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perdition.' The bent and resolution of the soul argues the heart is naught ; he hath drowned himself already ; he falls into a snare, and into many temptations.
(3.) By an immoderate delight in worldly comforts. A man may be worldly, that is, not carking and ravenous. Esau saith, ' I have enough, my brother,' Gen. xxxiii. 9. Your complacency in outward enjoyments is a great sin. When men are satiated with their present portion of the world, it is as great, if not a greater sin, than to desire more. When Christ would represent a covetous man, he doth it not by one that grasps at more, but by one that found a greater compla- cency in what he had ; he blesseth himself as if he had happiness enough : Luke xii. 19, ' I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years ; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.' It is a question which is worse, a ravenous desire after more, or a car- nal complacency in what we do enjoy. This last is worst ; there is discontent and distrust in the former, but God is robbed and wholly laid aside by the latter. Our delight, which is the choicest affection, is intercepted. Many will say, I desire no more ; but thy heart is set upon what thou hast, and so God is robbed, who is to be the soul's treasure ; and the poor are robbed ; they are loath to part with what they delight in ; and the soul is robbed of eternal happiness, which it should look after, and of present comfort, in case God should blast all by his providence ; for a contented worldly man will be soonest dis- contented. It is a breach of the matrimonial contract : James iv. 4, ' Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God ? ' There is a matrimonial contract between God and the soul, wherein God propoundeth himself as God all-suffi- cient. Now, as if God were not good enough, men seek delight else- where. Well, then, deny these lusts of the eyes. To this purpose consider —
{1st.) Your happiness doth not lie in these things : Luke xii. 15, 'Take heed, and beware of covetousness; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.' You may be happy without them. The saints have a candle that shall never be blown out. Neither your safety nor comfort lies in the world. Your safety doth not lie in it ; you do not live by ordinary supplies, but by God's providence. Your comfort doth not lie in it, it should be in God. We cannot see how we can be well without friends, wealth, present supports ; but consider, a man lives not by visible means, but by the providence of God.
{2d.) A little serves the turn to bring us to heaven. He is not poor that hath little ; but he that desires more, he is the poor man. En- larged affections make us want more than the necessities of nature. We are not contented with God's allowance, but pitch upon such a state of life, and cannot live without such splendour and pomp, or with- out such an estate. It is not want of estate that makes a man poor, but an unsatisfied mind. He that doth not submit to God's allowance is poor.
(3c/.) God will provide for us if we do our duty. He that hath given ns life Aviil give us food that is less than life ; it is Christ's argument : Mat. vi. 25, ' Is not the life more than meat, and the body more than raiment ? ' Nay, he that hath given us Christ, ' will he not with him
116 SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. [SeR. VI.
also freely give us all things ? ' Eom. viii. 32. So a man may argue, God hath given me life, and that is hetter than food and raiment, as the body is better than the garment. Is any man so illogical, and of so little reason, as to argue thus, God hath given me Christ, and will he not give me support ? ^I have trusted him with my soul, shall I not trust him with my estate ? God never sets any one to work but he gives them maintenance. He feeds the ravens, and will he not feed his children ? Certainly a father will not be more kind to a raven than to a child, to a flower than to a son, Mat. vi. 26-29.
(4tJi.) Wealth doth not make us more acceptable with God, Grace puts the rich and the poor upon the same level : James i. 9, 10, ' Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted ; but the rich in that he is made low ; because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.' The rich man is not too high for God if his heart be kept humble with his estate, and the poor man is not too low for God if he be preferred by grace ; so that grace still is the ground of acceptation : * Richefj profit not in the day of wrath,' Prov. xi. 4 ; ' What is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God takes away his soul ?' Job xxvii. 8. These things will stand you in no stead.