A Gospel Glass, Treatise · Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI. Their Covetouſneſs.
IF there be ſo much unrighteouſneſs, Profeſson Covetouſneſs.no wonder that there is alſo much covetouſneſs that muſt not be forgot, when we remember the evil of our ways. Covetouſneſs is the ſeed of all unrighteouſneſs, 1 Tim. 6.10. V. Wells on Mich. 6.8. P. 18. Mat. 21.38.the r…ot of all evil. It was Jezabels covetouſneſs that made her unjuſtly deprive Naboth of his Vineyard. This is the heir, come let us kill him, and ſeize on his inheritance. Flectere ſi nequeo Superos, acheronta movebo, If I cannot prevail with Heaven, I will to Hell for an Eſtate is the voice of covetouſneſs: yea (which is more ſadly to be conſidered) this is that which will put men, not only upon injuſtice to others, but to God himſelf; it will make them offer violence to Religion, to Divine honour, and whatever is ſacred in the world, all theſe ſhall be proſtituted to ſerve the ends of covetouſneſs. That man will ſtick at no abuſe of God, whoſe God is his gain. How notorious was that of one of the holy fathers of Rome, a Pope, O quantas divitias peperit haec fabula Chriſti! O how gainfull unto us hath been the fable of Chriſt! And is not covetouſneſs and earthly mindedneſs an Epidemical ſinne? Eccleſ. 6.2.Solomon calls it an evil diſeaſe. 'Tis called by one Aurugo, the yellow jaundiſe, which makes the ſick perſon look yellow all over. This is the Grave which never ſaith, Prov. 30.15.it is …gh, but like Solomons Horſeleech it cries give, give. O! what boundleſs appetites have many, who can neither uſe what they have, nor put a period to what they deſire: as in the Sea one wave riſeth above another, ſo here every deſire of having is out-gone by a new deſire of getting.
Are not your great cares for riches? Evidenced in ſeveral particulars.Do not your thoughts thus run out, O! how ſhall I thrive more in the world, get more eſtate, cuſtome? but not, O! how ſhall I get the favour of God, the pardon of my ſins, and victory over my luſts? how anxious and ſollicitous are you, every day for the world, but how flat in your coming to have the Image of God renewed? How dejected are you when you miſs of a good bargain? or when you meet with ſome loſs by Sea or Land? But how little troubled if you loſe an opportunity of communion with the Lord? How joyous are you when a little of the world comes in? But how little pleas'd with the galleries, wherein the beloved may be held? How are men pleaſed with the earth, but find no more relliſh in Chriſt and his ways, than in the white of an egge? What great journeys have you taken, even compaſſed Sea and Land, to gain riches? and hardly can go a mile or two to meet with God? How is every opportunity laid hold of to get more to the heap? But do not you remain contented, with the leaſt meaſures of grace, yea with ſomewhat below grace? How oft have you left your meat to ſerve a Cuſtomer? but when ſo, to ſerve the Lord Jeſus Chriſt? How few deſign for riches, as a means to carry them to a further end? They ſhould be but as the rounds of a Ladder, not to ſtand upon, but thereby to aſcend higher, even to glory, and to the new Hieruſalem: But alas! few deſire the world in ſubordination to God, and as a means to glorifie God; but the more they love the World, the leſs God is loved; and the more their deſires are carried out after riches, the leſs after God. How few purſue earthly things in obedience to Gods call? How many out of a deſire of filthy lucre? How few ſeek the World with an holy indifferency? How few reſerve their zeal, and hotteſt endeavours, for heavenly things? Is not the general cry, Pſa. 4.6.Who will ſhew us any good? We need no proof of this, there are inſtances every where. How, for the getting of a penny, Note.will ſome debarr themſelves of Ordinances? Is it not a ſufficient excuſe with ſome; for not attending on the Worſhip of God, that they met with a Cuſtomer, that kept them from the Ordinance? Doth not the Clock strike too faſt, whilſt thou art ſelling to advantage? Doth not time run away too faſt? Doſt thou not wiſh thou couldſt with Joſhuah cauſe the Sun to ſtand ſtill on a Market-day, or on a Fair-day, when trading is quick? But O! The Sexton is blamed for ſuffering the Clock to ſtand ſtill on a Sabbath day, and when thou art in the Worſhip of God, O! When will the Sabbath be gone? Amos 8.5.When will the Duty be over, that we may fell? How many Hypocritical out-cries are there againſt the World? O! It eats up my time: O! It eats up my ſpirits: It robs me of communion with God: We ſay it is an Enemy, and yet we can boſome this Snake, lodge this Enemy, Col. 3.5.that God would have us to kill. Mortifie Covetouſneſs.
How oft hath God charged thee againſt Covetouſneſs? Take heed and beware of it: Conſiderations to withdraw the heare from Covetouſneſs Luke 12.15.Two words to the ſame purpoſe, all little enough to take thee off from earthly purſuits. How apparently hath God with-drawn from thee, ever ſince thou waſt taken with this Dalilah? How hardly art thou pull'd out of the deep pit, and miry clay, to Duty, much more to God? And wilt thou be rich? Art thou reſolved to run into the bryars? Then farewell to thee, not only in time, but to eternity. Mat. 13.23.How many convictions and impreſſions of the bleſſed Spirit have your worldly cares choaked? How have your inordinate deſires of riches puzled your Souls, and diverted them from minding and improving the counſells of God and Conſcience? But O! How unreaſonable are earthly proſecutions in this day of Gods wrath; When God is plucking up by the roots, now to be ſeeking great things for our ſelves, to have Baruck's ſore running on us, Jer. 45. ult.this makes us the more inexcuſable ſinners. This is altogether unſeaſonable, this is no time for it, this is ignoble, yea baſe. O that we were aſhamed of it! We ſay, The last dayes are perillous dayes; we pretend to expect the Croſs, and is this good preparation for the Croſs of Chriſt, to load our ſelves with thick clay, to crack our Conſciences, and thereby to incurr Gods farther diſpleaſure? How unlike art thou to the primitive Converts? Paul, when converted, Phil. 3.8counts all things but dung in compariſon of Chriſt. And Zacheus no ſooner had a work of grace begun upon him, but down went the World, faſter than ever it went up: He parts from riches with more freedome than he ſought them: The half of my goods I give to the poor; Luke 19.8.and if I have wronged any man, I will reſtore four-fold. John, the beloved Diſciple, affirms, That there is an inconſiſtency between loving the Father, 1 John 2.15. 1 John 5.4.and the World; and that Whoſoever is born of God, evercometh the World: But alas! Our hearts are as Cities without walls, the World hath a thorow-fare in them, and may come and goe without any Paſs from Heaven. How hath God put a remark of his ſore displeaſure upon our worldly endeavours? We have, to dwell in our ſeiled houſes, neglected Gods houſe, Hag. 1.2, 4, 6.and ſaid, The time is not come for the building the waſte places, for the reſtoring the Worſhip of God, for the building of the houſe of God; and how hath God cauſed many of us to vomit up our ſweet morſels, which we rolled under our tongues? O! Conſider your wayes: Ye have ſowen much, and bring in little; ye eat, but have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not ſilled with drink; and he that earneth wages, earneth wages to put it into a bagg with holes. How hath this Sin deadned you to all the Worſhip of God? How, by the interpoſition of this dark body of the Earth, hath the light of Heaven, yea the light of Gods countenance, been darkned? and how hath thy Soul been benighted and clouded? They ſay, If a Knife be put into the Earth, it will loſe its edge: I am ſure of this experiment, That Chriſtians, who were once lively and active for God, yet by engaging their hearts to the World, they have loſt their zeal, their keenneſs, and their luſtre, which once they had. When thou haſt gained time from thy buſineſs to think of God, and to diſcharge duty, haſt hot thou miſs'd thine heart? haſt not thou left and loſt it in the croud? How doſt thou debaſe thy ſelf hereby? The curſe of Cham is upon thee, a ſervant of ſervants thou art, a ſlave to that which thou ſhouldſt rule over: God did not give thee a reaſonable Soul, that thou ſhouldſt chooſe the Serpents curſe, to crawl and live upon the Earth. O! What ſordid practiſes have ſome ſtoop'd unto, for the getting this Worlds riches? Ahab, to gain a few handfulls of earth, dares walk to it through Naboth's bowells. Judas, to pocket thirty Pieces, will venture to betray his Lord, and the Lord of Heaven and Earth. O! tremble to think what ſad effects your Covetouſneſs may have upon you before you dye. Demas left Chriſt, loſt his Soul, ſhipwrack'd his faith, and all to embrace this preſent evil world. Prov. 28.20.And if thou make hast to be rich, ſhalt thou be innocent? Whether thou place thy confidence and hope in thy gold, or in a golden calf, thou art guilty of Idolatry, Col. 3.5.of having other Gods beſides the true God, and ſo doſt as highly offend the true God: and God uſually gives up ſuch men unto ſpiritual judgements. Rom. 1.21.24.It makes me fear you have not taſted of the upper ſprings, becauſe the puddle of the World is ſtill ſweet to your taſte. Luke 5.39.No man (ſaith Chriſt) having drunk old wine, ſtraightway deſireth new, for he ſaith, the old is better. If you had taſted of the joy, peace, mercy, and comforts of Chriſt, your earthly comforts would be diſreliſhed: Gal. 6.14.If you did glory in the Croſs of Chriſt, the World would be crucified to you, and you unto the World. The ſweetneſs of Chriſt would drown all Creature-ſweetneſs. But alaſs! Pſa. 84.10.To which of us, is one day in Gods Courts better than a thouſand elſe-where? Auſtin ſaid, If one drop of the joyes of Heaven might fall into Hell, it would drown all the bitterneſs of Hell: So would it drown all bitterneſs in the Soul, and all the ſweetneſs in the World. Worldly comforts would be too courſe, too ſlat, too low to recreate your hearts. Did ye but know the honey and milk of Canaan, ye would not ſo much mind the Onyons of Egypt. Mat. 6.24.No man can ſerve two Maſters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will cleave to the one, and despiſe the other: ye cannot ſerve God and Mammon. O! What a ſurpaſſing indignity is this to Chriſt, Si terram amas terra…es. Aug.to ſet him below the foot-ſtool, to value thirty Pieces of Silver before him, to preferr Earth before Heaven, preſent things before future; that the love of God, the recompence of reward, ſhall not lye nearer the heart, than the treaſures of Egypt? O! What a miſerable life doſt thou live? This Sin brings an Hell with it: thou art the Devil's Martyr. 1 Tim. ….9.They that will be rich, fall into temptation, and a ſnare, and into many fooliſh and burtful luſts, which drown men in deſtruction and perdition. Thou enjoyeſt neither God, nor the World: Thy only happineſs is a fancy: And this is thy great miſery, that thou ſtill deſireſt that which will never ſatisfie thy deſires; The more thou haſt of the World, the more thou wanteſt: the more thou drinkeſt, the more thou thirſteſt: a Dropſer is upon thee, Semper avarus eget. Hor. Hebr. 13.5. Prov. 23, 5. ch. 8.21. Eccleſ. 5.1.and thou knoweſt it not. Diſcontent is alwayes the Companion of Covetouſneſs. Let your converſation be without covetouſneſs: and be content with ſuch things as you have. Why wilt thou ſet thine eyes upon that which is not? Grace and Godlineſs is ſubſtance: Why, with Eſop's Dogg, wilt thou let goe the ſubſtance for a ſhadow? The things of the World are fancies, the things of God realities. What good is there to the Owners of riches, ſaving the beholding them with their eyes? Do not you all this while bear falſe witneſs againſt God; Do not you proclaim to the World, that God is not enough to anſwer, to fill your deſires, and that therefore you goe out after the Creature? Is it nothing to you, to call God, who is all-ſufficient, who is a fountain of living Water, a barren Wilderneſs? Be aſtoniſhed, O ye Heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, Jer. 2.12, 13, 31.be ye very deſolate, ſaith the Lord; for my people have committed two evills's they have forſaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out ciſternes, broken ciſternes, that can hold no water, O Generation, ſee ye the Word of the Lord; Have I been a Wilderneſs unto Iſrael? a Land of Darkneſs? Wherefore ſay my people, We are Lords, we will come no more unto thee? Hereby you break the conjugal Relation: God looks on you as Adulterers and Adultereſſes, James 4.4. Prov. 5.19.and will judge you accordingly. God expects that his breaſts ſhould ſatisfie you, and that you be alwayes raviſhed with his love: and dare you tell the World, that your God hath deceived you? and that you were miſtaken in your choice of God? and therefore after other Lovers you will goe? No wonder, that for the iniquity of our covetouſneſs, Iſa. 57.17.God be wroth, and ſmite us. We are greedy of more, but what have we done with our former talents? Account we muſt for one, Mat. 25.5.for two, for ten talents: the more we have, the greater ſtill will be our account. There is a reckoning day at hand. O that our moderation were known to all men, Phil. 4.5becauſe the Lord is at hand. If thou art not ſincere, I am as ſure as this Book is in thy hand, thou wilt curſe the time that ever thou hadſt an Eſtate, and wilt wiſh thou hadſt been a Beggar, for then thou hadſt not ſo much to anſwer for before God. It is certain (though ſome doubt it) that thou ſhalt carry none of thy eſtate away with thee; 1 Tim. 6.7.nothing is to be carried away, ſave guilt, to Hell; in caſe of miſ-improvement of an Eſtate; yea, if you have not rendred unto God according to what you have received, 2 Chron. 32.25.the heaping up of wealth, is but the charging of thy account: thou muſt account, how thou haſt diſburſed to a farthing. I will ſuppoſe thou haſt (by neglects of thy general Calling, and by riſing up early, and ſitting up late) gained an Eſtate, thou mayest put all thy gain in thine eyes, and never ſee the worſe. What will thy Eſtate advantage thee, when the Arrows of the Lord enter into thy Soul? What will the World advantage thee, when the Gout, Feaver, burning Peſtilence, &c. are upon thee? What, haſt thou got only that which may ſtand with Gods eternal hatred? Never count thy gains, till thou haſt got that which is inconſiſtent with Gods wrath. What haſt thou got, above that which God throweth unto the Doggs; Shew me Childrens bread, or never boaſt of thy gains. Did you ever find any Child of God worſe for afflictions? but have you not found many worſe for their thrivings in the World? Jeſhurun waxed fat, Deut. 32.15.and kicked. Whilſt you have Bonds and Bills upon others, do not you run into arrears unto God? And how will you diſcharge thoſe Suits, which God will commence againſt you? When you lye a dying, will ye not wiſh, that your time, your ſtrength, your spirits, had been powred forth upon better things, than thoſe of this life? That you had traded for Grace and Glory, rather than for the Gold of Ophir, for a little gilt Clay? O ye great Projectours for the World, I do even fore-ſee the troubles and horrours, the doubts and fears, the anguiſh and amazements of your Souls, which your un… ties, as to your future eſtate, will put … into, in your dying Rooms. How … take up ſuch language as this; Fool that I was, to cumber my ſelf about many things, and neglect the one thing neceſſary! Fool that I was, to ſet my thoughts and affections on things below, (none of which now give me a drop of water to cool my tongue) and to neglect the things above! O! If I had never heard of Chriſt and Glory, I had been more excuſable for my earthly prolings. Pſal. 69.6.O! How have I diſquieted my ſelf in vain? I have heaped up riches, and know not who ſhall gather them. Had I been as faithful to Chriſt, as I was to Mammon, O! with what joy might I have removed hence? What abundant entrance into the everlaſting Kingdome might I have had? O! Labour to prevent the horrours of Death, and the gnawing Worm of Conſcience. It is ſad, when the Sting of Death, and the Worm Conſcience, Prov. 11.4.bite the man together. Riches avail not in the day of wrath: but righteouſneſs delivereth from death. Believe it, it will cut you to the heart, to think, that leſs pains might have ſerved for eternal Life, than you have beſtowed for temporal Goods. This plague attends the covetous man, the more he deſires, and heaps up, the leſs he is deſired, and the leſs he is lamented when he dyes. He is like a Swine, that is good for nothing, whilſt he is alive; not good to bear and carry, as the Horſe; nor to draw, as the Oxe; nor to cloath, as the Sheep; nor to give milk, as the Cowe; nor to keep the houſe, as the Dogg; but ad ſolam mortem nutritur, fed only to the ſlaughter: So the covetous man doth no good with his riches whilſt he liveth; but when he is dead, his riches come to be diſpoſed of. Prov. 13.22.The riches of a ſinner are laid up for the juſt. How can you chooſe but tremble at Dooms-day? You cannot deſire the comming of Chriſt: If the Church cries, Come Lord Jeſus, come quickly, you cannot joyn in that Prayer; for that your hearts are glued to this preſent World: You preferr Paris before Paradiſe. It is to the Saints loſs, to be kept ſo long from Heaven; but you count it not ſo. You cannot ſay, Thy Kingdome come. What will you do in that day, when all the Eſtate and Friends of Dives cannot relieve with a drop of cold water? Riches are like bryars and thornes, good to ſtop gaps, but not to lay in our beds, and ſet our hearts upon, leſt we lye down in ſorrow. Few remember the Devil's offer, (All theſe things will I give thee, is the laſt temptation that old Profeſſours are baited with.) Take heed therefore and beware of Covetouſneſs.