Eccl. ix. 16. The poor man's wisdom is despised. Ver. 16. And his words are not heard. Prov. xxii. 7. The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. xviii. 23. The poor useth intreaties, but the rich answereth roughly. CCIX. Trusting in riches and abusing them, the sin of the wicked, and avoided by the good. Job xxxi. 24. If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold thou art my confidence. Ver. 25. If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much. Ver. 28. I should have denied the God that is above. Ps. xlix. 6. They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches. Ver. 7. None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him. Ver. viii. 14. lii. 5. God shall destroy thee for ever. Ver. 7. Lo this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches. lxii. 10. If riches increase, set not your heart upon them. Prov. xi. 28. He that trusteth in his riches shall fall. x. 15. The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and a high wall in his own conceit. Chap. xviii. 11. xxvii. 11. The rich man is wise in his own conceit. Jer. ix. 23. Thus saith the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches. Mark x. 24. How hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! Ver. 25. 1 Tim. vi. 17. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who giveth us rickly all things to enjoy. James ii. 6. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seat? CCX. Riches take the heart and thoughts off from God and religion. Deut. viii. 12. Beware lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and when thy herds and thy flocks are multiplied, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, then thine heart be lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God, and thou say in thine heart, my power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. Ver. 13, 14, 17, 18. xxxii. 13. The Lord made Jacob ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields, and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock. Ver 14. Butter of kine and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat, and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape. Ver. 15. But Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked; thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the rock of his salva tion. Hos. ii. 8. She did not know that I gave her corn and wine and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold. Hos. ii. 9. Therefore will I return and take away my corn, &c. Ezek. xvi. 6 to 20. Amos viii. 5. The wicked say when will the Sabbath be gone, that we inay set forth wheat. Matt. viii. 31. Those who lost their swine entreated Jesus to depart out of their coasts. xiii. 22. The cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choak the word, and he becometh unfruitful. xix. 21. Jesus said to the young man, if thou wilt be perfect, go sell that thou hast and give to the poor, and thou shall have treasure in heaven, and come and follow me. Ver. 22. When the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Ver. 24. Jesus said, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Mark x. 23, 24. xxii. 2. Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king which made a marriage for his son; Ver. 3. And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding, and they would not come. Ver. 5. They made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise. Luke xiv. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Luke xvi. 14. The Pharisees, who were covetous, heard these things spoken by Christ against covetousness, and derided him. Acts vi. 18. Those who lost their worldly gain by Paul's casting out a spirit of divination, raise a tumult against him. xix. 24. Demetrius and his craftsmen do the same, for his preaching against idolatry by which they had their wealth. 2 Cor. iv. 4. Satan is called the god of this world. Luke v. 4. He tempted Christ with riches to worship him. Phil. iii. 19. The wicked whose end is destruction, mind earthly things. 1 Tim. vi. 10. The love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after they have erred from the faith. 2 Tim. iv. 10. Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world. James iv. 4. Whosoever will be the friend of the world is the enemy of God. 1 John iv. 4. They are of the world, therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. See Prov. xxx. 9. Hab. i. 16. CCXI. The wicked rich man, his portion. Job xx. 15. He hath swallowed down riches, and shall vomit them up again, God shall cast them out of his belly. xxvii. 16. Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay. Hab. ii. 6. Ver. 17. He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver. Ver. 19. The rich man shall lie down but he shall not be gathered, he openeth his eyes and he is not. Ver. 20, 23. Ps. xvii. 14. O Lord deliver my soul from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure. Ps. xxxix. 6. He heapeth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather them. lxxiii. 3. I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. **: Ver. 7. Their eyes stand out with fatness, they have more than their hearts could wish. Ver. 12. These are the ungodly, they prosper in the world, they increase in riches. Ver. 17. I went into the sanctuary of God, then I understood their end. Ver. 18. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places, thou castedst them down into destruction. Ps. xxxvii. 1. Job xxi. 7, Jer. xii. 1. Hab. i. 4. Luke vi. 24. Woe unto you that are rich, for ye have received your consolation. xvi. 19. A rich man clothed in purple and fine linen, fared sump-' tuously every day. Ver. 22. He died. Ver. 23. In hell he lift up his eyes being in torment, &c. Jam. i. 10. As the flower of the grass, the rich man shall fade away. v. 1. Ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Ver. 2. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth caten. James v. 3. Your gold and silver is cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire, ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. See Rev. vi. 15.xviii. 3, 8, 17. Eccl. xi. 9 THE USE OF RICHES. CCXII. The use of riches in the hands of a wise and good man toward himself. Eccl. iii. 12. There is no good in them but for a man to rejoice and do good in his life. Eccl. v. 18. Behold that which I have seen, it is good and comely, for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun, all the days of his life, which God giveth him, for it is his portion. Ver. 19. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour, this is the gift of God. Ver. 20. For he shall not much remember the days of his life, because God answereth him in the joy of his heart. Chap. ii. 24.—iii. 13.-viii. 15. For the other uses which riches answer, see in Commandment 5th, duties of parents towards children, and of people toward ministers ; and Commandment 8th, duties of the rich. CCXIII. God maketh rich. Deut. viii. 18. The Lord thy God it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth. 1 Sam. ii. 7. The Lord maketh poor, and he maketh rich. 1 Kings iii. 13. The Lord said to Solomon, I have given thee both riches and honour. 1 Chron. xxix. 12. Solomon said to God, both riches and honour come of thee. Job. i. 21. Job said, the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. Prov. x. 22. The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. Eccl. ii. 26. God giveth to a man that is good in his sight, wisdom and knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner he giveth travel, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. Chap. iii. 13. See Gen. xxiv. 35. CCXIV. Riches promised to the righteous. Ps. cxii. 2. The generation of the upright shall be blessed. Ver. 3. Wealth and riches shall be in his house. Prov. iii. 16. Length of days is in wisdom's right hand, and in her left hand, riches and honour. Chap. viii. 18, 19.—xxii. 4.—xxiv. 3, 4. xv. 6. In the house of the righteous is much treasure, but in the revenues of the wicked is much trouble. xxii. 4. By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honour, and life. CCXV. Instances of good men that were rich. Abram, Gen. xiii. 2. Lot, Gen. xiii. 5. Isaac, Gen. xxvi. 12, 13, 14. Jacob, Gen. xxx. 43.-xxxvi. 7. David, 1 Chron. xxix. 28. Solomon, 1 Kings iii. 13. -x. 23. Eccl. ii. 4 to 10. Job, Chap. i. 3. Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. xvii. 5. Hezekiah, 2 Chron. xxxii. 17 to 31. CCXVI. Instances of riches not regarded by good men. Gen. xiv. 21. The king of Sodom said to Abram, give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. Ver. 23. Abram said, I will not take any thing that is thine. xxviii. 20. Jacob said, if God will be with me and keep me in the way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God. 1 King iii. 11. Solomon asked wisdom, and not riches. Prov. xxx. 8. Agar prayed, give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with food convenient for me. Ver. 9. Lest I be rich and deny thee, and say who is the Lord, or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. Gal. vi. 14. Paul said, the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. CCXVII. Those things that are necessary for the support of man's life, promised to the righteous. Food promised. Gen. i. 29. God said, behold I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed, to you it shall be for meat. ix. 3. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you, even as the green herb have I given you all things. Exod. xxiii. 25. Serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread and thy water. Deut. vii. 12. If ye hearken to these judgments and keep and do thein, Ver. 13. The Lord thy God will bless the fruit of thy land, thy corn and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Ver. 14. Iɛa. xxx. 23. Deut. viii. 7. The Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of the vallies and hills. Deut. viii. 8. A land of wheat and barley, and vines, and fig-trees, and pomegranates, a land of oil and honey. Ver. 9. A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it, a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. Ver. 10. When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord, for the good land which he hath given thee. Deut. xi. 13. If you shall hearken diligently unto my commandments, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, Ver. 14. I will give you the rain of your land in due season, the first rain and the latter rain that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. Ver. 15. I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full. Deut. xxviii. 2. If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. Ver. 3. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou De in the field. Ver. 4. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, and the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Ver. 5. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Ver. 8. The Lord will command his blessing upon thee in thy store houses. Ver. 12. The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand, and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. Chap. xxx. 9.—xxxiii. 28. Isa. xxx. 23. Ruth i. 6. The Lord hath visited his people in giving them bread. Ps. xxiii. 1. The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want. Ver. 5. Thou preparest a table for me, my cup runneth over. xxxiv. 9. There is no want to them that fear God. Ver. 10. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. xxxvii. 3. Trust in the Lord and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Ver. 16. A little that a righteous man hath, is better than the riches of many wicked. Prov. xvi. 8. Ver. 25. I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. cvii. 38. He blesseth them, so that they are multiplied greatly, and suffereth not their cattle to decrease. cxi. 5. He hath given meat unto them that fear him, he will ever be mindful of his covenant. cxxviii. 1. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord, and that walketh in his ways. Ver. 2. Thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands, happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. |