tions, love, desire, joy, hope, confidence, &c. If riches increase, oh, set not thy thoughts upon them ; if riches increase, oh, set not thy affec- tions upon them ; if riches increase, oh, set not thy love upon them, set not thy desires upon them, set not thy joy and delight upon them, nor never place thy hope or confidence in them. Oh ! what a shame and dishonour would it be to see men of great estates to rake in dung- hills, and to sweep channels, and to carry tankards of water, and to cry trifles up and down the streets ! And is it not a greater shame, a greater dishonour, to see tliose that have the great God for their portion, to set their hearts and affections upon a little white and yellow clay ? It was a generous speech of that heathen, Themistocles, who, seeing something glister like a pearl in the dark, scorned to stoop for it him- self, but bid another stoop, saying. Stoop thou, for thou art not Themis- tocles.^ Oh ! it is below a generous Christian, a grsicious Christian, a noble Christian, that hath God for his portion, to stoop to the things of this world. A true-bred Christian will set his feet upon those very things that the men of the world set their hearts : Rev. xii. 1 , ' And there appeared a great wonder in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.' The church is compared to a woman for her weakness, for her lovingness,for her comeliness, and for her fruitfulness ; and being clothed with the Sun of righteousness, she hath the moon, that is, the world, under her feet. The church treads under her feet all temporary and transitory things, which are as changeable as the moon. She treads upon all worldly and carnal enjoyments and contentments, as things below her, as things not worthy of her. What vanity is it for a great man to set his heart on bird's nests, and paper kites that boys make fly in the air ? And as great, yea, a greater vanity it is for the saints that have God for their portion, to set their hearts upon the poor little low things of this world. It is not for you to be a-fishing for gudgeons, but for towns, forts, and castles, said Cleopatra to Mark Antony. So say I, it is not for you that have Ciod for your portion, to be a-fishing for the honours, riches, and preferments of the world ; but for more grace, more holiness, more communion with God, more power against corruptions, more strength to withstand temptations, more abilities to bear afiiictions, more sense of divine love, and more assur- ance of interest in Christ, and in all that glory and happiness that comes by Christ. When Alexander heard of the riches of India, he regarded not the kingdom of Macedonia, but gave away his gold ; and when he was asked, what he kept for himself? he answered, Spem tnajorum et meliorwrn, the hope of better and greater things.^ O sirs ! when you look upon those riches of grace, those riches of glory, those riches of justification, those riches of sanctification, and those riches of consolation that are in that God that is your portion, how should you disregard, how should you despise, how should you scorn the great things, and the gay things of the world ! It was a notable speech of Erasmus, if his wit were not too quick for his conscience ? I desire, said he, neither wealth nor honour, no more than a feeble horse doth an heavy cloak-bag. O Christians ! you have many thousand excellencies
• Plutarch in Life of Themistocles. — G.
(* Plutarch: Alexander. — G. » Melchior A dam : Erasmus. — G.
56 AN ARK FOR ALL GOD's NOAHS. [LAM. III. 24.
in God to set your affections upon, and you have many thousand excel- lencies in Christ to set your aftections upon, and you have many thou- sand excellencies in the Spirit to set your affections upon, and you have many thousand excellencies in the covenant to set your affections upon, and you have many thousand excellencies in the gospel to set your affections upon, and you have many thousand excellencies in the ordi- nances to set your affections upon, and you have many thousand excellencies in promises to set your affections upon, and you have many thousand excellencies in prophecies to set your affections upon, and you have many thousand excellencies in rare providences to set your affections upon, and you have many thousand excellencies in the saints to set your affections upon ; and therefore, for shame, set not your affections upon things below, set not your hearts upon things that perish. Col. iii. 1. A man can never come to set his heart upon any earthly portion, but that God will either embitter it, or lessen it, or cloud it, or wholly strip him of it ; and therefore sit loose, I say again, sit loose in your affections to all worldly enjoyments. But,