left plenty for the Lord hath blessed his People 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. Vse 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 Crâ—g in Ezâ—k 16. Ver. 45. Châ—m in loc Beda in Glos sup Luc. 12. Doctr. 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 and 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 Vse 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 freed from The Blessing of the Lord saith Solomon it maketh Rich and he addeth no sorrow with it Prov. 10.22 Psal 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 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 Vse 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
pede Herculem it wants about a Sheet of it's Completion yet let us in no wise call it altogether imperfect because God himself made a full Point or Period by the sudden Death of the Author and with his own hand inscribed FINIS Thine For thy Soul's advantage H Rogers Kelvdon-Hatch July 18. 1662. The Text. Luke 12.16 22. Ver. 16 AND he spake a Parable unto them saying The Ground of a certain Rich man brought forth plentifully Ver. 17. And he thought within himself saying What shall I do because I have no room where to bestow my fruits Ver. 18. And he said This will I do I will pull down my Barns and build greater and there will I bestow all my Fruits and my Goods Ver. 19. And I will say to my Soul Soul Thou hast much Goods laid up for many years take thine ease Eat drink and be merry Ver. 20. But God said unto him Thou Fool this Night shall thy Soul be required of thee then Whose shall those things be that thou hast provided Ver. 21. So is he that layeth up Treasure for himself and is not Rich towards God A Summary of all the principal Doctrines both Literal and Mystical Collected and Illustrated this Commentary upon the Parable of The Rich Fool. With the several Uses and Applications thereof made Vers 16. And He spake a Parable unto them saying The Ground of a certain Rich man brought forth plentifully Doct. 1. GOd hath spoken to us by his own Son Pag. 6. Use 1. To admire the wonderful Love of God to us under the Gospel above those who lived under the Law ibid. Use 2. Not to despise him that speaks from Heaven 9 Use 3. To honour him above those that lived in those days ibid. Doct. 2. A Sermon against Covetousness is of general Concern 10 Reas Naturally every man iâ— earthly minded ibid. Use 1. To reprove those that think it concerns them not 13 Use 2. To require the Attention of every one 15 Use 3. None to be offended with God's Ministers for Pressing of it 16 Doct. 3. Doctrines delivered may be illustrated by Similitudes and Parables 18 Reas No Teaching conveys the Truth unto us with more delight 19 Use 1. Not to censure Ministers for using helps of Art ibid. Use 2. To bless God that we are taught in so delightfull and familiar a manner 21 Doct. 4. Ministers ought so to speak as that they may be understood ibid. Reas The End of Preaching is the People's profit 22 Use 1. To reprove those Ministers who have mouths but speak not and who speak but say not 23 Use 2. To condemn the Itching ear 25 And the Rustical ear of Hearers 26 Doct. 5. A Worldly man is a worthless man 30 Vse 1. To discover the Folly of those who think to gain Reputation by Riches 31 Vse 2. To tax those who bless the Covetous in their hearts 33 Vse 3. To teach us to look up and leave groveling here like Swine upon the Earth 34 Doct. 6. All men are not alike for outward Estate 36 Reas 1. God's Wisdom appears in this inequality 37 Reas 3. Confusion would follow upon equality 38 Vse 1. To praise God for this provident hand of his ibid. Vse 2. To beware of murmuring against God's Providence ibid. Doct. 7. A man may be very Wealthy and yet very Wicked 40 Reas 1. God is a bountiful and liberal Donor 42 Reas 2. Riches are not absolutely and immutably good 44 Reas 3. They become hinderances of much good and occasions of much evill 45 Vse 1. Of information That Man's Happiness lyes not in earthly enjoyments 46 Vse 2. To reprove those who take Riches for infallible tokens of God's Love 47 Vse 3. To restrain us from an over-eager pursuit of them 50 Doct. 8. The Wicked have a Right to Earthly things as well as the Godly 51 Reas 1. The Earth is the Lord's and he gives it to the Children of Men. 52 Vse 1. To overthrow the Anabaptistioal Community and that of the Family of Love 53 Vse 2. To convince that dangerous Tenet of holding no Tenure but of Grace 54 Vse 3. Of Admonition To take heed how we incroach on other mens Proprieties 55 Doct. 9. The Earth is a fruitful Mother 59 Reas God ordained it to be fruitful at the beginning 60 Vse 1. Of Information Where to lay the Blame of the Earth's Sterility 61 Vse 2. To acknowledge God's Goodnesse to us in the Earth's Encrease 62 Vse 3. To instruct us that we are Earth and stand in need of the Rain of Heaven 65 Doct. 10. Earthly Blessings are given to the Wicked out of a generall way of Providence 65 Vse 1. To learn to distinguish between Blessing and Blessing 66 Vse 2. To look to the Tenure of our Estates 67 Doct. 11. Goods ill-gotten may prove pernicious to the Soul in their Enjoyment 68 Reas The best things abused become evil to him that useth them much more things of an indifferent nature 69 Vse 1. To reprove the folly of those who think there is no danger in Riches well-gotten ibid. Vse 2. Not only to take care of what we have but how we hold what we do enjoy 70 Vers 17. And he thought within himself saying What shall I do because I have no room where to bestow my fruits Doct. 1. A Worldly man is a great Accomptant 72 Vse 1. To perswade the Godly to cast up their Accounts as well as the Wicked do theirs ibid. Vse 2. To perswade Worldlings to cast up their Accounts in good earnest 73 Doct. 2. Sin of Thoughts are displeasing unto God as well as Sins of Act. 74 Reas 1. God's Laws and Precepts are violated by them ibid. Reas 2. They were the first Evils that were committed against God both by Angel and Man 75 Reas 3. From the Thoughts of the Heart proceeds the mischief of the Hand ibid. Use 1. To blame the Doctrine of the Church of Rome who hold that Thoughts are veniall 76 Use 2. To convince the Opinion of free Thoughts ibid. Use 3. To cause us to repent of them and be humbled before God for them 79 Use 4. To reform our Thoughts otherwise our Lives cannot be reformed 82 Motives to stir up our Care about our Thoughts 83 84 c. Means whereby our Thoughts may be subdued 91 92. c. Use 5. Comfort for those that sincerely make Conscience of their thoughts 101 Doct. 3. Wicked men proceed with good Advice and mature Deliberation about their Actions 115 Reas They are Reasonable Creatures and have a Discoursive Faculty ibid. Vse 1. To reprove not onely the Worldling but the Children of the Light who come short in this business of the Children of the World 116 Vse 2. To learn Wisdom of the Worldling 117 Doct. 4. Self is a Worldly man's chiefest Counsellour 122 Reas The way of a Fool is right in his own Eyes ibid. Use 1. To reprove the Folly of the Self-conceited Person 123 Use 2. To beware of hearkning
God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by his Son In the old time God revealed his mind to our Fore-Fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uâ— si dicas mulâ—ipartuè Estins Dâ— Jones Comment in loc multis vicibus as Beza renders the words at many or sundry times as our Translation hath it's It was divided into many parts and given them by piece-meal how a part and then a part it was parcelled out unto them as the Capacity of People in sundry times did require One part they had in Adam's time another in Noah's one in Abraham's time another in Moses time one part in David's time another in the Prophets Isay had one part of it revealed concerning Christ's Conception and Birth Jonah another concerning his Resurrection Daniel another of his coming to Judgment But we have the Doctrine of Salvation at one Lump propounded to us in one whole and entire Sum St. Jude speaking of the Christian Faith saith that it was once given to the Saints once for all so perfectly that we need not another Gospel The whole Magazine of God Almighty is now opened unto us which was not unto them the Lord was in the way only of revealing his whole mind to them before Christ came letting forth Light by little and little before the Sun of Righteousness Jesus Christ arose with Healing under his Wings And as he spake to them at sundry times so in divers manners or forms either by Angels as he spake to Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multiformiter or by Vision as he made known his mind to Ezekiel or by Dreams as to Samuel or by Urim and Thummim as to the Priest or by Signs from Heaven by Types and shadowing Ceremonies and such like But the Doctrine of Salvation is taught after one sort even by the Preaching of the Gospel which is the Power of Salvation to every one that believeth which one manner of speaking far surpasseth all those manners of speaking whereby God spake to them and worketh more powerfully and pierceth into the heart of Man more deeply than any other manner of Perswasion yea though one should rise from the dead and speak to us Then he spake only to the Fathers Abraham Isaac Jacob and their Posterity to some few and but one Nation He shewed his word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Judgments unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation saith the Psalmist Psal 147.19 20. and as for his Judgments they have not known them But now in these last dayes God by his Son hath spoken to all indefinitely to Jew and Gentile to Male and Female to bond and free all being one in Christ Gal. 3.28 and through Faith hath one entrance unto the Throne of Grace So that as one speaketh upon that Text We need not say Now O Lord remember David and the Covenant made with Abraham but O Lord remember me and the Covenant which thou hast made with my Father's House For unto all both those that are nigh and those that are far off there is but one Covenant in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.13 17. Lastly Then God spake to the Fathers by the Patriarchs and Prophets that is the continual Succession of the Prophets in all Ages not by one alone but by all from the beginning God used the Ministry of the Patriarchs to instruct their Families but that did not satisfy him By the Ministry of Moses he instructed his People under the Law yet that did not content him He used the Ministry of Priests and Prophets yea of one greater than a Prophet John the Baptist to teach and instruct his Church yet he rested not therewith satisfied But last of all he sent his Son that eternall Word which is God whom he hath made Heir of all things by whom also he made the World Rare and singular men were those by whom God instructed and taught his Church in elder times yet not worthy so be named with Christ by whom he speaketh unto us They were men Christ is God and Man they had excellent Gifts of Wisdom and Knowledge yet all their Wisdom and Knowledge was but borrowed Christ was wise of himself the Fountain of all Wisdom and Knowledg and of his fulness we receive Grace for Grace They were mortal and saw Corruption nor was any Prophet when he was taken away by Death able to give Grace to others that should come after or of his fulness to make other learned in the Mysteries of Salvation but Christ abideth for ever he still liveth to appoint us Teachers and of his fulness he giveth all others their continual encrease of Grace By all which you see how wonderfully God hath honoured us above those who lived in the time of the Law Many Prophets and Kings have desired to see those things which we see and have not seen them and to hear those things which we hear and have not heard them Luke 10.24 The Gospel is a Mystery and a great Mystery too which was hidden in the secret Closet of God's own Breast not possible to enter into the heart of Man till Christ brought it out of the Bosom of his Father and discovered it unto Man-kind Nor could Men or Angels do that he only had Power to open the Book who was both God and Man in Union by vertue of which Union those divine Truths and heavenly Mysteries which were Joh. 1 18. Mat. 1â— 27 and could live no where but in the Divine Nature were drawn out of the depth of it into the Humane and in that Nature discovered unto us No spiritual Discovery of those high Mysteries could be or can be but in Christ and by Christ because in him alone is the Divine and Humane Nature united Now the greater Love that God hath shewed us Mat. 21.33 41. the soarer Vengeance in case of Contempt and Disobedience See then that you despise not him that speaks from Heaven saith the Apostle Heb. 12.25 For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth much more shall not we escape if we turn from him that speaks from Heaven to us He that despised Moses Law dyed without Mercy under two or three Witnesses that is being Legally convicted Heb. 10.28 now of how much soarer Punishment shall he be worthy who despiseth the Gospel whereof the Son of God is the Minister Christ is far greater than Moses in despising him they did but despise the Servant in despising Christ you despise the Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Look to it therefore saith the Apostle that you do it not for it is as much as your Souls are worth And yet how little is God's Speaking to us by this his Son regarded Many of the Pharisees knew him to be the Son of God This is the Heir say they come let us kill him Mat. 21.38 They were not altogether ignorant that he was the Lord of Life whom
to what end the Soul was given Every animated Creature beaâ—s in the Figure of the Body the mark of the value of its Soul Amongst Beasts they that are made of moist matter and are most earthly hang their heads most downward the Soul of a Hogg is earthiest being extended in the Body not to fit him for any handsome action but only serves as brine so keep him from putrefaction and his look also is most debased and dejected having his eyes under his belly as it were and his Nose is alwayes rooting in the Ground So that as Plutarch saith If he should be turned upon his back and constrained to see the Sky he would be amazed at the novelty of the sight If there be any sparke of ingenuity left in thee this consideration should move thee to mind Heaven more and the Earth less Is it not a shame that whilst the eyes of thy Body survey and peruse the Sky and glorious Lamps of Heaven the eyes of thy Soul should see nothing but dirt and dung Like the Kite which whilst she soares aloft hath her eye still upon Carrion that is cast out upon the Dunghill Or as Bernard speaks To have a crook-backt Soul in a straitbackt Body Lo this only have I found saith Solomon that God made man upright or strait both in body and mind Eccles 7.29 Is qui ficlitus est homo differt ab eo quem Deus fâ—cit Philo l. 1. legis Allegor but he hath sought out many inventions or fictions of his own That man which is fained differeth from him which God made saith Philo Man is made of himself a fained man it consisting in the fained invention of his own wayes And amongst all imaginary fictions there is none that doth discover more Beast in Man then this base sordid and covetous fiction Psal 49.6 11 12 17 20. 2 Pet. 2 12 14. Beasts they are that exercise themselves in covetous practises and such Beasts as are to be taken and destroyed whose throats are for the knife as the Hogg and Swine which Beast of all other the Worldling doth most resemble both for his feeding rooting and unprofitable living It is never good we say till the knife comes to the throat But we shall say no more at present of that Come we now to the more proper title belonging to this Man A Rich Man There are two sorts of rich men some rich in this World rich in Goods yet poor in Grace Others rich in reference to another World that are poor in this This the Apostle intimates 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that are rich in this World which the Apostle would not have said as Austin sheweth Aug. Serm. de temp if there were not some truly Rich that are not Rich in this World And our Saviour thuâ— distinguisheth of them in the Reddition of this Parable ver 21. of which we shall speak more in due place This Rich man here spoken of was a worldly Rich man And of these that are worldly Rich there are several degrees Some are Rich in Superfluity these are called in Scripture mighty men of Wealth as 2 Kings 15.20 and said to be men of great Estate Eccles 1.16 and to possesse multitude of Riches Psal 49.6 and to have abundance of them Psal 52.7 and great Revenues Prov. 16.8 Of this rank of rich men were those mentioned Luke 21.1 4. who out of their abundance cast in Gifts into the Treasury Others are Rich in Competency having enough not only for necessities of Nature but likewise to maintain their Place and State Quality and Calling a sufficiency they have of all Temporal Blessings albeit not that infinite and overflowing superabundance which the other have And of this rank those wealthy men may be thought to be who in the Gospel are called Rich Neighbours Luke 14.12 who being invited to a Feast are able to invite again And others there are who are rich in Mediocrity living in a golden mean between plenty and penury being neither eminently rich nor miserably poor the estate that Augur desired of God Prov. 30.8 9. These have a sufficiency whereby to subsist and to support themselves in regard of necessity of Life but sometimes in respect of the necessity and exigence of their state they may stand in need of their wealthy Neighbour who hath abundance and superfluity and borrow assistance and supportation from him at a pinch 1 Joh. 3.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby they may be upheld in their honest Course and Calling And to this rank may be referred those who have some small Cottage and Tenement of their own and a little Stock and an honest Calling to live by these enjoy the World's Good though not in such abundance as either of the former sorts and may be truly said to be rich for that they have wherewith to maintain themselves and theirs comfortably in that Calling and State of Life in which God hath set them This saith Seneca Pauper eâ—im non est cui rerum suppetit usus is the first degree of Riches To have what is necessary The next is To have what is enough The last To have superfluity and more then enough and of this rank was this rich man here mentioned Give me leave to stop a little and commend hence unto you this general Observation Doct. All men are not alike for outward estate Mens outward estates are so ordered by God's providence that some are rich and some poor And amongst the rich some are wealthier than other and of greater estate than others It is a Point that needs not much confirmation yet we shall produce a Text or two to back it 1 Sam. 2.7 8. The Lord maketh Poor and maketh Rich saith Hannah he bringeth low and raiseth up he raiseth up the Poor out of the Dust and lifteth up the Beggar from the Dunghill to set him amongst Princes and to make them inherit the Throne of Glory All this He doth So Prov. 22.2 The Rich and the Poor meet together The Lord is the Maker of them alt A difference in Estate there is betwixt men in this World yet the disparity is not such but that in many things they meet and are alike as in the Womb they meet being alike conceived formed and brought forth in Nature they meet being both reasonable Creatures consisting of Soul and Body in Life they meet both breathing the same Aire and nourished in the same manner they meet sometimes in the Church sometimes in the Street sometimes about this business sometimes about that and in God they meet He being the same Lord who giveth them both that Form and Shape that Nature and Life they have for he is the Maker of them all It is He and not their care and pains that hath made the Rich It is he and not their hard Fortune that hath made the Poor and that God who hath made all men can make any though never so distant in Condition yet to meet
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 Who shall separate us from the love of Gold shall Tribulation or Anguish or Persecution Rom. 8.35 36. or 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 Vse 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 'T is as if he should say Did I say that 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 Vse 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 hold 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