^ Learned Ainsworth had but ninepence a week to live on whilst he wrote his excellent Commentary on the Pentateuch. ' If there were any happiness in riches, the gods would not want them, said Seneca. VOL. IV. U
306 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.
died, the angels carried him into Abraham's bosom. In all ages this has been an experienced truth, that most men are best in a low condi- tion. Pope Martin reports of himself, that whilst he was a monk, and lived in the cloister, he had some evidences for heaven, but when he was a cardinal, then he began to fear and doubt whether ever he should go to heaven ; but afterwards, when he came to be pope, he utterly despaired of ever going thither. Ah, how holy, how humble, how heavenly, how gracious, how serious, how zealous, how prudent, how vigilant, and how diligent have many men been in these late years, whilst their condition was low, and poor, and mean in the world ! but when under various changes they changed their brass into silver, their copper into gold, their cottages into palaces, their shops into lordships, and their sheep-skins into scarlet, &c., ah, how proud, how stately, how earthly, how carnal, how careless, how cold, how formal, how luke- warm, how indifferent, how light, how slight, how vain, how loose, did they generally grow ! I think since Christ was on earth there has not been a more evident proof of men's being best when their con- dition was lowest than what has been given within these late years. Mandrobulus, in Lucian, offered to his god the first year gold, the second year silver, and the third year nothing at all ; so many in our times, who were forward in the days of their poverty and adversity to offer gold and silver, I mean prayers and praises, to God, yet in the days of their prosperity and worldly glory, they offered either nothing to God, or else that which was next to nothing. I have read of the pdne-tree, that if you pull off the bark it will last a long time ; but if the bark continue on, it will rot the tree. Ah, how has the bark of honour, the bark of riches, the bark of pleasure, the bark of success, the bark of applause, and the bark of preferment, &c., rotted, and cor- rupted, and worsened many glorious professors in these days! And oh that, now their bark is taken off, they may with the pine-tree grow better and better ! Oh that now they may grow more holy than ever, and more humble than ever, and more heavenly than ever, and more spiritual than ever, and more watchful than ever, and more faithful than ever, and more friendly than ever, and more united than ever ! &c. Now if most men are best in a low condition, then there is no reason why any man should turn his back upon holiness because of poverty, that often treads upon holiness' heels. The cypress-tree is high, but barren ; and the olive-tree is low, but fruitful. Ah, Christ- ians, it is infinitely better to be an olive-tree, low and fruitful, to be low in the world, and full of the fruits of righteousness and hoUness, than to be a cypress-tree, high in honours, riches, and worldly great- ness, &c., and to be barren of all grace and goodness. But,
[6.] Sixthly and lastly, Consider that spiritual riches, ivhich are the test of riches, do commonly wait on the poorest saints. Usually there are none so rich in spirituals, as those that are poorest in temporals ; there are none that have so much to shew for another world as those that have least to shew of this world : James ii. 5, ' Hearken, my be- loved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him ? ' i Though they have never a penny in their purses, nor * Solus sapiens dives^ saith the philosopher.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 307
never a rag to hang on their backs, nor never a bit to put in their bellies, yet they are rich heirs, and their heads are destinated to the diadem. Usually the poorest saints are the richest Christians in com- forts, in graces, in promises, in experiences, and in spiritual enjoy- ments, &c., 2 Cor. viii. 1-5 ; Rom. v. 3. The holy soul drives the freest and the greatest trade heavenwards ; the holy soul may sail to any port that lies in God's dominions, and trade freely, — and what enriches men like a free and a full trade ? There are infinite treasures laid up in precious promises, and all these treasuries lie open to the holy soul. A Christian may lade his soul as deep as he pleases with the precious commodities of heaven. I have read of Tiberius the emperor, in the year of our Lord 577, who, seeing a cross set in a marble stone lying in the ground, commanded it to be digged up ; and when it was digged up, he found a rich treasure under the cross. 0 sirs, under the cross of poverty there are treasures, spiritual treasures, lasting treasures, and satisfying treasures to be found. Though holiness may be attended with cross upon cross, loss upon loss, and misery upon misery, and calamity upon calamity, and sorrow upon sorrow, and vexation upon vexation, &c., yet under every cross and every loss, &c., a Christian shall be sure to find such spiritual and heavenly treasure, that for weight, worth, use, delight, and duration, all the treasures of the world are not to be compared to it.
0 sirs, what is a cup of pleasant wine to a condemned man ? or a ship's lading of gold to a drowning man ? or a sumptuous feast to a sick man ? or royal robes to a diseased man ? &c. ; no more are all the riches or treasures of this world to those spiritual riches and heavenly treasures that attends the poorest saints. Austin hath long since told us that divitice corporales paupertatis plence sunt : Earthly riches are full of poverty. They cannot enrich the soul, for oftentimes where the purse is full of gold, the heart is empty of grace, and under many silken coats there are threadbare souls to be found. Now what are all the riches of this world to those riches of consolation, and riches of sanctification, and riches of justification, and riches of salvation, and riches of glorification, that attends the poorest saints ? Suppose that poverty should break in upon you like an armed man whilst you are in the pursuit of holiness, yet if the best of riches, if spiritual riches, shall attend your poverty, as certainly they shall, what cause have you to be discouraged? Surely none. And let thus much suffice for answer to this fifth objection.
Object. 6. But sixthly. Some may further object, and say, SJiould ive pursue after holiness, it would he a disgrace, a disparagement, and dishonour to us ivho are high, and great, and rich, and honourable in the earth. We are gentlemen, ive are well-bred and high-born, and holiness seems to be too poor and too low a thing for such as we are to look after, &c.
Now to fence and arm you against this objection, give me leave to propose to your most serious thoughts these following considera- tions, &c.: