The Best Treasure, Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII.
Shewing the folly of ſuch as purſue earthly things, with neglect of Chriſt, conſidering the Nature of thoſe things; the Terms on which they are to be enjoyed; The caſualty that attends them: The guilt ſuch contract.
IF there be ſuch great and glorious treaſures of Chriſt tendered to ſinners in the Goſpel: Then ſee the folly of thoſe that purſue earthly treaſures with a neglect of Chriſt: For Souls to turn their backs on Chriſt, and court the World, and peri…hing things: O folly indeed! I ſhall give four Reaſons to convince ſuch perſons of folly.
The 1. Taken from the things themſelves they purſue with neglect of Chriſt.
2. The different terms on which Chriſt and theſe are to be enjoyed.
3. The caſual…y that attends Souls attempts after Earthly things.
4. The guilt that ſuch contract, who purſue Earthly treaſures more than Chriſt.
Firſt, 'Tis folly, yea madneſs to purſue Earthly things and neglect Chriſt becauſe the things themſelves they chuſe cannot be compar'd with Chriſt; which will appear in ſeveral particulars.
Firſt, They are uncertain Riches; There's no dependance upon them, 1 Tim. 6. 17. Nor truſt in uncertain Riches, foreign. Riches that are not declared, and manifeſted, to be ſure and certain, for a dependance; They are not a ſure bottom for Souls to build ſo much hope and delight upon; when it comes to a pinch indeed; then i… …ppears they are vain, and will not profit in the day of wrath. Like a broken Staff, when you lean upon it, then it breaks: So the Riches of this world, when Souls put ſome ſtreſs upon them, then they fail: They are uncertain; ſometimes you enjoy them, and anon they are removed, Pro. 23. 5. Wilt thou ſet thine Eyes upon that which is not, for riches certainly make themſelves wings, they flye away as an Eagle towards Heaven. They come ſlowlie, but get off ſwiftlie; when they come to men, they have leaden feet, and when they leave them, Eagles Wings: To day they flouriſh like the graſs, and to morrow burn like an Oven: A man hath a beautiful houſe to day, and to morrow an heap of Aſhes▪ O moſt uncertain Riches! All the world runs in changes; To day (ſays one) they ar… for the Boſom, and to morrow for the Beeſom: To day men take them into their boſoms, to morrow vengeance ſweeps them away.
Secondly, They are empty things, they cannot ſatisfie the Soul that feeds upon them: The world is not filling meat to an immortal Soul; let a perſon feed never ſo heartily, yet he is hungry: The whole world …nnot fill one heart; Alexander wept, that there were no more worlds to conquer: Nature puts bounds to the Sea; and all Earthly beings have their end, Pſa. 119. 96. but ſin hath made carnal deſires boundleſs: It is with earthly minded men, as Solomon ſays it is with the Grave, and barren womb, and the fire that ſay it is not enough, Pro. 30. 15, 16. Wherefore (ſays the Prophet) do you ſpend your money for that which is not Bread, and your labour for that which ſatisfieth not, Iſa. 55. 2. One calls the whole Turkiſh Empire but a bone that is thrown to dogs: very dry meat; ſo are all the things of this world: Riches are like meat in a dream: An hungry man thinks he feeds, when he dreams but when he awakes he is emptie. Riches feed nothing but the Eye; hence Covetousneſs is call'd the luſts of the Eye, 1 Joh. 2. 16. O'tis a vanity indeed to look after that which you can put in to your Eye! it will not feed your affections, it will not ſatiate the Soul, it will not quiet the Conſcienc: O that men ſhould adventure their all for that which will not ſatisfie!
Thirdly, They are fading things in their Nature: not only uncertain, and liable to remove in the event, but they are dying in their Nature; Corruptible riches: Your Houſes, Lands, whatever your greedy Eye covets, are but rotten things: Your Garments are liable to the Moth, and your Gold and Silver Subject to Ruſt, J am. 5. 2, 3. Ah poor treaſure indeed! Which ruſt and Moth conſume, reſt that ſtrengthens other Creatures eats out theſe; Houſes, Lands, Gold and Jewels, are ſubject to wearing away, Tempus teret omnia: Time will wear them out: Hence Chriſt adviſes his Diſciples to provide bags which wax not old, a treaſure in Heaven, which faileth not, Luk 12. 33. Implying that all the treaſures of this world are not ſo: If men lay them up in bags, the bags will wax old, and time will rot them; Thieves can approach to theſe treaſures, and Moth, and Ruſt can eat them out: ('Tis a pretty ſimile one hath of it, who compares the Riches of the world to hailſtones, that when they fall upon a tyl'd Houſe, make a ratling noiſe for the preſent, but by and by ſl…de down, and melt away to nothing.
Fourthly, The treaſures of this world are enſiaving treaſures; they bring their owners into bondage: as one ſays; Ducendo vincimur, vincendo ducimur: By their cunning allurements they overcome us, and overcoming us, they lead us Captive: They firſt allure the heart, and then enthrall the heart: They bring men into the worſt bondage of any, for they bring them into a willing bondage Earthly men are not only led Captive by the world at Satans will, but are enſlaved by their own will; they conſent to be bound: Earthly men do with Eſau, ſwap a bargain for the things of the world; they conſent to let go their birth right for a meſs of pottage; they give up their birth right to their Inferiours, and conſent to become a ſlave to their own Servants: That word of the Wiſeman is never more true, Eccl. 10. 7. then when men are led Captive by the love of this world: I have ſeen Servants upon Horſes, and Princes walking as Servants upon the Earth. Never did Iſrael do greater drudgery in Egypt, then Carnal, Earthly men do to the world: It makes them riſe early, ſit up late, and eat the bread of ſorrows, and all for a few ſhaddows, Pſ. 127. 2. Earthly men, (ſays one) are like Beaſts that are ſet to draw in the Devils Teams, who draw ſin with Cart-ropes, and Iniquity with Cords of Vanity: Iſa. 5. 1. Peccata facile veniunt, ſed fortiter ligant.
Fifthly, The riches of this world are enſnaring too. 1 T…m. 6. 9. They that will be rich fall into Temptations and Snares: The word foreign ſignifies ſuch ſnares as perſons uſe to take Birds and Beaſts with, and foreign to faſten down to the ground as nets are that take beaſts; So Earthlyminded men the Devil ſtakes them down to the ground: They are held faſt in the cords of their own iniquity, Pro. 5. 22. What a ſnare was Balack's Gold to Balaam's Covetous heart to draw him againſt his light, convictions and a Divine charge. The Bag prov'd a fatal charm to covetous Judas, it lead him to the Halter: The things of the world prov'd a ſad ſnare to Demas, and led him off from all his profeſſion: Earthly things are like twigs that are in Bird-lime, that hold faſt thoſe ſilly Souls that come at them, that they have no mind nor power …o leave them: O they are ſad ſnares indeed.
Sixthly, Earthly riches are defiling too: The Apoſtle calls riches filthy lucre, 1 Pet. 5. 2. Not for filthy lucre: foreign Obſcure gain as the word implies, filthy, unbecoming, undecent: O 'tis diſhoneſt gain indeed; which ends in the loſs of the Soul! Such men are the greateſt Couzeners in the world, that cheat themſelves, and looſe their Souls for ſublunary treaſures: The Riches of this world defile the Conſciences of thoſe that love them; the Apoſtle calls them the pollutions of the world, 2 Pet. 2. 20. 'Tis conſiderable that the Pſalmiſt doth uſe the word, Pſa. 52. 7. to fignifie both riches and unrighteouſneſs: Lo this is the man that made not God his ſtrength, but truſted in the abundance of his Riches, and ſtrengthened himſelf in his wickedneſs: noting that riches prove occaſions of much evil, hurt, and filthineſs to them that have them.
Seventhly, They are accountable Riches, Talents that muſt be reckoned for, Math. 25. 19. After a long time, the Lord of that Servant cometh and reckoneth with him. All Earthly intereſts are truſts committed to the fidelity of thoſe that have them, and they muſt give an account for them, Luke 16. 2. Give an account of thy Stewardſhip for tbou muſt be no longer Steward (foreign) All thy undue purſuits of the World; thy inordinate love to it, thy unjuſt ingroſſings of it to thy ſelf, thy penurious witholding it, from thoſe diſtributions God hath required muſt ſhortly be reckoned for. foreign ab foreign an houſe & foreign, thoſe things which Families uſe.
Eighthly, They are afflicting riches: They carry more trouble then comfort with them, 1 Tim. 6. 10. For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while Some coveted after—pierce themſelves through with many ſorrows: They run themſelves through. So Beza: They ſtab themſelves all over from Head to Foot with darts; So the word imports. O how great are thoſe anxieties, and troubles the riches of this world breed for thoſe that have them! they be troubleſome things; They cauſe a great deal of pains to get them: a great deal of care to keep them; a great deal of fear to looſe them; And a great deal of trouble when they are gone: Chriſt compares the love of the world to Thorns, Mat. 13. 7. Compar'd with ver. 22. Becauſe they prick and ſcratch the Conſciences, as well as choak the word: O the many wounds they will ſee in them one day that love the world inordinately: Whence Gregory hath this upon it: Let rich men take heed how they handle Throns, leaſt they prick them.
Nint…ly, They are damnifying riches, and bring a great deal of loſs with them: A man can hardly come by much of the world, without a ſenſible detriment: They occaſion the loſs of a great deal of time that ſhould be uſed about their precious Souls: The loſs of precious peace; O what trouble, what carking, fretting, rending cares have men about theſe Riches! They looſe their natural peace many times, and loſe their Soul quietneſs: The cares of this world breed a great deal of guilt: Then there's a loſs of purity too; they ſully thy Soul, dirt thy Conſcience: beſpatter thy Affections: Many a hopeful Soul is corrupted by them to fall from their ſeeming vertue and moral excellencies; as the young man in the Goſpel, Judas Annanias, and Demas. Earthlimindedneſs like the F…ie in a Box of Oyntment ſpoil mens natural and moral Vertues: They occaſion the loſs of many priviledges; the love of the world robs Souls of great advantages, ſuch cannot wait on God many times in ſecret duties, family duties, publick duties; they have a Farm, and Oxen, and Merchandiſe to look after, and therefore cannot come. Nay, they that will be rich deprive themſelves of the profit of thoſe priviledges they do enjoy: The Love of the world takes off the good of the word, whiles it is preached to them, Math. 13. 22. The things of the world damp mens affections to Chriſt, and heavenly things; they ſtifle mens Conſciences: It duls and blunts the edge of the Sword of the Goſpel, and makes it rebound back again, when it fals upon the rocky heart, hardned with the love of the World: O they are damnifiing things: And at laſt they will ſet you hard, but they will loſe your Souls, and then you have made a curſed bargain indeed, when you have loſt your Souls.
Laſtly, They are dangerous and too often damning things; they are dangerous for they keep the Soul from Chriſt: As the young man in the Goſpel, he came to the very laſt ſtep, and yet there he ſtayed, he could not part withall for Chriſt that broke the bargain Mat. 19. 22. He went away ſorrowful for he had great poſſeſſions: The love of the World ſtood in the way of his receiving Chriſt; Thorns are the ſhelter for Serpents and riches for many luſts, that drown men in perdition and deſtruction. 1. Tim. 6. 9. The word in the original ſignifies a plunging over head and ears in ruine, ſunk to the bottom, as one that hath a great weight upon him: One compares rich men to a Pine Tree of which it is ſaid, that if the bark be pluckt off it will laſt long, but while that abides it rots: riches are as a deep pit, into which men eaſily get, but hardly get out, and therefore Chriſt ſaies. it is eaſier for a Camell to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Math. 19. 24.
The things of the World bar up the way to Heaven, and open the way to Hell, and haſten the Soul with a vengeance to deſtruction: They are like the Devils ſleep-drench, that caſts Souls into a deep trance, and 'till they come to the end of their lives they never awake, and then they awake with a vengeance: That's the firſt. Conſider what the things of the world are, and they are fools indeed that purſue them with the neglect of Chriſt.
Secondly, Conſider the different terms on which they are to be had, and it will appear to be folly for men to deſert Heavenly things, and chuſe Earthly: If you would have the World, it will coſt you a great deal of ſorrow, trouble, and pains, you muſt tug hard; Adam being turn'd out of Paradiſe muſt work in the ſweat of his brows for his bread. Gen. 3. 10. But Heavenly Treaſures is to be received by believing; They come by gift. It is but to come and take it and receive it. Iſa. 55. 1, 2.
Thirdly Conſider the caſualty that attends the perſuit of theſe Earthly things. A great deal of caſualty whether you may have them or no; and a great deal of hazard that attends them: The Marchant engages in dangerous voyages, and after all, is not ſure to bring home any treaſure. Eccles. 5. 14. Theſe Riches periſh by evil travel: Suppoſe they are obtained, they ſometimes are waſted aſſoon as won; and he that thinks he hath enough for many years, many times leaves, nothing behind him: Many toyl, and tug, eat out their bowels, and ſpend their days for that which they cannot obtain; how many labour to be rich, and yet dye Poor: Riches make themſelves wings and flie away. Pro. 23. 5
Fourthly, Such as perſue Earthly things with the neglect of Chriſt, contract much guilt upon their own Souls; they violate the whole Law of God; for the whole Law contains ſupream love to God: Love (ſaies the Apoſtle) is the fulfilling of the Law. Rom. 13. 10. And upon this Commandement (ſaies Chriſt) hangs all the Law, and the Prophets: Math. 22. 40▪ Upon ſupream love to God, and equal love to our neighbour, as to our ſelves: Therefore ſuch as perſue Earthly things, and love the World more then God, they break the whole Law of God. 1 Joh. 2. 5. Yea they violate and break the commands of grace alſo: It makes men falſe to all their engagments, and promiſes; and to all their civil truſts: O what horrid wickedneſs will not the love of this World put men upon! therefore ſuch contract foul guilt upon their Souls: And this ſhews their folly.
So much for the uſe of Information.