Thirteen Sermons, Account · Sermon 3
SERMON III.
Deuteronomy 8.18.
— For it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth.
THis fifth Book of Moſes is called Deuteronomy, qu. foreign: a ſecond law, becauſe it for the moſt part containeth a repetition of the law of God, formerly given unto this people by Moſes; Moſes having in the former Chapter given them an account of ſome precepts that God formerly delivered to them, he here preſſeth them to obedience, and to make reflections upon what God had done for them, he declareth a great tenderneſs for this people, who had been brought up by him, and lived upon his hand, and an exceeding jealouſy, leſt when they came into the land of Canaan, they ſhould forget the great God who had done ſo much for them, and leſt they ſhould ſay in their hearts, my power, and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth, but (ſaith he in the words I have read unto you,) Thou ſhalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth.
The Doctrines of the Text are two.
Doct. 1. That it is the Lord who giveth unto people a power to get wealth.
Doct. 2. That the conſideration of this ſhould oblige men when they have gotten eſtates, not to forget, but to remember the Lord their God.
Prop. That it is the Lord who giveth unto a people a power to get wealth. There is nothing in the Doctrine that needeth any explication; we all know what is meant by wealth, my whole buſineſs will lie upon the demonſtration of this truth, that it is the Lord that giveth men power to get wealth, and to ſhew what influence God hath upon men, as to their gaining of outward eſtates, 1 Sam. 2.7. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich, Eccl. 6.2. A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour — chap. 9.11. —the race is not to the ſwift, nor the battel to the ſtrong; & 2. By way of Application, to ſhew what influence this meditation ſhould have upon us; I ſhall ſpend all my time in anſwering theſe two Queſtions.
Qu. 1. What influence hath God upon men as to their gaining or keeping their outward eſtate.
All wealth and outward eſtate, cometh to a man, by inheritance, or marriage, or by gift, or by labour; let me ſhew you a little the influence God hath upon all theſe. I will joyn the two firſt together.
1. It is the Lord that maketh Heirs, and who maketh Matches; we have two Proverbs in this caſe, which are very true, we uſe to ſay, God maketh Heirs, and Matches are made in heaven, both are true; the Woman marrieth the Husband, and the Husband marrieth that Wife which God hath created for him, and that man inheriteth the eſtate which God had created for him.
Let us conſider the influence the Lord hath upon Heirs, and this will eaſily be confeſſed by whoſoever acknowledgeth that the iſſues of life and death are from the Lord, the fruit of the Womb is from the Lord, and the iſſues of life and death are in the hand of the Lord; you ſhall find an expreſſion to this purpoſe, Mic. 1.15. Yet will I bring an heir unto thee, Oh inhabitant of Mareſhah; Mareſha was a City in Judah, it is mentioned alſo, Joſh. 15.44. Abraham told God, Gen. 15.3. One born in his houſe was his heir, God tells him, v. 4. — This ſhall not be thine heir, one born of thy bowels, ſhall be thy heir, Pſal. 30.22. For ſuch as be bleſſed of him ſhall inherit the earth— Sometimes a handmaid is heir to her Miſtreſs, which is one of the three things for which the earth groaned, and which it could not bear (ſaith Solomon) Prov. 34.23. One may be heir to his enemy by natural death, oftentimes it ſo happeneth; at what a diſtance doth God ſometimes throw an eſtate, both in a direct line, and in a collateral line? who would have ſaid that Mephiboſheth ſhould have been heir to his Grandfather Saul, as, 2 Sam. 9.7. And David ſaid unto him, fear not, for I will ſurely ſhew thee kindneſs, for Jonathan thy Fathers ſake, and will reſtore thee all the Land of Saul thy Father—or who would have thought the Iſraelites ſhould have been heirs unto the Canaanites? It is the Lord that thus giveth a power to get wealth; the influence of God upon conjugal affection is alſo as ſtrange. I know nothing wherein the ſtrange power and providence of God is more ſeen, then in uniting the affections of that man and woman together, whom he hath ordained each for other, a man or woman ſhall beſtow their Eſtates upon perſons whom they never knew, never heard of; nay. poſſibly upon thoſe againſt whom they were prejudiced; who would have thought Eſther (a perſon of mean and obſcure extraction) ſhould have been Ahaſuerus his Queen; or that Ruth ſhould have Married Boaz.
2. It is the Lord who raiſeth up friends; this is another fountain head of riches; he it was that gave the Iſraelites favour in the ſight of the Aegyptians, Exod. 11.3. And the Lord gave the People favour in the ſight of the Aegyptians; He gave Joſeph favour in the ſight of Pharaoh, Acts 7.10. — and gave him favour and wiſdom in the ſight of Pharaoh King of Egypt— Dan. 1.9. Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love— whoſo lightly obſerveth the courſe of the world, will find this verified every day, you may ſee friends raiſed up of ſtrangers, yea, of enemies, even to the amazement of them who behold them, but there is yet another fountain of wealth, and that is labour and induſtry, Pro. 10.4— the hand of the diligent maketh rich. But you muſt take in another Text. v. 22. The bleſſing of the Lord, it maketh rich— and to this purpoſe, let us conſider what influence God hath upon that. In the third place therefore,
3. It is the Lord that enclineth our minds unto buſineſs, and to that particular employment which bringeth in our eſtate; I ſay it is the Lord that enclineth the mind to buſineſs, and directeth the mind in buſineſs.
1. I ſay he enclineth the mind to buſineſs; you ſee ſome men are of dull, ſluggiſh and lazy ſpirits, fit for no buſineſs, nor do they mind any, but others are men of activity, they are never well but when their hands are full of employment; who is it that hath made this difference in the ſpirits of men; have they not all Souls of the ſame ſpecies; have they not all bodies, though not of the ſame ſtrength, yet of the ſame mould? this is the Lord.
2. It is the Lord that directeth a mans mind and inclination to this or that particular imployment: there are ſome ways of employment in the world, that are of more gain & advantage then others; ſome trades that are poorer, ſome richer; ſome that bring in great, ſome ſmaller returns; whence cometh it that this man is directed to chooſe a meaner, & poorer trade that bringeth in little return another to a trade that bringeth in greater, is it not from the Lord? That hath this influence upon the heart of man and diſpoſeth, it which way ſoever he will.
3. It is the Lord that giveth dexterity in buſineſs, you obſerve in the world, that ſome men are more dexterous and happy in their employment by far then others are, they can do more in their buſineſs, they can do it to better advantages; whence is this? ſee but one inſtance, Exo. 31.2. See, I have called by name Bezaleel, the Son of Uri, the Son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. v. 3. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wiſdom, and in underſtanding, and in knowledge and in all manner of workmanſhip. v. 4. To Deviſe cunning works, to work in Gold, and Silver and in Braſs. So add v. 6. — In the hearts of all that are wiſe hearted I have put wiſdom; again, Exod. 35.35. Them hath he filled with wiſdom of heart, to work all manner of work— Hence you may obſerve in almoſt all employments a fagacity given to one which he cannot communicate to another, ſo that the power and influence of God is evidently ſeen; you may obſerve that a power to get wealth doth very much depend, not only upon the kind of the employment wherein a man is engaged, but upon the wiſdom and cunning of the man, upon his dexterity and ſagacity in his employment; now all this is from the Lord.
4. It is the Lord who giveth ſucceſs in buſineſs; there is nothing more ordinary in the world, then to find two men, whoſe profeſſion, trade and way of living poſſibly is the ſame; whoſe induſtry and diligence is as much as can be imagined, equal whoſe wiſdom and cunning alſo is not much unlike, yet the one thriveth, and groweth rich, the other doth not, the one vendeth his commodities, and maketh ſafe and great returns, the other cannot vend his commodities, he cannot ſecure his return; whence is this but from the Lord? It is the Lord who maketh our way proſperous, Deut. 2.7. For the Lord thy God hath bleſſed thee in all the works of thy hand— It is God that bleſſeth in the city, and bleſſeth in the field, Deut. 28.3. — Thou haſt bleſſed the work of his hands, ſaith the Devil to Job, ch. 1.10. Hence the Pſalmiſt teacheth us to pray unto God, to proſper the works of our hands unto us.
5. Laſtly, It is the Lord who keepeth off thoſe things from us which would make us poor. Riches are ſubject to accidents; a mans getting an eſtate dependeth upon anothers keeping his eſtate; the fire may burn, the Thief may break through and ſteal, Ships may be broken at Sea; infinite many accidents may happen, and we daily ſee and hear of accidents that happen to the ruine and impoveriſhing of men, and is not thy eſtate as ſubject to accidents; who is it that keepeth the fire from thee which conſumeth thy Neighbour? and who keepeth the Thief from thee, who plundereth thy Neighbour, and leaveth him nothing? that upholdeth the eſtate of him who dealeth with thee, while he letteth the eſtate of another man who dealeth with another to ſink? who can aſcribe this to any thing but to the influence that God hath upon the world? Now all this juſtifieth this truth, that it is the Lord who giveth power to get wealth; I ſhall add no more in the explication of this Doctrine; I ſhall ſpend the remaining part of my time in the application of it; I ſhall apply this to the two ſorts of people that divide the world.
1. To ſuch as are poor and mean in the world.
2. To thoſe that are rich.
Uſe 1. Let me ſpeak unto ſuch to whom the Lord hath not given a power to get wealth; that they would be content to eye the will and good pleaſure of God concerning them; ſome of you are no heirs, you have not been enriched by any matches, you have not been made rich by friends, you have been laborious, but it hath not pleaſed God to bleſs the works of your hands; yet be content.
1. Conſider, It is the diſpenſation of the Lord; thou doſt not thrive, becauſe it pleaſeth not God to give thee a power to get wealth; we ought in every thing to be ſatisfied with the will of God: the earth is the Lords, and the fulneſs thereof, and God may do with his own what he pleaſeth; if he will give much to one, and little to another, or ſomething to one, and nothing to another, he doth thee no wrong at all; thou haſt therefore no reaſon to murmure, no reaſon to repine againſt him; eſpecially conſidering what I ſhall further add.
2. Conſider, Wealth is none of Gods Covenant Mercies; there were two outward afflictions, which to the Jews were far more juſtifiable cauſes of diſturbance, than they are to Chriſtians, Poverty and Barrenneſs; the reaſon was, becauſe the promiſes of God to the Jews ran much upon outward things; it followeth after the words of the Text, —For it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may eſtabliſh his covenant, which he ſware unto thy fathers, as at this day. But the new Covenant reacheth moſt unto Spiritual mercies, Jer 32.40. And I will make an everlaſting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they ſhall not depart from me.
3. Conſider, Oftentimes a power to get wealth, prejudiceth us in our priviledge to obtain, and our duty to act grace, James 2.5. Hearken my beloved brethren, hath not God choſen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom— Therefore the Apoſtle Paul gave it in charge, 1 Tim. 6.17. That the rich ſhould not be high-minded, but fear; Our Saviour doth pronounce a woe to them that are rich, Luke 6.24— For you have received your conſolation; it muſt be underſtood of them that are not rich towards God; but only lay up treaſures for themſelves. So St. James, Jam. 1.9. would have the Brother of low degree rejoice that he is exalted; he would alſo have the rich rejoice. v. 10. In that he is made low— but I ſhall inlarge no further upon this branch of application, but come to that which is more proper, and ſpeak a word to thoſe that are rich.
Exhort. 2. Is it the Lord who giveth you power to get wealth? Then remember the Lord your God, who hath given you power to get wealth; It is the Exhortation of the Text, upon which I ſhall enlarge a little. Thou ſhalt remember the Lord thy God, who giveth thee power to get wealth; this term remember, is a very comprehenſive word; Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou ſhalt ſay, I have no pleaſure in them; it is alſo uſed in many other texts; I muſt therefore open this generally, and ſhew you,
1. What duty this calleth to you for, in reference to your getting wealth.
2. What duty it calleth to you for, when you have gotten it.
In reference to the getting of your wealth,
1. That you would apply your ſelf to the getting of wealth in the Lords way.
By the Lords way, I mean two things.
1. An honeſt courſe of life juſtifiable unto God.
2. A managing this honeſt courſe in an honeſt manner.
Apply your ſelves and your children to the getting of wealth in an honeſt courſe of life; I ſhall not here undertake to determine concerning Trades, which are honeſt, which are diſhoneſt; but there are two ſorts of Trades, or Profeſſions, or ways of life, which I ſhall not commend, nor ſhould chuſe.
1. Such as ſerve meerly to maintain Superſtition or Idolatry.
2. Such as ſerve meerly for Idleneſs & Luxury.
1. Such as ſerve meerly for Superſtition and Idolatry, like the Silver-Smith, whoſe craft was to make ſhrines for Diana; I remember Tertullian inveighing againſt Idolaters, maketh all makers of Idols and Statues, to be guilty of the ſame ſin with them that worſhip them.
2. There is another ſort of Trades that ſerve meerly for Luxury and Idleneſs; ſuch kind of ways of living as theſe, are by no means to be choſen, becauſe we cannot expect that the Lord ſhould in them, with his bleſſing give us power to get wealth.
2. It calleth to you for the managing of your callings in an honeſt manner; that is, in ſhort, with truth and juſtice, Prov. 21.6. The getting of treaſures by a lying tongue, is a vanity toſſed to and fro of them that ſeek death. David prayeth, that the Lord would remove from him the way of lying— a lying tongue is one of thoſe things which God hateth; and again, Pro. 12.22. Lying lips are abomination to the Lord
3. It calleth to all you that are employed in getting wealth, to manage all your converſation in ſuch a courſe of religion, as you may expect Gods bleſſing to go along with you, eſpecially it calleth to you for prayers; it is the bleſſing of the Lord that maketh rich; who can expect the bleſſing of the Lord in the day, that doth not beg it in the morning, and in the evening; he that chooſeth to live as if there were no God in the world, what wonder is it, if God leaveth him to take his courſe, that he ſhall live as if there were no God in the World, if he will not live as to duty, as if there were a God in the world, what wonder is it if the Lord leaveth him to live ſo as to his mercy, as if there were no God in the World.
Obj. But may ſome ſay, do not we ſee that many grow rich in the world, that yet live without a God in the world, making no conſcience of ſuch a courſe of Religion as you preſcribe?
Sol. I anſwer, it is one thing for God to give a power, another thing for men to have a permiſſion; that Text is worth your noting, Prov. 10.22. The bleſſing of the Lord maketh rich, and addeth no ſorrow with it. There is a great deal of difference in Gods giving outward bleſſings, and much lyeth, whether he giveth them with his bleſſing, or with his curſe; it is ſaid of the Iſraelites, That the Lord gave them quails, and while the fleſh was betwixt their teeth, the anger of the Lord ſmoaked againſt them. God gave the Iſraelites a King in his wrath; & ſo the Lord ſometimes giveth riches and honour; but the bleſſing of the Lord addeth no ſorrow with it, There was a great difference betwixt the riches of Solomon, and the riches of Gehazi; no man can expect the bleſſing of the Lord upon his riches and getting wealth, without this courſe of life which I have directed.
Qu. 2. What duty doth this call to us for, when we have gotten our wealth?
I anſwer, it calleth to you for an acknowledgment of this truth; in ſuch a uſing of your eſtates, as you may thereby teſtifie, that you do not ſay that you by your own hand have gotten this wealth, but the Lord gave you power to get it.
1. It calleth to you for a cordial acknowledgment.
2. It calleth to you for a verbal acknowledgment.
3. It calleth to you for a real acknowledgment.
1. It calleth to you for a cordial acknowledgment.
1. Take heed your hearts be not lifted up, Deut. 14.17. Then thine heart be lifted up— And thou ſay in thy heart, my power, and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth. We are ready to be lifted up, for any thing that we have more then others; but conſider what the Apoſtle ſaith, Who hath made thee to differ, and who hath given thee power to get wealth; what reaſon haſt thou to be proud?
2. Take heed that in your hearts you acknowledge God the donor and author of it; do not ſay that by your own power, and by your own wiſdom you have gotten this wealth, the Lord delighteth to do good, but he alſo loveth to be acknowledged and owned, then is God honoured when you acknowledge the mercy which you have to be received from him.
3. In your hearts acknowledge Gods mercy, and give him thanks, keep your Souls in a thankful frame, that when you look upon the houſes which you did not build, and your fields which you did not plant; your Soul may preſently be lifted up to Heaven, and ſay, God I thank thee, Joſh. 24.13.thou haſt given me land for which I did not labour, and houſes which I did not build.
4. Be thinking in your hearts, what you ſhould do for God; thus was David, What ſhall I render unto the Lord? I will take the cup of Salvation, and praiſe his holy name.
2. Give the Lord a verbal acknowledgment.
1. Be not aſhamed to own before men that God is gracious; I have often obſerved, and that not without ſome bluſhing, that even good people, ſuch as fear God, have had a kind of a ſhame upon them to acknowledge their low beginning in the world, and uſed all arts to hide it; we ſhould never be aſhamed to own what God hath done for our Souls, or for our Bodies, that others may be quickned to ſerve God, and to truſt in him; it argueth much of a thankful heart in a Chriſtian, when he is ready upon all occaſions to acknowledge, I was ſuch a poor creature, ſo mean in the world, God hath done thus for me, all theſe are what God hath given me.
2. Take heed of being aſhamed to own it before the Lord, Gen. 32.10. —With my ſtaff paſſed I over this Jordan, and now I am become two hands. You may obſerve in Scripture, it is one part of our duty in thankſgiving, to give God the acknowledgment of what he hath done for us.
3. Remember to give the Lord a real acknowledgment, that it is he who hath given thee power to get wealth; you will ſay how ſhall that be? I anſwer two ways.
1. If thou doſt watch thy ſelf, that the encreaſe of thy wealth doth not prove the encreaſe of thy luſt and corruption; this is too common. Jeſhurun waxed fat, and kicked up the heel; I would have you watch your ſelves chiefly as to five things.
1. That your Spirits do not heighten with your eſtates; the Apoſtle, 1 Tim. 6.17. commandeth Timothy to charge thoſe that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded— thereby hinting us, that riches have a malign quality to ſwell our minds, and elevate our Spirits, they are things whereby a man in the view of the world, differeth from his Neighbour, and ſeemeth to excel him, now pride taketh advantage of every ſuch thing, be it never ſo little, to make the Soul to ſwell, and to think of itſelf above what it ought to think; Solomon I think ſomewhere telleth us, that the rich man anſwereth roughly, when the poor uſeth intreaties; this we ſee in the experience of every day; now there is nothing more defileth the Soul than pride; no Soul is lower in Gods Eyes, then that Soul that is higheſt in its own Eyes; hence you ſhall obſerve; that a wicked man is often in Scripture ſet out under the notion of a proud man, and a godly man under the notion of an humble man; and God is ſaid, to reſiſt the proud, and to give grace to the humble; the word tranſlated to reſiſt, ſignifieth to ſet himſelf in the order of a battel againſt perſons, and it is obſervable that God is not ſaid any where ſo to reſiſt any but the proud.
2 Take heed of oppreſſion; —Do not rich men oppreſs you— (ſaith St. James) and call you before the Judgment Seats; This is a ſin proper to the rich, for it ſuppoſeth power, no man can do wrong to another, that hath not a power greater then his, and power muſt be maintained by riches; there are diverſe ſpecies of oppreſſion; there is an oppreſſion in Judgment, this is the ſin of unjuſt Judges; in ſhort, the with-holding of the hire from the labourer, of the wages from the Servant, or any thing from another who hath a right to it, by force & power, is this ſin of oppreſſion; which indeed is the effect both of pride and covetouſneſs, and the proper ſin of thoſe who have much of this worlds goods, & it is one of the crying ſins againſt any Nation, a worm that lieth at the root of great eſtates, in ſo much as the Heathen could ſay,De male quaeſitis vix gaudet tertius haeres. that an eſtate ill gotten, ſeldom paſſed to the third generation.
3. Beware of Covetouſneſs; Covetouſneſs is an irregular deſire of more than we have, it is ſomething ſtrange, but an old obſervation, that the moſt of men, the more they have, the more greedy they are to have more; the Apoſtle telleth us, the love of mony is the root of all evil, none are under greater temptations to love it, then thoſe that have the moſt conſiderable portions of it; there is a kind of bewitching quality in the good things of this life, and our heart naturally cleaveth to them, and in regard that when we have a competent portion, we have the better foundation, and are at better advantages to get more, commonly as our eſtates encreaſe, ſo our love to things of this life doth more increaſe, and covetouſneſs is ſo great an evil, that the Apoſtle calleth it Idolatry.
4. Beware of Luxury; Luxury is an exceſs in meat, drink, or apparel, buildings, houſhold-ſtuff, or any thing of that nature, an affectation of an undue uſe of them; the poor man hath no temptation to it, being exerciſed ſufficiently in getting his dayly bread, they are only men of eſtates that are expoſed to, and ordinarily brought under the power of this temptation; this is that which the Apoſtle often cautioneth us againſt, that we ſhould beware of Chambering and Wantonneſs, that we ſhould not mind high things, &c. Our Saviour preſſing Chriſtians duty to watch and pray, expoundeth it by a taking heed we be not overcharged with ſurfeiting and drunkenneſs.
5 Beware of Cowardlineſs in the cauſe of God, it is an uſual Obſervation, that Cities, though never ſo populous, yet if full of riches, ſeldom make any good defence againſt an enemy, their love of riches prevailing againſt the love of their liberties, and they are very rarely men of great eſtates, that will venture themſelves in the cauſe of God, though this be to prefer the love of riches before the love of Chriſt, which whoſo doth, our Saviour ſaith, is not worthy of him, theſe are thoſe ordinary temptations to ſin, to which men of great eſtates are expoſed, and by which many often fall; I ſhall only ſay unto you, let him that ſtandeth take heed leſt he fall.
2. If you look upon your ſelves as Stewards of theſe good things, and make uſe of them to the end for which God hath given them to you; God hath betruſted him that is rich with many talents, not to be hid up in a Napkin, but to be laid out, 1 Tim. 6.17, 18. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor truſt in incertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to diſtribute, willing to communicate. This is the beſt acknowledgment that we can make unto God, that by his power we have gotten our wealth, when we are willing to lay it out at his command, when we are ready to do good, and diſtribute; for with ſuch ſacrifice the Lord is well pleaſed; and certainly if the Heathen, who knew nothing of the mind and will of God, yet thought themſelves concerned to look upon their eſtates as given them for other uſes then meerly their own; Chriſtians that have ſo many directions from God in the caſe, ſhould know much more.