3. When men think themselves better provided by a wealthy apostasy than by a close adhering to God all-sufficient. Sometimes the keeping of wealth and religion come in competition. Now, when a man debates with conscience, Here is your duty, and there is your loss, can you trust in wealth rather than in the promises of God ? If the Lord for our duty should reduce us to never so great straits, he is able to make it all up to us again, this should suffice us : ' The Lord is able to give thee much more than this,' 2 Chron. xxv. 9. But if in the debates of conscience gain bears sway, it is a sign we trust in wealth rather than in the promises of God.
4. When men slacken or omit prayer, because they are well at ease and have worldly abundance. This is a certain truth, that trust in God, or prayer, or an acknowledgment of God, always go together : Ps. Ixii. 8, ' Trust in him at all times, ye people ; pour out your hearts before him.' If the heart be taken off from the creature, it will be much with God ; but when men are full, and think they need him not, and therefore grow cold and careless in their addresses to him, it may be in their affliction God shall hear from them, but at other times the throne of grace lies neglected, they have other trusts, and depend on something on this side God, or God would be oftener acknowledged.
5. When men think wealth shall sufficiently secure them against all changes, and that when they have it they shall see nothing but happy days, and therefore give uj) themselves securely to enjoy the pleasui-es of this life : Luke xii. 19, ' Soul, thou hast goods laid up for many years ; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.' Sensuality, security, and pride are the fruits of carnal confidence : ' They trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches,' Ps. xlix. 6. As if their felicity and chief est stay lay in them, not only against the chances of this life, but against God's threats and vengeance and judg- ment ; thence men fetch their support and comfort, and hope for them and theirs : Prov. x. 15, ' The rich man's Avealth is his strong city.' A penny in their purse is better than the God of heaven. Here is their great assurance, the sure pledge of their happiness, as if God could not bring them down wonderfully.
VeR. 24.] SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. 45
6. When men are so loath to forego riches when God calls them thereunto, it is a sign they trust in them, not in God. The soul of man should be justly poised, and at a point of indifFerency to worldly things, to get or keep, to want or have, as God will. Until our resolutions be as easily cast the one way as the other, we shall never be said to be wholly free from this sin of trusting in riches ; but certainly we are deeply tainted with it when we are so over dejected with worldly losses : 1 Cor. vii. 31, ' They that mourn as if they mourned not ; ' and 2 Peter i. 5, ' Add to temperance, patience.' If there were a moderation in the use of worldly things, it would make way for patience. Gregory saith, Job lost his estate without grief, because he possessed it without love ; but it is a sign we love them too much when we murmur against God, and the heart is so depressed when they are taken away by God's providence, as if all our happi- ness were gone. Certainly riches are too highly prized, and the world too impatiently desired, when they are so deeply lamented ; if when they take wings, and are gone, tlley bewail it as if their god were gone : Judges xviii. 24, ' Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and are gone away, and what have I more ? and what is this that ye say unto me. What aileth thee ? ' Thence ariseth their trouble, grief, and sorrow of heart.
IV, For the remedies against this secret and great mischief of putting our confidence in earthly things. . 1. By way of consideration.
[1.] Consider the uncertainty of riches should check our trust in tliem : 1 Tim. vi. 17, ' That they trust not in uncertain riches.' AVhat depends upon more uncertainty than our outward estates ; and will you trust in them ? Who would trust another that is sure to fail him at his greatest need ? Prov. xxiii. 5, * Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not ? for riches certainly make themselves wings, and fly away, as an eagle towards heaven.' A man is not better and more sufficiently provided for his dinner because there is a flock of wildfowl now pitched upon his fields , they may soon fly away. Eiches are like winged creatures, compared to eagles which fly away towards heaven. How are they gone ! how many ways may the Lord take them away from us ! There is the fire, the thief, fraudulent bargains, vexatious lawsuits, public judgments, the displeasure of the times. Many are the wings that riches have, and therefore unless a man hath a mind to be deceived, why should he trust in them ? This should be deeply thought of in our greatest prosperity, especially when we have many instances before our eyes. Alas ! how many are there that have laid out all their wit, and labour, nay, and venture conscience, to get an estate, and all is gone in an instant, and they have heirs that they never thought of ! And yet the world is as greedy upon these things as ever.