(2.) Man must use endeavours, for we confute our prayers by idleness; for when a man doth not use the means, he shows his designs are not hearty. Now the means to attain this are these following —
1st. Frequent practices of charity • we should be as careful to em- ploy wealth to charitable uses, as worldlings are to gather wealth : Luke xii. 33, ' Sell that you have, and give alms. Provide for your- selves bags that wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, and moth corrupteth not.' There is no remedy nor cure, but only in laying them out, and then they will be ours for ever. This is a real profession, you look upon all these things as vanity, and only useful as you have a further opportunity of service of doing good. There is no means to prevent the danger of trust and confidence, but a constant exercise of good works ; these are the true riches. The way of destroying idols was by crumbling them to pieces. It is better to be a steward than a treasurer ; to have them in our hands, that we may give them to others, than to have them in our hearts, that we may adore them ourselves ; therefore while thou pos- sessest them, it is not thou that art rich, but thy chest ; but when thou distributest them, and art rich in good works, these are the riches that can never be lost.
2d. Make but suppositions, and see how thou canst bear the loss of all things when but represented in conceit and imagination — If God should blast my estate, if such a friend should prove unfaithful, such a debtor defraud me. The church, Hab. iii. 17, 18, doth make a sup- position— ' Though the fig-tree should not blossom, neither shall fruit he in the vine, and the labour of the olive should fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flocks shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls, yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.' Suppose that God should send a dear year, and there should be scarcity in all things, what then ? Can I comfort myself in these things ? The fool in the Gospel durst not sup-
Book I.] a treatise of self-denial. 239
})Ose what might fall out that night ; it would discompose all his mirth to have thought of a sudden stroke that night, Luke xii. 19, 20. He dreams of many years. This would keep your souls in an equal poise, either to keep or forego an estate. Men do not acquaint their souls with suppositions of loss and danger, and so grow secure.
3c?. Meditate upon the vanity of the creature. Talk hardeneth and deludeth men, but meditation leaveth deep etfects. There is a moral tfficacy in constant and serious thoughts ; the world puts fair titles on them, and calls them goods, treasure, and substance ; but God calls it shadows, lies, running after shadows. How different are the notions of the word from those of the world ; the word looks upon it as a vain shadow : Ps. xxxix. 6, ' Surely every man walketh in a vain show, surely they are disquieted in vain;' the word shows they are not only vanity, but lies . Ps. Ixii. 9, ' Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie.' The creatures lie by our own thought, they abuse us by our trust, and they will surely prove a lie. A man should not rest in any creature, unless he hath a mind to be deceived ; now no man would be deceived. Nay, the scripture speaks of them as if they were nothing : Prov. xxiii. 5, ' Wilt thou cast thine eyes upon that which is not ? ' In comparison of better things, they are rather said not to be than to be. And consider, riches take to themselves wings ; the thief, the sea, the displeasure of the magistrate, the violence of the soldier, and our own unadvised words many times are wings to riches, that make them fly away from us ; but the more ' enduring sub- stance' is in heaven, Heb. x. 34.
4ith. Improve experiences to this end and purpose ; it is a lesson God hath taught us now in these times. Men were never more greedy of the world, and God never more showed us the vanity thereof ; the greatest men have proved a lie to their dependents; how many have experience of these things I They, and their fathers and grandfathers, have laid out all their wit, labour, and toil to get a great estate, and are deprived of it all in a moment, and now it is bestowed upon others. Thou hast known many great ones who are now no more thought of ; either they are dead and gone, and others enjoy their jjlaces ; or if a- live, their flower is gone, they live like a neglected stalk. How often hath God stained all worldly glory, and the world will do so still ; it will forget thee, as it hath forgotten many others. How many in these times have had heirs that they never thought of. those that have been strangers to their blood and family ! Job xxvii. 17, ' Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay ; he may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.' They may provide and heap up a great estate, and think now they and their families are ennobled for ever ; but riches take wing, and God bestows them upon others that we never dreamed of.