III. I come to give some signs and discoveries of this secret evil, confidence and trust in riches.
1. When men oppress, and do that which is evil, and think to bear it out with their wealth, power, and greatness, as if there were no God above to call them to an account, or as if there had not been, or could not be such a turn of human affairs as God can lay them low enough,
YeR. 24.J SEKMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. 43
and their honour be hiid in the dust, and the poor and afflicted shall be exalted. God hurls the world up and down, that misery may not want a comfort, nor power a bridle. Sometimes God puts up this, sometimes the other sort of men, that still l)y all these changes he may keep the world in order, that think they may do anything because it is in the power of their hands : Micali ii. 1, ' Woe unto them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds ; when the morning is light they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.' Usually the world is governed by interest rather than conscience ; they count ever}- thing right which they are able to effect, and justice is measured by present safety, not by principles of conscience ; it is in the power of their hands, and therefore they will do it. The Lord gives caution against this : Ps. Ixii. 10, ' Trust not in oppression, become not vain in robbery ; if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.' When a man thinks he is able to carry it against others, and to do his adversary two wrongs for one, then he makes no conscience, but does all that he can, not all that he ought. Alas ! this poor creature rests upon his vain support, and that which seems to be his present advantage will in time prove his loss and ruin, when the course of providence is altered. How soon can God turn poor worms into dust ! bring them down from their altitudes, and make them become the scorn and shame of those afflicted poor that wait upon the Lord ! Ps. lii. 6, 7, ' The righteous shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him. Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.' This is thg,t brave, that gallant man in the world, that never thought of securing his greatness by God's protection, nor applied himself to piety and justice, nor imagined that such things would be useful to his present security, but resolved by w^ealth and wicked enterprises to establish and per- petuate his greatness ; but how hath God confuted all his vain and false hopes, and brought utter destruction upon him ! Thus it hath been, and thus it will be again, till the world learn to grow wiser by all the changes that God hath wrought before their eyes. And therefore, this is a sign of trusting in wealth, when men grow proud, insolent, and overbearing, and speak roughly : Prov. xviii. 23, ' The rich answereth roughly,' and are high-minded : 1 Tim. vi. 17, ' Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God.'
2. An inordinate care and solicitousness to get wealth. Multiplying of worldly practices cometh from unbelief in God and confidence in the means : Prov. xxiii. 4, ' Labour not to be rich ; cease from thine own wisdom.' This toiling and labour to get the world into our hands argues we esteem of it beyond what it deserves. Indeed there is a lawful labour ; wealth may be sought for the necessities of life and exercise of good works ; but when men make it their main care, they place their happiness in it. Now, because it is hard to distinguish honest labour from worldly care, the best way will be for you to con- sider the disproportion of your endeavours to earthly and spiritual and heavenly things ; for our Saviour, when he describes the carnal fool, that Trusted in the abundance of his riches, he tells us, Luke xii. 21, 'So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God.'
44 SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. [SeR. XL
When men seek the world in good earnest, and make slender provision for heaven and the happiness of their precious and immortal souls, when they never look after the assuring of their interestin things to come, when the lean kine devour the fat, when that which should be sought first, either is sought last or not at all, then men trust in these outward things. Surely you fancy a greater happiness in the enjoyment of worldly things than you should. The scripture notes as a sign of this inordinate respects a making haste to be rich: Prov. xx. 21, 'An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning, but the end thereof shall not be blessed ; ' and chap, xxviii. 20, ' He that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent ; ' and ver. 22, ' He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.* When men are so earnest to commence into an estate, taking all opportunities, seeking to get it by indirect means, and think thereby to make them and theirs happy, this inordinacy will prove their bane and ruin. In bestowing it as God directs, none so slow ; in getting it, none so earnest : certainly he that believe th will not make haste,