Proverbs 13:7

It is simply not to be credited that holy Scripture is concerned to advise us on these riches which the proud get such swollen heads about. I mean these visible, earthly riches, of course, as though we should either think they are very important or fear not to have them. "After all," someone will say, "what good does a man get from pretending to be rich when in fact he has nothing?" Scripture has taken note of such a person and found fault with him.… It is not improper, nor is it unseemly or useless that the holy Scriptures should wish to commend rich people to us for being humble. The thing really to be afraid of with riches, you see, is pride. In fact, the apostle Paul has advice on this point for Timothy: "Command the rich of this world," he says, "not to have proud thoughts." It wasn't riches he went in dread of but the disease of riches. The disease of riches is great pride. A grand spirit it is indeed, that in the midst of riches is not prone to this disease, a spirit greater than its riches, surpassing them not by desiring but by despising them. Great then indeed is the rich person who doesn't think he is great just because he is rich. But if that is why he does think he is great, then he is proud and destitute. He's a big noise in the flesh. In his heart of hearts he's a beggar. He has been inflated, not filled. If you see two wineskins, one filled, the other inflated, they each have the same bulk and extent, but they don't each have the same content. Just look at them, and you can't tell the difference; but weigh them, and you will find out. […]

And in these allusions and inconveniences all that are at all weak are sure to be entangled, as while they are even doubtful of their own salvation, and themselves stand in need of the teaching and instruction of others, they are incited by the devil's tricks to convert and guide others, and as, even if they succeed in gaining any advantage from the conversion of some, they waste by their impatience and rude manners whatever they have gained.

"There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing," etc. He seemed rich to himself who was clothed in purple and fine linen and feasted sumptuously every day; but because he did not have God, he found in the end that nothing of what …

There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing,.... Some persons make a great show of riches, and would be thought to be rich; put on fine clothes, live at a high rate, and appear in great pomp, and yet not worth a farthing; which they do to gratify their pride and ambition, and to draw in others to trust them with their substance.

There is that maketh himself rich - That labors hard to acquire money, yet hath nothing; his excessive covetousness not being satisfied with what he possesses, nor permitting him to enjoy with comfort what he has acquired. The fable of the dog in the manger will illustrate this. There is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches - “As poor,” said St. Paul, “yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing all things.” The former is the rich poor man; the latter is the poor rich man. As the words are here in the hithpael conjugation, which implies reflex action, or the action performed on one’s self, and often signifies feigning or pretending to be what one is not, or not to be what one is; the words may be understood of persons who feign or pretend to be either richer or poorer than they really are, to accomplish some particular purpose. “There is that feigneth himself to be rich, yet hath nothing; there is that feigneth himself to be poor, yet hath great riches.” Both these characters frequently occur in life.