Oh How Sweet Is!

"Better the little that the righteous have, than

the wealth of many wicked." Psalm 37:16

The righteous man's mite, is better than the wicked

man's millions.

The righteous man has his little, from the special love

and favor of God. Lazarus' scraps, crusts and rags

--are better and greater mercies than Dives' riches,

purple robes, and dainty fare!

A godly man improves his little, to the stirring up of

his heart to thankfulness, and to be much in admiring

and blessing of God for his little. The least mercies

which the righteous man has, make him humble, "I

am not worthy of the least of all the mercies which

You have showed unto Your servant." Genesis 32:10

The righteous man enjoys his little, with a great deal

of comfort, peace, quiet and contentment. Though he

has but necessities from hand to mouth--yet seeing

that God feeds him from heaven, as it were with

manna--he is content, quiet and cheerful.

All the honors, riches, pleasures, and profits of this world,

cannot yield contentment to a worldly man--they are all

surrounded with briers and thorns. Who can sum up the

many grievances, fears, jealousies, disgraces, temptations

and vexations--which men meet with in their vain pursuit

after the things of this world! Oh how sweet is, it to

lack these bitter-sweets!

Riches may well be called thorns; because they pierce

both head and heart--the one with care of getting, and

the other with grief in parting with them. The world and

all its enchantments, are a paradise to the eye--but

painfulness to the soul.

But a righteous man, with his little, enjoys both peace of

conscience and peace of contentment; and this makes every

bitter--sweet; and every little sweet--to be exceedingly sweet.

A dish of green herbs, with peace of conscience and peace of

contentment, is a noble feast, a continual feast to a gracious

soul. In every crust, crumb, drop, and sip of mercy which a

righteous man enjoys, he sees much of the love of his God,

and the care of his God, and the wisdom of his God, and the

power of his God, and the faithfulness of his God, and the

goodness of his God--in making the least provision for him.

In contrast, wicked men are like the the mule which drinks

from the brook--but never thinks of the spring. They are like

the swine which eats up the fruit--but never looks up to the

tree from whence the fruit falls.

A little will satisfy a temperate Christian. "Give me neither

poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread."

Proverbs 30:8. Agur asks only for daily bread, necessary

for his life--not for his lusts. He prays for enough to satisfy

necessity--not luxury. He asks for bread--not for delicacies.

He begs that his body may be sustained--not pampered.

A little will satisfy nature, and less will satisfy grace; yet

nothing will satisfy a wicked man's lusts! Wicked men

never have enough--they are never satisfied! Those who

are separated from the world's lusts, can live with a little.

Solomon, the wisest prince who ever sat upon a throne,

after his most diligent, critical, and impartial search into

all the creatures, gives this as the sum total of his inquiries,

"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!" And how then can any of

these things, yes, all these things heaped up together,

satisfy the soul of man!