The Rich Fool Set Forth, Text (2 of 3)

The Rich Fool Set Forth · Text (2 of 3)

p. 39Firſt, It is the wiſe God that doth thus order things: They fall not out by Fortune and Chance, as ſome imagine, who tell us, that ſuch or ſuch a one was born to a good Fortune, and that a good Fortune hath befell him; but it is by the Will and Providence of God that theſe things thus fall out. We are all like Counters upon a Table, which he makes uſe of in caſting up his Accounts, and effecting his own Ends. If one man be in the place of Hundreds, yea, Thouſands; and another in the place of Pounds, yea, Pence;1 Cor. 4 7.1 Cor 4:7 God had the principal hand in laying of us there: And it muſt be the ſame hand, that there laid us, that muſt remove us, or elſe it will never be to our Comfort. When the moſt wiſe God hath made up his Reckonings, we ſhall all meet as Counters put into the Bagg after the Account is ended; then ſhall there be no difference hetwixt Counter and Counter, that which ſtood high and that which was low. The Sickle of Death will make the Stubble eeven and levell, albeit whileſt the Corn grew in the Field, one Ear might be higher and weightier than another; and this may keep us from murmuring and repining.

Secondly, God, who gives to one more, and another leſs, gives none of thine; he diſpoſeth of his own: And as the Houſholder ſaid to the murmuring Servant, Is it not lawfull for me to do with my own what I will? Mat. 20.15. So, Is it not lawful for God to diſpoſe of that which he hath infinitely more Right unto, than thou haſt, or canſt have to any Penny in thy Purſe? And in deſiring a greater Eſtate than thou haſt in this World, thou deſireſt that p. 40which thou haſt no right unto: Thy eye may not be evill becauſe His is good.

Thirdly, Whatſoever thou haſt is God's free-Gift, and not by thee deſerved: Now, Wouldſt thou not think him to be a preſumptuous Beggar, who craving an Alms, will yet preſcribe his Benefactor, what, and how much, he ſhall beſtow upon him? Such is thy Caſe, who repineſt againſt God; for that he hath given other men more, and not thee as much as they. What haſt thou that thou haſt not received, ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor, 4.7. and that freely.

Fourthly, God give… thee that which is comfortable and moſt fitting for thy Condition; thy Meat and Drink, though coorſe, yet it ſatisfies thy Hunger, and quencheth Thirſt, as well as the daintieſt; that Rayment which thou weareſt, it hides thy Shame, and keeps thee warm, as well, if not better, than finer and gayer: Upon thy hard Bed, thou ſleepeſt as ſoundly and ſafely, as if it were upon a Bed of Down. Will nothing ſatisfy you, unleſs you have ſome Great Man's Place or Pallace, thy wealthy Neighbour's Lands and Means? God ſees thy little to be beſt for thee, ſeeing thy Ability and Opportunity is but to make Uſe of a little.

Fifthly, Thou haſt never a whit the leſs, for that others have more; had they a far leſs Portion of worldly Goods than they have, thy Stock and Store would not at all be encreaſed thereby: For it is not for any want in God that he giveth ſo unequally, he hath enough for all; but he knows what is beſt for every one. Wherefore,Pſal. 37.4. & 39.6.Ps 37:4Ps 39:6 murmur not at God's providential Adminiſtrations in theſe outward things, neither repine at the proſperous Eſtate of others, but learn ſo be thankfully contented with thy preſent Condition, as St. Paul was, Phil. 4.12. This will make our Lives comfortable, and without it there is nothing but trouble and vexation of Spirit, Prov. 13.15. And ſo much in General.

More Particularly, This Rich Man, notwithſtanding his great Riches, was a very Wicked Man, as appears by the whole Relation that is made of him; and thence we may ſafely inferr,

Doctr. A man may be very Wealthy, yet very Wicked.

p. 41I do not ſay, that of neceſſity it muſt be ſo; (for a man may be very rich and very good withall, as was Abraham, in whoſe boſom poor Lazarus lay; ſo Iſaac, Jacob, and other of the Patriarchs; ſo Job, Solomon, Obadiah: And, in the New Teſtament, Matthew, Zachaeus, Joſeph of Arimathea, and others.) But this is that I deliver for a truth unto you, That it is poſſible for a man to abound with earthly Riches, and vet ſo be a very wicked man. Many places in the Old Teſtament and ſundry Texts in the New do ſpeak as much. I ſhall content my ſelf, and I hope to content you, with naming ſome few of thoſe many.

Job tells us, That the Tabernacles of Robbers proſper, and they that provoke God are ſecure; into whoſe hand God bringeth abundantly, Job 12.6. and ſpeaking elſe-where of their great Proſperity, which he ſets forth at large; he confeſſeth ingenuouſly, that it was ſuch, that the very conſideration thereof, did ſo vex and diſquiet him, as that his very Fleſh trembled thereat, Job 21.6,—16. David ſpeaking of the wicked of the World, (ſuch as he puts into his Letany, deſiring God to deliver him from) tells us, That they have their Portion in this Life, and that God fills them with his hid Treaſures; that is, the Riches of the Earth, Gold and Silver, which are hid in the mines of the Earth; and that they are full of Children, and leave their ſubſtance to their Babes; they did abound with the choyſeſt of all temporal and outward Bleſſings, for their future Judgment, Pſal. 17.14. And in another place Pſal. 73.2. he acknowledgeth that he could hardly keep his feet from ſlipping, and himſelf from falling, when he beheld the great proſperity of the Wicked, who were ſo pampered with the Pleaſures and Delicacies of this Life, as that their very eyes ſtood out with fatneſs, ver. 7. Their proſperity he ſets forth at large, together with their wicked Lives, and then concludes, Behold, theſe are the ungodly who prosper in the World, they increaſe in Riches, ver. 12, To theſe Proofs, we may add other; as, Pſal. 49.6, 14. Mich. 6.12.

Proofs of the Point from the New Teſtament are not wanting, if the Old diſlike. St. James ſpeaks of ſome that were Rich, yet they were great Oppreſſors in his Dayes, Jam. 2.6. And he calls upon rich men to weep and howl for the miſeries that ſhould befall them, Chap. 5.1. St. Paul tells us, That not many Noble, not many Mighty, &c. are called: 1 Cor. 1.26. He doth not exclude all; p. 42but the greateſt part of the Rich and Mighty of the World ſeems to be excluded, by the Saying of our bleſſed Saviour himſelf, denouncing a Wo againſt many that were Rich, Luke 6.24. and tells us plainly, That it is a very hard matter for a rich man to be ſaved, Matth. 19.23, 24.

Now for Examples that might be brought both out of the Old Teſtament and New, whereby the Truth may be yet farther cleared; they are very many, as of Eſau, Nabal, Ahab, Saul Herod, Demas, and that rich Glutton, mentioned Luke 16.19. All Rich, yet Wicked.

Humane Hiſtory, as well as Sacred, doth abound with Examples; as of Nero, Commodus, Heliogabalus, Croeſus, and many other Roman Emperours. And who at this day doth more abound in worldly Riches than Turk and Pope? But I ſhall not husband my time ſo well in being large in the Proof of what will be readily granted and experience verifies, as in laying down the grounds of the Point, and applying of it; which I now haſten unto.

The Grounds or Reaſons of the Point are many: I ſhall acquaint you with three which are the principal. The firſt, reſpects the Donor or Beſtower of earthly Riches; The ſecond hath reſpect to the Nature of theſe things beſtowed; The third ariſeth from the effect which theſe earthly things produce: Of each, briefly.

Reaſ. 1 God is the principal Diſpoſer of all earthly Riches, and He is a bountiful and liberal Donor, 1 Tim. 6.17. He giveth us all things richly to enjoy, to one as well as to another: He gives to the godly as well as to the wicked, and oftentimes to them more abundantly.

And this he doth, that his bounty may be made known to all; yea, even to the very worſt: and how ready is he to recompence Temporal Service with Temporal Bleſſings? (as he recompenſed Jehu): he will not give any occaſion to a wicked perſon to ſay that, he dies in his debt.

Sometimes indeed they are given in anger, and they are reſerved to the hurt of the Owner, as Solomon tells us, Eccleſ. 5.13. And indeed that which God ſpeaks of ſome wicked men, may be underſtood as ſpoken of all Mal. 2.2. I will curſe your Bleſſings. Yet in themſelves they are evidences of God's bounty, and God would that we ſhould ſo apprehend them. Some Jews have a tradition of p. 43Joſeph, that when he was advanced in Pharoah's Court, and made Governour of the Land of Aegypt, he cauſed the Chaff, which aroſe from the Wheat, which he ſtored up, to be caſt down the River, to let the Nations know of the abundance of Grain that was in Aegypt: Certainly, God is pleaſed to beſtow plenty of Riches on the worſt of men; Chaff on Sinners, that we may from thence conclude of the glorious Recompence that is prepared for his Saints in Heaven, Pſal. 36.6, 7.

But albeit God be the principal Diſpoſer of all, the Devil is oftentimes inſtrumentally active in conferring of them: We read of a Challenge that he made ſo the whole World, and the Glory of it, pretending that the right of Collating and Conferring thoſe things was in him, Luke 4.6, 7. But it was untrue: for when or where did God ever paſs over his Right to him? Indeed God is pleaſed many times to permit him to diſpoſe of Riches, and of the Glories of the World, for ſome Reaſons beſt known to himſelf; as, for the tryal of the Good, puniſhment of the Bad, and the Glory of his own Name in both: (but this his Connivence is no Conveyance, his Permiſſion is no Commiſſion granted to him). Now when Sathan hath this Permiſſion from God, to diſpoſe of Riches, Honors, &c. he diſpoſeth of them to thoſe that do him the beſt Service, and prefers his own Chaplains; as he did Hildebrand, Sylveſter the ſecond, and Eugenius, and many others to St. Peter's Chair: one enters his Seat by murther, another by conjuring, others by Bribery and Simony And as Platina ſpeaking of Silveſter's the third coming to the Popedome,Vit. Sylveſt 3. ſaith, He which can moſt prevail in ſuch diſhoneſt Courſes, ſhall be ſooneſt preferred; good men being oppreſſed and rejected. And as he prefers his to Spiritual Promotions, ſo to Temporal Dignities; as we read, Dan. 11.21. By Flatteries, a vile perſon ſhall come in and obtain the Kingdom; which is underſtood of Antiochus. Many Crowns, Kingdoms, and Dignities have been obtained by ſuch ſinful and indirect means. So other worldly Profits muſt be obtained from him by fraud and falſhood; Achan ſhall have a Babyloniſh Garment of the faſhion, but he muſt ſteal it. Ahab a convenient Garden-plat joyned to his Palace, but he muſt ſhed Naboth's innocent Blood, and then he ſhall have it. Judas, mony in his purſe, but he muſt earn it by giving his Maſter a treacherous Kiſs. Let a man ye, ſwear, forſwear, and Wealth ſhall flow in upon him, if the Devil p. 44can help it: But if a man will be upright in his wayes, keep a good conſcience in all his actions; make ſcruple of an Oath, of a Lye, of a Cheat; that man ſhall never be Rich in this World, if the Devil can hinder it. This the very Heathens obſerved, and therefore fained, that when Plutus, which they held to be Riches, was ſent from Jupiter, foreign.he limped and went, ſlowly; but when he was ſent from Pluto, whom they held to be the god of Hell, he did ever run, and was upon the ſpeed: by which fiction of theirs, they intended as much as is now delivered. That Speech which a Senatour of Rome ſometimes uſed to Sylla, (who vaunted and boaſted much of himſelf in the Senate) maketh much to this purpoſe. How can you be (ſaid he) a good man, who having little or nothing left you by your Father, in ſo ſhort a time are become ſo exceeding rich? This is the firſt Reaſon I bring to prove, that a man may be very wealthy, and have abundance of Riches, and yet be very wicked.

Reaſ. 2 Secondly, If we look upon Riches and worldly abundance, in regard of their Nature; that which hath been delivered, will appear to be moſt true. For we deny not, but theſe earthly things are the good Gifts of God; and as they proceed from him, who is the Fountain of all Goodneſs, they are in their own nature Good (as hereafter we ſhall ſhew you in a more proper place); yet they are not abſolutely and immutably good, but of an indifferent Nature, ſubject to alter their Nature, according as they are uſed. So that they become good to thoſe that uſe them well, and evil to thoſe who abuſe them unto Sin: Nor are they able ſo better a man by adding any eſſential Goodneſs unto him, as the riches of Grace do, (ſo that he who hath them, muſt needs be bettered and made good by them.) But as a gilt Saddle and Bridle make not the Horſe the better, no more do Riches (of themſelves) make a man the happier. That which betters a man, muſt be better than himſelf; but the things of this World are not ſo excellent, they are far inferiour unto him; things that God hath placed under his Feet,Pſal. 8.6.Ps 8:6 as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks: ſhewing thereby, that there is not any ſuch worth nor excellency in them, as ſome men conceive. Conſidering then the nature of Wealth, and earthly Riches, that they are ſuch as do not, cannot, of themſelves, better him that hath them; It is not to be wondered at, that, A man may be wealthy, yet wicked withall.

Reaſ. 3 Thirdly and Laſtly, Take notice of the Effects that are produced p. 45by them, though not naturally, yet accidentally, through man's corruption; Who ſees not daily, that they become hinderances of much good, and occaſions of much evil? In which reſpect our bleſſed Saviour compares them unto Thorns, Matth. 13.7, 22. and thoſe you know have two ſpecial properties. Firſt, they ſtop up the way, and hinder the growth of Corn: Secondly, they prick and pierce the hands of ſuch as have to deal with them, if they be not the better fenced. Thus Riches they choak the ſeed of the Word, and of all ſaving Grace, and barr up the way, as it were, to God's Kingdom: You have an example of this in Ezekiel's Auditors, Ezek. 33.31. And another, in that young man that came to Chriſt, and enquired of him the way to Heaven, Mark. 10.22. Thoſe Gueſts that were invited to the great Supper, ſet leight by it, only out of a reſpect that they had to their worldly Pleaſures and Profits, Luke 14.18. and that kept them from taſting of it, ver. 24. And experience ſhews, that of all men, rich men and worldlings are moſt backward to holy Duties. It may well be wondered at, that they having ſo long a Teddar, ſo much Liberty, ſo many fair Opportunities to attend upon the means (which poor men want), yet are ſo rarely converted: But conſidering how eaſily Sathan can, by that teddar of Riches, draw them home again; or if in caſe they do not break the Rope, yet like ſome Jades that are ſeeding in the Corn, they are willing to be taken and tyed unto the Stake, the wonder ceaſeth.

As they are hinderances to Good, ſo they are great provocations unto Evil: Chryſoſtom calls Riches, Abſurditatis Parentes, the Parents of Abſurdities; for that they cauſe a man to do not only ungodly, but inhumane things; not only irreligions, but things uncomely and abſurd, which we our ſelves could not ſuſpect that we ſhould be ever drawn unto: They cauſe us to grow proud, ſecure, injurious, and put a man upon the practiſe of thoſe Evils which would hardly enter into the heart of man, that ever they ſhould be practiſed by us. They wound the Soul with many noyſom Luſts, as the Apoſtle ſheweth; and pierce us thorow with many Sorrows, 1 Tim. 6.9, 10. Who ſhall ſeparate us from the Love of God, ſaith the Apoſtle? Shall Tribulation, or Diſtreſs, or Perſecution, &c? So ſaith the worldly covetous man (ſaith Auſtin); They ſay in their hearts, albeit they ſay it not in their mouths, Quis nos ſeparabit cupiditate Auri? p. 46Who ſhall ſeparate us from the love of Gold? ſhall Tribulation, or Anguiſh, or Perſecution, Rom. 8.35, 36.Rom 8:35Rom 8:36or Life, or Death? Nay they ſay likewiſe to their Gold, which they make their god, Propter te occidimur quotidie, For thy ſake we are killed all the day long; for the love of Riches they ſtick not to endanger daily both Soul and Body. In which reſpect, it is ſo far from wonder, that a rich man ſhould be wicked, as that it is to be admired how a rich man ſhould be good. Seeing as Clemens Alexandrinus ſaith,Clem. Alex. Padag. l. 3. c. 6. It is a matter of as great difficulty to abound with Riches, and not abuſe them; as to float upon the Water and not be ducked. Let us now make ſome uſeful Application of this Point.

Ʋſe 1 From what hath been delivered, our Judgments may be informed, that man's happineſs doth not ly in the enjoyment of theſe, nor any ſuch like earthly things, as the Heathens held, and the World imagines. David indeed, in one place, ſeemeth to place happineſs in worldly proſperity; as when our Garners are full, affoarding all manner of ſtore; and our Sheep brings forth thouſands and ten thouſands in our Streets; when our Oxen are ſtrong to labour, and there is no breaking in, nor going out, nor complaining, nor ſhrieking at the violence of an Enemy; Happy is that People, ſaith he, that is in ſuch a caſe, Bellar in loc.Pſal. 144.15. But that Speech (ſay ſome) the Pſalmiſt utters in the perſon of a worldly man, who uſually ſaies ſo; therefore the Greek turneth it, They count that People bleſſed which are ſo; and is much like that of Solomon, Eccleſ. 2.24. There is nothing better for a man, then to eat and drink, and to make his Soul enjoy good in his Labour? Therefo e he corrects that ſaying, delivering his own judgment therein, and oppoſeth true Happineſs unto it; yea, happy is that People whoſe God is the Lord. Others take the words, as ſpoken by David in his own perſon, and in reference to the People that live under a peaceable and happy Government, who are in ſome reſpect happy in the peace of the Kingdom, and immunity from the miſery of Wars by a Forraign or Domeſtick Enemy. Such a People are happy, but that happineſs is but a deficient happineſs, a happineſs that is defective, albeit in ſome reſpect a man may call it happineſs, but it comes far ſhort of true happineſs; and therefore David adds, yea, happy is that People, which words are ſpoken by way of Retractation: he ſeemeth to retract what went before, leſt worldly men ſhould wreſt it to a miſ-interpretation. 'Tis as if he ſhould ſay, Did I ſay p. 47that thoſe were happy who are in ſuch a caſe? Miſtake me not, for thoſe that are only in ſuch a caſe, are nor compleatly happy, whatever the World conceives: for true Happineſs, lies not in outward things, but in God; no bleſſedneſs, no happineſs can be had without God, who is eſſential Happineſs.

That man's happineſs doth not conſiſt in any earthly thing, as Riches, Honor, Pleaſures, &c. might be confirmed by ſundry Arguments: The glorious Angels of Heaven have not them, yet they are happy. The end of man is better then man himſelf, but theſe are worſe then man; for a man for his Life would give the whole World, therefore his happineſs does not ly in them. Riches are not able to make a man good; how then are they able to make a man happy? They may denominate a man to be Great and Worſhipful, but not to be a vertuous or a godly man. They are ſo far from making a man good, that they often make him evil; and poſſeſs the heart with vile affections, and fill it full of carnal and ſinful deſires: But I cannot ſtay upon theſe things: only I deſire you to rectify your judgments in this Point; think not your ſelves, nor any other, ever a whit the more happy ſimply for Riches. Happineſs is the end you are to aym at: but if all your ayms are at Wealth, and think to be happy in the enjoying that, you take your aym amiſs. Our bleſſed Saviour in his Sermon upon the Mount, treates of true Happineſs,Dr. Harris on the Beat. and he ſets the Crown of true bleſſedneſs upon many things, as there you read, Matth. 5. he begins with Poverty, Bleſſed are the poor in ſpirit, and ſo proceeds. But you read not there, no, nor any where elſe, That he ſaith, Bleſſed are the Rich, Bleſſed are the Wealthy, Bleſſed are the Mighty, Bleſſed are the Witty, &c. Could you read that in any of his Sermons, or in the whole Book of God, you might have ſomewhat to confirm yourſelvs in your opinion that you are Happy becauſe Wealthy; but that you do not. If Gold and Silver be your happineſs, then your happineſs lies in the Earth, and ſo your happineſs is nearer Hell then Heaven; for Hell is placed in the Deep, and Heaven is aloft, as we all know, and ſo happineſs ſhould be nearer to the Devil than to God.

Ʋſe 2 From hence likewiſe the Error of thoſe is to be reproved, who think themſelves any whit the more beloved of God for theſe worldly things: Contrary to that of Solomon, Eccleſ. 9.1. No man can know God's love or hatred by theſe things. Yet ſuch there are who p. 48hold themſelvs to be only Darlings of Heaven, becauſe they are Rich and increaſed in worldly Wealth. Such was the folly of Ephraim, as we read, Hoſ. 12.8. Yet, ſaid Ephraim, I am become rich, I have found me out ſubſtance in all my Labours, they ſhall find none iniquity in me; And they proſpered wonderouſly in the increaſe of theſe worldly things, and carried the matter ſo cloſely, (like crafty and deceitful Merchants, as they are ſaid to be, ver. 7.) that in all their Contracts, no man could accuſe them of any unjuſt dealing; whereupon they bleſſed themſelves in their Eſtates, as if they were the higher in God's favour for that. But, in ſo doing, Ephraim fed himſelf with Wind, as God ſaith, ver. 1. and pleaſed themſelves with vain and idle imaginations of their own; for they might get ſubſtance, and by warrantable means too (which they did not), and yet be never the more in God's love and favour for that.King John. What a King of this Realm ſometimes ſaid of a Buck which he opened, See how fat it is, yet it never heard Maſs! So it may be ſaid of many that abound in worldly things, See how Rich they are, and yet they contemn all Piety and Godlineſs! To meaſure God's love by the Acre, or by the depth of the Purſe, by how much Land or Metal, Silver and Gold, he gives this man more than another; to thee above thy Neighbour; is no other than as if thou ſhouldſt weigh God with leaden or iron, or ſtony weights, and put thoſe into the ballance of that Sanctuary that David ſpeaks of, Pſal. 73.

Object. Gen. 24.35, & 26, 12. Job 42.12. Pſal. 112.2. Deut. 28.1, 2.Gen 24:35Gen 26:12Job 42:12Ps 112:2Deut 28:1Deut 28:2But me-thinks I hear ſome objects, Is it nor ſaid in Scripture, that God bleſſed ſuch and ſuch, and they became Rich? Are not Riches promiſed as a part of that Recompence which God giveth his Servants, who fear his Name, and obey his Commandment? And is it not made an argument of God's love to the Stranger, that he giveth him Food and Rayment, Deut. 10.18? Why then may not a man conclude, that God loves him, in that he beſtoweth Wealth and Riches on him?

Reſp. Thoſe Promiſes that God makes of theſe earthly things, are made to thoſe that are in Covenant with him, that fear his Name, and walk in the way of his Commandments; and ſo ſuch, theſe common things are teſtimonies of God's ſpecial love and favour; for that to all ſuch they are ſpiritualized, in cauſing them to love God the more, to fear him, and to walk before him in obedience. Thus David reaſoned, Pſal. 41.11. By this I know that thou favoureſt p. 49me, becauſe mine Enemies do not triumph over me. A very weak and ſorry Argument (one would think) it was, to prove God's love and favour by; For God doth oftentimes as much as that comes to, for his very Enemies: But David reliſhed God's love therein, and was provoked to ſet forth God's praiſe thereby, as follows, ver. 13. Bleſſed be the Lord God of Iſrael from everlaſting to everlaſting, Amen and Amen. When we have a teſtimony of God's ſpiritual Bleſſings in the temporal, then are theſe temporal Bleſſings good evidences of God's ſpecial love and favour.

Secondly, Theſe common and earthly Bleſſings are fruits of God's love and good-will that he beareth unto men, and from them a man may ſafely conclude, that God loveth him, and beareth ſome good will unto him. Yet this love that appeareth in any of theſe outward things is ſuch, that a man can take no ſound comfort in, if he be a wicked perſon; for as much as it is but the fruit of a common love extended to the brute Creature, as well as unto man, Pſal. 36.6. but no ſign of God's ſpecial and everlaſting love of that love which he be…reth to them, whom he means to make eternally happy; They are Bleſſings of the left hand, not of the right or upper hand▪ Prov. 3.16. and conferred very often on thoſe that ſhall be ſet at God's left hand at the laſt day.

If then thou wouldſt have comfort in thy outward eſtate, and gather from thence ſome aſſurance of God's ſpecial love and favour towards thee; ſee that theſe Bleſſings are reached forth unto thee with God's right hand. With that hand you know we ſhew all our courteſy. And at that hand, we place thoſe whom we moſt honour, (which Cuſtom (it may be) we firſt learned from God himſelf). The main difference betwixt the Gifts of God's right hand and of his left, is this, The one are given in Chriſt, Rom. 8.32.Rom. 8 32.Rom 8:32 In whom the Promiſes are Yea and Amen, and in whom, only we are accepted, Eph. 1.3, 6. The other in a general way of providence, as you ſhall hear anon. That man that is aſſured he is in Chriſt, may take comfort even in theſe earthly Bleſſings, and receive them as teſtimonies of his ſpecial love and favour: but if thou art not in him, and haſt obtained remiſſion of thy Sin by his precious Blood, thou deceiveſt thy ſelf in thinking God loves thee with a ſpecial love, becauſe of thy abundance; and thou wilt in the end find thy ſelf to be deceived as Haman was, who apprehended the Queens p. 53invitation of him to the Banquet,Eſt. 5.12.Esth 5:12 as a matter of grace and favour, which was but a preparative to his ruine: Thy ſtate being no other then that of a Traytor, who hath a good Lodging and good Dyet prepared for him in his Priſon, till matters be ripe, and he ready for his Arraignment and Execution.

Uſe 3 Laſtly, Seeing a rich man may be a wicked man notwithſtanding his Wealth, me-thinks this might ſerve as a curb to reſtrain us from an overe-ager ſeeking after it. How abſurd a thing is it (ſaith Ambroſe),Amb. Ser. 10. Ut quem nudum mater genuit, &c. That whom the Mother brings forth naked, the Church receiveth naked, that is, in Baptiſm; he ſhould ſtrive to enter Rich, that is, with abundance of earthly Riches into Heaven: Give me leave to ſay, How abſurd a thing is it to labour ſo earneſtly after earthly Riches, which are not able to make us better then we are, neither more virtuous, nor leſs vicious? Could theſe things make us more accepted of God as they do of Men, or more beloved of him, it were indeed worth the while to ſeek ſo earneſtly and eagerly after them; but that they cannot: It is only Faith, Repentance, and the Gifts and Graces of his Spirit; that can do that. Now, Will a precious Diamond buy Faith, or a Gold Ring Repentance? or a Bag of Gold buy a Pardon from God for the leaſt Sin that thou haſt committed? or a Sure of Silk obtain a Suit from God any whit the ſooner? You cannot but be convinced in your judgment, that they will not; Will Wealth mortify your Luſts, ſubdue any inordinate Paſſion in you, &c? You know and find by experience, that it doth not. How inſufficient earthly Riches are for theſe purpoſes, I doubt not but you are in your judgments ſufficiently convinced: And yet it is ſtrange to ſee the royl and labour that men take for theſe things, and the great flothful neglect in ſeeking after right-handed Bleſſings that muſt make us truly happy; witneſs our labours on the week Dayes, and our lazineſs on the Sabbath. That Cenſure which Guevarra paſſeth upon the Duke of Veiar, who, in his life-time, had heaped a great Maſs of Wealth together, and, at his Death, dyed very Rich, may be paſſed upon ſome; My judgment is, ſaith he, That he went about to ſeek Care for himſelf, Envy for his Neighbours, Spurrs for his Enemies, a Prey for Theeves, Travell for his Perſon, Anguiſh for his Spirit, Scruple for his Conſcience, Perill for his Soul, Law for his Children, and Curſes for his Heirs. Sure I am, whilſt our hearts are ſet to be Rich, there is p. 51many a filthy ſlough and puddle that we muſt paſs through: nor can we eſcape the badge of our Travell; with whatſoever delight you hunt after Wealth, you will find but a dirty way of it, as this rich man did; And ſo enough hath been ſaid concerning his Titles. Now, without any wrong done to him, we will enter ort his Demeans, and take a ſurvey both of his Lands and Crop, whereby he is further deſcribed to us.

The Ground—brought forth ple…tifully. Or, Text. as it is in the Original foreign, the Region or Country belonging to that man brought forth plentifully; he had not ſome little Field or narrow compaſs of Ground, but a whole Country that he was Lord of: There ſeems to be an Emphaſis in the word, ſaith Beza, …cz. in loc.noting him to be ſuch a one as the Prophet Eſay ſpeaks of▪ Eſay. 5.8. Who had laid Field to Field, till he was become the only Land-holder thereabout. But this I ſhall not preſs, we will only take notice of his Propriety, and the Ground's Fertility.

The Ground belonged to the Rich man before mentioned, as is evident in the Text. It was his; (we will not queſtion how he came by it), that belongs not to us; That which we are to take notice of from hence, may be this.

Doctr. The wicked have jus proprium, The wicked have a right to earthly things as well as the godly. Gen. 23 16Gen 23:16a right of propriety in earthly things. A juſt and lawful right Sinners may have to the things of this World, as well as Saints; what they have, may be truly ſaid to be theirs.

We read that Abraham bought a Poſſeſſion for burial of the Children of Heth, and paid for it currant mony of Merchants, Gen. 23.16. And it is ſaid of Jacob, That he bought a parcel of a Field of the Children of Hamor, Sechems Father, and paid for it a hundred pieces of mony, when he pitched his Tent: Gen. 33.19.Gen. 33.19Gen 33:19 Surely neither Abraham nor Jacob would have bought Land of theſe, had they that ſold no right to what they made ſale of: And when Moſes led the Childen of Iſrael towards Canaan; being to go by the Country of the Edomites, he ſent a ſolemn Embaſſage to the King of Edom, deſiring leave to paſs through his Country, promiſing to do no wrong, neither in his Fields nor Vineyards, nor to drink the water of his Wells, Numb. 20.17.Numb. 20.17, & 21, 22.Num 20:17Num 21:22 The like did he to Sihon King of the Amorites, Numb. 21.22. By which deed of his, he acknowledged a right that they had to what they did poſſeſs. To omit many other p. 52Inſtances, I ſhall only put you mind of that we read; Act. 5.4. where we find the Apoſtle determining the point in the caſe of Ananias, Act. 5.4.Acts 5:4when he ſold his Poſſeſſion; Whilſt it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was ſold, was it not in thine own power? David calls Riches and worldly Poſſeſſions, the Portion of a wicked man, Pſal. 17.14. and therefore it is without diſpute, that they have a juſt right unto them.

Reaſon. How this comes to paſs, would be known. The Earth is the Lord's, and the fulneſs thereof, ſaith David, Pſal. 24.1. He made it, and ſo his Right unto it is unqueſtionable; after he had made it, he gave it to the Children of men, Pſal. 115.16. So we read, Gen. 1.28.

Object. But, Man forfeited all by his Diſobedience.

Reſp. For the fuller Anſwer to this, you muſt know, That there is a double Right to earthly things, A Spiritual and a Civil Right. The Spiritual, is that we have in Chriſt; for the common Right being loſt, God was pleaſed to reſtore that Right by his Son, whom he gave to be a Redeemer to Mankind; yet not to all, but to them only is that Right reſtored that are married to Chriſt, who is the Heir of all, 1 Cor. 3.21, 22, 23. The Civil Right, is that which the Wicked have as well as the Good; God dealeth with them, as Princes do by Traytors, who ſo long as they give them Life, they give them Meat and Drink to maintain that Life which they give them. Albeit their Spiritual Right is loſt, yet a Civil Right is continued and maintained by God himſelf: So God gave to Cyrus, an Infidel▪ The Treaſures of Darkneſſe, and the hidden Riches of ſecret places, Eſay 45.3. And to Neluchadnezzar, an Idolatrous King, ſaith God, I have given all theſe Lands into his hands, Jer. 27.6. So Ezek. 29.20.I have given him all the Land of Aegypt for his Labour. And Dan. ….37. The God of Heaven hath given thee a Kingdom, Power, and Strength, ſaith Daniel. God was pleaſed ſo divide to the Nations their Inheritances, and to ſet bounds ſo the People, Deut. 32.8. So Act. 17.26. He hath made of one Blood all Nations of Men for to dwell on all the face of the Earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their Habitation. And that for the avoiding of Confuſion, and to reſtrain men's greedy appetites; ſo that Sin hath not deprived wicked men of a Civil Right to the Creatures: for the ground of that Right, is Reaſon, p. 53which is in Man, he being able to Command and Rule. A Spiritual Right he hath not, the ground of that being Holineſs, which is wanting in him. As Sin taketh not away the Life of Man, no more doth it take away his Civil Poſſeſſions from him: Both theſe Rights (as one obſerves) are mentioned, 1 Cor. 10.25. Whatſoever is ſold in the Shambles, that eat; that is, after you have bought it of him that is the Owner, be he who he will, there is the Civil Right, asking no queſtion for conſcience ſake, ſaith the Apoſtle; there is the Spiritual Right.

Uſe 1 That community then which the peſtilent Anabaptiſt, and the fanatical Family of Love would maintain, is by this overthrown: they would have all things common; ſome of them are for ſuch a Community as Plato warranted, Wives not exempted; Diſtinction of Lands and Goods, ſay they, was brought in by Tyranny, and not by Law; by Violence, and not by Juſtice: or if by Law, yet no other Original it had then poſitive Laws of men.

I have neither liſt nor leiſure to enter the Liſts which theſe men at the preſent; but thus much in ſhort, It cannot be denyed, but that ſome Cains and Nimrods, mighty Hunters of the World, have obtained a kind of property in their Goods and Lands, either by lying and falſhood, as Mephiboſheth's Lands were got from him, and that was Zibae's tennre (tenure in couſenage), 1 Sam. 16.3, 4▪ Or by might and oppreſſion, and that was the Rich man's tenure mentioned in that Parable which Nathan propounded to David, 2 Sam. 12.3. (a Tenure in Tyranny); or by Impoſture, and jugling with God's Inheritance, when that is kept from it, which had bin conſecrated unto it; This was Achan's Tenure, Joſh. 7.21. (Tenure in Sacriledge): many ſuch Tenures there are in the World. And for my own part, were I never ſo great an enemy to Anabaptiſts, as I cannot but be to their Opinions; yet I ſhould as ſoon admit of their Trojans horſe, Community of all things, as to have properties eſtabliſhed in ſuch terms and tenures as theſe be.

But however theſe woolviſh and uſurping Owners made that peculiar to themſelves (which they had been far better to have left alone) by ſuch ſinful and indirect courſes; yet it is no good Inference to ſay, that becauſe theſe properties were gotten and obtained by Cruelty, Oppreſſion, and Fraud; therefore nothing ſhould be ſeveral: no more then it was a good reaſon to prove, that no Vines p. 54ſhould ſtand in Lacedemon, becauſe ſome did abuſe the ſweet juyce of the Vine to exceſs and drunkenneſs.

Were it ſo, that propriety of Goods, and encloſures of Lands were the device of Man, and not the Ordinance of God; to what purpoſe doth the Apoſtle uſe that dehortation, Epheſ. 4.28. Let him that ſtole, ſteal no more? There could be no Theft commmitted under the times of the Goſpel; for what is Theft, but Uſurpatio Rei alienae, invito Domino? And why did St. John give that Counſel to Souldiers, Do no violence to no man, Luke 3.14? What violence could be offered, were all things common? Wherefore did God forbid under the pain of a Curſe, to remove the bounds and Landmarks that our Fathers have ſet, Deut. 27.17. Prov. 22.28. But it is ſcarce worth the while in ſpending time in confuting theſe abſurdities.

Ʋſe 2 There are wiſer then theſe amongſt us, who maintain another Tenent, far more plauſible then the former; yet of dangerous conſequence. There is no Tenure, they ſay, but Grace; no Title, but Charity: And as for the wicked, they have no Right to any thing they do enjoy, no more then the Thief hath to the true man's purſe, which he takes from him by the High way ſide. The Godly, who are in Chriſt, have all the Right to the things of this Life: The Wicked are no other then Theeves and Uſurpers, and muſt anſwer at the laſt day to God as Theeves and Uſurpers of all that they now poſſeſs.

Dr. Sibbs his Chriſtians portion. p. 35.This Opinion is very unſound and too rigorous (ſaith in excellent Divine of our own.) That ſpiritual Right and Title indeed, which is the beſt and moſt comfortable Right, the wicked have not, through the want of Chriſt: Their Tenure is not in Capite, (which whatever it be amongſt men, I am ſure, it is the beſt Tenure in Religion.) But there is another Tenure beſides that, another Title beſides the Spiritual; as you have heard: there is a Civil or Humane Right, whether by hereditary Deſcent, or civil Contract, or Gift, or Induſtry, whereby they have a Title before men to what they have, and may hold and defend their own againſt all Intruders whatſoever; and not only ſo, but they have a Right and Title before God as well as before Men,Pemberton's Godly Merchant. p. 77. who beſtows theſe things upon them, as he is a Preſerver of Nature, a Suſtainer of his Creature, a Maintainer of Callings, a Rewarder of Induſtry; as a God of Mercy, alluring by his p. 55Benefits; and a God of Juſtice, to make men refuſing his Mercy excuſeleſs: So that no man can deſpoil them of thoſe things they have, without great Sin; nor can it be truly ſaid of a Wicked man, not being in Chriſt, that he no otherwiſe enjoyes the things he doth poſſeſs, than a Thief doth a true man's Purſe: For, the Thief holds what he hath neither by a Spiritual nor Civil Right; he hath neither Jus ad Rem, nor Jus in Re; theſe have the one at leaſt. Nor ſhall they be called to an Account at the laſt day, for poſſeſſing what they have (as the Thief ſhall), but for their abuſing of what they do poſſeſs: And therefore properly they are not Uſurpers in regard of Poſſeſſion, but they ſhall render an Account for the Abuſe of God's bounty towards them.

Ʋſe. 3 And from the Doctrine delivered, we may be admoniſhed to take heed leſt we any way encroach on others, or get from others, be they never ſo wicked, by any ſinful or indirect courſe, what is theirs. We have a Proverb, that Fallere fallentem non eſt fraus, To deceive the Deceiver is not deceit; but it is an ungodly one: For the Rule is, Let no man oppreſs nor defraud his Brother in any matter, 1 Theſ. 4.6. Nor will it be ſufficient to ſay, He is not my Brother; for one God hath made us all, Mal. 2.9. and God is the Avenger of all ſuch things. Had it not been to ſtint the covetous deſires and unſatiable appetites of greedy Cormorants, (it may be, that) God would not have been ſo exact in limiting and bounding of mens Poſſeſſions: But knowing Man far better than himſelf, he hath thought it fit to do by his unbridled deſires, as he hath done by the raging Sea, which he hath ſhut up with Barrs and Doors, ſaying,Job 38.10, 11.Job 38:10Job 38:11 Hitherto thou ſhalt come, but no further; and, Here ſhall thy proud Waves be stayed: Setting up that in every part of the World, which Hercules was ſaid to ſet up in one pare of it, a Mark or Bound as a Nihilultra, beyond which upon danger of out lives we may not paſs a Foot.

Thou ſhalt not steal, is an antient Fence ſet up by God himſelf, to preſerve other mens Poſſeſſions and Goods; and he that breaketh that Hedg, let him beware of the Serpent, the Curſe of God, which is gone out againſt the Houſe of the Thief, Zechar. 5.

Whoſo breaketh a Hedg, a Serpent ſhall bite him, ſaith Solomon, Eccleſ. 10.8. The Sting of that Serpent is deadly and mortall; God's Curſe doth follow ſuch as encroach upon another's Right, and by unlawful p. 56lawful means ſeek to enlarge their b…rden, Amos 1.13. Wo to them (ſaith the Prophet Iſay) that joyn Houſe to Houſe, and lay Field to Field, till there be no place; for, of a truth, ſaith God, many Houſes ſhall be deſolate, even great and fair, without Inhabitant, Ver. 9. meaning the Homes and Families of thoſe greedy Oppreſſors, as we have it verified in this rich man, this our Text makes mention of; and ſee it daily verified in many,De malè quaeſitis vix gaudet tertius Haeres. whoſe Wealth unjuſtly gotten proved but like unto a heap of Snow in a hot day, which doth not only melt away, but make the way more mi…ey. It will be to the Soul and Conſcience, what ever men conceive, as Jonah was to the Whale; the Whale had devoured him, but it had no quiet till it had caſt him up again upon the Land: So, when men play the part of that Whale, and devour up all that comes next, they will in the end be as weary of it as the Whale was of Jonah's Bones. Will you hear what Zophar in Job ſpeaks unto the Point, Job 20.12, 13, 14, 15.Job 20.12, — 16.Job 20:12 Though Wickedneſs be ſweet in his Mouth, (that is, in the Mouth of the Extortioner, who got Goods into his hands by unjuſt and wicked means, as before was intimated Ver. 10.) though he hide it under his Tongue, though he ſpare it, and forſake it not, but keeps it ſtill within his Mouth; yet his Meat in his Bowels is turned, it is the Gall of Aſps within him: He hath ſwallowed down Riches, and he ſhall vomit them up again; God ſhall caſt them out of his Belly.

Mark this well, all you who labour to fill your Houſes with the Treaſures of Wickedneſs, or in whoſe Houſes the Treaſures of Wickedneſs yet are, as Micha ſpeaks, Mich. 6.10. Wherein, or how far, any man hath couzened or deceived another, his Conſcience will tell him, (unleſs by the long habit of Couzenage he hath alſo learned to couzen his Conſcience;) but let me tell that Conſcience, that a Patrimony of Riches, gotten by fraudulent Courſes, will prove but like that Morſell which the Fox got from the Crow. That crafty Creature hugged himſelf, to think how he had couzened the poor Bird of her Break-faſt; but he had no ſooner eaten it, but he found himſelf poyſoned therewith, and then wiſhed the Crow her own again. What is gotten by deceipt and fraud, is like a piece of but ered Spunge (a Trick that the Italians uſe), it goes down glib, but it ſwells in the Stomach, and will hardly, if ever, be gotten up again: Yet God will fetch it up, he ſhall vomit it up again ſaith Zophar; and ſuch a Vomiting ſhall be little to his Eaſe or p. 59Credit: But, as it is ſaid of Moab, He ſhall wallow in his Vomit, and be had in Deriſion, Jer. 48.26. God will diſcover to the World thy Extortions, Oppreſſions, and injurious Actions, in getting other mens Goods and Poſſeſſions into thy hands, under any pretence whatſoever. As the Phyſitian doth by a Vomit in a Baſon; he ſees and ſhews what raw Meat, and what hard and indigeſtable Meat the ſick Patient had eaten: So will God (when he brings thee ſo this Vomit) ſhew thee and the World what thou haſt devoured; here appears that Neighbour's Land; there, that Widdow's Houſe, devoured under pretence of long Prayer; and that is ſuch an Orphan's Legacy; whereof he was cheated: And (as many times it happens), that Vomiting breaks a Vein within, which is commonly-incurable; Such a Vein broke Judas, he vomited by confeſſing of his wicked reſtoring of the Silver, for which he ſold his Maſter; but he bled within, a Vein was broke that could not be ſtenched, he ended his dayes in a deſperation of God's Mercies.

If then thou beeſt ſuch a one that haſt any way encroached upon another's Right, and made a Gap by treading down that Hedge which God hath made about another, remember the Serpent's Sting. If thou haſt eaten the Bread of Deceipt, or drunk of the Wine of Violence, think of the Vomit which will follow, put thy finger in thy own throat, fetch up that buttered Spunge which thou haſt ſwallowed, before it ſwells too much, and reſtore the Right unto the Owner. It is a ſweet thing,1 Sam 12.3, 4.1 Sam 12:31 Sam 12:4 ſo to live as that a man may make Samuel's Challenge at his dying day; Whoſe Ox, or whoſe Aſs have I taken? To whom have I done wrong? Nor were they his own Lips only that gave Teſtimony of his righteous dealing, but the People likewiſe witneſſed thereunto; Thou haſt done us no Wrong, nor haſt neither hurt us; haſt taken ought of any man's hand. This Crown ſet upon Samuel's Silver haires, was more honourable than Pompey's Monuments. But, if in Caſe Conſcience doth ſmite any of you for unjuſt and injurious dealing; make your peace betimes, give your ſelves a Vomit, reſtore that you have unjuſtly taken: So did Zacheus, preſently and voluntarily, Luke 19.8. and that brought Salvation with it, Ver. 9. This day is Salvation come to this Houſe, ſaid Chriſt. Some reſtore Goods ill-gotten, as the Stomach doth Meat, for that they cannot hold it: Such a kind of Reſtitution is p. 58thankleſs. Bradford (that holy Man and Martyr) hearing a Sermon of Father Latimer's, wherein Reſtitution was urged, was ſo ſtruck at heart for one daſh of a Pen which he had made without the Knowledg of his Maſter, that he could not be at quiet, till by the Advice of Latimer Reſtitution was made; for which he did willingly forgo all the private and certain Patrimony which he had on Earth. Where ſhall we find his Fellow? Yet the very Turks and Barbarians abhor the Neglect of Reſtitution to any, though they judg them never ſo wicked. I have read of a great Lady, who, being a Widdow, ſent for an Engliſh Merchant trafficking in thoſe parts, with whom ſhe knew her Husband had Commerce, and asked him if there were nothing owing to him from her deceaſed Lord: He, after much Importunity, acknowledged there was, and ſhewed the particulars. She tendred him ſatisfaction; he modeſtly refuſed it, as having been greatly benefited by the dead Barbarian: But ſhe forced him to take from her hand the utmoſt Penny; for, ſaid ſhe, I would not have my Husband's Soul go to ſeek your Soul in Hell, there to pay his Debts. Here (ſaith one) there was a great Fire in a dark Vault, great Zeal in blind Ignorance; they ſaw by the Candle-light of Nature, that which Auſtin delivers for Doctrinal Truth,Aug. Epiſt. 54. Non remittitur Peccatum, niſi reſtituatur Oblatum; where is no Reſtitution of things unjuſtly gotten, there Sins ſhall never be forgiven.Turk. Hiſt. fol. 567. The like we read of the Turk, Sultan Selymus, who leaning his head in the lap of his Counſellor Pyrrhus, being ready to dy; Pyrrhus perſwaded him to beſtow the great Wealth that he had taken from Perſian Merchants upon ſome Hoſpital, for the Relief of the Poor; but the dying Turk refuſed it, and commanded that it ſhould be reſtored to the right Owners, which was done accordingly: And indeed, to ſpoil others, and think by ſome charitable Work to make Recompence, is no other than to play the Thief, & make God the Receiver. Reſtitution is to be made to the Party wronged, if he, or any of his be alive; if not, then the Poor are God's Receivers: Say a man be dead, yet he is alive to thee if thou haſt wronged him; As one ſaid of a Shoo-maker, whom he had couzened of a Pair of Shooes, The Maker dyes, but the Wearer lives to wear that which he never paid for; after ſome years, the Conſcience of this man is troubled, he enquires for this Shoo-maker, that he might make Reſtitution for what he had deceived him of; he was told that he was p. 59dead: Yea, but ſaid the Reſtorer, He is alive to me, I am ſure. So ſhould the wronged Patty be to thee. To conclude it, in a word, Let not thy Palate be pleaſed with that which thou knoweſt muſt either be vomited up again, or thy Death if it be not; for, if you make no Reſtitution to whom you have wronged, of that which you have unjuſtly defrauded them of, you ſhall cough in Hell, ſaid Father Latimer. And ſo much of the Rich man's Property: now we are to take notice of the Fertility of the Soyl.

Text. It brought forth plentifully.] foreign.Uberes fructus attulit.

It brought forth, even as a Mother brings forth out of a fruitfull Womb, plentifully and abundantly. Let us then take this Note with us.

Doct. The Earth is a fruitful Mother; ſhe hath a fruitful Womb, and brings forth abundantly for the good of man.

This is a Point which might profitably be enlarged and applyed, but I ſhall briefly diſpatch it.

Should we examine what is in the Womb or Entrails of this our common Mother Earth, we ſhould find there is Riches and much Treaſure, of which we may read, Job 28.1,—12. Rich Minerals are her Veins; ſhe hath a Vein of Silver, another of Gold, another of Braſs, and Iron, which is molten out of her; ſhe hath ſtones of Saphires, and duſt of Gold, &c. Ver. 6. Theſe and the like are within the Earth; called a hid Treaſure, for that it is within the Earth, and hidden from our Eyes. Adams on Peter. 1172. Our Text leads us to a conſideration of ſuch as are upon the Earth, and brought forth by her, and well known and ſeen; and, more particularly, the Vegetables, that is, the Plants that grow upon the Earth, as Graſs, Grain, Herbs, Trees, &c. the Variety whereof who is able to recount, either for kinds, colours, ſmell, taſte, greatneſs, vertue, figure, &c? All which come from the ſame Womb, and grow on the ſame Clod of Earth, and are brought forth for the Uſe of Man; ſome to feed him, as Deut. 20.19. Job. 28.5. ſome to delight him, Pſal. 104.10, 15. and ſome to heal his Diſeaſes, and cure his Wounds, Iſa. 38.21. Jer. 8.22. God hath provided Remedies for all the Diſeaſes of Man, even out of the Earth; there is ſcarce any Diſeaſe incident to Man, but there is ſome Plant, or Herb, or other, that may either eaſe him or cure him.

p. 60And for Proof of the Point, ſee Gen. 26.12. Iſaac ſowed, and the Earth returned him an hundred-fold in that Year. So Pſal. 65.12, 13. the Fruitfulneſs thereof is excellently ſet forth unto us. So in the New Teſtament, that Parable propounded by our Saviour, Mark 4.28. confirms it; It brings forth of it ſelf, not as if it needed not Man's help, but it brings forth readily and plentifully; being ſowed, it hath a propenſity to it. So that of the Apoſtle, Hebr. 6.8.

Reaſon. But whence is it (you may ask) that the dead Earth is ſo fruitful? I ſhall anſwer you, The Fruitfulneſs of the Earth is originally from God's Ordination, and bleſſing of it at the beginning, Gen. 1.11, 12. he then infuſed a Seminal Diſpoſition into it, or Power to bring forth.

Object. But was not the Earth curſed for Man's Sin, Gen. 3.17. And again, Gen. 4.11. How then can it be ſaid to bring forth ſo plentifully?

Anſw. In what ſenſe that Curſe is to be underſtood, God himſelf ſhews by his explaining of his meaning unto Adam, Gen. 3.18. In ſorrow ſhalt thou eat thereof: As if he ſhould have ſaid, By my only Bleſſing the Earth hath hitherto abounded with all manner of Store, and I have endued it with a Natural Power to bring forth (of its own accord) both Corn, and fruitful Trees, and Herbs in wonderfull abundance, for the uſe both of Man and Beaſt: But now, in ſtead of Wheat, it ſhall be naturally given to bring forth Weeds, and in ſtead of Fruit, Thorns and Thiſtles; which ſhall ſo abound, that they ſhall ſerve (not to ſhew the Wiſdom of God in the diverſity of his Works, but) to choak better Fruits which of themſelves were ready to decay;Ezek. 16.59.Ezek 16:59 yet I will not with-draw my Bleſſing wholly from the Earth, as thy Sin hath deſerved I ſhould, but ſo as that thou ſhalt eat thy Bread in Sorrow; the Curſe inflicted on the Earth is for thy ſake, not for its own. So Gen. 3.17. Curſed is the Earth for thy ſake: The Puniſhment inflicted on it was principally upon him (for whoſe Uſe the Earth was made), who by his Sin did ſubdue it unto Vanity:Rom. 8.20.Rom 8:20 But now, upon the labour and pains which thou ſhalt beſtow upon it, it ſhall yield that Encreaſe unto thee which formerly it yielded without it. In the ſweat of thy Face (or, of thy Noſe, as one rendreth it) ſhalt thou eat thy Bread, (ſaith God, Gen. 3.19.) So that the Earth is not utterly deprived of Bleſſedneſs; p. 61that natural Bleſſing of bringing forth, plentifully is not utterly loſt, but only weakned, ſo that it cannot do what before it had done?

Object. But who ſees not that there is much dead Earth, and barren Soyl, yea, more barren thin fertile: Whence is it that it yields no encreaſe.

Anſw. Some places of the Earth, even before the Curſe, Gen. 2.8. M…t. 13.3.Gen 2:8were more fruitful than the reſt, as the Garden of Paradice exceeded all the Earth beſides; and no wonder if it be ſo now. Yet there is no Soyl but is apt to bring forth ſomewhat for the good of Man; that Earth that hath the moſt barren Face may have the richeſt Intrails, as where Minerals are.

And ſecondly, There may be many Cauſes of it; as, Neglect of Husbandry, or Miſdemeanour of the Owners, as Idleneſs, or ill Husbandry, in uneſteeming, unculturing, neglect of meet helps, &c. And Man's daily ſinning is none of the leaſt, Pſal. 107.34.Lev. 26.20Lev 26:20 God turns a fruitful Land into Barrenneſs, ſometimes by unkindly Seaſons, ſometimes by pernitious Blaſtings, Inundation of Waters; and all is for the Wickedneſs of the Inhabitants that dwell therein, which, conſidering how great it is, we may well wonder that there ſhould be any one Acre of fruitful Soyl within this Realm of England.

Ʋſe 1 If the Earth have naturally ſuch a Propenſion and Inclination to bring forth, you may be informed, in Caſe of Barrenneſs thereof, where to lay the blame. You may hear many times the querulous Husbandman to complain of a churliſh Soyl, of a barren Land,&c. But we with Balaam many times blame the Aſs, when our ſelvs are in fault: Could the Earth ſpeak to us, as the Aſs did to him, it would complain much to the ſame purpoſe:Numb. 22.28, 30.Num 22:28Num 22:30 What have I done unto thee, that thou ſmiteſt me, and ſo often complaine of me? Was I not created for thy Uſe and Service? Have not, ever ſince thou troddeſt on my Face (for ſo the Scripture doth phraſe it often), yielded encreaſe unto thee? Doſt thou receive thy Food and Suſtenance from me? Is it not out of my Bowels that thou receiveſt all thy Riches? And if my Womb prove dry and barren, or any way miſcarry, it is thy Sin and Unthankfulneſs that is the Cauſe thereof. So, that as Jacob ſaid to his Sons, You have robbed me of my Children; may the Earth ſay, You have robbed me, and ſpoiled me of p. 62my Births.Rom. 8.19, 20.Rom 8:19Rom 8:20 The Earth groaneth (ſaith St. Paul), it is as a Woman in pain, and longs to be delivered, but there is no strength to bring forth. Nor do thoſe that moſt complain of bad Crops, and a barren Soyl, alwayes play the part of good Midwives in her Delivery: No place ſo dry with Sand, or hard with Rocks, but if well cooked with Induſtry it will make man's meat, eſpecially for hungry Stomachs, ſaith one. Piſgah-ſight, lib. 4 p. 59.

Ʋſe 2 Bernard on Ruth, 423. Fruitful Countries make full Barns.Let us acknowledg God's Goodneſs to us, who notwithſtanding our Sins great and many which brought the Curſe upon the Earth, yet he is graciouſly pleaſed ſo to heal the Womb of it (as he did the Womb of Abimelech's Houſhold), that albeit it come far ſhort of what it was before the Fall, yet it is both willing and able by the help of Induſtry (that good Mid-wife), to bring forth, and that plentifully, for the good of Man. And more than this, God hath taught Man the Skill and Power, by ſetting, ſowing, plowing, watering, Inſition, Inoculation, in due ſeaſon to do the Office of a Mid-wife to the Earth, that it may bring forth, as we have it excellently ſet forth, Iſa. 28.23,—30. God doth inſtruct the Husbandman to diſcretion; he hath not this Skill of himſelf, God gives him Underſtanding to do it, This alſo cometh of the Lord of Hosts (ſaith the Prophet) who is wonderfull in Counſel, and excellent in Working. We are too prone to magnify out own Power and Skill, our own Pains and Husbandry, little conſidering who gave us that diſcretion; and ſo we rob him of that Praiſe which is due unto him for inſtructing of us therein.

When Lamech begat a Son, he called his Name Noah (which ſignifies Reſt); and he gives the Reaſon, For this Son ſhall comfort us concerning the Work and Toyl of our hands, becauſe of the Ground which the Lord hath curſed, Gen. 5.29. Peter Martyr thinks that Lamech hoped, that this Son of his ſhould have been that promiſed Seed, who ſhould reſtore the Earth to its former Eſtate, ſo that it ſhould bring forth Fruit without Man's Labour, as it did at the beginning; but therein he was deceived. But this may be our Comfort, that by our Labour and Induſtry we ſhall enjoy the Fruits of the Earth, and through Holineſs; and Well-doing, the Earth curſed for out Sins ſhall in ſome meaſure recover her ſtrength to bring forth and yield her encreaſe.

p. 63You may think it to be very incongruous to read a Lecture of Husbandry to Husbandmen, as it was for Phormio a Philoſopher to entertain Hannibal with a Lecture of Warlick Diſcipline; which being ended, and every one admiring the old man's Dexterity in ſo ſtrange a Faculty, Hannibal being asked what he thought of him, anſwered, That he had ſeen many doting old men, but more than Phormio never any; & merito ſane (ſaith Cicero), deſervedly enough: For, What could be a matter of greater Folly than for a Philoſopher, who never ſaw a Camp, nor beheld an Enemy, to diſcourſe of Military matters before ſo great a Souldier and worthy a Captain as Hannibal was. But in keeping myſelf to the Rules of Scripture and acquainting you with thoſe Directions which the Word holds forth for the proſpering of the Fruits of the Earth, I ſhall keep within the Bounds of my own Calling, in inſtructing you Husbandmen whom God doth inſtruct and would have to be inſtructed how to further the Earth's Fruitfulneſs.

God himſelf hath laid down ſundry Rules for your Direction herein which I might by Warrant of my Doctrine preſs upon you, but I will but point at them.

Firſt, If you would have good Crops, keep God's Commandments, and obey his Word, Lev. 26.4. Deut. 11.13. & 28. If you deceive God, the Earth will deceive you.

Secondly, Be diligent in your Callings, and not ſloathful and careleſs. In all Labour there is much profit, ſaith Solomon, Prov. 14.23. This the Sons of that Husbandman found, who being told by him that there was Gold hid in his Vineyard, after he was dead fell to digging for it, but they found not that Gold which they expected; yet the next year they had a rich Crop, which brought them in much Gold, which was that the Father intended. A ſloathfull Perſon cauſeth the Earth to be ſloathfull through his Sluggiſhneſs, Prov. 24.30, 31. God ſtretcheth out his hand as we do; we to labour, he to bleſs our Labours.

Thirdly, By Prayer ſeek a Bleſſing from God upon your Labours. I ſhall relate to you what I have heard to his purpoſe, There was a very great Husbandman, who had a good Farm, yet but mean Crop: Another that dwelt near him had a him had a mean Farm, nor did he take that pains with his Ground that the other did, yet had always a rich Crop: The rich Neighbour meeting with the p. 64other, asked him, How he ordered his Ground, that he had ſuch a great Encreaſe, when he whoſe Ground was better, and Pains greater, could ſometimes ſcarce ſee his Seed again: O Neighbour (ſaid the other), you do not well ſteep your Seed, as I do, before you ſow it. Steep it? in what (ſaid the rich Farmer)? In Prayer, ſaid the other: Do but that, and your Crop will be better. And indeed David hath taught us, That it is in vain ſo riſe early, or go to Bed late, to eat the Bread of Carefulneſs, unleſs God bleſs our Labours: It is God only that maketh the Earth fruitful, Pſal. 127.2.

But in praying to God for a Bleſſing, limit not God to what ſeaſon you pleaſe. Biſhop Babington relate a Story out of Holcot to this purpoſe, of a Hermit, who having ſowed Pot-herbs in his Garden, deſired ſometimes fair weather and ſometimes foul weather, granted, as he deſired, but none of his Herbs came up: Whereupon, he thought that there was a general failing of ſuch Herbs in all places, till one day walking to another Hermit not far off, he ſaw in his Garden a ſingular good Crop: Then he told him what he had done concerning the Weather, and what ſucceſs it had; whereupon the other Hermit anſwered him, Thou thoughteſt thy ſelf wiſer than God, and he hath ſhewed thee thy Folly therein; I, for my part, never deſired of God other weather than he ſhould pleaſe to ſend, Babing in Exod. c. 16. p. 313. I would we would learn of that Hermit and ſubmit unto his Providence, &c.

Fourthly, Give God the Praiſe of all, Pſal. 67.5, 6. Let the People praiſe thee, &c. then ſhall the Earth yield her encreaſe, and God, even our God ſhall bleſs us. And how God will be honoured and praiſed, is more particularly ſhewed, Prov. 3.9. Honour the Lord with thy Substance, and with the first-fruits of all thy Encreaſe. Seeing it is he that giveth Encreaſe to all things, it is the leaſt Tribute we can pay him to honour him with the firſt-Fruits of them. This brings the Bleſſing of God upon all our Subſtance; For, in ſo doing (ſaith Solomon) Thy Barns ſhall be filled with Plenty, and thy Preſſes ſhall burst with new Wine. And what is there promiſed, you find performed 2 Chron. 31.10. Since the Prieſts began to bring their Offerings into the Houſe of the Lord (ſaith Azariah the Chief-Prieſt to Hezekiah), we have enough to eat, and have left plenty; for the Lord hath bleſſed his p. 65People, and that which is left, is this great ſtore. To give to God, is not to give away, as the Worldling thinks, but to receive more: The Jews Proverb was, Tythe and be Rich. We cannot believe it: But prove it and try it, ſaith God, if I will not open the Windows of Heaven, and powre you out a Bleſsing, that there ſhall not he room enough to receive it. You may read to whom God's ſpeaks this, and upon what occaſion, Malach. 3.8, 9, 10.

Fifthly and Laſtly, Beware of hard uſage of Servants and Labourers imployed about the Fruits of the Earth. For this will bring up the Thiſtles in Head of Wheat, and Cockle in ſtead of Barley, as we read, Job 31.39, 40.

Ʋſe 3 There is yet another Uſe that might be made of the Point: For Job ſends us to the Earth to be inſtructed and taught, Job 12.8. Speak to the Earth, and it ſhall teach thee (ſaith he), So ſay I, And what will it teach us? It may inſtruct us what we are, Earth; and ſtand in need of, the Rain of Heaven; and what we ſhould be. So Paul urgeth from the fruitfulneſs of the Earth, Heb. 6.7. The Earth that drinketh in the Rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet, for the Dreſſer receiveth bleſſing from God. The Apoſtle reaſons from the leſs to the greater: If the Earth that is painfully tilled, and hath many ſweet Showers fallen upon it, brings forth plenty of Herbs and other Fruits ſo anſwer the pains of the Husbandman, and requite the coſt and charges that hath been beſtowed on it; then much more ought we who are likewiſe Earth (though moving) receiving ſo many ſweet Showers from Heaven, and having all the helps for Fruitfulneſs. It's the example of the Earth, to bring forth Fruit unto God, that we may receive a Bleſſing from him. O Earth, Earth, Earth, hear the word of the Lord.

Text. Brought forth plentifully. Cr…g in Ez…k. 16. Ver. 45. Ch…m. in loc. Beda in Gloſ. ſup. Luc. 12. Doctr.Luke 12]

It ſeems by this, That this man's Wealth came in an honeſt way unto him; he got it not by oppreſſion, or forged cavillation (as may be thought Zacheus got much of his); but even in thoſe things which God by the hand of Nature did reach forth unto him, he became a mighty man of Wealth. Thence we may inferr in the firſt place, that,

Outward Bleſſings are given by God unto the Wicked out of a general way of providence, and no otherwiſe.

God's providence is of a large extent, it reacheth both to Man p. 66and Beaſt, as David ſhews, Pſal. 36.6. And as God preferrs the one, ſo he doth the other, (even ſuch men, as he had in the former part of the Pſalm deſcribed wicked and ungodly men) at which he cannot but admire. But all temporal Bleſſings are given unto them only ex largitate, out of that general Providence which cauſeth the Sun to ſhine, and the Rain to fall on the good and bad alike, Matth. 5.45. The happy influences of Heaven are powred down upon the heads of Sinners, as well as on the heads of Saints. He is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his Work, ſaith David, Pſal. 145.9. He giveth to the very Beaſt his Food, and to the young Ravens when they cry, Pſal. 147.9.

All this in a providential way; As he is the Suſtainer of Nature, and the Preſerver of the Creature, as hath been before ſhewed you; and it extends to all Natural things, chained together by a regular order of Succeſſion, as we read, Hoſ. 2.21. I will hear the Heavens, they ſhall hear the Earth; The Earth ſhall hear the Corn, Wine, Oyl, and they ſhall hear Iezreel. How ſhould Iexreel live without Corn, Wine, and Oyl? How ſhould Corn, Wine, and Oyl be had without the yieldance of the Earth? How ſhould the Earth yield theſe, without the Influence of Heaven? How ſhould Heaven yield theſe Influences, without the Command of their Maker? All this is the Scale of providence, whereof no ſcale can be miſſing.

Ʋſe. Learn we from hence to diſtinguiſh betwixt Bleſſing and Bleſſing, Mercy and Mercy: The ſame thing in temporal and inferior Bleſſings may belong to a wicked man, only out of that general providence whereby all Creatures are upheld and preſerved in their Beeing. And to a godly man another way, ex promſſo, out of God's Promiſe made unto them in Chriſt: For Godlineſs hath the Promiſes both of this Life, and that which is to come. To the godly they are ſent down the ladder which Jacob ſaw in his ſleep, whereon Angels aſcended and deſcended; And though the Rain-bow, which is ſaid to compaſs about the Throne of God Rev. 4.3. But to the wicked they come about another way, the way of the Common: Now there is a vaſt difference betwixt theſe two, to have a Bleſſing only ex largitate, out of a general bounty and favour beſtowed on us, and reached unto us by the hand of Nature; And to have it beſtowed ex promiſſo, by vertue of a Promiſe. The former is clogged with many incumbrances, forfeitures, vexations, perplexities; which the latter is p. 67freed from. The Bleſſing of the Lord, ſaith Solomon, it maketh Rich, and he addeth no ſorrow with it, Prov. 10.22.Pſal. 69.22.Ps 69:22 The drift of which Proverb, is to ſhew the pre-eminence that God's People have above the men of this World: The wicked uſually have more ſtore of Riches then the godly, and God ſeemeth to be more provident for Sinners then for his Saints; therefore Solomon ſhews the difference: Troubles and Vexation are intermingled with the goods of the wicked, inſomuch that they were in a manner as good to be without them, as we find it verified in this Rich Man,Eccl. 2.16.Eccl 2:16 that our Text ſpeaks of: but God's Servants are freed from thoſe incumbrances; God giveth them Wealth without Wo, Store without Sore. If it be objected, that many good men have Troubles in their proſperous Eſtates, and do find much grief and perturbation in the enjoyment of theſe earthly things: I muſt anſwer you, that theſe Cares and Troubles grow meerly from their own infirmities; the Cook is in the fault for making ſowre ſauce to ſweet meat. So far as God doth give theſe things unto them, they are without ſorrow. Deut. 30.9. God gives them for their good, and would they ſhould have good of them.

Secondly, If any ſorrowr be added to them by God, yet it is to make us reliſh them the better; He will bleſs that ſorrow to them that are godly; and being a bleſſing to them, it cannot be well ſaid to be Sorrow. So that we may conclude with David, Pſal. 37.16. A little that the Righteous hath, is better then the Riches of many wicked men.

Ʋſe 2 By this you ſee how much it concerns us all to look unto our Tenure, and obſerve in what Service we hold our Eſtates; whether as appurtenances to God's Kingdom (as one ſpeaks), or meerly as the Paſtures of a Beaſt, which do only fatten againſt the day of Slaughter. Make ſure that Chriſt is thine, and that in him all theſe things that thou enjoyeſt are beſtowed on thee, Rom. 8.…2. Hereby thou ſhall improve a comfortable right in all God's mercies, and preven… all fear of Intruſion and Uſurpation of the ſame; for if Chriſt be thine, all is thine, 1 Cor. 3.23. As hath been ſhewed you very lately before upon another Doctrine.

Yet there is another Obſervation, which we commend unto you from the words. This man, you have heard, is not charged to come diſhoneſtly by his Goods, nor is he reprehended for tilling of his p. 68Land, husbanding of his Grounds, nor for Inning his Crop into his Barns; but, for the abuſe of that which God beſtowed on him, he is blamed and branded: Hence we inferr in the ſecond place,

Doctr. Goods well got may yet prove pernicious ſo the Soul in their enjoyment and uſage.

Goods may be ſaid to be well gotten,Pſal. 62.10. & 69, 22.Ps 62:10Ps 69:22 when they are lawfully come by; as by Inheritance, juſt Purchaſe, Free-gift honeſt Labour, ordinary and conſcionable courſe of Trading, fertility of the Ground, and the like. Now all theſe wayes a man may come by Wealth, and yet that Wealth prove pernitious to the Soul of the Owner, as Solomon ſhews, Eccleſ. 5.13, 19. There is a ſore Evil which I have ſeen under the Sun; namely Riches kept for the Owners thereof to their hurt; he ſpeaks not of the getting of them, but of the keeping of them: that which they look to have happineſs by, is the occaſion of their miſery. And that which Solomon ſaw, may be daily ſeen in the World; Riches well and honeſtly gotten, prove many times an occaſion of miſchief to the Owners.

And hence it is, that St. Paul wills Timothy to charge rich men with greateſt vehemency to beware of the abuſes of Riches, in being highminded, and truſting in them, 1 Tim. 6.17. He neither condemns the getting of them, nor the enjoying of them, nor doth he diſalow their uſe; only he adviſeth Timothy to admoniſh, yea charge them, that they do not endanger their Souls through the abuſe thereof; which; were it not a thing poſſible to be done, that charge had been needleſs.

St. James holds rich men in a terrible expectation of Vengeance, not for having Riches, but for the abuſe of them when they had them… in hoarding of them up, ſo that their Silver and Gold was cankred, the ruſt whereof ſhould be a witneſs againſt them, and eat their Pleſh, as it were, with fire, Jam. 5.1, 2, 3. And yet for a more evident proof of the Point (if thoſe produced like not) I ſhall commend unto you that Parable of the Gueſts invited to the wedding Feaſt; one excuſeth his not coming, for that he had bought a parcel of Land, as St. Luke hath it, Luke 14.18. or took a Farm as St. Matthew hath it, Matth. 22.8. another bought five Yoke of Oxen, Luke 14.19. So that they came honeſtly by what they had, but their overmuch affection to theſe kept them from taſting of that Supper. So again, that other Parable of the Pounds, Luke 19.12. p. 69and Talents, Matth. 25.14. confirms it: both he that received the Pound, and he that received the Tallent, came honeſtly by what he had; yet the non-improving of that Pound and Talent proved pernitious unto that Servant, and deprived him of what he might have had, had he uſed it as he ought.

Reaſon. The beſt things abuſed, becomes evil to him that ſo uſeth them, 2 Cor. 2.16.2 Cor 2:16much more theſe things which are but of an indifferent Nature, as they are uſed; and in ſuch things, Sathan ſooneſt overcomes us, wherein we think our ſelves ſafeſt. This made Agur to make that ſtrange Prayer, Prov. 30.8. Give me neither Poverty nor Riches. Againſt poverty every man almoſt will pray; but, When heard we of a man that put up a prayer againſt Riches before? But it was in regard of the Temptations that did attend upon the eſtate, that he made that prayer, as he afterwards expreſſeth himſelf; well knowing the ſubtilty of Sathan, who lyeth in ambuſh to enſnare us in the uſe of things lawful, (as the Serpent lies in the greeneſt graſs) and the proneneſs of our Nature, to pervert ſuch things to our own deſtruction.

Uſe. 1 The Point delivered, reproves the blindneſs and folly of thoſe who think; ſo long as they come honeſtly by what they have, there is danger, forgetting that the abuſe of things lawful, is damnable, as well as the purſuit of things unlawful in themſelves: They put off all Reproofs with this, that they have nothing but what they came honeſtly by; they have bought and ſold, and performed their Bargain, though they have loſt by it. All this they may do, and yet the getting may be diſhoneſt; Judas could ſay as much as this, I got money by buying and ſelling, and I made good my bargain to my loſs: But ſay it was honeſtly come by, Is it honeſtly uſed? If they can ſay with that boaſting Phariſee, I am no Extortioner, nor unjuſt Dealer, I came honeſtly by what I have; they imagine ſtrait that they are in a fair way of Salvation. Do we not read of one that bought five Yoke of Oxen, and ſo came honeſtly by them, Luke. 14.19. and of another that bought a piece of Ground with his penny, and yet both theſe were kept from the Supper of the great King; things lawfully gotten, being unlawfully affected, will deprive a man of Heaven and Happineſs. Believe it, God may provide the Meat, but the Devil may provide the Cook, and dreſs a very fair Eſtate to his own Tooth: Thy Wealth may be well got, thy Riches purchaſed by thy p. 70honeſt induſtry, and yet thou miſcarry by them for all that, many wayes; but two eſpecially, which I will but name, for that we may have occaſion farther to inlarge the Points in the proſecution of the Parable, mentioned Prov. 11.24. By ſcattering profuſely, and hoarding up ſordidly.

Firſt, By a ſordid tenacity or niggardlineſs in ſparing more then is meet: And with this Sin were thoſe rich men charged by St. James, Jam. 5.1, 2, 3, 4. which would bring miſery upon them, both on Body and Soul,Non ſolum ava…us eſt qui rapit alien…; ſ…de… ille amarus eſt, qui cupide ſervat ſua. Aug. for which they ſhall one day weep and howl. It is not enough to clear thee, that thou didſt not injuriouſly get what thou haſt penuriouſly kept. God hath made no man the Jaylor of his Wealth, but a wiſe Steward; at leaſt, God expects he ſhould be ſo: As hereafter ſhall be ſhewed you more largely.

Secondly, By a laviſh profuſion and waſtfulneſs, ſpending that which is honeſtly come by, to the ſatisfying of their fleſhy Luſts in Riot and Exceſs;Quicquid dant, dant vel Veneri vel ventri. as did that rich Glutton, mentioned Luke 16.25. And ſuch as theſe St. James likewiſe reproves, Jam. 5.5. they pampered up their bodies as a Beaſt that is fatted for the Slaughter; they were given to pleaſures, to ſatisfie them withall ſenſual delights, they lay melting in them, as ſome render the words. They are wanton, as was ſaid of the Idolatrous Iſraelites, They Eat Drank, and roſe up to Play; or carnal Uncleanneſs may thereby be underſtood, as Rom. 13.13. and they nouriſhed their hearts, as in the day of Slaughter, where, by their continual ſtudy to banquet and make merry, is noted. Such a have Riches, and uſe them either way, albeit they came honeſtly by what they have; yet for the ſinful abuſe, they ſhall have cauſe one day to weep and howl for their wretchedneſs and miſery, ſaith St. James; and we may take his word.

Uſe 2 Wherefore let every one be exhorted and prevailed with, not only to take care of what you have, that you came honeſtly by it; but likewiſe to ſee how you hold that which you enjoy, and imploy it as you ought. The Philoſopher could ſay, That Riches were like to wild Beaſts, a man hath much ado to take them; and when he hath them, as much to do he hath to keep them from doing of him harm: They are like a wild and unruly Horſe, which, if man doth not ſit well, and rule with the rein of Grace, they will be ſure to caſt the Rider to his ruine. And as we ſay of Fire and Water, ſo may we ſay of all worldly Wealth, They are good Servants, but ill Maſters; make Wealth p. 71thy Slave, and it ſhall be ſerviceable to thee; but if it once become thy Matter, thou haſt condemned thy ſelf to thy own Gally-Slave: When a Servant Rules, he ſoon proves a Tyrant. Let us imitate Achſah, who when her Father had given her a Portion,Joſh. 15.19. Elton, on Rom. 7. p. 221.Josh 15:19Rom 7 deſired alſo a Bleſſing; ſo if God hath given thee a Portion of theſe Outward things, deſire a Bleſſing from Heaven, that thou mayſt uſe them aright; that ſo it may be with us in their enjoyment, as God promiſed it ſhould be with Iſrael, Deut. 30.9. given us for our good and comfort. And ſo much of the Perſon ſpoken of, and of the deſcription that is made of him. Now we proceed to the particular Relation that is made of him.

Text. And he thought within himſelf ſaying, What ſhall I do, becauſe I have no room where to bestow my Fruits, &c? Ver. 17

The Relation that is made here of this Rich man, concerns his Life and Death: His Life, from this verſe unto the twentieth; His Death, ver. 20. In that which concerns his Life, we have him; Firſt, caſting up of his Eſtate in this verſe and that following; and then diſpoſing of his Goods, ver. 19.

In the caſting up of his Eſtate, we find him; Firſt, conſulting what to do in this verſe. And then reſolving and determining what he will do, ver. 18.

In his Conſultation, we are made acquainted with his thoughts, they are made known unto us; He thought within himſelf, &c. Secondly, The Grounder Reaſon of them, Becauſe I have no room where to beſtow my Fruits.

His thoughts, were firſt Serious, For he thought within himſelf. Secondly, Anxious and perplexed, What ſhall I do? We will take notice of theſe in order, and begin with his ſerious thoughts.

And he thought within himſelf,] foreign, what is tranſlated within the mind of Man, is called the Thoughts of Man; as, Ezek 11.5. I know the things that come into your minds, every one of them; and ſo are oppoſed ſo external words and actions. And theſe are of two ſorts, Firſt reaſonings and deliberations (which is an act of the practical Underſtandings) about our actions, whereby after long debate to and fro, it concludeth what to do: of which Zophar ſpeaks, Job 20.2, 3. Or ſecondly, Muſings only in the Speculative part of the mind; when the Underſtanding, by the help of Fancy, frames within it ſelf ſtrange conceits and p. 72imaginations, or figments, as they are termed, Gen. 5.6. Omne Figmentum, Mirè convenit verbum, foreign, qu…niam istjuſm…di homines totam vitam in ſubducendis rationibus conſumunt. Bez. Annot. maj. in loc.of the thoughts, &c. And thus the Apoſtle ſeems to diſtinguiſh, 2 Cor. 10.5.

The thoughts of this man were deliberate; thoughts ariſing from the reaſoning power of his Soul; he looked into his eſtate in an intellectual way, and had ſad and ſerious thoughts about it; he did debate the matter with himſelf, Ratiocinabiliter, as Beza renders the word, and obſerves ſomething from the word here uſed, and ſhews how ape it is applyed to men of this mans Make, I mean, men of this World, who ſpend the moſt part of their Life in caſting up their Accounts; and indeed, A worldly man is a great Accomptant.

Avarus ſemper in rationibus, A covetous man is very much in his Counting-Houſe, they are buſily imployed in caſting up their Reckoning, as this man was, and as the manner of covetous men is. Ephraim was ſuch a one, Hoſ. 12.8. as you may there read. And ſuch a one was Matthew before his Calling, and Zacheus before his Converſion, and others that we might inſtance in, but it is a Point that I do but point at by the way, yet I would you would take notice of it.

Uſe 1 Firſt, You that are the Children of Light; Let not the men of this World be wiſer in their Generation than you, do you daily caſt up your Accounts and Reckonings as well as Worldlings: Conſider well what you have received, how expended your Talents, what is pained by them: Ezekiah was willed by the Prophet Iſaiah, to ſet his Houſe in order, Iſa. 38. Now there are three Houſes that every wiſe Chriſtian (who is reſembled ſo the wiſe Merchant) muſt have eſpecial care of, His Ware-houſe, his Work-houſe, and his Country-houſe.

The Ware-houſe is the Heart, wherein ly all thoſe pretious Commodities depoſited to us from Heaven; our Knowledg, with all our Graces and ſpiritual Abilities, Above all keepings, keep that, ſaith Solomon, Prov. 3.23.

Our Work-houſe, is, as it were, our Shop, wherein, by way of Commerce, we retail thoſe Commodities wherewith we are be-truſted by our Maſter; With our Knowledg we inſtruct the Ignorant; with our worldly Goods we ſuccour the Poor and Needy; whatſoever Grace we have in the Ware-houſe of our Heart, we bring it forth into the Work-houſe of our Lives, Matth. 5.16.

p. 73Our Counting-houſe is our Conſcience, there we may find all our Receipts, and all our layings Out; No falſe Reckonings are in that Book, it will ſpeak truth to a penny; ſhew us our Receipts and Expences: in reſpect of our Receipts, we cannot there ſet down 50 for a 100; and in regard of Expenſe, we cannot put down 100 for 50. The keeping well of this Book, is of abſolute neceſſity: The cauſe why many Merchants come behind hand, is attributed to their careleſneſs, in not keeping of their Books well; Next to God's Book, be daily looking into this Book, ſtudy it well: Let not a day paſs over your Heads, without caſting up your Reckonings. They that caſt up their Accounts daily, have the eaſier work to do at the years end: So it will be with you, you ſhall find it ſo at the day of your Death.

Ʋſe 2 Secondly, Seeing Worldlings are ſo frequent in caſting up their Reckonings, and making up their Accounts; I could wiſh, and I would I could perſwade, them to do it ſeriouſly, and in good earneſt, as this man in the Text is ſaid to do, nay ſomewhat better than he; for he ſeems to take the Viſus in groſs, Soul, thou haſt Goods layd up for many years, Eat, Drink, and be Merry; but we do not read, that he did exactly look over his Bill of Parcels, nor do it orderly. The things that you muſt account for, are your Receipts and Expences: which are brought by ſome to three Heads; Evil committed, Good omitted, Time pretermitted or miſ-pent;M…li commiſſi, …oni omiſſi, Temporis amiſſi. I cannot ſtand to inlarge upon theſe: only I deſire, that theſe worldly Accomptants would ſpend a little more time then they do about their Accompts, for they might then find ſtrange Items. Item received Riches, and laid out Oppreſſion: received Plenty, and layd out Riot: Received Speech, and layd out Swearing, Lying, &c: Received Sight, and layd out Luſting, &c. Of my Goods, expended ſo much in fulfilling the Luſt of the Fleſh, ſo much in a year for the Luſt of my Eyes, ſo much for the pride of Life. But what for Works of Piety, Charity? Surely, very little; it may be, not one penny. And to what will all this amount to? what is the ſumma totalis? Surely, the Curſe of God on Body, Soul, Name, State; O goodly Gains! But we come nearer to the Text.

Text. He thought within himſelf.]

And for this thinking thus within himſelf, as he did, he is reproved by our Saviour, and branded for a Fool; Hence we may inferr,

p. 74Doct. Sinful thoughts are as well diſpleaſing unto God, as ſinful actions. The Lord is as well diſpleaſed with the ſinful cogitations of the mind, as with the wicked actions of the Body.

For the clearing and confirming of this Point, take notice; Firſt, In that God ſtraitly warneth us to take heed of ſuffering an evil Thought to be in us, as Deut. 15.9. Beware, look to it, there is danger in it. Secondly, That Sinners are frequently blamed and reproved for their thoughts, as well as for their words and actions. So Pſal. 36.4. Eſay 29.24. & 59, 7. Ezek 11.2. Hoſ. 7.15. Matth. 9.4. 1 Cor. 14.24. Thirdly, They are not only blamed and reproved for them, but likewiſe ſeverely threatned: God calls the Earth to w…tneſs, even all the World to take notice of his Reſolution to puniſh the thoughts of evil men, Jer. 6.19. So he threatned to puniſh the King of Aſſyria, for that it was in his heart to kill and deſtroy, Eſay 10.7. God denounceth a Woe againſt ſuch, Mich. 2. and Eſay 65.2, 6. So are Hypocrites threatned for what they think, Pſal. 50.21. And upon this ground Solomon diſſwadeth all treacherous and falſe-hearted perſons to beware of curſing the King, even in thought, Eccleſ. 10.20. For God will diſcover it, and revenge it.

God will judge men for their thoughts both here, Gen. 6.5. 2 King. 19.35, 36, &c.Gen 6:52 Kgs 19:352 Kgs 19:36Fourthly, Nor hath God only threatned to puniſh for ſinful thoughts but he hath likewiſe puniſhed them ſeverely: This is aſſigned as the cauſe of the drowning of the Old World; The maginations of the thoughts of mans heart were only evil continually, Gen. 6.5. And as he threatned the King of Aſſyria for his ſtout thoughts, ſo accordingly he puniſhed him, 2 Kings 19.35, 36, 37.

Fifthly, Laſtly, However, thoughts may eſcape unpuniſhed here; yet at the laſt day Sinners ſhall be called to an account for them,and hereafter, Eccleſ. 3.17, & 12, ult. Rom. 2.16. 1 Cor. 4.5.Eccl 3:17Eccl 3:12Rom 2:161 Cor 4:5 and puniſhed accordingly, Eccleſ. 3.17, & 12, ult. Rom. 2.16. 1 Cor. 4.5. The inward thoughts conceived in the heart, as well as outward deeds, cloſely carried from the knowledg of the World, and drove in dark and remote places, ſhall be judged and ſentenced.

The Reaſons why the Lord is offended with thoughts, as well as with words or actions, are many.

Reaſ. 1 Firſt, His holy Law and Precepts are violated and broken by them, Exod. 20.17. Thou ſhalt not covet; which muſt needs be underſtood of Concupiſcence and luſts of the Heart; and ſo St. Paul underſtands it, Rom. 7.7. Where, by Luſt is to be underſtood p. 75the very firſt motions that ariſe from our rebellious Nature, whereby we are ſtirred up to do evil, and do wi…h delight think on any thing contrary to the Will of God (albeit Conſent of heart do not follow). And our Saviour, in expounding of the Law, ſheweth, that the very Thoughts, Purpoſes, and Affections, are retrained by it, Mat. 5.22, 28. Now, the leaſt Aberration or Swerving from the Rule of the Law, is a Tranſgreſſion of it, and ſo a Sin; for, Sin is a Tranſgreſſion of the Law, 1 Joh. 3.4. And this is the Concluſion of the Wiſe Man, Prov. 24.9. The Thoughts of Fooliſhneſs is Sin: Sinners are Fools in Solomon's Language, and all their Thoughts are Folly and Fooliſhneſs: therefore ſinfull, and ſo diſpleaſing unto God; yea, abominable to Him, a… Prov. 15.26.

Reaſ. 2 Secondly, He is as well diſpleaſed with them as with outward Actions; for that they were the firſt Evils that ever were committed againſt God, either by Angels or Men. The firſt Sin of Angel… did not conſiſt in any bodily Act, for they are no… capable of external Acts of Corporeal Agents; but in the inward miſcarriage and deviation of their Underſtandings and Wills. And Man's Sin firſt began in the actual Averſion of his Thoughts from his Creator:Eccl. 7. ult.Eccl 7 All Man's Actions that are voluntary (as Man's Fall was) have their firſt Riſe from the heart; and Thought is the firſt Motion of the Heart thereunto; from which voluntary Act and Choice of his own Will, not before corrupted, but by that Act in conſenting becoming corrupt, he tranſgreſſed his Maker's Command. Therefore, it cannot otherwiſe be but that Thoughts muſt be highly diſpleaſing.

Reaſ. 3 Thirdly, From the Thoughts of the Heart,Prov. 6.Prov 6 and Motions of mens Minds, proceeds all the miſchief that men work; there is no evill in the mouth or hand which was not in the heart firſt, nor can the Fleſh be corrupted unleſs the mind was corrupted before, ſaith Ambroſe. For, albeit at the firſt, Man's Sin proceeded not from any previous Corruption that was in his Nature, but from the voluntary choice and act of his own Will; yet ſince his Fall, all the evill of his Thoughts and Actions ſpring from the Corruption of his Nature, whereof Thoughts are the firſt-born. And from that corrup… Fountain they do ſpring, as our Saviour ſhews. Mat. 15.19. ſo St. James, cap. 1.15. So that it is no wonder if God be therewith highly diſpleaſed. And ſo much for the Confirmation of the Point: Now let us apply it.