02.11. Paradise Opened
By Thomas Brooks, 1675.
CHOICE EXCERPTS
"My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and You sew up my iniquity." Job 14:17
"You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book." Psa 56:8
God counted all those weary steps that David took in passing through those great forests, when he fled from Saul. While David was hunted up and down like a partridge, and chased out of every bush, and was driven from one country to another—God was all this while, a-noting down and a-numbering of all his sorrows, and a-bottling up all his tears, and a-booking down all his sighs!
Not a single tear of mine is ever lost, but kept safe in God’s bottle—as so much sweet water.
God is said in Scripture to have a bag and a bottle: a bag for our sins, and a bottle for our tears. And oh that we would all labor to fill His bottle with our tears of repentance, as we have filled His bag with our sins!
All mankind would have been eternally lost, had God not, of His own free grace and mercy, made a covenant of grace with poor sinners.
"They will be My people, and I will be their God." Jer 32:38
This is a comprehensive promise, for God to be our God—it includes all.
The covenant of grace is an agreement, which God has made with sinful man, out of His mere mercy and grace, wherein He undertakes for fallen man, to make him everlastingly happy. God engages that He will be our God; that is, as if He said, "You shall have an interest in all My attributes for your good: My grace shall be yours to pardon you, My power shall be yours to protect you, My wisdom shall be yours to direct you, My goodness shall be yours to relieve you, My mercy shall be yours to supply you, My glory shall be yours to crown you."
"I will make an everlasting covenant with them; that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put My fear into their hearts—that they shall not depart from Me." Jer 32:40
The covenant of grace is everlasting on God’s part, and also on our part. On God’s part, "I will never turn away from them to do them good." And on our part, "they shall never depart from Me."
O sirs! this is the glory of the covenant of grace—that whatever God requires on man’s part, that He undertakes to perform for man!
"I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and
put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe My ordinances." Eze 36:25-27
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Adam’s first estate was a state of perfect knowledge, wisdom and understanding. It was a perfect state of holiness, righteousness and happiness. There was nothing within him, but what was desirable and delectable; there was nothing without him, but what was amiable and commendable; nor was there anything around him, but what was serviceable and comfortable. Adam, in his innocent estate, was . . .the epitome of wisdom and knowledge, the image of God, the delight of heaven, the glory of the creation, the world’s great master, the Lord’s great darling.
But
1. Our holy image—and so became vile;
2. Our divine sonship—and so became children of Satan;
3. Our friendship with God—and so became His enemies;
4. Our communion with God—and so became strangers;
5. Our happiness—and so became miserable.
Sin and death came into the world by Adam’s fall.
"For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the
gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ." Rom 5:17
O sirs! what a wonder is this—that the great God, who was so transcendently dishonored, despised, provoked, incensed, and injured by poor base sinners; should so freely, so readily, so graciously, condescend to vile forlorn sinners—as to own them, as to love them, and as to enter into a covenant of grace and mercy with them! This may well be the wonder of angels, and the astonishment of men!
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"He has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure. Will He not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire?" 2Sa 23:5
All mankind would have been eternally lost—had God not, of His own free grace and mercy, made a new covenant with sinful man. The fountain from whence His new covenant flows, is the sovereign grace and mercy of God. There was nothing outside of God, nor anything in God, but His mere mercy and grace—which moved Him to enter into covenant with poor sinners, who were miserable and loathsome and polluted; and and were actually in arms against Him!
As there was nothing in fallen man to draw God’s favor or affection towards him; just so—there was everything in fallen man which might justly provoke God’s wrath and indignation against him! Therefore it must be a very high act of favor and grace—for the great, the glorious, the holy, the wise, and the all-sufficient God—to enter into covenant with such a forlorn creature as fallen man was!
Oh, the admirable counsel, wisdom, love, care and tenderness of the blessed God—which sparkles and shines in the well-ordering of the covenant of grace! Oh, how lovely and beautiful, with what symmetry and proportion, are all things in this covenant ordered and prepared! Oh, what head can conceive, or what tongue can express—that infinite wisdom which God has manifested in ordering the covenant of grace—so as it may most and best suit to all the needs, and straits, and necessities, and miseries, and desires, and longings of poor sinners’ souls! Here are fit and full supplies for all our spiritual needs! In the covenant of grace, every poor sinner may find . . .a suitable help, a suitable remedy, a suitable support, a suitable supply!
The covenant of grace, is so well ordered by the unsearchable wisdom of God, that you may find in it . . .remedies to cure all your spiritual diseases, cordials to comfort you under all your soul-faintings, and a spiritual armory to arm you against . . .all sorts of sins, and all sorts of snares, and all sorts of temptations, and all sorts of oppositions, and all sorts of enemies—whether inward or outward, open or secret, subtle or silly.
Do you, O distressed sinner—need . . .a loving God, a compassionate God, a reconciled God, a sin-pardoning God, a tender-hearted God? Here you may find Him in the covenant of grace!
Do you, O sinner—need a Christ . . .to counsel you by His wisdom, to clothe you with His righteousness, to enrich you with His grace, to enlighten you with His eye salve, to justify you from your sins, to reconcile you to God, to secure you from wrath to come, to bring you to heaven? Here you may find Him in a covenant of grace!
Do you, O sinner! need the Holy Spirit . . .to awaken you, to convince you of sin, righteousness and judgment, to enlighten and teach you, to lead and guide you in the everlasting way, to cleanse you, to comfort you? Here you may find Him in the covenant of grace!
O sinner! Do you need grace, all grace, great grace, abundance of grace, multiplied grace? Here you may find it in the covenant of grace!
O sinner! Do you need peace, or ease, or rest, or quiet in your conscience? Here you may find it in the covenant of grace!
O sinner! Do you need contentment, or comfort, or joy, or satisfaction? Here you may have it in the covenant of grace!
O sinner, sinner! whatever your soul needs are—they may all be supplied out of the covenant of grace! God, in His infinite wisdom and love, has laid into the covenant of grace, as into a common storehouse, all those good things, and all those great things, and all those suitable things—that either sinners or saints can either desire or need!
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"If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold all things are become new!" 2Co 5:17
A new creature has . . .a new judgment, a new will, new affections, new thoughts, new company, new choices, new laws, new ways, new works, etc. A new creature is a changed creature throughout.
The new creature includes a new light, a new sight, a new understanding. The new creature sees sin to be the greatest evil, and Christ and holiness to be the chief good. When a man is a new creature, he has a new judgment and opinion—he looks upon God as his only happiness, and Christ as his all in all, and upon the ways of God as ways of pleasantness. The new man has new cares, new requests, new desires, "Oh that my heart may be adorned with grace!"
The new man is
The new man experiences a new combat and conflict in his soul. "The flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit lusts against the flesh." He combats with all sorts
of known sins—whether they are great or small, inward or outward, whether they are the sins of the heart or the sins of the life. This conflict in the new man is a daily conflict, a constant conflict. The new creature can never, the new creature will never, be at peace with sin; sin and the new creature will fight it out to the death. The new creature will never be brought into a league of friendship with sin.
The new man is a man of a new life. A new life always attends a new heart. You see it in Paul, Mary Magdalene, Zaccheus, the jailor, and all the others that are upon Scripture record.
The new man has new society, new company. Holy society is the only society for people with holy hearts, and in that society can no man delight, until God renews his heart by grace.
The new man walks by a new rule, which is the written Word of God. This rule he sets up for all matters of faith, and for all matters of practice.
Well, friends, whatever you do forget, be sure that forever you remember this—that none can or shall be glorious creatures, but such as by grace are made new creatures.
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"I will be their God, and they will be My people. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Heb 8:10, Heb 8:12
God will pardon the sins of His people
The covenant remedy against all kinds and degrees of sin—infinitely transcends and surpasses . . .all our infirmities and enormities, all our weaknesses and wickednesses, all our follies and unworthinesses, etc.
What is . . .our unrighteousness—compared to Christ’s righteousness; our debts—compared to Christ’s pardons; our unholiness—compared to Christ’s holiness; our emptiness—compared to Christ’s fullness; our weakness—compared to Christ’s strength; our poverty—compared to Christ’s riches; our wounds—compared to Christ’s healing balm?
"The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands; and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin." Exo 34:6-7.
A merciful God, a gracious God—will pardon all kinds of sinners, and all kinds and degrees of sin.
Oh, what astounding mercy, what rich grace is here! that God will not only pardon our light, our small offences; but our great and mighty sins! God will never upbraid His people for . . .their follies, their miscarriages, their unkindness, their unfruitfulness, their unthankfulness, their vileness, their stubbornness, their wickedness.
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Sin and sorrow, iniquity and misery—always go hand in hand.
"The wages of sin is death," Rom 6:23. Every sinner is worthy of death. "Those who do such things deserve death," Rom 1:32. If God is a just and righteous God, then sin cannot absolutely escape unpunished; for it is but "a just and righteous thing with God"—to punish the sinner who is worthy of punishment. As God must be just—so He must be faithful. And if He must be faithful—then He must carry out His threatenings against sin and sinners!
Look! As there is not a promise of God but shall surely take place; just so, there is not a threatening of God but shall surely take place. The faithfulness of God, and
the honor of God, are as much concerned in making good of
Will God abrogate His own laws—or will He dare men to sport and play with His threatenings? Will not every wise and prudent king look to the execution of their own laws? And shall not that God, who is wonderful in wisdom, and whose understanding is infinite—see all that all His laws are put in execution against offenders? Surely yes!
"He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the LORD our God will destroy them!" Psa 94:23
"I will not look on you with pity or spare you; I will repay you in accordance with your conduct and the detestable practices among you. Then you will know that it is I the LORD who strikes the blow!" Eze 7:9
"When I sharpen My flashing sword and My hand grasps it in judgment, I will take vengeance on My adversaries and repay those who hate Me." Deu 32:41
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"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were
Christ redeems us from all sin—and from all the consequences of sin. He endured the wrath of God to the uttermost—for everyone who believes on Him.
By this redemption . . .justice is satisfied, wrath is pacified, grace is procured, all spiritual enemies are vanquished.
Each child of God is
The work of redemption was a great work. The greatness of the person employed in this work, speaks out the work to be a great work.
The great and invaluable price which was paid down for our redemption, speaks it out to be a great redemption. The price that we are bought with, is a price beyond all computation.
This redemption that we have in Christ, is a free and gracious redemption. All the rounds in this ladder of redemption, are made up of free, rich, and sovereign grace! Though our redemption cost Christ dearly—yet to us it is most free!
Jesus Christ has completely done the work of our redemption. He does not redeem us from some of our sins, and leave us to grapple with the rest. Oh, no! Christ makes a most complete work of it. He redeems us from all our iniquities. He delivers us out of the hands of all our enemies. He pays all debts, He delivers from all wrath, He takes off the whole curse, He saves to the uttermost, and will settle us in a state of full and perfect bliss—when grace shall be turned into glory.
The redemption which we have in Jesus Christ, is an eternal, a permanent, a lasting, yes, an everlasting redemption! "Having obtained eternal redemption for us." Heb 9:12
There are many choice and rare spiritual benefits which flow from redemption:
reconciliation with God, remission of our sins, justification of our persons, adoption into God’s family, sanctification, full glorification. Redemption sweetens all the bitterest trials and sharpest afflictions, which we meet with in this world.
Redemption is a rich mine, containing a mass of treasure which cannot be valued. Could we dig into it, could we pry into it—we would find that it contains unsearchable riches . . .riches of grace, of all grace, riches of justification, riches of sanctification, riches of consolation, riches of glorification, the best of riches, the most durable riches, soul riches, heavenly riches!
"They are Your servants and Your people, whom You redeemed by Your great strength and Your mighty hand!" Neh 1:10
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Oh! what kind of love is this, for God to give . . .His Son—not His servant; His begotten Son—not His adopted Son; His only Son—and not one son of many.
We see here . . .the firstness of the Father’s love, and the freeness of the Father’s love, and the vehemency of the Father’s love, and the admirableness of the Father’s love, and the matchlessness of the Father’s love!
Says God the Father to His Son, "Here is man—fallen from his primitive purity, glory, and excellency—into a most woeful gulf of sin and misery! He who was once a son—has now become a slave; he who was once Our friend—has now become Our enemy; he who was once near Us—is now afar off; he who was once in Our favor—is now cast off; he who was once made in Our image—has now the image of Satan stamped upon him; he who once had sweet communion with Us—has now fellowship with the devil and his demons! Out of this forlorn estate, he can never deliver himself! Neither can all the angels in heaven deliver him! Now this being man’s woeful case and state, I make this offer to You, O my Son: If, in the fullness of time, You will assume the nature of man, tread the winepress of My wrath alone, bear the curse, shed your blood, die, suffer, satisfy My justice, fulfill My royal law—then I can, upon the most honorable terms imaginable, save fallen man, and put him into a safer and happier condition than he ever was—and give You a noble reward for all Your sufferings."
Upon this Jesus Christ replies: "O my Father! I am very ready and willing to do, to suffer, to die—to satisfy Your justice, to comply with You in all Your noble and gracious inclinations—that poor sinners may be sanctified and saved, made gracious and glorious, holy and happy; that poor sinners may never perish, that poor sinners may be secured from wrath to come, and be brought into a state of light, life and love! I am willing to make Myself an offering for their sin. Lo, I am come to do Your will, O God."
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"And another book was opened, which is the book of life." Rev 20:12
The names of the elect are written in the book of life. They do not obtain salvation by chance, but were elected of God to eternal life and happiness before the foundation of the world. Now their names being once written in the book of life, they shall never, never be blotted out of that book! In the book of predestination there is not one blot to be found; the salvation of the elect is most sure and certain!
"I will never blot out his name from the book of life." Rev 3:5
"The book of life shall be opened;" that is to say, the decrees of God will be then published and made known,which now are sealed up in His bosom and locked up
in His archives. Then it will be seen whom are appointed to eternal life, for the glorifying of God’s free, rich, and sovereign grace; and whom He purposed to leave in their sins, and to perish forever, for the exaltation of His justice.
"Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life."
Rev 21:27
"If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire!" Rev 20:15
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"They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them." Rom 2:14-15
Conscience is
In the great day of judgment, the book of every man’s conscience shall be opened for their conviction, wherein they shall read their guilt in legible characters; for the conscience is a book of record, wherein men’s actions are entered. And although now it is shut up closed, and sinners will by no means be brought to look into it, and though many things which are written in this book seem to be so greatly obliterated and blotted, that they can hardly be read—yet in that great day of accounts God will refresh and recover the luster of those ancient writings; and sinners, in that day, shall find that conscience has an iron memory!
In the last day, God will bring the book of conscience out of the rubbish, as they did the book of the law in Josiah’s time; and the very laying open of this book before sinners will horrify them, and fill them with unspeakable dread and terror, and be a hell on this side hell unto them. In this book they shall find an exact account of every vain thought they have had, and of every idle word they have spoken, and of every evil action they have done; and oh, what amazement and astonishment will this fill them with!
God’s omniscience takes in all things past, present, and to come—as if He had kept a diary of every man’s thoughts, words, and actions!
The hidden things of the heart are not now known, but then they shall be opened, and manifested to the consciences of every sinner, so as there shall be no place, no room left for any excuse or plea. Oh, what dreadful accusations will every sinner be forced to read out of this book of conscience in the great day! Oh, how in that great day will all wicked men wish that they had followed the dictates of conscience.
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"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace." Eph 1:7
O Lord! when I look upon my manifold weaknesses and imperfections—I am many times not only grieved, but also staggered! But when I look up to the covenant of redemption—I am cheered, raised, and quieted!
What though my sins have been great and heinous—yet they are not greater than Christ’s sacrifice! He bore the curse for great sins as well as small sins; for sins against the gospel as well as for sins against the law; for sinful omissions as well as for sinful commissions. The covenant of redemption is so mighty—that none of my mighty sins can stand before it!
If we look upon Manasseh, in those black and ugly colors which the Holy Spirit paints him out in, (1Ki 21:1-16;) we must conclude that he was a mighty sinner, a monstrous sinner! And yet his mighty sins, his monstrous sins—could not stand before the covenant of redemption!
The greatest sins are finite—but the merit of Christ’s redemption is infinite. Though my debts are so many as cannot be tallied—yet Christ has paid them all. Woe had been to me forever—had Christ left but one penny upon the record for me to pay! As I have multiplied my sins, so He has multiplied His pardons!
All the Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea—the high and the low, the great and the small, the rich and the poor, the honorable and the base—were all drowned. Just so,
"For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Col 1:13-14
"The cross of Christ is the golden key which opens paradise to us!" All Christ’s sufferings, were for His people. Oh, the endless and matchless love of Christ!
O blessed Jesus, what manner of love is this—that You should wash away my scarlet sins in Your own blood! That You should die—that I may live! That You should be cursed—that I might be blessed! That You should undergo the pains of hell—that I might enjoy the joys of heaven! That the face of God should be clouded from You—that His everlasting favor might rest upon me! That You should be an everlasting screen between the wrath of God and my immortal soul! That You should suffer for me beyond all expression, and beyond all conception; and gloriously provide for me beyond all expectation! What shall I say, what can I say to all this—but fall down before Your grace, and spend my days in wondering at that matchless, bottomless love, which can never be fathomed by angels or men!
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Christ can never rest satisfied until His gracious communion with His people here, issues in their perfect and glorious communion with Him in heaven.
"Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory." John 17:24
Christ is very desirous of His people’s fellowship and company. It is a part of Christ’s joy—that they should be where He is. Christ will not be happy alone. As a tender father, He can enjoy nothing if His children may not have part with Him. Even now—He is always with them . . . to eye their behavior, to hear their prayers, to guide their way, to protect their persons, to cheer their spirits, and to delight with His presence.
The greatest part of our happiness, which we shall have in heaven lies in this—that then we shall be with Christ, and have immediate communion with Him. O sirs! the great end of our being in heaven, is to behold and enjoy the glory of Christ!
Certainly the glory and happiness of heaven to the elect, will consist much in being in Christ’s company, in whom they delight so much on earth. To follow the Lamb wherever He goes, to enjoy Him fully, and to be always in His presence—is the heaven of heaven, the glory of glory! This is the sparkling diamond in the ring of glory!
The day is coming wherein believers shall be completely happy in a sight of Christ’s glory. When all veils have been laid aside—they shall be fitted for a more full fruition, and shall visibly and immediately behold and enjoy Him!
"Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory." John 17:24
"All that the Father gives Me, will come to Me." John 6:37
"And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all that He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day." John 6:39
The first fountain and cause of salvation, is the absolute and sovereign will and pleasure of God. Those, whose salvation the Father wills, are given over to Christ in His eternal purpose—to be brought to Him in due time. All whom are elected and given to Christ, will certainly, in due time, come to Him. Their being given to Christ from eternity, produces their coming to Him in time. The power which draws them is invincible and irresistible!
"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him." John 6:44
"No one can come to Me unless the Father has enabled him." John 6:65
"My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and
"Deliver him from going down into the pit, for
"I have found a ransom, or an atonement, a cover for man’s sin. Angels and men could never have found a ransom; but by My deep, infinite, and unsearchable wisdom," says God the Father, "I have found a ransom! I have found out a way, a means for the redeeming of mankind, from going down to the infernal pit, namely—the death and passion of My dearest Son!"
But where, O blessed God, did you find a ransom?
"Not in angels, not in men, not in legal sacrifices, not in gold or silver, not in the tears, humblings and meltings of My people; but in My own bosom. That Jesus, that Son of My love, who has lain in My bosom from all eternity—He is that ransom, who by My own matchless wisdom and singular goodness, I have found. I have not called a council to inquire where to find a ransom, that fallen man might be preserved from falling into the fatal pit of destruction; but I have found a ransom in My own heart, My own bosom! Without advising or consulting with others, I have found out a way how to save sinners without injuring My honor, justice, holiness and truth!"
Had all the angels in heaven, from the first day of their creation, to this very day, sat in serious council—to invent, contrive, or find out a way, a means, whereby lost man might be secured against the curse of the law, hell, condemnation, and wrath to come; and whereby he might have been made happy, and blessed forever; they could never have found out any way or means to have effected those great things.
Our redemption, by a ransom, is God’s own invention, and God’s only invention. The blessed ransom which the Lord has found out for poor sinners, is the blood of His own dearest Son—a ransom which never entered into the thoughts or hearts of angels and men, until God had revealed it!
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"My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please." Isa 46:10
"The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations." Psa 33:11
"Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails." Pro 19:21
God’s eternal purpose never changes, never alters.
The immutability of God’s purpose, springs from . . .the unchangeableness of His essence, the perfection of His wisdom, the infiniteness of His goodness, the absoluteness of His sovereignty, the omnipotency of His power.
The gracious purpose of God is the fountain-head of all our spiritual blessings. It is the foundational cause of our effectual calling, justification, glorification. It is the highest link in the golden chain of salvation.
What is the reason that one man is everlastingly saved—and not another? It is from the eternal purpose of God.
The purpose of God is the sovereign cause of all that eternal good which comes to man. All a believer’s present happiness, and all his future happiness—springs from the eternal purpose of God.
"God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done, but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time." 2Ti 1:8-9
"For He says to Moses, ’I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy." Rom 9:15-16
There is no man, no power, no devil, no violent temptation—which shall ever be able to overturn those whom God has chosen. "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish;
If the purpose of God was uncertain, a Christian could never have a good day all his days; his whole life would be filled up with tears, doubts, disputes, distractions, etc. He would be still a-crying out, "Oh, I can never be sure that God will be mine, or that Christ will be mine, or that mercy will be mine, or that pardon of sin will be mine, or that heaven will be mine! Oh, I can never be sure that I shall escape the great damnation, the worm which never dies, the fire which never goes out, or eternal separation from the glorious presence of the Lord!"
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"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them." Rom 8:28
The godly are able to put a sweet, a loving, and a favorable construction—upon the most sharp, distressing, severe, and dreadful dispensations of God, knowing that all flows from love, and shall work for their spiritual and eternal good, and for the advancement of God’s honor and glory in the world. They know that there are no wrath, and curses, and woes wrapped up in
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Riches and honors and titles, and
As long as Jesus Christ has all power to defend His people, and all wisdom and knowledge to guide and govern His people, and all dominion to curb the enemies of His people—we may soundly conclude of their
"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!" Mat 19:24
"Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold
and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire!" Jas 5:1-3
Rich men’s wealth proves a hindrance to their happiness. There is nothing more clear in Scripture and history, than that
There is an utter uncertainty in riches, 1Ti 6:17.
"Don’t weary yourself trying to get rich. Why waste your time? For riches can disappear as though they had the wings of a bird!" Pro 23:4-5