264 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR, LXXX.
Angels are not poor though they have not flocks and herds and yearly revenues ; they have an excellency suitable to their natures. So a Christian is not poor while he possesseth him who possesseth all things. But that I may not seem only to say that the treasures of grace are the true riches, I shall prove it by two arguments : —
[1.] That is the true riches which can buy and purchase all other things, but all other things cannot buy and purchase it. Now all the riches in the world cannot buy and purchase those benefits which the word oifereth to us. They cannot purchase the favour of God ; 'For what hope hath the hypocrite, if he hath gained, when God comes to take away his soul ? ' Job xvii. 8. Many a carnal wretch doth not make a saving bargain of it ; but be it so, he looketh for worldly gain and hath it. What will this stead him when God puts the bond of the old covenant in suit, and demandeth his soul from him ? He is loath to resign it, but God will have it : ' What can he give in ex- change for his soul?' Money cannot purchase the grace of the Kedeemer : 1 Peter i. 18, ' Ye are not redeemed with corruptible things ;' and Ps. xlix. 6-8, ' The redemption of the soul is precious.' Men would, if they could, give a thousand worlds for the pardon of their sin, when they come to receive the fruit of it ; but all will not do: the wrath of God must be appeased, and the justice of God satisfied, by another kind of ransom. They cannot purchase the grace of the Spirit. Simon Magus would give money for the gifts of the Holy Ghost, but Peter said to him, ' Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money,' Acts viii. 20. His request was base and carnal ; yet thus far it yieldeth a testimony to the truth in hand, that he thought the gift of the Holy Ghost better than money, or else he would not have offered his money for it ; yea, the lowest and far less necessary gift than his sanctifying, guiding, and comforting work. Well, then, all other things cannot purchase the^e benefits. But, on the other side, these benefits procure all other things. Grace givetli us an advantage in worldly things above others, for certainly ' Man doth not live by bread only,' Mat. iv., and his life doth not lie in worldly abundance : the natural, much more the sanctified and comfortable, use of the creatures dependeth on the favour of God and his fatherly care and providence, which is assured to the heirs of promise : Mat. vi. 33, ' First seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and these things shall be added ;' 1 Tim. iv. 8, ' Godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come ;' Prov. iii. 15, 16, Wealth is not to be compared with wisdom ; because ' in her right hand is length of days, and in her left hand riches and honour.' A child of God that is obedient to the word hath more advantage for the world than a wicked man hath : he hath a promise which the other hath not, a warrant to cast his care upon God ; he gets more by the want of worldly things than a wicked man by the possession of them, for his want is sanctified, and worketh for good.
[2.] The world cannot recompense and supply the want of that grace we get by the word, but this can easily supply the want of the world. The worth and value of things is known by this, what we can least want. Now there is no earthly thing but may be so supplied
VeR. 72.] SERMONS UPOX PSALM CXIX. 265
as that its want shoukl be better to us tbaa its enjoyment. Sickness may be better to us than health, because of experiences of grace, 2 Cor. xii. 10. Poverty may be better than wealth, because we may be rich in grace, James i. 9 ; so James ii. 5 ; so 1 Tim. vi. 6, ' Godliness with contentment is great gain.' Slender provision with a contented heart is much better than a great deal more wealth. Godliness can supply the room of wealth, but wealth cannot supply the room of godliness. If the want of wealth helps us to an increase of grace and communion with God, it helpeth us to that which is of higher and greater value than the enjoyment of wealth could afford. But DOW, on the other side, the world will not give us a recompense for the want of godliness : Mat. xvi. 26, ' ^Yhat is a man profited if he shall gain the world and lose his soul ? ' What shall be given to the party for that loss ? His soul is lost, not in a natural sense, but in a legal sense, forfeited to God's justice. We may please ourselves iu our carnal choice for a while, but death bloweth away all our vain conceits : Jer. xvii. 11, ' At his latter end he shall be a fool.' He was a fool before all his lifetime, but now in the judgment and conviction of his own conscience. His conscience shall rave at him, 0 fool, madman! to hazard the love of Christ for worldly things. These things cannot be recompensed by any other. What poor rewards can the world yield you for the loss of Christ and heaven ! Alas ! then, you lose your treasure, and have nothing to comfort you but rattles and baubles, which will no more comfort us than fine flowers will a man gcjng to execution. Thus in the nature of riches.