' Basil in XI>. Martyrs. In Queen Mary's time, when some offered a certain martyr money, he refused it, saying, I am go'ng to a country where money will bear no price.
ISA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 259
things evidence, but this, that though God has fired many men out of their houses, yet the inordinate love of tliis workl is not fired out of their hearts !
0 sirs, to moderate your affections to the things of this workl, and to put a stop to your too eager pursuit after eartlily things, seriously and frequently dwell upon these ten maxims: —
[1.] First, That the shortest, surest, and safest loay to he rich, is to he content ivitli your present portion, Eccles. v. 12. The philosopher could say, ' He that is content wants nothing ; and he that wants con- tent enjoys nothing.'
' One miglit have riches, yet be very poor ; One migLt have little, yet have all and more.'
[2.] Secondly, He ivho is \iiot\ contented ivith a little, will never he satisfied with much. He who is not content witli pounds, will never be satisfied with hundreds ; and he who is not content with a few hundreds, will never be satisfied with many thousands :i Eccles. v. 10, ' He that loveth silver, shall not be satisfied with silver ; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase.' Money of itself cannot satisfy any desire of nature. If a man be hungry, it cannot feed him ; if naked, it cannot clothe him ; if cold, it cannot warm him ; if sick, it cannot recover him. A circle cannot fill a triangle ; no more can the whole world fill the heart of man. A man may as soon fill a chest with grace, as a heart with wealth. The soul of man may be busied about earthly things, but it can never be filled nor satisfied with earthly things. Air shall as soon fill the body, as money shall satisfy the mind. There is many a worldling who hath enough of the world to sink him, who w^ill never have enough of the world to satisfy him. The more a hydropical man drinketh, the more he thirsteth. So the more money is increased, the more the love of money is increased ; and the more the love of money is increased, the more the soul is unsatisfied. It is only ah infinite God, and an infinite good, that can fill and satisfy the precious and immortal soul of man. Gen. xv. 1. Look, as nothing fits the ear but sounds, and as nothing fits the smell but odours, so nothing fits the soul but God. Nothing below the great God can fit and fill an immortal soul. Nothing can con- tent the soul of man but the fruition of God. Nature hath taught all men to seek after a summum honum. God never rested till he made man ; and man can never rest till he enjoys his God. Every man has a soul within him of a vast capacity, and nothing can fill it to the brim but he that is fulness itself Should we knock at every creature's door for happiness, they would all answer us round, that it is not in them. The man in Plutarch that heard the philosophers wrangle about summum honum, one placing of it in this, and another in that, went to the market and bought up all that was good, hoping among all he should not miss of happiness ; and yet he missed of it. The soul of man is of so glorious a make, that nothing below him that made it can satisfy it. The sum of all that the creatures amount to, according to Solomon s reckoning, is vanity and vexation of spirit. Vanity and vexation is the very quintessence of the creature, and all
^ Much treasure stoppeth not a miser's mouth, saith the proverb.
2G0 London's lamentatioxs on [Lsa. XLII. 24, 25.
that can possibly be extracted out of it. Now if vanity can satisfy, or if vexation can give content; if you can gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles, then go on and dote upon the world still, and be always onanioured with a shadow of perishing beauty. Oramuzes l the enchanter boasted that in his eg;g all the ha])})iness in the world was included ; but being broken, there was nothing in it but wind and enij)tiness. But,
[3.] Thirdly, It is injinitehj better to have much of God, of Christ, of the Spirit of holiness and of heaven in our hearts, with a little of the world in our hands, than to have much of the ivorld in our hands, and. but a little of God and Christ in our hearts, 2 Cor. vi. 10. It is infinitely better to be rich towards God, and poor towards the world, than to be poor towards God, and to be rich towards the world. There are some vei-y rich, who yet are A'ery poor ; there are others who are very poor, and yet are very rich, Eccles. v. 12; Prov. xi. 24. It is infinitely better to be poor men and rich Christians, than to be rich men and poor Christians. But,
[4.] Fourthly, The best and surest tvay under heaven to gain much of the loorld, is to mind the world less, and God, and Christ, and grace, and heaven more : 1 Kings iii. 9, ' Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad : for who is able to judge this thy so great a people ?' Ver. 10, ' And the speech pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing.' Ver. 11, ' And God said unto him. Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life ; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies ; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;' ver. 12, ' behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, 1 have given thee a wise and an understanding heart ; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.' Ver. 13, 'And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honours : so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.' This is more generally and fully ex- pressed in 2 Chron. i. 12, ' Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee: and I will give thee riches and wealth and honour, such as none of the kings have had before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.' Solomon desired wisdom of the Lord, and the Lord granted him his desire, and cast in riches, and wealth, and honour as an overplus, Avhich he did not so much as once desire. God won't be wanting to them in temporals, who in their desires and prayers are most carried out after spirituals :2 Mat. vi. 33, 'First seek the kingdom of God, and his righteousness ; and all these things shall be added to you,' or over-added. He who before all, and above all other things, seeks grace and glory, shall have the things of this world cast in as an overplus, as a handful to the sack of grain, or as [an] inch of measure to an ell of cloth, or as paper and packthread is given into the bargain : 1 Tim. iv. 8, ' Godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which
' Sic— Query, ' Ormuzd of the system of Zoroaster' ?— G.
' The shorter cut to riches is by their contempt: it is great riches not to desire riches, and he hath most that covets least, saith Socrates and Seneca.