Emily Dickinson Lexicon

RICH'ES, n. [Fr. richesse; It. ricchezza; Sp. riqueza. This is in the singular number in fact, but treated as the plural.]

1. Wealth; opulence; affluence; possessions of land, goods or money in abundance. Riches do not consist in having more gold and silver, but in having more in proportion than our neighbors. – Locke.
2. Splendid sumptuous appearance. The riches of heaven's pavement, trodden gold. – Milton.
3. In scripture, an abundance of spiritual blessings. – Luke xvi. The riches of God, his fullness of wisdom, power, mercy, grace and glory, Eph. i. ii; or the abundance supplied by his works. – Ps. civ. The riches of Christ, his abundant fullness of spiritual and eternal blessings for men. – Eph. iii. The riches of a state or kingdom, consist less in a full treasury than in the productiveness of its soil and manufactures, and in the industry of its inhabitants.