* The philosophers seeing to the very bottom of earthly riches, contemned them, and preferred a contemplative life above them. Omnia viea mecuvi porto, said Bias, one of the seven wise men of Greece, &c.
^ It is reported of one Myrogenes, when great gifts were sent him, he sent them back, saying, I only desire this one thing at your master's hands, to pray for me, that I may be saved for eternity, &c.
160 THE UNSEAKCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
Valens, and Bajazet, three proud emperors, found by experience, and so have many kings, and generals, and nobles, as Scripture and history do abundantly evidence. Earthly riches are very uncertain, 1 Tim. vi. 17. They are ever upon the wing ; they are like tenuis balls, which are banded ' up and down from one to another. As the bird hops from twig to twig, so do riches from man to man. This age can furnish us with multitudes of instances of this nature, &c.
[7.] Seventhly and lastly. They are the most useful riches, to siueeten all other riches, mercies, and changes, &c., which speaks out the excellency of these riches above all other riches. The more useful any- thing is, the more excellent it is. Now the riches of Christ are of all things the most useful to poor souls. When the soul is under the guilt of sin, nothinof relieves it like the riches of Christ. When the soul is sur- rounded with temptations, nothing strengthens it like the riches of Christ. When the soul is mourning under afHictions, nothing comforts it like the riches of Christ. When state, friends, and trading fails, nothing makes a Christian sing care away like the riches of Christ, &c. The riches of Christ sweeten all other riches that men enjoy.^ If a man be rich in parts, or rich in grace, rich in faith, rich in knowledge, rich in wisdom, rich in joy, rich in peace, &c. ; or if a man be rich in tem- porals, rich in money, rich in wares, rich in jewels, rich in lands, &c., the glorious and unsearchable riches of Christ sweeten all his riches, and the want of these riches embitters all the riches that men enjoy. When men's consciences are enlightened and awakened, then they cry out, what are all these worldly riches to us, except we had an interest in the riches of Christ ? As Absalom once said, ' What are all these to me, except I see the king's face ? '
I have read of one that, upon his dying bed, called for his bags, and laid a bag of gold to his heart, and then cried out, ' Take it away, it will not do, it will not do.' There are things that earthly riches can never do.
They can never satisfy divine justice ;
They can never pacify divine wrath ;
Nor they can never quiet a guilty conscience.
And till these things are done, man is undone. The crown of gold cannot cure the headache, nor the honourable garter cannot cure the gout, nor the chain of pearls about the neck cannot take away the pain of the teeth. Oh but the unsearchable riches of Christ give ease under all pains and torments.
Nugas, the Scythian king, despising the rich presents and ornaments that were sent unto him ])y the emperor of Constantinople (Michael Paleolagus), asked him that brought them, ' Whether those things could drive away calamities, diseases, or deaths V looking upon all those pre- sents as no presents, that could not keep off calamities from him. Verily, all the riches and glories of this world cannot keep oft' the least calamity, neither can thoy make up the want of the least mercy. But the riches of Christ do both keep off calamities, and make up the want of all mercies that the soul craves or needs. All which speak out the
' ' Bandied,' = tossed. — G.
* Earthly riches cannot enrich the soul, nor better the soul. Oftentimes under silk and satin apparel there is a threadbare soul.
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 161
excellency of the riches of Christ above all other riches. We come now unto,
IV. The uses of this point.
And the first use that we shall make, is a use of exhortation, to ex- hort you all, seeing Christ is so rich, to labour to be spiritually rich. Oh labour to be rich in grace. In the handling of this use I shall pro- pound this method.
[1.] I shall lay down some considerations that may provoke your souls to labour to be rich in grace.
[2.] I shall propound some directions or helps, to help you to be rich in grace, which is as much a mercy as a duty, &c.
[3.] I shall lay down some propositions concerning the soul's being rich in grace.
[4.] I shall shew you how you may know whether you are the per- sons that are rich in grace, or no.
I shall begin with the first, and be a little the more large upon it, because it is a point of mighty weight and concernment ; and then be the more brief in the three following particulars.
For the first, by way of motive, I shall only propound these following considerations, to provoke your souls to labour to be rich in grace, ia- boranduTTh \vSiS one of the emperors' motto, and must be every Christian's.
[1.] First, Consider that the more rich the soul is in grace, the higher the soul will be in joy and comfort.^
It is the greatest measures of grace that usher in the greatest mea- sure of joy and comfort into a believing heart. Christians, have you tasted of the consolations of God ? Have you at times sat down and drank of these wells of salvation ? Are your hearts carried out for more of those waters of life ? Then labour to be rich in grace. A little star yields but a little light, and a little grace will yield but a little comfort, but great measures of grace will yield a man not only a heaven here- after, but also a heaven of joy here. Divine comfort is a choice flower, a precious jewel, and only to be found in their bosoms that are rich in grace. Spiritual comforts are such strong waters, that weak Christians are not able to bear them. Great measures of grace carry with them the greatest evidence of the truth of grace ; and the clearer evidence there is in the soul of the truth of grace, the higher will joy and com- fort spring. The soul is apt to hang her comforts on every hedge, to shift and shark in every by-corner for comfort; but as air lights not without the sun, and as fuel heats not without fire, so neither can any- thing soundly comfort a Christian without the God of grace, without his being rich in grace. Great measures of grace carry with them the greatest evidence of a man's union and communion with God, and the more a man's union and communion with God is evidenced, the more will the soul be filled with that joy that is unspeakable and full of glory, and with that comfort and peace that passes understanding.^ In great measiu-es of grace a man may read most of the love and favour of God ; and the more a man sees of the love and favour of God to him, the more high the springs of comfort rise in him. In great mea-