Satan’s Second Stratagem Defeated That viz. In Which He Represents The Christian’s breastplate as PREJUDICIAL TO HIS WORLDLY PROFITS 2/2

1. It is a great sin.The devil sure would tempt Christ to no small sin.  We find him, laying this gol­den bait before him, when he ‘showed him all the kingdoms of the world,’ and promised them all unto him, if he would ‘fall down and worship him,’ Luke 4:5-7.  What was the foul spirit's design in this demand, but to draw Christ to acknowledge him the lord of the world, and by worshipping him, to declare that he ex­pected the good things of the world, not from God, but him?  Now truly, every one that by unrighteous­ness seeks the world’s pelf, he goes to the devil for it, and doth in effect worship him.  He had as good speak out, and say he acknowledges not God, but the devil, to be lord of the world, and to have the dis­posing of it; for he doth what God interprets so. Now, how much better is it to have poverty from God, than riches from the devil?  Here is a daring sin with a witness, at one clasp to take away God’s sovereignty, and to bestow it upon the devil, to do what he pleases with the world!
2. It is a foolish sin.‘They that will be rich’ —that is, by right or wrong—‘fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish...lusts,’ I Tim. 6:9.  What greater folly than to play the thief to acquire that which is man's already?  If thou beest a saint, all is thine the world hath.  ‘Godliness’ hath the ‘promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come,’ I Tim. 4:8.  If riches be good for thee, thou shalt have them, for that is the tenure of temporal promises; and if it be not thought good by God—who is best able to judge—to pay thee the promise in specie—in kind, then another promise comes in for thy relief, which assures thee thou shalt have money-worth.  ‘Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,’ Heb. 13:5.  If God hath given thee riches, but calls thee to part with it for his name’s sake, then he gives thee his bond upon which thou mayest recover thy loss, with ‘a hundred-fold’ advantage ‘in this life,’ besides ‘eternal life in the world to come,’ Matt. 19:29.  And he is a fool, with witness, that parts with God’s promises, for any secur­ity the devil can give him.
3. Unrighteous gain will appear to be a dear bar­gain,from the heavy curse that cleaves unto it.  ‘The curse of God is in the house of the wicked,’ Prov. 3:33; but ‘in the house of the righteous is much treasure,’ Prov. 15:6.  You may come to the righteous man, and find, possibly, no money in his house, but you are sure to find ‘a treasure;’ whereas there is no treasure in the wicked man’s house when much gold and silver is to be found, because the curse of God eats up all his gains.  God’s fork follows the wicked's rake.  It is most righteous for him to scatter what such gather by unrighteousness.  They are said therefore, to ‘consult shame to their house,...for the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it,’ Hab. 2:10, 11.  O who that prizeth the comfort of his life would, though for tons of gold, live in a house thus haunted!—where the cry of his unrighteousness follows him into every room he goes, and he doth, as it were, hear the stones and beams of his house groaning under the weight of his sin that laid them there!  Yea, so hateful is this sin to the righteous Lord, that not only they who purse up the gain thus got are cursed by him, but also the instruments such use to advance their unrighteous projects.  The poor servant, that to curry favour with his master, advan­ceth his estate by fraud and unrighteousness, God threatens to pay him his wages.  ‘I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit,’ Zeph. 1:9.  This is spoken of either servants standing at the door to hook in customers they may cheat; or else of great men’s officers that came with absolute power into men’s houses to take by violence from them what they pleased; these, though their masters pocketed the gain, shall be punished—their masters as the great devourers, and they as their sharks to seek and pro­vide prey for them.

Satan’s Second Stratagem Defeated That viz. In Which He Represents The Christian’s breastplate as PREJUDICIAL TO HIS WORLDLY PROFITS 1/2

          

 Second Stratagem.  Satan endeavours to make the Christian throw away his breastplate, by present­ing it as prejudicial to his worldly profits.  If thou didst not stumble at the former stone, the devil hath another at hand to throw in thy way.  He is not so un­skilful a fowler as to go with one single shot into the field; and therefore expect him, as soon as he hath discharged one and missed thee, to let fly at thee with a second, and tell thee, ‘This holy life and righteous walking thou hadst best never meddle with, except thou meanest to undo thyself, and all that depend on thee.  Look upon the rich and great men in the world, how dost thou think these heap together such vast estates, and raised their families to such dignity and grandeur in their places? was it by their righteousness and holiness?  Alas! if they had been so strait-laced in their consciences as thou must be, if thou tiest thyself up to the rules of a holy life, they had never come to so good a market for this world as they have done; and if thou wilt thrive with them thou must do as they have done—throw off this breastplate of righteous­ness quite, or unbuckle it, that it may hang loose enough, to turn aside when an advantage is offered, or else you may shut up your shop‑windows, and give over your trade, for all you are like to get at year’s end.’  To defend thee, Christian, against this assault, take these few considerations, from which it will not be hard to draw an answer that will stop the mouth of this objection.

           Answer First.  Consider, it is not necessary that thou shouldst be rich, but  it is necessary that thou shouldst be holy, if thou meanest to be happy.  You may travel to heaven with never a penny in you purse, but not without holiness in your heart and life also.  And wisdom bids thee first attend to that which is of greatest necessity.

           Answer Second.  Heaven is worth the having, though thou goest poor and ragged, yea, naked thither.  There are some in the world that will accept God's offer thankfully, may they be admitted into that glorious city, though God doth not bribe them, and toll them along thither with great estates here.  And therefore, for shame, resolve to be holy at all peradventures.  Do not stand indenting with God for that, which if you were actually possessed of, and loved him, you would leave, and throw at your heels with scorn, rather than part with him.

           Answer Third.  A little of the world will give thee content, if holiness be kept in its power, as few clothes will serve a hale strong man.  And better is the warmth that comes from blood and spirits within, than that from a load of clothes without.  Better, I trow, the content which godliness gives the Christian in his poverty, than the content—if there be such a thing in the world—which the rich man hath from his wealth.  ‘Godliness with contentment is great gain.’ The holy person is the only contented man in the world.  Paul tells us he had 'learned in whatsoever state he was therewith to be content,’ Php. 4:11.  But if you ask him who was his master that taught him this hard lesson, he will tell you, he had it not by sitting at Gamaliel’s feet, but Christ’s.  ‘I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me,’ ver .13. What the philosopher said is a brag, that the holy soul, in truth and soberness, can say through Christ, when he is lowest and poorest, that his heart and condition are matches.  We would count him a happy man—stilo mundi, after the fashion of the world—that can live of himself without trading or borrowing; or that, when he would buy or purchase, hath ready cash for the purpose in his coffers; when he would indulge his fanciful appetite with varieties, hath all the rarities the several elements can afford within his own pale, and needs not to send abroad to this market and that for provision.  Godliness is so rich a con­tinent, that it is able to maintain the Christian of its own growth, as I may say, and out of its own store, with all that his gracious heart can desire, without begging at the creature’s door, and hazarding unworthily his holi­ness to attain.

           Answer Fourth.  Consider what a dear bargain they have who part with or pawn their breastplate of righteousness for the world’s riches.  This will appear, 1. In the sin.  2. In the heavy curse that treads upon the heels of that sin.