Sixteen Sermons, Sermon 6
The Second SERMON ON LUKE XII. 15.
And he ſaid unto them, Take heed and beware of Covetouſneſs; for a Man's Life conſiſteth not in the abundance of the things which he poſſeſſeth.
I Have made entrance into a Diſcourſe upon theſe Words, in which I told you there are Three Things Obſervable.
Firſt, The Manner of the Caution which our Saviour here gives, Take heed and beware.
Secondly, The Matter of the Caution, or the Sin which our Saviour here warns his Hearers againſt, Take heed and beware of Covetouſneſs: And
Thirdly, The Reaſon of this Caution, becauſe a Man's Life conſiſteth not in the abundance of the Things which he poſſeſſeth.
In Diſcourſing of the Second of theſe, viz. the Matter of the Caution, I propoſed.
1. To Conſider wherein the Nature of this Vice of Covetouſneſs does conſiſt.
2. To ſhew the Evil and Unreaſonableneſs of it.
The Firſt of theſe I have diſpatched, and now go on to the Second, viz. To ſhew the great Evil and Unreaſonableneſs of the Vice of Covetouſneſs.
Now Covetouſneſs will appear to be very Evil, and Unreaſonable, upon theſe following Accounts.
I. Becauſe it takes Men off from Religion, and the Care of their Souls.
II. Becauſe it tempts Men to do many Things which are inconſiſtent with Religion, and directly contrary to it.
III. Becauſe it is an endleſs and inſatiable Deſire.
IV. Becauſe the Happineſs of Humane Life doth not conſiſt in Riches.
V. Becauſe Riches do very often contribute very much to the Miſery and Infelicity of Men.
Firſt, Covetouſneſs takes Men off from Religion, and the Care of their Souls. The Covetous Man is wholly intent upon this World; and his inordinate Deſire after theſe Things, makes him to neglect God, and the Eternal Concernments of his Soul. He employs all his Time, and Care, and Thoughts about theſe Temporal Things, and his vehement love and eager purſuit of theſe Things ſteals away his Heart from God, robs him of his Time, and of all Opportunities for his Soul, and diverts him from all ſerious Thoughts of another World, and the Life to come. And the Reaſon of this is, that which our Saviour gives, Mat. 6. 24. No Man can ſerve two Maſters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or elſe he will hold to the one, and deſpiſe the other. Ye cannot ſerve God, and Mammon. No Man can ſerve two Maſters ſo different as God and the World are, becauſe they will give croſs Commands, and enjoyn contrary Things. God he calls upon us to mind the Duties of his Worſhip and Service, to have a ſerious regard to Religion, and a diligent Care of our Souls: But the Cares of the World, and the Importunity of Buſineſs, and an eager appetite of being Rich, call us off from theſe Divine and Spiritual Employments, or diſturb us in them. God calls upon us to be Charitable to thoſe that are in want, to be willing to diſtribute, and ready to communicate to the Neceſſities of our Brethren: But our Covetouſneſs pulls us back, and hales us another way, and checks all Merciful and Charitable Inclinations in us. God calls us to Self-Denial, and Suffering for the Sake of him, and his Truth, and commands us to preferr the keeping of Faith, and a good Conſcience, to all Worldly Conſiderations whatſoever: But the World Inſpires us with other Thoughts, and whiſpers to us to ſave our ſelves, not to be Righteous over much, and rather to truſt God with our Souls, than Men with our Bodies and Eſtates.
If we ſet our Hearts and Affections ſtrongly upon any thing, they will partake of the Object which they are Converſant about; for where our Treaſure is (as our Lord hath told us) there will our Hearts be alſo. If a great Eſtate be our chief End and Deſign, if Riches be our Treaſure, and our Happineſs, our Hearts will be found among the Stuff. We cannot beſtow our Affections freely upon two Objects. We cannot intenſly love God, and the World; for no Man can have two Ultimate Ends, two Principal Deſigns. Our Riches may increaſe; but if we ſet our hearts upon them, and give them the chief place in our Affections, we make them our Lord and Maſter. Whatever we make our Ultimate End, we give it a Sovereignty and Empire over us; we put our ſelves under its Dominion, and make our ſelves ſubject to all its Commands. So that if it bid us go, we muſt go; come, we muſt come; do this, we muſt do it; becauſe we are under Authority: The World is our Maſter, and we are its Slaves. Now he that is under the Rule and Dominion of this Maſter, muſt withdraw his Obedience from God, and in many Caſes decline Obedience to his Laws.
This Worldly Covetous Diſpoſition was that which made thoſe in the Parable to make ſo many Excuſes, when they were Invited to the Supper, Luke 14. 18. One had bought a Farm, and he could not come: Another had bought ſo many Yoke of Oxen, and therefore he deſired to be excuſed. Riches do ſo fill the Covetous Man's Heart, and the Cares of the World ſo poſſeſs his Mind, that he hath no room left in his Soul for any other Gueſts: Intus exiſtens prohibet alienum, that which is full already, can receive no more. The Covetous Man's Heart is taken up with ſuch Things as keep out God, and Chriſt, and better Things. If any Man love the World, and the Things of it to this Degree, St. John tells us that the love of the Father is not in him. In the Parable of the Sower, Mat. 13. 7. Our Saviour repreſents to us the Cares of the World, which choak the word of God, by Thorns which ſprang up among the Seed, and ſtifled the growth of it. The Cares of the World will not ſuffer the Word of God to take deep root in our hearts, and to have any permanent effect upon them: And Ezek. 33. 31. God gives this as a Reaſon why the People of Iſrael would not hearken to the words of his Prophet, becauſe their Hearts were upon the World. They come unto thee, (ſays God there to the Prophet) as the People cometh, and they ſit before thee as my People, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: For with their mouth they ſhew much love, but their heart goeth after their Covetouſneſs. A Heart that is deeply engaged in the World, will ſtand out againſt all the Invitations, and Promiſes, and Threatnings of God's Word. When the Word of God invites ſuch Perſons, it is like making Love to thoſe who have already fix'd their Hearts and Affections elſewhere; the Promiſes and Threatnings of the Goſpel ſignifie but very little to ſuch Men, becauſe their Hearts are ſet upon Worldly Things, and all their Affections are bent that way; all their Hopes and Deſires are Worldly, to be Rich, and abound in Wealth; and all their Fears are of Poverty and Loſs. Now ſuch a Man can only be moved with the Promiſes and Threatnings of Temporal Things; for no Promiſes have any effect upon us, but ſuch as are of ſome Good, which we care for and value: Nor are any Threatnings apt to move us, but ſuch as are of ſome Evil, which we dread, and are afraid of. And therefore when Eternal Life, and the Happineſs of another World, are offered to a worldly-minded Man, he does not deſire it, he is not at all ſenſible of the value of it… the Man's Heart is full already of other Hopes and Deſires, and the full Soul loatheth the Hony-Comb. Promiſe to ſuch a Man the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Pleaſures of God's Preſence, and the Joys of Eternity, this does not ſignifie to ſuch a Man any Good or Happineſs that he is ſenſible of, or knows how to reliſh. And on the other hand, threaten him with the loſs of God, and an Eternal Separation from that Fountain of Happineſs, and with the unſpeakable Anguiſh and Torments of a long Eternity; theſe Things, tho' they be terrible, yet they are at a diſtance, and the Covetous Man is enured to Senſe, and is only to be moved with Things preſent and ſenſible; he cannot extend his Fears ſo far as another World, ſo long as he finds himſelf well and at eaſe, as to the Things of this preſent Life.
If we would affect ſuch a Man, we muſt offer to his Conſideration ſomething that is fit to work upon him; threaten him with breaking open his Houſe, and ri…ing his Coffers, and carrying away his full Bags; with queſtioning his Title to his Eſtate, or ſtarting a precedent Mortgage, or ſomething of the like Nature: Theſe Things indeed are dreadful and terrible to him; now you ſpeak intelligibly to him, and he underſtands what you mean: Tell him of a good Bargain, or an advantagious Purchaſe, offer him decently a good Bribe, or give him notice of a young Heir that may be circumvented, and drawn in, then you ſay ſomething to him that is worthy of his regard and attention; the Man may be tempted by ſuch Offers and Promiſes as theſe: But Diſcourſe to him with the tongue of M… and Angels, of the Excellency of Virtue and Goodneſs, and of the Neceſſity of it, to the obtaining of a Glory and Happineſs that ſhall neither have bounds nor end; and lo! thou art unto him as a very lovely Song of one that hath a pleaſant voice, and can play well upon an Inſtrument, for he hears thy words, but he will not do them; as the Prophet expreſſeth it, Ezek. 33. 32. Such Diſcourſes as theſe they look upon as fine talk, or a melodious …ound, that vaniſheth into air, but leaves no impreſſion behind it. Perhaps even theſe dull and ſtupid kind of Men are affected a little for the preſent with the livelineſs of the Romance, and the Poetical Vein of the Preacher; but theſe Things paſs away like a Tale that is told, but have no laſting effect upon them. So effectually doth Covetouſneſs, and the love of this preſent World, obſtruct all thoſe Paſſages, through which the Conſideration of Religion and Heavenly Things ſhould enter into our Minds.
Secondly, As Covetouſneſs hinders Men from Religion, and takes them off from a due Care of their Souls; ſo it many times tempts and engageth Men to do many Things contrary to Religion, and inconſiſtent with it: It is the Natural Source and Fountain of a great many Evils, and the Parent of moſt of the worſt of Vices. He that will engage deep in the World, muſt uſe much more guard and caution than moſt Men do, to do it without Sin. How many Temptations is the Covetous Man expoſed to in the getting, and in the ſecuring, and in the ſpending and enjoying of a great Eſtate? It is no eaſie Task to reckon them up, and much more difficult to eſcape or re…iſt them; and yet each of theſe Temptations bring him into the danger of a great many Sins. For,
I. In the getting of an Eſtate, he is expoſed to all thoſe Vices which may ſeem to be ſerviceable to this Deſign. Nothing hath been the Cauſe of more and greater Sins in the World, than Covetouſneſs, and making haſte to be Rich. It is Solomon's Obſervation, Prov. 28. 20. He that maketh haſte to be Rich, ſhall not be Innocent. He does not ſay he cannot be Innocent, but he ſpeaks as if there were all the probability in the World that he will not prove to be ſo; but being in ſo much haſte, will almoſt unavoidably fall into a great many overſights and faults. And the Heathen Poet makes the very ſame Obſervation in more words,
Inde ferè ſcelerum cauſae, nec plura venena
Miſcuit, aut ferro graſſatur ſaepiùs ullum
Humanae mentis vitium, quam ſaeva Cupido
Immodici Cenſûs: nam dives qui fieri vult,
Et cito vult fieri; Sed quae Reverentia Legum,
Quis Metus aut Pudor eſt unquam properantis avari?
This, ſays he, is the Cauſe of moſt Sins: Nor is there any Vice of which the Mind of Man is capable, that hath been guilty of more Murders and Poyſonings, than a furious Deſire of immode…ate Wealth; for he that will be Rich, will make haſte to be ſo: And what Reverence of Laws, what fear or ſhame was ever ſeen in any Man that was in in haſte to be Rich? And this is the ſenſe of what the Apoſtle ſays concerning this Vice of Covetouſneſs, this peremptory Reſolution of being Rich, 1 Tim. 6. 9, 10. They that will be Rich, fall into Temptation, and a Snare, and into many fooliſh and hurtful Luſts, which drown Men in Deſtruction and Perdition. For the love of Mony is the root of all Evil. If this Vice of Covetouſneſs once reign in us, if we have once fix'd our End, and ſet up this Reſolution with our ſelves, that we will be Rich, we ſhall then make every thing ſtoop and ſubmit to this Deſign. A Cov…tous Man will make his Principles and his Conſcience to bend to his Reſolution of being Rich, and to bow to that Intereſt. The eager Deſire of Riches makes Men to purſue them in indirect and uncharitable ways, by Falſehood and Perjury, by undermining and over-reaching, by diſſembling and flattery, by corrupting and imbaſing of Commodities, by falſe Weights and Meaſures, by taking Fees with both hands, by making uſe of their Power and Wit to oppreſs and defraud their Brother, by impoſing upon his Ignorance and Simplicity, or by making a Prey of his Poverty and Neceſſity.
Covetouſneſs many times makes Men Cruel and Unjuſt; nay it makes them guilty of the worſt ſort of Cruelty and Oppreſſion. For (as one ſays well) the Covetous Man oppreſſeth his Neighbour, not for any good to himſelf; for he does not enjoy what he tears and rends from others; ſo that he is of that moſt hateful kind of Beaſts of Prey, that kill other Creatures, not to eat them, but that they may ſee them lie dead by them. Lyons and Wolves kill out of hunger; but the Covetous Man, like a Serpent, or Scorpion, ſtings and bites others to death, not for his need, but for his pleaſure and recreation. Covetouſneſs is the Parent of the moſt monſtrous Sins; becauſe it fixeth a Man in a Reſolution of getting an Eſtate by any means. If Falſeneſs and Deceit, Violence and Oppreſſion will further this End; the earneſt deſire of the End tempts Men to uſe any ſort of Means whereby the End may be compaſſed; and tho' a Man may have ſome averſeneſs from them at firſt, yet that wears off by degrees, and the ſtrong deſire of the End, reconciles a Man at laſt to the love and liking of the Means, how wicked and unwarrantable ſoever. Covetouſneſs tempted Achan to ſteal the accurſed Thing, and Gehazi to lie to the Prophet, and Ahab to Oppreſs and Murder Naboth. Nay, a ſmall Summ tempted the Covetous Mind of Judas to betray his Maſter, and his Saviour. And how do many Men every day ſtrain their Conſciences to get an Eſtate, and hazard their Souls for Mony; nay exchange their Souls, which are of more value than the whole World, for a very ſmall portion of it?
II. There are likewiſe many other Temptations which a Covetous Man is expoſed to in the keeping and ſecuring of an Eſtate, when he hath got it. A Covetous and worldly-minded Man, when it comes to the Trial, is in great danger of quitting his Religion, and making ſhipwrack of Faith and a good Conſcience. When his Eſtate comes to be in hazard, he is very apt to fall off from the Truth; 'tis an hundred to one but in theſe Circumſtances he will chuſe rather to violate his Conſcience, than to forfeit his Eſtate. What the Devil falſely ſaid of Job, is true of the Covetous Man, he does not ſerve God for nought. Upon theſe Terms it was, that Chriſt and the young Man parted; he had great Poſſeſſions, and it troubled him to part with them. When Demas was brought to the Trial, and put to it, whether he would ſtick to the profeſſion of the Goſpel, or his Worldly Poſſeſſions, he quitted St. Paul, and declared for the World, the 2d of Tim. 4. 10. Demas hath forſaken me, having loved this preſent World. So far had his Covetous humour beſotted him, as to make him prefer his preſent Intereſt in theſe Temporal Things, before thoſe Eternal Rewards which the Goſpel offered.
III. There are likewiſe many Temptations which Men are expoſed to in the enjoying and ſpending of a great Eſtate. It is hard to have a great Eſtate, and not to be maſter'd by the love of it; not to have our Cares and Thoughts, our Hearts and Affections ſwallowed up by it. 'Tis no eaſie thing for a Man that hath Riches, not to over-value them, and love them more than he ought; not to be puft up by them, and ſo place his Truſt and Confidence in them. Prov. 18. 11. The Rich Man's Wealth is his ſtrong City, and as an high Wall in his own Conceit. The Covetous Man ſetteth up his Riches in the place of God, and is apt to fall down before this Golden Calf, and Worſhip it: To ſay to the Gold, thou art my Hope, and to the fine Gold, thou art my Confidence: To Rejoyce, becauſe his Wealth is great, and becauſe his hand hath gotten much.
Riches are a great Temptation to Irreligion and Atheiſm. Upon this account Agur wiſely prays to God for a moderate Eſtate, becauſe of the danger of both the Extreams of Riches and Poverty; becauſe of the great and violent Temptations which Men are expoſed to in both theſe Conditions, Prov. 30. 8, 9. Give me neither Poverty, nor Riches; but feed me with food convenient for me. Why not Riches? Le…t I be full, and deny thee, and ſay, who is the Lord? And much more do Riches tempt Men to Pride and Inſolence towards others, Prov. 18. 23. The Poor uſeth intreaties, but the Rich anſwereth roughly. Mens Spirits are commonly blown up and bloated with their Fortunes, and their Pride, and Stomach, and Paſſion do uſually increaſe in proportion to their Wealth.
And many times Riches Tempt Men to Luxury, and Intemperance, and all manner of Exceſs. Rich Men have a mighty Temptation to allow themſelves all manner of unlawful Pleaſures, becauſe he who hath a great Eſtate, is furniſh'd with that to which hardly any thing can be denied. And this is not inconſiſtent with a Covetous Humour; for there are many times Men who are Covetous in getting, for no other End and Reaſon, but that they may ſpend it upon their L…ſts. As Covetouſneſs ſometimes ſtarves other Vices, ſo ſometimes it ſerves them, and is made ſubordinate to a Man's Ambition, or Luſt, or ſome other reigning Vice. There is no ſuch abſolute inconſiſtency between Riches and Virtue, but that it is poſſible that a Man that is very Rich, may be very good. But yet if we conſult Experience, I doubt it will be found a true Obſervation, that there are but very few Rich Men, who are not inſupportable, either for their Vanity, or their Vices; ſo that our Saviour had reaſon for that ſevere Queſtion, How hard is it for a Rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of God? And well might he upon this account pronounce the Poor, (the poor in Eſtate, as well as the Poor in Spirit) bleſſed, as we find he does, Luke 6. 20. Bleſſed be ye Poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. They oftner enter there, than the Rich.
Thirdly, Covetouſneſs is likewiſe Evil and Unreaſonable, becauſe it is an endleſs and inſatiable deſire. A Covetous Mind may propoſe to it ſelf ſome certain bounds and limits, and a Man may think that when he is arrived to ſuch an Eſtate, and hath raiſed his Fortune to ſuch a pitch, that he will then ſit down contented and ſatisfied, and will ſeek after no more. But he deceives himſelf in this Matter; for when he hath attain'd to that which he propoſed to himſelf, he will be never the nearer being ſatisfied. So Solomon tells us, Eccleſ. 5. 10. He that loveth Silver, ſhall not be ſatisfied with Silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increaſe; for no degree of Wealth can ſatisfie a Covetous Mind. He may think ſo before-hand, that if he had ſo much, it would be enough; but when he hath attained it, he will be ſtill reaching after more; for Covetouſneſs is a Diſeaſe of the Mind, and an unnatural thirſt, which is inflamed by that which ſhould quench it. Every Deſire that is Natural, is ſatisfied and at reſt, when it hath once obtained the thing it deſired. If a Man be hungry, he is ſatisfied when he hath eaten; or if he be thirſty, his thirſt is allay'd and quench'd when he hath drank to ſuch a proportion as Nature doth require; and if he eat and drink beyond this meaſure, Nature is oppreſs'd, and it is a burthen to him. But Covetouſneſs is not the thirſt of Nature, but of a Diſeaſed Mind. It is the thirſt of a Fever, or of a Dropſie; the more a Man drinks, the more he deſires, and the more he is inflam'd. In like manner, the more the Covetous Man increaſeth his Eſtate, the more his Deſires are enlarged and extended, and he finds continually new Occaſions and new Neceſſities; and every day as he grows Richer, he diſcovers new Wants; and a new Poverty to be provided againſt, which he did not think of before, comes into his Mind: Et minùs haec optat, qui not habet; and he that is without theſe Things, covets them leſs than he that hath them. So far is a Covetous Man's attaining to Riches from giving him ſatisfaction, that he who hath ſcarce any thing at all, is many times much nearer to Contentment, than he that hath got ſo much; nay ſo unreaſonable is this appetite, as to deſire more, even when the Man knows not how to beſtow what he hath already. This Solomon obſerved long ſince, (for the Vices and Humours of Men are much the ſame in all Ages) Eccleſ. 4. 8. There is one alone, and there is not a ſecond; yea he hath neither Child nor Brother; yet is there no end of all his labour, neither is his eye ſatisfied with Riches, neither ſaith he for whom do I labour, and bereave my Soul of good? This is alſo vanity, yea it is a ſore travel. And indeed what can be greater Vanity and Folly, than to be at certain pains and labour all the days of a Man's Life, and yet to be uncertain all the while, for whom it is that he drudgeth, and taketh all theſe pains.
And if this be the Nature of this Vice, the more it gets, ſtill to covet the more; then nothing can be more unreaſonable, than to think to grati…ie this appetite; becauſe at this rate, the Man can never be contented, becauſe he can never have enough; nay ſo far is it from that, that every new acceſſion to his Fortune, ſets his Deſires one degree farther from reſt and ſatisfaction: For a Covetous Mind having no bounds, it is very probable that the Man's Deſire will increaſe much faſter than his Eſtate; and then the Richer he is, he is ſtill the Poorer, becauſe he is ſtill the leſs contented with his Condition. However, it is impoſſible that the Man's Deſire ſhould ever be ſatisfied; for Deſire being always firſt, if the Man's Deſire of Riches advanceth and goes forward as faſt as Riches follow, then it is not poſſible for Riches ever to overtake the Deſire of them, no more than the hinder Wheels of a Coach can overtake thoſe which are before: Becauſe as they were at a diſtance at firſt ſetting out, ſo let them go never ſo far, or ſo faſt, they keep the ſame diſtance ſtill.
So that it is the vaineſt thing in the World, for a Man to deſign his own ſatisfaction by the perpetual increaſe of his Fortune, becauſe Contentment doth not ariſe from the abundance of what a Man hath, but it muſt ſpring from the inward frame and temper of our Minds; and the true way to it, is not to enlarge our Eſtate, but to contract our Deſires; and then it is poſſible that a Man's Mony and his Mind may meet; otherwiſe the purſuit is endleſs, and the farther a Man follows Contentment, it will but flee ſo much the farther from him; and when he hath attained the Eſtate of a Prince, and a Revenue as great as that of France, or the Turkiſh Empire, he ſhall be farther from being ſatisfied, than when he began the World, and had no more before-hand than would juſt pay for his next Meal.
I ſhould now have proceeded to the Fourth Thing, whereby the unreaſonableneſs of Covetouſneſs doth appear; becauſe the Happineſs of Humane Life doth not conſiſt in Riches. And this is the Argumeut which I ſhall more eſpecially inſiſt upon, becauſe it is that which our Saviour uſeth here in the Text, to take Men off from this Vice. The Life of Man conſiſteth not in the abundance of the Things which he poſſeſſeth. And this certainly is one of the beſt and moſt Reaſonable Conſiderations in the World, to moderate Mens Affections towards theſe Things. Every Reaſonable Deſire propounds ſome End to itſelf. Now to what purpoſe ſhould any Man deſire to increaſe his Wealth ſo vaſtly beyond the proportion of his Neceſſities, and real Occaſions? What Benefit and Advantage would it be to any Man, to have a hundred times more than he knows what to do withall? But I ſhall not Enlarge upon this Argument at preſent, but referr it to another Opportunity.