Remains of John Boyse, Sermon 8
ABACVC. 2. 9.
Woe be to him that coueteth … euill couetousnesse to his house, &c.
There be 2. parts of this Prophecie.
1. An expostulation of Abacuc, or a complaint in the 1. and 2 chap.
2. A postulation of Abacuc, or prayer▪ in the … chap.
THe Prophets expostulatiō is twofold, the first concerning the licentious and loose liues of the … ▪ compassing aboue the righteous, either by secret fraudes, or else by spoyling and open violence▪ Chap. 1. vers. 2. 3. 4. To which almighty God answereth, in the seuen next verses, that hee will bring vponupon the Iewes for their iniquities the Chald…ans, a bitter and a furious people, who shall …mple vponupon the breadth of their land, and possesse their … teaching the Prophet how to comfort the faithfull, and shewing by vision, that hee will ouerthrow the Chaldeans, their enemies, when as their ambition and pride shall be full, and at the height. For their generall and chiefe captaine, N…buchodonosor, who doth inlarge his desires as the hell, and as death is vnsatiable, gathering vntounto him all nations, and heaping vntounto him all people, what is he but as one that transgresseth by wine; aRibera. et fra…. a … ▪ loc.for as wine doth in the beginning, make the drunkard Iouiall and merry, but in the conclusion, ouerthrow him, and expose him to base contempt: euen so Nebuchodonosors prosperity made him exceeding fearefull, and terrible to the nations round about him, in the beginning: but (as the Lord here tels Abacuc,) in the end these people shall take vp a taunting prouerbe against him, and a parable of reproch. bHugo. Cardi… loc.As he boasted in fiue things especially, so there be fiue mocks or worse against him in this chapter answerable to the same.
1. He glorified in the multitude of his riches, against which it is sayd, cVerse. ….Woe be to him that increaseth that which is not his, and ladeth▪ himselfe with thicke clay.
2. Hee gloried in the greatnesse of his kingdome, against which it is sayd in our text. Woe bee to him that coueteth an euill couetousnesse to his house, &c.
3. Hee glorified in the strength of his … cities▪ and towres of defe… ▪ … … … … ….towne with blood, and erecteth a city by iniquity.
4. He gloried in oppressing of his neighbour Kings, and kingdomes, against which it is sayd, eVers. 15.Woe, bee to him that giueth his neighbour drinke, and maketh him drunken that thou mayest discouer his nakednesse.
5. Hee gloried in the protection of his Idol, and Idol god, against which it is sayd fVerse. 9.Woe bee to him that saith to the wood, awake, to the dumbe stone, arise, it shall teach, behold it is layd ouer with gold and siluer, and there is no breath at all in it.
I am at this time, to treat of the second tract only, the which as it concerned Nabuchodonosor in Hypothesi; so (beloued) it may be verified of eueryevery couetous vnsatiable wretch in Thesi, that in spoyling other, hee couereth an vnprofitable gaine, consulting shame to his owne house, and sinning against his owne soule.
As gSoli… temporis vsura honesta.Seneca sayd, there is a good vsury, and a bad; a good of our precious time, a bad which is the biting interest of money: For the Scripture mentioneth a good and a bad couetousnesse, a good which our blessed Lord calleth, hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse; And i1. Cor. 1…. 31.S. Paul h Mat 5. 6.a coueting of spirituall giftes, and S. kCom. in loc.Hierom, a couetous desire to winne soules vntounto God, an euill couetousnesse, termed by Christ. Luke. 16. 9. Vnrighteous Mammon, and that in three respects, as being either ill got, or ill kept, or ill spent.
Ill gotten, as when a cruell oppressour doth encrease that which is not his own, verse 6▪ when hee buildeth a towne with blood, and a city with iniquity, verse 12. Or when he seeketh his owne, with o…er great care, setting his whole heart vponupon worldly wealth, extending his desires as hell, and as death insatiable, auarè auarus, as Chytraeus vponupon our text; Such an inordinate coueting is euill, and goods so gotten are riches of lLuke 16. …. … male … Va…ablus … loc.iniquity yea filthy lucre. 1. Tim. 3. 3.
Ill kept, is when a miserable wretch will not let his mP… …6.fountaine flow foorth, and his riuers of waters in the street, when he will not nRom 12. 13distribute to the nec…ssity of the Saints, and share his goods among those which are of the oC…lat 6▪ …0.houshold of faith, according to the rules of charity, Iustice, mercy.
Ill spent, as when a penny-father doth a good worke for temporall interest, or to bee seene of men, Mat. 6. 1. or when he doth expend his riches vponupon bad workes, as in giuing his neighbour drinke, that he may make him drunken, and so discouer his priuities, verse. 15. Or when hee drinkes so much himselfe, that he is filled with shame for glory, verse 16. All these kindes of couetousnesse are euill, and, as the blessed p…. Tim. 6. 10Apostle telleth vsus expressely, the roote of all euill, whether it be malum culpae, that euill a man doth, or malum poenae, that euill a man suffereth, it is the roote of all sin, and of all punishment for sin; the termes of our text point at both, at the sin▪ in pronouncing it euill, at the punishment, in denouncing vponupon it a woe.
For the first, If the feare of God be the rPsal. 118. 10.beginning of wisdome, the Matrix of goodnesse, and seed of vertue, then on the contrary, the louelove of the world, which is sIames 4. 4.enmity with God, is the roote of all offences against God, our neighbours, and our selues; for tThom. 1. 2ae. quaest. 84. art. 1.as the roote giues nourishment to the whole tree, so the disordinate louelove of money, doth administer occasions and meanes for eueryevery sin, according to that of uChap. 10. 19.Ecclesiastes, siluer answereth to all, or as it is in the vulgar Latin, and old English, all things obey money.
The most abominable sin committed against God, is idolatry, forbidden in the 1. commandement of the Law, thou shalt hauehave none other Gods, &c. And in the 1▪ article of the creed, I beleeue in God, not in gods, but as the Nicene creed, in one God almighty, maker of heauen and earth; and in the first words of the Pater noster, our Father which art in heauen: God is our Father, Ergo, we must hauehave none other Gods; in heauen, Ergo, we may not worship any grauen Image; But couetousnesse, as S. Paul teacheth, is worshipping of Idols, Ephe. 5. 5. for as cursed Idolaters either hauehave strange gods, and not the true, as the Pagans, or else strange gods with the true, as the Papists; So the couetous person adores gold, in stead of God, or else God and Mammon together; Nay, coueting of an euill couetousnesse, is so great a rebellion and disobedience to Gods holy law, that as the scripture speakes, it is like the sin ofx witchcraft; a very wretch is to himselfe a very witch, and that is they height of Idola try. For whereas zAduancement of learning pag. ….Heretikes serue the true God, with a false worship, and Idolaters serue false gods imagining them to be true: wi ches adore most impiously false gods, knowing them to be false, for the ground of that blacke art, is either an open, or a secret league with the deuill.
To speake more particularly the couetous person is an idolater, in respect of his inward and outward adoring of Mammon; for his inward worship, he sets his heart vpō riches, as aPsal. 62. 10.Dauid speaks, he puts his trust in vncertaine riches, as bMar. 10 24.Christ and c1. Tim 6 17.Paul speakes, hee sacrificeth vntounto his net, as our dChap. 1. 16.Prophet speakes, and as eIob. 31. 24.Iob speakes, hee maketh gold his hope, and sayth vntounto the wedge of gold, thou art my confidence. Now then as hee is our master, to whom wee submit our obedience. Rom. 6. 16. So that is our God to which wee commit our selues, trusting it most, and louing it best
As for an outward worship, the miserable wretch is more grosse▪ then either Popish, or heathenish Idolaters, for they worship aurum in imagine, but he doth worship aurum in …rugine So S. fIam. 5. ….Iames in plaine termes, Your gold and siluer are cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you; The Romanists hold that Images are the laye-mens Gospell, and so Sculpture, sayth gIn Ephes. 5.Zanchius, is the couetous mans Scriptura, his pictures are his scriptures, his bils are his Bibles, and the bondes of other, his security.
As for o…her offences against God, what is the cause why hActs. ….Simon Magus is desirous first to buy, that after hee may sell the giftes of the holy Ghost, is it not euil couetousnesse? What is the cause, why sacreligious persons iMala… 3 8.spoyle God of his tithes, a rent which is due to him, and his, for blessing the other nine parts of their goods▪ Is it not euill couetousnesse? What is the cause why kDan. 5. 2.Belshazzar carrowseth in consecrated vessels, and takes delight lPro 20. 25.in deuouring holy things, is it not euill cou…tousnesse? What is the cause why some take to themselues, and their heires mPsal 83. 12.the houses of God in possession, not only playing nMatth. 21.the merchan…s in the temple, but also making merchandize of the Temple, oPsal 79. 1.defi…ing holy places, and making Hierusalem an heape of stone…, is it not euill couetousnesse? What is the cause why some Diuines in some parts of the land, ly▪ ing non-resident, from their b…nefices, allow their curates, and fellow labourers, in the Lords worke, so meane meanes to liue, that (as one sayd) while they pray against other, for taking ten in the hundred, themselues eueryevery yeere make an hundred for ten, is …t not euill couetousnesse? What is the cause, why Neutralists, and Hermophrodites▪ in the businesse of religion, are so cold, like to p2. Tim▪ 4. 10.Demas, ready to forsake the Gospel, and embrace the present world, is it not euill couetousnesse? It is sayd in the prouerbe, shew mee a lyar, and I will shew thee a thiefe, So shew me a man giuen ouer vntounto the world, and I will▪ easily shew you a man that q1. Tim. 1. 19.turnes his backe to Gods altar, and is readyr to make shipwracke of faith, and a go…d conscience. The man of God, who fleeth these things, vseth the world, as if he vsed it not, vsing it only that he may the better enioy God: But he that coueteth an euill couetousnesse on the contrary, doth vse God, that hee may the better inioy the world: the penny-father is not Gods child.
For it is obserued, that the deare Saints and children of God, hauehave beene least branded with this of all other sinnes; Noe was drunke; Lot committed incest; Dauid adultery; Aron idolatrie; Peter periury; but wee doe not read, that any holy Patriarch, or Prophet, or Apostle, was ouermastered, or infected notoriously with the base sinne of euill coueting; among all Christs company, Iudas only, the sonne of perdition, is blotted for couetousnesse, but all the rest who were heires of saluation, are sayd to sMat. 19. 27.leaue all things, euen all they had, and all they could desire to hauehave, to follow Christ in his pouerty, when he professed openly, the tMat. 8. …0.foxes▪ hauehave holes, and the birdes of heauen hauehave nestes, but the sonne of man hath not whereon to rest his head. And Martin Luther, a second▪ Elias, (who by fire from heauen, descried and▪ described that abomination of desolation, in Gods temple,) writes of himselfe, that of all sinnes, hee was euer least subiect to couetousnesse; The Papists obiect often that professours of the reformed religion, are Lutherans; but I would to God, both we and they were true Lutherans in this point. I hauehave uThe Christians taske▪ pag …86.read that Cardinal Burbonius, should say, he would not leaue his part in Paris, for his part in Paradise: But a man of God on the contrary, must account all thinges xPhil 3. 8.losse, that he may win Christ: If eueryevery sinne be lesse or more deformed, ex parte boni cui inordinate subditur (as the yThom▪ 2. 2. … qu. 18. art. 5.schoole speaks) then vndoubtedly couetousnesse is a most abiect sinne, because goods of the world, are worse then either goods of the body, or goods of the mind, it is but a dirty sin, to louelove thick clay. zGualter in loc.If we may not too solicitously care for to morrow. Mat. 6. 34. Then it is the serpents head, and height of impiety to carke for many morrowes, building our nest on high, that wee may escape the power of euill to come, hording vp secret treasure, not only for our children, but also for our childrens children (as the Lawyers speake) setling inheritances, and making vncertaine riches, (which according to Gods booke, hauehave aPro 23. 5.wings as an Eagle) perpetuities for euer; This insatiable, both intent, and extent, is an euill couetousnesse in Gods eye.
Now concerning our neighbours, auarous increasing of wealth is often reported, and repeated in this Prophecie, to be spoyling of other, which are either superiours, equalls, or inferiours; as for superiours▪ euill couetousnesse denyeth vntounto Caesar, the things that are Caesars. It with-holds tribute to whom tribute; custome, to whom custom; honour, to whom honour belongeth. It renders not to minister and master and magistrate that which is due by the lawes of God and man.
As for equals, it is euill couetousnesse that occasioneth so many quarrels in law, and makes so many breaches in louelove.
As for inferiours, it is euill couetousnesse that maketh a man hard hearted, and fast handed toward the poore, the true character of Nabal is to get much, and keepe much, but to spend little, and giuegive nothing. Not to run in the field of this common place, beyond the bounds of our text, hee that inlargeth his desires as the hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth vntounto him all nations, and heapeth vntounto him all people, he that buildeth his nest on high, erecting it with blood, and iniquity, he that increaseth that which is not his owne, and leaues so much bPsal. 17. 14.hid treasure to his babes, that all of them may liue like gentlemen, and Idle men, is an enemy to the Church, and common weale, cGualter. in loc.loosing the one many good Pastors, and the other many good professours and tradesmen. If gallant vpstarts like nettles today, peeping out of the ground, to morrow, perking to the top of the hedge, had not bene left an opulent fortune, they would hauehave got their liuing either by the sweate of their braynes, or else by the sweat of their browes, whereas now the state both Ecclesiasticall, and Ciuill, is depriued of their industry.
Lastly, this sinne is the roote of euill vntounto our selues, dSeneca.auarus nemini bonus, sibi vero pessimus, A muck worme doth no good vntounto any, much hurt vntounto himselfe, he coueteth an euill couetousnesse (saith our Prophet) to his owne house, he sinneth against his owne soule, and consulteth shame to his owne posterity. It is euill vntounto his house, for the building of it so high, vponupon so bad a foundation, will be the ruine thereof, and make it euen with the ground; so Cyrillus Alexandrinus vponupon the place, Posuisti nidum in alto, sed miser eris et repente sub pedibus inimicorum; Thy stately towers and townes, ouertopping the heads of thy friends▪ shall vponupon the sudden bee trampled vnderunder the feet of thy foes; for eChrist. Castr. parap …r. in loc.although all men should hold their peace, yet sayth our Prophet, the stone shall cry out of the wall and the beame out of the tymber shall answere it; fChy…raus. Gualter.the dumbe creatures answere one another, as voices in the quire, and their cryes, as S. gCap. 5 4.Iames telleth vsus, enter into the eares of the Lord of hostes, and the ▪Lord cryeth, although thou exaltest thy selfe, as an Eagle, and make thy nest among the starres, yet thence will I bring thee downe, for as thou hast done, so shall it be done to thee, thy reward shall returne vponupon thy head, Obadia. 4. and 15 verse.
It is euill to his posterity, for vnconscionable gaine will occasion his children to be lazie, lazinesse will occasion lewdnesse, and lewdnesse will occasion vtter ruine; for them that honour mee, will I honour, and they that despise mee, shall bee despised, sayth the Lord God of Israel. 1. Samuel 2. 30,
It is euill to his owne selfe, for as the liberall and mercifull man rewardeth his owne soule. Prouerbs 11. 17. So the cruell and couetous, sinneth against his owne soule, sayth our Prophet, and this euill is the worse, for that it growes stronger and stronger, as he growes weaker and weaker, omnia vitia, saith hIn Ephe. c. 5 loc. de auaritia.Zanchius, Cum senectute s…nescunt, auaritia sola iuuen…scit; other sinnes, as wee grow in yeeres, are lesser, and lesser; only couetousnesse, which iCh. 2. 5.Abacuc telleth vsus, is a kind of drunkennesse, reignes in old men especially: an apprentise hauing serued certaine yeeres, is a free-man; and a scholler, hauing studied at the vniuersity seauen, is a master: but the couetous person, is neuer a free-man, or a master, but alwayes a seruant, and a slaue to Satan and sin, deficient in eueryevery good office, kSee, notes vponupon Eph. 3. S…n. …n Lent.concerning his naturall life, ciuill life, spirituall life, eternall life, all which is included in this one word, Woe, wherby the Prophet doth intimate, that couetousnesse is the roote of all euill, which a man suffers; Woe to him that coueteth an euill couetousnesse.
An Angel cryed, Apoc. 8. 13. Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabitants of the earth, inhabitantibus non accolis, as l…b 2 d… Abrah c 7.S. Ambrose distinguisheth, vntounto such as are not onelyonly soiourners, but setled inhabitants, who so dwell on earth, as that they make it their mansion and heauen, and neuer looke for another city, which is aboue; Woe to such in their life, woe to such in their death, woe to such after death, as the godly man whose conuersation is in heauen, hath the m1. Tim. 4 8▪promises of the life present, and of that which is to come; so the worldly man, who coueteth an euill couetousnesse, whose minde is nColos. 3. 2.set on earthly things, hath the punishments of the life present, and of that which is to come: Woe, wo, woe to such a one, oHug… ▪ Card…. in Ap…c. 8. 13.woe to his body, which is a temporall wo, wo to his soule, which is a spirituall woe, woe to both body and soule, which is an eternall woe.
Concerning the first, pIosu. 7. 25.Achan for his euill couetousnesse was by Gods commandement stoned to death, and his wealth consumed with fire: q2. Kin. 5. …7.Geezi for his euill couetousnesse, was striken with a leprosie that cleaued to him and his seed for euer: rAct. 5.Ananias and Saphira, for their euill couetousnesse, dyed disastrously: sMat. 27. 5.Iudas for his euill couetousnesse first despaired, and afterward hanged himselfe: Nabuchodonosor whom our text poynts at chiefly, for his euill couetousnesse, was filled with shame for glory.
Concerning the second, which is the woe spirituall of the soule, tPeter de Palatio. in loc.If they who will be rich by common and commendable meanes, u1. Tim. 6. 8.fall into tentation and snares, and into many foolish and noysome lustes, that x1. Pet. 2. 11.fight against the soule: then how much mo…e doe they sinne, that couet an euill couetousnesse, that build a towne with blood, and erect a city with the wages of iniquity; The spirituall life, consists in faith and repentance, now the couetous being drowned in his mucke, makes y1. Tim. 1. 19.shipwracke of his faith, and a good conscience; For faith is by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Rom. 10. 17. Bu… the deceitfulnesse of riches, as our Lord shewes, Ma…. 13 choakes the word, and hinders the passage thereof; hee that coueteth an euill couetonsnesse, is like the deafe adder mentioned in the 58. Psalme. that stoppeth her eares, and refuseth to heare the charmers voice, though hee charme neuer so sweetely. S. Augustine expounding that place, writes that this venemous serpent, delighteth in darkenesse, clappeth one of her, eares very hard to the ground, and with her tayle, stoppeth the other, least hearing the Marso, shee should be brought to light; and so the serpentine worldling which hath his mind in his chest, while his body is at Church, stops one eare with earth, that is, with insatiable desires of riches, and the other with his tayle, that is, with his heires and posterity, building his nest on high, that they may escape the euill to come, and so little regard the Gospels harmony, though the preacher should speake with the tongues of men and Angels.
As for repentance, the couetous is scarce brought to confesse his fault, seldome to be sory, neuer to restore: So that hauing neither true faith in God, nor due louelove toward men, hee cannot be but spiritually dead, and as the zEphe. 2. 12.scripture speakes, without God in this world.
As for eternall woe, torturing both body and soule, you hauehave Diues an example, Luke. 16. who for euill coueting, and for building his nest on high, suffers in hell fire, woes of losse, and woes of sense: aHugo. Card. in Apoc 8. 13.woes in respect of his paynes variety, woes in respect of his paines inseparability, woes in respect of his paynes vniuersality, for the righteous Lord, reigneth vponupon the vngodly bPsal. 11. 17.snares, fire, and brimstone, storme, and tempest; against their euill auarice, catching, and spoyling other, snares; against their hot lust, and luxury▪ fire, and brimstone; against their putting vp ambition, and pride, storme, and tempest.