The Combat Between the Flesh and Spirit, Sermon 12
SERM. XII.
1 Cor. 7.30.
—And they that buy as though they poſſeſſed not.
WE come now to ſpeak of thoſe that have gotten poſſeſſions in the world; but have gotten them diſhoneſtly and unjuſtly by falſe waights or meaſures, or any other ſinfull or indirect courſes. To ſuch as theſe it will be worth the while, eſpecially in ſuch a populous auditory, to ſpend an hour upon this laſt part of the uſe. It may be ſomething that may be ſaid this day, may come near the boſoms of ſome of you.
In the proſecution of this I ſhall do theſe three things.
1. Shew you what conjectures may be given of a man that hath gotten an Eſtate unjuſtly.
2. I ſhall give ſome cautelary Counſels & directions unto ſuch.
And 3. Lay before them ſome terrifying conſiderations.
For the firſt, Conjectures of an Eſtate diſhoneſtly gotten.what conjectures may be given of a man that hath gotten his Eſtate unjuſtly? I ſhall name but three; as
1. You may conjecture that man to have come by his Eſtate diſhoneſtly, that has gotten a great Eſtate ſuddenly. When a man from a begger ſhall ſuddenly become a rich man. That's a notable paſſage, Prov. 28.20. He that makes haſt to be rich ſaies Solomon, ſhall not be innocent, and therefore there is a curſe annexed to it in Prov. 20.21. An inheritance may be gotten haſtily at the beginning, but the end thereof ſhall not be bleſſed. Plutarch in the life of Sylla mentions a notable paſſage that a Senator of Rome ſpake to Sylla, Quo modo vir bonus eſſe, cum tantas poſſideas opes, cum a Patre tibi nihil ſit relictum. And Menander ſaid, a juſt man never growes rich on a ſudden, In 1 Tim. 6.9.10. They that will be rich, that is, over eagerly and over haſtily, fall into temptations and a ſnare.
Conject. 2 2. You may gueſs that man to have gotten his Eſtate by diſhim is rich as well as he. When a man ſhall follow a Trade, & honeſt gain, when no man of the ſame Calling & Trade with get a great Eſtate by it, & another man of the ſame Profeſſion, cannot live half ſo well, though his pains and diligence be as much, and his returns as great as his. 'Tis a ſign that there is ſome myſtery of iniquity that he hath in driving his trade; compare Prov. 22.2. with Prov. 29.13. The poor and rich, and the poor and the deceitfull. And this is a Rule that Seneca hath, ſaies he, a man that is rich ſingly, it is very probable, he is rich diſhoneſtly and unjuſtly.
Conject. 3 3. When a man hath gotten an Eſtate by thoſe wayes that God diſallowes of, as ſelling falſe wares, by falſe waights, falſe meaſures, and falſe lights, or by a falſe tongue, he that uſeth any of theſe wayes in trading, Cautelary directions to ſuch as have go… ten Eſtates unjuſtly.which God diſallowes of, gets his Eſtate diſhoneſtly. And thus much ſhall ſerve for the firſt particular. I come now to the ſecond; what cautelary Rules and directions may be given to ſuch men, as have gotten riches and poſſeſſions unjuſtly? I ſhall give you three of them.
1. Take this Rule, let it not ſatisfie your Conſcience, nor do you think it will bear you out in your unjuſt gains, that what you have gotten unjuſtly and irreligiouſly in your lifetime, you will imploy religiouſly, & charitably at your death.
Many men are apt to think, that when they have been unjuſt and deceitfull dealers all their life-time, if they imploy what they have unjuſtly gotten, to good uſes when they die, to give Legacies, build Hoſpitalls or Churches, that they are well enough, and do therein give God ſatisfaction for all their injuſtice; but it is not ſo, God will not be ſatisfied with ſuch offerings. God doth not love a ſacrifice that is gotten by rapine and violence. Eſay 61.8. ſaies God there, I love judgement, and hate robberies for burnt offerings. And it is very obſervable, that in Deut. 23.18. the Lord gave an expreſſe charge, that they ſhould not bring to the Altar, the hire of a whore, to offer it unto God, the Lord could not abide, that the money that was the hire of a whore, or the price of a Dog, ſhould be offered up to him in a ſacrifice. And therefore conſider, you that imploy to good uſes the mony gotten by oppreſſion, violence and deceit, the Lord will not be well pleaſed with it, this is the firſt direction.
Direct. 2 2. Think ſpeedily of making a reſtitution, if you expect ſalvation make a reſtitution to thoſe whom you have wronged, God had rather you ſhould make reſtitution to thoſe you have injured, then that you ſhould build Hoſpitalls with it, or convert it to any other pious or charitable uſe: ſaith Zacheus, if I have taken away any thing from any man, by any falſe wayes, I will reſtore him fourfold. Sultan Selymus, when his Counſellour Pyrrbus perſwaded him to beſtow the great wealth he had taken from the Perſian Merchants, upon ſome notable Hoſpital for the Relief of the poor; the dying Turk commanded it, rather to be reſtored to the right owners. When Henry the third of England ſent the Frier Minors a load of Freeze to cloath them, they returned it back with this Meſſage, that he ought not to give Alms of what he had taken from the poor unjuſtly; neither would they accept of that abominable gift. See Levit. 6.4.
3. Do not juſtifie your ſelf in a courſe of diſhoneſt gain, when your conſcience tells you, that you have dealt unjuſtly. This was the great ſin of Ephraim in Hoſea 12.7. Ephraim is a Merchant, the ballances of deceit are in his hand, he loveth to oppreſs. And Ephraim ſaid, yet I am become rich, I have found me out ſubſtance; in all my labours they ſhall find none iniquity in me that were ſin. He juſtified himſelf, though the ballances of deceit were in his band; but do not you do ſo; for though you do, yet God will not juſtifie you: In Mica 6.11. ſaies God there, ſhall I count them pure, that have a deceitfull ballance, or ſhall I count them honeſt that have a bag of deceitfull waights? no, I will not do it ſaies God.
I now come to lay down ſome terrifying and aſtoniſhing Conſiderations. Six terrible conſiderations for thoſe that have gotten their Eſtates diſhoneſtly.All you that have gotten your Eſtates unjuſtly and diſhoneſtly, let theſe ſix terrible conſiderations lie near your hearts.
1. Confider, that an Eſtate ill gotten, is in the ſight of God no better then robbery, though it be gotten in a way of commerce and trading in the world. God looks upon it as robbery, as if you had plaid the thief, and ſtole it out of a mans houſe, or pickt his pocket. In Pſal. 62.10. Truſt not in oppreſſiou, become not vain in robberies, oppreſſion and Robbery is all one. So in Prov. 21.6.7. The getting of Treaſures by a lying Tongue, is a vanity toſſed to and fro of them that ſeek death. The robbery of the wicked ſhall deſtroy them, becauſe they refuſe to do judgement. An Eſtate gotten by a lying tongue, is called by God robbery, or a ſtealing with the tongue, and though we do not account it ſo, yet it is no other in Gods account, then if you did rob a man, or pick his pocket.
And therefore beloved, it is very obſervable, that what God required as a reſtitution, for things that were ſtolen, in Exod. 22.1,2,3. was given by Zacheus for thoſe things which he had got unjuſtly, though he did not ſteal them: Exod. 21.1. If a man did ſteal a ſheep, the law was, that he ſhould reſtore four fold: ſo David judges, 2 Sam. 12.6. and Zacheus though he was not a thief, yet ſaies he, If I have taken any thing from any man unjuſtly, I will reſtore him four fold, which notes to us, that things gotten by a deceitfull tongue, and riches gotten by oppreſſion, is in the ſight of God no better then robbery: & beloved, none of you would be willing to have the brand of a thief upon you, when indeed you are ſo, & no better in Gods account, if you get an Eſtate diſhoneſtly.
Conſid. 2 2. Take in this terrible conſideration, that the guilt which you contract in your Trades, by diſhoneſt gains on the weekday, come up in remembrance before the Lord on the Sabbath day. You bring the curſe of all your week dayes ſins along with you on the Lords day. In Ezek. 28.18. Thou haſt defiled thy Sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick, ſaid God to Tyrus. Beloved, the ſins of your Trades, & of your traffick defiles your addreſſes to God, & your approaches into his preſence; when you come to worſhip before him, the ſins of your ſhops defiles your prayers, and pollute the Ordinances of God to you, the Lord looks upon all your unjuſt gains, as if you did defile his Sanctuary, Ezek. 14.3.4. The word of the Lord came unto Ezekiel, ſaying, Son of man, theſe men have ſet up their Idolls in their heart, and put …he ſtumbling block of their iniquity before their face, ſhould I be enquired of at all by them? therefore ſpeak unto them, and ſay, thus ſaith the Lord God, every man of the houſe of Iſrael, that ſetteth up his Idolls in his heart, and putteth the ſtumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet, I the Lord will anſwer him according to the multitude of his Idolls.
Oh beloved, when you approach in to the ſolemn Aſſemblies, to make your addreſſes to God, he knows what unjuſt gain is your Idoll, and he himſelf will anſwer you according to your iniquities, and will not hear your prayers. O let this Conſideration terrifie you, the ſin of your Shops will defile your Sanctuary, and blaſt all the benefit of your prayers and ſervices.
3. Conſider, that if ever God awaken your Conſcience, you cannot look upon your unjuſt gains, but with abundance of diſquietneſs and horrour, and perplexity of ſpirit: it may be now ſtolen waters are ſweet, and the bread of deceitfulneſs is pleaſant to you; but when God comes to awaken your Conſcience, oh what horrour and terrour, and conſternation will ſeaze upon your ſpirits, Job 20.15.18.20. He hath ſwallowed down riches, and he ſhall vomit them up again, the riches that a man hath gotten unjuſtly, ſhall be like meat that lies undigeſted in a mans ſtomach, and forceth him to vomit up again, and in verſe 18. That which he laboured for ſhall he reſtore, and ſhall not ſwallow it down, ſurely he ſhall not feel quietneſſe in his belly, that is in his Conſcience. Thoſe that are the great Cormorants of the world, that ſwallow down riches by oppreſſion, they ſhall not feel quietneſs in their Conſciences: ſo Prov. 6.7. the getting of Treaſures by a lying tongue, is a vanity toſſed to and fro of thoſe that ſeek death, the robbery of the wicked ſhall deſtroy them. The word here tranſlated deſtroy, in the originall, ſignifies to ſawe, which intimates, that goods gotten by deceit & oppreſſion, ſhall ſo trouble & perplex thoſe that get them, as a ſawe will trouble & torment a man to have his arm or Leg ſawed of with it. When a man cometh to die & ſhal conſider, all this wealth that I have labored for in my life, muſt leave me at my death, & that your riches are the price of your ſouls, and that they have been gotten by defrauding and over-reaching your Neighbour, by lying and cheating, and oppreſſion; How can ſuch a man look God in the face? Eſay 33.14. who ſhall dwell with the devouring fire? who ſhall dwell with the everlaſting burnings? he that walketh righteouſly, and ſpeaketh uprightly, and deſpiſeth the gain of oppreſſion. None of thoſe that uſe diſhoneſt gain, and defraud their Brethren, can look God in the face, what horrour and terrour of Conſcience will it be to you, when you come to die? to conſider, that all your riches are purchaſed with your ſouls blood. Thus it was with Judas, Mat. 27.3.
4 Conſider, that ſometimes thoſe that have goten great Eſtates unjuſtly, God doth ſo puniſh them, that he makes them to be objects of ſhame and reproach amongſt the people where they dwell. As in Habbak. 2.9,10. Wo to him that coveteth an evill covetouſneſs to his houſe, that he may ſet his neſt on high, thou haſt conſulted ſhame to thy houſe. When men do add houſe to houſe, and ſqueeze the poor by oppreſſion, they do conſult ſhame to their own houſe, that is not intentionally, but equentually, though they do not intend it ſo, yet it falls out ſo, and we ſee it by experience, that many times your great Cormorants and oppreſſors, bring ſhame upon their own heads in the places where they live.
5. Conſider, that ſometimes God in his juſt judgements does blaſt thoſe Eſtates that are gotten diſhoneſtly, even in this life, the oppreſſors Eſtate dies before he dies, ſome times it is ſo; In Prov. 13.11. ſaies Solomon, wealth gotten by vanity ſhall be diminiſhed. Ill gotten goods are called the treaſures of ſnow; now the property of ſnow is, if you hold a ball of it in your hand, it will melt away preſently, & ſo many times God makes riches unjuſtly gotten, to melt away as Treaſures of Snow: there is a notable expreſſion in Prov. 20.21. An Inheritance may be gotten haſtily at the beginning; but the end thereof ſhall not be bleſsed. It is a very good obſervation that one hath, who takes notice, that of all the Tribes of Iſrael, the Tribe of Gad, Ruben, and half the Tribe of Menaſſeth, were moſt haſty to get poſſeſſion of the promiſed Land. And thoſe that were moſt eager to take their poſſeſſions firſt, the Lord was pleaſed to make them loſe their poſſeſſions a great while before any of the other loſt theirs, as you may ſee, a King. 10.33. I only mention this to let you ſee, that though you be never ſo haſty in getting an Eſtate, yet God may quickly take it from you. You have another notable Text for this purpoſe, Jer. 17.11. As the Partridge ſitteth on eggs, and hatcketh them not, ſo he that getteth riches, and not by right, ſhall leave them in the midſt of his dayes, and at his end ſhall be a fool.
Oh think of this beloved, that the curſe of God waits upon wealth ill gotten, and he will blaſt it, it may be before you die, Ezek. 22.12,13. thou haſt taken uſury and increaſe, and thou haſt greedily gained of thy Neighbours by extortion, and haſt forgotten me ſaith the Lord; behold therefore I have ſmitten my hand at thy diſhoneſt gain which thou haſt made. God will ſmite with his hand, and blaſt all diſhoneſt gain.
Obj. Object. But methinks I hear ſome rich men ſay, ſurely this is not ſo as you ſay; for I have gotten by diſhoneſt gains, and have dealt thus and thus, and have gotten a great Eſtate, and am a rich man ſtill, I have left all my Children ſo much a year, and have thus much ſtill left in the whole, and therefore I do not ſee that this that you ſay is true.
Anſw. I anſwer, that it is true, men may ſometimes get wealth diſhoneſtly, and yet die rich men, and leave their wealth to their Children, as in Jer. 5.27. As a Cage is full of Birds, ſo are their houſes full of deceit, therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. God may ſuffer men that do live and trade by deceit, to become great and wax rich.
2. Conſider this, that you can have no true comfort, or quietneſs of conſcience in the wealth that you have ill gotten; though you have gotten it unjuſtly, yet you cannot keep it quietly. The riches that you have ſwallowed down, you ſhall vomit them up again, Job 20.15.18.and ſurely you ſhall find no reſt in your bellies.
3. Suppoſe you may keep an Eſtate all your life-time, yet you will be a great loſer by the bargain, for all that; for what though you have gotten and kept your Eſtate, yet you will loſe your own ſoul by it. And ſaies our Saviour, what will it profit a man to gain the whole world, and loſe his own ſoul? Hab. 2.10. Thou haſt by thy unjuſt gains, conſulted ſhame to thy houſe, and ſinned againſt thy own ſoul: and thus much for the fift Conſideration.
6. Conſider, that by diſhoneſt gains thou doſt run the hazard of the greateſt loſſe in all the world; to wit, a precious and immortall ſoul. In that place before quoted, Hab. 2.10. wo be to that man that gets wealth by diſhoneſty and oppreſſion, he ſinneth againſt his own ſoul. James 5.3. wo be to you rich men, your gold and ſilver is cankered, and the ruſt of them ſhall be a witneſs againſt you at the laſt day. Heb. 2.11. The ſtone ſhall crie out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber, in the houſe which you have gotten unjuſtly, ſhall cry for vengeance againſt you another day. A Lapide hath a notable Fable to this purpoſe, comparing men that are unjuſt in their dealings to Spiders, the righteous man to a Bee. The Spider upbraded the Bee for going up and down, oh ſaid the Bee, ſtolidiſſimum eſt pro vita vitam evomere, proviliſſima re chariſſimam medullam fundere, pro incerto certum expendere, pro minimo magnum perdere.
And therefore conſider oh wicked man, thou haſt gotten a fair Eſtate; but that Eſtate ſhall coſt thee thy ſouls blood, without repentance: oh let this conſideration lie near your hearts, that you endanger your precious ſouls by your unjuſt gains.
And thus I have done with theſe three branches of the uſe, directed to three ſorts of people, 1. To thoſe that buy and ſell in the world, and can ſcarce bring the year about. 2. To thoſe that trade in the world, and get great Eſtates, but unjuſtly and diſhoneſtly. And laſtly, to thoſe that have got great Eſtates and Poſſeſſions, by juſt and commendable courſes. I ſhall now conclude all with another ſhort and practical uſe, and ſo have done.
I have already ſpent 4. Sermons about this buſineſs of commerce and trading in the world, and all that I ſhall now ſay by way of uſe in the cloſe of this ſubject, ſhall be this, earneſtly to exhort and beſeech you in the midſt of all your buyings and ſellings in the world, to drive a Trade for Heaven, and to labour to poſſeſs grace as well as worldly goods, and to encourage you herein, let me but offer theſe three things to your conſideration.
1. Do not you expect ſome gain and increaſe by your Trades? there is not one of you but think to get by your Trading. O therefore do not drive a Trade for Heaven, and yet never labour to increaſe and grow better and better by it. Luke 19.5. the Lord expects that we ſhould improve our talent, and gain by our trading for Heaven. Do you expect to gain by your worldly Tradings? and doth not God expect, that in your Tradings for Heaven, you ſhould gain more grace and more knowledge, more experience, humility, holineſs, heavenly mindedneſs, and the like?
2. Would it not be matter of grief to you, to continue a long time, buying and ſelling, and trading in the world, and yet not increaſe your ſtock, would not this grieve you Beloved? and ſhall it not grieve you too, that you have been trading for Heaven a long time, and yet from your firſt ſtepping forth to this inſtant, have gotten no increaſe? and would it not grieve you to decline in your Eſtates, after all your labour and pains, and trading in the world, and ſhould it not grieve you much more to be further off from Heaven now, then you were at firſt?
Conſid. 3 3. Is it not unreaſonable, that all your purſuits and endeavours ſhould be to gain and procure things for the body, and to-take no care, and make no proviſions for the ſoul? Beloved, would you not count him an unnaturall man, that ſhould take care to cloath his ſlave, and yet let his Child go naked? ſo is it not unreaſonable, that you ſhould take all pains for the body, and none for the ſoul. Beloved, what a folly is it for you to be ſo ſollicitous to preſerve your bodies, and never take any care, concerning the welfare of your precious and immortall ſouls.
And thus now I have gone through theſe three parts of the Text. And they that weep as though they wept not, and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not, and they that buy as though they poſſeſsed not.
In the next place I ſhall proceed to handle the fourth and laſt part, and they that uſe this world as not abuſing of it, for the faſhion of this world paſseth away.