234 A TREATISE OF SELF-DENIAL. [BoOK I.
want despise wealth, and live in actual dependence upon the providence of God ; but as soon as they begin to have somewhat of the creature, their hearts begin to value their estates, as if they could live alone, and without God, and then they are altogether intent about increasing their store, or keeping and retaining that which they have gotten. As Antigonus's soldier, who had a grievous disease upon him, yet fought valorously, but when cured, became as timorous as others, because then he began to prize his body; so when we are poor our hearts may be taken from the creature, but when riches increase, we begin to think that our 'mountain stands strong ; ' and that now we are secure against all the strokes and changes of providence.
2d. It is a secret sin that is found in those that are least sensible of it. We are blinded with foolish and gross conceits, and are apt to think that a man doth not make money his idol if he doth not ])ray and offer sacri- fice to it, and adore his gold with outward ceremonies, as the heathens did their idols of gold and silver ; whereas the sin is to be determined, non exhihiiione ceremoniarum, sed oblatione concupiscentiarum, saitli Gregory — not by formal rites of worship, but by the working of the heart towards it. Many carnal christians are idolaters in affection ; though not by external rites of worship, yet in the inward workings of their heart. We smile at the vanity of the heathens that worshipped stocks and stones, and onions and garlic, and yet we do worse, though more spiritually ; we worship the creature, and set it up instead of God. Though we do not actually say to gold, ' Thou art my confidence,' or use such gross language to riches as, You shall deliver me, or, I will put my trust in you ; yet our hearts do secretly say so when we make it our main care to get or gain wealth. Therefore it is not enough that you break not out into such actual thoughts. Remember, there are implicit as well as explicit thoughts ; this is the interpretation of our actions when we do not make God our portion, but trust in the abun- dance of our wealtli ; our hearts say so, Thou art our confidence, and we do not perceive it. Many declaim against the vanity of outward thing.s, and yet their hearts secretly tru^t in them. There is a difference between speaking as an orator and acting as a christian. Many may make it their common theme and common place ; they grant the crea- ture is vain, and wealth but an unstable possession, because they are in judgment convinced of the vanity of them. Men will say, We know well enough money is but refined earth, and we esteem as basely of it as others do ; but their hearts w^ork towards it, and they are loath to })art with it. Their 'inward thought is that their houses shall endure for ever,' Ps. xlix. 12. This is not the fruit of habituated meditation, or mature deliberation, still money hath thy heart and trust, and thou thinkest thou canst not be happy without it. He that gives God good words is not said to trust in him ; so he that gives the world bad words, that can speak contemptuously of the creature, yet he may trust in the creature all the while.
[2.] I will endeavour to show you the evil of the sin, and how great it is.
(1.) Job saith, chap. xxxi. 24, it is a denying of God, to make gold his confidence. You take away God's honour, and wholly lay him aside. Do not flatter yourselves, a man cannot trust in God and riches too :
Book I.] a treatise of self-denial. 235
Jonah ii. 8, ' And they that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.' Yon renonnce God by trusting in wealth. The same altar will never serve God and Dagon ; the Philistines could not bring it to pass, do what they could ; nor will the same heart serve for God and the world. Now consider what dishonour this is to leave God for the creature ; it is as if a woman should leave her husband, and dote upon her slave, or as if a fool should throw away his treasure, and fill his chest with coals ; or take away his precious garments, and fill his ward- , robe with dung.
(2.) And then it is idolatry, the setting up of another God. We first commit adultery, by diverting our love and esteem from the true God, and then we commit idolatry, by fixing our hope and expectation in the creature. Trust is only due to God. Now by trusting in worldly ])elf you dethrone God, and put money in his place ; therefore it is said. Col. iii. 5, ' coveteousness which is idolatry ; ' and there is a parallel ex- pression : Eph. V. 5, ' Nor covetous man, who is an idolater.' Mammon is the idol, and the worldling the priest. The inward worship is esteem and trust, and the outward care and endeavour is to wallow in wealth. All their care is about their present accomodations, whereas a man's main care should be for heaven and grace, and for other things he should refer himselt to God's allowance.