(1.) It is the ground of all miscarriage in practice. When men think they cannot be happy without wealth, or so much coming in by the year, then they will soon come to this, they dare not obey God for fear they shall lose their worldly comforts, wherein their happiness lies. It is notable, when the Holy Ghost speaks of keeping the command- ment, and that the commandments of God are not grievous to his people, presently he speaks of victory over the world : 1 John v. 3, 4, ' For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous ; for whatsoever is born of God over- cometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.' Why ? What is the reason of this connection ? The world is a great hindrance and let in keeping the commandment. Unless a man overcome his worldly appetites and worldly desires, he cannot keep the law of God to any purpose ; and therefore David saith, Ps. cxix. 36, ' Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covet- eousness ; ' implying that while our hearts are carried out so strongly after worldly things we can never be thorough and upright with God in the way of his testimonies.
(2.) It hinders us from looking after heavenly things. It is impos- sible a man should in good earnest seek things above whilst he trusts in the world, and promiseth himself a long and hajipy life here. Trust is acquiescentia cordis, the rest and complacency of the soul ; it seeks no further when it hath something to rest in ; therefore when we rest here, all other happiness is neglected ; there is no want in their condi- tion : Luke xii. 19, ' Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years ; take thine ease.' They cannot endure to think of a change, of leaving this, and going to a world to come, of shooting the gulf, and launching out into another world, and therefore make no provision for eternity. Well, then, trusting in riches is bad, as it takes off the heart from depending upon God's providence for the present, for so far a creature exempts itself from the jurisdiction and dominion of God ; but much more bad as it takes us off from depending on God's promises for the future, as it flatters us witli hopes of long and happy days, and causeth us to put off" all thoughts, and all care about eternity and blessed- ness to come. He that trusts in riches judgeth all his happiness to be in this life ; let him enjoy the world to the full, and he hath enough ; here is his happiness, and his heaven too : he saith as that cardinal, He would not give his portion in Paris for his portion in paradise. Tell a worldly man of laying up treasures in heaven, and of the riches of the heavenly inheritance, he smiles at it, and will not give a foot of land here for an acre in heaven. Tell them of growing rich towards God,
42 SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. [SeR. XI.
and it is but a fancy : Luke xii. 21 , 'So is lie that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.' So they may enjoy present satisfactions, they will give God a discharge for other things. As the Beuhenites and Gadites would stay on this side Jordan, and consented to abate their portion in the land of Canaan, because they were already in a rich country, so they can be content to abate heavenly happiness, for if it be well with them here, they are satisfied, for other things they need not trouble themselves : 1 Cor. xv. 32, ' Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die ; ' and there is an end of the world with us,
(3.) It is the ground of all the disquiet and discontent of mind that we meet with. If a man would live a happy life, let him but seek a sure object for his trust, and he shall be safe : Ps. cxii. 7, ' He shall not be afraid of evil tidings ; his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.' A man that puts his confidence in God, if he hears bad news of mis- chief coming towards him, as suppose a bad debt, a loss at sea, accidents by fire, tempests, or earthquakes, as Job had his messengers of evil tid- ings, which came thick and threefold upon him, yet he is not afraid, for his heart is fixed on God, he hath laid up his confidence in God, therefore his heart is kept in an equal poise ; he can say, as Job, ' The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away ; blessed be the name of the Lord,' Job i. 21. His comforts did not ebb and flow with the creature, but his heart was fixed trusting in the Lord. But now when a man puts his joy and his contentment under the creature's power, he is always liable to great dejections and anxious disquiets : Jer. xlix. 23, ' They have heard evil tidings, they are faint-hearted.' His life and happiness consists in the presence of creatures, and in the affluence of the world which, being mutable, so must his comfort needs be ; so that he that trusts in riches, to be sure doth but make way for sore and sad troubles of spirit. Good David, when he had abused his prosperity to a carnal trust and security, he felt the more trouble afterwards, and so gives us the instance of himself in this kind : Ps. xxx. 6, 7, 'I said in my prosperity, I shall never be moved. Lord, by thy favour thou hast made thy mountain to stand strong, thou hidest thy face, and I was troubled.' He shall never want troubles that placeth his trust in anything on this side God, but is up and down as his worldly comforts ebb and flow ; whereas a christian, who makes God his trust, and the favour of God his greatest interest, is like the nave or centre of the wheel, which still remains in its own place and posture in all the cir- cumgyrations and turnings about of the wheel. So in all the turnings of providence, when the spokes are sometimes up and sometimes down, sometimes in the dirt and sometimes out of the dirt, the nave and centre is still where it was. Well, then, if you would be acquainted with true peace, let not your hearts be set upon great estates, which are liable to so many changes, but trust in the Lord, and your heart shall be established.