[We are warned, that "to be carnally-minded is death :" and the final ruin of a very large portion of those who hear the Gospel is ascribed to " the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches, which choke the word that they hear, and render it unfruitful." " The love of money," we are told, " is the root of all evil ;" and " they who even desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and per- dition." Inasmuch as riches induce us principally to mind earthly things, they make us enemies of the cross of Christ, and bring us to destruction as our end."]
IV. It is difficult to have riches, and not trust in them —
Wealth, whilst it gains our affections, is apt to become also a ground of our confidence —
[" The rich man's wealth," says Solomon, " is his strong city." We are apt to rely upon it, as a source both of present and future happiness. We seem, when possessed of riches, to be out of the reach of harm. When poor, we more habitually and more sensibly feel our dependence on Providence ; but, when rich, we think we have no need of religion to make us happy, or of God to provide for us : we are ready to say, like the Rich Man in the Gospel, " Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years ; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." In like manner, we think that we have no reason to fear about the future world. We are ready to imagine, that God will pay the same deference to wealth as our fellow-creatures do. We have no conception that a rich man, unless he has been guilty of some peculiarly enormous crimes, can be cast into hell. It is in vain that we read of " the Rich Man lifting up his eyes in torments :" we take for granted, that a rich man, if he have been tolerably decent in his deportment, must of necessity go to heaven : and a rich man will not endure, for the most part, to have a doubt of his future happiness suggested •to him. It is not without reason, therefore, that St. Paul says, " Charge them that are rich in this world, that they trust not in uncertain riches."]
But to place our confidence in any thing but God, is certain ruin —
[God denounces a " curse on those who make flesh their arm ;" and he represents their conduct as " a departure of their hearts from him." And Job informs us, that " the saying to the gold, Thou art my confidence, is an iniquity to be punished by the Judge, and a denial of the God that is above."]