2. Let not this be your great work and business : Mat. vi. 24, ' No man can serve two masters : for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon ; ' Prov. xxiii. 4, ' Labour not to be rich ; ' that is, so as to jostle out other business which is more neces- sary. It is worldly things that thrust out heavenly meditations, and worldly business that straitens God's interest in your hearts and families, in praying and instructing your families, so that family prayers are none or cursorily slubbered over, they having other things to mind. The business of the world is not your principal business; it may take up more time, but should not take up more of your hearts. They must have the world, come what will come of their immortal souls. Think often of your great necessities, to get a sinful condemned soul acquitted, a guilty conscience eased, a naughty heart changed, a dis- ordered life reformed, a title to heaven assured : 2 Peter iii. 14, ' Seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent, that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.'
3. Let not earthly things be your great delight ; that in the want of them you be not overtroubled, or in the enjoyment of them overpleased : 1 Cor. vii. 29, 30, ' But this I say, brethren, the time is short : it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none, and they that weep as though they wept not, and they that rejoice as though they rejoiced not;' Phil. iv. 12, 'I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound ; everywhere and in all things I am instructed, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need ; ' Ps. lxii. 10, ' Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery ; if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.'
4. When your estate is yet to be made or gotten, let your desires be modest. When men have enough already, they would have more. As a river, the greater it groweth by receiving in little brooks, the wider and deeper it weareth the channel ; so outward things, the more they are increased, the more men enlarge their desires ; they would be a little higher in the world, a little better accommodated ; and when they have that, then they must have a little more, and so seize upon all things within their grasp : Isa. v. 8, ' Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth ; ' and so the lust groweth with the possession. Earthly-mindedness is a fire that increaseth, the more wood 3Tou put thereon : Eccles. v. 10, 'He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase.' Therefore we must be content with such things as we have : Heb. xiii. 5, ' Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have.' We must bring our minds to our estate, rather than our estate to our minds, or else we shall never
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be content hereafter. Estate will not do it, if grace do not do it The way is not to increase our substance, but moderate our desires.
5. Moderate your cares about these things : Mat. vi. 25, ' Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink ; nor yet for your bodies, what ye shall put on.' Trust yourselves with God ; consider his general providence to all creatures : ver. 26, ' Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.' And consider his particular providence as a father : ver. 32, ' Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.' So Phil. iv. 5, 6, ' Let your moderation be known unto all men: the Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing ; but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God ; ' 1 Peter v. 7, ' Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.' Be care- ful of your duty, how to manage your affairs most innocently, both in your general and particular calling ; but be not careful about events, be not anxious about the issue, which is God's part to determine. When you have done your duty, you should not be further careful about it. God knoweth what is best for you, and how much of worldly pros- perity you are fit to enjoy, and to him must the whole business be com- mitted.
6. Look to yourselves. In using an estate we bewray our earthly- mindedness when the world is used more for the service and pleasure of the flesh than the honour of God. It is used for the service of the flesh when all our end is to live in pomp and pleasure, or that we and ours may be great in the world. It is used for God when they are instruments of piety and charity, to serve the Lord, and benefit others, and to do good, and further our own salvation. The scripture speaketh much of the use: Luke xii. 21, 'So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God ; ' Luke xvi. 9, ' Make to your- selves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations ; ' Eph. iv. 28, ' Let him that stole, steal no more ; but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.'