heart is full, it overfloweth in speech. We know metals by their tink- ling, and men by their talking. Happy was that tongue in the primi- tive time, that could sound out Aliquid Davidicura, anything of David's doing ; but much more happy is he that speaks out Aliquid Chnsti, anything of Christ from experience.
[7.] Seventhly, If ever you ivoidd he spimtually rich, then take heed of eating or tasting of forbidden fruit.
This stripped Adam of his crown, of his jewels, and of all his rich ornaments in a moment, and of the richest and greatest prince that ever breathed, made him the miserablest beggar that ever lived. Oh take heed of tasting of poison, of eating of poison. A person that hath ate poison will not thrive, let him take never such wholesome food. The choicest cordials will not increase blood, and spirits, and strength, but the man will throw up all. Poor souls that have been tasting of poison, are apt to find fault with the minister, and sometimes with this and that, as the cause of their not growing rich in spirituals ; when, alas ! the only cause is their eating of poison. These are like him in Seneca, that having a thorn in his foot, complained of the roughness of the way as the cause of his limping. Sirs, it is not the minister, nor this, nor that, but your eating of forbidden fruit, that is the cause of your non-thriving in spirituals. Sin is the soul's sickness, and nothing more prejudices gi'owth than sickness. Christians, if ever you would be trees, not only having the leaves of honour, but the fruits of righteous- ness, then take heed of sin, abhor it more than hell, and fly from it as from your deadliest enemy, &c.^
[8.] Eighthly and lastly, Be sure to maintain a secret trade with God.
You know many men come to be very rich in the world by a secret trade. Though many have not such an open trade as others, yet they have a more secret trade, and by that the}- gain very great estates, as many of you here in London know by experience.^ Take it, friends, as an experienced truth, there is no such way under heaven, to be rich in spirituals, as by driving of a secret trade heaven-wards. It is true, it is good for men to attend upon this, and that, and the other public ad- ministration ; for in all divine administrations God shews his beauty and glory. Ay, but such that delight to be more upon the public stage than in the closet, will never be rich in spirituals. They may grow rich in notions, but they will never grow rich in gracious experiences, Ps. Ixiii. 2, 3 ; xxvii. 4 ; Ixxxiv. 10. Oh ! God loves to see a poor Chris- tian shut his closet door. Mat. vi. 6, and then to open his bosom, and pour out his soul before him. God hath very choice discoveries for souls that drive a secret trade ; the best wine, the best dainties and delicates are for such. And I never knew any man or woman in my life, that was richer in grace, than those that were much in closet com- munion with God. Much of a Christian's spiritual strength lies in secret prayer, as Samson's did in his hair. Nothing charms Satan^ and weakens sin, like this. Secret prayers are the piHars of smoke wherein the soul ascendeth to God, out of the wilderness of this world. Secret
' Eccamis tolls us lliat the tree of knowledp^e wa.s ftcus indica, nnfl that it bears many leaves and little fruit ; and so it with those that taste ajid eat of forbidden fruit, &c.
* Acts X. 3. 9 ; Gen. xxi. 33 ; Exod. xiv. 16 ; 1 Sam. i. 13.
• ' Charms away.'' — G.
EpH. III. 8] RICHES OF CHRTST. 179
prayer is Jacob's ladder, where you have God descending down into the soul, and the soul sweetl}'' ascending up to God. No way to be rich in spirituals like this. Therefore be sure to maintain and keep up a secret ti*ade between God and your own souls. Oh let God hear often of you in secret. In Cant. vii. 5, ' The king is held in the galleries.' Oh ! in the secret walks, the soul meets with the King of glory. Oh ! there the soul hangs upon Christ ; there the soul sucks and draws virtue from Christ ; and there the soul is made rich with the riches of Christ. Christ is much delighted and taken with secret prayer : Cant, ii. 14?, ' O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs,' that art got into a hole, * let me hear thy voice, let me see thy countenance ; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is lovely.' Secret meals are very fattening, and secret duties are very soul- enriching. Christians ! set more close to this work, and if you don't thrive by it, trust me no more. And thus you see by what means you may grow rich in grace.
3. The third thing I propounded to speak to was.
Some proj)ositions concerning spiritual riches.
And the first proposition is this :
[1.] All that do grow rich in grace, they groiu rich gradually.
The sun ascends by degrees; children, plants, andtrees they grow by de- grees ; so do saints in spirituals. It is true, many men as to temporals, by the death of some friend, or this and that providence, grow rich in a sudden ; but no soul that is rich in grace, but grows rich gradually. In Prov. iv. 18, 'But the path of the just is like the shining light, that shin- eth more and more unto the perfect day.' He proceeds from virtue to virtue, until at lensi'th he shines like the sun in its strenfrth. And so in Mai. iv. 2, ' Unto you that fear my name, shall the Sun of righteous- ness arise with healing under his wings, and you shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall.' Hosea xiv. 5-7, ' I will be as the dew unto Israel, he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall return, they shall revive as the com, and grow as the vine ; the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.' I shall but hint at this now, because I have spoken more fully to it already, &c.
The second propcsition is this :
[2.] F''ew or none are rich in all graces.
There are some men in the world that are generally rich, that are rich in money, and rich in land, and rich in goods, but where you have one man that is a general rich man in this sense, you have ten thou- sand that are only rich in some one thing, as money, goods, or land, &c. ; so it is here. It is a hard thing, if possible, to find a soul that is gene- rally rich ; that is rich in every grace, that is rich in faith, and rich in wisdom, and rich in love, and rich in patience, &c. Abraham was rich in faith, and Job was rich in patience, and Moses was rich in meek- ness, and David was rich in zeal, &c ; but none of these were rich in every grace. And .so in these days you may find one Christian rich in one grace, and another Christian rich in another grace ; but where will you find a Christian that is rich in every grace ? Such that are rich in some graces, are yet very defective and lame in other graces. The saints
] 80 THE UNSEAECHABLE [EPH. III. 8.