' The poor heathen could say, I desire neither more nor less than enoug^h. For 1 m.iy as well die of a Hurfcif as of iuni>'er.
ISA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 271
and a Christian may put them in suit when he will, and hold God to his word ; and that not only for his spiritual and eternal life, but also for his natural life, his temporal life ; but so cannot the wicked. The temporal estate of the wicked is seldom long-lived, as you may see by comparing the scriptures in the margin together.^ Alexander the Great, conqueror of the world, caused to be painted on a table a sword in the compass of a wheel, shewing thereby that what he had gotten *by the sword was subject to be turned about the wheel of providence. There is no more hold to be had of riches, honours, or preferments, than Saul had of Samuel's lap. They do but like the rainbow shew themselves in all their dainty colours, and then vanish away. There are so many sins, and so many crosses, and so many curses that usually attend the riches of the wicked, that it is very rare to see their estates long-lived. Hence their great estates are compared to the chaff, which a puff of wind disperseth ; to the grass, which the scorching sun quickly withers ; to the tops of corn, which are soon cut ofi"; and to the unri2)e grape : Job xv. 33, ' He shall shake oflp his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.' Every day's ex- perience confirms us in this truth. But,
Eleventhly and lastly. The little that the righteous man hath is better than the riches of the wicked, in respect of his last reckoning, in respect of his last accounts. God will never call his children in the great day, either to the book or to the bar, for the mercies that he has given them, be they few or be they many, be they^'great or be they small. Though the mercer brings his customer to the book for what he has, and for what he wears, yet he never brings his child to the book for what he has and for what he wears. Though the vintner or innkeeper brings their guests to the bar for the provisions they have, yet they never bring their children to the bar for the jDrovisions they make for them. In the great day the Lord will take an exact account of all the good that his children have done for others. Mat. xxv., but he will never bring them to an account for what he has done for them. Christ in this great day will,
(1.) Remember all the individual offices of love and friendship that hath been shewed to any of his members.
(2.) He will mention many good things which his children did, which they themselves never minded, ver. 37.
(3.) The least and lowest acts of love and pity that have been shewed to Christ's suffering servants, shall be interpreted as a special kindness shewed to himself, ver. 40.
(4.) The recompense that Christ will give to his people in that day shall be exceeding great, ver. 44, 46. Here is no calling of them to the book or to the bar for the mercies that they were entrusted with. But oh the sad, the great accounts that the wicked have to give up for all their lands and lordships, for all their honours, offices, dignities, and riches ! ' To whom much is given, much shall be required,' Luke xii. 48. Christ in the great day will reckon with all the gran- dees of the world for every thousand, for every hundred, for every pound, yea, for every penny that he has entrusted them with. All princes, nobles, and people that are not interested in the Lord Jesus,
^ Prov. X. 3 ; Ps. xxxvii. 34-36; Jer. xvii. 11 ; Job xx. 20, seq.
272 London's lamentations on [Isa. XLII. 24, 25.
shall be broni^ht to the book, to the bar, in the great day, to give an account of allthey have received and done in the flesh. Rev. vi. 15-17; Luke xvi. 2 ; Eccles xii. 14 But Christ's darlings shall then be the only welcome guests : j\Iat. xxv. 34, ' Then shall the King say to them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' Before the world was founded the saints were crowned in God's eternal counsel. Here is no mention made of the book or the bar, but of a kingdom, a crown, ' a diadem. Now by these eleven arguments it is most evident that the little that the righteous man hath is better than the riches of the wicked. The righteous man's mite is better than the wicked man's millions.'^ But,
[8.] The eighth maxim that I shall lay down, to put a stop to your too eager pursuit after the things of this world, is this, viz.. That the life of man consists not in the enjoyment of these earthly things, which he is so apt inordinately to affect: Luke xii. 15, ' And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness. For a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.' Whether we consider man's life in the length and continuance of it, or in the com- fort of it, it consists not in riches ; for no man lives a day longer or merrier for his riches. Though possessions are useful to sustain life, yet no man is able to prolong his life, or to make it anything more happy or comfortable to him, by possessing more than he needs or uses. It is not the golden crown that can cure the headache, nor the velvet slipper that can ease a man of the gout, nor the purple robe that can fray away a burning fever. Mark, the life of man is so far from consisting in the enjoyment of these earthly things, that many times they hasten a man to his long home, Jer. xvii. 11. Many a man's coffer has hastened him to his coffin ; and as many a man has lost his finger for his ring's sake, so many a man has lost his life for his purse's sake. In all the ages of the world many a man has deeply suffered for his means. Naboth lost his life for his vineyard's sake, 1 Kings xxi. Quintus Aurelius, in the days of Sylla,^ lost his life by reason of his lands. Many a man's means has lianged him. Many a man has deeply suffered for his means' sake. The Romans ripped up the bellies and bowels of the Jews to search for gold. 3 The Americans had been more safe had they had less gold : they thought gold was the Spaniards' god. But how the Spaniards played the devil to get their gold, I shall not at this time take pleasure to relate. Now if our temporal life con- sists not in any of these earthly things, then certainly our s}.iritual life consists not in any of these earthly things. For what religious duty is there that a believer cannot do, though he has neither money in his bag nor dainties on his table. And as our spiritual life con- sists not in any of these earthly things, so our eternal life consists not in any of these earthly things : for as all the treasures of this world
' Some of the more refined heathen have had gome kind of dread and fear in their Bpirits upon the consideration of a day of account, as the writings of Plato and Tully, &c., do sulKcicntly evidence. ° Plutarch, in vita Syllce.