannot but expect great inconveniencies and troubles in Christ's Service, therefore let us not flatter ourselves. Many think they may be good Christians, and yet live a Life of Ease and Peace, free from Troubles and Afflictions: This is all one as if a Soldier going to the Wars should promise himself Peace and continual Truce with the Enemy; or as if a Mariner committing himself to the Sea for a long Voyage, should promise himself nothing but fair Weather, and a calm Season, without Waves and Storms; so irrational it is for a Christian to promise himself a Life of Ease and Rest here upon Earth.

(2.) That a Christian had need be a Mortified and Resolute Man.

1. A Mortified weaned Man: That which is la • e is soon turned out of the way, Heb. 12.13. If we have any weak part in our Souls, there the assault will be most strong and fierce. A Garrison that looketh to be Besieged, takes Care to fortify the weak places, and where there is any suspicion of Entrance; so should a Christian mortify every corrupt Inclination, lest it betray him, be it Love of Honor, Pleasure or Profit.

2. He had need be a resolved Man, his Feet shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace, Eph. 6.15. or else in hard ways he will soon founder and halt: That 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that Preparation is a resolved mind to go through thick and thin, and to follow Christ in all Conditions. Well then, it is no easy matter to be a Christian indeed: Nature in the general is against bearing the Cross: Christ himself, his Human Nature recoyled and shunned it, without sin: and to us it is more grievous to suffer, Heb. 12.11. No affliction for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous: And besides, Lusts if they be not purged out, will tempt us to stumble, and we need to be armed with great Resolution, or else after we have launched out into the deep with Christ, we shall be ready to run ashoar again: Now most Christians are not mortified, and so they trip up their own heels. Most Christians are not resolute, and do but take up Religion as a Walk for Recreation, not as a Journey, so as to be prepared for all Weathers.

3. What Fools they are that take up Religion upon a Carnal Design of Ease and Plenty in the World, they quite mistake it: There are Inconveniencies that attend Religion in peaceable times, but the Profession will afterwards engage us in the greater troubles; and therefore Men do but make way for the shame of a Change, and other Inconveniencies to themselves, that hope for temporal Commodity by the Profession of the Gospel. The great drift of the Gospel is to draw us off from the Comfort of this World to the Concernments of a better, and to bring us to follow a naked Christ upon unseen Encouragements; therefore they that have Temporal things in their Eye, quite change the Nature of the Gospel, and make Christ another Christ.

4. That the course which Christ taketh to draw in Proselytes, is quite different from that of Satan and the World: Satan showeth us the Bait, and hideth the Hook, but Christ telleth us the worst at first. The World useth to invite followers with Promises of Honors and Riches, and Christ telleth us not of the Crown, but the Cross: Why so? partly to discourage Hypocrites, who will come and cheapen and taste, but will not buy; Christ will not deceive them, but have them count the Charges: Partly to forearm his People, that they account afflictions▪ will come, and prepare accordingly. We entered upon the ways of Godliness on these Terms, to be willing to suffer Afflictions when the Lord seeth fit, and therefore we should arm ourselves with a mind to endure them, whether they come or no. God never intended Isaac should be sacrificed, yet he will have Abraham lay the Knife to his throat: Partly because Sorrows foreseen leave not so sad an impression upon the spirit, the evil is more familiarized before it cometh: Job 3.25. For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me: When we suffer our fears to prophesy, and do expect evils, they smart less; praecogitati mali mollis ictus ; but when they come unlooked for, it is the more burdensome: He saith his Lesson best that often conned it over. Partly because it allayeth the offense, when we see nothing befalleth us but what we were warned of beforehand, John. 16.1. These things have I spoken to you, that ye should not be offended: And Ver. 4. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. The Scripture speaketh nothing at random; we pretend to believe them when they are read, and yet we complain when they are fulfilled. For all these Reasons it is necessary that those that will be Christ's Disciples, must be forewarned in peaceable times of approaching Troubles, and the rather because we are so apt still to promise great things to ourselves.

2 VSE. Is of Reproof of several sorts.

1. Of those that suffer per Force, by compulsion and constraint, not willingly. It is not enough to bear the Cross, but we must take it. It is said of the three Children, That they yielded their Bodies, that they might not Serve nor Worship any God, except their own God, Dan. 3.28. that is, they cheerfully suffered themselves to be cast into the Furnace, rather than Worship any but the true God. Many suffer, but it is unwillingly and against stomach, with repining and impatience under the Hand of God, like refractory Oxen, that draw back, and are loath to submit their Necks to the Yoke, especially such as have not been acquainted with sufferings. Patience per force is no true Patience, little better than the Patience of the Devils and Damned in Hell, who suffer Misery and Torment against their Wills, being forced to it. Rebellion and want of Subjection is the very Curse of Crosses, it maketh the burden heavier than otherwise it would be, and causeth God to redouble his strokes, as a stubborn Child under the Rod hath the more blows.

2. Those that murmur not against the Cross in general, but such a Cross, if it were any other they could bear it. Christ saith, Take up the Cross, indefinitely, whatever God is pleased to lay on us; we must not be our own Carvers, but stand to God's allowance: The Patient is not to choose his own Physic, God knows what is best for us. Men under their Troubles wish that God would afflict them in another kind, lay any trouble upon them rather than that which is laid, and think they could bear it better: The poor Man wisheth any other Cross but Poverty, the sick Man he could bear Poverty better than the Pain of Sickness; he that hath a long and lingering sickness wisheth for a sharp fit so it might be short; and on the contrary another feeling a sharp and violent Sickness, could wish for a longer, so it were less painful. Thus we are apt to dislike our Cross which God layeth on us for the present: But this is Disobedience to God and Folly too, for if God should leave us to ourselves to choose our own Crosses, we should choose worse for ourselves than the Lord doth, that affliction which is hurtful and dangerous for us. The Lord knows what is best for us, and in what Vein to strike us.

3. Those that desert their Duty and their Station, as being discouraged by the Cross: These are more culpable than the former, Psal. 125.5. As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: He had been speaking of the rod of the wicked resting on the lot of the righteous, Ver. 3. and therefore by them that turn aside he meaneth such as dare not trust God, nor adhere to the Comfort of the Promises; these are in the same rank with open Enemies, Rev. 21.8. The fearful and unbelieving are joined together.

4. Those that seek to make their worldly advantage, and the Profession of the Gospel agree further than they ever will; and when they cannot frame the World and their Conveniencies to the Gospel, they will fashion a Gospel to the World and their carnal Courses in it: It is pity such had not been of the Lord's Council, when he first contrived and preached the Gospel, that they might have helped him to some discreet and mild course, that would have served the turn for Heaven and Earth; but do what ye can, the way is narrow that leadeth to life, Mat. 7.14. Take my yoke upon you, &c. and ye shall find rest unto your souls, Matth. 11.29.

5. Those that suffer, but it is for their evil doing; these take not up the Cross of Christ, but the Cross of the Thieves: Or if a Man put himself upon needless danger, he taketh not up Christ's Cross, but his own, and so hath his amends in his own hands: Afflictions so coming may be sanctified by Repentance, good in their Use, though not in their Cause. When we suffer for our faults, we ought to bear it patiently, but we cannot suffer so cheerfully, 1 Pet. 4.15. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil doer, or as a busy body in other men's matters.

3 VSE. To press us to take up the Cross, and to take heed of grudging and heartless discouragement. Now that you may so take up the Cross, see the Hand and Counsel of God in it: So it was as to Christ's Cross, Acts 2.23. Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Joh. 18.11. The Cup which my Father hath given me, &c. and so as to the Christian's Cross, 1 Thes. 3.3. That no man should be moved by these afflictions, for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. All things must obey God's appointment, and everyone must yield up himself to the disposal of God: And we have Christ's Example, who took up his Cross for us, and doth not call us, but to walk in such ways as he hath trodden before us, 1 Pet. 2.21. For even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: He hath paved the way with the blessing of his Example, whatever the Cross be: Are we Banished our Country? Our Lord Jesus was a stranger upon Earth, and when he was in the Cradle he was carried into Egypt: Are you poor? you cannot be poorer than Christ, who had not where to rest his Head: Are you constrained to hard Fare? He thought a draught of Water a courtesy, John 4.7. Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink: And on the Cross they gave him Vinegar to drink, when he was athirst: Christ Preached in a Boat in the midst of the Waves: Do but read the History of Christ's Life, and the hardship he endured, and will you be scandalized at a little suffering? Are you reproached? Christ himself was called a Devil, accused of Blasphemy and Sedition, and you must not think to be better used than he was: Quum Christus ipse crucem & supplicia passus sit, tantùm illis pretii accessit, ut nemo istis dignus sit, saith Luther: Since Christ hath endured the Cross, there hath such a Value and Honor accrued to it thereby, that no Man is worthy to have this Honor put upon him. We bear it together with Christ, Rom. 8.26. The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities ; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : 1 Cor. 10.13. He will with the Temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it: Such a Master may well expect cheerful Servants. He will give us Peace and Comfort in all our Sufferings, John 16.33. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace; in the World ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the World: 2 Cor. 1.5. For as the Sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. Jacob when he slept, and had an heap of Stones for his Pillow, had then the Visions of God; and usually when we are taken off from the Comforts of the World, then we have the clearest manifestations of the Love of God, Rom. 5.5. The Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. It is an Honor for us to suffer with Christ, and for Christ, Phil. 1.29. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake: And all this, how bitter soever it be for the present, will end well, Acts 14.22. We must through many tribulations enter into the Kingdom of God. After this howling Wilderness there will be a Canaan. We have had our times of good, and is it nothing to pass over so much of our time in Peace and Comfort? Job 2.10. Shall we receive good at the hands of God, and shall we not receive evil?

4 VSE. If all that enter themselves Disciples of Christ must prepare for the Cross, then are we indeed prepared for it? You will think all this needeth not in times of Peace, when Religion is under the Covert and Protection of the Laws, and we are not called to the Afflictions of the Gospel; yet certainly such questions as these are not to be entertained coldly and carelessly. Have you prepared your shoulders for the Cross of Christ? it is necessary to put it to you,

1. Because of private Crosses, which are incident to all, such as Loss of Goods and Relations, Pains of Body, Sickness, Reproach, Contempt, and the like. There is none get out of the World without some Execises, 1 Pet. 5.9. Knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your Brethren that are in the World: Heb. 6.12. That ye be not slothful, but followers of them, who thro▪ Faith and Patience inherit the Promises. All the Heirs of Salvation have their Conflicts before they come to enjoy their Hopes. The Earth is a middle place between Heaven and Hell, and partaker of both; it is only evil that is in Hell, and only good that is in Heaven; but here our State is mixed, our Afflictions are tempered with some Comforts, and our Comforts seasoned with some Afflictions. Earth must be Earth, and Heaven must be Heaven; here we must expect our Trials, Job 2.10. Shall we receive good at the hand of the Lord, and shall we not receive evil? therefore we need to be provided; there is Good that need to be tried, and Bad that need to be purged out.

2. Because we should be always ready to encounter the greatest difficulties: Tho' we do not always lie under Tribulations and Persecutions, yet we should be always prepared, Preparatione Animi, as Joseph prepared for the Years of Scarcity in the Years of Plenty. The wise Virgins had not only Oil in their Lamps, but Oil in their Vessels; we should not only have Grace for present use, but against future Temptations. Now have you indeed this Preparation of Heart? and because a Man may crack and vaunt it before the Temptation cometh, let us consider who hath this Preparation of Heart, so as cheerfully, willingly, and patiently to bear the Cross; and who hath it not.

1. He that is not Strict and Holy in a time of Peace, will not be cheerful in a time of Trouble, Acts 9.31. Then had the Churches rest, &c. and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied: When we are not called to Passive Obedience, and Suffering, our active Obedience should be more cheerfully performed. Now where is it so? Our Fathers suffered more willingly for Christ than we speak for him; they were not ashamed to die for a Crucifyed Jesus, they endured the Fire better than we can a Frown or Scoff.

2. He that is not mortified to the World, but loveth a Flesh-pleasing Life, is but ripening himself for Apostasy, James 5.5. Ye adulterers, and adulteresses! know ye not that the friendship of the World is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a Friend of the World, is the Enemy of God. A fond and delicate Person, that hath a Value for Worldly Contentments, will be grieved when he cometh to part with them: He that is corrupted with Prosperity, will be dejected with Adversity; but no Man is prepared but he that is Crucifyed to the World by the Cross of Christ, that liveth in a holy Weanedness in the midst of his present Enjoyments, Gal. 6.14. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the World is crucified to me, and I unto the World.

3. He that is not abounding in Charity, and willing to part with Temporal things in a way of free distribution, will be loath to part with them by constraint, and by way of Sacrifice and voluntary Surrender to God, when he calls for them. I offer this, because the Churches that were free from Persecution, are still charged with the Duty of Charity; and it is a general Precept, Gal. 6.10. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of Faith: Because he that will not part with his Superfluities willingly to God, will never part with his Substance and the main of his Estate with rejoicing, when it is made a Prey to the Violence of Men. It is irrational to think, that he that grudgeth at a Command, that requires him to part only with a little of his Temporal Conveniencies, will not storm at the Violence, when all is taken away: James 5.1. Go to now, ye rich Men! weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. There are their howling times, when that Wealth which they sat abrood upon, is taken away in an instant.

4. He that cannot digest lighter Afflictions, how will he bear greater? Ier. 12.5. If thou hast run with the Foot-men, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with Horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? The Prophet was all in a Pet, because the Men of his Town and Neighbourhood had conspired against him, and were very troublesome to him: God tells him, If thou canst not bear this, how wilt thou do when thou art exposed to greater Trials? There are private Persecutions, therefore Father and Mother are put into the Catalogue of things to be renounced by us, when we take to Christ, Luke 14.26. If any Man come to me, and hate not his Father, and Mother, and Wife, and Children, and Brethren, and Sisters, yea and his own Life also, he cannot be my Disciple. If a Frown, and Disgrace, and loss of Preferment, be so much, how will you endure Rapine, and Torture, and all manner of Violence and Evil?

5. He that begrudgeth a little Pains for God, and counts it so tedious to Converse with him a little while in Duties of Holiness, and reckons all labor too much, and is loath to strive to enter in at the strait gate, Luk. 13.24. how will he endure Torments, and expose the Body to all kind of Sufferings? Necesse est, ut ei honestum vile sit, cui corpus charum est: He that is so tender of his Ease, so delicate that he cannot endure the Labors of the Gospel, how will he bear the Afflictions of the Gospel? If it be irksome to put the Body to a little trouble in Prayer, or Meditating, or other Holy Duties, how will he rejoice in the midst of all Tribulations that shall befall him for Christ's sake? Thus you see how few are prepared for the Cross.

SERMON IX. ON MARK X. v. 22.

W E have hitherto seen the Young Man at his Best: Now we shall find him discovered and laid open in his own Colours. It was well that he came to Christ with such Reverence and Seriousness about such a weighty Question, as, What shall I do that I may inherit Eternal Life? It was well if he could say truly, All these have I kept from my youth: But now here is the Event and Issue of this Interlocutory Discourse between him and Christ, when Christ bid him Sell all, and take up his Cross, and follow him ; then he went away sad, &c.

Here Observe,

• 1. How he was affected with Christ's Advice, He was sad at the saying, and went away grieved.
• 2. The Reason of his Sorrow, or why he was thus affected, For he had great Possessions.

In the First Part we may Observe,

(1.) The kind o • the Affection, he was not angry but sorry; he doth not fret and fume, but goes away sorrowful.

(2.) Observe the Degree of it; it is expressed here by two things, a sad Heart, and a heavy Countenance. The Sadness of his Countenance I gather from the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , He was sad at that saying: The word properly signifies, He lowred at that saying, the lowering of the Heavens is expressed by that word, So the Sky was red and lowering, Mat. 16.3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : Then the sadness of his Heart, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , He went away grieved ; in Luk. 18.23. it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , He was very sorrowful: Note, that he went away, and we hear no more of him, like those John. 6.66. At that time many of his Disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

Secondly Here is the reason of this, For he had great Possessions. In Luke it is said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , He was very rich ; he had both 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Possessions, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Riches too, as appears by the next Verse. And observe, that the bare having is rendered as the Reason, He had great Possessions, and therefore he went away sad: It is hard to have them without Lustful Affections to them. It may be if he had so little as the poor Fisher-men, or the other Disciples whom Christ called, he would sooner have left all and followed Christ; but having so much to lose, it was the more difficult for him to forsake all; He went away, for he had great Possessions.

To give you a few brief Points:

• 1. That a Man may go very far, and be zealous and forward at first, yet afterwards cool and fall away.
• 2. That Trials bring men forth to the Light, and make them manifest what they are.
• 3. A Man wedded to the World, will renounce Christ, and his Commands rather than the World whenever it comes to a proof.
• 4. A Carnal worldly Man may be very sorrowful, when he cannot have Heaven in his own way.
• 5. The Disease of Worldlings is very incident to great men, and it is a very hard matter to keep the Heart of such open and free for Christ.

1 Doct. That a Man may go far, and be zealous and forward at first, and yet cool and fall away at last.

Witness this Young Man, who comes to Christ to learn of him the way of Life, and that in such an humble and reverent manner, and makes Profession that he had kept the Commandments from his Youth; and yet when Christ tells him what he must do more, he was troubled, and falls off. So Judas walked with Christ for a while, but afterwards proveth a Traitor to him: John. 6.70. Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a Devil? When others were turning away from Christ, and were offended at his Doctrine, he continues in Christ's Company, and yet a Devil for all that; Judas was not carried away with the stream of the De • ection; he kept the Bag, and his Temptation was not yet come, yet his Heart was not sound. So Herod heard John gladly, and did many things, yet afterwards put him to Death, Mark 6.20. Simon Magus, he believed, and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the Miracles and Signs which were done, Acts 8.13. Here was Faith and solemn Profession, and Fellowship with Philip, and this not feignedly, but out of a Sence and Conviction of a power that accompanied his Doctrine, and yet afterwards he discovered that he was but in the gall of bitterness, and bond of Iniquity, Verse 23. The Reasons of this are,

(1.) They take up Religion upon Forreign and Extrinsick Reasons, and when those Reasons fail, their Religion saileth also: As Puppets moved by the Wires to which they are fastened; so they are moved by Credit and Esteem, and Countenance in the World: They Court Religion while it hath a Portion for them. Thus we read of some that followed Christ for the Loaves, John 6.26. Ye seek me, not because ye saw the Miracles, but because ye eat of the loaves, and were filled: And ye rejoiced in his light for a season, John 5.35. Curiosity and Novelty made them rejoice in his Light for a while: Vix queritur Jesus, propter Jesus ; Religion is scarce received in the World for Religion's sake. Now foreign things as they are accidental to Religion, Possunt abesse & adesse ; so must the respect built upon them be casual and accidental, and very uncertain, even as those Reasons vary. Men upon these Forreign Reasons may be very zealous for a time, as Interest will urge men more than Conscience, and when it is their Interest to follow or promote such a way, they are vehement Sticklers for it. Therefore the difference between false and sincere Professors is not altogether taken from their Zeal and outward diligence; they may be exceeding zealous and forward upon the Impulsion of false Principles, who have a base Heart lurking under it; because the Motions of Lusts disguised with Religion are rapid and earnest, and by-ends have a powerful influence. Thô Lust be served, yet because it is in the way of Religion, Men's Affections are much aloft, and they may seem to have great Fits and zealous pangs in the Service of God, and yet all this comes to nothing.

(2.) Because they many times rest in Externals without Internal Grace. This Young Man for Outward Conformity went very far: There is nothing for External Duties that a Child of God doth, but a Hypocrite may do also; he may Pray, Preach, Conferr, hear the Word, though' not in a holy and gracious manner. A Painter may paint the External color of Fire, but not the Internal Virtue and Heat of it; or the Limbs, Shape, Figure and Colour of a Man, but the Life cannot be painted, there is no counterfeiting that: So many men deceive themselves and others by a show of Religion, and their Diligence in External Duties, when they are void of the Truth and Power of it; the Power of Religion cannot be counterfeited. Now Externals will in time be cast off, where there is not the Root to feed them.

(3.) Because that Internal Affection which they seem to have to the ways of God, is not rooted and fixed, only a slight Tincture, that may easily be worn off; Luke 8.13. They on the rock, are they which when they hear receive the Word with joy, and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. At first Men have some Taste, and seem to feel some Sweetness in the Word, and that begets a little Affection to it, and that Affection begets Profession, and that Profession begets External Reformation; so far it is good: but in time they lose their Relish and Taste, and then their Affection is gone and dried up, and then their Leaf falls, and afterwards run from their Profession into Profaneness, and a plain distaste of the ways of God.

(4.) Their Corrupt Lusts were only restrained, not mollified and weakened, and so it is but like a Sore that is skinn'd over, and festers inwardly, and will at length break out again. This is the Case of many, Luke 8.14. That which fell among Thorns, are they, which when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with c •• es and riches, and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. Many an unsound Professor seems to cast the World, and their old Fashions behind their back, yet their Hearts are not wholly weaned from them, nor are they wholly cast out; some prevalent Lust remains that will make them turn back to their old Vomit again: So dangerous it is to have Satan only gone out for a while, and not cast out; Luk. 11.24. to have anything wherein to delight besides Christ, when we close with him; or to have those things which we formerly seemed to slight, to seem great and lovely again, and bare bulk in our Eyes. This Point is but reductive to this place, therefore I shall not handle it at large.

VSE. It doth press unto two things; to search for a sound Work, and to watch against Declinings.

(1.) To search for a true Sound Work. We have need to shift and ransack all the Corners of our Souls, to see that there be no one reserved Lust as a Seed of our Revolt and Apostasy from Christ. One Leak let alone will ruin the Ship; so will one Lust the Soul, Psal. 119.133. Order my steps in thy Word, and let not any Iniquity have dominion over me. Whilst any one Sin remains unbroken, all that we do in Conformity to God will be lost: And therefore let us search, and • ee that our Love to the ways of God be founded in a complete Resignation to his Use and Service, and a renouncing of every fleshly Interest, if we would constantly persevere with Christ. Profession will fail, unless there be a good and an honest Heart to bear it out; and what's that, but a Resolution to make this our great business and Interest, to get the Love of God in Christ, whatever it cost us? It is not enough to have good Offers and Inclinations; one Idol left in the Heart will estrange us from God: Ezek. 14.4, 5, 6. Every man of the house of Israel, that setteth up his Idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling-block of his Iniquity before his face, and cometh to the Prophet, I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his Idols: That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their Idols. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God, Repent and turn yourselves from your Idols, and turn away your face from all your abominations: And what is prized besides Christ, will be soon prized above Christ; therefore unless the Sweetness of his Grace makes all the Baits of the Flesh unsavory to us, we cannot be sound.

(2.) To watch against Declinings; for we lose ground every day, as a thing running down the Hill falls lower and lower, if we do not keep up a constant Relish and Savour of good things. When you lose your first Love, you will leave your first Works, Rev. 2.4, 5. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first Love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy first works. We see it is very Ordinary for New Converts to be carried on with a great measure of Affection and Zeal, because of the Newness of the thing, and the edge upon their Affections is not yet blunted by change of Condition, or multiplicity of Business, and the Lord restrains furious Temptations, till they be a little confirmed and engaged in his way, and he has a deeper sense of Comfort. Now take heed to keep up this, for when this Edge is blunted and taken off, a Man loses Ground. Therefore the Apostle saith, Heb. 3.6. Whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Upon our first acquaintance with Christ, there is a mighty Joy of Heart, and Comfort in the hopes of a Pardon, and of Eternal Life: O! you must keep up this to the End. If you quite lose your Savour, you run into total Apostasy, and if you lose it in part, you grow remiss and lazy: If you have not such delight in God, you can read and hear the Offers of Grace and Eternal Life, without any considerable Joy and Thankfulness, you have not that lively sense you were wont to have; take heed, you are upon decay.

2 Doct. That Trials bring Men forth to the Light, and make them manifest what they are.

Here upon the Trial the Young Man is discovered. Who would but have thought this Young Man good till now? But when he heard Christ's Terms, he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved. As Lime seems cold, and to have no heat and warmth in it, till you pour water upon it, then it burns and smokes; so our corrupt Affections lie hid, till there be an occasion to try them. Trials are either Extraordinary or Ordinary. Extraordinary, as that of Abraham, Gen. 22.1. And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham ; that is, try him for his Discovery, by the Command for sacrificing of his Son, his only Son, the Son whom he loved, the Son of the Promise. So this Young Man, Christ tries him, Sell all. But then God's Ordinary Trial is in the course of his Providence, or by his Word. By his Providence, either by Affliction, Dan. 11.35. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them. 1 Pet. 1.7. That the trial of your Faith being much more precious than of Gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise: Or some other occasion offered to discover either Grace or Sin, as Joseph was tried by the Temptation of his Mistress. Or by his Word, which doth search and try our Hearts, when it pursueth them within, and followeth them home to their Consciences, John 6.60. When they heard this, they said, It is a hard saying, who can hear it? They are offended, when it toucheth upon a bosom Sin, Pride, Sensuality, or Covetousness, or unlawful Pleasure, they are tried by it.

Again, Trial is either for the discovery of Grace or Corruption, to discover the Corruption of their Hearts, or the weakness of their Graces: — So God trieth his People, as he tried Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 32.31. Howbeit in the business of the Ambassadors of the Princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the Land, God left him to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart: So Christ tried his Apostles, John 6.6. And this he said to prove them, for he himself knew what he would do.

REASONS:

1. It is for Good, that Men should be discovered; the Graces of his People to their comfort, and their Weakness that it may be repaired; as when a Man tries a Leaky Vessel with an intent to make it more stanch; and a Man that is Diseased, by walking and stirring the Disease appears, it is better it should be discovered, that it might be remedied, than to lie hid in the Body, till it kill us. The Hypocrite is tried that he may be discovered, Prov. 26.26. His wickedness shall be shown before the whole Congregation: It is a great part of God's Providence to uncase Hypocrites. It is for the Churches Good, lest men get a Name to do Religion a mischief: And

2. It is for the Glory of God, that men may appear what they are, and for the reclaiming of Offenders. Many were likely to have Grace, if they were discovered to themselves, and knew they had no Grace. Trials are ordered by God for this end and purpose; God is wise, and knows in what Vein to strike. God tries not to inform himself, but to discover us to ourselves, Psal. 139.2. Thou understandest my thoughts afar off: God knows not only Conclusions and Events, but the first contrivances, though' afar off: As a Man in the Air may see a River in the rise, fountain and course all at once; so God doth see things all together, but he tries us, that we may be discovered to ourselves, and suits the Means accordingly.

VSE. Well then, expect Trials, and see to it, how you behave yourselves under them.

1. Expect Trials. Matth. 7. We read of two Builders, the one built upon the Sand, the other on the Rock; when they had built, the tightness of the Building was to be tried, the winds blew, the rain fell, the waves did swell and arise, that that was built on the Rock stood, that that was built on the Sand fell. Whosoever buildeth a confidence for Heaven, must look to have his Building tried: Count it not strange, we are loath to forecast, and to think of Trials. You shall see even the People of God many times are subject to Security when trials are nearest. When the Shepherd was to be smitten, and the Sheep scattered, then the Disciples were asleep, Mat. 26.40. And they were dreaming of Ease, and of dividing Kingdoms when the Cross was at their heels, Acts 1.6. Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel? We Promise ourselves perpetual Exemption, if we have but a little breathing time; Psal. 30.6. In my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved : We take a carnal Pillow, and lie down upon it, and count it strange when it comes.

2. Be careful how you Acquit yourselves in Trials. When the hour of Temptation is come upon the Earth, then we should be cautious: Rev. 3.10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the World, to try them that dwell upon the Earth. Whatever a Man doth, he will behave himself well when he is upon his Trial.

3 Doct. That a Man we • ded to the World, will renounce Christ and his Commands rather than the World, when it comes to a proof.

When two Persons walk together, you cannot tell to whom the Servant that follows them belongs, but when they part Company then it is seen: So when Christ and the World part, then the Servant of the World, and the Servant of Christ is seen: for he that is addicted to the World will break all the Commands of Christ for the World's sake. It must needs be so, for the World diverts the Heart from Christ, and sets the Heart against Christ.

(1.) The Love of the World diverts the Heart from Christ, that there is no room for Holy things. The Heart will be where the Treasure is, Mat. 6.21. and so the delight that we should have in heavenly things will be intercepted, the stream will be carried another way, the Heart will be withdrawn from God, whom we should love with all our Soul and might. Look, as in a pair of Ballances, what you take out of one Scale, you make the other so much the more weighty: Just so our Souls hang like a pair of Ballances between God and the World; what you give to the World you take from God, and what you give to heavenly things you take from the World, Col. 3.7. Set your Affections on things above, not on things of the World. Our Desires cannot be carried out after Heavenly things with any Intention, unless they be remitted to the World.

(2.) The Love of the World sets the Heart against Christ, and carries it to contrary things: I shall prove it by three Considerations. It disposeth and inclineth the Soul to all evil. It incapacitateth us for the doing of any good, and it hinders us from the receiving any Good.

1. It disposeth and inclineth the Soul to all evil. It makes a Man break every Command of the Law of God: The love of Money is the root of all evil, 1 Tim. 6.10. Let it once reign in the Heart, and then a Man sticks at no Sin, and he becomes a ready prey for Satan; when his Heart is intoxicated with the love of present things. Micah 2.2. Covet fields, and take them by violence, and houses, and take them away, so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. First they covet, and then they will stop at nothing, but break out into all that is unseemly: Let Judas but inchant his thoughts with the pleasure of a supposed Gain that he can make of his Master, and he will soon come with a Qui • dabitis? What will you give me? Gehazai let him but affect a Reward, and he will dis • onour God, and lay a stumbling block in the way of a new and Noble Convert. Let Achan 's Heart be tickled and pleased a little with the sight of it, and he will be purloining the wedge of Gold and Babylonish Garment. Let Balaam hear of Gold and Silver, and he will curse Israel against his Conscience, and venture though' there be an Angel in the way to stop him. Ahab will consent to Naboth 's Blood, when his Vineyard is in the chase. Ananias and Sapphira will keep back part of what was dedicated to God, if they look upon what they part withal. Simon Magus will deny Religion, and return to his old Sorceries, that he may be some great one among the People: So that there is no Sin so foul, but the Love of the World will make it plausible, and reconcile it to the thoughts of Men.

2. It incapacitateth us, and makes us uncapable of doing Service to God in our General and Particular Calling.

(1.) In our General Calling,

1. It destroys the Principle of Obedience, which is the Love of God: 1 John 2.15. If any Man love the World, the love of the Father is not in him. The great Principle which sways and inclines the Heart to do the Will of God, is Love; now the Love of the World, and the Love of God are contrary, and inconsistent: Love anything besides Christ, and you will soon love it above Christ: Why? Because the Love of God is a Stranger and Forreigner, the Love of the World is a Native.

2. It is contrary to the Matter of our Obedience. The Commands of God, and the Commands of Mammon are contrary, Mat. 6.24. No man can serve two Masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon. God saith, Pity the Afflicted, relieve the miserable, venture all for a good Conscience, seek Heaven in the first place with your most ardent Affection, with your most earnest Diligence. But now Mammon saith, Be sparing of your Substance, follow the World as hard you can, stick at nothing, Lye, Steal, comply with the Lusts of Men, and then you shall be rich. Well now, he that is ruled by Mammon, whose Eyes the God of this World hath blinded, that is, enchanted with the Love of worldly Goods, he can never serve God, he loves Wealth above all, he trusts it above all, he serves it more than God himself; though his Tongue dare not say Earth is better than Heaven, and that the things of this Life are better than everlasting Blessedness, and therefore they shall have more of his Heart and care, yet his Life says it, he can part with God for the Matters of this World. In short, it unfits us not only for one Duty, but for all Duties required of us. God's Laws are for Respects to God, Neighbor and Self: This inordinate Love of the World denies what is due to God, what is necessary for our Neighbor, and what is comfortable for Our selves. A Man that loves the World, is unthankful to God, unmerciful to his Neighbor, and cruel to himself.

3. It slights the Encouragements of Obedience, which are the Rewards of God: As it weakeneth all our future Hopes, and depresseth our Heart from looking after Spiritual and heavenly things. They despise their Birth-right, Heb. 12.16. and when they are invited to the Wedding, Matth. 22. they prefer their Farm, Oxen, and Merchandize, before the rich Feast of Grace which God invites us to.

(2.) He that loves the World, will break with God in the Duties of his particular Calling for the World's sake. What manner of Men ought Magistrates to be? Exod. 18.21. Such as fear God, men of truth, hating Covetousness ; not only not covetous, but hating Covetousness ; for let this once possess his Heart, it will make him base, and act unworthily, nay for a piece of Bread will that Man transgress. Then for a Minister, what a poor meal-mouthed Creature will it make him! One Qualification of a Minister is, 1 Tim. 3.3. Not to be greedy of filthy lucre. If his Heart be set upon that, it makes him sordid, low-spirited, flattering and daubing to curry Favor with Men, more intent upon his Gain and Profit, than the saving of Souls. See the work of a Minister, 1 Pet. 5.2. Feed the flock of God that is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind: What a low, flat Ministry will that be, that is inspired with no other aim but Outward Profit! If that be their Inducement to undertake, and their prime Encouragement to discharge the Work of their Calling, how soon will they strain themselves to please men, (especially Great ones) and writhe themselves into all postures, to sooth the Humours and Lusts of others, as Balaam, 2 Pet. 2.15. Who loved the wages of unrighteousness ; and therefore would fain curse the People whom God blessed. This base, powerful, imperious Lust will draw men to very base and unworthy Actions: Saith God, Ezek. 13.19. Will ye pollute me among my people for handfulls of barley, and pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls of people alive, that should not live by your lying to my people that hear your lies: That is to say, what will you declaim against the Good, and harden the Evil in their Evil, and comply with the fashions of the World thus to humor Men? So if a Man be a Master of a Family, Prov. 15.27. He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house: What a burden and trouble will he be to his Servants, and all about him! In short, It's Love of the World that makes one an oppressing Landlord, another a false Tradesman, and an ill Neighbor, that makes him study Iniquity of Traffick, Ezek. 28.5. By thy great wisdom, and by thy Traffick hast thou increased thy riches: So that it is the Pest and Bane of Human Societies.

3. It hinders the Receiving of Good, and those Means of Reformation that should make us better. A Man that is under the power of worldly Lusts, is prejudiced against whatever shall be spoken for God, and for the Concernments of another World: Luke 16.14. The Pharisees also who were Covetous, heard all these things, and derided him. If the word stir us a little, and Men begin to have some Anxious thoughts about Eternal Life, these Thorns, which are the Cares of this World, will choke the good Seed, and stiffle our Convictions, so as they come to nothing; Matth. 13.22. He also that receiveth seed among the thorns, is he th • t heareth the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful : They will distract the Head with Cares, and put out all Thoughts of our Eternal Condition. If a Man begins to do some outward thing, it will make us soon weary of Religion, and attendance on Holy Duties, as if all time laid out upon God were lost; and they cry out, When will the Sabbath be over, that we may set forth wheat, Amos 8.5. The Heathens counted the Jews a foolish People, as Seneca saith, because they lost a full seventh part of their lives, he speaks it with respect to the Sabbath. So other Men are of his Mind, they think all lost that is laid out upon God: And it distracts us in Duty, and carries away our Heart, Ezek. 33.31. They come unto me as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy word, but they will not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their Covetousness. It interlines our Prayers, and holy Services with worldly Projects and Thoughts: Nay it turns Religion into a Trade and Market: Men live by it, it makes Religion to serve their worldly Ends, they make a Market of their Devotion, as the Shechemites, for then (say they) their Substance and their Cattle will be ours.

VSE. To inform us of the Evil of Worldliness. We need to be set right in that, for most Men stroke it with a gentle Censure: They will say, he is a good Man, but a little worldly, as if it were no great matter to be so; nay Men are apt to applaud those that are guilty of this Sin, Psal. 10.3. They bless the Covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth: He that by hook and crook gets Honor and Riches, is the only prudent Man in their Account. If our Children are Loose, and Drunkards, and Riotous, we are offended, but if we see them worldly, we are not troubled. O it is a foul Sin, but the Men of the World will not believe it; surely we have too mild thoughts of it, and therefore we do not watch and strive against the Love of the World: Luke 12.15. Take heed and beware of Covetousness ; the words are doubled for the more vehemency, he doth not say, take heed only, but take heed and beware of Covetousness. Sins that are more gross and sensual are easier discovered, and such a Sinner is sooner reclaimed, but this is a secret Sin that turns away the Heart from God: And to make you more careful to avoid it, in Scripture a Covetous Man is called an Idolater, Eph. 5.3. and Covetousness is called Idolatry, Col. 3.5. and is that a small Crime? What, to set up another God? who are you that dare to harbor such an Evil in your Bosoms, and make no great matter of it? Will you dethrone that God which made you, and set up the World in his stead? It is called Adultery, James 4.4. It is a breach of your Conjugal Vow. You did promise in your Baptism to renounce the World, and give up yourselves unto Christ's Service, and will you cherish such whorish and disloyal Affections as will carry you to the Creature instead of God? O we cannot think bad enough of such a Sin.

4 Doct. A Carnal worldly Man may be sorrowful, when he cannot win Heaven in his own way.

When he cannot get Heaven, and his own will in the World also, as this Young man was, when he could not be a Christian at a cheaper rate: He departed from Christ sad, as loath to miss this Felicity, and yet loath to pay so dear for it. There is a Sorrow that worketh Repentance to Salvation never to be repented of, 2 Cor. 7.10. but this is of another Nature, it makes a wound in the Conscience, and doth no more. It troubled him much that he had moved this Question, when he did not find Christ's Answer according to his desire and expectation. And this is just the Disposition of a Man that hath a sense of Eternity, and yet is wedded to his Lusts: Fain he would be happy hereafter, but will not leave his Lusts now; so they are troubled they cannot have Christ and the World too, Christ for their Consciences, and the World for their Affections: They love this World, and yet would fain be saved in the world to come, and therefore are grieved when they cannot have both. On the one side they are troubled, with a sense of Religion, and on the other side with a fear of losing their worldly Interests: See a like trouble in Herod, Matth. 14.9. The King was sorry, nevertheless for his Oaths sake, and for them that sat with him at meat, he commands it to be given her: He was loath to put John to Death, and yet loath to deny her: So Balaam would have the Reward, and yet loath to go against the Express Command of God, 21 st. and 22 d. Chapters of Numbers: So Pilate was loath to condemn Christ against his own Conscience. Thus shall we be affected, till we seek God with our whole Hearts.

This Sorrow of the Young Man will give us some Light as to the difference between those conflicts that are in a Gracious and Renewed Man, and those conflicts that are in the Unregenerate. There are conflicts in both, yet they differ much: In the Unregenerate, Graceless Soul the conflict is between Conviction and Corruption, Conscience wrestles with their Lusts, and Lusts wrestle with Conscience, and so Men are sorrowful upon Carnal, not Godly Reasons; whereas the conflict in the Regenerate is in the same Faculty, Carnal Reason against Spiritual Reason, and Carnal Will against Spiritual Will, Carnal Affections against Spiritual Affections; the Battle is fought in every Faculty. In the Conflict betwixt the Flesh and Spirit in the Regenerate, the Spiritual part prevails. Herod, and Pilate, and Balaam, had a Conflict, Natural Conscience did restrain them for a while, but at last they yielded. And here the Young Man yielded, and went away sorrowful: This Conflict and Sorrow may have a wound in the Conscience, but it doth not prevail to cause them to look after Heaven on Christ's own Terms.

The last Point is taken from the Reason of his heavy and sorrowful Departure, For he had great possessions. He had them, is that a Fault? Here is no Note of Crime put upon him, as to his getting of them: He is not taxed with an insatiable desire of Riches, nor with unconscionable means to get them; only it is said, that he was marvelously Rich, and had great Possessions, and therefore he went away sorrowful; so that the Point will be this,

5 Doct. That the Disease of Worldliness is very incident to great Persons, and Men of Quality.

If we have not a mortified Heart, the very having an Estate may prove a Snare to us. I observe this, because many please themselves in this, that they have not got what they have by Extortion, or Cousenage, or by any fraudulent or unlawful Means, that their Heritage comes to them lawfully, in the fair way of Providence; but if they have it, and they look not to their Hearts, it will enchant them. It is not the means of gathering Wealth, but the deceitfulness of it however gathered that chokes the Word. The very possession and presence, though' it be not greedily sought for, nor unlawfully purchased, may inchant our Minds, and render us unapt to obey Christ's Commandments. Take three Propositions.

(1.) That it is possible, yea very likely that our Hearts may be inordinately set upon Wealth lawfully gotten; and therefore God gives us that Caution, Psal. 62.10. If Riches increase, set not your heart upon them. Tho' they should increase by God's Providence, yet consider, a Man may drink too freely, and be intoxicated with his own Wine. The Mind may be enchanted with a secret delight and desire to retain and increase Riches, lawfully gotten. A man may be a Slave to his Wealth, and loath to part with it upon Religious Reasons: It is very likely it will be so when men have anything in the World. Saith Austin, Nescio quomodo cum superflua & terrena diliguntur, arctiùs adepta quam concupita comprimunt; nam unde juvenis, iste tristis discessit, nisi quia magnas habebat divitias? Aliud est enim nova incorporare, quia desunt; aliud jam incorporata divellere; illa enim velut cibi repudiantur, ista vero velut membra praeciduntur: I do not know how it comes to pass, but so it is, there is more Danger in possessing Wealth than in getting it; this Young man went away sad, for he had great Riches: And it is one thing (saith he) to refuse that we have not, another thing to part with what we have; we may refuse that we have not, as we do some meats; but that we have, we are loath to part with it, as we are with the Members of our Bodies. Covetousness is not to be determined by a greedy Thirst only, but also by Complacency, Delight, and Acquiescence of Soul in worldly Enjoyments. Tho' we would not desire more, yet if our Hearts be glued to that we have already, we are unapt for the Kingdom of God, these are torn from us as Members. In short, It is the Corruption of our Nature, that we are very prone to affect worldly Goods too much, and so much the more by how much the more plenty and abundance of them is enjoyed. The Moon is never in an Eclipse, but when she is at the full; so when we are at the full these things prevail over us. They that have much Flax and Gun-powder in their Houses, had need be careful to keep Fire from it; so a Christian that enjoys a great store of Wealth, had need look to his Heart, that Corruption do not meet with it; that Aversion from God, and Conversion to the Creature is so Natural to us, that when we have great store of the Worlds Goods, we are ready to set our Hearts too much on them.

(2.) Proposition : That the gathering of a Spiritual Disease is very secret and insensible. Bad Humours breed in the Body, and are not discovered till a strain; much more Distempers breed in the Soul e're we are aware, and therefore the more Caution is necessary: Prov. 30.9. Give me not riches, lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? Every Man is afraid of Want and Poverty, but who is afraid of Riches? yet Agur is as much afraid of that as of Poverty: Our greatest Learning is to learn how to abound. The worldly-minded judge Riches and abundance a happy Condition, O blessed is the Man, they will say, that is in such a Case! it is the sum of every Man's wish; but to be shye of the World, to suspect Danger in Plenty, it can never enter into their Hearts: But alas! as a rank Soyl is apt to breed Weeds, so many Snares are incident to this Condition, and this sort of Life. Alas, they that have great and plentiful Estates, how apt are they to pamper the Flesh, to grow forgetful of God, slight in holy things, to be wedded to worldly Greatness! A corrupt Heart will take Mischief in every course of Life, as a Drunken man will stumble in the plainest way, but especially in a plentiful Condition. As soon as men have anything in the World, their Heads are lifted up above their Brethren, and they grow proud, scornful of God's Word, slighting of Holy things, and we are wholly enchanted with pleasures of such an Estate, but consider not the Snares that secretly are laid for their Souls.

(3.) Proposition : There is no Means to prevent the Danger, but by the continual Exercise of Good works, and a prudent Carefulness to improve our Substance for God's Glory, and helpfulness to others. Look as we clip the wings of Birds, that they may not fly away from us; or as we cut off the superfluous Boughs of Trees, that they may not hinder their growth and heighth: So this should be your Care, not to join House to House, and Field to Field, for then our desires will swell into so vast an Excess and Proportion, as will not become Grace, and hopes of Heaven: No, but your business should be how you should honor God, Prov. 3.9. Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thy increase. Give Alms, and all shall be clean unto you, Luke 11.41. A Man's Care should rather be for contracting and cutting short his Desires, and how to make use of it in order to Eternal Life. Unless there be this constant Solicitude upon the Heart, it is impossible for a Rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

SERMON X. ON MARK X. v. 23.

Y OU have heard this Young Man was loath to sell all, and yet loath to quit his Hopes of Eternal Life. He did not go away murmuring and frowning against Christ, but because he could not bring both Ends together, He went away sad, for he had great possessions, The Instance of this Young man had raised them all into wonder, and therefore when they were full of Thoughts about it, our Lord would make use of this for the Instruction of his Disciples. You find our Lord edifying his Disciples upon all occassons, and improving every Occurrence for their Good. As a wise Man passing by the Field of the Sluggared learns Wisdom, and hath a sensible discovery of the Loss, and ill Effects of Idleness and careless Indiligence: So by this Young Rich Man's Refusal of Christ's Terms, the Disciples might know the Snares of the Wealthy, and what a pull-back from Christ the Love of the World is. Surely they that were sent forth to gain the World, need such an Instruction; partly, that they might be more diligent in warning rich men of their Danger and Duty, 1 Tim. 6.17. Charge them that are rich in this World, that they be not high-mind, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy : And partly, that they might not be offended, if their Doctrine should be despised by Men of that Rank and Order. The Rich and full fed Worldlings were likely to despise the Doctrine of a crucified Savior, and oppose his Worshippers, James 2.6, 7. But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the Judgment seats? Do they not blaspheme that worthy Name, by the which ye are called? Now they are fore-armed against this Contempt, by seeing Christ himself refused by a Rich Man. And partly for themselves, that laying aside all Thoughts of worldly Greatness, they might the better bear their own Poverty, Riches being such a hindrance and impediment to the Kingdom of God; for they were leavened with the Conceit of a Carnal Messiah, that they should be mighty men in the World; and until the Spirit was poured out, they had this Conceit; for these and such like Reasons: Jesus looked round about him, and saith to his Disciples, How hardly shall they that have Riches enter into the Kingdom of God? In this Verse we have,

(1.) Christ's Gesture, And Jesus looked round about him ; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Gesture of one that is to speak or do some notable thing, Luke 6.10. And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the Man, stretch forth thy hand: So here he looked round about to everyone of them, to see how they entertained this passage and occurrence of Providence, and to stir up their Attention, and to cause them to be affected with it as a matter of some great weight and moment; that when this Moral, Sweet-natured, forward Young Man came with such respect, kneeling to him, and asking him such a Question, and went away sad, Jesus looked round about, as if he had said, How do you entertain this?

(2.) Here's Christ's Speech, He saith to his Disciples, How hardly shall they that have Riches enter into the Kingdom of God? I will take notice of the Matter, and the Form.

(1.) The Matter, where the Persons spoken of, They that have Riches : The Privilege denied, entering into the Kingdom of God.

(2.) The Form: It is by way of Question; How hardly? he would appeal to them. See now what the Love of the World did, they were leavened with it, and thought of great Offices in the Kingdom of the Messiah : But how hard is it, &c. for a Rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. How hard? It is

1. Questio Admirantis: It is propounded in the Form of an Admiring Question.

2. It is Questio Dolentis, of one that bewails the Corruption of Human Nature, that Men should turn God's good Gifts and Blessings into a Snare: Alas, How hard, &c?

For the Matter; there is not an utter impossibility, but a very great difficulty. It is spoken of such Men as have Riches only, and Christ explains himself in the next Verse; Children! how hard is it for them that trust in Riches, to enter into the Kingdom of God? It doth not lessen the wonder, but increase it, for then they were astonished out of measure among themselves, saying, Who can be saved ?

By the Kingdom of God is meant the Kingdom of Grace, or the Kingdom of Glory: How hardly do they submit to the Doctrine of Christ, or enter into the Kingdom of Grace here? Or how hardly are they made partakers of his Glory in the Kingdom of Heaven hereafter!

Doct. It is a very hard matter for such as abound in worldly Wealth, to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

• 1. I shall Explain the Point by the Circumstances of the Text.
• 2. Shew whence the difficulty doth arise.
• 3. Make Application.

I. To Explain the Point by the Circumstances of the Text. And here

(1.) The Persons spoken of, They that have Riches: The very having layeth us open to a Snare. It is true, Christ explains himself in the next Verse, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in Riches, to enter into the Kingdom of God? The plain sense of the Words is this, It is hard to have them and not trust in them. The Disciples were astonished at his words, when he said, How hardly shall they that have Riches, &c. but when he said, How hard is it for them that trust in Riches, &c. they were astonished out of measure: And we see Agur when he Prays to God, not only deprecates the Sin, but the Estate, Give me not Riches, lest I be full and deny thee, and say, who is the Lord? Prov. 30.8, 9. James 2.6. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the Judgment-seats? He doth not say, Do not wicked rich men oppress you? but simply rich men. As a fat and fertile Ground produceth Weeds, if it be not carefully Till'd and Planted with better Seed, so do Riches usually prove a Temptation to us.

But you will say, why doth he speak so hardly against one order and sort of Men whom God hath set up in the World? Are not Riches in themselves God's Blessings? Prov. 10.22. The Blessing of the Lord maketh rich ; and are they not Promised to his People? Psal. 112.3. Wealth and Riches shall be in his house ; and accordingly are bestowed upon them? for we read of Abraham, Gen. 24, 25. The Lord hath blessed my Master greatly, and he is become exceeding great ; saith Eliezer: So was Job, ch. 1.3. The greatest of all the Men of the East: So David, Solomon, and Lazarus of Bethany, Joseph of Arimathea, and others; and therefore it is not to calumniate our Master's Bounty, to say, that the very having of Riches is an Impediment to us in our Heavenly Pursuits, and a Snare to us. I Answer, No.

1. The Fault is not in Riches, but in our abuse of them, 2 Pet. 1.4. The Corruption that is in the World through Lust. It is your unmortified Corruption that spoils all, not Wealth in itself. The Poison is not in the Flower but in the Spider. The Carnal Disposition which remains in us, maketh us ready to drown our Mind, our Time and Affections, our Life and Love in the World, and the Cares and Pleasures thereof, and so they are ensnared thereby, and hindered from looking after heavenly happiness. Riches are an Advantage of doing liberal, magnificent things, if they be used well; and to blame Riches simply, were to blame him that made them, and distributeth them according to his Will, as if he did bait his Hook with seeming Blessings, and did set Golden Snares to entangle the Souls of Men. The Goods of this World are profitable to them that can make a good use of them, as giving them the means of being more God-like, and more useful in their places; for certainly it is more blessed to give than to receive, Acts 10.35. They do not make us corrupt, or put Corruption into us, but only discover the Corruption that is there already; as when we fill a leaky Vessel, the unsoundness of it is seen, as soon as it is filled it begins to run out. Our Corruptions are drawn out by these things, and plainly discovered to the World, when the Fault is not in the Riches, but in the Lust.

2. When Wealth is spoken of as an Estate full of spiritual danger, it is rather to check our desires of it, than to lessen God's Bounty, as if there were no Obligation upon us by th • se Temporal Blessings. If we covet and seek great things for ourselves, we do but run into the mouth of Temptation, 1 Tim. 6.9. They that will be rich, fall into Temptation and a Snare, and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. We are to bless God for his Bounty, but we are to guard our own Hearts, and contract our desires before the Will of God is declared. When we ask Riches, we know not what we ask. Do not aim at great things for yourselves in the World.

3. Wealth considered not as sought by us, but as given by God, needeth peculiar and special Grace to improve it; because we must not only look to the manner of Acquisition, but to the manner of Fruition. It is true, we have honestly acquired it, it comes to us fairly, but then we must see how we enjoy it. Some are rich because they are wicked, having gotten their Wealth by unjust and indirect means; but others are Wicked because they are Rich, being corrupted by the Enjoyment of them. There are some Gifts of God that are Absolute bona, so absolutely good that they can never be evil, such things do certainly make the owner, or him that possesseth them, good too; as the Graces of the Spirit, Faith in Christ, the Love of God, Fear of his Name; but one may be rich, but yet never the better: Nay, consider Man in statu lapso, fallen from God to the Creature, he is easily made worse, and usually is too, and that by the good things he doth enjoy, if the Lord doth not vouchsafe to him his Grace.

4. I Answer again: When Temporal Blessings follow Eternal, then it is well, as Wisdom with an Inheritance is good: And Solomon asked Wisdom, and with it God gave him Riches and Honor in great abundance; but where they are given singly and apart, so they are given to God's Enemies. Elijah was poor, and Ahab rich; Paul, that holy Man, was in Prison, and bound with a Chain, and Nero at the same time Emperor of the World. God hath Gifts for all his Creatures; some in one way, some in another, shall find him a good God. Jesus Christ that gave his Holy Spirit to the best of the Apostles, gave the Bagg to Judas: Nay, Jesus Christ himself that had the Spirit without measure, chose a poor Estate: He that made a Fish to pay him Tribute, could as well have made Men to do so; he that multiplied a few Loaves, could have increased his Stock; he that made the World, could have built himself a stately Palace; but when he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, 2 Cor. 8.9. that he might lanctifie holy Poverty in his own Person, and honor by it his own Example; and usually he cuts his Children short, while wicked Men live in Plenty. Therefore they that merely have Riches, that is, that have it apart from Grace, are in a worse Condition than those that are kept low and bare. As a Child may be Dieted for its Health, while a Servant is left to a free Allowance, so God knows our Weakness: And they understand nothing in Divinity that do not know this, that God works congruously, and will not only give strength, but will also abate the Temptation itself, and not suffer us to have over much in the World, lest it should become a Snare to us. So much for the Persons spoken of, They that have Riches.

(2.) The Privilege in Debate, that which is denied or hardly vouchsafed to them, is, Entering into the Kingdom of God. By which is meant

1. The Kingdom of Grace, and so the meaning is, they are uncapable of the Doctrine of Christ, as the thorny Ground was of the good Seed: Now what are they that answer to the thorny ground? they that are choked with the Cares, and Riches, and Pleasures of this Life, Luk. 8.14. that's the Heart wherein Christianity cannot enter with any good effect and success; these choke and destroy many hopeful seeds of Grace, which would otherwise spring forth in a lively diligence, and earnest pursuit of that one thing necessary. And this may be the meaning of how hardly do they enter! viz. the great difficulty of rich Men's becoming the Disciples of Christ; and the truth is, at the first setting forth of the Gospel, it was verified by plain Experience, for it is said Matth. 11.5. among other Miracles which Christ wrought, he tells us the poor have the Gospel preached unto them ; it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , they are all to be Gospelled ; and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Not many wise men after the flesh, nor many mighty, nor many noble are called, 1 Cor. 1.26. not many of that Order and Rank.

2. Entering into the Kingdom of God, may be expounded of being made partakers of his Glory in the Kingdom of Heaven; this follows necessarily upon the former, for if they are uncapable of Grace, they are uncapable of Glory: And this is true too, James 2.5. Hath not God chosen the poor of this World, rich in Faith, and Heirs of the Kingdom? And this was such a truth, that even the Scoffers and Opposers of the Christian Religion took notice of it. Julian the Apostate in his Epistle to Ecebolius, speaking scoffingly of those Passages, saith, I have taken away from these Gallileans some of their wealth, that they might not be deprived of the Heavenly Kingdom which their Master promised them.

(3.) The thing spoken of these Persons with respect to that Privilege, there the Form 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Have, it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , saith Hesichius, a form of Admiration: And the matter, How hardly! It is not an utter impossibility, but a very great difficulty. All Men are saved with difficulty; ( If the righteous scarcely are saved, 1 Pet. 4.18.) It is no easy matter, but it is more difficult for them than others. It is passionately expressed, Oh how hardly! it is the greatest difficulty imaginable, such as made the Disciples wonder; they were astonished at his words, Ver. 24. Afterwards it is set forth by the Proverb of a Camel passing through the Eye of a Needle, Ver. 25. Many foolish Conceits men have about this, whereas in truth it is nothing but a Jewish Proverb, to show it is a very unusual thing, of extraordinary difficulty, not to be removed but by the Almighty Power of God, but with God all things are possible, V. 27. Not that Riches are evil in themselves, but that it is hard for such Creatures as we to possess them, without sinful and inordinate Affections.

(4.) Consider who it is that speaks it. Alas, if it had been the saying of any private Divine, or particular Minister, we might tax it as rash and rigorous; but the mouth of Truth itself hath spoken it, even Jesus Christ, whom we own as our Lord and Master: He knew the way of Salvation, and knew the state and danger of Souls, and he hath interposed his Authority, and represents the difficulty. It is Jesus Christ that had so much Wisdom to judge aright of matters, Jesus Christ that had so much regard to the Comfort and Happiness of Men, that he would not fright them with a needless danger; and therefore certainly you should take such an Admonition to Heart from the mouth of him whom you call your Lord and Master, and from whom at last you expect your doom and judgment, he hath said it. If any wise Man hath said it, from the Experience of almost all Ages and Persons, you ought to have regarded it; but when our Lord hath said it, he who is the Amen, the Faithful and true Witness, why should we not believe him? I pray what do you think of Christ? was not he able to judge of the Case? It was the saying of Plato, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , It is impossible to be excellently good, and eminently rich ; Therefore Celsus a Heathen (who sought all occasions to disgrace the Gospel) saith, that Christ borrowed this saying of Plato, but he is confuted by Origen in his Book against him. This proud Heathen was sensible there was Wisdom in the speech, therefore he would deprive Christ of the Honor of it. But now since we believe the Doctrine of Christ, and own it as the Speech of Christ, who is our Lord and Master, therefore it should more sink into our Hearts. Thus for the Explanation of the Point, from the Circumstances of the Text.

II. Let us see whence this difficulty doth arise? I answer, Because of the sins to which a wealthy Estate doth expose us.

1. Riches are apt to breed Atheism and Contempt of God. They that are wholly drowned in Pleasures of Sense, do not look into the Invisible World, and see God which is the Father of Spirits: Prov. 30.9. Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, who is the Lord? There is a Practical Atheism, when Men forget or despise God; and a Speculative Atheism, when they deny God: Now the Rich are apt to do both. A Man that tumbles in Wealth, Ease, and Plenty, is apt to forget and despise God: But Jesurun waxed fat, and kicked; thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness, then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the rock of his Salvation, Deut. 32.15. Nay, in some sort they deny God; they live as if there were no God at all, none to call them to Account. Men that have seen no Changes, and were never humbled under God's mighty hand, never think of an Invisible Power. I remember the Psalmist saith, Psal. 55.19. Because they have no Changes, therefore they fear not God: they have not an Awe, or Reverence, or due sense of a Divine Power upon their Hearts, because they never have been acquainted with Changes; the Condition they have lived in, hath been a constant tenor of Worldly Happiness: So Zeph. 1.12. They are settled upon their Lees ; that is, are not tossed from Vessel to Vessel, as Wine that is racked. They live in an even course of Worldly Prosperity, and in abundance of Worldly Comforts, without a Change, and this chokes and gluts the Heart, that they have no sense of the Lord's Goodness. Changes do more awaken us, and make us look to God, as the Fountain of good and evil: Isne vices magis in nobis excitant sensum divinae bonitatis, quàm continuus tenor faelicitatis, qui nos inebriat. In short, The Pleasures and Thoughts of the World do so take up their Hearts, that there is no place for any serious thought and solemn remembrance of God, such as should beget an awe in us. It is said Isa. 5.12. The Harp, and the Viol, and Tabret, and Pipe, and Wine are in their Feasts; but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands. Thoughts of God are suppressed as soon as they do arise, and they take no notice of the work of God's hands, nor what he doth in their days to revive the sense of his Eternal Power and Godhead; nor do they take their Comforts out of God's hands, but look altogether to natural and to second Causes, as being sufficient to themselves, to live of themselves. Indeed they may seem in Opinion to own a God, as others do, they take up the current Opinions, and perform customary Worship, but they do not glorify him as God, or repair to him with that life and fervency as those that stand in need of him, nor consecrate their best Time, and Strength, and Affections to his Service. It is usually the broken-hearted, godly poor, and those that have had frequent Experiences of the Changes of Providence, that exercise themselves to Godliness, and seek after God in good earnest. The great Landlord of the World hath more Rent from many poor Cottages than from divers great Palaces, for they wallow in Plenty, and never think of God.

2. Riches keep Men from being broken-hearted, and seeing their need of Christ. It is the poor needy Soul, sensible of its own sin and misery, that is likely to thrive in Religon, and prosper in any heavenly design and pursuit. Now those that are rich have so many entertainments of sense to inveigle their minds, and divert their thoughts, and are so besotted and enchanted with present delights and Pleasures, that they have no feeling of their Condition, or sense of the necessity of God's Grace; therefore it is our Lord begins his description of Blessedness, Mat. 5.3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven: How few of them that are rich in Estate are poor in spirit! the sense of their present Ease and Welfare makes them forget all thoughts of their spiritual Condition, and reconciling themselves to God by Christ. The Prodigal never thought of going to his Father, 'till he began to be in want, Luk. 15.17, 18. While Men have anything in the World, they are senseless and secure in the midst of all their sin and • isery; and if they can live without God, and apart from God; they will not come at him, Ier. 2.31. Wherefore say my people, We are Lord • , we will come no more unto thee? As if this merry World would always last, and there were no Judgment to come, and God would never bring them into his Presence; but they live a Life of Estrangement from God; they can live upon themselves, and their own supplies, and things that fall to them by the Bounty of God's Providence.

3. Suppose these Worldly rich Men should take to the serious Profession of Religion, as some of them do, and so mask and varnish over a Heart wholly wedded to the World and Worldly things, with some kind of form and garb of Religion, and it may be the strictest too, yet they can never walk worthy of it, nor hold and maintain it with any power and vigor: They are Enemies to the Cross of Christ ; and why? they mind earthly things, Phil. 3.18, 19. Christ speaks of selling and forsaking all, and they are for getting and taking all into their own hands: Now it is more difficult for them that have anything in the World to comply with Christ's Commands. Surely they that live in a lower Condition have less Temptations. The young Man here went away sad, For he had great Possessions: I shall mention a Story of a Soldier of Antigonus, which is well known, because it helps to set forth what we have now in hand: This Person had a very loathsome Disease upon him, which made his Soul desire to be divorced from his Body, and then none so ready and forward to venture himself in all Battails as he, and when the General admiring his Valour, got him to be Cured, then he that had been so prodigal of his Life before, was as shy, tender, and wary of it as others; when he had a Life worth the keeping, he was loath to venture and expose it to danger. I apply it to this purpose: It may be when the World disappoints thee, thou art ready to venture thy little All for Christianity, but if anything may make the World sweet to thee, none so sparing, so afraid and ashamed to own Christ as they. Certainly it conduceth much to the safety of Grace, to have the Temptation removed, as well as to have the Lust abated: Rebus in angustis facile est contemnere vitam: He that hath little can soon part with it, whereas Riches expose to Apostasy, 2 Tim. 4.10. Demas hath forsaken us, having loved this present World.

4. It maketh Men apt to take up their rest here, and to sit down satisfied with the World as their chiefest good, without any earnest longing for or looking after a better Estate: Psal. 17.14. From men of the World, which have their portion in this Life ; small hope or desire of the Pleasures of another World, they will have their Heaven here, and therefore how hardly shall they enter into the Kingdom of Heaven! The Lord will not remove us à deliciis ad delicias, from Delilah 's Lap to Abraham's Bosom, from carnal to spiritual Delights; and the truth is, they have no mind to be removed, James 5.5. Ye have lived in pleasure on the Earth, and been wanton. Here we are in a place of Exile, Banishment, separation from God, where God doth not exhibit himself in that Latitude which he doth in the other World, and yet here they seek their Felicity, Luk. 6.24. Woe unto you that are rich, for you have received your Consolation. God requires of us Contentation, and allows us a temperate use, and holy delight in the Blessings of his Providence, but we are not to take our whole Comfort here, (for that is meant by our Consolation) and sit down drunk with Temporal Happiness, that will make us mindless of those other things offered to us in the Gospel, and kept for us in the World to come.

5. They are apt to wax proud and scornful, and impatient of Reproof, and so grow licentious, and lose the benefit of the Remedies that might reclaim them from their Errors, 1 Tim. 6.17. Charge them that are rich in this World, that they be not high minded : I interpret it of this sort of Pride, when Men grow scornful of Admonition, Licentious in sin, and hate Reproof. All Pride is incident to Riches, but especially this Pride; for as soon as a Man hath anything about him, he begins to speak higher, and look higher, and fare higher, and to display the ensigns of his Vanity in his Apparel; but chiefly his Heart is higher, and so grows impatient of check, and so cannot bear the means God hath appointed to warn him of his Danger and Duty: They think we are too bold thus to deal with them, and speak to them. It is observed of Beasts, that they never grow fierce but when they are in good plight; so usually Men when they are full, grow scornful and fierce, and cannot endure to hear the mind of God powerfully and plainly set forth. Great Men have great Spirits, and they will not stoop to such base and mean Persons as the Messengers of Christ, Ier. 5.5. I will get me to the great Men, and will speak unto them, &c. but they have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds: Jer. 13.15. Hear ye, and give ear, be not proud, for the Lord hath spoken. Men are high and scornful, and if they have anything to bear them out, in Contempt of the Lord's Message they set themselves to oppose Christ and his Interest, and dash against the Corner-stone, though they are broken in pieces. They are the great and Yokeless Men of the World that will come under no Rule, and no Awe of Christianity.

6. They are Wanton and Sensual, and so must needs be careless of Heaven and heavenly things: Partly as Sensuality brings a Brawn and Deadness upon the Heart, and takes off all sense and feeling and savoriness of Spirit, Hos. 4.11. Whoredom, and Wine, and new Wine take away the Heart ; that is, infatuate Men, and make them of such a base Bruitish Spirit, that they are uncapable of sound reasoning, or of entertaining the Doctrine of Godliness, 1 Tim. 5.6. She that liveth in pleasure, is dead while she liveth. A Life of Pleasure brings on a strange Deadness and Infatuation upon the Soul, partly as Sensuality engrosseth the time, and causeth us to waste those precious Hours in which we should make Provision for Eternity; to eat, drink, and be merry, and knit one Carnal Pleasure to another, and so leaves no room for any serious sober Thoughts of God, Christ, and the World to come, and Necessity of Regeneration, and taking the way of Holiness, Luk. 12.19. I will say to my Soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. And partly as Sensuality doth strengthen our Enemy: The greatest Enemy we have is the Flesh, and the more we please it, the more we set back our Salvation. Now when Men nourish their Heart, and strengthen their Corruptions, how can they be overcome by the Power of the Lord's Grace? James 5.5. Ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter: They add Fuel to their Lusts, and make Corrupt Nature more active and stirring than otherwise it would be. Now rich Men are very sensual and apt to please the Flesh, yea they can hardly avoid it in the Plenty of Accommodations they enjoy, as Scripture and Experience witnesseth. Sodom was a pleasant and fruitful Place, and was as the Garden of God: What were the sins of that place? Pride, Fulness of Bread, and abundance of Idleness, Ezek. 16.49. and that fullness did dispumare in libidinem, as Tertullian saith, Issue out into monstrous Lusts. Alas, where there is such a glut of Worldly things, what hope is there to prevail, and bring Men under the Power of strict Religion, and that Holiness Christ calls for. Men grow excessive in their Pleasure, and they refresh not their Labors with some kind of Pleasure, (for that God hath allowed) but they refresh one Pleasure with another, and so set up the Flesh in God's stead; their God is their Belly, Phil. 3.19. and they are Lovers of Pleasure more than Lovers of God, 1 Tim. 3.4. Men think Sensuality no sin in those that are rich: Indeed, greedy getting, or griping to raise an Estate, the World will Condemn; O! but when a Man lives plentifully, and is at Hearts Ease, without considering whether he nourish a Temptation or no, the World takes no Notice of that: Psal. 49.18. While he lived, he blessed his Soul; and men will praise thee when thou doest well to thyself ; that is, when thou spendest freely upon Carnal Satisfactions, that is accounted more honorable; nay, and they themselves do applaud themselves in this course, and think because their Estates will bear it, therefore they may indulge their Carnal Desires. O! do not think so: You are to consider things with respect to Eternity and the World to come. Plenty will be no Excuse. You would be angry with your Cook, if he should make your Meat too salt, because he had store of Salt by him; so may God be angry with you, if you have Plenty, such as would refresh the Hungry, and supply the Needy; and you altogether lay it out upon Pomp and Pleasure, above what your Estates, and what your Bodies will bear, but chiefly what your Souls will bear; for you should keep up the welfare of your Souls, and be ready and free towards God. Do you think you were made only for Idleness and Pleasure, and others must Glorify God only by Labor and Service? The rich Glutton was cast into Hell, here was no Oppressions, but he fared deliciously every day, and sucked out the sweetness of his Wealth, and the Indictment that is brought against him is this, Luk. 16.25. Son, remember that thou in thy Life-time receivedst thy good things. A Slavery to Pleasures will make the hardship and Duties of Religion intolerable: You are brought into Bondage, and under the Power of these things, and then you cannot leave them, that you may attend upon the good of your Souls, and upon the things that relate to Eternity, 1 Cor 6.12. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

7. The more Rich, the more wedded we are to the World; for, Crescentem sequitur cura pecuniam ; usually the more we have, our desires are increased to get more, Eccl. 5.10. He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he that loveth abundance with increase. Men when they are low, are modest, Food and Raiment is enough, and they receive it with great thankfulness; but if they had a little more in the World, then they should serve God without distraction; and if they had such a proportion they would care for no more; but if those desires be granted, they find themselves entangled, and their Hearts deceived, and still they must have more and more, until they settle into a worldly course: As a River, the greater it grows by receiving of little Brooks, the wider and deeper still it wears the Channel; so outward things, the more they increase, the more they enlarge desires. Men would be a little higher in the World, a little better accommodated, and when they have that, they would have a little more, and still a little more, and so keep joinining house to house, and field to field, 'till there be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth, Isa. 5.8. They would seize upon all things within their grasp and reach: As Fire increaseth with new Fuel, so this burning desire doth increase on their hands; whereas we should still take thankfully what God vouchsafeth to us, without those vast cravings and desires, and look after no more than will serve us in our Passage to Heaven. Mariners freighted for a near Haven will not Victual for a long Voyage: Magno viatico breve i • er non instruitur: Time is short, 1 Cor. 7.29. Thus there is very great difficulty with respect to the sins that are incident to a plentiful Estate, and grow upon us insensibly.

1 VSE. This Doctrine showeth us, how Contented we should be with a mean Condition, if God reduce us thereunto. We can hardly be poorer than Christ and his Apostles, and shall we murmur? Many have more than they had, take them all together, and yet think their Condition hard and straight, 1 Tim. 6.8. And having Food and Raiment, let us be therewith content. God hath freed thee from those Snares and Occasions of sin, which others are subject unto, and so thy way to Heaven is made more easy. Certainly they that do indeed intend the Kingdom of Heaven, would not desire a more difficult Passage; therefore be Content with a mean Estate, though you have no more than Necessaries. Contract your Desires, and your Trouble will be lessened. The Israelites said to the King of Edom, Let us go through your land in peace ; but the Cravings of Carnal Men are endless, they enlarge their desire as Hell, Habbac. 2.5. Not to be Content with our Lot and Portion, especially when it is competent, is a great sin: When you hunt after more, what do you but increase your Temptations, and multiply your Snares? You load yourselves with Clay, Habbac. 2.6. Base Riches, which pollute you; Thorns, which make your Condition more uneasy. And when will there be an end of these desires? Lust will grow with the Possession; the more Wood you put on, the more the Fire increaseth: Therefore rather bring your Minds to your Estates, than your Estates to your Minds; if you be not Content with what you have now, you will never be Contented hereafter; a greater Estate will not do it, if Grace do not do it: As in some Diseases, non opus habent impletione, sed purgatione ; there is more need of purging than filling; a man is still hungry though he hath eaten enough, and still thirsty though he hath drank enough. The way is, not to increase our Substance, but to moderate our Desires.

2 VSE. It teacheth us Patience, and Comfort under Loss of Goods. We should possess the things of this World as if we possessed them not, and therefore when God taketh away our Plenty, we should mourn as if we mourned not. You may find gain in this loss, and profit in this trial. The Lord seeth fit many times to take away the Fuel of our Pride and other Lusts, to draw us to seek better Treasure in Heaven, the Purchase whereof is certain, the Possession firm, and the Price incomprehensible. The Lord will keep you aloof from Temptations; he knows that if you were rich, you would grow sensual, insolent and negligent of spiritual things. God knoweth what Condition is best for you; you should have a greater account to make; he expecteth from others Charity, from you Patience: Besides, says Job, Chap. 1.21. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the Name of the Lord. Some think it is the greatest Misery to have been sometimes happy, but that is through Corruption, when former Enjoyments make Men more nice, delicate, and tender, and so less able to bear the present Cross. But if we consider rightly, the less we have been afflicted, the less are our Afflions on that behalf; is it nothing that God hath given us to pass over some of our days with Peace and Comfort? should we be so unthankful as to account that no benefit, because it is past? Job 2.10. What! shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? is not what you have received a Pledge of what he can do for the future?

3 VSE. To the Rich, to show them what need they have of special Grace to manage that Condition aright. It would seem an hard Censure upon this sort and order of Men, yet it is a Truth, and spoken by him who is Truth itself. It concerneth you to look after special Grace more than others; your danger is great, and your difficulties in order to Eternal Life not a few. You need peculiar Grace,

1. To prevent the Evils, and to heal those Diseases that are incident to Riches: As Contempt of God. We are apt to neglect and despise him, when our Necessities do not drive us to him, such is the Pravity of our Natures, Hosea 5.15. In their Affliction they will seek me early. Make God your refuge and he will be your habitation, Psal. 91.9. Because thou hast made the Lord thy refuge, even the most high thy habitation. Neglect of Christ, and Salvation by him; they that have an Happiness in their hands already, see no want in their Condition. The whole need not a Physician ; take heed of being heart-whole, then you will have no relish for the Gospel. It disposeth to Apostasy, you have something of Value which you must esteem as nothing for Christ.. It maketh us neglect Heaven, Psal. 4.6, 7. There be many that say, who will show us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon us: Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their Corn and their Wine increased. An Estate without God is not good: Lord! let me not have my All here, for these things must be left. It maketh you proud and scornful: Remember there are the true Riches, without which a Person is but Vile. He is most honorable before God that hath most Grace: The Value of Men is otherwise in the World to come than in the present World: Your Humility is your Crown. It makes you to be more Sensual: Wealth is the Pander of Pleasure, the Purveyor for the Flesh, but it should not be thus. There is more cause of Fear than Rejoicing, Gal. 6.8. He that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption. It makes us Worldly, as Chains to detain us under the Power of Satan, and enslave us to the World: It doth but betray you into mischief: Do you desire your way to Heaven should be made more hard, that is hard enough already?

2. That you might devote your Riches to the Lord, and be holy and heavenly in the midst of so great Temptations; that you may not by momentary and temporal things forfeit eternal, but rather further them, Luk. 12.21. So is he that layeth up treasures for himself, and is not rich towards God: 1 Tim. 6.18, 19. That they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life. Wealth rightly employed makes us capable of a greater Reward hereafter, as it makes us more useful here.

SERMON XI. ON MARK X. v. 24.

I N these Words you have two things:

• 1. The Entertainment which the Disciples gave to his former speech, They were astonished at his words.
• 2. Christ's further Explication of himself; But Jesus answered again, and said unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in Riches to enter into the Kingdom of God? Wherein Observe,
  • 1. The Manner of our Savior's speaking, in that kind Compellation, Children.
  • 2. The Matter of the Explication, How hard is it for them that trust in Riches to enter into the Kingdom of God?

(1.) For the Entertainment which the Disciples gave to his former speech, They were astonished at his words. This Astonishment was caused either by the legal Dispensation, under which Obedience was rewarded with visible and temporal Blessings, and therefore they marvelled that rich men should find such difficulty of entering into Heaven: Or else it was occasioned by the Jewish Expectation of a pompous Messiah, wherewith the Disciples themselves were leavened, expecting to share of the Honors and Riches of that Kingdom which Christ would set up. Now Christ's Answer was quite blank contrary to these Carnal Hopes, therefore they marvelled: Or it may be upon the common reason, that the Gates of Heaven should be shut to them, to whom the gates of the World do always lie open. Thus hardly are good Men brought to disesteem worldly things, and rightly to ponder and weigh the Doctrine of the Cross, which Christ had so frequently taught them.

(2.) For Christ's Explication: And there

1. The Compellation, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Children ; so he bespeaks them who were sincere for the main, though a little leavened with Carnal Conceits, and to sweeten the Doctrine which seemed so contrary to their humor, 1 Thes. 2.11. As you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged everyone of you, as a Father doth his Children: Novices and weak ones are to be used with all Indulgence, for they had not received the Spirit in that plentiful measure as afterward.

2. The Matter of his Explication, How hard is it for them that trust in Riches, &c! He had said before, How hardly do they that have Riches ; now he explains himself, they that trust in Riches: He instanceth in this,

(1.) As one common Disease of Rich Men, as soon as they have anything in the World, they are apt to trust in it. Some abuse Riches one way, some another; some to increase their Worldly Cares and desire of having, others to feed their Pride and Sensuality; this way or that way, according to their different Temper and Constitution of Body and Soul, but they all agree in this, both the Muckworm and the Epicure, that they trust in Riches.

(2.) He instanceth in this Trust rather than Love of Riches, not how hard is it for them that love Riches, but how hard is it for them that trust in Riches! because this is more, and doth more express the disposition of Worldly Men. We Love many things in which we do not put our Trust, but we put our Trust in nothing but what we Love. A Glutton loves his Belly-cheer, but he doth not trust in it, as thinking to be protected by it, as the Covetous doth by his Estate; and therefore though' he make his Belly his God, or his chief good, and last end, yet he doth not make it the first Cause and Fountain of his Happiness: But now this gives all the Titles and Privileges of God to Wealth. Trust makes Wealth to be the first Cause, the chief Good, and the last End. Well then, for these two Reasons doth Christ instance in this one sin, as being a common Disease and cause of all the rest, or implying them at least. This young Man who went away sorrowful from Christ thought he should be despised, and grow necessitous if he should forsake all upon the Command of Christ; he made his Riches to be the Fountain of his Hope and Confidence; and therefore doth Christ say, How hard is it for them that trust in Riches to enter into the Kingdom of God !

Doct. That rich Men are very prone and apt to put their Confidence in Riches, and so thereby render themselves uncapable of the Kingdom of God.

In the handling this Point I shall

• 1. Shew there is such a Sin as Trusting in Riches.
• 2. The Heinousness and evil of it.
• 3. The Signs and Discoveries of it.
• 4. The Remedies.

I. That there is such a Sin, and that a very common sin: The Scripture shows it plentifully. Job when he protested his Innocency, among other sins he reckoned up, he disclaims this, Chap. 31.24, 25. If I have made Gold my hope, or said to the fine Gold, thou art my Confidence: If I rejoiced because my Wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much: Job to Vindicate himself from Hypocrisy, reckons up the usual Sins of Hypocrites, and among the rest this for one, making Riches our Hope and Confidence: He had immediately before waved the Crime of Extortion and Oppression, but he thinks not that sufficient to clear himself, and therefore he further denieth also the Crime of Carnal Confidence. It is not enough that our Wealth be not gotten by Fraud, Cousenage and Extortion, but we must not trust to it: Symachus renders it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , my Safety and Security, the Cause why I am not afraid. The World looketh upon Wealth as that which will help us to all we want, defend us from all we fear, and procure to us all we do desire; as if by that we were out of the reach of all Danger, and in a Capacity to live longer and happier under the Patronage and Provisions which our Money shall procure to us. Another place is Prov. 18.10, 11. The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower, the righteous runneth into it, and is safe: The rich man's wealth is his strong City, and an high Wall in his own conceit. Mark, what the Name of the Lord is to the Believer, that is Wealth to the Carnal rich Man in his own Conceit. A godly Man never thinks himself safe 'till he can get into the Name of the Lord, and be within the compass and Verge of the Covenant: But a Carnal rich Man, if he be walled and intrencht within his Wealth, thinks himself secure against all Changes and Chances, and so God is laid aside and little cared for. That there is such a Sin, you see, but I shall prove that it is a common sin, very incident to all Men; and that it is a very secret sin, but yet of a Pestilential Influence.

1. It is very Natural to all Men, yea impossible almost to be free from it. Consider Man as degenerate, and in that corrupted Estate in which he is, as fallen from God as his chief Good, and last End, and so he is an Idolater, and makes the Creature his God, or sticketh too much to it, more especially to Wealth. Wealth is the great Instrument of Commerce, it cannot be denied to have a Power and Influence upon Human Affairs, Eccl. 10.19. Money answereth all things: It can do much in this lower World, and saveth us out of many Dangers; Prov. 13.8. The ransom of a man's Life are his Riches. It hath its use in this World as a Means in God's hands to sustain and preserve Life: But what more common than for a Man to look to the subordinate Means, and neglect altogether the first Cause; as Children will thank the Taylor, and think they owe their new Cloaths to his Provision rather than to their Parents Bounty: So we look to the next hand, and set up that instead of God. Rich and Poor cannot be exempted from • his Sin. (1.) The Poor, and those that have not Wealth, they Idolize it in Fancy and Conceit, that if they had Estates, this would make them happy and glorious; and because they have not▪ they trust in those which have, which is Idolatry upon Idolatry; see Psal. 62.9. Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie : To appearance men of low Degree are nothing, and can do nothing towards our Relief, and so are Vanity ; but Men of high Degree, they are a • Lye, because they disappoint those that trust in them, to the wrong of God. Alas! they have neither Power to help nor hurt, if the Lord will not, 2 Kings 6.27. If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? And therefore we need not fear the hazard of their Frowns, nor of their Displeasure, we need not with such restlessness court their Favor; and trust in them that have Wealth. (2.) But chiefly this is incident to worldly Great Men, to trust in what they have: Their Minds are secretly enchanted by their Estates, when they are increased to them. Still the Distemper grows with the increase of worldly Accommodations. Psal. 62.10. Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: If Riches increase, set not your heart upon them. As soon as we begin to have anything about us, from thence forward we date our Happiness and Security. Many that in Want despise Wealth, and live in an actual dependence upon God's Providence, as soon as they have somewhat in the Creature, they begin to value themselves at a higher rate, as if they could live alone without God, and their Hearts are altogether for increasing their Store, or keeping and retaining what they have already gotten.

2. It is a very Secret Sin, and found in those that are least sensible of it. We seldom or never mistrust ourselves of this Confidence, which is so Natural, and so Common, and why? Because we have too gross a Notion of this Sin of trusting in Riches. A Man doth not think he makes Money his Idol, if he do not pray to it, or offer Sacrifice to it, or adore it with Outward Ceremonies, as the Heathens did their Idols of Gold and Silver; whereas this Sin is to be determined, Non exhibitione ceremoniarum, sed oblation concupiscentiarum ; not by the formal Rites of Worship, but by the secret workings of the Heart towards it. Thoughwe do not actually say to the fine Gold, Thou art my Confidence, or use such gross Language to Riches, as Ye shall deliver me, or, I will put my trust in you; yet secretly we Idolize it, and set it up in the place of God: It would have been a sorry vindication of Job 's Innocency, to deny that; few Hypocrites say so in open Language; but our Hearts say so, though we perceive it not. There is nothing so close and secret in the Bosom of Man, as his Trust. But the Heart hath a Tongue as well as the Mouth, and Thoughts are called the sayings of the Heart ; yea Divines usually observe, that there are two sorts of Thoughts, Implicite as as well as Explicite. The Scripture calls them inward Thoughts, Psal. 49.11. Their inward thought is that their houses shall continne forever ; This is the Interpretation of our Actions, when we do not make God our Portion, but trust in the abundance of our Riches; this is our inward thought, the saying of our Heart, Ye are my God; we do in Effect say, Thou art my Confidence, my Hope, and my Joy, and will stand by me when all things cease and fail, and wilt not suffer me to want, or to be wronged, as long as thou lastest: these are the secret Speeches of our Hearts. Christians! many may (Orator like) declaim against the Vanity of the Creature, and speak as basely of Money as others do, and say, We know it is but a little refined Earth; but their Hearts close with it, they are loath to part with it for God's sake, or upon God's declared Will. As he that speaketh good words of God, is not said to trust in God; so speaking bad words of worldly Riches doth not exempt us from trusting in them. There is a difference between deelaiming as an Orator, and acting like a Christian: Well then, it is a common, but secret Sin.

II. My next Work is, to show the Evil of this Sin, and how great it is, both in regard of its heinous Nature, and in regard of its mischievous Effects.

(1.) In regard of its heinous Nature. It is a Renouncing of God, and setting up another in his stead.

1. It is a Renouncing of God, and taking away his Honor. The Heart of Man is so conscious to itself of it's own weakness, that it will not be long without a Prop, it must have something to rest upon. Now Naturally we have no Respect to Invisible things, so as to choose them, and to rest upon them, but easily take up with what comes next to hand. By a vile Ingratitude we pervert God's Bounty to a defection from him: As Harlots love the Gifts rather than the Man; so we take the Gifts of God, and rest upon them, and set them up in God's stead. No Man can trust God and Riches too, therefore if we trust in Riches, the Heart is diverted, and carried away from God: Jonah 2.8. They that observe lying van • ti • s, forsake their own mercy. They turn their back upon God, and take up with these vain Comforts here in the World. The same Temple will not serve God and Dagon, the Philistines could not bring it to pass, do what they could; nor the same Heart God and the World; 1 Tim. 6.17. Charge them that are rich in this World, that they trust not in uncertain riches, but in the living God: If we trust in the one we disclaim the other. Now consider what a dishonor is this to leave God for the Creature? The Fountain of living waters for broken Cisterns, Ier. 2.13. My people have committed two evils, they have forsaken the fountain of living waters, and hewed out Cisterns, broken Cisterns that can hold no water. They leave the Husband for a Slave, Treasure for Coals, things precious for Dung.

(2.) As there is a leaving of God, so there is the setting up another God in his stead; therefore Covetousness is called Idolatry, Col. 3.5. and a Covetous Man an Idolater, Eph. 5.5. Mammon is the Idol, and the Worldling the Priest. Our Trust is not only diverted, but placed elsewhere, while we expect that from Wealth which is to be expected from God alone. Trust in God is a Confidence that no Evil shall befall us, and nothing truly Good shall be wanting to us while we keep in with him; such a kind of Confidence we place in Riches, therefore this must needs be a hainons Sin. So that besides Apostasy and forsaking the true God, there is Idolatry, we set up another God. Trust is a prime Affection which keeps up all Commerce between us and God. Our Allegiance and Respect to the Crown of Heaven is mainly preserved by Dependance, and the Heart is never kept in a right Frame, but when we look for all from God. Let a Man but think himself sufficient to his own Happiness, and God will soon be laid aside. As soon as we can live without God, we presently omit all kind of Worship and Respect to him. Our First Parents greedily catched at the Bait, Ye shall be as God's, Gen. 3.5. How as God's? Not in a Blessed Conformity, but in a Cursed Self-sufficiency. Thus we all affect to be sufficient to ourselves, to be able to live without God. The Prodigal Son when he had his Portion in his own hands, soon left his Father: If we can live without God, we will never care for him. You dethrone God, and put Money in his place, and set up something as God.

(2.) The mischievous Effects and Fruits of Carnal Confidence. You may consider these Effects Meritorie and Effective.

1. Consider it Meritorie, the Merit of it; it maketh us uncapable of Eternal Life: God is disparaged from being our Pay-master, and giving us our Reward, when we trust in Money. Look as God sent the Israelites to their Idols, to see whether they could deliver them, Judges 10.14. Go and cry unto the God's which ye have chosen, let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation ; so he will send us to the things we trust to. A Man seeks his Heaven and Happiness here, while he is content to enjoy Wealth without God, and so dischargeth God from providing a Reward for him, Luk. 6.24. Woe unto you that are rich, for ye have received your Consolation ; you have the Happiness you pitch upon. God once said, Woe to you that are Rich, but never said, Woe to you that are Poor. They that have their Heaven, their Happiness here without God, can expect no more from him. Therefore meritoriously this is the Fruit of it, it will make us uncapable of Eternal Life.

2. Consider Carnal Confidence Effective, in the Influence of it, the Effects of it are very mischievous.

(1.) It is the Ground of all Miscarriage in practice. When Men think they cannot be happy without Wealth, or so much coming in by the Year, then they will soon come to this, they dare not obey God, for fear they shall lose their worldly Comforts, wherein their Happiness lies. It is notable, when the Holy Ghost speaks of keeping the Commandment, and that the Commandments of God are not grievous to his People, presently he speaks of Victory over the World, 1 John. 5.3, 4. For this is the love of God, that we keep his Commandments, and his Commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World, and this is the Victory that overcometh the World, even our Faith. Why? what is the Reason of this con • exion? The World is a great Hindrance and Let in keeping the Commandment. Unless a man overcome his worldly Appetites, and worldly Desires, he cannot keep the Law of God to any purpose: And therefore David saith, Psal. 119.36. Incline my heart unto thy Testimonies, and not to covetousness: Implying, that while our Hearts are carried out so strongly after worldly things, we can never be thorough and upright with God in the way of his Testimonies.

(2.) It hinders us from looking after heavenly things. It is impossible a Man should in good earnest seek things above, whilst be trusts in the World, and promiseth himself a long and happy Life here. Trust is Acquiescentia cordis, the Rest and Complacency of the Soul; it seeks no further when it hath something to rest in, therefore when we rest here, all other Happiness is neglected, there is no want in their Condition. Luke 12.19. Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease: They cannot endure to think of a Change, of leaving this, and going to a World to come, of shooting the Gulf, and launching out into another World, and therefore make no Provision for Eternity. Well then, trusting in Riches is bad, as it takes off the Heart from depending upon God's Providence for the present, for so far a Creature exempts itself from the Jurisdiction and Dominion of God; but much more bad, as it takes us off from depending on God's Promises for the future, as it flatters us with hopes of long and happy days, and causeth us to put off all Thoughts, and all Care about Eternity and Blessedness to come. He that trusts in Riches, judgeth all his Happiness to be in this Life; let him enjoy the World to the full, and he hath enough; here is his Happiness, and his Heaven too; he saith as that Cardinal, He would not give his Portion in Paris, for his Portion in Paradise. Tell a worldly man of laying up Treasures in Heaven, and of the Riches of the Heavenly Inheritance, he smiles at it, and will not give a foot of Land here for an Acre in Heaven. Tell them of growing rich towards God, and it is but a Fancy, Luk. 12.21. So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God: So they may enjoy present satisfactions, they will give God a discharge for other things. As the Rubenites and Gadites would stay on this side Jordan, and consented to abate their Portion in the Land of Canaan, because they were already in a Rich Country; so they can be content to abate Heavenly Happiness, for if it be well with them here, they are satisfied, for other things they need not trouble themselves, 1 Cor. 15.32. Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die ; and there is an end of the World with us.

(3.) It is the ground of all the Disquiet and Discontent of Mind that we meet with. If a Man would live a happy Life, let him but seek a sure Object for his Trust, and he shall be safe: Psal. 112.7. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings, his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. A Man that puts his Confidence in God, if he hears bad News of mischief coming towards him, as suppose a bad Debt, a loss at Sea, Accidents by Fire, Tempests or Earthquakes, as Job had his Messengers of evil tidings which came thick and three • old upon him, yet he is not afraid, for his Heart is fixed on God: He hath laid up his Confidence in God, therefore his Heart is kept in an equal poise; he can say, as Job, The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord, Job 1.21. His Comforts did not ebb and flow with the Creature, but his Heart was fixed trusting in the Lord. But now when a Man puts his Joy, and his Contentment under the Creatures Power, he is always liable to great Dejections, and anxious Disquiets, Ier. 49.23. They have heard evil tidings, they are faint-hearted. His Life and Happiness consists in the presence of Creatures, and in the Affluence of the World, which being mutable, so must his Comfort needs be: So that he that trusts in Riches, to be sure doth but make way for sore and sad Troubles of Spirit. Good David when he had abused his Prosperity to a Carnal Trust and Security, he felt the more trouble afterwards, and so gives us the Instance of himself in this kind, Psal. 30.6, 7. I said in my prosperity, I shall never be moved. Lord, by thy favor thou hast made thy Mountain to stand strong, thou hidest thy face, and I was troubled. He shall never want Troubles, that placeth his Trust in anything on this side God, but is up and down as his worldly Comforts ebb and flow; whereas a Christian, who makes God his Trust, and the Favor of God his greatest Interest, is like the Nave, or Center of the Wheel, which still remains in its own place and posture in all the Circumgyrations and turnings about of the Wheel. So in all the turnings of Providence, when the spokes are sometimes up, and sometimes down; sometimes in the Dirt, and sometimes out of the Dirt, the Nave and Center is still where it was. Well then, if you would be acquainted with true Peace, let not your Hearts be set upon great Estates, which are liable to so many Changes, but trust in the Lord, and your Heart shall be established.

III. I come to give some Signs and Discoveries of this secret Evil, Confidence and Trust in Riches.

(1.) When Men oppress, and do that which is evil, and think to bear it out with their Wealth, Power, and Greatness, as if there were no God above to call them to an Account; or as if there had not been, or could not be such a turn of Human Affairs as God can lay them low enough, and their Honor be laid in the Dust, and the Poor and Afflicted shall be Exalted. God hurls the World up and down, that Misery may not want a Comfort, nor Power a Bridle; sometimes God puts up this, sometimes the other sort of Men, that still by all these Changes he may keep the World in order, that think they may do anything, because it is in the Power of their hands, Mic. 2.1. Woe unto them that devise Iniquity, and work evil upon their beds, when the morning is light they practice it, because it is in the power of their ha • d. Usually the World is governed by Interest rather than Conscience, they count 〈◊〉 thing right which they are able to effect, and Justice is measured by present Safety, not by Principles of Conscience; it is in the power of their hands, and therefore they will do it. The Lord gives Caution against this, Psal. 62.10. Trust not in Oppression, become not vain in Robbery; if Riches increase, set not your heart upon them. When a Man thinks he is able to carry it against others, and to do his Adversary two Wrongs for one, then he makes no Conscience, but does all that he can, not all that he ought. Alas! this poor Creature rests upon his vain Support, and that which seems to be his present Advantage, will in time prove his Loss and Ruin, when the Course of Providence is altered. How soon can God turn poor Worms into Dust? Bring them down from their altitudes, and make them become the Scorn and Shame of those Afflicted Poor that wait upon the Lord. Psal. 52.6, 7. The Righteous shall see and • ear, and shall laugh at him. Lo! this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his Riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness. This is that brave, that Gallant Man in the World, that never thought of securing his Greatness by God's Protection, nor applied himself to Piety and Justice, nor imagined that such things would be useful to his present Security; but resolved by Wealth and wicked Enterprizes to establish and perpetuate his Greatness: But how hath God confuted all his vain and false Hopes, and brought utter Destruction upon him? Thus it hath been, and thus it will be again, till the World learn to grow wiser, by all the Changes that God hath wrought before their Eyes. And therefore this is a Sign of trusting in Wealth, when Men grow Proud, Insolent, and Over-bearing, and speak roughly, Prov. 18.23. The rich answereth roughly, and are high-minded, 1 Tim. 6.17. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God.

(2.) An Inordinate Care and Solicitousness to get Wealth. Multiplying of worldly Practices, cometh from Unbelief in God, and Confidence in the Means; Prov. 23.4. Labor not to be rich, cease from thine own wisdom. This toiling and labor to get the World into our hands, argues we esteem of it beyond what it deserves. Indeed there's a Lawful Labor, Wealth may be sought for the Necessities of Life, and Exercise of Good works; but when Men make it their main Care, they place their Happiness in it. Now because it is hard to distinguish honest Labor from worldly Care, the best way will be, for you to consider the Disproportion of your Endeavors to Earthly, and Spiritual, and Heavenly things: For our Savior, when he describes the Carnal Fool, that trusted in the abundance of his Riches; he tells us, Luke 12.21. So is he that la • eth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God. When Men seek the World in good earnest, and make slender Provision for Heaven, and the Happiness of their precious and Immortal Souls; when they never look after the assuring of their Interest in things to come; when the Lean Kine devour the fat; when that which should be sought first, either is sought last, or not at all, then Men trust in these outward things. Surely you fancy a greater Happiness in the Enjoyment of worldly things than you should. The Scripture notes, as a sign of this inordinate Respects, a making hast to be Rich: Prov. 20.21. An Inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning, but the end thereof shall not be blessed. And Chapt. 28.20. He that maketh haste to be rich, shall not be innocent ; and ver. 22. He that hasteth to be rich, hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him. When men are so earnest to Commence into an Estate, taking all Opportunities, seeking to get it by indirect Means, and think thereby to make them and theirs happy, this Inordinacy will prove their Bane and Ruin. In bestowing it as God directs, none so slow; in getting it, none so earnest; certainly he that believeth will not make haste.

(3.) When Men think themselves better provided by a Wealthy Apostasy, than by a close Adhering to God All-sufficient. Sometimes the keeping of Wealth and Religion, come in Competition; now when a Man debates with Conscience, Here is your Duty, and there is your Loss, can you trust in Wealth rather than in the Promises of God? If the Lord for our Duty should reduce us to never so great straits, he is able to make it all up to us again, this should suffice us, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this, 2 Chron. 25.9. But if in the Debates of Conscience Gain bears sway, it is a Sign we trust in Wealth, rather than in the Promises of God.

(4.) When Men slacken, or omit Prayer, because they are well at Ease, and have worldly Abundance. This is a certain Truth, That trust in God, or Prayer, or an acknowledgment of God, always go together: Psal. 62.8. Trust in him at all times ye people, pour out your hearts before him. If the Heart be taken off from the Creature, it will be much with God: But when Men are full, and think they need him not, and therefore grow cold, and careless in their Addresses to him; it may be in their Affliction God shall hear from them, but at other times the Throne of Grace lies neglected; they have other Trusts, and depend on something on this side God, or God would be oftener acknowledged.

(5.) When Men think Wealth shall sufficiently secure them against all Changes; and that when they have it, they shall see nothing but happy Days, and therefore give up themselves securely to enjoy the Pleasure of this Life, Luke 12.19. Soul, thou hast goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. Sensuality, Security, and Pride, are the Fruits of Carnal Confidence; They trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches: Psal. 49.6. As if their Felicity and chiefest Stay lay in them, not only against the Chances of this Life, but against God's Threats, and Vengeance, and Judgment: thence men fetch their Support and Comfort, and Hope for them and theirs, Prov. 10.15. The rich man's wealth is his strong City: A Penny in their Purse, is better than the God of Heaven; here is their great Assurance, the sure pledge of their Happiness, as if God could not bring them down wonderfully.

(6.) When Men are so loath to forgo Riches, when God calls them thereunto, it is a sign they trust in them, not in God. The Soul of Man should be justly poised, and at a Point of Indifferency to worldly things, to get or keep, to want or have, as God will. Until our Resolutions be as easily cast the one way as the other, we shall never be said to be wholly free from this Sin of trusting in Riches: But certainly we are deeply tainted with it, when we are so over dejected with worldly Losses, 1 Cor. 7.31. They that mourn as if they mourned not: And 2 Pet. 1.5. Add to Temperance, Patience. If there were a Moderation in the use of worldly things, it would make way for Patience. Gregory saith, Job lost his Estate without grief, because he possessed it without Love: But it is a sign we love them too much, when we murmur against God, and the Heart is so depressed when they are taken away by God's Providence, as if all our Happiness were gone, certainly Riches are too highly prized, and the World too impatiently desired, when they are so deeply lamented; if when they take wings, and are gone, they bewail it as if their God were gone, Judges 18.24. Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the Priest, and are gone away, and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee? Thence ariseth their Trouble, Grief, and Sorrow of Heart.

IV. For the Remedies against this Secret and great Mischief of putting our Confidence in Earthly things.

First, By way of Consideration.

(1.) Consider, the Uncertainty of Riches should check our trust in them, 1 Tim. 6.17. That they trust▪ not in uncertain Riches. What depends upon more Uncertainty than our outward Estates; and will you trust in them? Who would trust another, that is sure to fail him at his greatest need? Prov. 23.5. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for Riches certainly make themselves wings, and fly away, as an Eagle towards Heaven. A Man is not better, and more sufficiently provided for his Dinner, because there is a Flock of Wild fowl now pitched upon his Fields, they may soon fly away. Riches are like winged Creatures, compared to Eagles which fly away towards Heaven; how are they gone! How many ways may the Lord take them away from us! There is the Fire, the Thief, fraudulent Bargains, vexatious Law-suits, public Judgments, the Displeasure of the Times: Many are the wings that Riches have, and therefore unless a Man hath a Mind to be deceived, why should he trust in them? This should be deeply thought of in our greatest Prosperity, especially when we have many Instances before our Eyes. Alas! how many are there that have laid out all their Wit, and Labor; nay, and venture Conscience to get an Estate, and all is gone in an instant, and they have Heirs that they never thought of; and yet the World is as greedy upon these things as ever.

(2.) Consider, None ever trusted to the World, but they have Cause to complain in the Issue. We think Wealth can do great things for us, and stand us instead beyond any other thing to make us happy, but we shall find it otherwise. God is jealous of our Trust, and the Creature that is of itself vain, is made more vain by our Dependance upon it: God will set himself to disappoint a Carnal Trust, Prov. 11.28. He that trusteth in his Riches shall fall.

(3.) Consider, The more Wealth many times the more Danger, therefore shall we trust in this? In a Net when great Fishes are taken, the lesser make their escape. A great Tree by the largeness and thickness of its Boughs, provoketh others to Lop it, or it falleth by its own weight. Nebuchadnezzar led the Princes, and Nobles Captive, when the poor were left in the Land. As many times Thieves and Robbers cut off the Finger for the Ring's sake, when they cannot otherwise pluck it off; so is a Man destroyed, and made a Prey for his Wealth's sake.

(4.) Consider the Unprofitableness of Wealth without God; it cannot make you Contented, and Safe, and Happy, and Comfortable, Luke 12.15. A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. A Man doth not live upon his Wealth; not by Bread alone, Mat. 4.4. but by the Providence of God. I do not only say, they cannot make you happy and wise, certainly they cannot do that, but they cannot make you more healthful, cheerful and comfortable: So that whether you will or no, at length you are brought to depend upon God; but especially is their unprofitableness seen in the Day of Death, and in the Day of Wrath: In the Day of Death, when a Man must shoot the Gulf of Eternity, and launch out into the Deep Ocean of the other World. Job 27.8. What is the hope of the Hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his Soul? When you must die, and nothing shall remain with you but the bitter remembrance of an Estate, either ill got, or ill spent, (for it is all one:) O how bitter and grievous will this be to you, to call to Mind the Iniquity of Traffick, to remember the cries of the Oppressed Widow, or Orphans, or neglected Poor, or your Pride, and Luxury, and sowing to the Flesh, when God comes to take away the Soul. Or else in the Day of Wrath, Prov. 11.4. Riches profit not in the day of wrath. Of Internal Wrath, when a Spark of God's Anger lights upon the Conscience, and our Thoughts are awakened against us, and fall as a heavy Burden upon us, O what will all Riches do! To allude to that, Prov. 6.35. He will not regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts. Justice will not be bribed, neither will all the Money you have buy you a Pardon: And in the Day of External Wrath, Zephan. 1.18. Neither their Silver nor their Gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath. As Absalom 's Mule left him hanging by the hair of the Head; so will Riches leave and forsake you in all your misery.

(5.) Think seriously of this, That God is the Author of all Wealth, and the Sovereign Disposer of it, and therefore whether we have it, or have it not, we must trust in God. If Wealth fails, that we have it not, then it is manifest it is not to be trusted in. If it should increase, yet it should occasion us to trust in God who gives us what we have, by what Means soever it comes to our hands, it is his Gift: It is the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich, Prov. 10.22. If Riches come to you by Inheritance from your Ancestors, it was by the Providence of God that you were Born of Rich and Noble Friends, and not of Beggars. If it come by Gift, it is God that made them that gave it you able and willing. If it comes by Industry and Skill, it is God that gives the Faculty, the Use, and the Success: So that still God is to be trusted in, not in the Creature, for he hath a mighty hand in the disposal of things in the World.

Secondly, By way of Pactice.

1. Pray more to be kept from this Sin than from Poverty, namely, to have Riches, and not to trust in them. It is an Extraordinary Gift of God, and to be • ought with greater Care, Diligence, and Frequency of Prayers and Fastings, than either Health, Preferment, Life, or any other thing. Ver. 27. With men it is impossible, but not with God, for with God all things are possible: God only can do it thoroughly. This should be the constant Request of Rich Men: Lord! let me not trust in what I have; this is a greater Blessing than the greatest abundance in the World.

2. Be more ready to watch Opportunities of Charity, to distribute and dispence your Estate, than to increase it; for there is nothing will free us from this Sin, so much as the continual Exercise of Charity, or the giving of Alms. Therefore your great Care and Delight should be to hearken after Charitable Occasions for the Relief of the Poor, and for the Church of God, and be glad when occasions of doing Good are offered. They that hunt after Opportunities of Gain, trust in Riches, but they that seek Opportunities of doing Good, show they are clear from this Sin. Luke 12.33. Sell that you have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens, that faileth not ; then you trust in the Promises. Your Office is not that of a Treasurer, but of a Steward, to have them in your Hands, not in your Hearts; otherwise not You but your Chest is Rich.

3. Labor by Faith to make God your Trust and Confidence: 1 Tim. 6.17. That they trust not in uncertain riches, but in the living God. To rely upon his Power, Mercy, and Goodness for all that you have, and stand in need of; Give us this day our daily Bread ; for Protection and Provision. When God giveth you Riches, suspect what your Heart may do with them. It is good to fear always, especially when we have what we wish for, or desire. Therefore still be looking to God, taking your Maintenance out of his hands, and praying to him, and blessing him daily for your Supply; and this will make your Estate sweet and comfortable to you, and free from those snares wherewith otherwise it will be encumbered.

4. Be sure you get Grace together with an Estate, for otherwise singly it will be a Snare to you, Prov. 14.24. The Crown of the wise is their Riches, but the foolishness of Fools is folly. Riches are as they are used, if they fall to the share of a Man that is Godly and wise, they are a Crown and Ornament, otherwise a Snare; for the one employeth them to the Honor of God, and the Good of the Church and State, and is more publicly useful, but the other groweth more haughty, and fierce, and scornful of holy things, and sensual, and vain, and eateth and drinketh, and swaggereth away the Good Gifts of God, which might have a more Noble use: So Eccl. 7.11. Wisdom is good with an Inheritance ; it is good without it, but more conspicuously good with it. It is not said an Inheritance is good without Wisdom, or Grace: No, it is reserved to the Owners for their hurt: So Prov. 17.16. Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a Fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it. Many a Man hath a price, but he hath not an Heart; an Estate is but as a Sword in the hand of a Mad man, when a Man wants Grace to improve it.

5. Be sure your esteem of Riches come below your esteem of Religion, and good Conscience. As Nazianzen said of his Eloquence, he had something of value to esteem as nothing for Christ; By all my Wealth and Glory, this alone I have gained, that I have something to which I might prefer my Savior. This is like the Woman clothed with the Sun, and the Moon under her feet, Rov. 12.1. contemning all worldly and sublunary things for Christ.

6. Think of Changes in the midst of your Fulness. Surely every man at his best estate is altogether vanity, Psal. 39.5. not only at his worst Estate, when God rebuketh him for Sin. We should make suppositions, and see how we can bear the loss of all things, when they are represented but in Conceit and Imagination: Habbac. 3.17, 18. Althô the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vine, &c. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of my Salvation. The Fool durst not suppose the Accidents of that Night, Luke 12.20. Thou Fool! this night thy Soul shall be required of thee. Security is a Coward; acquaint the Soul with a supposition of Loss and Danger.

SERMON XII. ON MARK X. v. 25.

I Have now read you a Sentence, that at first view may seem to cut off the greatest and most splendid part of the World from all hopes of Salvation. Had it been my Saying only, you might take Liberty to tax it as rash and rigorous, but the mouth of Truth itself hath spoken it, even Jesus Christ, whom we own as our Lord and Master. He sufficiently knew the Worth and Way of Salvation, and the State and Danger of Souls: Now he interposeth his Authority, Matth. 19.24. I say unto you, It is easier for a Camel to go thorough the Eye of a Needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God: If we believe him, then let Rich Men look to themselves. He had already told them, that it is hard for them that have Riches; then he shows wherein the difficulty la • , because of their trusting in Riches. Now he represents the Difficulty by a Similitude, it is as hard for them to enter into the Kingdom of God, as for a thing of the greatest Bulk to pass through the straitest place; for what more strait than a Needles Eye, and a Camel is a Creature of a great Bulk. A Camel cannot pass throrow a Needle's Eye without a Miracle, nor a Rich Man enter into the Kingdom of God without the singular Power of God's Grace. For the Expression: Some say there was a Gate at Jerusalem, called the Eye of a Needle, a strait Gate, by which a Camel could not enter; Nisi deposito onere, & flexis genibus, without laying aside his Burden, and bending his Knee. But no approved History mentions this, and the Conceit lesseneth the force of our Savior's Speech. Others say that the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies a Cable, by which Mariners do fasten the Anchor, but that also is a Mistake; for that word is otherwise spelt, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and doth also rarely occur in that sense, and therefore rather the Beast is intended than the Cord or Cable.

It was an ordinary Proverb among the Jews, and is so even to this day, That an Elephant cannot pass through the Eye of a Needle: Our Savior indeed a little changeth the Proverb, instead of the Elephant, a Beast which few had seen, putting a Camel, a Creature very ordinary in Syria; It is easier for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle: I will not say that this Similitude was chosen because they were wont to lade their rich Wares upon Camels, and so the Camel doth most decipher the rich Man, who is the Pack-horse of his Wealth, and hath the burden, but not the use of it. However, two things I may gather from it (as Origen hath done before us.)

1. That there is something in turning Christian, or entering into the Kingdom of God, that answers the Needles Eye, and that is the strate-gate, and the narrow way which leads to life, Matth. 7.14. the strait gate of Repentance, and the narrow way of constant Mortification.

2. That there is something on the rich Man's part which answers the Camel, namely, that they grow so great and bulky, in regard of their Pride, worldly Lusts, Joys and Confidences, that they cannot reduce themselves to those straits that are necessary for entering into the Kingdom of God, as the Camel's bulk and bunch back hinders his entrance into a strait place. This without straining I might observe; though' I must tell you, I think the main intent of this Proverbial speech is nothing else but this, to express an extraordinary difficulty on the rich Man's part, not to be removed but by the Almighty Power of Grace. Such Similitudes are frequent in Scripture, Ier. 13.23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the Leopard his spots? so Matth. 23.24. Ye blind Guides, which strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel.

Well then, you see it noteth the Difficulty, if not utter Impossibility for Men of that rank, without peculiar Grace to avoid the Snares of Satan, or to render themselves capable of Eternal Blessedness. And since Christ doth again and again press this, we have had it three times, and now doth amplify it by a Comparison, I shall observe,

Doct. That the danger of Riches, and the Difficulty of rich Men's Salvation, is a Point ought much to be pressed and seriously thought of.

There are two propositions included in this Observation,

• 1. That the Salvation of rich Men is very difficult.
• 2. That this must be much pressed, and seriously thought of.

I. The Difficulty of their Salvation. I have formerly proved this by reason of the sins incident to this State and Condition of Life, therefore now I shall quit that, and prove there is a great deal of difficulty for rich Men to enter into the Kingdom of God, because of the Duties required of them.

1. There are Common Duties that concern them and all Christians.

2. There is something peculiar and singular expected from the Rich, which makes their Entrance into Heaven more difficult.

First, There are Common Duties that concern them and all Christians, that are more difficult for them than for others to perform, and these are set down Mat. 16.24. If any Man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross and follow me: Christ saith, If any Man, without Exception, small and great, rich and poor, they must all submit to those Terms. The Duties are three, and they make way one for another. (1.) He must deny himself ; and he must comply with this, (2.) That he may take up his Cross, and bear it kindly and willingly; and that fits for the (3 d. ) Duty, Following Christ, or cleaving close to him. These are the three Duties that are required of all that will come after Christ, and would follow him as their great Lord and Master, and Captain of their Salvation: He must deny himself, his own Wit, his own Will, his own Affections and Interests, and be wholly at the Disposal of God, pleasing him in all things: 'Till we come to this, nothing else in Christianity will down. Well, when this is done, then he must take up the Cross ; first Deny our Selves, that bows the back of a Sinner; then take up, and bear the Cross kindly; that is to say, rather suffer the Loss of all than willfully sin against God, and hazard his Favor: And after this he must follow Christ, not forsake him because of the Cross, but stick the closer to him, walking according to his Doctrine and Example. Let us treat of these Duties apart, and withal show how hard it is for the Rich Man to comply with them.

(1.) He must deny himself, whatever his Corrupt Heart desires, how dear and pleasing soever it be, though' his parting with the Contentments of the Flesh should be like cutting off the right hand, and plucking out the right Eye, Mat. 5.29, 30. Yet this must be done, and he must fully resign up himself to please God in all things. Now this is very hard and difficult for all Men, which we may soon be sensible of, if we do but consider how earnestly Man affects a Dominion and Sovereignty over himself, to be sui juris, at his own dispose, as those Rebels against God said Psal. 12.4. Our lips are our own, who is Lord over us? A Libertine yokeless Spirit possesseth them. We conceit that our Hearts are our own to think what we please, our Tongues our own to speak what we please, our Hands our own to do what we please. Man affects to be a God to himself, and to be solely under the Government of his own Will, and to have all his Comforts in his own hand, and at his own dispose, denying himself nothing which his Heart affects, as Solomon saith he did, Eccl. 2.10. Whatsoever mine Eyes desired, I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy. Natural Pride and Self-love is such, that we cannot endure the Yoke of any restraints, but we let loose the reins to a full Fruition of whatever our Hearts affect. Now as Self-denial is difficult to all, because of this Yokeless and Libertine Spirit, much more to the rich and to the great, and to those that flow in Ease and Plenty, and have no bands and restraints of Providence upon them; they are more licentious, impatient of contradiction, or of having their Wills thwarted, and therefore by a lawless Liberty they wholly seek to please themselves, and to feed their own Lusts, without any Care and Respect to God, Ier. 5.5. I will get me to the great men, and will speak unto them, but they have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds ; that is, they cast off all the Bonds of Loyalty and Obedience to God: And why? because they think they can subsist alone, and apart from him, Ier. 2.31. Wherefore do my People say, We are Lord's, we will come no more unto thee? Men think themselves to be Lord's of their own Fortune, and therefore slight God, break through the restraint of his Laws, cannot deny themselves anything that their corrupt Hearts affect. Those that are in a low Condition, kept bare, and in a daily need of Providence, are more humble and submissive to God: But when they grow great, they turn the back upon him, and cannot endure his strict Government: so Ier. 22.21. I spake to thee in thy Prosperity, but thou saidst, I will not hear: Those that are rich and well at ease, are loath to be control'd in their will, even by God himself, Exod. 5.2. Who is the Lord that I should obey his Voice, to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go: Who so self-willed, proud and scornful of God as they? who so apt to please themselves, and to use their riches to feed their Lusts, and to provide accommodations for their Flesh, and corrupt Nature? Self-denial and a flesh-pleasing course are inconsistent; and therefore because of the lawless Liberty which they take to please themselves, and to make Provision for the Flesh, they cannot comply with this Precept of Christ, Let him deny himself.

(2.) To take up the Cross, that's another of Christ's Precepts, and to be willing to suffer Affliction either from the hands of God, or from the hands of Men for God's sake: This is one thing that we must reckon upon; if we would be Christians and Christ's Disciples, first or last we shall be called to this Exercise. Ignatius when he was led bound before the Tribunal, Now (saith he) I begin to be a Disciple of Christ: Many think it is factious to talk of the Cross in days of Peace and Liberty; but Christ puts it in to our Indentures. If we should never suffer for Christ, yet we must be sure that we have a Heart that would suffer, if God calls us to it. It is possible a Man may go to Heaven without suffering, but he cannot go to Heaven without a Resolution to suffer when God will: Now the Cross makes it hard to all, Heb. 12.11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous: It is not pleasing to the Flesh to endure blows, suffer smart, and to account all that we have as Dung and Dross in comparison of Christ, to be joyful in Tribulation, and so wholly swallowed up with the Hopes and Interests and Concernments of the World to come, and to be dead to present things. O how irksome is the remembrance of this to those that are high in Place and Office, and sail with a full tide and current of Worldly Felicity! To be averse to suffering is Natural to Man, and is in itself no sin, for Nature is to seek its own welfare and preservation, but when it goes to Excess, it argues a tenderness of the Flesh, and that we have consulted with Satan: Matth. 16.22. said Peter, Be it far from thee, Lord! this shall not be unto thee ; but Christ said, ver. 23. Get thee behind me, Satan! Now the more Men have to lose, the more tender they are of losing it; a little is sooner quitted: This Young Man went away sad, for he had great Possessions. Great Men, when once they come to be noted for the Profession of the Truth, they shrink and fall off presently, they have not learned to leave all for Christ's sake. Judas that had the Bagg, turns Apostate and Traitor to Christ, John. 12.6. When he saw nothing but opposition increasing, the supposed Kingdom not to go forward, and heard Christ speaking of nothing but the Cross and Suffering, he thinks of Betraying his Master: Heaven is no Penny-worth for him, if it cost so dear.

(3.) Let him follow me: He that will be Christ's Disciple, must follow him, his Doctrine, and his Example.

1. His Doctrine; that is, the Directions he hath given us in his Word: Now what is the drift of Christ's Doctrine? The Doctrine Christ brought out of the Bosom of God, is, to draw us off from the World to Heaven, from the Pleasures of the Flesh, and the Baits of this Life, to seek things to come, and things Eternal: This is one great Excellency of the Christian Faith, that it reveals the Doctrine of Eternal Life and a Blessed Estate to come, which all other Professions in the World could only guess at. Christ hath made it manifest, and brought it to light, that there is such a thing, 2 Tim. 1.10. He hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel: And the Gospel reveals the way that leads to it, it makes a free offer of it upon the Condition of Faith in Christ, John. 3.16, 17. God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life: For God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World, but that the World through him might be saved: And walking in all Holiness of Life, Heb. 12.14. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. And the Gospel lays before us the highest Motives to quicken us to walk therein, and take off our Affections from the World, Col. 3.1, 2. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God: Set your affections on things above, not on things of the Earth. This must be our great scope and business, that we may get home to God with a neglect of present Advantages. The Gospel tells us that we should not be troubled though our outward Man decay, whilst this light Affliction that is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. Well then, seeing this is the great Design of the Doctrine of Christ, that here we should ply our Work, that hereafter we may receive our Wages; that here we should study Holiness, that hereafter we may be blessed with him: Now what Doctrine can be more contrary than this to those that have their Portion here, Psal. 17.14. That have received their Consolation here, Luk. 16.32. That have received their good things in their life-time, Luk. 16.25? To tell them of a dislodging and removal, and of foregoing the things they love and see for a God they never saw; Oh how tedious is this to a Carnal Heart! They are already happy, and blessed, and cannot endure to think of a Change, and therefore are uncapable of following this Doctrine, that drives us off from Carnal Vanities, to look after the Interests and Concernments of the World to come.

2. His Example. I shall only instance in two things: We are to follow him in Humility of Heart, and Purity of Life.

(1.) In Humility, Matth. 11.29. Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: This is the great thing the Son of God would recommend to us, in which we should take after him, even to be of an humble and lowly spirit; Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, Phil. 2.5. Christ was the Son of God: He did not affect to be a God by robbery, as the Angels had Rebellious Thoughts against the Empire and Majesty of God, and they were thrust down from Heaven for their aspiring: But the Son of God was equal with God the Father: He thought it no robbery to be equal with God, Ver. 6. and yet he made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man, and being found in fashion as a man, be humbled himself, Ver. 7, 8. Certainly if any had Cause to stand upon his Terms, Jesus Christ had much more. That Preface is notable and very magnificent, John. 13.3. Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God: And what follows? He washed his Disciples Feet, Ver. 4, 5. Thus the Boughs that are most laden hang their heads, and the Sun at the highest casts the least shadow. Jesus Christ indeed was high, excellent and glorious, yet he would condescend to set his Disciples such a Pattern of Humility. But now who more proud and disdainful than the Rich? when Men have anything in the World, they grow high and lofty. On when we consider the Pride of Man to Man, we may more stand wondering at the Condescentions of God to Man! As soon as a Man hath any Estate in the World, he is altered presently, 1 Tim. 6.17. Charge them that are rich in this World, that they be not high-minded: Many that in their low Estate were humble and meek, in Prosperity grow proud and disdainful: Many that were forward and zealous, grow cold and slothful in spiritual things; many that while they were kept dependant upon God, were diligent in Hearing, profitable in Conference, thought it no disgrace to instruct their Families, were patient of Reproof; but when the World comes in upon them, no such matter. As the Moon is never Eclipse'd but in the full, so all the Grace that they seemed to have, it is under an Eclipse when they are in the full of Prosperity.

2. In Purity and Holiness: He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself so to walk even as he walked, 1 Joh. 2.6. And 1 John. 3.3. Every man that hath this hope in him puri • ieth himself even as he is pure: And 1 John. 4.17. As he is, so are we in the World. Now Prosperity and true Holiness seldom go together; they are Afflictions that promote Holiness: They verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his Holiness: Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous, nevertheless it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby, Heb. 12.10, 11. Then are men most serious, when they feel the Rod, and are pinched with some Necessity; but when they are full they wax wanton, kick with the Heel, and throw off all respects to God and Godliness.

Secondly, As the Difficulty ariseth from the General Duties that are common to them with others, so it ariseth also from this, More is required of them that are rich and great in this World than of others: They should be Eminent and Exemplary for Holiness: They have larger Accounts to make to God than others, for our Account must be according to our Receipts, Luk. 12.48. Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required; and to whom Men have committed much, of him they will ask the more: Among Men this is a constant Rule, and so it is with God, the Account is according to the thing with which ye are trusted; they that have more must account for more. Now certainly more is required of Great and rich Men than of others, upon four accounts: They have greater Obligations; more Opportunities for spiritual Improvement; they have larger Abilities and Advantages of honoring God; and because of the Influence of their Example.

(1.) They have greater Obligations: Certainly they to whom God hath been more bountiful, are bound to be more dutiful than others. It is not enough to render to God, but we must render according to what we have received. It was Hezekiah 's Fault, 2 Chron. 32.25. Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him: The Rent must be paid, according to the Value of the Farm. God will not accept that at the Hands of a Rich Man, which he would accept from a Poor Man, which hath not such great Obligations. A Man that hath tasted of the Bounty of God's Providence, and hath had Fulness and Plenty of all things, it is required he should serve God more cheerfully than others, Deut. 28.47. Their Duties are greater, and their sins are greater: As you know the Prophet aggravates David 's sin by the Mercies he had received, in the 2 ^d Sam. 12.7, 8, 9. I anointed thee King over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul: And I gave thee thy Master's House, and thy Master's Wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things: Wherefore hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? They have tasted more of the Bounty and Goodness of his Providence, and have had more than others to revive the sense of God, and keep up the memorial of God in their Hearts.

(2.) They have more Opportunities of being free to good Duties, as being not so straitly bound to bodily Labor for present Maintenance, nor burdened with so many Cares and Distractions of this Life, and so have more time and leisure for studying the Mind of God in his Word, and improving themselves in the Knowledge of the Truth, and Meditating the Statutes of God, as David professeth he did all the day long: And look as the Apostle speaks of married and single Persons, 1 Cor. 7.32, 33. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but he that is married careth for the things that are of the World, how he may please his Wife: They that are in a single Estate have more leisure to attend the Service of God, greater Opportunities of Holy Privacy, and Meditation upon the Promises of God, are less distracted and divided with the Cares of the World, and have nothing else to do but to serve God, and study to please him. So it is true of Poor and Rich; those that live in a plentiful Condition, O what a great deal of Time and Leisure have they for religious Duties, better Education, more Helps, more Advantages, therefore they are more bound to addict and give up themselves to the study of Divine things. A little Knowledge of God, he will accept of in a poor Tradesman that is divided and distracted with the Cares of the World, and have not such leisure to attend the Service of God, and the Opportunities of holy Privacy and Meditation, which he will not accept of in the Rich, that have so many Opportunities to furnish themselves with Knowledge, and have little else to do but to serve God and labor to please him, and to study the Promises of God, that they may grow in Grace: And yet when they abandon themselves to sensuality, and live from one Weeks end to another, and can scarce tell what to do with their time, and yet cannot afford it to God, how culpable are they!

(3.) They have greater Advantages of furthering the Duties of Piety, and Mercy, and of honoring God with their substance, Prov. 3.9. and of relieving others, of making themselves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness, Luk. 16.9. I say they have greater Opportunities of being rich in good works, 1 Tim. 6.18. Others that have Hearts have not Estates, and cannot be so publicly useful. God expects from every Man according to his Ability, and therefore they should abound in all Acts of Mercy and Piety, for the promoting the Honor and Service of God, and relief and comfort of others: But alas, usually it is here as in Nature, those mountains in the Bowels of which there are most Mines of Gold and Silver, are most barren. So rich men for the most part live most unprofitably as to the fruits of Grace, Piety and Charity: They that have great Estates have least Heart to do anything for God; and Men of a middle condition do exceedingly outstrip those that are vastly and excessively rich, in being liberal and open-handed, for honoring of God and the relief of others.

(4.) More is required of them, because of the Influence of their Example: They are as the first sheets, others are printed off by them. The more any are exalted and lifted up above others, the more conspicuous are their Actions. The Example of an Eminent Person is never single, for when such a one doth evil, he carries others with him as the stream doth that which floats upon it: If they do good, their Countenance and Example doth exceedingly provoke many to follow after that which is good; therefore they should specially take care to fear God, and be diligent in the Exercise of Godliness, and serious in the business of Eternal Life. But alas! who authorize sin, and propagate it in the poor, more than they that have a plentiful Fortune and Estate to bear them out in it? Who are more dissolute and lascivious, and Prophaners of God's holy Name and Day, and Deriders of God's Word, and holy Services and Servants? and so wherever they go, they leave their dregs behind them, and leaven others, and draw them into sin, which makes the difficulty of their Salvation so much the greater.

II. The other Proposition that is contained in this Observation, is, that this ought to be much pressed, seriously thought of, for Christ inculcates it again and again.

(1.) To keep up a remembrance of God and Heavenly things in the Hearts of rich Men. Security and Forgetfulness of God is the Cause of all the mischief rich Men are liable to. Men that have so much in the World, never think of God and Salvation. The Heart is so full of the World, that it leaves no place for the thoughts and remembrance of God. When God would offer to come in upon them, it doth fare with him as it did with Christ, when he was born at Bethlehem, there was no room for him in the Inn, Luk. 2.7. When God would lodge in the Understanding, the upper Chamber of the Soul, that's full of worldly or sensual Projects. If he would enter into the Memory, that's the World's Warehouse, and it is pestered with Cares about present things. If he would enter into their Hearts and Affections, they are prepossess'd already, that is the World's Storehouse, there their Treasure lies, and so what with this and that, it comes to pass, that God is not in all their thoughts, Psal. 10.4. The awful remembrance of God is a strange uncouth thing to those that are full, and live plentifully in the World; this appears by the whole current of Scripture, God forewarns his People of it, Deut. 11.12. When thou shalt have eaten and be full, beware lest thou forget the Lord thy God: When Men are full, and abound with so much accommodation, God is banished out of their thoughts: He Complains of this as the Cause of his People's forgetting him, Hosea 13.6. According to their Pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me: God is forgotten in Prosperity, when we have not such a sensible need of him, and of his help. Men can live alone, and apart from God, and therefore cast off all thoughts of him, 1 Tim. 6.17. Charge them that are rich in this World that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. Plenty easily breeds forgetfulness of God, therefore it needs often to be inculcated and enforced upon, and thought of by them.

(2.) This ought to be much pressed and seriously thought of, to awaken suspicion; there may be a Snare in our Estate. To suspect danger is a good means to prevent it, and therefore that we may draw Men to Self-suspicion, being compassed about by the Snares of the Devil, we must again and again tell you how hard it is for rich Men to be saved. Agur was afraid of Riches, and the evil Influence of them, and therefore prays for a competency, Prov. 30.8, 9. Give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with food convenient for me, lest I be full and deny thee, and say, who is the Lord? Whereas Men that never think of danger, are surprised with it before they are aware; therefore it is good to be suspicious of a prosperous Estate, to be afraid of the World more when it smiles than when it frowns. Most men are afraid of Poverty, but few are afraid of Wealth, and yet there the Snares and Temptations lie; and the reason is, because they prize their Temporal Interest more than their Eternal Salvation. Poverty is against their Temporal Interests, but Wealth, Fulness and Plenty, is a hindrance to their Eternal Salvation; and Men will venture their Souls rather than their Bodies. It is fat and rank Soil that feedeth Weeds; therefore think of it often, here lies the difficulty, to have the World at will, and not to be ensnared by it; to learn to abound is the harder Lesson: Paul had learned both, so must we: Phil. 4.12. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound; everywhere, and in all things I am instructed, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. We say of a Proud Man or Woman, such an one would do well to be a Lord or Lady, but it is harder than you imagine; how few are there that have any lively thoughts of Eternity, or make any serious Preparation for Death and Judgment, when they have Health and Wealth, and all the Accommodations which the Carnal Nature desires? and therefore be suspicious when you find Delight, and what is pleasing to the Flesh, it is not likely to be safe for your Soul. O possess your Estates with Fear! The Fear of a Snare may help to avoid it: How easily may such a Carnal Heart as yours be enticed from God, and grow cold and remiss about the great things of your Salvation?

(3.) This ought oft to be pressed and seriously thought of, to stir up Observation how it is with us. There is no Man that Observes his Heart but will find this Effect, that Riches make the business of Salvation more difficult. Good David observed, that his Heart was corrupted by his Condition, Psal. 10.6. He hath said in his Heart, I shall never be moved; for I shall never be in Adversity: And elsewhere we find he was sensible that Worldliness was creeping upon him, Psal. 19.36. Incline my Heart unto thy Testimonies, and not to Covetousness. A Child of God hath not the bent of his Heart so perfectly fixed towards God, but it is ever and anon returning to its old bent and bias again. The best may find that they cannot keep their Affections as loose from the World, when they have Houses, and Lands, and all things at their Will, as they could when they are kept low and bare. The best may find that their Love to heavenly things is in the wane, as worldly things are in the increase: It is reported of Pius Quintus, that he should say of himself, That when he first entered into Orders, he had some hopes of his Salvation; when he came to be a Cardinal, he doubted of it; but since he came to be Pope, he did even almost despair. Many may find a very great Change in themselves, much decay of Zeal for God's glory, and love to and relish of God's Word; and mindfulness of heavenly things, as it fares better with them in the World: Now it is good to observe this before the mischief increaseth. Look, as Jealousy and Caution is necessary to prevent the entrance and beginning of this mischief, so Observation is necessary to prevent the increase of it. When the World doth get too deep an Interest in our Hearts, when it begins to insinuate and entice us from God, and weaken our Delight in the ways of God and Zeal for his Glory, then we need often to tell you how hard it is for a rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

(4.) To stir up Supplication for special and peculiar Grace, that it may not be so with us; that the Lord would keep us from the Snares of our Condition; for with God all things are possible: That we may go to God, and say, Lord! let not my Estate be my Bane and Poison. On the one side it is a great Judgment that God brings upon wicked Men, when their Table becomes their snare, Psal. 69.22. when their Comforts are Cursed to them, and when their Hearts are drawn from God by their Plentiful Condition in the World: On the other side it is a peculiar Grace and Favor from God, when we be heavenly-minded in the midst of Plenty, and keep up lively spiritual Exercises of Godliness notwithstanding our Opulency and Plentiful Condition in the World. Jehoshaphat is an Instance to encourage you to pray for this, 2 Chron. 17.5, 6. it is said of him, He had riches and honor in abundance, and his heart was lift up in the ways of the Lord: Christians, it is hard to carry a full Cup without spilling; to have Riches and Honor, and all this with great abundance, and yet to have a lively Zeal towards God, and a great delight in his ways. Now this is possible with God, and this God hath bestowed, and therefore it should be asked. There is nothing that quickens to Prayer so much as a constant sense and apprehension of the danger and difficulty which attends such an Estate; therefore this must ever be laid before you, that your thoughts may be steep'd in this Consideration.

1 VSE. It serveth to check the desire of Greatness and increase of Wealth. If you had more, your Duty would be more, and your account greater, and your Snares, and Temptations, and Stumbling-blocks in the way to Heaven would be much more multiplied; and therefore you should be Contented with what you have. If we cannot thrive in the Valleys, and keep up a lively and warm respect to the World to come in a low Condition, how should we expect to grow on the tops of the Mountains, where we are more exposed to Tempests, and the Soil is more Barren? therefore you should strive rather to give a good account of a little, than to make it more. The Lord knoweth that if you were a step higher, you would be apt to be proud, licentious, secure, mindless of Eternal Life, further off from God, and then better you had lived in Beggary all your days. The time will soon come about when you will judge so, and therefore do not enlarge your Desires, as if you could never have enough.

2 VSE. It teacheth us Patience, not only in the want, but in the loss of outward Riches. It is more irksome to lose than to want, as it was an unnatural thing for the Sun to go back ten Degrees in Ahaz his Dial: Yet this is to be born, for when God taketh away your Wealth from you, he maketh your way to Heaven more easy; if God taketh away Riches, he doth but take a Bush of Thorns out of the way that would prick and gore your Souls. The World is apt to turn away your Heart from true Happiness, and to hinder you in the way that leadeth to it. Now God's Grace is seen, not only in • ortifying the Heart, but in abating the Temptation: He seeth you are apt to sleep upon a Carnal Pillow, and therefore taketh it from under your Heads to awaken you. If you believe the Word of God, that Riches and Honors do easily prove a Share, why should you be grieved when the Snare is broken? Do you love to have your Salvation hindered or hazarded? And therefore why are you so impatient when God cuts you short in these outward things?

3 VSE. Let rich Men think of this, and make Application of this Sentence to their own Hearts, that they may Possess their Estates with Fear. To this end Consider,

1. The Person speaking is Christ, who had so much Wisdom, and Love to the Comfort and Happiness of Men, that he would not • right them with a needless Danger. [ See before on Ver. 23.]

2. When it is spoken of Rich Man, those that can live of themselves in the World, without the Supply of others. The Disciples that had little, cried out, Who then can be saved? We fancy it is spoken only to the over-grown Rich; but they that have but one Talent must improve it, and it is hard to do so. We must give an account of One Talent as well as Ten. The Sensualist will turn this upon the Covetous, and the Covetous upon the Sensualist; the Voluptuous Gallant upon the Cormorants of the City, and they upon the Epicures; but Christ saith indefinitely, the Rich.

3. What is spoken of, Entering into the Kingdom of God: It is Salvation and Eternal Life, not a trifle, Christ doth not say, He shall do no worthy Exploits in the World, or arrive at no great Degree of Grace, but he shall not enter into the Kingdom of God.

4. How it is spoken. It is represented by a Similitude that implieth impossibility, or at least an extraordinary difficulty without a Miracle of peculiar Grace.

Then look about you Sirs! such speeches of Christ were doubly entertained, with Wonder, as by the Disciples in the next Verse, They were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?