But what will be the hope of such worldlings, when GOD shall take away their souls? What if the almighty should say to each of them, as he did to the rich fool in the gospel, “this night shall thy soul be required of thee;” O then, what would all those things profit them, which they are now so busy in providing?
Was eternal life, that free gift of GOD in CHRIST JESUS, to be purchased with money; or could men carry their stocks beyond the grave, to buy oil for their lamps, i. e. grace for their hearts, when they should be called to meet the bridegroom, there might be some reason why GOD might well bear with them: but since their money is to perish with them; since it is certain, as they brought nothing into the world, so they can carry nothing out; or supposing they could, since there is no oil to be bought, no grace to be purchased when once the lamp of their natural life is gone out; would it not be much more prudent to spend the short time they have here allotted them, in buying oil while it may be had, and not for fear of having a little less of that which will quickly be another man’s, eternally lose the true riches?
What think you? Is it to be supposed, it grieved that covetous worldling before mentioned, when his soul sprung into the world of spirits, that he could not stay here till he had pulled down his barns and built greater? Or think you not that all things here below seemed equally little to him then, and he only repented that he had not employed more time in pulling down every high thought that exalted itself against the Almighty, and building up his soul in the knowledge and fear of GOD?
And thus it will be with all unhappy men, who like him are disquieting themselves in a vain pursuit after worldly riches, and at the same time are not rich towards GOD.
They may, for a season, seem excellently well employed in being solicitously careful about the important concerns of this life; but when once their eyes are opened by death, and their souls launched into eternity, they will then see the littleness of all sublunary cares, and wonder they should be so besotted to the things of another life, while they were, it may be, applauded for their great wisdom and profound sagacity in the affairs of this world.
Alas! how will they bemoan themselves for acting like the unjust steward, so very wisely in their temporal concerns, in calling their respective debtors so carefully, and asking how much every one owes to them, and yet never remembring to call themselves to an account, or enquire how much they owed to their own great LORD and master?
And now what shall I say more? The GOD of this world, and the inordinate desire of other things, must have wholly stifled the conscience of that man, who does not see the force of these plain reasonings.
Permit me only to add a word or two to the rich, and to persons that are freed from the business of this life.
But here I must pause a while, for I am sensible that it is but an ungrateful, and as some may imagine, an assuming thing, for such a novice in religion to take upon him to instruct men in high stations, and who perhaps would disdain to set me with the dogs of their flock.
But however, since St. _Paul_, who knew what best became a young preacher, commanded _Timothy_, young as he was, to exhort and charge the rich with all authority; I hope none here that are so, will be offended, if with humility I beg leave to remind them, though they once knew this, that if persons in the most busy employs are indispensibly obliged to “work out their salvation with fear and trembling,” much more ought they to do so, who are free from the toils and incumbrance of a lower way of life, and consequently have greater opportunities and leisure to prepare themselves for a future state.
But is this really the case? or do we not find, by fatal experience, that too many of those whom GOD has exalted above their brethren, who are “cloathed in purple and fine linnen, and fare sumptuously every day,” by a sad abuse of GOD’s great bounty towards them, think that their stations set them above religion, and so let the poor, who live by the sweat of their brows, attend more constantly on the means of grace than do they?
But woe unto such rich men! for they have received their consolation. Happy had it been if they had never been born: for if the careless irreligious tradesman cannot be saved, where will luxurious and wicked gentlemen appear?