* Cf. Ps. xiii. 15, xxvi. 1, with 1 Sam. xxviii. 0, seq., andxxxi. 4. — G. t That is, = ' a way out,' Cf. 1 Cor. x. 13.— G
THE POOR man's RICHES. 257
He that pretends he will trust God — God will save me, God is merciful — and yet notwithstanding will not trust him for common things, it is an abusive delusion and flattering of his own soul in vain. There is no such trust in him, because he that trusts God for the main will trust him for the less. Therefore true trust is for all things. He that trusts God for forgiveness of sins, which is the main, and hath wrestled with God for the forgiveness of sins, and found peace with God there, he will easily wrestle in other baser and less temptations. As God saith to Jacob, ' Thou art Israel, thou hast prevailed with God, and shalt prevail over men,' Gen. xxxii. 28, so a true Christian, that in the grand point of forgiveness of sins, when his conscience is surprised with the fear of God's wrath, hath gotten assurance of the pardon of his sins, when he is to set upon other lesser temptations, he overcomes them easily.
1. Therefore a Christian will trust God, as for forgiveness of sins and hfe everlasting, so uith his good name. Oh, will some say, you will be reported of thus and thus. He cares not. He knows the cause is just. He will trust his good name with God, ' who will bring a man's righteousness forth clear as the noonday,' as David speaks, Ps. xxxvii. 6. He that will not trust God with his good name is of a base spirit, and fear of disgrace keeps many men from many just actions.
2. He that truly trusts God, will trust him ivith the righting of his came. He will not pull God's office out of his hands. He will not revenge him- self, but he will trust God. God certainly will right me first or last. He will only use the legal means, and that quietly. But a, man that is not acquainted with the Spirit of God is presently moved with revenge, "and hath not learned to overcome himself in this conflict. A man hath gone indeed very far in religion, that can conquer himself in this conflict, that can trust his cause with God when he is wronged and overcome by might, &c. So our Saviour Christ committed his cause to him * that was able to judge righteously,' 1 Peter ii. 23. Every true Christian hath the spirit of Christ. He, * when he was reviled, retorted not again, but committed the cause to him that was able to judge righteously.' Shall I be able to commit my soul to God in the hour of death ? and shall I not, in case of revenge, be able to commit my case to God, when I have done that that peaceably I may do ? I may suspect that I am but yet an hypocrite ; I have not true trust in God.
3. Again, He that hath learned truly to trust God for the grand main matters, he will trust him likewise with his jjosterity, icith his children, with- out using indirect means to make them rich, as if they could not be blessed unless they have such a portion put into their hand when we die ; as if God had not stock enough for them, ' for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof,' Ps. xxiv. 1. And he is the ' God of the faithful, and of their seed,' Gen. xvii. 19. Is he so ? Then let us labour to leave our children in covenant, leave them in a gracious frame and state of soul, that they may be God's children ; and then we leave them rich, for we leave them ' God all-sufficient ' to be their portion. Therefore those that pretend, I do this but for my posterity and children, when they are unjust and unconscionable* in their getting, they make this defence for their unbelief. If they had true faith, as they trust God with their souls, as they pretend at least, so they would with their children and posterity.
4. Again, He that trusts God truly, will trust God with his gifts, with the diitribution nf his alms, with parting with that he hath for the present, when he sees it like seed cast upon the water. When seed is cast upon the
* That is, 'unconscientious.' — G. VOL. Yl B .
258 THE RICH POVERTY ; OR,
water, -wo are likely never to see it again. Oh, bnt saith the wise man, ' cast thy bread upon the water, and thou shall see it after a certain time.' Ho that hath learned to trust God will believe this. Though he cast away his bounty, yet he hath cast it upon God and Christ, that will return it again ; ho knows he doth but lend to the Lord. Therefore those that think their bounty and alms and good deeds to be lost, because they see not a present return, a present crop of that seed, they have not a spirit of trust in God ; for he that hath will endeavour to be ' rich in good works ; ' nay, he will account it a special favour, a greater favour, to have a heart to do good, than to have means. A reprobate may have means, abundance to do good ; but only a child of God hath a heart to do good, and when he hath gotten a large and gracious heart to do good, it pleasetli him. Then he sees he hath an evidence that he is the child of God. He knows he shall not lose a cup of cold water, not the least thing that he doth in the name of Christ. The apprehension of this should make us more fruitful, and ' abound in the work of the Lord,' 1 Cor. xv. 58. It is for want of trust and faith that we are so barren as we are in good works.