Be not high-minded
And if it should be that one of these, by the mighty power of God, awoke and asked: What must I do to be saved (Acts 16:30)? The answer, according to the oracles of God, is clear, full, and express. God does not say to you: Sell all that you have. Indeed he who sees the hearts of men saw it needful to enjoin this in one peculiar case, that of the young rich ruler (Mark 10:21). But he never laid it down for a general rule to all rich men in all succeeding generations. His general direction is, first: Do not be high-minded (1 Timothy 6:17). God sees not as man sees (1 Samuel 16:7). He esteems you not for your riches, for your grandeur or equipage, for any qualification or accomplishment which is directly or indirectly owing to your wealth, which can be bought or procured by it. All these are with him as dung and dross. Let them be so with you also. Beware you do not think yourself to be one jot wiser or better for all these things. Weigh yourself in another balance. Estimate yourself only by the measure of faith and love which God has given you. If you have more of the knowledge and love of God than he, you are on this account, and no other, wiser and better, more valuable and honorable than he who is with the dogs of your flock (Job 30:1). But if you have not this treasure, you are more foolish, more vile, more truly contemptible, I will not say than the lowest servant under your roof, but than the beggar laid at your gate, full of sores (Luke 16:20).
1771 text
17. And if it should be, that one of these, by the mighty power of God, awoke and asked, What must I do to be saved? The answer, according to the oracles of God, is clear, full and express. God doth not say to thee, Sell all that thou hast. Indeed he who seeth the hearts of men, saw it needful to enjoin this in one peculiar case, that of the young, rich ruler. But he never laid it down for a general rule, to all rich men, in all succeeding generations. His general direction is, first, *Be not high-minded. God seeth not as man seeth. He esteems thee not for thy riches, for thy grandeur or equipage, for any qualification or accomplishment, which is directly or indirectly owing to thy wealth, which can be bought, or procured thereby. All these are with him as dung and dross: let them be so with thee also. Beware thou think not thyself to be one jot wiser, or better for all these things. Weigh thyself in another balance: estimate thyself only by the measure of faith and love which God hath given thee. If thou hast more of the knowledge and love of God than he, thou art on this account and no other, wiser and better, more valuable and honourable than him, who is with the dogs of thy flock. But if thou hast not this treasure, thou art more foolish, more vile, more truly contemptible, I will not say, than the lowest servant under thy roof, but than the beggar laid at thy gate, full of sores.
About this text
Rendered in modern English, to be read and heard. Open the 1771 text under each part to check the claims and the scripture.
Rendered in modern English. The 1771 panel is his own Pine printing of the Works. It is public domain.
Catalogue & scope
Sermon 28 in the 1771 Works. Matthew 6:19-23.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. It is not a complete critical edition.