Use 3. To the rich, to show them what need they have of special grace to manage that condition aright. It would seem a hard censure upon this sort and order of men, yet it is a truth, and spoken by him who is truth itself. It concerneth you to look after special grace more than others ; your danger is great, and your difficulties in order to eternal life not a few. You need peculiar grace —
1. To prevent the evils and to heal those diseases that are incident to riches ; as contempt of God. We are apt to neglect and despise him when our necessities do not drive us to him, such is the pravity of our natures : Hosea v. 15, * In their affliction they will seek me early.' Make God your refuge and he will be your habitation : Ps. xci. 9, * Because thou hast made the Lord thy refuge, even the Most High thy habitation.' Neglect of Christ and salvation by him ; they that have an happiness in their hands already see no want in their condi- tion : ' The whole need not a physician.' Take heed of being heart- whole, then you will have no relish for the gospel. It disposeth to apostasy ; you have something of value which you must esteem as nothing for Christ. It maketh us neglect heaven : Ps. iv, 6, 7, ' There be many that say, Who will show us any good ? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us : thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.* An estate without God is not good. Lord, let me not have my all here, for these things must be left. It maketh you proud and scornful ; remember there are the true riches, without which a person is but vile. He is most honourable before God that hath most grace. The value of men is otherwise in the world to come than in the present world. Your humility is your crown. It makes you to be more sensual. Wealth is the pander of pleasure, the purveyor for the flesh, but it should not be thus. There is more cause of fear than rejoicing : Gal. vi. 8, ' He that soweth to the flesh shall of tlie flesh reap corruption.' It makes us worldly, as chains to detain us under the power of Satan,
36 SERji'ONS UPON MARK X. 17-27, [SeR. XI.
and enslave us to the world. It dotli but betray you into mischief. Do you desire your way to heaven should be made more hard, that is liard enough already?
2. That you might devote your riches to the Lord, and be holy and heavenly in the midst of so great temptations ; that you may not by momentary and temporal things forfeit eternal, but rather further them: Luke xii. 21, ' So is he that layeth up treasures for himself, and is not rich towards God;' 1 Tim. vi. 18, 19, 'That they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life.' Wealth rightly employed makes us capable of a greater reward hereafter, as it makes us more useful here.
SEKMON XL
And the disciples ivere astonished at his words. But Jesiis answered again, and said unto them, Children, how hard is it for tJiem that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God f — LIark x. 24.
In these words you have two things —
1. The entertainment which the disciples gave to his former speech, ' They were astonished at his words.'
2. Christ's further explication of himself, 'But Jesus answered again, and said unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God ! ' Wherein observe —
[1.] The manner of our Saviour's speaking, in that kind compella- tion, ' Children.'
[2,] The matter of the explication, ' How hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God ! '
1. For the entertainment which the discijjles gave to his former speech, ' They were astonished at his words.' This astonishment was caused either by the legal dispensation under which obedience was rewarded with visible and temporal blessings, and therefore they mar- velled that rich men should find such difficulty of entering into heaven; or else it was occasioned by the Jewish expectation of a pompous Messiah, wherewith the disciples themselves were leavened, expecting to share of the honours and riches of that kingdom which Christ would set up. Now Christ's answer was quite blank contrary to these carnal hopes, therefore they marvelled. Or it may be upon the com- mon reason that the gates of heaven should be shut to them to whom the gates of the world do always lie open. Thus hardly are good men brought to disesteem worldly things, and rightly to ponder and weigh the doctrine of the cross, which Christ had so frequently taught them.
2. For Christ's explication ; and there —
[1.] The compellation, TeKva, 'Children ;' so he bespeaks them who
VeK. 24.] SERMONS UPON JIARK X. 17-27. 37