Judges xviii, 6-28 ; and so the peace, plenty, aud prosperity of the Bohemians cast them into so great a security, that they began to grow very loose and base in their lives, and very cold and careless in the things of God, and in all their soul-concernments ; insomuch that many of their most pious and prudent men did presage, that certainly some horrible storm would suddenly arise, and that some dreadful tempest without all peradventure would beat upon them ; and accordingly it came to pass. Alexander slew him whom he found asleep on the watch ; and God finding the Bohemians in a deep sleep of sin and security, he brought the devouring sword upon them. Mercury could not kill Argus, till he had cast him into a sleep, and with an enchanted rod closed his eyes. No more can the devil or the world hurt any man, till by dandling of him on the knee of prosperity, they come to lull him asleep in the bed of security. But,
[5.] Fifthly, Earthly riches do frequently divert the souls of men from, embracing and closing with the golden seasons and ojppoHu- nities of grace. Riches are the thorns that choke the word, and that make men barren and unfruitful under the word. Mat. xiii. 22. Rich Felix had no leisure to hear poor Paul, though the hearing of a sermon might have saved his soul, and made him happy in both worlds. Acts xxiv. 24-27 ; and the rich fool in the Gospel was so taken up in pulling down his barns, and in building of them greater, and in bestowing of his fruits and his goods, that he had no time to prevent the ruin of his soul, Luke xii 15-22 ; and Dives was so taken up with his riches, pomp, state, and with his royal apparel, royal attendance, and royal fare, that he never minded heaven, nor never dreaded hell, till he did awake with everlasting flames about his ears, Luke xvi. 19-31. Sicily is so full of sweet flowers, that dogs cannot hunt there ; ' and so what do all the sweet profits, pleasures, and preferments of this world, but make men lose the scent of grace, the scent of glory, the scent of holiness, and the scent of happiness.^ It is true, rich men will have their eating times, and their drinking times, and their trading times, and their sporting times, and their sleeping times, and that which is worse, their sinning times, &c. But ah, how rare is it to see rich men covet after hearing times and praying times, and reading times, and meditating times, and mourning times, and repenting times, and reforming times. Rich men will have time for everything, but to honour God, exalt Christ, obey the Spirit, love the saints, attend ordinances, and save their own immortal souls. Oh the time, the thoughts, the strength, the spirits that rich men spend and consume upon their riches, whilst their precious souls lie a-bleeding to death, and an eternity of misery is posting upon them. But,
[6.] Sixthly, Earthly riches commonly load the soul with a multi- tude of cares, fears, griefs, and vexations, which do mightily disturb the soul, distract the soul, yea, often rack, torture, and torment the soul. "What if such a friend should be unfaithful to his trust ? what if such a ship should miscarry ? what if such an one should break, that owes me so much ? what if my title to such a lordship should not
^ Query «reed '?— G. « Diodorus Siculus [tub voce. — G.]
' Some say, where gold grows, no plant will prosper ; certainly, where riches bear the bell, no good, no grace, will thrive or prosper.
70 AN ARK FOR ALL GOD'S NOAHS. [LAM. III. 24.
prove good ? what if flaws be found in my evidences for such and such lands ? what if fire should consume my habitation ? what if thieves should rob me of my treasure ? &c., and what do all these wJiats tend to, but to break a man's heart in a thousand pieces ? But,
[7.] Seventhly, Earthly riches are many times fuel for the greatest and the grossest sins; as pride, oppression, revenge, cruelty, tyranny, gluttony, drunkenness, wantonness, and all manner of uncleanness and filthiness. Riches are a bawd to those very sins that require the largest stock to maintain .them. Vices are more costly than virtues. Virtue observes a mean, but vice knows none ; vice is all for extremes ; witness the prodigious wickedness of these times.^ But,
[8.] Eighthly, Earthly riches are many times reserved as witnesses against the rich in the great day of their account. James v. 1-3, ' Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for the miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered ; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.' The rust of the rich man's cankered gold and his moth-eaten apparel shall be brought in as dread- ful witnesses against him in the great day. The poet feigned Pluto to be the god of riches and of hell too, as if they were inseparable. By all these particulars you see how hurtful, how prejudicial earthly por- tions often prove to their owners.
Oh, but now God is a portion that will never hurt a man, that will never harm a man, that will never in the least prejudice a man. Among all 'the spirits of just men made perfect,' Heb. xii. 22, 23, there is not one to be found that will give in his witness against this sweet and blessed truth that I have asserted; and among all the saints on earth you shall not find one, but will with both hands readily sub- scribe to this glorious maxim, viz.. That God is such a portion, that hath never hurt them, that hath never harmed them, yea, that he is such a portion that hath done them good all their days, and one upon whom they have lived, and by whom they have been maintained ever since they ' hung upon the breasts,' Ps. xxii. 9. Holy Polycarp hit it, when he said, ' This sixty-eight years have I served the Lord, and he never did me any hurt; and shall I now forsake him?^ Surely no. But now earthly riches, for the most part, do a world of mischief and hurt to their owners. Oh the souls that earthly riches have pierced through and through with many sorrows ! Oh the minds that earthly riches have, blinded ! Oh the hearts that earthly riches have hardened ! Oh the consciences that earthly riches have benumbed ! Oh the wills that earthly riches have perverted ! Oh the affections that earthly riches have disordered ! Oh the lives that earthly riches have corrupted ! And Oh the souls that earthly riches have destroyed ! But,
[9.] Ninthly and lastly, Eaiihly riches, for tJie most part, make men unwilling to die. Oh how terrible is the king of terrors to the rich and the great ones of the world, 1 Sam. xxviii. 20, Dan. v. 1-7. And so Henry Beaufort, that rich and wretched cardinal, in the reign of Henry the Sixth, perceiving death at hand, spoke thus : Wherefore
* Compare these scriptures together, Ps. Ixxiii. 1-13, Deut. xxxii. 15-17, Jer. v. 7, 8 Hosea xiii. 6, Jamea v. 1-7. " Martyred. — G.