Christian Directions, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV.
Directions to the Rich.
AS the Apostle Paul knew how to bee abased, Phil. 4. 12.and how to abound, how to bee full, and how to bee hungry, i. e. hee had learned in the School of Christ, how to carry himself Christian-like, in a rich and in a poor estate. So it will bee a point of special wisdome in us, to know how to carry our selves Christian-like through variety of conditions, how to mannage every estate. For your better help herein, I shall give you some Directions.
1 How to carry your selves Christian-like in a rich and full estate.
2 How to carry your selves Christian-like in a poor and mean estate.
I. Look up unto God, and often think of him as the author and donor of all the good things thou dost injoy. When thou hast gotten wealth, say not, This I have gotten by my own wisdome and policy, by mine own travel, pains and indeavour. But say with Iob, This the Lord hath given;Job 1. 21. acknowledge his hand of providence in what thou hast. This direction the Lord giveth his own people by Moses, When thou art grown rich,Deut. 8. 17, 18. say not in thine heart, my power, and the might of my hand hath gotten mee this wealth; but thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is hee that giveth thee power to get wealth. Noting wealth and riches to bee the special gift of God.
II. Bless God for what thou hast. This duty likewise the Lord required of his own people. Deut. 8. 10.When thou hast eaten, and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God.
III. Labour to see Gods special love to thee in common mercies. For what good will the injoyment of any thing do thee, unless thou canst see Gods love, as well as his bounty, therein?
Quest. How may I know that these outward mercies which I do injoy are bestowed upon mee in love and favour?
Answ. 1 If they inflame thy heart with a love to God, causing thee to love him the more, because hee hath been so bountiful unto thee.
2 If thou findest in thy self a willingness to honour God in the use of those good things thou hast received from him, by laying out a portion thereof towards the maintenance of Gods worship, or the releef of Gods poor, then thou hast a comfortable evidence that they are bestowed upon thee in love.
3 If it bee the grief of thine heart that thou dost not answer the loving kindness of the Lord towards thee; that thy conversation is so unsuitable to his gracious dispensations towards thee. This is an evident sign, that what thou hast received from God, was bestowed upon thee in love.
IV. Beware of being puffed up with Pride. foreign.For wealth and riches are very apt to make men proud, as the Apostle intimateth, 1 Tim. 6. 17. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they bee not high minded, implying, that riches are very apt to make men high-minded, to think of themselves above what is meet, especially such as are raised out of nothing unto a great estate.
V. Therefore labour to bee humble under thine abundance; to be low in thine own thoughts, when thou art high in the world; which indeed will prove thy glory: for humility is an ornament, as the Apostle Peter implieth under that phrase,foreign. 1 Pet. 5. 5. Bee cloathed or decked with humility▪ as with an ornament. Many men think humility a debasement, but the Spirit of God counteth it an ornament.
VI. Labour for the true spiritual Riches, Animas hominis dives, non arca appellari solet, quamvis illa fit plena, dum te inanem videbo, divitem non putabo. Cic.namely, saving, sanctifying graces, that thy self may bee rich, and not thy chest onelyonly. And truly, rich men, of all others, stand in most need of sanctifying graces; in regard their riches are great snares unto them, and occasions of sin, as a long coat is in greater danger to be dagled, than a short one. Oh therefore beg of God that hee would not … thee off with the things of this world, but that together with his outward blessings, hee would give thee his inward blessings, true, saving, sanctifying graces, especially the grace of spiritual poverty, which is the foundation of blessedness; for, saith our Saviour,Mat. 5. 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven. It was an excellent speech of Luther, Valde protestatus sum, me nolle sic ab eo satiari. Luther.when the Princes of Germany sent him in great presents, I profess, saith hee, the Lord shall not put mee off so. Do thou in like manner, take up the same resolution.
VII. Communicate out of thy store towards the relief of others; Giving to the poor, as it is a duty incumbent upon all that are able, so especially upon the rich.1 Tim. 6. 17, 18. The Apostle Paul therefore willeth Timothy, to charge such as are rich in this world, that they do good, that they bee rich in good works, &c. Iob is a worthy pattern herein for rich men,Job 31. 19 he having abundance would not see any perish for want of cloathing, Lev. 19. 9, &c.nor any Poor without covering; Deut. 14. 19the Law which enjoyns such as had Harvest and Vintage, to leave gleanings and after-gatherings for the Poor, sheweth, that of mens abundance the poor must have a part.
The better to quicken you up to this Duty, consider these two Arguments.
1 This is an especial end of Gods giving more to some than to others, that they who have more abundance should thereout give to them that need. This inference doth Saint Paul make (2 Cor. 8. 14, 15) from the distribution of Manna, Exod. 16. 18. for they that gathered more than was needful for themselves, and their Housholds, gave of their abundance to such as had not enough.
2 Rich men are not Lords of the abundance which they have, but Stewards, Luke 16. 2and therefore must dispose it according to the mind of the Lord; and that is, some part thereof to the poor, hereof they shall give an account.
And therefore of all unmerciful men, such as are rich, and have enough for themselves, and others too, are worthy of most blame; such an one was that rich man in the Parable,Luk. 16. 19, &c. of whom it is said, that he was cloathed in Purple, and fine Linnen, and fared sumptuously every day, and yet it is implied, that he afforded not to poor Lazarus the crumbs that fell from his table. Let such unmerciful rich men well weigh the end of that rich man, and bee henceforward stirred up to take due notice of a main duty that lieth upon them, which is, to be free and forward, liberal and bounti…l in distributi… to the necessities of the poor. Knowing Hee that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully; though God reward none by way of merit for their works sake,2 Cor 9. 6. yet he will render to every one according to his deeds; Rom. 2. 6so as rich men shall lose nothing by being rich in good works, but rather gain very much thereby.