The Unsearchable Riches of Christ, Sermon 4 · Section 2
The Excellency of the Riches of Christ above all other riches in the World.
I ſhall briefly run over this third branch, and ſo come to the Application, which is moſt in my eye, and upon my heart.The Excellency of the Riches of Chriſt, above all other Riches.
FIrſt, The riches of Chriſt are Incomparable riches. In Prov. 3. 13, 14, 15. Happy is the man that findeth wiſedome (that is, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt) and the man that getteth underſtanding; for the merchandize of it is better then the merchandize of ſilver, and the gaine thereof then fine gold. She is more precious then Rubies, and all the things thou canſt deſire are not to be compared unto her: One grain of Grace is far beyond all the gold of Ophir, and all the ſilver of the Indies, which is but the guts and garbidge of the earth. We may ſay of the riches of this world, compared with the riches of Chriſt, as Gideon ſometime ſaid of the Vintage of Abiezer, The gleanings of Ephraim are better then the Vintage of Abiezer. So the gleanings, the ſmalleſt gatherings of the riches of Chriſt, are far better, more excellent, more ſatisfying, more contenting, and more raviſhing, then all the riches of this world.
The whole Turkiſh Empire (ſaith Luther) is but a crust that God throwes to a Dogge. The wiſe Merchant, Mat. 13. Riches are called Thick clay, Hab. 2. 6. which will ſooner breake the back then lighten the heart, &c.44, 45. parts with all to gaine this Pearle of price; the truth is, other riches are but a burden. Gen. 13. 2. Abraham was very rich in Cattell, in ſilver, and in gold. The Hebrew word (Cabbedh) is, He was very heavy in Cattell, in ſilver, and in gold: To ſignifie, that riches are but heavy burdens. A little will ſerve nature, leſſe will ſerve grace, but nothing will ſerve mens luſts.
Pheraulas a poor man, on whom Cyrus beſtowed ſo much, that he knew not what to doe with his riches, being wearied out with care in keeping of them, he deſired rather to live quietly, though poor, as he had done before, then to poſſeſſe all thoſe riches with diſcontent; therefore he gave away all his wealth, deſiring onelyonly to enjoy ſo much as might ſupply his neceſſities. Let worldly Profeſſors think ſeriouſly of this ſtory, and bluſh, &c.
Secondly, the riches of Chriſt are Inexhauſtible riches, as Earthly riches are true Gardens of Adonis where we can g…her nothing but triviall flowers ſurrounded with many bryars, &.I have hinted before; Chriſt can never be drawne dry.
The Spaniſh Ambaſſador coming to ſee the Treaſury of St. Mark (in Venice) which is cryed up throughout the world, fell a groping whether it had any bottome, and being asked why, anſwered, In this among other things, my great Maſters Treaſure differs from yours, in that his hath no bottome, as I find yours to have, alluding to the Mines in Mexico, and Petoſi, &c. Certainly Chriſts Treaſures have no bottome, all Haſt th…u entred into the treaſures of the Snow? (ſayes God to Job) Now Gregory ſai…h, That the treaſures of the Snow are worldly riches which men …ake together as children do Snow, which the next ſhow rewaſhes away, and l…aves nothing in the roome but dirt, and can dirt ſatiſfie? Surely no. N… more can worldly richeshis baggs are bottomleſſe; but Scripture, Hiſtory, and Experience, doe abundantly teſtifie, that mens baggs, purſes, Coffers, and Mints, may be exhauſted, or drawne dry, but Chriſts can never; millions of thouſands live upon Chriſt, and he feels it not, his Purſe is alwayes full, though he be alwayes giving, &c.
Thirdly, The riches of Chriſt are Soule-ſatisfying riches. O thoſe riches of grace and goodneſſe that be in Chriſt, how doe they ſatisfie the ſoules of ſinners? A Pardon doth not more ſatisfie a condemned man, nor bread the hungry man, nor drink the thirſty man, nor cloaths the naked man, nor health the ſick man, then the riches of Chriſt doe ſatisfie the gracious man. John 4. 13, 14. Whoſoever drinketh of this water, ſhall thirſt againe, but whoſoever drinketh of the water that I ſhall give him, ſhall never thirſt, but the water that I ſhall give him, ſhall be in him a well of living water, ſpringing up to everlaſting life. Grace is a perpetuall flowing fountaine: Grace is compared to water, water ſerves to coole men when they are in a burning heat, ſo Grace cooles the ſoule when it hath been even ſcorcht and burnt up under the ſence of Divine wrath and diſpleaſure. Water is cleanſing, ſo is Grace. Water is fructifying, ſo is Grace. And water is ſatisfying, it ſatisfies the thirſty, and ſo doth Grace. Shew us the father, Anima ratinalis caeteris o…nibus occupari po…eſt, impleri non poteſt. Bern. The reaſonable ſoule may be buſied about other things, but it cannot be filled with them &c.and it ſufficeth us, John 14. 8. But now earthly riches can never ſatisfie the ſoule, but as they ſaid once of Alexander, That had he a body ſutable to his minde, he would ſet one foot upon ſea, and the other upon land, he would reach the Eaſt with one hand, and the Weſt with the other. And doubtleſſe the ſame frame of ſpirit is to be found in all the Sons of Adam. In Eccleſ. 5. 10. He that loves ſilver, ſhall not be ſatisfied with ſilver, nor he that loveth abundance, with increaſe: This is alſo vanity. If a man be hungry, ſilver cannot feed him; if naked, it cannot cloath him; if cold, it cannot warm him; if ſick, it cannot recover him, much leſſe then is it able to ſatiſfie him. Oh! but the riches of Chriſt are Soule-ſatisfying riches. A ſoule rich in ſpiritualls, rich in eternalls, ſayes, I have enough, though I have not this and that temporall good, &c.
Fourthly, The riches of Chriſt are Harmleſſe riches; they are riches that will not hurt the ſoule, that will not harme the ſoule. Where is there a ſoule to be found in all the world, Da Domine ut ſic poſſidiamu… temporalia ut non perdamus aeterna. Bern.that was ever made worſe by ſpirituall riches? O but earthly riches have caſt downe many, they have ſlaine many: If poverty with Saul, ha's kill'd her thouſands, riches with David, ha's kill'd her ten thouſands. Eccleſ. 5. 13. There is a ſore evill, which I have ſeen under the Sun, namely, riches kept from the owners thereof, to their hurt. Earthly riches are called Thornes, and well they may; for, as Thornes, they pierce Some ſay, where Gold growes, no Plant will proſper: So no truth, no good, &c. will have any heart-roome, where the love of money bears the bel, &c.both head and heart; the head with cares in getting them, and the heart with grief in parting with them. O the ſoules that riches have pierced thorow and thorow with many ſorrowes! O the minds that riches have blinded! O the hearts that riches have hardened! O the conſciences that riches have benummed! O the wills that riches have perverted! O the affections that riches have diſordered and deſtroyed! Earthly riches are very vexing, very defiling, very dividing, and to multitudes prove very ruining.
It was a wiſe and Chriſtian ſpeech of Charls the Fifth, to the Duke of Venice, who when he had ſhewed him the glory of his Princely Palace, and earthly Paradiſe: inſtead of admiring it, or him for it, onelyonly returned him this grave and ſerious Memento, Haec ſunt quae faciunt invitos mori. Theſe are the things which make us unwilling to dye, &c.
Fifthly, The riches of Chriſt are Ʋnſearchable riches. This The Philoſophers ſeeing to the very bottome of earthly riches, contemned them, & preferred a contemplative life above them. Omniame…mecum porto, ſaid Bias, one of the ſeven wiſe men of Greece, &c.is plaine in the Text, Ʋnto me who am leſſe then the leaſt of all Saints, is this grace given, that I ſhould preach among the Gentiles, the Ʋnſearchable riches of Chriſt. There are riches of Juſtification, riches of Sanctification, riches of Conſolation, and riches of Glorification in Chriſt: All the riches of Chriſt, are Ʋnſearchable riches. A Saint with all the light that he hath from the ſpirit of Chriſt, is not able to ſearch to the bottome of theſe riches. Nay, ſuppoſe that all the perfections of Angels and Saints in a glorified eſtate, ſhould meet in one noble breaſt, yet all thoſe perfections could not inable that glorious glorified Creature for to ſearch to the bottome of Chriſts unſearchable riches. Doubtleſſe when believers come to Heaven, when they ſhall ſee God face to face, when they ſhall know as they are knowne, when they ſhall be filled with the fullneſſe of God, even then they will ſweetly ſing this Song, O the height, the depth, the length, the breadth of the unſearchable riches of Chriſt! As there is no Chriſt to this Chriſt, ſo there are no riches to his ri…hes, &c. O but ſuch are not the riches of this world, they may be reckoned, they may be fathomed, &c.Ron Gnathak. It is repored of one My…cgenes, when great gifts were ſent him he ſent then back, ſaying, I onelyonly deſire this one thing at your Maſters hands, to pray for me, that I may be ſaved for eterni…y▪ &c
Sixthly, The riches of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt are Permanent and abiding riches. They are laſting, they are durable riches. That's a choyce Scripture, Prov. 8. 18. Riches and honour are with me, yea, durable riches, and righteouſneſſe. The Hebrew word that's rendred durable riches, ſignifies old riches: All other riches are but new, they are but of yeſterday, as it were: Oh but with me are old riches, durable riches; all other riches, in reſpect of their fickleneſſe, are as a ſhadow, a bird, a ſhip, an arrow, a dream, a poſt, &c. This Valerian, Valens, and Bajazet, three proud Emperours, found by experience, and ſo have many Kings, and Generalls, and Nobles, as Scripture and Hiſtory doe abundantly evidence. Earthly riches are very uncertaine, 1 Tim. 6. 17. They are ever upon the wing, they are like Tennis-balls, which are bandied up and downe from one to another. As the Bird hopps from twig to twig, ſo doe riches from man to man. This age can furniſh us with multitudes of inſtances of this nature, &c.
Seventhly, and laſtly, They are the moſt Ʋſefull riches, to ſweeten all other riches, mercies, and changes, &c. which ſpeaks out the Excellency of theſe riches above all other riches. The more uſefull any thing is, the more excellent it is: Now the riches of Chriſt are of all things the moſt uſefull to poore ſoules. When the ſoule is under the guilt of ſin, nothing relieves it like the riches of Chriſt. When the ſoul is ſurrounded with temptations, nothing ſtrengthens it like the riches of Chriſt. When the ſoule is mourning under afflictions, nothing comforts it like the riches of Chriſt. When ſtate, friends, and trading failes, nothing makes a Chriſtian ſing care away, like the riches of Chriſt, &c. The riches of Chriſt ſweeten all other riches that men enjoy. If a man be rich in parts, Earthly riches cannot in rich the ſoule, no… better the ſoule, oftentimes under ſilk and ſattin apparrell, there is a thred-bare ſoule.or rich in grace, rich in faith, rich in knowledge, rich in wiſedome, rich in joy, rich in peace, &c. Or if a man be rich in temporalls, rich in money, rich in wares, rich in Jewels, rich in Lands, &c. the glorious and unſearchable riches of Chriſt ſweetens all his riches, and the want of theſe riches, imbitters all the riches that men enjoy. When mens conſciences are inlightned, and awakened, then they cry out, What are all theſe worldly riches to us, except we had an intereſt in the riches of Chriſt? As Abſolom once ſaid, What are all theſe to me, except I ſee the Kings face?
I have read of one, that upon his dying bed called for his baggs, and laid a bagge of gold to his heart, and then cryed out, Take it away, it will not doe, it will not doe. There are three things that earthly riches can never doe.
They can never ſatisfie Divine Juſtice.
They can never pacifie Divine wrath.
Nor they can never quiet a guilty conſcience.
And till theſe things are done, man is undone. The Crowne of gold can't cure the Head-ach, nor the honourable Garter can't cure the Gout, nor the Chaine of Pearles about the neck, cannot take away the paine of the Teeth. Oh but the unſearchable riches of Chriſt give eaſe under all paines and torments.
Nugas the Scythian King deſpiſing the rich Preſents and Ornaments that were ſent unto him by *Michael Pal…olegas.the Emperour of Conſtantinople, asked him that brought them, Whether thoſe things could drive away calamities, diſeaſes, or deaths? looking upon all thoſe Preſents as no Preſents, that could not keep off calamities from him. Verily, all the riches and glories of this world, cannot keep off the leaſt calamity, neither can they make up the want of the leaſt mercy: But the riches of Chriſt doe both keep off calamities, and make up the want of all mercies that the ſoule craves, or needs. All which ſpeaks out the Excellency of the riches of Chriſt, above all other riches,
We come now unto