Riches

Revised April 21/19…April 24/19…May 7/19…Sept 1/19(this segment is noted in the body)…
“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.” (Samuel Adams)

Matthew 6:24 KJV
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

I will endeavor to keep this particular post updated. I have been adding to this collection of quotes over the years.
“Augustine upon Ps. 12 brings in God rebuking a discontented Christian Thus: What is thy faith? Have I promised thee these things? What! Wert thou made a Christian that thou shouldst flourish here in this world?” (Thomas Brooks, Precious Remedies against Satan’s Devices, p. 161 Puritan Paperbacks)
“Doct. III – The Lord cares little for the world…; and we value it much…1st…He had not where to lay his head; and sometimes he could not command a drink of water therein…2nd, He usually gives least of it to His dear friends and followers…3rd, The Lord has given considerable portion of the world unto His avowed enemies, who fight against Him, and improve it against Him.” (William Guthrie, Sermons in times of persecution in Scotland, SWRB, p. 98)
“It is said, Gen 18:2, ‘That Abraham was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold; according to the Hebrew, Abraham was ‘very heavy’; to shew, saith one, that riches are a heavy burden, and a hindrance many times to a Christian’s comfort and confidence, to his happiness and assurance. Solomon got more hurt by his wealth, than he got good by his wisdom. Such a fire rose out of his worldly enjoyments, as did even consume and burn up his choicest spirits and noblest virtues; under all his royal robes, he had but a thread-bare soul. Sicily, saith one, is so full of sweet flowers, that dogs cannot hunt there, the scent of the sweet flowers diverteth their smell. And ah! what doth all the sweet delights and contents of this world, but make men lose the scent of heaven, but divert men from hunting after assurance, and from running after Christ, in the sweetness of his ointments.” (Thomas Brooks, Heaven on Earth, Puritan Paper backs, p. 115)
“The promises of giving Christ, of giving the Spirit, of giving a new heart, and of pardoning and blotting out sin, are all absolute promises. Now God is free to make good these to whom he pleases; therefore he often passes over the rich and chooses the poor; the learned, and chooses the ignorant; the strong, and chooses the weak; the noble, and chooses the ignoble; the sweet nature, and chooses the rugged nature, & c., that no flesh may glory, and that all may shout out, Grace, grace! 1Cor 1:25-29.” (Thomas Brooks, Heaven on Earth, Puritan Paper backs, p. 154, 155)
I read one divine say that God’s children do not normally flourish in their trade. They are underdogs. Those are not his exact words, but that is the gist of what he said. In contrast, I once was told by a prosperous Christian, who was very intelligent and had a large library of reformed books, that Christians should be at the top of their profession. He was looking down on me with disdain over the fact I was married, had children, but was suffering persecution in my trade. It seems to me, we are too often looking to the prosperity of Pr 16:7. It is true that God does give favor to his people among the wicked, but is it universally given to all Christians in all times in the same way? What about the Martyrs? Where they not favored by God? Did they not please the Lord? What of those who suffer persecution in our day and generation? Are they not pleasing to the Lord? Richard Cameron said, “I hardly know a worse mark of a man or woman than this, that they are not a prey…Those who are free to buy or sell, to go to kirk or market, have their freedom at a dear rate…They have many of our Lord’s servants both men and women in prison, and all according to their law. Well, we must not take it ill that it is so. You see there is no strange thing happened unto us, but what hath befallen many. Such things have befallen the Church before. And the Lord hath warned us not only in general— “If any man come unto me, he must deny himself and take up his cross; and through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of heaven”—(Richard Cameron, Lion of the Covenant, Sermon 5, Sermons in Times of Persecution, SWRB, p.445)
“I defy a man to keep his house without sinful terms and temptations. If ye would quit all for Christ, He would return us all, and give us as much as we had, and twice as good and more. Amen.” “—(Richard Cameron, Lion of the Covenant, Sermon 2, Sermons in Times of Persecution, SWRB, p.417, 418)
The devil in America is a figment of your imagination, according to the Worldly men. Ask Flip Wilson. They wish for us to beleive this Flip Wilson devil sees the fence of pluralism as a super natural barrier he may not pass, and so he leaves Christian’s alone in N America… so they can flourish right along side wicked men in brotherhood fashion in perfect harmony. The pluralistic fence is like the Hocus pocus Roman Catholic cross that supposedly even demons tremble at and run from. Once you have bought into this rubbish, the devil, the world, and your soft flesh, has won the battle. It’s over. You’ve been conquered…unless you repent of embracing this lie. I have a book “Stories of the Covenanters in Scotland” by Sprinkle Publications, that tells the story of Helen of the Glen. Her mother is shot in front of her by Duncan Wrathburn, a trooper (dragoon) who commanded her to take the Test (to abjure the coventicles), or else he would blow her brains out on the spot in front of her Children. In this amazing true story, Helen, as a young lady/girl, keeps with the persecuted people of God in the field meetings, that are illegal. Her brother goes into town where he finds work and attends legal Church. He follows the money, you might say, but the story tells of how his path led to spiritual poverty. Thankfully, he eventually joins his sister with the faithful persecuted who are forced into the wilderness. Recently while studying Revelation 20, and the subject of satan being bound, I pondered upon the Western mindset of the devil. He is not some figment of our imagination, as Flip Wilson would have us think. Flip mocks God by mocking the idea of there being a devil. Flip’s mindset has infected the Western Church so that we do not have a proper mindset of the devil, as Brazilian Christians do (I heard that from Neil T. Anderson recently…at the 2:45 min mark of this clip he notes the 85% of Brazilians are practicing spiritists). The devil is as evil here in the West in 2019, as he was when Helen of the glen’s mother was shoot in Scotland. His tactics differ here, but if you stand against his strategy here and now in the West, do you not think Cameron’s warnings are fitting for us? I most certainly do, and experience tells me this pluralism freedom of religion, is nothing but a Trojan Horse to let all manner of wickedness destroy society with idolatry. And if you oppose the god’s satan has set up…Pluralism…materialism…Hedonism…in an EFFECTIVE way that threatens these idols from governing society…then you are now a target. So, the fact that most Christians think we are automatically guaranteed safe passage to provide for our own here and now in the West…is wrong. Here, too…now…in our day….we may lose houses and wives and children for Jesus sake. How many Christians do you know here in the West that suffer this kind of persecution? Most of the Churches I attend are full of people WELL looked after, materially speaking. I don’t see homeless people in the Churches, hardly ever. In the story of Helen of the Glen, she may be likened to the suffering people of God today, who are homeless and have lost houses, wives, children. Brother Yun, in the Heavenly Man, when attacked with slander in Canada, said, “Persecution in China is beatings or imprisonment. In the West persecution is by the words of other Christians. THIS NEW KIND OF PERSECUTION IS NO EASIER THAN PHYSICAL PERSECUTION IN CHINA.” (Ch 26 at the 6min 20 sec mark of Audible version THE HEAVENLY MAN). Read from his book or listen the audio version, and take in the whole chapter, and you will see the INTENSE spiritual battle brother Yun experienced in Canada. The Christians in the West, in general, not always, who have houses and wives and children, may be likened to Helen’s brother, before he wised up and joined his sister in the field meetings. Like I said, these are general truths. I urge you, brother or sister, to prayerfully examine where you are at. Ask God to search your heart (Ps 139)…because I honestly can tell you that a lot more of us are infected with the contagion of materialism than we think! Jesus said in Matt 6…²⁴ No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (this paragraph was inserted Sept 1/19; and revised Sept 13/20).

“It is the rich that are like to be sent empty away. Those who justify themselves, and are pure in their own eyes, and say they are rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing, may find, when it is too late to remedy it, that they are poor & need everything;” (James Janeway, The saints Encouragement, Soli Deo Gloria, p. 11)
See Christopher Love’s sermons # 8, and 9 on Ps 42:11 (The Dejected Souls Cure, Soli Deo Gloria, 2001)
Re godly rich men, see Thomas Manton’s 56th sermon on Heb 11:22, p. 575, 576, published by Banner of Truth
For an excellent sermon on the dangers and as well the goodness of prosperity see Richard Rodgers 10th sermon on Judges 2:1. Therein he instructs on the good use of money, how to counter pride in prosperity, that it is rare to use money for good.
See “The Life of John Calvin,” by Theodore Beza @ the end of the section entitled “The Will of John Calvin.” Calvin was very temperate, and kept his body in subjection. He purposefully kept himself moderate and declined a lucrative stipend.
See Sermons in Times of Persecution, Donald Cargill, sermon 9, on Hos 2:6, for an antidote to the prosperity gospel.
See Spurgeon’s checkbook of faith on Deuteronomy 28 verse 5 “When the Lord entertained his favored people he only gave them a day’s Mana at a time. What more did they need? What more do we need?”
Mark 10:28 KJV
Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
Regarding leaving wives, children, houses, lands, trades, jobs…see John Welwood’s sermon in Times of Persecution on 1st Peter 4 verse 18 page 361 and 368 (Still Waters Revival Books)…excerpts are cited in the margin of Proverbs 16 verse 7 of my Bible. ”’They say that for a work of reformation they will lose all that they have and think ye that a rational deed? I am called to act rationally,’ say the men of the world, ‘and that were an irrational act to leave my wife and children.’ But wilt thou tell me wise man, where thou learnedst thy wisdom? I will not give a four penny-pence for thy owning the Covenant, for you will say one thing for it this year and another thing contrary to it the next. But for my part I think no wonder that these who are not true to God will never be true to a covenant of man either. But our Master commands you to cut off…” right-hand Idol’s (Mark 9 verse 43)(Michael Bruce Sermons in Times of Persecution page 330 sermon on Mark 9 verse 43)
Proverbs 16:7 KJV
When a man’s ways please the Lord , he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
See John welwood sermon in Times of Persecution page 361 “Many think they will live at ease in Zion and others think they will be wise and keep a whole skin and keep Estates, lands, trades, &c.” See also page 368, “If he should lose Health, means, wife, & children, and be troubled everyday, and yet get to heaven at last, it is well.” See also top of page 372, Ibid.
See also Thomas Brooks work, Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices (page 203).
1 Timothy 5:8 KJV
But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
See Michael Bruce’s sermon to on Psalm 119 verse 133 in Sermons of Times of Persecution, page 316. “…but all your care is to provide for your house and Families …you that have broken God’s law for them that you might abide with them, you have done what you could to take the favor from them of Him Who provideth both for them and you.”
Luke 9:23 KJV
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
“It is our soft and lazy flesh that hath raised an ill report of the Cross of Christ. O sweet, sweet is His yolk! Christ’s chains are of pure gold; sufferings for Him are perfumed. I would not give my weeping for the laughing of all the 14 Prelates; I would not exchange my sadness with the world’s Joy.” Samuel Rutherford’s Letters, (CLXI)(161).
Psalm 105:25 KJV
He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants.
Amos 6:1 KJV
Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!
See John Welwood’s, 4th sermon in Sermons and Times of Persecution on 1st Peter 4 verse 18 “…and can carry handsomely in troubles.”
Matthew 5:10 KJV
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“I tell you ease is never good for the church and people of God, for they thrive still best under the saddest persecution. It hath been the experience of the church and people of God in all ages. ( I believe it was in brother Yun’s biography The Heavenly Man, where the Chinese Church told the western church that our riches are hurting us…CES) Worthy David did a bad turn one morning with his ease. It had been better for him that he had been in the field all night. He not only committed adultery and murder that morning, but thought to have fathered his ill begotten child upon worthy Uriah.” (Alexander Peden, Sermons in Times of Persecution, Still Waters Revival Books, page 569 sermon 2, Luke 24 verse 21)
The Prosperity gospel is a disease which infects the True Church in the Western world today. I think this spawns heretics like Joel Ostein, and we are so focused at pointing the finger at him, when the root of the problem is in our very own midst. The prosperity gospel frowns on the hardships of the Christian life. Any teaching that properly comes from God‘s word on suffering is slanderously given derogatory labels, like worm theology. The prosperity gospel may give a very brief acknowledgment to Christian suffering, but in practice it is practically totally forgotten that Christ calls his disciples to loose their lives, and that they will suffer persecution in this life if they wish to live godly lives. Lets be honest, where do we hear preaching and see Christian living of the sort John Brown here describes, who says, ‘ …they are oft so borne down with discouragement, because of the strength of opposition which they meet with on all hands…that they have neither heart nor hand…and cannot go through difficulties, but oftentimes lie by…Yea, many times they are as dead men, led captive in chains of unbelief and corruptions, as we see David was, when his heart panted, and his strength failed him, and the light of his eyes were gone from him, Ps 38:10…many times the frequent changes, and ups and downs they meet with, take all courage and heart from them, that they become like tossed at sea, so as they have no more strength. And many such things befall them, which make them look as dead, and to stand in need of quickening, reviving and strengthening cordials form him who is the life. And thus the lord thinketh good to dispense with his own people.” (John Brown, Christ the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Soli Deo Gloria, 1995 p 254,255) I love Mr. Brown, because not only does he strengthen the weak and persecuted by teaching the truth that it is typical for Christians to suffer this way, but he also shows the remedy. “They should eye and act faith upon the promises of assistance and through-bearing, in the day of calamity; such as those–Isa. 43:2, ‘When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when though walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt;; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.’ And Isaiah 40:13, ‘For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, fear not, I will help thee.’ And particularly they would eye the promises of light in the day of darkness, Isaiah 58:8,10; 60:20;2Sam22:29.” (John Brown, Christ the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Soli Deo Gloria, 1995 p 222)
Are satan, the world, and the flesh more friendly to the Christian faith and Church in our day then in Nero’s day, when Christians were slaughtered and crucified routinely? How come we have it so easy today? Why is there so little talk of persecution in the western democratic freedom of religion world? Is it because we have become a bunch of frogs cooking in a giant pot of prosperity, and so the devil is leaving us alone? If a frog jumps out of that pot and warns the other frogs to jump out too, will the frog warning the others not be exposed to enemy fire (2Tim 3:12)? Why does it seem so many frogs would rather stay in the warm sauna? Why is our society declining morally, if the Church is doing her job? What is different in our day than in Calvin’s Geneva?

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4. How are God’s works profaned and abused?God’s works are profaned and abused —
A. When persons pamper their flesh, gratify their lusts, and are intemperate in their use of God’s creatures. “Let us walk honestly as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”— Rom. 13:13, 14. 2. When, in prosperity, persons are forgetful of God, unthankful for mercies, and indulge themselves the more in sin, because of God’s patience and bounty. “They were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.”— Hos. 13:6. “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance? But, after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath,” &c.— Rom. 2:4, 5.

http://www.shortercatechism.com/resources/vincent/wsc_vi_055.html

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Charles Spurgeon Check Book of Faith

May 6

Cure for Envy

Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cast off. (Proverbs 23:17-18)

When we see the wicked prosper we are apt to envy them. When we hear the noise of their mirth and our own spirit is heavy, we half think that they have the best of it. This is foolish and sinful. If we knew them better, and specially if we remembered their end, we should pity them.

The cure for envy lies in living under a constant sense of the divine presence, worshiping God and communing with Him all the day long, however long the day may seem. True religion lifts the soul into a higher region, where the judgment becomes more clear and the desires are more elevated. The more of heaven there is in our lives, the less of earth we shall covet. The fear of God casts out envy of men.

The deathblow of envy is a calm consideration of the future. The wealth and glory of the ungodly are a vain show. This pompous appearance flashes out for an hour and then is extinguished. What is the prosperous sinner the better for his prosperity when judgment overtakes him? As for the godly man, his end is peace and blessedness, and none can rob him of his joy; wherefore, let him forgo envy and be filled with sweet content.