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PROSPERITY OF SINNERS NOT TO BE ENVIED
TO unenlightened man, there are numberless things in the dispensations of Providence altogether dark and inexplicable: it is the light of Revelation only that enables us to form any just notions respecting them. Moreover, after that men are enlightened, they still are liable to be disconcerted and perplexed by the events which daily occur, in proportion as they lean to their own understandings, and neglect to avail themselves of the means which are afforded them for the regulation of their judgment. Nor has Satan any more powerful instruments wherewith to assault the minds of Believers, than those which he derives from this source. The temptation with which he assaulted our first parents in Paradise, was furnished by the prohibition which God had given them to eat of a certain tree; “Hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” insinuating, that such a prohibition could never have proceeded from a God of love. In like manner, if God have seen fit to deny his people any particular comfort which he has vouchsafed to others, or suffered them to be afflicted in any respect more than others, Satan suggests to their minds, How can these dispensations consist with his professed regard for you as his own peculiar people? Thus their subtle adversary would instil into their minds hard thoughts of God, and a distrust of his providential care. It was in this way that he assaulted the author of the psalm before us, and caused him almost to renounce his confidence in God. The Psalmist himself (whether it were Asaph, or David, we cannot certainly declare) tells us, how nearly he was overcome by this temptation: “As for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped: for I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” He proceeds more fully to state the difficulty with which his mind was harassed, and the way in which the snare was broken: and as the subject is of universal interest, we will draw your attention to it, by stating,
I. The difficulty—
It is frequently seen that the wicked prosper, whilst the godly are grievously oppressed—
[The godly are for the most part “a poor and afflicted people [Note: Zep_3:12.].” They are objects of hatred and contempt to an ungodly world [Note: Joh_15:19.], and they suffer much from the unkind treatment which they meet with [Note: 2Ti_3:12.]. Not unfrequently, “their greatest foes are those of their own household.” From the hand of God also they receive many strokes of fatherly correction, from which the avowed enemies of God are in great measure exempt [Note: Heb_12:6-8.]. It is necessary also, with a view to the accomplishment of God’s purpose of love towards them, that they should, for the most part, “be in heaviness through manifold temptations [Note: 1Pe_1:6.].”
The wicked, on the contrary, frequently pass through life without any particular trials [Note: ver. 4, 5.]: having nothing to humble them, they are lifted up with pride, (which they glory in as their brightest ornament [Note: Dan_5:29. with ver. 6.];) and are encompassed with violence, as their daily habit: they gratify their sensual appetites, “till their eyes stand out with fatness [Note: ver. 7.]:” they despise all restraint, whether human or divine [Note: ver. 8, 9. Mark the language of ver. 9.]; and even atheistically question, Whether God notices and regards the conduct of his creatures [Note: ver. 11.]. These are the persons who generally get forward in life, and engross to themselves the wealth and honours of a corrupt world. Doubtless, in countries where the rights of individuals are secured by just laws and a righteous administration, this inequality will be less apparent, than in places, where there is more scope afforded for the unrestrained exercise of fraud and violence: but in every place there is ample evidence, that worldly prosperity is the attainment, not of spiritual, but of carnal minds — — —]
This, to the carnal mind, presents a difficulty not easy to be explained—
[There is in the mind of man a general idea that the Governor of the universe will testify by his present dispensations his love for virtue, and his hatred of iniquity. The friends of Job carried this notion so far, that, without any other evidence than what arose from his peculiar trials, they concluded, that he must of necessity have been a hypocrite and deceiver, whom justice at last had visibly overtaken. Nor could Job himself understand, how it should be, that the prosperity of the wicked should be so great, whilst he, who had walked in his integrity, was so overwhelmed with troubles [Note: Job_21:7-13.]. Even the Prophet Jeremiah, who might be supposed to have a deeper insight into divine truth than Job, was stumbled at the same thing [Note: Jer_12:1.]: and therefore we must not wonder that it operates as a temptation in the minds of the generality.
Under the Mosaic dispensation, the difficulty of accounting for these things was certainly very great: for all the sanctions of the Law were almost, if not altogether, of a temporal nature: temporal prosperity was promised, and that too in very general and unqualified terms, as the reward of obedience; and temporal judgments were threatened as the punishment of disobedience: and consequently, when the wicked prospered and the righteous were oppressed, it seemed as if the providence of God were in direct opposition to his word. Nor did Moses alone give ground for such expectations: even David himself had said, that “they who sought the Lord should want no manner of thing that was good [Note: Psa_34:10; Psa_84:11.].” Nay more, the same language is used in the New Testament: If we “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all earthly comforts shall be added unto us.” And again, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth [Note: Mat_5:5; Mat_6:33.].” Now it may be asked, How can this consist with the exaltation of the wicked, and the almost universal depression of the righteous, of whom it may be said, that “they are plagued all the day long, and chastened every morning [Note: ver. 14.]?”]
But the Psalmist, having stated his difficulty, gives us,
II. The solution—
To the carnal mind the difficulty is insurmountable: but “if we enter into the sanctuary of God,” it will vanish instantly. There we shall see the lamentable state of the wicked in the midst of their prosperity;
1. The danger of their way—
[“Their feet are set in slippery places,” where it is, humanly speaking, impossible for them to stand. This may appear a strong assertion; but it is not at all too strong: it is the assertion of our Lord himself [Note: Mar_10:23-27.] — — — Indeed, it is with great justice said by Solomon, that “the prosperity of fools destroyeth them [Note: Pro_1:32.];” for it almost universally generates those very dispositions which are so strongly depicted in the psalm before us [Note: ver. 6–11.]. If riches increase, we are immediately ready “to set our heart upon them [Note: Psa_62:10.],” and to trust in them rather than in God [Note: 1Ti_6:17. Luk_12:19.]. They foster pride in the heart of the possessor [Note: Pro_18:23.]; and lead not unfrequently to an oppressive conduct towards the poor [Note: Jam_2:6.], and to the most daring impiety towards God [Note: Jam_2:7.]. Are they then to be envied, who are placed in such perilous circumstances? or are they to be envied, who, when running for their lives, have “their feet laden with thick clay?” Be it so, that the rich have many comforts which the poor taste not of: but what enjoyment can that man have of a feast, who sees a sword suspended over his head by a single hair, and knows not but that it may fall and pierce him the very next minute? So the man who knows his own weakness, and the force of the temptations to which he may be exposed, will be well satisfied to have such a portion only of this world as God sees fit to give him; and will abundantly prefer the eternal welfare of his soul before all the gratifications that wealth or honour can afford him.]
2. The awfulness of their end—
[As God raised up Pharaoh to the throne of Egypt, with an intent to shew forth in him his wrathful indignation against sin [Note: Rom_9:17.]; so he loads with temporal benefits many, who shall finally be made objects of his heavy displeasure for their abuse of them. He bears with them for a season: but “their feet shall slide in due time [Note: Deu_32:35.];” and then “they will be cast down into everlasting destruction [Note: ver. 18.].” O how terrible is their transition in a single instant, from a fulness of all earthly comforts to an utter destitution [Note: ver. 19.] even of “a drop of water to cool their tongue!” Think of the Rich Man who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: what a change did he experience the moment that his soul departed from the body! The next thing we hear of him is, that “he was in hell, lifting up his eyes in torment,” such as no words can describe, no imagination can conceive [Note: Luk_16:23-24.]. Lazarus, on the contrary, who in this world had not the most common necessaries of life, was enjoying unspeakable and endless felicity in Abraham’s bosom. Who that beholds the termination of their career, would not infinitely prefer the temporal estate of Lazarus, even though it should last a thousand years, before all the vanishing gratifications of the man of wealth? If it should be thought that this rich man was more addicted to sin than others, the account we have of him suggests no ground for it whatever: on the contrary, it tells us, that his five surviving brethren, who inherited his wealth, were, like him, yielding to the sad influence of the temptations which it offered, and therefore were hastening to that same place of torment, to which he had been consigned [Note: Luk_16:27-28.]. Doubtless it is painful to reflect on the thoughtless security of millions, who, if not guilty of any flagrant enormity, have no conception of the predicament in which they stand. But the Scripture speaks too plainly on this subject to admit of any doubt [Note: Psa_92:7. Job_20:4-7; Job_21:30. Pro_23:17-18.] — — — Say then, Are these to be envied? Alas! if viewed aright, they must be regarded only as persons accumulating wrath upon their own heads [Note: Rom_2:5.], or as victims fattening for the slaughter [Note: Jam_5:1-3; Jam_5:5.]: and consequently, their superior prosperity in earthly things affords no ground for complaint to the godly, however destitute they may be, or however afflicted.]
Let us learn then from this subject,
1. To mark the motions of our own hearts—
[We greatly deceive ourselves if we imagine that our actions afford a sufficient criterion for judging of our state. There are many who indulge in all manner of evil thoughts, whilst yet they are restrained by merely political considerations from carrying them into effect. Whilst therefore man sees nothing amiss in us, God may see our “hearts to be full of evil.” It was not any overt act that the Psalmist spoke of in our text, but of his thoughts only: and yet he acknowledges, that they had well nigh destroyed and ruined his soul [Note: ver. 2, 3.]. O let us observe from time to time the various thoughts that arise in our corrupt hearts, (the proud, the vain, the envious, the wrathful, the vindictive, the impure, the covetous, the worldly thoughts,) and let us humble ourselves for them in dust and ashes, and pray, that “the thoughts of our hearts may be forgiven us [Note: Act_8:22.]!” If we view ourselves as we really are in the sight of God, we shall see that we may, on many occasions, justly, and without hyperbole, say, “So foolish am I and ignorant, I am even as a beast before thee [Note: ver. 22.].”]
2. To be satisfied with our condition—
[To Judas was consigned the custody of the stock provided for the daily support of our Lord and his disciples. What if the other disciples had envied him that honour? would they have been wise? Judas was a thief: and the pre-eminence he enjoyed, afforded him an opportunity of gratifying his covetous desires, whilst the rest were free from any such temptation. God knows that many of those things which we would fain enjoy, would only prove snares and temptations to our souls. He sees, not only the evil that does exist, but the evil also that might arise, within us: and he withholds in mercy many things, which he knows would be injurious to our spiritual welfare. How happy would it have been for the Rich Youth in the Gospel, if, instead of being possessed of wealth, he had been as poor as Lazarus! It was his wealth alone that induced him to forego all hope of an interest in Christ [Note: Mar_10:22.]: and, if he had been a poor man, he might, for ought we know, have been at this moment a blest inhabitant of heaven. Let us then remember, that if God sends us trials which we would gladly escape, or withholds comforts which we would desire to possess, he does it in wisdom, and in love: and in all probability we shall one day see reason to adore him for the things which we now deplore, as much as for any of those benefits in which we are most disposed to rejoice.]
3. To seek above all things the prosperity of our souls—
[Here is full scope for our ambition. We may “covet, as earnestly as we will, the best gifts.” We must not indeed grudge to any their higher attainments: but we may take occasion from the superior piety of others to aspire after the highest possible communications of grace and peace. Were we to possess the whole world, we must leave it all, and “go as naked out of the world as we came into it.” But, if we possess spiritual riches, we shall carry them with us into the eternal world, and have our weight of glory proportioned to them. The operation of these upon our souls needs not to be feared: they bring no snare with them; or, if they be accompanied with a temptation to pride, they will lead us to Him, who will assuredly supply an antidote, to screen us from its injurious effects [Note: 2Co_12:7-9.]. If we are “rich towards God,” we are truly rich; yea, though we possess nothing in the world besides, we may exult, as “having nothing, and yet possessing all things [Note: 2Co_6:10.].”]