When taxes and burdens are laid upon poor men, they sio-h, and shrug, and complain that they are not able to bear them, when rich men make nothing of them. So souls that are rich in grace can bear burdens without a burden ; they can bear crosses, afflictions, and per- secutions, with abundance of ease, cheerfulness, and contentedness of spirit ; they do not shrug, nor grumble, but bear the greatest trials with greatest sweetness, as you may see in Acts v., ' They went out rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus.' So Paul, 2 Cor. xii. 10, 'I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in ne- cessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake.' ' I take pleasure.' The Greek word is an emphatical word, euSoxw ; it is the same word that God the Father uses to express his infinite delight in his Son : Mat. iii. 17, ' This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased ;' or, ' in whom I am infinitely delighted.' The same word the apostle uses to express the wonderful delight that he took under all his sufferino-s ; he rejoices and leaps under all his burdens. Oh ! but now a soul that is poor in grace, he cannot bear a burden without a burden ; every light affliction turns him, and sinks him ; every molehill is a mountain ; every scratch on the hand is a stab at the heart ; every wave is a sea, and the poor Christian sighs and groans, and cries out. Oh ! no sorrow to my sorrow ! no loss to my loss ! no cross to my cross ! but souls rich in grace act quite contrary, as hath been hinted and proved, &c.
[4.] Fourthly, Rich men are most envied.
History and Scripture speak out this, as well as our own experience. The rich man above all others is the greatest object of envy, and it is as true that such that are most rich in spirituals are of all men the most envied. Moses and Aaron were rich in spirituals, and oh, how were they envied by Koi-ah, Dathan, and Abiram, and other wicked wretches ! Ezra, Nehemiah, and Mordecai, were rich in spirituals, and who more envied ? Among all the prophets and apostles, those have been most envied, that have most abounded in spiritual worth ; and to this very day, none are such objects of scorn and envy, as those that have most of Christ within. Men that have more leaves than fruit, that have a golden outside, but a threadbare inside, are less envied than those that are 'all glorious within.'^ Men of greatest excellencies, are the main objects upon which the eye of envy is placed, Ps. xlv. 13. Saul'^ envious eye was placed upon David, and Cain's upon Abel, and Esau's upon Jacob, and Herod's upon John, and the Pharisees' upon
' A tree that is well grown stands it out in the worst storms ; it bends not, it breaks not, &c.
* It was said of CsBsar and Pompey, that the one could not endure a superior, nor the other an equal. [Plutarch : Julius Ca2sar. — G.]
192 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
Christ. Envious souls are like the ravens, that fly over the sweet garden, and light upon the stinking camon. Envy doth ever ascend ; it never descends. An envious man can with more ease die miserably, than see another live happily. An envious heart weeps to see others' mercies, and joys to see others' miseries. An envious heart is like the mermaid,^ which never sings but in a storm, and never mourns but in a calm. An envious man cannot endure those excellencies in others that he wants in himself; he loves not any light that outshines his own, any crown that outweighs his o-\vn, &c. Socrates calls envy Serram animce, the soul's saw, &c.
Cimon, the famous general of the Athenian commonwealth, hearing a friend of his highly commending his martial achievements, answered, ' That they were not worthy of commendations, because they were not envied,' &c.
[5.] Fifthly, Rich men are most tempted and assaulted.
Pirates do not use to set upon empty vessels, but those that are most richly laden ; and beggars need not fear the thief, though the rich man do. Those that have been most rich in spirituals, have been most assaulted and tempted by Satan. Witness Abraham, Job, Joshua, Peter, Paul, yea, Christ himself. The best men have always been most and worst tempted. None so much in the school of temptation, as those that are most rich in grace. There are none that are such blocks, such mountains in Satan's ways, as these ; none do him that mischief as these; none are so active and so resolute in their oppositions against him as they, &c. ; and therefore none so assaulted and tempted as they.* And thus by these five things you may know whether you are rich in grace or no.
Use 2. The next use is this :
If the Lord Jesus Christ be so rich, then do not join anything with hiin, in the great ivorh of your redemption and salvation.
There are riches enough in Christ to pay all your debts, and to satisfy divine justice to the utmost farthing, without being beholden to your prayers, tears, or humiliations. Christ will be Alexander or Nevio on earth. Kings love no consorts ; power is impatient of participation.
When Augustus Ceesar desired the senate to join two consuls with him, for the carrying on the government of the state, the senators answered, ' That they hold it a diminution to his dignity to join any with so incomparable a man as Augustus Caesar was.' [Suetonius].
Was it a diminution to his dignity to join others with him in the government of the state ? And is it not a diminution of the dignity and glory of Christ, to join your actions and your endeavours with his blood, in the business of your redemption ? In Isa. Ixiii. 3, ' 1 have trodden the wine-press alone ; and of the people there was none with me.' And in Isa. xliv. 24, ' Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things ; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone, that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself.' It is a sad reproach to Christ to join anytliiug with him in the great business of your salvation ; therefore abhor it
' Spelled ' mearmaid.' — G.
* God aud Satan will try to the utmost thoae particular graces wherein any Christian does excel, &c.
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 193
more than hell itself : let Christ be all in all. We must say of Christ as it was once said of Caesar, Socium habet neTninem, He may have a companion, but he must not have a competitor, &c.
Use 3. If Christ be so rich, then take heed of three things.
(1.) First, Take heed of sitting down dejected and discouraged under any losses or troubles that do befall you, or that have or shall befall you for the name of Christ.