The Burning of London, Part 4 · Discourse 21
DISCOURSE XXI. Of the Diſcommodities of Proſperity and Benefits of Affliction.
PRoſperity hath its evils and inconveniences as wel as Adverſity; yea deadly inconveniencies, (as ſome uſe that Epithite) For ſaith Salomon, Prov. 1.32. The proſperity of fools ſhall daſtroy them. And in Eccleſ. 5.13. he ſaith, he had ſeen a ſore evil under the Sun, viz. Riches kept for the owners thereof to their burt. Moſt men are in love with proſperity, and therefore cannot or will not ſee the diſcommodities of it, as our Proverb ſaith, Love is blinde. But how often doth it prove a kinde of luſcious poiſon, which not only ſwels and puffs up them that have it; but alſo frets & eats into them (like ſome deadly coroſive inwardly taken.) James ſpeaking to thoſe that had more wealth than they knew what to do with, ſaith, The ruſt of their gold ſhould eat their fleſh as it were ſire. Jam. 5.5. Why went the young man from Chriſt ſo ſorrowfully? Luke 18.23. Mat. 19.22. was it not, becauſe he had great poſſeſſions, as Matthew phraſeth it; or as Luke, for that he was very rich. Thereupon ſaith Chriſt, A rich man ſhall hardly enter into the Kingdom of God, and it is eaſier for a camel to go thorough the eye of a needle; and Timothy muſt charge thoſe that are rich, not to be high minded, nor yet to truſt in uncertain riches, implying they are apt to both. How hard is it for thoſe that have an arm of fleſh, not to make fleſh their arm, and ſo to incur the curſe? Jer. 17.5. How hard it is to be ſo good a Steward of a great eſtate, as may enable a man to give up his account with joy? How many that have reſolved to be rich (yea, and have been as good as their reſolution) have pierced themſelves thorough with divers ſorrows, yea been drowned in perdition, 1 Tim. 6.9. When Jeſurun waxed ſat, he kicked, he forſook God that made him, and lightly eſteemed the rock of his ſalvation. Deut. 32.15. What Salomon ſaith, Prov. 3.23, 30. Look not upon the Wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup, when it moves its ſelf aright; at the laſt it biteth like a Serpent, and ſtingeth like an Adder, may too often be applied to proſperity, which looks and taſtes like ſparkling wine, but oft times proves a ſtinging ſerpent. I doubt not but the time will come when many rich men will wiſh they had begd their bread, rather than to have had ſo heavie an account to give for abuſed proſperity.
Few men have received that hurt by their povertie that others have done by their plentie: as, for one that is ſtarved to death, there are hundreds killed with ſurfeiting upon meates or drinks. Yea adverſity hath its conveniencies and its good things, as well as proſperity its mixture of diſcommodities and evil things. As one ſaid, he had received ſome hurt by his graces (which innate corruption had abuſed to pride) and ſome good by his ſins (which God had taken occaſion to humble him by, for ſo I underſtand him.) So have many received hurt by their proſperity, and good by their adverſity: been loſers by the forrner, been gainers by the latter. Many may take up the words of Themiſtocles, and ſay, They had periſhed, if they had not periſhed. They had been undone in one ſenſe, if they had not been undone in another; or ſay as a Philoſopher, I have read of, They never made a better voyage than at that time when they ſuffered ſhipwrack. Solomon knew what he ſaid, Eccleſ. 7.3. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by the ſadneſs of the countenance the heart is made better. Sweet things are commonly known to turn to choller (which is a bitter humour) and bitter things to cleanſe and ſweeten the blood. If then I may be better by my affliction, and might have been worſe for my proſperity; why ſhould I think my ſelf undone for the loſs of that which might have been my undoing? why ſhould I ſtand and wonder at that paſſage, James 1.10. Let the rich man rejoyce in that he is made low. Had not Manaſſes more cauſe to bleſs God for thoſe Iron fetters, wherewith he was bound by his enemies, the Aſſyrians, than for his crown of Gold, 2 Chron. 33.12. When he was in affliction, he beſought the Lord, &c. Proſperity had been his worſt enemy, and afterwards affliction under God became his greateſt friend, did moſt befriend him, for it brought him home to God, and to himſelf. For when the Lord chaſtned him, then, and not till then did he open his eares, and ſeale his inſtruction. Job 33.16, 19.
When I conſider theſe things, I cannot but break out and ſay: Lord never reſtore proſperity to me, unleſs thou wilt give me a heart to uſe it, yea I rather implore affliction, (whilſt need requires) ſo thou wilt but ſanctifie it. If my droſs may not otherwiſe be melted away, put me into thy Furnace, only when I am tried, let me come forth like gold.