Fourthly, I come to speak of the fourth head — viz., Dependence upon the supplies of the outward life. And —
1. To show that there is such a sin.
2. How evil and heinous it is, that it is capable of the highest aggravations.
3. What are the notes and evidences by which this secret vein of guilt may be traced and found out in the soul.
4. The proper cure and remedy.
[1.] That there is such a sin appears by the testimony of scripture, and by experience.
(1.) By the testimony of scripture, which is the best judge of the heart : Mark x. 23, 24, ' And Jesus looked round about him, and said to his disciples. How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God ! ' Now because this seemed harsh unto the disciples, who were leavened with the conceit of a pompous Messiah, therefore, ver. 24, it is said, ' The disciples were astonished at his words. And Jesus answered and said. How hard it is for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God ! ' Christ allays the wonder, it is not simply impossible for a rich person, a man that possesseth wealth, to be saved , poor Lazarus sleeps in the bosom of rich Abraham ; there may be godly rich as well as godly poor ; but it is impossible for them that ' trust in riches.' Our Lord shows how irreconcilable it is with the hope of salvation, as impossible as for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. That place showeth that there is such a sin, a sin that we may easily commit when we have anything in the world. And because men think light of spiritual sins, that do not end in a gross and foul act, he showeth how irreconcilable it is with all hopes of salvation when it reigneth. So Job, when he doth protest his own innocency : Job xxxi. 24, ' If I have made my gold my hope, or said to the fine gold. Thou art my confidence. If I have rejoiced because my wealth is great, and because my hand hath gotten much.' Job, to vindi- cate himself from hypocrisy, reckoneth up the usual sins of hypo- crites, and among the rest this is one, To make gold our hope, and fine gold our confidence. He had before named extortion and oppression, and now carnal confidence. It is not enough that our
Book L] a theatise of self-denial. 233
wealth be not gotten by fraud, cozenage, and extortion ; but we must not trust in it, nor make it our confidence, Luke xii. 15-21. The rick man is not charged, that he had gotten his goods wickedly, but that he had trusted in them — ' Soul, eat, drink, and be merry, thou hast goods laid up for many years.' Men think them to be the staff of their lives, and the stay of their posterity ; therefore it is said, ' The rich man's wealth is his tower,' as elsewhere it is said, ' The name of the Lord is n. strong tower ; the righteous run to it and are safe.' A godly man thinks himself never safe till he be gotten within the verge of the cov- enant, till he be within the munition of the rocks that God hath pro- vided for the safety of his soul. But the rich man, till he be walled and entrenched within his wealth, he never thinks he is safe and secured against all the changes and chances of this present life ; and so God is laid aside, ' not the name of the Lord,' but his wealth is his ' strong tower.' Therefore is covetousness called idolatry, and a covetous person an idolater, Eph. v. 5. It is not so much because of his love to money, as because of his trust in money. The glutton loveth his gullet, and the gratifications of his appetite ; he makes his ' belly his god,' but he doth not trust in his belly-cheer, thinks not to be protected by it, as the covetous person doth by his estate, and so becometh an idolater, making the ' creature his god.' The covetous man is an idolater, because he robs God of the chiefest respect the creature can show to him, which is confidence and trust ; he thinks he is the better and safer, because of the abundance of his goods.
(2.) By experience, I shall prove first it is incident to all men, and that they are ensnared who are least sensible of it.
Is^. It is incident to all men. Every man is naturally an idolater, and he makes the creature his god ; few or none are free from this idolatry ; we all stick to the creature too much. The rich, the poor, all sorts of men, may be comprised under this censure. The poor can- not be exempted, for those that have not wealth idolise it too much in fancy and conceit, they imagine what a happy thing it is to be in such a case — oh, had they wealth, this were enough to make them happy ! and because they have not, therefore they trust in those that have it, which is idolatry upon idolatry ; therefore it is said, Ps. Ixii. 9, ' Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie ; ' there- fore a lie, because they disappoint those that trust in them, to the wrong of God. To appearance, men of low degree can do little or nothing, but men of high dejjree are a lie. It supposeth a promise, and a breach of promise. Men of high degree tempt us to trust in them, and then they will surely prove a lie. The miscarriages of the poor are by a servile dependence on such as have not power to hurt or help them, if God will not ; they are apt to say, I shall lose such a friend, hazard his frowns and displeasure, all their hopes are built upon his favour, so they come to displease God. But chiefly this sin is incident to the rich : Ps. Ixii. 10, ' If riches increase, set not your heart upon them.' Usually, as our estate grows, so doth our confidence, the distemper is bred up in us l)y degrees. Great men, their minds are secretly and imawares enchanted wdth their estates, and delight in the fruition of them, and from thenceforward we begin to date our happiness, and so grow secure, and neglectful of God and holy things. Many that are in