PART I. SERMON VII. 105 his disciples ; whether theydurst venture to exchange the present world, and the visible enjoyments of it, for glories future and invisible ? It was proper he should try whether they could deny themselves, and become poor for his sake, who made him- self poor for their sakes, and promised them unknown treasures in heaven. Bet the test proved too severe, and the gate too strait for this,young man, with all the bulk of his estate to enter in at it, Well might the apostle teach Timothy, the young preacher, to charge them that are rich in this world, not to trust in uncertain riches, but to dogoodto thepoor, to distribute, to theneedy, that they might lay up in store for themselves agood foundationagainst the time to come; .1 Tim. vi. 17, &c. because'men are so ready to think that a store of gold is a good foundation to trust in for hap- piness here, and forgethereafter. Well might he admonish them to lay holdon eternal life, because they are so ready tohold their money fast, though they let eternal life go. They that have much, are 'often greedy of more, and thereby fall into tempta- tions and snares, into many fòolish andìiurtf idlusts, that drown men in perdition: for the love of money is the root of all evil; which, while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, have forsaken Christ, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows; ver. 9, 10. Shall I takeoccasion here to put the-rich in mind of their danger, and intreat them to watch against the shining allurement that besets them around ? Have . a care lest your eyes be dazzled with this glitteringworld, and blinded to the gospel of ' Christ : and shall I comfort the poor, by telling themtheir privi- lege, how much morefree they are from this golden snare ? You have beenused to meanness and poverty, therefore we may hope that the plainness andsimplicity of the gospel will not offend you : -that the doctrine of the cross, and the poverty of theMan of Na- zareth, whohung upon it for your sakes, will not be a scandal to your thoughts, nor a bar tò your faith. In the days of Christ, the poor received the gospel; and-not many rich, and not many mighty, have in any age been the followeres of a despised Jesus. O may the rich in this assembly be led by divine grace to break through all their temptations, and attend their Saviour, though his name, and his disciples here on earth be sur- rounded with all, the forms of contempt and poverty! And may the meaner hearers improve their 'advantage, and take up theircross, and follow their Lord, till they are all joined to the glorious assembly above, and made possessors of everlasting riches ! Amen.
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