Oramuzes' Happiness Egg
True happiness and contentment can only be found in an infinite God, not in worldly wealth.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes that true satisfaction cannot be found in wealth or material possessions, as illustrated by Ecclesiastes 5:10. He argues that no amount of money can fulfill the deeper needs of the soul, which can only be satisfied by an infinite God. Brooks warns against the futility of pursuing worldly riches, comparing it to Oramuzes' happiness egg, which, when broken, revealed only emptiness. He concludes that the pursuit of earthly things leads to vanity and vexation, and true contentment lies in spiritual fulfillment rather than material gain.
Text
"Whoever loves money never has money enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his
income." Ecclesiastes 5:10
He who is not contented with a little, will never
be satisfied with much. Money of itself, cannot
satisfy any desire of nature.
If a man is hungry, money cannot feed him;
if naked, money cannot clothe him;
if cold, money cannot warm him;
if sick, money cannot cure him.
A circle cannot fill a triangle; no more can the whole
world fill the heart of man. A man may as soon fill a
chest with grace--as a heart with wealth. The soul of
man may be busied about earthly things--but it can
never be filled nor satisfied with earthly things. There
is many a worldling who has enough of the world to
sink him, who will never have enough of the world to
satisfy him. The more money is increased--the more
the love of money is increased; and the more the love
of money is increased--the more the soul is unsatisfied.
It is only an infinite God, and an infinite good, which
can fill and satisfy the precious and immortal soul of man.
The sum of all that the creatures amount to, according
to Solomon's reckoning, is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Vanity and vexation is the very quintessence of the creature,
and all that can possibly be extracted out of it. Now if vanity
can satisfy, or if vexation can give contentment; if you can
gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles--then go on and
dote upon the world still, and be always enamored with a
shadow of perishing beauty.
Oramuzes the enchanter boasted that in his egg all the
happiness in the world was included; but being broken,
there was nothing in it but wind and emptiness.
Sermon Outline
- The Futility of Worldly Wealth
- Money cannot satisfy our deepest desires
- The more we have, the more we want
- Earthly things cannot fill the soul of man
Key Quotes
“Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.” — Thomas Brooks
“A circle cannot fill a triangle; no more can the whole world fill the heart of man.” — Thomas Brooks
“It is only an infinite God, and an infinite good, which can fill and satisfy the precious and immortal soul of man.” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- We should not pursue wealth and material things as the source of our happiness and fulfillment.
- We should seek an infinite God and an infinite good to fill and satisfy our souls.
- The world and its riches are vanity and vexation of spirit, and cannot give us true contentment.