All earthly things are to be accounted good or evil, only as they concern our eternal state and condition.
You will be greatly deceived if you look upon earthly things as they appear in themselves.
Then you will call prosperity, and riches and worldly abundance good things.
Then you will call poverty and affliction evil things.
But consider these things as they relate to eternity, and then poverty may be a mercy, and riches may be a judgment! God may bless you by afflictions, and curse you by prosperity! He may bestow more upon you in allowing you to lack these things, than if He gave all the world's abundance to you.
It may be that prosperity may puff up your soul, and make it grow more estranged from God.
It may be that adversity may humble you, and bring your soul the nearer unto God, and so conduce more to the eternal good of your soul. Adversity, in this case, is good; and not prosperity.
This present life is nothing but a preparation for eternity. All that we here do, or receive, or suffer is in order to eternity; and, therefore, all must be measured by eternity.
That is good, which tends to our everlasting happiness be it poverty or misery. Whatever it is that increases our grace,
that augments the stock of our heavenly treasure,
that promotes the everlasting salvation of our souls that alone is to be esteemed by us as good.
What folly is it for men to roll and wallow in the profits and pleasures of this world, and hug them as good things when indeed they are only snares and traps to their souls; and are only given to fatten them for the day of slaughter; and may every moment deliver them up to an eternity of torments, which will be fearfully heightened and enraged by the enjoyment of these things that they account good things!
Abraham tells Dives that in his lifetime he received his good things; and Lazarus received his evil things. This is a strange providence of God to bestow good things upon a hated Dives, and to inflict evil things upon a beloved Lazarus!
But read on! Luke 16:25, But now Lazarus is comforted, and Dives is tormented. Oh, never call Dives' expensive and delicious fare, good things for these end in eternal torment! Never call Lazarus' sores and rags, evil things for these end in everlasting comfort!
"No!" might Dives have replied with horror, "When I was clothed in purple and fine linen, I then received evil things! O cursed be all my pomp and riches! I see now the end of my purple linen it was but to wrap me up in redder flames. My sumptuous fare served only to make the never-dying worm the more to feed on me! Oh, happy was the poverty of Lazarus, for he awakened in ease and happiness in Heaven. Then he was the truly happy one, and not I; though I thought myself so. For though I received an abundant measure of worldly things, yet I received no really good things."
This, within a short time, will be the judgment of all of you, when you come to be judged and sentenced to an unalterable condition for all eternity! Oh, therefore, be persuaded to pass the same judgment upon earthly things now.
Hence, if God denies any worldly enjoyment to His redeemed people, He denies it because it is not really good for them; because it will not conduce to their eternal happiness, which is the only rule and measure of earthly things.
Psalm 84:11, "The Lord gives grace and glory. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly."
If God withholds anything from you, then you may conclude that it is not a good thing for you to have; but that it would be harmful to grace or glory, had God bestowed it upon you. Will you desire to diminish the least degree of grace or glory for the greatest accumulation of worldly enjoyments? If you would, you have never yet made grace or glory your treasure!
[Ezekiel Hopkins]
ƸӜƷ•°*”˜˜”*°•.ƸӜƷ✫...•°*”˜˜”*°•.ƸӜƷ✫...•°*”˜˜”*°•.ƸӜƷ✫
