margin together, i A little blessed unto a man is better than all the world cursed. JSTow all the blessings and mercies that the wicked do enjoy, though they are materially blessings, yet they are formally curses ; as all the crosses that befalls a righteous man, though they are materially crosses, yet they are formally blessings. The habita- tions, relations, honours, riches, &c., of the wicked are all cursed unto them. There is poison in every cup the wicked man drinks, and snares in every dish he puts his fingers in, the plague in all the clothes he wears, and a curse upon the house in which he dwells : Zech. V. 3, 4, ' Then he said unto me. This is the curse that goetli forth over the face of the whole earth : for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side, according to it ; and ever}^ one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side, according to it. I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name : and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it, with the timber thereof, and the stones thereof So Job xxiv. 18, ' Their portion is cursed in the earth.' A fat purse and a fat heart, a whole estate and a whole heart, a fat body and a lean soul : Ps cvi. 15, ' He sent leanness into their souls.' All the blessings of the wicked have their hut, as the cup in Benjamin's sack, which proved a snare to him rather than a mercy. Oh the curses and vexations that attend all the blessings of the wicked ! It may be said of ' the little that a righteous man hath,' Prov. iii. 33, as it was once said of Jacob's garment, ' It is like a field which the Lord hath blessed. He blesseth the habitations of the just.' Esau had a fair estate left him, and Jacob a less ; yet Jacob's was a better estate than Esau's, because his little was blessed to him, when Esau's much was cursed to him. One little draught of clear water is better than a sea of brackish salt water. The application is easy. But,
Fifthly, A little improved and well husbanded, is better than a great deal that is either not improved or but ill improved. Every estate is as it is improved. A little fjirm well improved, is much better than a great farm that is either not improved or ill improved. A little money, a little stock in a shop well improved, is better than a great deal of money, a great stock, that is either not improved or ill improved. Now here give me leave to shew you briefly how a godly man improves his little. Take me thus —
First, A godly man improves his little to the stirring up of his heart to thankfulness, and to be much in admiring and blessing of God for a little. Every drop the dove drinks he lifts up his head to heaven. Every bird in his kind, saith Ambrose, doth chirp forth thankfulness to his Maker. So the righteous man will bless God much for a little ; yea, he will bless God very much for a very little, Ps. ciii. 1-3, and cxvi. 12, 13. But,
Secondly, A righteous man improves his little to the humbling and abasing of himself before the Lord, as one that is much below the least of mercies : Gen. xxxii. 10, ' I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies which thou hast shewed unto thy servant,' 2 Sam. vii. 18.
' Deut. xxviii. 8, 9 ; Ps. iii. 8 ; Gen. xxii. 17. and xxvi. 12; Prov. x. 22 ; Dent XTviii, 16-20; Prov. iii. 33; Mai. ii. 2.
26() London's lamentations on [Isa. XLII. 24, 25.
A righteous man labours to have his heart lie low under the sense of the least sin, and under the smart of the least rod, and under the sight of the least mercy. But,
ThinUy, A righteous man improves his little to the arming and fencing of himself against sinful temptations. Little mercies are many times great arguments to keep a gracious soul from sin, Gen. xxxix. 7-10. But,
Fourllihj, A righteous man improves his little to tlie relief and re- freshing of the bowels of otliers that are in want, and whose pinching necessities call for supplies, 2 Cor. viii. 1-4 ; Heb. vi. 10. A poor man begging at a Christian's door who was very poor, he spoke to his wife to give him something ; she answered tliat she had but three- pence in the house ; saith he, give him that, for if we never sow, we shall never reap. There was another Christian who having given a little of his little to a man, began to think whether he had injured himself ; but presently he corrected himself with these thoughts, that he had lent it one that would pay all again with advantage, with in- terest upon interest ; within an hour after he had it restored above sevenfold, in a way which he never thought of. The Italian form of begging is. Do good for yourselves. But,
Fi/thli/, A righteous man improves his little to the stirring up and provoking of his own heart to look after better and greater mercies — viz., spiritual and eternal favours. Oh, saith the righteous man, if there be so much sweetness in a few drops, and sips, and small draughts, and crusts, and scraps, what is in those everlasting springs of pleasure and delight that be at God's right hand ! Ps. xvi. 11 ; John iv. 10, 11, 14, and vi. 4; Rev. xix. 8. If there be so much pleasantness in a piece of bread, and so much warmth in a coarse suit of clothes, what sweetness is there in the waters of life ! and what pleasantness is there in that bread of life that came down from heaven ! and what warmth is there in that fine linen that is the righteousness of the saints! &c. A righteous man looks upon his least temporals to be a strong engagement upon him to seek after eternals. But now wicked men are so far from improving their much, their riches, their great riches, that they either hide their talents, as that evil servant did his. Mat. xxv., or else they prove jailers to their mercies, and make them servants to their lusts, as pride, drnnkenness, uncleanness, &c. Comjiare these scriptures together: Job xxi, 1-10; Amos vi. 1-7 ; Ps. Ixxiii. ; Hosea iv. 7 ; Jer. ii. 31, and v, 7-9 ; Deut. xxxii. 13-18; James v. 1-G. But,
Sixddi/, The few mercies, the least mercies that the righteous man hath, are pledges and pawns and an earnest of more mercies, of better mercies, and of greater mercies than any yet they do enjoy. Now a farthing given as an earnest of a thousand a year is better than many pounds given as a present reward. Wicked men have outward bless- ings as their portion, their heaven, their all : ' Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things,' Ps. xvii. 14 ; Luke xvi. 25. But now that little that a godly man hath, he has it as a pledge of heaven, and as an earnest of eternal favours and mercies. The little mercies the saints enjoy are doors of hope to let in greater and better mercies ; those mercies a righteous man has are but inlets
ISA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION". 267