men who are commended, and flattered, and held up to admiration ! Truly the Lord seeth not as man seeth ! The Lord declares that rich men who live only for {hk world are "fook."
Let us pray for rich men. Their souls are in great danger. '' Heaven/' said a great man on his death-bed, '' is a place to which few kings and rich men come." Even when converted, the rich carry a great weight, and run the race to heaven under great disadvantages. The possession of money has a most hardemng effect upon the conscience. We never know what we may do when we become rich. "The love of money is the root of all evil. While some have coveted after it, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves throi^h with many sorrows." (1 Tim. vi. 10.) Poverty has many disadvantages. But riches destroy far more souls than poverty.
Let MS mark, lastly, in these verses, haw important U is to be rich towards Ood. This is true wisdom. This is true providing for time to come. This is genuine pru- dence. The wise man is he who does not think only of earthly treasure, but of treasure in heaven.
When can it be said of a man, that he is rich towards God ? Never till he is rich in grace, and rich in faith, and rich in good works ! Never till he has applied to Jesus Christ, and bought of him gold tried in the fire ! (Bev. iii. 18.) Never till he has a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens! Never till he has a name inscribed in the book of life, and is an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ! Such a man is truly rich. His treasure is incorruptible. His bank