their conscience : and when they " have a spiritual under- standing," they will follow them : they will not be content to "continue in the broad road, because the many walk there; or to desert the narrow path, because there be but few who find it":" they are more independent of the opinions of the world; and are prepared to say with Joshua, "Let others think or act as they please, I will serve the Lord"."]
3. They are more deluded by conceit —
[The rich, on account of their wealth and influence, have great deference paid to their opinions. The flattery which they receive is extremely grateful to them ; and they soon begin to think that they are indeed as wise as fawning sycophants re- present them to be. Hence they become very confident in their own opinions, and can ill brook contradiction upon any sub- ject. They suppose, too, that they are as competent to judge of religion as of any other subject ; and will lay down the law upon the subject of divine truth as confidently as if they had the wisdom of Daniel or St. Paul. But the poor man, that has been taught of God, sees at once how ignorant these per- sons are on those subjects on which they presume to dogmatize with such unblushing confidence. The rich conceited man will tell us how erroneovis it is to represent our fallen nature as so depraved ; and what a licentious doctrine that of salvation by faith alone is ; and that a life of entire devotedness to God is no better than wild fanaticism or puritanical hypocrisy. But " the poor man, that hath understanding, searcheth him out:'" he has within himself the evidence of those truths which the conceited man decries. St. John says, " He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself p;" and this internal evidence is more to him than all the assertions which conceit can dictate or arrogance maintain. He knows his own depra- vity: he feels his need of a Saviour: he tastes the sweetness of pure and undefiled religion ; and from God he inherits a blessing "3, whilst the rich contemner of his faith receives nothing but woes at the hand of his offended God'".]
Improvement —
1. Envy not those w^ho are rich in this world — [Truly they are encompassed with snares, and exposed to great dangers. The advantages which they possess are very trivial : (what has the richest man beyond food and raiment, which the poor possess as well as they ?) but their disadvan- tages are very great; so great, that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven." Remarkable, in this vieiv, is
" Matt. vii. 13, 14. ° Josh, xxiv, 15. p 1 John v. 10.
ti Matt. v. 3. "^ Isai. v. 21.