(15.) Fifteenthly, To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness, consider how the men of the toorld do study and strive to abound and increase in worldly blessings. Oh, what ado is there among worldlings to lay house to house, and field to field, to make a hundred a thousand, and a thousand ten, &c., Isa. v. 8. Many men rise early and go to bed late, yea, they cross their light, and wound their consciences, and decline their principles, and endanger their im- mortal souls, and all to add to their worldly stores, Ps. cxxvii. 1, 2. This age is full of such Ahabs, that are even sick for their neighbours' vineyards, yea, that rather than they will go without them, will wade through Naboth's blood to them, 1 Kings xxi. And how many rich fools be there amongst us, who instead of minding their souls, and providing for eternity, mind nothing, nor talk of nothing, but pulling down their barns, and building of greater ! Luke xii. 16-21. What struggling is there for places of honour ; what desperate ventures for rich commodities ; and what high attempts there are for large posses- sions ! Oh the time, the strength, the spirits, that many spend in an eager pursuit after earthly things ! Ps. iv. 6. Oh, how sad it is to consider that Satan shall have more service of a worldling for an ounce of gold, than God shall have for the kingdom of heaven ! though the world in all its bravery is no better than the cities which Solomon gave to Hiram, which he called Cabul, that is, displeasing or dirty, 1 Kings ix. 13 ; yet, oh, how mad are men upon it ! Though all the great, the gay, and the glorious things of the world may fitly be resembled to the fruit that undid us all, which was fair to the sight, smooth in handling, sweet in taste, but deadly in operation ; yet, oh, how fond are men of these things ! and how do most long to be touching and tasting of them, though a touch, a taste, may exclude them out of paradise for ever ! i 0 sirs, what fools in folio are they who dare hazard the loss of a paradise for a wilderness, of a crown for a crumb, of a king- dom for a cottage, and of pearls for trifles ! and yet such fools are all those who spend themselves in multiplying and increasing of their earthly enjoyments. In that Gren. xiii. 2 it is said, that ' Abraham was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold;' but according to the Hebrew it runs thus, ' Abraham was very heavy, 12D, in cattle, in silver, and in gold,' to shew that riches, that gold and silver, which is the great god of the world, are but heavy burdens, and rather a hin- drance than a help to heaven and happiness. Gold and silver, which are but the white and yellow guts and garbage of the earth, is fitly called by the prophet, ' thick clay,' Hab. ii. 6, which will sooner break a man's back than satisfy his heart ; and oh, what folly and madness is it for a man to be still a-loading of himself with the clay of this world ! Though the sumpter-horse be loaden with rich treasure all the day long, yet when night comes he is turned into the dark stinking stable, with an empty belly, and with his back full of galls, sores, and bruises ; so though vain men may be loaded with the treasures of this
(^ Multi amando res noxias sunt miseri, babendo miaerioreB.— Augustine in Ps. xtL
366 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.
world during the day of their life, yet when the night of death comes, then they shall be turned into a dark stinking hell, with consciences full of guilt and galls, and with souls full of sores and bruises ; and then what good will all their treasures do them ? Though the rich man in the Gospel lived like a gentleman, a gallant, yet when he died he went to hell, Luke xvi. Though mammon, as Aretius and many others observe, is a Syriac word, and signifies wealth, riches; yet Ireneeus derives mximmon of mum, that signifies a spot, and hon, that signifies riches, to shew that riches have their spots ; and yet, oh, how unwearied are men in their adding of spots to spots ! Men, in their pursuit after things of this world, seem to act by an untired power, they are never weary of heaping up bags upon bags, nor of enlarging their tents, nor of increasing their revenues, &c. Now, oh, how should this provoke every gracious soul to be adding of grace to grace, and holiness to holiness ! Oh, let not the men of the world outdo you, let them not out-act you ! Oh, let not nature excel grace 1 Oh, let the muckworms of this world know that divine principles are too high and noble to be matched, or to be out-acted by anything that they can do I 0 sirs, shall children grow in your families, and oxen grow in your stalls, and fish grow in your ponds, and grass grow in your fields, and flowers grow in your gardens, &c., and shall not holiness grow in your hearts ? Well, friends, remember this, it is infinitely better to be poor men and rich Christians, than to be rich men and poor Christians. But,
(16.) Sixteenthly, To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness, consider that the more holiness you attain to in this world, the more weighty and heavy, the more bright and glorious ivill be your faithful ministers' crovm. 0 sirs, as you rise higher and higher in holiness, so the springs of joy rises higher and higher in your minis- ters' souls, 2 John 4. 0 Christians, it is neither your seraphical notions, nor your pompous profession, it is neither your good words, nor your sweet looks, it is neither your civilities, nor your courtesies, that raises joy in your ministers' hearts, or that wiU add to your minis- ters' crown, iDut an increase of holiness will do both, Kom. xv. 14. The Thessalonians were rare Christians, they were very eminent and high in holiness, as you may see in that 1 Thes. i. 5-8, and they were the apostle's ' joy and crown of rejoicing,' as you may see in chap. ii. 19, 20, ' For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming ? For ye are our glory and joy.' The apostle tells these raised, these renowned Thessalonians, that as they were now his hope, his glory, and joy, so at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ they should be his joy, and crown of rejoicing. Look, as Christ has his thousand shekels of silver, BO his faithful laborious ministers have their two hundred shekels of silver, and that indeed is a great reward : Cant. viii. 12, ' My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, 0 Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof, two hundred.' i Oh, what an hon- our is it for faithful ministers to have a fifth part of that reward that Christ has himself 1 In this 12th ver. Christ opposeth his vineyard,
' Shekels of silver were their common money, and a name both for weight and coin, being in value answerable to our English half-crowns.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 367