THese are the wordes of our Sauiour Christ, vt­tered vpon occasion of a certaine accident related immediatly before. Two brethren were at vari­ance, about their fathers lands. It seemes that one would haue had all to himselfe, and left very little or nothing to his bro­ther. Hereupon the party that thought himselfe wronged, entreats our Sauiour by good counsell, to compose the controuer­sie betwixt them, and to bring his bro­ther [Page 2]to some more equall course of diui­sion. Our Lord that alwaies regarded the the soule more than the state, perceiuing couetousnesse to be the cause of this con­tention, refuseth to intermeddle with the parting of their lands, and fals to cure that disease of their soules which procured all this distemper. This he begins to doe in the verse present, and prosecutes more at large in the sequel of the Chapter. These words diuide themselues into two parts: The first, Christs exhortation, Take heed, and beware of couetousnesse. The second, the reason wherewith he backs his exhor­tation taken from the ineffectualnesse of wealth, the obiect of couetousnesse, for though a man haue aboundance, &c. that is, if any man should heape vp all superflui­ties, hee shall finde no more safety, quiet, or contentment of life, from this his cop­heaped plenty of outward things. The point of doctrine which our Sauiour Christ aimes at, Doctrine. in the discussing of which I purpose to spend the time alotted, is so manifest, that no man can chuse but see it, whosoeuer will be ruled by Christ, must beware of Couetousnesse. All true Chri­stians, that doe hang at Christs mouth for [Page 3]direction, and shew their hope of salua­tion by practise of obedience, must shun and auoide with al diligence this hatefull sinne of worldlinesse; one word of Christ should be sufficient to a Christian soule, but he was not so scant of words as once onely to warne vs of such a capitall euill. The same spirit spake in his Apostles, that in himselfe and by their mouthes he hath giuen vs many like aduertisements, whereof some one or two it shall suffice to haue mentioned. Colos. 3.5. The Apo­stle speaks to Christians in this manner. Mortifie therefore your earthly members, fornication, vncleannesse, inordinate affecti­on, euill concupiscence, and couetousnesse, which, (to prouoke our greater hatred) he cals by that hatefull name of idolatry. And well might he so call it, for it causeth a man to repose his hope of safetie vpon riches, which should be wholy and onely fixed vpon the Lord of hoasts, seeing it is impossible that any thing should secure a man from danger, vnlesse it doe surpasse all other thinges in power and in great­nesse: this sinne is you see a capitall eni­mie of our saluation, which in our Chri­stian warfare we should fight against, and [Page 4]striue to slaughter in our selues. The A­postle also, Heb. 13.5. hath saide to the same purpose, Let your conuersation be without couetousnes. The word is in the o­riginall, without the loue of mony. But all comes to one reckoning. And it is obser­uable that he saith (your conuersation,) to meete with the deceitfull hollownesse of those that content themselues in some few actions to appeare not couetous, whilst in other actions at other times they be whol­ly polluted with this sin. Their counter­feit and maymed diligence, answeres not the large extent of this commandement. A good mans life if Gods counsell might be heard, should not in one or two alone, but in all the parts thereof, bee free from the staines of this wickednesse. More pla­ces might be produced for the proofe of the same truth, if it were as needfull, as ea­sie so to doe. But the chiefe difficultie in this thing will bee, not so much to winne consent of iudgement to the point, as con­formitie of practise to the iudgement. Wherfore to the intent that Christs spee­ches may bee more profitably regarded, and this fault more carefully shunned by you all that heare me this day; I will in [Page 5]few words set out some of the most harm­ful effects that ensue vpon this vicious dis­position of minde that Christ cals coue­tousnesse.

First, Reason. 1 it vtterly hinders the sauing ope­ration of the word of God, and causeth the most powerfull instrument of regenera­tion and saluation, to be altogether inef­fectuall for the producing of these ef­fects, in that party in whom it beareth sway. That our Sauiour plainely witnes­seth, when he compareth the word to seed, the Preacher to the seedsman, the heart to the ground, this couetousnes to the thornes that choake the seede. The Husbandman may cast away graine vpon a parcell of land ouer-runne with brambles, but the seede so bestowed will neuer come in at haruest: So the Minister may preach the word to worldly minded men; but he shall spend his strength in vaine. Let vs study neuer so painefully, teach neuer so con­stantly, proue neuer so strongly, exhort neuer so powerfully, this time and labour is but lost, among our earthly affected hearers. Eyther they come not to heare, or attend not in hearing, or meditate not after hearing. And this you must marke [Page 6]brethren, that euen attentiue hearing with­out meditation will not ingraffe the word into your hearts, it will not profit the soule more, than much getting when a man keeps nothing can benefit his estate. Well may it increase swimming, but not sauing knowledge: it may furnish ones head with wordes and matter for honest dis­course, but not ones heart with vpright­nesse and sinceritie for godly conuersati­on. Thus then stands the case. The Lord offers thee his word to enlighten thy mind, to sanctifie thine heart, to conuert thy soule, and make thee a true Christian: Couetousnes opposeth it selfe, & will not suffer the word to dwell in thine heart, nor thine heart to ponder vpon the word, and so causeth thee to be but an hypocrite at the best, shouldest thou not auoide it?

Secondly, Reason 2 another euill as bad as this comes vp together with this. This sinne steales away the heart from heauen, and those desirable graces of Gods spirit that fit a man for heauen.Colos. 3.2. The Apostle Paul wisheth vs to set our affections vpon the things that are aboue, and not vpon the things that are below; intimating an vtter impossibilitie to doe both; as if hee had [Page 7]told vs that there be 2. sorts of obiects, after which mens affections are carried, some are of the earth earthly, momenta­nie, transitorie, and vnable to giue any sound and lasting contentment. Such are houses, lands, goods, money, in a word, worldly things. Others are from heauen, heauenly, substantiall, constant, immortall, truely profitable to the whole man, such are faith, repentance, the spirit of prayer, the fauour of God, in a word, Christ and his benefites. And wee must vnderstand this, that the body may ascend and des­cend at the same time, as well as the soule or affections goe earthward and heauen­ward both at once; Where the treasure is, there will be the heart, bee it in heauen or in earth: no man hath two hearts, two treasures, the one is but counterfait, if any at all. Nowe this couetousnesse as an arrow shot from hell, doth nayle the heart to the very ground, that it cannot bee lif­ted vpwards, and as a lime-twig set by the Diuell so intangles the wings of the soule, that it cannot possibly fly vpward toward its proper home. The worldly man is so taken vp in courting and wooing his har­lotry mistresse, the world; which hath [Page 8]taken him with her eyelids of gaine, and inueigled him with her naked breasts of commoditie, that the suite for heauen and things thereof, is altogether neglected and forsaken. Therefore the scripture cals the worldling an adulterer, because as the whoremaister leaues a beautifull and wel-conditioned wife, to embrace a common and polluted curtizan, so doth hee aban­don God and saluation, to satisfie him­selfe with this most deformed and misha­pen world. And is it not the highest degree of vnhappinesse to be robbed of ones vn­derstanding; and be so farre forth infatu­ate as to exchange heauen it selfe for a few shillings, yea farthings; and be more pain­full and earnest to get a little glistring sil­uer into the chest, than the glorious image of Iesus Christ into the soule? for though God doe often cast these outward things vpon those that take no great paines for them and the world fals into the mouthes of many before they bee aware of it, (as we say) yet it is not so for heauenly things. God neuer spilles such treasures, nor parts with them to any without suite, without thankes. He must call for wise­dome, and dig for vnderstanding that will [Page 9]haue them, and striue to enter that hopes to finde a place in heauen, and misse of his entrance that striueth not. The case stands so therefore with thy soule, God of­fers himselfe and eternall life vnto thee, vpon condition of conuenient diligence in vsing the meanes to get it on thy part: the world steppes betwixt, drawes thine heart, diuerts thy thoughts, cares, desires, an other way, and so causeth thee to for­feit euen an eternall kingdome, not for want of meanes, but of care and paines to attaine the same. Oughtest thou not as Christ bids, to take heede thereof? but yet more euill proceedeth from this mai­ster euill: Reason. 3 It exposeth that heart which harbours it, with allowance vnto all man­ner of loathsome sinnes and dangerous temptations. The Deuill hath the coue­tous man alwayes vpon the hip, as wee speake; that is, euer at such an aduantage, that he doubts not to giue him the ouer­throw in any assault. Satan is a cruell fow­ler, hauing his nets and his call, and euery thing in readinesse, and if once he become acquainted with the birds diet, he makes no question of his game: yea, he promi­seth himselfe to haue the poore fowles [Page 10]necke betweene his fingers speedily. And indeed no hawke is better trayned to the fist of the cuning fawkner, than the world­ly man to all the Diuels wayes; whatsoe­uer sinne he would haue him commit, let him but hollow & cast vp the lure of com­moditie, he stoupes presently and fals vp­on it. Would he haue him lie, promise him profit; then begins hee to hem and haw, and faulter in his speech, and equiuocate, and at length proceedes to downe-right lying, and impudent facing out a knowne vntruth. Would he haue him periured, the same art doth that also; shew him com­moditie, vse siluer perswasions, he will as­say and goe backe, and feare, and sweat, but at last hardens himselfe, and cares not to pollute the name of God, with a thou­sand falshoods, and a thousand oathes. Yea, the Diuel can make such a man wade vp to the chinne in a streame of warme blood, with the glistring shewe of gold, and cause him to leape headlong into the bottomlesse and burning pit of hell, with the large hope of enriching his estate. In a word, there is not the rankest of all Sa­thans poysons, but hee will greedily de­uoure in the sweet broth of commoditie. [Page 11]Those vnnaturall crimes which would make the soule agast, if they came bare­faced, send them in a guilded vizard, as it were in a maske to the couetous mans house, he will entertaine them kindely with a kisse, & feares not to imbrace them euen in both his armes.

Those hideous and enormious euils for which hell it selfe doth gape vpon the conscience with an open mouth, are (we see it with our eyes) euen fearelesly com­mitted in hope of aduantage. And there­fore the Scripture cals this sinne, not a braunch, but a roote, which it selfe, hath many large, and big, and fruitfull braun­ches, and that not of some one or two, or few, but of all euill: because there can be no sinne named so hatefull, which profit hath not made the louers of profit, either to commit themselues, or, which is all one, to consent to in others. The worldling is a fit peece of timber for any place in Sathans building. This mercenary soul­diour doth neuer thinke himselfe too good for any seruice in all the Diuels campe, where pay and bootie may be gotten. He can make an Image-worshipper, and a de­fender of Image-worshippe, a periured [Page 12]person, a Sabboth-breaker, and a maintai­ner of them that doe it, a killer of Father and mother, a murderer of Kings, a blow­er vp of Parliament houses, a staruer of soules, a whoremaister, an harlot, a more polluted wretch, a robber, a forsworne ac­cuser, and what not in the highest degree against any commaundement? This sinne is like a great beast that makes a large gap for any other beast to enter in at after­wards. This is the Diuels great Ordinance wherewith hee makes such fearefull batte­ry vpon the wals of the conscience, that there are many wide breaches for all his armie of other lusts, to giue an irresistable assault thereat, vpon the heart and life and so to winne the same to himselfe. So that whereas God forbids all sinne in paine of damnation, the Diuell may perswade thee if thou be couetous, to any sinne, in hope of commoditie, and shouldst not thou ab­horre this most pernicious vice?

But neyther yet is this all. Reason. 4 A man might begin to practise sinnes, and yet after feeling the bitternesse of these pathes of death, returne back into the wayes of bles­sednesse, and be safe. But this sinne is like the harlot, a deepe and narrow ditch, and [Page 13]like the wicked woman that Salomon cals more bitter then death, whose heart is as nets and snares, and her hands as bands to keepe a man fast in the ward and prison of the diuell. For in the fourth place, who­soeuer is ouer-ruled by this sinne, cannot tread one of the sure steps towards hea­uen: and in what measure this lead is tyed to any mans heeles, he is vtterly disabled from climing vp the ladder of blessednes, which the Scripture hath framed for vs. You know that our Sauiour Christ hath shewed eight beatitudes, as it were so many staires vp to the throne of heauen; to bee poore in spirit, to mourne spiritually, to be meeke, to hunger and thirst after righ­teousnesse, to be mercifully, to be pure in heart, to be a peace-maker, and to suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake. Now the couetous man cannot lift vp the legs of his soule to any one of these staires, and therefore whilest hee continues couetous, there is no possibilitie of his ever com­ming to God. Poore in spirit hee cannot be: For hee is so taken vp with feare of pouertie in purse, and the sense of the mi­serie which want will bring, that his soule growes altogether senselesse of the misery [Page 14]into which the fall of Adam and his owne sinnes haue case him. Spiritual pe­nury is not felt there, where want and po­uertie are so extreamely pinching. Again, hee can neuer mourne truly for his sinnes: for eyther carnall ioy) which hee takes in­ordinately by seeing the encrease of his worldly substance (as the rich man in the Gospell, when hee thought hee had riches laid vp in store for many yeeres) doth so tickle and warm his heart that the streame of tears is dryed vp, which should be spent in bewailing his sinnes: or else that world­ly sorrow and vexation (that stinges him vpon the sense of outward crosses, and the disappointment of his hopes in earthly matters) doth turne the streame of weep­ing quite another way, that it cannot come to the washing of his soule, and purging of his conscience, Then meeke he cannot be, for he is alwaies possessed with one or other passion of carnall ioy, or griefe, or enuie, or the like, which as a storme or tempest on the sea doth fil him ful of rage and distem­per. The spirit of God hath called him a trouble house, saying, hee that is greedy of gaine troubles his owne house, and it is impossible that his heart should be meeke [Page 15]and quiet, when as hee cannot suffer his house so to be. Also for hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse, it cannot be that his appetite should stand that way, for the doges-hunger, and dropsie-thirst of wealth doth so gnaw & torment his soule, that he hath no leisure to long for Christ, and the imputation or communication of his righteousnesse. So that he may freely lap in the filthy puddles of the world, he neuer cares for the sweet and wholesome streames to which Iesus Christ doth in­uite him, and if the may gorge himself with the foule garbage of ill gotten goods, the pleasant and delightfull foode of the soule is but vnsauery to him. And like as one that hath the greene sicknesse, or some o­ther such disease, will leaue the best meat, to feede on salt, oat-meale, or some such like vnwholesome thing: so the pallate and stomacke of his soule is in that mea­sure disordered, as he will reiect righteousnesse it selfe, to surfet vpon filthy lucre. But as for being mercifull, that stands not in any sort with his profession, if he should suffer his heart to relent at the miseries of distressed men, and open his purse to [Page 16]releeue them, that would surely lessen the heape of his money, which hee must not dare to doe. A peece of money goes from him as drop of bloud from his heart, with such a liuely feeling and paine, that he can­not be well pleased with that whatsoeuer, which draws it away. And therfore he hath eyther no pittie and mercie, or else but by starts and fits now and then, which is as good as none. Now for puritie of heart, how can it bee conceiued that hee should haue it, whose soule is as nest for the di­uell, or a cage of vncleane birds, in vvhich sinne and Sath an may sit, and hatch, and hurke, and bring vp all their broodes of damnable lusts and practises, if that they will lay now and then a golden egge or two among, for the satisfying of his greedy humour? Hee that hath the roote of all e­uill in his heart, cannot haue a pure heart. Moreouer for peace making, crosse him in his penny, and hee will trouble all the world, neyther can hee put vp a wrong that toucheth him in his commoditie, with­out, being auenged. All the world can tell that couetousnesse is the father, mother, nurse and all, of most debates and strifes, [Page 17]for it makes a man set against euery man, from whom he may wrest any prsofit, and stand against euery man also to whom he should pay any dues. And for the last step of all, which is to suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake, this he will neuer do, his goods are his God, & if it come to those termes that eyther he must leaue riches or righteousnesse, with true religion and the practise of it, he loues God well, but his mony better. Alas, he must be borne with, God giues good words indeed, but a man cannot liue with words: his mony hee can feele & see, that pleaseth his sense so well, that he thinkes it folly to part with it, for such a matter. And therefore as the young man in the Gospell, hee hangs his head in his bosome, and goes his wayes with a sad countenance, something sory that he can­not please Christ, and keepe his wealth both, but what euer come of it, hee must keepe that. The world is his mistresse, and he must imbrace her, then farewell righte­ousnesse and religion. So that now a man might very truly turne the speeches of our Sauiour Christ against the couetous man and say: Cursed be the couetous for he is [Page 18]not poore but proud in spirit, & therfore the kingdome of hell is his: cursed be the couetous, for hee cannot mourne for his sins but for his losses onely, and therefore he shal neuer be comforted. Cursed be the couetous, for he is not meeke but froward in heart, and therefore he shall not inherite the earth which he so much wisheth. Cur­sed be the couetous, for hee doth not long after righteousnesse, but after riches, and therefore he shall neuer be satisfied. Cur­sed be the couetous, for he is not merciful, but hard-hearted, and therefore hee shall finde no mercy. Cursed be the couetous, for he is not a peace-maker but a make-bate, and therefore hee shall be called the childe of the Diuell. Cursed be the coue­tous, for he is not pure but filthy in heart, and therfore he shall neuer see God. Cur­sed be the couetous, for hee cannot suffer the losse of his wealth for righteousnesse sake, and therefore the kingdome of hell is his. Must you not then needs yeeld bre­thren, that this is a sin much to be shun­ned, which doth annihilate the sauing power of the word of God, steale away the heart from the loue of heauen, & the [Page 19]things of God: force the heart to the har­boring of the most foule temptations, and hinder the heart from attayning any part of blessednesse, yea plunge it into such a multitude of curses?

Seeing then it is apparant that this vice is most enormious, and pernicious to the soule, let vs make some vse of this point to our consciences. First then vpon this ground we may safely build an exhorta­tion to all and euery of you, that you doe search your owne hearts and liues, to find how farre this filthy sinne hath found en­tertainement there, when Iesus Christ doth so precisely forbid an euill, no Chri­stian can deny, knowing his nature to bee inclinable to all euill, that it behooueth from such exhortation, to take occasion of examining himselfe, how farre foorth he hath offended or doth offend in that kind. Christ would not giue warning of a fault to his seruants, if they were not al­so subiect to it, and if we be subiect to it, what can we doe lesse than looke to it, if it be breeding in vs yea or no? So then, seeing you haue heard and perceiued the vilenesse of this sinne, I beseech you euery [Page 20]one not censure another, but to consi­der of his owne heart and life, and to ob­serue diligently if the haue not been at the least tainted and blemished with the same, though not wholy polluted with it, which exhortation is so much the more need­full, by how much the practise of most men is more contrarie thereto; we come for the most part very ill affected to the word of God. When any sinne is there disgraced, and shewed to bee dangerous, we labour to post off those speeches to an­other man and sending the eyes of our mind abroad, which might haue beene farre better busied at home; wee seeke a fit man to bestow such a lesson vpon, chusing rather to cast it vpon any man, than to learne it our selues. Wee are too full of curtesie at these spirituall banquets. When such a dish as this is set before vs, namely the discountenancing or discom­mending of a fault, wee lay that liberally vpon euery mans trencher, and no man almost will carue to himselfe, because that meat is indeede lesse toothsome, though nothing lesse wholesome than the rest. I beseech you brethren that it may not bee [Page 21]so with you in this point. Doe not say, (as it is an hundred to one that diuers of your hearts haue been busied in saying.) if co­uetousnesse be such a sinne, how shall such a man and such and such a man doe, for all the world knowes them to bee coue­tous? Nay, heare not so idlely, the Lord spake to thee, and intended the exhorta­tion to thy soule, and would haue thee say to thine owne lelfe, is couetousnesse so vile a fin, how carefull should I be to finde it, and driue it out of mine heart, and my conuersation? Doe not I practise it, do not I liue in it? let me looke narrowly, for as it is dangerous, so it is craftie, and will not appeare in it owne name, but (like a tray-tour that hath escaped out of prison) will miscall and diguise it selfe, and take twenty titles, and names, rather than that where­with it should be called. Men are willing to cloake their sins, & to shift their hands of seeming to be naught, not being so. And as when the plague is rife, euery man de­sires, though it be in his house, yet to keep it close, and say it is any other disease be­cause it will be some hindrance to be shut vp for it: So for this disease of filthy lucre, [Page 22]which as an infectious pestilence hath spread it selfe ouer the world, into all Ci­ties, townes, and villages, scarce any will be knowne to be diseased with it, fearing the disgrace rather then the danger. Some wold confine couetousnesse to rich mens houses onely, as if it were not possible to be earth­ly minded, vnlesse a man had much earth in possession. But these men are excee­dingly deceiued about the nature of this e­uill, as themselues might well perceiue had they but consulted with the wise man, that saith, The sluggard lusteth and hath nothing. A man may haue a strong lust to wealth, albeit he haue none of it. yea, though he be frozen vp in the cold dregs of idlenes, & lazinesse, so that he will not aduenture to set his foote vpon the cold ground for it. Nay, such men are most desperately coue­tous, for because their sloth serues them not to take the ordinary paines for getting it, therefore their lusts driues them to hunt and seeke for it, in the secret and vnbeaten wayes of cousonage and villany. I would to God there were not a great number of such slothfull lusters known in the world, perhaps also present in this place, whose [Page 23]couetousnesse is no lesse then other mens, out it is ouer-borne by some other lust that is more then quarter maister with it. For this you must know, that this vice may be after a diuers manner in diuers men; in some it is the chiefe Lord and so­ueraigne, bearing rule and commaunding for it selfe; in others it rules as an vnder officer to another lust, and is as I may say, the putueyer, or take for idlenesse, ambi­tion, or prodigalitie. Sometimes it is whole maister, sometimes halfe, sometimes quar­ter maister with these sins before named; somtimes as seruant to all or some of them, for though these sinnes cannot well agree among themselues, yet they can all agree well enough against godlinesse and pietie of life. Some scrape to keepe and looke vpon it; some scrape to scatter & mispend it; the one of these is as violent in his cour­ses, as the other, and this sinne is as hurt­full, yea, and more hurtfull to the parties selfe, to the Church and Common weale, when it is kept as a retainer to an other sin, than if he had the chiefe-dome and Lord­ship it selfe. Let not the prodigall, let not the ambitions, let not the sluggard say, [Page 24]that hee is not couetous. I dare be bold to affirme, that if he had the grace and wise. dome to search into himselfe, hee should finde this wicked vice as great a doer in his soule inwardly, and in his carriage out wardly, as in theirs, whom with great scorn, he disgraces by the name of absolute chuffes, and meere misers: Send therefore I pray you brethren, each man his owne most serious considerations, as it were searchers into his heart and life, (and take an oath of them, to deale truly, and vnpar­tially) to see and obserue, whether or no, he haue the infection of this pestilent sick­nesse, which also the words of Christ doe import, for hee saith, looke and ward your selues against Couetousnesse: as intimating, that there is no escaping it, if wee doe not looke to it. Now to the intent you may not be deceiued through errour in this search, I wil stand a while to giue you some directions, which by following, you shall be sure not to mistake in examining and iudging our selues as concerning this mat­ter. To this end it shall be needefull for me to declare vnto you both;What co­uetousnesse is. First, What couetousnesse is: And secondly, What be the [Page 25]marks and tokens of it: which being known, it shall be easie for him that is not wilfully blinde, to passe an vpright sentence of himselfe.

First, therefore to shew what couetous­nesse is: It is the dropsie of the minde, an horse-leach humour after wealth, which euermore cryes giue, giue. It is that that makes the heart as a graue for money, or a deuouring sepulchre, or a hell for goods, that will not be satisfied though you cast very much into it. In few and plain terms, It is the desire of hauing more than what a man hath already, that being sufficient for necessary maintenance. If the Lord hath bestowed vpon any man meanes enough to feede himselfe, and those that belong to him, with foode wholesome & competent, though perhaps somewhat course, as also to cloath himselfe and his, with warme clothing, though neyther of the finest not in the fashion, if his desires doe not here stay themselues, but still cry more, more, this man is couetous, this sinne is couetous­nesse. He that would haue more then hee hath, hauing that which will suffice for his honest maintenance, though not in such [Page 26]gay & frolike manner as his flesh desireth, this is the couetous man, and so the word that is vsed by Christ signifies, vz, an ha­uing disposition: when a man so longeth for more then he hath, that he is still rea­dy to take, (which cannot but follow) more then he should haue. For couetousnesse & true contentment, are one opposite to the other, as night and day, white and blacke, and therefore we may well know what co­uetousnesse is, by the contrarietie which it hath with true contentment. Now the A­postle doth describe true contentment in these tearmes,1. Tim. 6.6 saying, If wee haue food and couering, let vs be sufficed or satisfied with these, that is, let vs count that euen suffici­ent. These be the bounds which the Holy ghost hath made to hem and keepe in the vnruly desires of men in respect of out­ward things, as it were wilde Bucks within a pale or parke Now if the wishes will not be ranged within these lists and limits, but breake through them, or leape ouer them, to finde a larger walke, it cannot be deni­ed that the sinne of couetousnesse is com­mitted. For the desire that is in ordinate is this, that Christ forbids, and it is then [Page 27]inordinate when it exceeds the rule, order,Heb. 13.5. and precincts that God hath set and ap­pointed for it, which are, to thinke the pre­sent things enough (and stop themselues from straying any further) when they will afford meat, drinke and cloth, sufficient to content nature, in it moderate vse to keepe ones selfe out of debt, and so bring him well to heauen, his iourneis end, as it were enough money to beare his charges in his trauaile towards God. Now if any man obiect against this and say, if couetousnes be that which you haue described it to be, where will you find a man that hath it not, where can one be brought quite free from it? To this question I must answere. No where, not vnder heauen, not within the compasse of the whole earth, for this sin as well as other is bred in our nature, and cleaues as fast to the soule of euery sonne of Adam, as his skin to his flesh. Why? but may some man further obiect, is euery man then subiect to those enormious ef­fects and hideous curses, which you before shewed to follow vpon couetousnesse? I anfwere, in no sort, but alone those men in whom this sinne is suffered to be with [Page 28]allowance, is yeelded to, and followed. In some men as I shewed you before, this vice is as a soueraign Lord; in others it rules vnder ambition, and prodigalitie, in both these, all the bad effects named before, wil certainly follow, all the curses denounced are to both these sorts of men certainely due. In other some it is as an vnwelcome guest that intrudes himselfe, it is like a bad tenant that is often warned to goe out, and will take no warning, it is not suffred to haue commaund, but it is striuen against, resisted, complained off, and hath many a supplication put vp, and many a suit com­menced against it, in the court of heauen, for vsurping in an other mans right. To such it is exceeding cumbersome & tedi­ous, and doth them meruailous much an­noyance, but yet it can neither produce those vile effects, nor bring in those hor­rible curses. In a word, some haue it, and doe beware and take heed of it, as a disease that is applyed with medicines. These it molests, but kils not. Others haue it, and neuer suspect, feare, nor take heed of it, as a disease that a man carelesly lets go with­out medicining: to these it is not so toyle-some, [Page 29]but more dangerous; for it slayes their soule, by bringing forth those bad stuits before named. And thus as plainly as I could, I haue shewed you what coue­tousnesse is in the very nature of it, consi­dered without respect of the degrees thereof.

Now I come to shew you the markes and tokens of itThe signes of it. which was the second thing I promised, to the end men might knowe themselues, by which a man may also see in what measure or degree this sin is in him; for if these things be found in his life, rarely and seldome, then coue­tousnesse hath some secret and vnknowne allowance, through the deceitfulnesse of his heart; but it is not wittingly and wil­fully maintained: if they doe appeare of­ten and ordinarily, then couetousnes rules there, and is by him fauoured, loued, yeel­ded vnto, and obeyed; it is Lord of his soule, though perhaps he be so full of hy­pocrisie as not to see or confesse it. And indeed it is a thing very needefull to shew these signes plainely, because when out of our euill will we censure other men, we call them extreamly couetous, vpon these [Page 30]grounds which will beare no such accu­sation or action. As namely, if they bee painfull in their callings, if they haue more dealings in the world than our selues, if they will not giue at what time we would haue them, or such like. But when in our fond selfe-loue wee are to speake of our selues, wee will not dare to conclude, wee are very couetous, no not vpon the soun­dest grounds and surest proofes.

To returne therfore to the point, There be 4. sure and infallible signs and marks of this vice, which do as certainly proue it to be in the soule, as the yelow haire in the law did the leprosie, and as the carbuncle doth the plague The first of these is carking & caring,1. Carking which is a note most easily seen and selt in men of lower place; for as some dis­eases haue their diuers signs, in diuers con­stitutions, so have also sins in diuers condi­tions and estates, diuers marks to knowe them by. Now this carking is for men of meaner estate, principally to try themselus by. He that doth grieue & molest himselfe for the feare of want and misery to come hereafter (for that is a proper description of carking, it is sorrow conceiued vpon the [Page 31]doubt and suspition of that need that may come) the man I say, that doth so vexe and trouble himselfe, is in that degree coue­tous that thus grieued. For the affections of our heart, are in their seuerall working so ioyned and linked together, that the working of some will not appeare, but vpon the precedent working of other. No man can inordinately sorrow for feare of wanting that in the future time, which hee doeth not inordinately desire for the present time. And for this cause our Saui­our Christ, where he intends to ouerthrow couetousnesse, both in this Chapter, in the sequell of his speech, as also in Mat. 6. fals vpon the matter of carking, and dwels much vpon that, saying: Care not what you shall eate, what you shal drinke, Matt. 6.25.34. and what you shal put on: and after, care not for to mor­row, bringing also many reasons to that purpose, as wel seeing, that this sin and co­uetousnes doe alwayes goe hand in hand, in the poorer sort chiefely, and sometimes also in the wealthy: and that those argu­ments which are of force to beat down the one, are also fit & able to subdue the other too. And therefore also in the Parable, [Page 32]hee calleth couetousnes by the very name of the cares of this world: because where­soeuer it is strong, there it doth encum­ber the heart, and pester it vp with a throng and multitude of most noysome carkings.

So then, if any man doe find himselfe to stand so disposed in minde, that hauing enough for the present time, yet he doth eat vp his heart, breake his sleepe, disquiet himselfe, and turne into gaule, that com­fort which he might haue in his life, by this vnprofitable and ouer-reaching thought­fulnesse: Ah how shall I doe if a deere yeere come? how, if I haue so many chil­dren? how if I liue till I be so old, or till I be lame or blind? sure I shall spend all, I shall consume all, I shall be vndone, I shall die a beggar, and come to great want and extremitie, and such like terrible dreames: if any man I say stand thus affected, these things doe most rankly sauour of coue­tousnesse: this vice playes the Lord and Tyrant in that mans soule, when he that is not assured of life till to morrow, nay, that ought to be ready to depart this life before to morrow, wil thus turmoile him­selfe [Page 33]with fruitlesse and vnprofitable feare about that which his dreaming conceit tels him may befall, many a day, nay, many a year after (so not suffring himself to be free from a burthen, when he may, because hee feares he shall not be free when he would) this man is most notoriously and vio­lently couetous, and so must knowe himselfe to bee, whether hee bee rich or poore.

A second note of couetousnesse, is nig­gardice,2. Niggar­dice. Pro. 11.14 which is the fault which Salomon points out, when he saith; hee that spareth more then is fit. When a man is so ouer­chary of his wealth that hee cannot suffer a graine to be diminished from the heape hereof, with any willingnesse, no not then, when good, iust, and reasonable causes doe require expence, when hee keepes his wealth to feed his eye, and saues his money to looke vpon, this is a fit that proceedeth from the desiring of earthly things ouer­much, and doth plainly declare an excesse of that humour. This the wise man sets out, when he saith;Eccles. 6.1.2. There is an euill seene vnder the Sunne, a man to whom God hath giuen riches and treasures, but hee hath not [Page 34]the power to cate thereof. This neerenesse, & immoderate sauing, shewes that a mans sou, e hath the dropsie, and that not alone when it grows to such extremitie, as a man will pinch and depriue his owne person, and his wife, children, and seruants of those comforts and benefits that hee might en­ioy, but euen then also, when a man is pinching towards the poore, and so close­fisted, that hee will not part with a part of his substance for the reliefe of those which are in neede and necessitie, by him (which is indeede the true end, why God giues to one man more abundance, to an other lesse) euen this hardnesse, I say, to the poore and needy, doth prooue a man to be very dangerously couetous, though hee doe neuer so liberally, yea, and per­haps ouer-liberally bestow vpon him­selfe; of which we haue a cleare proofe in the words of the Apostle, that saith; Who­soeuer hath this worlds goods, 1. Ioh. 3.17 and seeth his brother want, and shutteth vp his compassion from him, how dwelleth the loue of God in him? That man, you see, that is so much giuen to holde and keepe, as when God calleth for it to releeue the distressed [Page 35]comming as it were to borrow in and by them) he will say him nay, and turne him away emptie, or poorely serued, the loue of God doth not dwell in that man, whatsoe­uer shew he may make; and therefore con­sequently the loue of this world hath taken vp the holt of his heart, I doe not meane, (ney ther doth the Apostle) that he which giues not to euery vagrant rogue, or idle begger which comes to his doore, or meets him in the way, may presently be termed vnlouing, and couetous: Nay there be two sorts of poore; Gods poore, whom his hand crossing them any way, hath brought to want, though they be laborious, and thriftie: and the diuels poore, vpon whom their owne idlenesse, riote, and sinnefull courses haue forced necessitie: now for these last, vnlesse they will settle them­selues to labour, and liue honestly, they should be relieued with punishment and correction, and helped out of their sinne, not maintained in it, by abusiue mercy, or rather foolish pittie: but the former sort of men, are those whose case wee should pittie and tender, as our owne, and therefore both open our hearts in [Page 36]compassion, and our purses according to our power in liberalitie, to succour and to helpe them. Gods poore must haue God almes, and for those that in such case can goe slincking, and trudging away, not extending their charitable contribution to the refreshing of their bowels, & com­forting their hearts that are pressed with want, they must either giue the Apostle the lie, or confesse, that the loue of the world hath choked the loue of God, and of their neighbour, in them; yea when soeuer any needfull thing doth require vs to bee at some cost and expence, either for the maintenance of Gods worship, or of the common good, as in publike seruices, pay­ments, and the like, but chiefly for works of mercy, then to mutter and grudge, and murmer and pinch, and hang backe, and complaine; is a certaine signe of an heart greedily disposed towards earthly things; he that thinkes himselfe ouercharged by such expences, is certainely ouercharged with worldlinesse. As he is prodigall that spends when the Diuell and his lusts call for it, so he is couetous, that spares when God and good vses call for it.

The third note of couetousnesse,3. Too much busi­nes in the world. is to clog a mans selfe with too much outward businesse, and to prosecute these earthly affaires ouer eagerly. When a man fals in­to that sinne which. Salomon forbids say­ing,Pro. 23.4. Toyle not thy selfe to be rich: then it is sure that he hath cast his eyes vpon that which is nothing, that is, set his desires o­uer-strongly vpon those outward vanities that haue no true substance in them. If any man for get the rule of the Apostle Paul, 1 Cor. 7.31. that bids vs vse this world as if wee vsed it not: and fall to such immoderatenes in his dealings, as if he had neuer heard of a bet­ter world to prepare for: it is an vnquesti­onable truth that hee desires the things of this world more then he should doe. Now then any mans businesse is ouer-plentifull and excessiue, when the multitude thereof doth hinder him from the carefull & con­stant performing of all or any of the good duties appointed by God, for the saluati­on of his owne, or his families soules. For the Lord hath composed man of two parts, the one a body which is fading and mortall, to liue here for a few dayes, and then yeeld to the stroke of death, and of [Page 38]corruption: the other a soule incorporall, spirituall, immortall, which cannot die, nor suffer corruption. And the Lords will is, that a man liuing here in the body, should make all carefull, wise, and godly prouision for his soule, that that departing hence out of the body, may not be cast into the tor­ments of eternall vengeance (which are prepared for such as in this life vse not all good diligence to escape them) but may rather enioy its portion in that euerlasting and vnspeakable blisse, which is also made ready for all them that doe constantly and with honest hearts vse the meanes to at­taine the same. And the meanes of attain­ing this happines, are faith & repentance, and the continual encrease of these graces, by praying, reading, and meditating in the word, and good conference daily, as also hearing the word preached when occasion is offered, and sanctifying vnto the Lord for these vses euery seauenth day. For the former of these, are to the soule of him that hath a true liuing soule, as I may so tearme them, daily repasts and meales wherewith his inward man is strengthened and re­freshed, growing daily from grace to grace: [Page 39]the latter, that is, the celebration of the sab­both, is as I may say, a solemne feast day, and a great banquet for the soule, wherein all bodily labours so farre as mercy, neces­sitie and comelinesse will permit, being set apart, the soule should haue libertie after a more then ordinary manner, to solace and delight it selfe in God, and feede vpon Ie­sus Christ, in the word and Sacraments, & other holy exercises, that it may grow fat, & well liking in all graces, and chiefely faith and repentance, the two principall graces.

Now these being the meanes of Gods owne ordaining to attaine sound grace here, and glory hereafter, dayly to pray, read, and meditate, and conferre of good things, & weekly to sanctifie the Sabboth, hee that doth so surcharge himselfe or his family with outward busines, that he hath not leisure daily to performe the daily du­ties, and weekly, that weekly dutie in such conscionable sort as God doth require at his hand, for a purpose so profitable and most excellent, cannot denie that he loues the world too much; being that he seeketh not, as Christ commands: first, the king­dome of heauen, but first the worthlesse [Page 40]things that this earth can afford, and lea­uing that which is the true and proper end of his being here; that is, to get grace and saluation, employes himselfe too much a­bout that which was but a secondary end, and to be done onely by the way, so farre as might be helpfull to the former, and no further. Euery man will yeeld that hee de­sires earthly things inordinately, which de­sires them more than eternall life: and it is as certaine, that he rather wisheth wealth then eternall life, which suffers the meanes of attaining that, to shoulder out and ex­clude quite, or else driue into a very narrow corner, & small roome, the means of attai­ning this: for the desires rule the actions, and that a man longeth most for, which hee most labours for. As he that suffers hawkes, hounds, and vain, though in them­selues lawfull pastimes, so to deuour his time, that he hath little or no leisure for the performing of the fore-mentioned religi­ous duties; is conuicted before all vnparti­all Iudges to be a louer of pleasure more than a louer of God: So hee that suffers buying, selling, bargaining, reckoning, tra­uailing, and any such businesse lawfull in it [Page 41]selfe, but vnlawfull in the immoderate vse of it, to rob him of leisure for the same ex­ercises, must needs be condemned to loue wealth more than God, by the verdict of any man that will speake the truth, accor­ding to his conscience: and therefore bee it noted as a sure rule, that euery man is in that measure couetous, that ouer-worke-some and laborious about worldly things, and in that measure ouer-laborious, that he suffers the plenty of these things to with­draw him from the conscionable, constant, and holy performing of better things, ten­ding more directly to a better life.4. Vniu­stice of which. Now fol­fows the last note of couetousnes, and that is vniustice, or the vsing of iniurious and indirect meanes to get wealth. For must it not needes be yeelded, that hee desireth wealth too much, which will dig to hell, & fall downe to the diuell for it? And what else is it, but a falling downe to the Diuell for it, when a man doth put the regard of obedience to God, of charitie to his neigh­bour, of honestie in himselfe, behinde the respect of enriching his estate; to al which things, doth he not manifestly prefer mo­ny that wil do wrong to win it? God forbids [Page 42]wrong, charitie, honestie, and euery mans conscience forbids it, onely the Diuell and lucre commaund it: Is hee not worthy to be called a money-slaue, and a slaue to the diuel, that wil disobey all these, to serue the desire of being rich, for is not euery man his seruant to whom he doth obey? And doth he not obey lucre abiectly, that will rebell against the most high Lord, and the conscience his officer for these things sake?

So then euery man is so farre forth co­uetous as vniust in his dealings.1 In gene­rall. Now all those practises are vniust and vnequall, which be not conformable to two generall rules set downe in Scripture, that by them we might square out al our particular acti­ons. The first is, to do to euery man as we would haue him do vnto vs. Not as we out of our disordered & distempered passions somtime be content to haue another deale with vs, so we may deale with them; but what in the true sentence of our iudge­ment,Mat. 7.12. grounded vpon due and deliberate consideration of the things we would ap­proue of being done to vs, that wee must doe to our neighbours: so that whatso­euer thing a man would condemne in his [Page 43]iudgement, not in his passions, being offe­red to himselfe, that is wrong and iniqui­tie, if he offer it to another.

The second rule is,Gal. 5.13. 1 Cor. 13.6 to serue each other in loue: for loue seekes not it owne thinges: meaning only without regard of another, but doth so equally and indifferently con­sider another with it selfe, that it would not profite it selfe with this endammage­ment; therefore whosoeuer is wholy pos­sessed with selfe-regards, and hath his eye so fixed vpon his owne aduantage, that he cannot looke vpon another man with any euen regard of him; this man in all such dealings walkes iniuriously, because vn­charitably, and shalbe condemned (though not by the strict law of humane iustice, yet by the perfect rule of Christian charitie) for a wrong doer. And by these 2. rules wisely applyed to each seuerall action, it wilbe easie to spie out vniustice, though it hide it selfe vnder neuer so faire and co­lourable pretexts. But wee shall not haue sufficiently pressed this sore, if wee deale with it alone in such generall termes, wherefore it is our purpose to speak more particularly thereof, and leauing these [Page 44]practises that are of all men condemned as odious and vile,2. In parti­cular of such vniu­stice as is found. and practised alone by the vilest men in corners and in darknesse (such as are stealing, robbing, forgerie, and all manner of cousonage, so termed:) we will speak of those which haue been pra­ctised in the world vsually, with more ap­plause and in the Sun. shine; yea and some of them perhaps also defended, as if they did not deserue the censure of vninstice. And because the things be many wherof we must speake, we will ranke them into certaine heads, according to the nature of the subiects in whom they be most often found, for the reliefe of our owne and your memories. Some wrongfull actions there­fore are found in ministers of iustice, some in ministers of the Gospel, some in trades­men, some in landlords, some in all men without respect of their seuerall callings; of all which, we will speake somewhat in order, and briefly to the intent that by them, euery man may (as we hope, euery Christian man professing religion will) search himselfe to the quicke, and vnpar­tially. First then, for ministers of Iustice, (by which name I terme all those that [Page 45]haue any thing to doe in the administrati­on of publique equitie) in them vnlesse they be carefull,Ministers of iniustice there will be found very often three notorious points of wrong through the desire of gaine. There first is briberie, or the receiuing of gifts,1. Taking a gift. though it be from the innocent, to haue hearing and iustice. For a bribe, is any gift taken by him that hath to deale in matters of iustice, of those which are to come vnder his censure, whether for matters penall or capitall, whether they be offenders, or not offenders. And therefore the holy Ghost hath flatly forbidden to them the recei­uing of any gift at all:Exod. 29.8 and in more then one or two places, hath cryed out against those that loue gifts, and take gifts A gift of this kind is a thing of very ill name and note in the writing of the Spirit of God, who shewes his anger, saying: Fire shall deuoure the houses of bribes. Iob. 15.34. This doth euen as it were build a nest for vniustice and falshoode, wherein she may come with allowance, hearing, and enter­tainment, to lay all her subtill and craftie deuices and tales, for the forestalling of a true narration, that might else cleere a case [Page 46]to the full. This fils vp the eare with the earewaxe of partialitie, that trueth cannot haue liberty with approbation to shew her minde and speake for her selfe, vnlesse she vse a golden earepicke first: and therefore God himselfe saith,Exo. 23.8. That it blindes the eyes of the wise: let a man haue neuer so good skil and knowledge in the law and matters of Iustice, if he suffer this dust of a bribe, to bee scattered in the eyes of his iudge­ment, this will surely follow, his eyes will (as I may say) water and twinckle, and growe worse and worse, till at the length he can see nothing, but becomes as blinde as a mole or bat. And indeed this kind of gaine must needs in Gods account, be as stolne goods, for the party receiuing the same, hath no manner of right or interest into it. For if the man that giues it be in­nocent, to the knowledge of the magi­strate, he should haue his cause heard and sentenced aright, euen for his innocencie sake, though he gaue nothing: If the ma­gistrate know him to be nocent, a world of goods should not keepe his sinne from being made knowne and punished: If the magistrate doe not yet know either his [Page 47]innocencie or faultines, he shuld not make himselfe blind with a blinding gift, before he come to looke vpon the cause. And if any thinke that the will of the giuer doth transferre right to him that takes in such case, he must knowe himselfe to be decei­ued in so thinking, for it is not a pure and voluntary will, but forced, because hee knowes the humor of the man to be such, that he will not doe right vnlesse he be hy­red to it. Euen as a man is willing rather to giue this purse to the purse-taker, than to venter his life or lim: so is he to giue a bribe to the bribe taker, rather than ad­uenture his cause: & therfore I dare boldly I say, and the God of heauen will iustifie my words, at the last day, that a theefe hath as much true right to the money that hee takes by the hye way, as the magistrate to the gift that he takes euen of the innocent party for a day of hearing, or the like: yea though it come not immediately vnto his owne hands, but be giuen to the wife, or sonne, or seruant, or friend, by his appoint­ment or allowance; which is but a little more cleanly conueiance of a bribe. Should Iustice be made as an hackney, that stirres [Page 48]not out of dores but for hyre, or as a mer­cenarie Souldier,1. Peruer­ting iustice or reward. that will not draw his sword but for his pay? A second thing in­cident to this calling, is peruerting of iu­stice for a reward, which is a thing diffe­rent from the former; for a man may bee said to take a bribe, though hee passe true sentence, & do iustice for it: but this that I speak of is worse, when a man will goe a­gainst equitie for wages sake, and this the scripture doeth also plentifully condemne in many places. If the iudge for something that he hath already receiued, or hath co­uenanted, or hopes to receiue hereafter, for him or any by his procurement, wil find a knot in a rush, & condemn the cause which hee should maintaine, but maintaine that which he should condemne; or if those that are to plead and declare matters in that truth which they see in them, will for an ouer-abundant fee, set a faire colour vpon a false cause, & paint ouer a lie with shews, that it may seeme truth, (as by conceale­ment of some circumstances & the like) to delude right; (which is, to call euill good, and good euill; light darknes, & darknes light, a thing that the holy Ghost cries wo [Page 49]vpon, whatsoeuer the wit of a couetous man can say, to make it seeme lawfull,) or when other officers that haue the execu­tion, or helping to execute orders, will for a peece of mony find out delayes & shifts and deuices, (as for example, frustrating or changing the order or decree, in setting it downe, and twenty such other waies that I know not, but their consciences can tell of that practise them, and God doth also see) all to shield and defend the wrong doer from the verdict that equity hath passed against him; these, and euery of these pra­ctises, to peruert iudgment for aduantage sake, are notorious and palpable wrongs, and such as euery man would condemne and abhor, if they were offered to himself.

A third action of vniustice on such, is Extortion,3. Extorti­on. which also the lawes of the Land doe forbid, when hee that hath his allowance alotted him for his paines, in such mesure as is thought by the law com­petent, (which also hee may very lawfully and iustly take, so that hee performe his dutie for it,) when such one I say wil doe nothing, or as good as nothing vnles this fee bee doubled or perhaps trebbled, or [Page 50]perhaps will take fees on both sides, one to speake, another to hold his peace, or speake nothing to the purpose. This is vile vniust dealing, the eye of nature can see it, the eye of grace can abhorre it, this is to take that which is none of ones own. If any present haue or doe offend in these or any of these points, or any like to these, be it knowne to him, that hee liues vn­iustly and couetously, and these actions shall stand vp before God and the world at the last day and witnes against him, say­ing; thou didst harbour this couetousnesse which Christ condemnes, thou art the co­uetous man which the scripture saith can­not goe to heauen.

Now come wee to such vniustice as is found in ministers of the Gospel,2 In Mi­nisters. as a wit­nesse of their couetousnesse, for God and man would cry shame vpon vs for partia­litie, if wee should not taxe this sinne in men of our owne coate, as well as others; seeing all the world can testifie, that it findes harbour in them also. Now the first sinfull and vniust course vsed by Cleargi­men, is called Simony,1. Simony. when a man buyes a Church-liuing, he shewes himselfe to [Page 51]serue couetousnes in the summe, not God, because he comes in rather by the help of money than by the calling of God. And not alone is this sinne then committed, when men be such bunglers, in managing their matters, that the law will catch hold of them, but then also when there is Art in sinning, & as we say craft in daubing, when the man that is desirous of liuing, doth not come with a downright bargaine, for feare of law: nor saith; Sir, if you will be my friend, and helpe me to such a benefice or promotion, I wil giue you so much mony, or yeeld you, or your yonger son, or your seruant, or friend, so much commoditie out of it, and so forth. But eyther in great good wil, (to his own preferment. I meane not to the patron) will send him some goodly gift, or else in good earnest will lay some wager with him, purposing to loose the wager, rather then, not win the liuing, or else we sell him too good a penniworth in some thing, taking farre lesse than it is worth, or buy something of him, for much more then it is worth; or vse any such like tricks to delude law and cousen equitie: these deuices be also Simony, as odious in [Page 52]truth as the most plaine kinde of bargaine that can be made; vnder which rancke also comes for the most part, that vsuall course of buying aduowsons, for hee that buyes, must sell, that euery man knowes, or else hee must liue by the losse, which men of this stampe, will seldome or neuer doe if they can chuse. And in this fault, the pa­tron hath as great a share as the Minister, yea, and greater too; because the fountaine of the fault is in him; for if he would giue freely, no man need to buy it, & he should be able to discerne that such a couetous harpie as is willing to pay for it, were in no sort fit for the place, & therefore should in no sort bestow it vpon him, much lesse set it to sale to him, being that the lawes haue committed this care to his charge, not that he should make a commoditie of it, for then it had bin fitter to giue it vnto poorer men, whose low ebbe did require to be filled vp by such helps, and not as it is commonly, to the Lords of the places, whose reuenues if they were not grosly eyther couetous or prodigall, might well suffice them: the lawes, I say, haue laid the care of presenting a fit man vpon him, [Page 53]not because he should passe it ouer to an­other for mony, or himselfe make a gaine of it; but because hee should doe faithfull and profitable seruice vnto the Church & Common-weale, in prouiding a man of good parts and competent gifts, as being thought the most of abilitie to iudge of such an one, & to seeke him out. Here ther­fore a couetous Patron, and a couetous Minister, must be content to diuide the fault betwixt them, and endure to be called vniust and worldly, for making bargaine and sale of the maintenance of Gods wor­ship.

A second fault and that farre more no­torious in men of this ranke, is,2. To feed themselues and not the flocke. when they doe feede themselues, and not the flocke, through idlenesse, or carelesnesse, doe sel­dome or neuer driue the sheepe of Christ vnto the greene pastures, or the stil waters, that the Lord hath prouided for them.

When I say, such a thing as this is done, it is of all the particular vniustices which I haue named, or shall name, the most abhominable to God, & ought to be so accounted also amongst men. For the Church-liuings are, as it were, the reuenues [Page 54]of Iesus Christ, and his endowments, to be disposed by him, and it is his order that those should liue of the Altar, not which loyter, but which labour at it and therfore those that labor not haue no interest from him to eate of the fruits, & if they presume to doe it, they fill and fat themselues with stolne and ill gotten goods, which though they tast sweet in the mouth shall prooue grauell, yea worme-wood, yea, poyson in the bowels. Now the labour that the holy Ghost requires at the hand of the Mini­sters of the Gospel, is apparantly set down in Scripture, that no man can without wil­fulnes be ignorant of it.Mat. 29.19.20. Go preach and bap­tise all nations, teaching them to obserue all things that I haue commaunded you; And a­gaine woe vnto me if I preach not the Gospel; 1 Cor 9.16 2. Tim. 4.1.2. And againe, I charge thee before God, & be­fore the Lord Iesus, who shall iudge the quick and dead at his appearance, and in his king­dome, preach the word in season, and out of season. Reproue, exhort, rebuke, with all long suffering and doctrine. An other part of his function is,Tim. 2.15. to reade the word vnto them publikely, as the Leuites did in former time, for God forbid we should disallow [Page 55]this so profitable & comfortable an ordi­nance,Act. 8.31. because many content themselues with this alone. And another part is, to pray with them, and be as it were their pe­titioner to God in publike. Another is, to administer the Sacraments of baptisme & the Lords supper. An other part of his du­tie is, in priuate to ouersee their waies, com­forting the weak, strengthening the feeble, & admonishing the vnruly, that so he may giue a good account to God for them, who will require them and their bloud at his hand. Now he that feeds vpon the liuing, & doth not in some good measure set him­selfe to do those things which God calleth vpon him to doe, hee is a loyterer, hee is an hireling.

To take Gods wages, and not doe his worke at all, or else negligently, is a great and a cursed wrong, and so much the more hurtfull then other wrongs, by how much it doth more neerely & dangerously touch the soules of men, who must (for any thank that is due to him) perish for euer; when the meanes of God appointed to saue men, is not vsed by him the Minister, whom God sets as a watchman, and puts in trust with [Page 56]such a waightie imployment. And all such men shal haue the bloud of the parties pe­rishing through their default required at their hand. It behoued me to haue my no­strils strangely stopt with a poze of pre­iudice, if I had not smelt these practises to sauour rankly of couetousnes, and to haue had my mouth basely musled with partia­litie, if I had not freely reprooued it: and therfore if any in the ministery be present, that vseth these courses to enrich himselfe by, be it known to his face, yea, to his soule, that these sins shall arise before God, with the assent of his owne conscience, and with a loud and shrill voyce, proclaime in his eares, to his shame and confusion, if he re­pent not. Thou hast harboured this coue­tousnesse that Christ bids beware of, thou art the couetous man, that canst not inhe­rite the kingdome of God.

Now let vs proceed to Trades-men,3. Trades-men. who are occupyed in buying & selling, & shew how indirect courses are incident to their place, as testimonies of a worldly heart.

The principall are these.1. False waights & measures. First, to vse false waights and measures, that is, when the waights and measures, by which they [Page 57]buy or sell, eyther are not of the same con­tent, extent, & height that the law requires they should, and they are by custome taken for, or if they be, yet there is cousonage vsed in applying of them, by iogging, shaking, turning and swift conueyances, that I can­not name, but mens hearts can tell that vse them, and so also can the Lord that seeth the heart. Now such, the light of nature Ioaths, and God condemnes with a woe, and saith,Pro. 11.1. false waights (and they be as bad as false that are falsely vsed,) are an abho­mination to the Lord, and hee would not abhorre them, if they were not vniust.

The second is, to sell, corrupted, false, sophisticated, and insufficient wares,2. Insuffi­cient wares. such as are not in qualitie as good, or in sub­stance the same, that the seller would haue the buyer to take them for; which sinne is most grieuous in Apothecaries, because there it may also haue a spice of murther, mixed with vniustice, and for such dealing as this, seeing euery man will exclaime and grudge against it, being offred to himselfe, we will seeke no other proofe but his own confession, to condemne it in himselfe.

The third is, to engrosse, or forestall,3. Ingro­sings. that [Page 58]is, to buy vp any commoditie before hand, when it is, or might be cheape, to the fore­seeing of a future dearth, that so hee may make his gaine at his pleasure afterwards. It is lawful to buy vp the ouer-plus of any cōmoditie, I mean the residue, when mens turnes are serued in the time of plentie, as Ioseph did; that a man may haue it to helpe the common weale in time of dearth, with some good and moderate gaine to himselfe also; but the ingrosser in stead of laying vp the superfluitie of plenty, to preuent and helpe a dearth; doth hoord vp the store of plentie, to procure one, which is to cut the throat of the common weale for his owne aduantage sake: And therefore Salomon saith,Pro. 11.26 Him that hoords vp corne the people shall curse. And seeing the same reason is of all things in their degree, I may say the same of all, the ingroser shall be accursed, & he could not be so, if he were not vniust.

A fourth thing iniurious in such men is,4 To abuse the simpli­citie or ne­cessitie of men. play and prey vpon the necessitie or sim­plicitie of men, eyther in thrusting a thing vpon them for much, that a mans selfe knowes to be worth little; or in getting a thing from them for little, which he knows [Page 59]to be worth more; because they know not the thing, or else must needes haue it, or part with it. In a word, any exacting of too much, or giuing too little, chiefly when we abuse the ignorance or the neede of our neighbour to this end; is to serue ones selfe in selfe-loue, and not his brother in loue, and therefore is vniust.

Now if any aske how I can informe their consciences concerning the encreasing or diminishing of the price, I will referre him to the first generall rule fore-named, and wish him to aske as little, & offer as much as himself, if he were in the same case, wold willingly, not by compulsion haue taken of him, or giuen to him, all things considered in due manner; to deale otherwise then so, is to deale iniuriously and vnrighteously.

The fift to this condition of people,5. To get away ano­ther mans custome or bargaine. is to get away another mans custome by odd tricks; as for example, to offer and sell him a very cheape penny-worth, yea, cheaper than can be afforded for once or twice, which a man purposeth to fetch out at some other time, afterwards, when he hath gotten him in, and such like, and so to take an other mans bargaine out of his hand, is [Page 60]in the same kind for the buyer, that this na­med for the seller: for such dealing no man can take in good part, when it is done to himselfe, and therefore the law of nature and God both, doe condemne it, as naught and vnequall.

The last vniustice in men of this condi­tion, is to liue by wicked trades,6. Vsing vnlawfull trades, or abusing lawfull. which serue directly to the supporting of vice and wic­kednesse: as for example, by keeping di­cing houses, filthy houses, bowling alleys, & such like places of hellish resort, which are as it were the diuels houses of office: the hote and vnsauory steames wherof, do prouoke heauen, and defile the world. And such is also the abuse of lawful trades to the same purpose, as in Painters or the like, in making idolatrous or filthy pic­tures as fit instruments to prouoke spiritu­all or bodilie fornication. So of Stationers, in selling and dispercing filthy and lasciui­ous pamphlets: and here the common sin of Vintners and Ale-hous-keepers be se­uerely taxed, in that they permit brutish creatures worse than swine, to sit and swill, & wash away their reason & discretion, til the house be made a sink of filthy vomiting [Page 61]the basenes of which men, & loathsomenes of which practise no man wold suffer with­in his doores, but that the sweetnes of gain makes him ready to giue welcome to the blackest fiend of hel, that shal come with a ful purse, and a lauish hand to mispend the same.

Now these, or all, or any of these, if any trades-man present vse, be it known to him without doubting, that they shall all stand vp to his cōdemnation in the presence of God, and cry out vpon him, saying; Thou dost entertain this couetousnes that Christ forbids: thou art the couetous man so much condemned in the word of God, whose soule cannot be saued if it so continue.

And now must I go on to speak of those euilsin land-lords,4. Land-lords, as that hauing much them­selues, set or let grounds, or liuings, or hou­ses, which doe proclaime the soueraigne­tie & dominion of couetousnesse in them.

The first is, to racke Rents,1. To rack rents. and exact immoderate and excessiue fines, I meane not the requiring of more rents than haue beene accustomed in former times, to bee paid; for it is doubtlesse lawful to improue land; but I meane, lifting them to such an [Page 62]high & vnreasonable rate, that the tenant shall not liue any thing comfortably ther­by, but in extremitie of toyle and want, be­ing forced eyther to vse vnlawfull shifts, & base niggardice, or else to dash himselfe vpon the rocke of penury and need. This is to grinde the faces of the poore, and it is that sin of oppression, so much spoken against in men of this place, by Gods word. Now if any man ask what rule may be set downe out of Scripture, as a sure direction for the prices in such cases? I an­swere, let him set himselfe in the Tenants place, & what he would then giue (volun­tarily, not vpon constraint and extremity, all things laide together according to the quantitie of the thing, that, and no more than that, must he take, & not suffer him­self to be transported by the sweet tongue of euery flattering seruant, and vnsatiable desire of getting money, to fling away vp­on his pleasures, or else augmenting the reuenues for the next heyre. He that will not make himselfe a patern of his dealing to others, is condemned by his conscience to deale not righteously.

The second fault of Land-lords is, to [Page 63]burden and lade their tenants with carri­ages & like seruices, more then was agreed vpon in the couenant betwixt them,2. To bur­den the te­nant with carriages &c. more then con­dition. with­out paying him for it as an other man will do. As for example, to carry stone and tim­ber for his building, to plow land, to inne hay and corne, to fetch fewel or fire-wood, to remoue houshold stuffe, and all this gra­tis. The Land-lord may not challenge this priuiledge ouer the Tenant, to make him work for nothing, where he is not tyed by the condition of his lease, nay, nor then neither, if it be vnreasonable, and tend to his vndoing. For this the Prophet Ieremie durst condemne in a King; and therefore I need not feare to condemne it in a land­lord, of what place soeuer. For so saith he of the King of Iudah, Iehoachim sonne of Ioshuah. Ier. 22.13. Woe to him that builds his house by vnrighteousnesse, and his chambers without equitie, and wherein stood this lacke of e­quitie? he vseth his neighbour (or makes him setue) without wages, and giues him not for his worke. You see this sharply reprehen­ded by the Prophet long agoe, as voide of equitie, that no man may diride it as a toy of our owne head.

A third vniustice among Land-lords, is by fraud or might to depriue the tenants of any part of their duties, as of some greene, or common, or wood, or such like, that appertaineth vnto them: this is that which the Prophet condemnes by the name of coueting a field, and taking it by force. Now these courses specified, or any of the like kind, if any Land-lord present accustome himselfe vnto, be it plainely spoken vnto him also, that these his acti­ons, shall make appearance, and giue in euidence against him before the great Iudge, ringing this grieuous out-cry in his eares, and saying; Thine heart hath lodged the forbidden sinne of couetousnesse, thou also art that couetous man, that so conti­nuing cannot be saued. Now we come in the last place to set forth the lewd practi­ses that are common to all men, without respect of their seuerall places, and these are foure.

First,1. Promise breaking. to make deceitfull promises, or to breake promises and couenants. When a man lookes to his profit more than to his truth or honestie; and therefore will make his bargaine or promise in such slippery [Page 65]or doubtfull words or manner, that still he will find some euasion to pull out his owne necke, when hee hath made another to serue his turne, as by pleading that hee meant not so, or so; or that such and such a thing should be vnderstood; or that he hath forgot it, or such like: albeit he had wit enough to expresse his meaning fully, and plainely, if he had would, and needed not to haue reserued something for after-claps. Yea, and hath sufficient memorie, if hee had sufficient honestie to beare it in minde too, but chiefly when he will come to a plaine refusall, being destitute of all shifts and excuses, this is monstrous vn­iustice, which the blind light of nature can see well enough and challenge. For an ho­nest man, much more a Christian, should stand to his lawfull word, though to his owne hinderance, & that according to the true meaning and intent, expressed in his promise, and vnderstood by the party to whom it was made.2. Vsurie. A second notorious vniustice is vsury. When a man makes a gaine of lending, and binds the party bor­rowing, without consideration of his gaines or losses, to repay the principall [Page 66]with aduantage. For whereas there be three sorts of men that vse to borrow, ei­ther poore men, whom necessitie driues to it, or vnthrifts, whome prodigalitie driues to it: or sufficient men, that hope to make a commoditie of it: It is apparant by the confession euen of those that would seeme to say somewhat for this vsurie, (as if it were not a sinne simply) that it is wicked to lend on vse to the poore needy borrow­er,Deut. 15.7.8.9. for God hath flatly commaunded to lend vnto him freely; and for the vnthrift, it is also certaine that hee should not be lent to at all; for that is to feede his issue with ill humours, and to put a sword into his hand wherewith to destroy himselfe; and thus the vsurers most accustomed and greatest gaines are cut off. Now for the third kind of men, of them to exact gaine vnconditionably, not respecting their loo­sing or getting, is altogether against the law of charitie and equitie both. For the light of nature will not suffer any to de­ny this principall of equitie: that he which will haue part in weale, must also haue part in woes; and hee that will diuide the sweet, must also diuide the sower: hee [Page 67]that will take of the good successe, must also take of the bad: and the light of re­ligion will not suffer him that hath any of it, to deny this principall of charitie; that Christians must serue one another in loue, and not themselues alone in self-loue; both which principals are directly contrary to the very trade of the vsurer, for he makes sure for himselfe to haue a part onely and infallibly in the profit, and therefore serues himselfe alone, and also his bro­ther; and for this cause the vsurer is set a­mong those that cannot come to dwell in the mountaine of God, which bee should not be, were hee not vniust. So then, the vsurer whether he doe it plainly or vnder­hand, as men haue a thousand policies to couer their sinne in this respect, must vn­dergoe the imputation of liuing by wrong and iniurie.

A third vniustice in any man, is, to withhold dues from those to whom they belong, as debts, wages, and the goods of orphanes, and such things as haue been giuen for charitable vses, and the like. These be so openly euill, that I see not how any man can open his mouth with [Page 68]any shew, or colour to iustifie them. When a man will pay his hireling nothing, but keepe his owne from him by fraud or put him off with ill words, and post him away from time to time, or make him because he is his tenant, &c. take one or two pence in a day, lesse than others giue, or pay him very grumblingly, who could brooke such dealing, and not say, fie vpon it, it is starke staring wrong? So when a man hath wherewithall to pay his debts, in some measure at least, and yet will breake and not discharge them so farre as it will goe, or when being a rich man, he sends away the creditor all to be rated and sha­ken with ill words, and empty of money, but laden with reuiling speeches; yea, though he haue to discharge it: what man doth not loath to meete with such vsage to himselfe? but chiefely when the father­lesse childe or widdow haue not the porti­on bequeathed to them, and committed in trust to a friend, reasonably, fully, and rea­dily paid in vnto them, this euery man sees to be bad dealing. In a word, to retaine any part of anothers due, is indignitie.

For Salomon hath sayd, With-hold not [Page 69]the goods from the owners thereof. Prou. 3.27 To liue vpōtenths, chiefely not proui­ding for the main­tenance of Gods worship. Another vniustice of this kind in lay-men, is pos­sessing of tenths, or church-liuing, spe­cially without any care, to haue the due­ty of the ministry faithfully and sufficient­ly discharged. For not to stand vpon that question, whether tenths be due by Gods law to the minister, (which yet I thinke) might probably and sufficiently be defen­ded, euen against a cauilling and wittie ob­iector, because the Apostle saying, that he which is taught in the word, must make him that teacheth him partaker of all his goods;Gal. 6.6. doth thereby interest the minister into some portion of his peoples sub­stance. Now seeing none other part was euer assigned him, either by the law of na­ture, or the lawe of God, but this, doth not it probably at the least follow, that euen vnder the Gospel this is his due? but I say not to dispute this question, we haue another reason to conuince apparantly, that the tenthes cannot, by that true right which will hold good in the courts of conscience, and of heauen, be detai­ned from the ministrie, without some full requitall other way; for whatsoeuer [Page 70]hath once bin giuen & consecrated to the maintenance of Gods worship, and the true religion established by him, that is, in­uested into the person of God, or intan­gled vnto Iesus Christ (as I may so speak) who wil neuer acknowledge any fine, and hath this royall prerogatiue, that whatso­euer is once his, the same is alwaies his; and whatsoeuer is giuen to him can neuer be taken from him: neyther is there any pre­scribing against him, seeing he hath ney­ther superiour, nor law aboue him, & ther­fore can forfait no right;Pro. 20.25 so that it is al­wayes destruction to deuoure holy things and after the vow to require. Now that these tithes were giuen & deuoted by men well disposed to the maintenance of the true worship of God, euen before grosse and heriticall popery had ouer-clouded the face of the world, is a thing that I thinke no man will or can deny. Where­fore the conclusion follows ineuitably, that they be Gods stil, and not to be bestowed any other way than in his seruice. So ma­ny lay-men therefore as serue themselues with Church-goods, deale vniustly with God and mens soules, and cannot escape [Page 71]the blot of worldlinesse, if knowing this, they reforme it not. The last vniustice that I wil name as common to all sorts of men, is gaming in hope of gains. Neither let the the gamester except that his riotous hu­mour cannot come within the compasse of couetousnesse, for hee doth therefore venture vnthriftily that hee may get more vnlawfully, and his manner of gaining is most palpable wrongfull. He takes that to which he hath no right at all that might make it his. He pleads none other title but that he won it, that is, plaid better than an­other, or perhaps not so, but onely cast the lot more luckely, and all the wit vnder heauen can neuer set a colour of lawfulnes vpon this plea. I must haue his money, be­cause I plaid better than hee, or threw the dice more happily. If he alleadge the co­uenant betwixt him & the party that play­eth with him, that is nothing to the pur­pose. Foreuery lawfull couenant is the ex­pressing of some lawfull right that was in nature before the couenant, as the ground thereof, which hee cannot name any, and therfore the couenant is vnlawfull, & can­not giue him lawfull possession of any [Page 72]thing. If he flie to the mutual will of them that play, let him not vrge that will, but the ground of it; which is to get another mans goods, and therefore it is wicked, & cannot be the foundation of a iust coue­nant. Indeede all will transferring right, must eyther bee free-will (and then the thing so passed ouer is free gift, of which nature he will not acknowledge the thing that he wins, neither can he call it so if hee would) or else will grounded vpon some lawfull and equal consideration, which the gamester cannot for his life make shift to name any: and therefore this will that hee speakes of, is either none or naught, and so he plaies the theefe with another, when he winnes, as with himselfe when he looseth. And whatsoeuer man hee may be in presence, that accustomes to any of these last named things for his riches sake, let it be certified to his heart, that these things shall condemne him before the Lord and say; Thou also dost yeeld to this sin of co­uetousnesse, and thou art the couetous man that so continuing, cannot enter into life eternal. Thus haue we at the last brethren, shewed you both what couetousnesse is, [Page 73]and the notes of it, viz, carking, niggar­dice, greedinesse in dealing, and all vniu­stice: whether in Magistrates, Ministers, Tradesmen, Land-lords, or any men: Be you exhorted now to deale plainely and faithfully with your owne soules, and by these notes, search, try, and examine your owne hearts, that you may know your own estate truely in this behalfe: and be not de­ceiued, God is not mocked. What wil it a­uaile thee to say, I am not couetous, if God will say thou art, shal not his word & sen­tence stand? And let this be the first vse.

Secondly, Vse. 2 let me be bold to reproue those men among you, that haue their cōsciences vpbrayding them with this sinne, by any of the forenamed signes. I cannot be thought to intend a perticular inuectiue against any mans person, my disacquaintance with this place & all in it will sufficiently defend me from this imputation, seeing I know scarce any of your faces. Nay, beloued brethren, it is the sin that I desire to make odious & hateful to all men, & not any mans person whatsoeuer: & as for those that cannot but plead guilty of this fault, they ought to submit their harts to the sharpest reproofe, [Page 74]and be content by a bitter medicine to be healed of a poysonfull disease. I know that that is very true which Dauid saith; The couetous blesseth himselfe, none more, and his hand hath gotten wealth; no man must finde fault with him, that were ine­quitie; but by how much hee is more spa­ring to himselfe, by so much must vvee with more loudnesse and vehemencie, sound foorth the trumpet of Gods venge­ance against him: and let him heare it to his affrightment, if his hard heart would feele any thing, that hee is as loathsome in Gods eyes as any, & as subiect to his curse as who is most subiect. And whereas the prints, and footesteps of this enormious crime, are apparant almost euery where in euery condition of men, I must bee bold in Gods name, to pronounce a woe against their soules, and tell their consci­ences which will also beare witnesse to my words, that they are as abhominable in gods eies, as the world is precious in theirs. Ah what a shamefull thing is this, that a man professing the gospel of Iesus Christ, which would bee esteemed his faithfull subiect, should yet harbour in his heart, & [Page 75]serue in his life, this vile traytor which Christ hath prescribed long agoe, & wold haue exiled & banished, yea, & quite cha­sed out of the world, chiefely out of the hearts of all that call themselues by his name, Christians? Is this agreeable to the profession of Christianitie, to haue thine heart thus wedded to the world, stil earth­ward, earthward, alwayes looking to the things that are below? hast thou so lear­ned Iesus Christ? Doth he deale so vnlo­uingly with thee, as not to giue thee better, more lasting, and comfortable things to delight in? or dealest thou not most vnlo­uingly with thy selfe and him, that hauing an offer of that most precious treasure, ioyest rather to lade thy selfe with this thicke clay? With what words shall I suffi­ciently condemne & disgrace this folly? it is madnes, meere madnes, and worse then the worst lunacie that is. When wilt thou learne to be ashamed of thy selfe, and to blush in consideration of thy childish dealing, yea, thy wicked demeanour in this respect? Did we euer learne any such thing in the schoole of Christ, or in his ex­ample? did his conuersation euer sauour of [Page 76]couetousnes? yea, did he not willingly chuse to want all things almost for our sakes? to teach vs in his owne person, that pouertie is no such matter, and wealth no such de­sireable things as wee make them in our conceits? Must wee not then needs blame our selues, that haue rather chosen to fol­low our owne corrupted affections, & the sinfull fashion of the wicked world, than his most wholesome direction, and most holy patterne? What must Christ say vn­to thee, when thou shalt appeare before him in another world? or art thou so ve­ry an Atheist, as not to dreame of such a day? must hee not strike thine eare with a chiding and vnpleasant voyce, & say; Dis­loyall and vnfaithful seruant, would neither words nor deeds worke vpon thee? I com­manded; thee to beware of couetousnes; I commaunded thee first to seeke the king­dome of heauen, & the righteousnes ther­of; I commanded thee not to labor for the things that perished, but for the things that endured to eternal life. Mine example also taught the same things, thou neuer readest of any carking in me, though I had not an house to put mine head in, thou [Page 77]neuer heardest of any niggardice, toyling, or vniustice in all my life: yea, I did con­temne these things as trifles, not worth looking after, & refused a kingdome, when it should haue been thrust vpon me. Canst thou be ignorant of these things without wilfulnes, or knowing, neglect them with­out rebellion? and yet wilt thou call thy selfe my seruant, when thou regardest nei­ther deeds nor words of mine? What could the Heathen haue done more, or worse? Say it had neuer beene tolde thee, that there was a God, a Heauen, an eternall Kingdome; say thou neuer haddest heard, or suspected any happinesse to be found, besides wealth, and outward abundance, couldst thou haue bin more cold, & drou­sie in seeking the one, more feruent & ea­ger in pursuing the other? could my word profit thee no more, to diuorce thee from the loue of this world, to perswade thee of the basenesse of earthly things, & the per­fect excellency of heauenly things? Goe then and take thy reward with worldlings; Consider brethren, what a most terrible word it will be, to be bid then depart from Christ, to the diuel & his angels, whether we [Page 78]will or nay; because we departed from him wilfully before to the world, and its doung and drosse: and know you that as sure as God is true, so you shall finde it at the last day, a couetous man shall not goe for an honest man, or good Christian more than a whore or theefe. Flatter not your selues with being neyther whores nor theeues, harlots and adulterers: theeues & robbers shall as soone come into the kingdome of God as your selues, and yet you know that such shall neuer come there.

But if the couetous man disdaine com­parison with such foule companions, and think himselfe wronged, in that such loath­some men are equaled with him; Let him heare what Saint Paul saith; This you know, that no fornicator, nor vncleane person, nor couetous man, which is an idolater, shall in­herite the Kingdome of God and of Christ. Lend thine eare and be affrighted, O thou worling, is this Scripture, or is it not? Art thou an Atheist to denie it, or one of Sa­lomons fooles to despise it? But yet for more assurance heare againe the same Apo­stle saying; No fornicator, nor Idolater, nor Adulterer, nor wanton, nor Buggerer, nor [Page 79]theefe, nor extortioner, nor couetous man, nor drunkard, nor rayler, shall inherite the kingdome of God. Loe thy companions and fellows, & know what thou art in Gods ac­count, doth hee not tie thee, as a malefa­ctor, in the same chaine, with those whom all the world cries shame vpon, and whom thy selfe doest loath and scorne? wilt thou not see thy selfe also to be a limme of the diuell, because a darling of the world, and as farre from heauen as shee that liues in the stewes, and he that robs by the high way-side?

Now if perhaps any will stand out and say he is not a couetous man, let mee call God, and the world, and your owne con­sciences and your deedes to witnesse a­gainst a number of you, that you be so in extremitie. Doe not many of you carke, and care, and pine your hearts almost with needlesse doubtings, and suspitions of necessitie to be hereafter, when your owne being is vncertaine, euen for a day, and are you not couetous? Are not many so pin­ching and miserable, that no mercie, no liberalitie, no bountie can bee seene in their liues, and the time is to come that [Page 80]euer they did voluntarily bestow any thing for the reliefe of the needy, or if any thing, it comes out pinchingly in pence, & two­pences, when God hath giuen it in grea­ter abundance to doe more good, and yet are you not couetous? Doe not a number lade themselues so burdensome­ly with worldly dealings, that God and Religion, and a better life, can finde no place in their serious considerations; and that eyther they neuer pray, reade, me­ditate, or else so drousily, and coldly, and shortly, as if they thought euery houre tenne, till they were returned to their worke; yea, doth not the world enchroch vpon the greatest part of the Sabboth, in many mens tongus and hands, that would be thought Religious, and are you not yet couetous? Is not all vniustice rife? Aske your owne hearts you Magistrates, and answere in secret, but in truth: Doe you not take gifts? Doe you not often force your Consciences to thinke what they should not, and your hands to doe what they should not, in defending, sentencing, writing, executing any thing for a reward? and will you denie that you are couetous? [Page 81]question with your hearts, ye trades-men, will they not tell you that you doe en­grosse, exact sophisticate, and vse false weights, measures, and words, and perhaps also more darke trickes, that Gods eyes see, and can tell of, and are you not coue­tous? Doe not you Land-lords rack your rents, burden your tenants, defraud them, oppresse them, grinde their faces: and will you say that you are not couetous? Doe not some of you Ministers, come in by Simonie, and being entered, loyter and neglect a flocke or two, feeding the Lords sheepe more carelesly than you would be content to haue an heard of your owne swine fed, and are you not couetous? Are they not common amongst all sorts, to lie, cousen, and breake promise and shift, to giue your money to vsurie, to withhold the goods of others in your hands, to liue by Church-liuings, and care not for the Church, & are you not couetous? I would to God brethren, that these things did not cry out in the eares of the Lord of hostes, and the ordinary practise of them, like the roaring of many waters, complaine vnto him of our earthlinesse. Yea I would [Page 82]we did not complaine too much one a­gainst another; and he that practiseth co­uetousnesse in one thing, seekes to make himselfe seeme honest, by exclaiming a­gainst as bad pranckes in others. Magi­strates cry out of trades-men, and they of Magistrates; they of Ministers, the people of Land-lords; almost euery man of an­other for this sinne, and will you not see it in your selues, and be ashamed of it? Let me discharge a good conscience, and with­out feare, tell the couetous man, I meane him in whom any of these things do beare sway, that he is a counrerfeit Christian, an hollow-hearted protestant, and a dissem­bling professor, that makes gaine his god­linesse, and his wealth his God: and know thou againe, that heauen is shut against thee as fast, as against the fowlest sinner that the earth holds. Hearken O couetous man, whosoeuer thou beest, and see, that thou shalt surely die in this thy sinne, if thou doe not speedily amend it: the loue of the world will pull thee down to hell, vnlesse thou make hast to cast it off, and be thou also among the other crue of presumptuous sinners, accursed in the [Page 83]name of the Lord. But ah my brethren, doe we delight in threatnings, or is it our pleasure to rake in the wounds of your soule, with the naile of a reproofe? nay we desire to heale them, which we could not doe without wiping forth this festred wa­ter: and for none other end shew you the danger of your estate, but that you may get out of it; and therefore for the last vse, doe beseech you all, that see what is amisse to reforme your selues.

There be two degrees of couetous men, some so fully possessed with the spirit of the world, that God is their enimie, and they his, and so they cannot possibly bee saued. Such are those whose custome it is to runne thorow thicke and thinne, to get riches, and who liue in the ordinary practise of knowne euils for wealths sake; namely, those which I haue before na­med, or some like to them. If thou be one of these, to thee the curse denoun­ced doth certainely belong; and shall cleaue to thy soule so fast, that neither men nor Angels shall seperate the same, vnlesse thou doe speedily amend. Pittie thy selfe miserable man, pittie thy selfe, [Page 84]leape not into hell, it is a place of torment, both fearefull and eternall. Cast not thy selfe into the flames of damnation. Why wilt thou die, and hast been warned? Is all the world worth one soule? Ah make not such an hard bargaine, but haue compas­sion vpon thy dying soule. Bewaile and confesse thy sinne before the Lord, leaue and forsake thine vniust courses, and coue­tous desires. Be it sufficient that thou hast been all this while a slaue to the world; now lay hold vpon this liberty of the sons of God: shake off this yoake of Sathan; weane thy selfe from the breasts of the world, and cast from thee the too much liking of those things that are more base, than that an eternall spirit should build it delights vpon them. But if I cannot pre­uaile with this neere and absolute world­ling, if he will needs be guilty of his owne damnation, & refuse to commiserate him­selfe, what remedie, who can help him that will not help himself? let him perish. And let me with more hope of successe, turne my speech to the second degree of coue­tous men, such as though they bee not wholy excluded the hope of saluation, [Page 85]because this sinne is not absolute Lord of their liues, yet are hindred from many ne­cessary comforts, and come into many la­mentable euils; because they be not care­full inough to purge themselues of this vice. Of this kind are many professors of true religion, that haue giuen some good testimony of their vprightnesse and truth, and made good proceedings in the waies of God, which yet for want of sufficient care to resist & reforme this fault in them­selues, haue been shamefully foyled by Sa­than, and drawne somtimes to most vniust and discommendable courses, such as the wicked world hath euen taken notice of; and as I may so speake, hath showted and howted at them, glad to take any excepti­on, and therefore much more reioycing that so iust a cause of euill speaking hath been offered. It is an outcry of the world, that those which would be accounted most forward professors of religion, those that doe seeme to make so much account of preaching and sermons, and so forth, euen these are as hard, as vniust, as couetous in their dealings, as the worst of their neigh­bours. And surely brethren, though the [Page 86]world (willing to report the worst of things) doe vse a tricke of rethorique in aggrauating, yet it cannot be denyed that your liues hath giuen matter inough to worke vpon; It is a true complaint of ma­ny that make great shew of religion, that though they bee not as couetous as the worst, yet they be too notoriously coue­tous; and the ouer-abundance of this e­uill weed, doth dissauour all the graces and vertues which are or seeme to be in them. Why wilt thou if thou fearest God, suffer thy selfe to be so basely carried away with the desires of these things, that here-hence thou shouldest run into courses of that na­ture as make thy profession euill spoken of, as open the wicked mouthes of clamo­rous men against thee, as renders thy name, a white or marke, for all those that are willing to cast out the venemous darts of oblequie and reproch against the same; as giues wicked men occasion to shelter themselues from all reproofes by retorting thy bad actions in the face of the reproo­uer, as make sinners to applaude them­selues in their sinnes, and thinke, though I make not such a shew as such an one, yet [Page 87]he is as couetous, as I am otherwise faul­tie. Yea, as doe cause all good men and re­ligion it self to receiue disgrace, when they can say (though lyingly, yet badly enough, hauing the example of some such to pre­tend as euidence against all) that such are all the sort of you. I beseech you brethren if any of you that feare God, haue beene ouerled with these earthly things, let him now see and consider of these many and grieuous inconueniences, and see what the immoderate following of the world can yeelde him answerable to the losse of all those comforts that his heart should enioy if it were rid better of this sin, and to those good affections, and praises that he should haue from good men, if he did ouer-come this sinne, and to that freedome and safety from the scourge of the tougues of lewd men, that might come to him, had he not giuen them the aduantage against him, by vnmuzling their mouthes, with the too too grosse practising of this sinne.

Now then consider this with thy selfe, whosoeuer thou maist be; Disgrace thy selfe, disgrace religion; dishonor Gods ho­ly name, cause wicked men to exult, thy [Page 88]friends & Gods seruants to be grieued no more. Do no more I say rush vpon all, or any of these inconueniences, through the too much dotage after these base and con­temptible things. If I cannot preuaile with them that haue beene wholy worldlings, and altogether men of this earth, yet with thee that hast some good things, some sparkes of Gods spirit, some truth of reli­gion, and hope of a better life, let me, yea, let God and Gods ordinance preuaile to make thee reforme thine heart and life, in this behalfe, in comming to this place, and lending your eare to Iesus Christ, speaking in his owne ordinance; you make a shew to intend obedience to his word, who by his spirit stands in the midst of you sear­ching euery mans hidden heart; you make a shew of obedience, the ende of hearing is doing. Shew me that you were not hy­pocrits in comming to the sermon, let your liues speake for you, that you did in since­ritie present your selues before the Lord, and were neither fooles to come hither to no end, nor dissemblers to come for a wrong end. I doubt not but euery one of your consciences, which hath with any [Page 89]reasonable attention hearkned, is, I am sure it ought to haue beene sufficiently conuin­ced of the loathsomnesse and vilenesse of this sinne; yea, and of our owne faultinesse in it diuers wayes. Shew forth the fruite of the word, gaine a blessing, be doers, not hearers alone.

Now you haue looked in the glasse of the word and seene the spots and staines of earthlinesse discouered, go home & purge and cleanse your selues of them hereafter. Be not like him that looks in a glasse, but washeth not his face; be not so, but let the word of God be to you in power, cast this monstrous euill and the dregs of it out of your likings and your liues. But will some man say, is sin so easily left? or can wee so soon preuail against it indeed, as you speak against it? no but there must be some pains taken about it, and then I doe not doubt, nay, dare promise to a christian soule, the victory against this sin, & that it shall goe downe the winde, and bee of the loosing hand. And that you may the better amend your selues in this matter, I will stand a while to shew you these two things.

First what be the causes of couetousnes: [Page 90]Secondly,The causes of coue­tousnesse are miscon­ceiuing of God and of wealth. what be the remedies against couetousnesse, which if any man will ap­ply wisely vnto himselfe hee shall finde a meruailous cure, and that in a short space, wrought vpon his heart.

First then, the maine and principall procreant causes of couetousnesse, are two errors in the vnderstanding or iudgement: For indeed such is the nature of the affec­tions, that they doe seldome or neuer of­fend, but through the former faultinesse of the mind. Seldome doth the desire, or loue, or hatred, ouer-shoote themselues, but through the deceite of the vnderstanding part, that being first disordered it selfe, dis­orders those that are as seruants to it; ouer­hastie to the worst, and ouer-slow in the best actions. And in the perticular, there­fore the desire is inordinately and vnlaw­fully carryed after wealth, because the eye of the minde mistaketh it marke, in these two respects: First, it doth not apprehend in God such abundance of power and will to saue, helpe, and deliuer, as indeed there is in him, and euery man should acknow­ledge in him, and so the mind being by this falshood driuen from the strong hold of [Page 91]Gods name is faine to cast about for some other place of defence, and then wealth of­fers it selfe to helpe, as the bramble to the king ouer the trees, & the mind still daze­led, and iudging after the appearances of things, not after the truth, doth conceiue that riches are indeed able to helpe. Now vpon these two grosse mistakings, it fol­lowes, that the desire which is ready prest to pursue that which is esteemed helpfull and profitable, sets forward it selfe, with all it might to pursue after wealth, and this is the originall of couetousnesse. So is this foule euill begotten of the minde; it is the darke and blind brood of an erronions and deluded iudgement. And both these cau­ses are laid open cleere enough before vs in the Scripture.

The first in Heb. 3. where hauing warned vs of couetousnes, he saith, for he hath said, I will neuer leaue, &c. By this coherence, sufficiently intimating, that couetousnesse comes, because one thinks God will not be sure enough to him, but too quickly and lightly leaue him to himselfe. And the second cause Christ notes in this Text, say­ing: for though a man haue much, his life [Page 92]consists not in his wealth: as if he had said, you desire much wealth, because you think it can make you liue more comfortably & safely, but indeed it cannot. You see now the true causes of couetousnesse. I know men are willing to make shew that this their desire of wealth is of better paren­tage, but the truth is, it is as I haue said, the base brood of ignorance and errour.

Now come wee to shew the remedies of this sinne,2. The re­medies. 1 Apply the word to it in se­rious me­ditation. and how it may be consumed out of vs: First, there are foure remedies in all. The first is, to meditate vpon the word of God that forbids it. Applying the reproofes, and threatnings, and com­maundements, against any sin in the word of God to a mans owne soule, by serious meditation, is a common remedy against all sins, and so also against this. The word of God is the sword of the Spirit, seruing to keep out all lusts from comming with­in vs, and to cut, wound, and slay them; to which purpose it is then effectuall, when it is weelded as it ought, by turning the pre­cepts and reproofes of it into earnest com­plaints against our sins, & strong petitions for our selues before the Lord in secret. [Page 93]Indeede lamentable experience driues vs to confesse, that the word of God is of litle operation in most men for God: & whēce is this? euen from their owne folly, that out of their sinfull hollownes, will not lay it as a plaister to the sores of the soule: but bee this spoken in assurance of truth, & let the heart of euery godly man giue consent to it, that whosoeuer hee be which takes the word of God in any perticular matter, and alone betwixt God & his own soule, stands to consider, saying: Loe how plainly the Lord hath forbidden this sinne, what sharp reproofes he hath vttered against it, how great the danger is, that he hath threatned shall arise from it, why do I commit it? why do I liue in it? Doe I either not beleeue his word, or not feare his displeasure? And then turning himselfe vnto the Lord, doth earnestly cry out against himselfe, saying: Ah Lord God, how wicked haue I beene to break this thy law, and to endanger my selfe to thine indignation, and rush vpon thine anger so ouer-ventrously?

Now Lord giue more wisedome, more grace, strengthen me to do thy will, which I see & know, but of my selfe cannot obey: [Page 94]whosoeuer I say, doth in this or the like manner spread the plaister of Gods word vpon his own heart, let him count the pro­mises of God but leasings, if he finde it not able to heale any lust, though neuer so can­kered and inueterate; to quell any corrup­tion, though neuer so strong and violent. Doe thus therefore brethen, for couetous­nes, we have shewed you sufficiently, what an hurtfull and vnlawfull thing it is. Enter into thy closet as Christ bids thee; pon­der of these things; set downe your owne hearts with these reasons, and conuince your selues of the wickednesse thereof, and accuse your selues before God with indig­nation against your selues, that are so base­ly enclining to this world, when the Lord bids the contrary; Yea, and beseech him to strengthen and sanctifie your hearts now, that seeing his will, you may yeeld to it: and that these reproofes may be present with your hearts to controll them, and checke them sharply, when they so offend, & that it would please him to encline your hearts to his testimonies, and not vnto couetous­nes, and hee that thus doth constantly day by day, or as often as occasion is, let him be [Page 95]bold to promise to himselfe, that the word will proue a word of life and power vnto him. It will knock off these clogs of world­lines, from his soule, that his affections shal be no longer so fettered with them.

The second remedy against couetous­nesse,Get assu­rance of e­ternall life. is to labour for more and more assu­rance of the fauour of God and euerlasting life, through Iesus Christ his son: and euery man must haue his happines and delight. And if any mans hart be not set vpon the true felicitie, it will be seduced by false; & one guilded vanitie or another will steale it away from him: but let a christian ende­nour to make his calling and election sure, and to be stedfastly resolute of this, that God for his deare sonnes sake, pardoning all his finnes, wil beslow eternall happines vpon him, & cause him to raigne as a king with his Sonne, in a throne of immortall glory; where is no sin, no sorrow, no trou­ble, nothing to grieue or vexe him; but the fulnesse of ioy at Gods right hand for euermore; and the sight and comfortable expectations of this estate, will so rauish his heart, and take vp his desires, that this vile earth will appeare to be as it is, and he shal [Page 96]be able out of his owne feeling to call it dung and ashes, as the Apostle doth, not suffering it to cary the name of a treasure in his estimation. Yea, and his soule from this maine ground will draw another conclu­sion of no lesse force to beat downe the ri­sing of worldlines, saying; If God wil giue the flesh and bloud of his sonne to be the food of my soule, wil not he giue me bread and drink to sustaine my body? If his loue were so infinit that he spared not his most beloued and onely begotten sonne for my sake, how shall he not with him giue mee all things? He that will saue the soule, will he not feed the body? will he deny drosse, that gaue gold? will he say nay for a pibble, that so liberally scattered pearls? Nay sure, if our Lord would giue Christ for vs, and to vs, for our saluation, it were madnes to doubt whether he will giue earthly things for maintenance, so farre as is good (and further what Christian can wish them) for God is alwayes suitable to himselfe, in all his dealings: Get good reasons to trust God with thy foule, and thou wilt neuer feare thy body and thine estate. Haue eui­dence strong enough for heauen, and thine [Page 97]heart will not desire earth, and much lesse doubt of hauing sufficient therein.

The third remedy against couetousnes is, to consider aduisedly,3. Consi­der well Gods tem­porall pro­mises. of Gods gratious promises abundantly made and written in his word to his seruants, euen for prouisi­on of temporall benefits: wee haue his word, yea, his deed, his testament sealed and deliuered vnto vs in the presence of all his Saints and Angels; wee haue his bond, vnder white and blacke, saying: The Lyons shall be hunger-starued, but they that feare the Lord shall want nothing. And a­gaine;Psal. 34.10 The Lord our God is a Sunne and shield, and no good thing will hee with-holde from them that walke vprightly. And a­gaine;Psal. 84.11 The Lord is my shep-heard, I shall want nothing. Psa. 23.1. And this the Author to the Hebrewes presseth, saying; Let your conuersation be without couetousnesse, Heb. 13.5. and be content with that that is present. Yea, but we cannot be content, we haue good reason to desire more; For how if hard times and dangers should come, who shuld then prouide for vs? Who should prouide? Why, are you Christians, yea or no? if no: striue to be so first of all. If ye know that [Page 98]God is not so wretchlesse a father, you are not left to shift for your selues, nor cast o­uer to your owne prouiding. Nay, you haue one to care for you, and that for euer, if you can but beleeue his word. Hee, the God of mercie, the God of wisedome, the God of truth, the God of power, the God of wealth, the maker and owner of all worlds, the God all-sufficient, he hath gi­uen his word for your suretie. Wee giue much credit to a mans promise, and think we are in good plight if a wealthy friend, specially if he be trusty also, doe vnder­take to helpe vs. This is not man that may be changed, but the vnchangeable God: not man that may deceiue, but God that cannot lie: not man that may be hindred, but God whom none can resist: not man that may die, but God that liues for euer. And he hath said, I will neuer leaue you, not in age, not in sicknesse, not in a deere yeere, not in hard times, not when you be friendlesse, not when the world is naught, and the dayes hard and euill; he will neuer leaue you nor forsake you; neuer cast you off, nor cease to doe you good. O faithlesse and vnbeleeuing hearts, if we do not rest, [Page 99]builde, and repose our selues, vpon a pro­mise so plaine, so firme, so plentifull; and fooles and absurd, if beleeuing this we wil giue our hearts to the world Heape wealth together whilest thou wilt, it is not thine but Gods, he must giue it thee out of thine owne chest, as well as another mans. And if thou hast neuer so little, he hath neuer the lesse, and can giue thee out of another mans chest, as well as thine owne. What needest thou offend God, wrong man, and trouble thy selfe to get that which is pro­uided for thee in Gods keeping long be­fore? and thou hast it as much if it be in any mans custody, as if in thine owne. But pro­digall children will not liue at their fathers finding, till their owne wayes make them teturne weeping home: and we are loath to stand to Gods simple prouision forsooth, it sufficeth vs not, wee must haue more, though we peirce our selues through with woful temptations for it, because we seeke riches more then his fauour. When will we cause our liues to witnesse that we be­leeue God is true? yea, when will vve cease to call him a lyer actually, by coueting for our selues, and not trusting on him that [Page 100]careth for vs. Thinke we on these promi­ses, haue them in a readinesse, and when our hearts doe troublesomely question within vs, who shall helpe vs when we be olde, or in aduersitie, if we doe not now scrape together? set them downe and say, God will care for me if he be true; and if hee be not, it bootes not to get wealth, for then the world and all in it must come to nothing, together with his truth, which is himselfe.4. Consi­der right­ly what wealth is to which care, mark. Now the last remedie against couetousnes, and as needfull as any of the rest, is, to informe our selues truly as concerning the nature of wealth. For none can loue it but through ignorance, nor de­sire it, but through loue. Looke vpon it as it is in it selfe, without the paintings of opi­nion, and our desires wil of themselues de­spise it, & as it wer scorn to be captiue ther­vnto. Now the contemptiblenes of wealth will be manifest, if we set our selues wel to consider of these things following. First, what kind of men haue most of it. Second­ly, how vncertain.1. What men haue had most of it. Thirdly, how vnprofita­ble. Lastly, also how hurtfull it is. For the first then, let the stories be asked both of holy writ and profane authors, & let them [Page 101]speak, who be the men, & what haue they been which haue waded through the sea of the world, in the greatest and the tallest vessels, haue not many of them been the most brutish men, the veriest beasts, and the most loathsome & abhominable crea­tures that euer breathed aire, or saw the Sunne, & such as a Christian man cannot name without hating? Kaynes; Nimrods, Cams, Ismaels, Esaus, Saules, Ahabs, Nebu­cadnezars, Baltazers, Herods, Iudasses, Di­uels? And in other authours, Nero, Com­modus, Heliogabalus, & other monsters of men? Indeede I deny not, but good men haue also been wealthy, but that which is so common to good and bad, that for the most part, the worst haue had most of it: cannot if God be the disposer of things be the true treasure. What is that that a wise man doth cōmonly cast to dogs, but bones or carion; that he giues to swine, but draffe or huskes; what is that God giues to such as are worse than swine, or dogs; but worse I meane, more base than draffe or carion? Think we that the God of heauen is so vn­wise a dispencer of good things, that hee would cast pearls to swine, or good things [Page 102]to dogs? Surely were there so much excel­lency in these matters, as wee foolishly dreame of, they should not bee flung to those whom God hates, and purposes to fat as Hogs for the day of slaughter; but ra­ther most vpon his children, whom hee doth intend to glorifie with himselfe. God feedes them full with these things, whom he will throw to hell; thou maist be a rich man, and yet a diuell for all that; goe then and desire wealth, if thou thinkest it yet the true treasure.

But yet further consider wee how vn­profitable it is.2 How vn­profitable it is. Take wealth as we meane it, for the ouer-plus of things necessary to competent maintenance, and you shall not be able to deny (set opinion aside a while) that it is a thing of nought: Will you not yeelde that God is wise enough to call things by their right names, and to entitle euery creature after the true nature of it? Aske then the scripture the voice of God, what this gold and siluer, these lands, and linings, & rich possessions, this god Mam­mon should bee called? Will it not ans­were A shadow saying:Psal. 39.6. Man walketh in a shadow, he troubles himselfe in vaine, euery [Page 103]man heapes vp, and knowes not who shall ga­ther it. Will it not say, A flowre? 1. Pet. 1.24. for all flesh is grasse, and the glory thereof as the flowre of grasse. Will it not say, lies? Psal. 62.9. Eccle 1.2. The chiefe men are liers. Will it not say Ʋanitie? for All is vanitie. Wil it not say Nothing? as Salomon, Prou. 23.7 Wilt thou set thine eyes vpon it, and it is not, it hath no being? Eyther challenge God of folly, or falshoode, which hath called this wealth shadowes, flowers, lyes, vanitie, no­thing; or else yeeld that we haue been de­ceiued in thinking better of it Wil we not see our errour, and confesse that wee haue beene cousoned as children, with gawdes, and now begin to trust our fathers iudge­ment? But you shall see that it is not with­out cause vilified with these titles, and if you will but lend an heart to iudge, as an eare to heare, you shall perceiue as cleare as noone day, that they be as vnprofitable as any shadow. What will you terme that, that can do no good, to soule, body, name, state, nor keepe any euill from soule, body, name, state, nor mittigate such euils as a man is pressed withall, in any of these re­spects? Euery man will yeeld it may well be called a thing of nought, and cannot [Page 104]well be called by a better name. Beleeue not shewes and conceits, and then be your selues iudges, if wealth, I meane ouerplus of maintenance, can doe any thing in any of the forenamed respects.1. Soule, for getting good things of it What is good for the soule, but faith, repentance, the spirit of God, the answering of our praiers, the pardon of our sinnes, and the attaining of eternall life? And I pray you, can you buy these things for money? can you pur­chase them with Iewels? or get them for exchange of goods? will God giue hea­uen to any man, if hee will morgage a faire liuing to him for it? Will he giue him faith, that can bring a rich Iewell, or a purse of golde for it? or will he heare his prayers any whit sooner in his need, that is clad in cloth of gold, and hath thousands by the yeare, than if he went in meane apparell, & had not twice twenty pound, nay twen­ty pence yearely? or is there any commu­ting of penance in heauen? or can we by a great fine answere for a fault? Indeed if any of you be so blockish, as to beleeue the palpable deceits of popish Rome, some of these things are set to sale there, and there you may buy indulgences and pardons: [Page 105]but we know well enough that Rome and heauen stand a good way a sunder, and they be not ruled by the same lawes, ney­ther wil God stand to those bargaines that the Pope makes for money. You haue all yeelded, now that for soule, money cannot bring any good to it. But what?2. Body for the same respect. cannot it profit the body more? Aske experience. Will wealth buy health? will it purchase ease, or a good nights rest, or an houres sleepe, or a good stomack, or any of these things that are lesse then these? Answere what you know by proofe: will wealth buy these things? and what is the body the bet­ter for it then? But yet perhaps the name may be more beholding to it.3. The Name. It will surely bring credit, and good estimation. Indeed here, if in any thing, the rich man magni­fies himselfe aboue the poore, because he takes himselfe to be in better reputation. But here if in any thing he is most of all de­ceiued. I confesse it makes him think much better of himself, but neither God nor man doe thinke the better. Yea, God and good men thinke the worse of him for this. If it come in by violence, oppression, robbery, and vniustice, you will yeeld that no man [Page 106]hath the better liking of one for such wealth. But say that a man hath not waded through these filthy and stinking guzzels to get it, but haue come vnto it in the most cleanly manner, as some, but not the most doe, it shall be plaine, if any reason will rule vs, that it cannot get a good name or credit. For say, what will you call credit? to haue cap and curtesie, and a bended knee, and a few complements of behaui­our acted vnto your silken coate, or before your selfe it may be, or to be looked after and gazed vpon by the deceiued multi­tude, and to be followed by a great number of hangbyes that runne after you, as Ea­gles after a dead carkasse to feede vpon you? Is this credit? is this estimation? to be crouched vnto as a little curre doth to a mastiffe, to be soothed vp, and heare faire words, to be all besprinkeled with court­holy water euery day; in a word, to be stabd with the cut-throat kindnesse of flatterie? If you call this credit, and if this be the good name you talke of, it is euen a fit thing to bee gotten with wealth, an vn­profitable credit, an vncomfortable credit, an hurtfull credit, with vnprofitable, [Page 107]vncomfortable, and hurtfull riches.

And if any man haue but a graine of wis­dome, he will see that this is sar from cre­dit or a good name. But if it be to be vvell esteemed of in the hearts of men, to finde reuerence in their soules, to haue their consciences commend one, and their in­ward man set him (as it were) in a good roome of the affections, and their priuate thoughts, to yeeld a good testimonie for him: If I say, this be accounted credit, as it is indeed, a man is neuer a whit the nee­rer to it for abundance of goods. That will make men fawne and wag the taile, as a curre vpon his maister that is at dinner, to get a bone, yea, and perhaps also to licke ouer his sores, with a poysoning, not an healing tongue (for in this a flatterer is ten times worse then a dog; yea, he is a venim­mouthed dog) but behinde his backe, and in his absence none shall be more readie to talke of his saults, to deride them, to blaze them, to disgmce them, than he that crouched so much in his presence, and did him so much (as you please to call it) cre­dit to his face; yea, and in the middest of all this crouching, no mans heart doth [Page 108]more loath, abhorre, scorne, and contemn him, than the man that is so seruile and officious because of wealth.

And this is all that wealth can procure for the name, but nothing vnder heauen can make the hearts of men to reuerence any, and their soules to haue in good ac­count, yea and prefer him (in their ma­ture iudgement) euen before themselues. Nothing can doe this I say, but grace and vertue, true pietie, true holinesse, and god­linesse of conuersation, to which money cannot helpe a man. A poore man that fares but reasonably, and goes in ordinary attire, and cannot shew either money or lands of his own in any great abundance, shall yet if he liue vertuously, and walk in the feare of God, and in the obedience of his holy commandements, be more respe­cted by many degrees, in the soules and consciences of all that know (yea of those also that doe slaunder and enuy, and ma­ligne him) than the most wealthy man vn­der heauen wanting these things. Iohn had more reuerence in Herods heart, then Herod amongst all his courtiers and serui­tors, though he wanted all that cap and [Page 109]knee wherewith Herod imagined himselfe to be lifted vp to heauen in estimation. Yea, and if a rich man haue this credite (as Dauid, Iob, Abraham, and others had,) it is not his wealth but his goodnesse (which doth nothing at all depende vppon his wealth) that brings the same vnto him: for a low estate giues occasion to exercise as many vertues, and shew as much grace, (let Iob be witnesse) which they that be wise (whose commendation alone is de­sireable) will also see and obserue, as the most high and exalted. And wherin then is wealth to be regarded for credite sake? but that wee are foolish, and miscall that credit which is but flattery; or at the least but complementall trouble and vexation? But if it can doe no great good,2. For re­mouing euill from thee. yet I hope it can keepe away much euill from mee (will some man thinke) and make me safe in the day of danger. Let vs a litle consider seriously of that point too; and if you find that it be as little able to defend against a­ny harmful thing, as to procure any good, you will not then surely deny, but that it may well be called a lie, as the holy Ghost in this respect doth terme it; because he [Page 110]is neuer a whit the safer that hath it. Now then all euils are either spirituall or tem­porall, ghostly or bodily. The ghostly, are first,Sonle. sinnes and lusts of our soule, as igno­rance of God and his will, pride, vnbe­leefe, enuie, malice, filthy desires, froward­nesse, vniustice, a lying, a blasphemous tongue, and the like. And will a golden plaister heale these diseases? Let experi­ence speake, and let the heart of euery one of you giue answere to this question. Will a plaister made of golde and siluer heale these diseases? Ah no, no: the whole world can tell it doth the contrary: rather causing them to fester and ranckle; yea, and building a strong castle for euery in­ordinate affection, to possesse the heart of them that haue it, with so much more might and tyrannie: wealth makes a warm neast for sin to sit and hatch in, as we shal shew anon. A man shall not ouercome his lusts a whit the sooner, or the more ea­sily, when his purse is full, his house fur­nished, his grounds stored, his reuenues doubled, not these temporall, but spirituall weapons, the edge whereof is rather dul­led by wealth, doth ouercome such ene­mies. [Page 111]It is weeping, mourning, praying, and crying to God, it is euen godly sorrow, that as a good plaister heales the soule, and wealth doth rather fill men full of laughter and Iollity, & earthly delights, in which hee that liues is dead whilest hee liues: that Christ might well say; Woe be to you that are rich, woe be to you that laugh. And Saint Iames, Howle yee rich men, for ye haue liued in pleasure: and by consequent in sinne vp to the eares, see­ing Christian mourning, onely keepes a Christian soule in good temper. Yea, that one lust of couetousnesse which wealth seemes most of all able to vanquish, yet it cannot. Money will not cure couetousnes, more than wood & oyle can quench fire. Wee see it and wonder, that euen this lust is not lessened, but encreased rather with it, as thirst with some harish and ill-brued drinke, or wine which the Vintner hath adulterated with brimstone, or some such like geere. The more a man drinks of this, the more drought. The more a man hath, commonly the more worldly. And for the diuell and an ill conscience with the hor­rors of it, we know that Sathan can shake, [Page 112]affright, and terrifie a rich man as soone, and as much, as a poore. When God sets the diuell and an ill conscience loose, they feare not an heape of golde, a faire house, a silken coate, a great liuing, nay not a throne and Scepter, but will as tormen­tingly, gnaw the soule of him that hath all these things, as if hee wanted all. A gar­ment of tissue can no more keepe a bro­ken bone from aking, than a rich estate an ill conscience from vexing. Yea, and the scorching flames of hell will burne, frie, and consume the soule of such, with as hi­dious torture as the poorest varlets. Wit­nesse the rich glutton Diues in the Gospel. So that the soule is no whit the more ex­empted from sin, from temptation, from horror, frō damnation, because of wealth, & is it not sufficiently proued, that wealth is worth nothing? But what say you to temporall euils, will not money preserue a man from their danger neither? Not at all, common sence can tell vs.

For it cannot driue away the gout, the stone, the strangury, the collick, the feauer, the plague, the headache, the toothach; Yea, a fellon, or a whitloe, or the ache of a [Page 113]finger, nor the greatest, nor the least dis­eases of bodie, will be afraide of riches, his foot will stumble at a stone, his skinne, his bones, breake as stone, that hath them, as that wants them. These griefes, as the frogs of Egipt, enter into rich-mens hou­ses, creep vpon rich-mens bodies, yea they are rather more subiect to diuers euils, because of their ouer-abundant fare and daintinesse, and yet doe not enioy their plenty, because they are commonly cloyd with too much, and to him that is full, an hony combe is bitter. So that these mens houses are as much troubled with badde stomacks, with consumptions, with Ohs, cryings, & complaints, as the meaner sort. If you say but they can hire phisitions, I answere, it is true, but the phisition cannot heale the disease: yea, sometimes hee kils them with too many drugs, and the poore man hath better phisicke, better cheape. His painful labor, and his moderate fare, is better to him, than a colledge of phisitions.

Also imprisonment, restraint,3. Estate. confining and banishment, doth as soone befall to them, as to their lesse wealthy neighbors, as all ages witnesse, and all stories. Nay, [Page 114]I will yet adde one thing more, that seem­eth more strange than all this; wealth cannot keepe a man from pouerty, from beggery. And because I know you wil all deny this, I will bring in 70. Kings at a time, to take their oaths vpon it. Looke in in the first of Iudges, and there you shall see 70.Iudges 1.6.7. Kings with their fingers, and toes cut off glad like whelps to licke vp crums at another Kings table. And then a little while after, you shall see that the same King which made all them so poore is v­sed in the same maner himself. What beg­gars-brat, could haue come to more need?

Now deny if you can, that a rich man may die a beggar, as well as hee that is so borne. And I pray you doe but aske your owne memories, if they cannot tell of di­uers in their owne knowledge, that from great wealth came to a morsell of bread, whose youth swimming in dainties, their elder yeeres would haue snapt at a crust, as we say, and beene glad of any releefe, and that also in many, not through their owne default. And yet is not wealth vn­profitable? Againe, for inward troubles that be naturall, as griefes, cares, iealousies [Page 115]and feares,4. Minde for natural respects. wee know that as cobwebs breed sooner vnder wainscote and faire hangings, than vpon a plain wall: so these arise in greater measure to them that are most clogd with plenty, as whose liues in all mens sight doe most shew it, and if they doe at any time want them, not their mo­ney but some other thing doth free them from the same. But yet perhaps wealth may mittigate the paine of a crosse, though it cannot keepe it off? Indeed of all the profitable effects,3. For mit­tigating a­ny euill. this is the least & low­est; but wealth is too base and weake to effect any such mittigation. When a rich man lies sicke of any disease, hath hee one pang lesse? or is he able to beare one pang more patiently, because hee can make a greater Inuentory than his neighbours? or when hee is falne into pouerty and de­cay, doth it asswage? (nay doth it not ra­ther augment) the sorrow that once he was in this and this place & abundance? If a libell or a false report be cast out against him, doeth it sting or nettle him, lesse, or not rather more than another? Nay doe wee not see, that because it makes the hart bigger, it makes also the crosse heauier [Page 116]commonly? so that a meaner man could with fewer cryes and lamentations lay fiue Children in the graue, than he can carry out one. A poore man could with lesse vex­ation, beare an hundred ill words and ray­lings than he the least crosse-word. Of all men ordinarily none vexe themselues more vnder a crosse than the wealthy, be­cause they least looke for it: and wealth we know cannot buy patience, because not wisedome and godlinesse that are the mo­thers and nurses of patience. But yet will some man say, the rich man hath a fire when another man sits cold; the rich man is warme clad, when another is subiect to winde and weather; he fares well, when an other is hungry. I answere, hee is as free from colde that goes in frize or carsey, as he that is in sattin and veluet: and it hath not yet beene brought to light, that the warmth of veluet is more wholesome, or more comfortable, than that of frize. Also hee sleepes as well that lyes vpon a flock­bed, or a pad of straw, as hee that hath his down-bed and pillowes, and his Arras co­uering, and the softest sheetes. Yea, and he that hath but one dish, or perhaps onely [Page 117]bread and cheese, and now and then some warme meate, feeds as sweetly, and with as good an appetite, digests as wholesomely, and with as sound a stomacke, as hee that hath dainties brought to his table from the furthest quarters of the world: so that here­in the man that hath but enough for food & raiment, is at least his equal, that hath an ouerplus; and not the rich mans superflui­tie, but his competency doth afford him these benefits, which diuers times are made more vnsauory, neuer more able to com­fort and content by their ouer-plentious store: and wee tooke in hand to shew, not that sufficient for meate, drink, and cloath, to content nature (which is the measure wherewith God limits our desires) but a superfluitie of things (which couetousnes aimes at) is vnprofitable, & worth nothing. Which seeing it can bring neither health, contentmēt, nor good name, neither grace, vertue, nor forgiuenes of sins, seeing it can­not driue away sin, Sathan, hell, death, sick­nesse, pain, sorrow, yea, or pouertie, nor ex­tenuate the torment of any of these, as eue­ry mans heart will tell him that it cannot: In a word, seeing it wil not make a man liue [Page 118]one whit the longer, or with more com­fort, nor die one whit free for pangs and griefe, nor gaine heauen, nor escape hell the sooner when hee is dead? will you not see and confesse it to be a thing of naught? And may I not say, cease from wealth, which hath no breath or strength at all, for wherein is it to be esteemed?

And therefore though thy crooked heart is not willing to yeeld, 3 How fic­kle and vn­certaine it is. yet thy iudge­ment cannot choose but be conuinced of this, that great riches are vnprofitable, and not worth a rush. But say it were not so little commodious, yea say that it could doe any of the fore. named things, yet I wil prooue to your consciences, that it is not worthy your desires, because of the next property thereof, which is vncertaintie. It is like a runnagate seruant, a fugitiue, a plaine vagrant, which though he be big­boned and strong and skilfull, and able to worke, yet no man greatly cares for, be­cause hee will be gone when a man hath most neede of him, and perhaps also take something away with him that was more worth than all his seruice. So wealth will take its heeles when a man hath most vse [Page 119]for it, and carry contentment away too, which is more precious than all the false happinesse that it could procure whilest it remayned with vs. This wealth hops from man to man, and place to place, as a light winged bird, from tree to tree. And no man can say where it wil roust at night. The holy Ghost hath compared it to a wilde foule, most swift of wing, and strong in flight, saying;Prou. 23.5. Riches takes it selfe to it wings, and flyes away. Not like a cocke or hen, or some tame house-bird, that a man may follow and cath againe, no nor like an hawke that will shew where she is by her bels, and be called againe with a lure; but like an Eagle, that mounts aloft past sight, and is caried away with so much hast that nothing will recall her. And where is the man that can clippe the wings of this eagle, when it is in his owne custodie, that it shall not be gone from him when hee thinkes least of it? If it could procure any benefit to your liues, you see it were not yet worth your wishes, nor your toyle, for it departs when you should vse it; and that without taking leaue: and then as he that riseth from a stoole, and thinketh to sit [Page 120]downe againe, the stoole being remooued, takes the more dangerous knocke; so the minde that relyed on wealth, when it mis­seth it, is more tormented with vexation by the vntrustinesse thereof. And surely who hath liued so litle a while, but he hath seene wealth run away from many a mai­ster, and neuer came at him againe to his dying day? Yea, & ofttimes also leaue him to hunger, thirst, nakednesse, and all mise­rie and reproch: yea, though here his fore­fathers haue been at great toyle, and per­haps hazarded a soule or two to get it. Yea it hath serued many a Lord, Nobleman, and great Prince thus vntrustily, and yet will we not take warning but trust it, doate vpon it? The holy Ghost cals it a lie, be­cause it will surely play him such slippery prankes, that hath confidence in it (as eue­ry man hath in that measure he desires it) and a shadow, because euery cloud that flies ouer the Sunne may (and that which is not to a shadow) irrecouerably cut it off. No man can promise himself to be weal­thy till night, one coale of fire, one vnad­uised word, two false oaths, of two false vil­laines, (and how many such be there in the [Page 121]world) may make him a beggar and a pri­soner both at once? or if not so, yet he may go from it in a moment, as the rich man of whom Christ speakes immediatly after my text, whose soule was called for, that night that hee sang downe secure to him­selfe, and when a man hath gotten goods not by right, and dyes in the midst of his dayes, and leaues his wealth to another perhaps he knowes not, whom doth hee not prooue (that of himselfe the which was true before, but neither himselfe nor others would see, namely) that hee was a starke foole? But all this is a little in com­parison of that which I haue to speake a­gainst it. It is not alone vnprofitable,4. Hovv hurtfull it is too. but hurtfull also, and exceeding dangerous to him that possesseth it, creating much euill to his body & his soule, which harmfulnes procedeth not from the nature of wealth, but from the corruption of men; as cold drinke in it selfe is good, but not to him which hath the fit of an ague, yea to him, it is almost as bad as poyson; and so, some meates are naught for men of some con­stitutions, which they loue, but loue not them, and of these men are accustomed [Page 122]to take heede. Neither is this danger a whit the lesse, because it comes from our ill nature, not from wealth it selfe, seeing this corruption of nature cleaues to our soule, as fast as the skinne to the flesh, and wee shall assoone cease to be, as to bee so euill. Yea, most of all, is it harmefull to him that most desires it; and howsoeuer others may escape the hurt of it, yet hee cannot escape, seeing the ouerprizing ther­of bringeth forth the desire, and both to­gether cause the danger. It may there­fore very wel be likened to an artichoake, a little picking meat there is, not so whole­some as delicious, and nothing to that it shewes for; more than the tenth part is vnprofitable leaues; and besides there is a coare in the midst of it, which wil choke, not feed, and strangle, not nourish, if a man doe not picke warily what hee puts into his mouth, better it is that God giue vs our portion, than set the whole dish be­fore vs; wee shall well-neare choake our selues with it; and such a thing is wealth: yea, it is like some kinde of fishes, so full of small and vnseene bones, that no man eates it without great heede, but with great [Page 123]danger, but a childe cannot scape perill if hee venture to eate it: and where shall we finde a man not a child in vnderstanding? if any other be past a childe, yet certainly the man that loues wealth is not, It is like an head-strong and lustie horse, that casts the weake and vnskilfull rider, to the brea­king of his bones, if not his necke: and though children desires to be on horse­back, yet the father had rather keep them a foot: and certainly few haue the strength to bridle and the skill to sit and manage this restie steede, it is sure none that loues to be vpon the back of it, hath skill in this horsemanship.Bodily estate. But wherein is it so dange­rous will some man say? I answer, it is very troublesome to the outward man, and like a luggring carriage makes him sweate and puffe that goes vnder it. The rich mans plenty will not let him sleepe, his varietie of dishes brings him to surfetting, and that to many noysome diseases, and vnquiet nights, and dayes; and besides, his eyes, his eares, his hands, his heart is not his owne, hee cannot be where he would fainest, nor speake nor thinke of what he most desires, being called away by multitude of affaires, [Page 124]too too many streames of businesse doe driue him by force euen from himselfe, and hee may well be called any mans ser­uant, rather than his owne; so that in out­ward regards, when wealth growes very large, it is like a long coate or a garment too side, that a man treades vpon often, and catcheth a fall, when another goes vp­right, eyther hee must holde it vp (and were it not as good be cut shorter?) or else it will bring him downe; yea, it makes men obnoxious to enuy, and so subiect to ma­lice, that none are more. As a tree that hath thick and large boughes, euery man desires to lop him; besides that, the sidenes of his garment makes his owne feet stum­ble: others also can more easily tread vp­on it, and giue him a fall; But all this is no­thing, a man might well eyther beare or preuent such troubles. There follows an­other ranck of mischiefes out of the rank­nesse of wealth, that are more pernitious to the soule and cannot so well be shunned.

It breeds many noysome diseases to the soule.1. Soule. 1. Beget­ting euils, False con­fidence. First it makes the soule very vaine­ly and falsly confident. Men thinke them­selues so much more safe, by how much [Page 125]more rich, and cannot be content to haue wealth, vnlesse they doe also trust vpon it; as Dauid on his hill, which yet deceiued him. The rich mans riches is a strong tower to his imagination, saith Salomon; he takes himselfe as it were walled and moa­ted about by them, though indeed he lie as open to danger as other men. Second­ly, it swels the hart with loathsome pride,2. Pride. making a man think himselfe also so much the better, by how much, hee possesseth more. This disease as well as the former, the Apostle notes, saying to Timothy, Charge them that be rich in this world, 1. Tim. 6. that they be not high minded, nor trust in vncer­taine riches: As if he had told vs that these two maladies, false confidence and an hau­tie conceit of ones selfe, the pursinesse of the minde, do so quickly ensue vpon great possessions, that few or none escape them. None can misse them without many war­nings, many earnest exhortations, nay, nor scarce with them. This wealth is like strong drinke to a weake braine, which sends such hote and fuming vapours vp into the same, that a man imagines he can hit the skie with his head, when he cannot [Page 126]stand vpright vpon his feete, yea, scarce keep himselfe from tumbling in the mire. The monstrous violence of fiery pas­sions into which, (as into fits of a burning ague) euery small crossing by an inferiour or equall, driues men of wealth, shewes what big conceits they haue of them­selues. In a word, let examples here make the case plaine. Name a man almost that did not waxe proud by wealth, vnles God so sauced his sweet meate with the sowre sauce of affliction, that it was euen made vnsauory to him. It bred this frenzy in Da­uid, Ʋzzia, Asa, Hezekiah, the best kings that the Scripture speakes of; and if such men could not beare it, what are wee? If any thinke though it made others worse, it shall not make him so, let him know that this very conceit shewes him to be proud when he hath it not, and how would he be then if it were in his hands? thou art now conceited when thou art in a lower estate, will thy conceit of thy selfe diminish with the encrease of thy substance? Doest thou thinke God is so ill a disposer of things that hee would not giue it thee, if he knew thou couldest vse it most to his glory? [Page 127]Giue God leaue to know what is in thee better than thy selfe, as the Physition knoweth the state of the patients body when hee knowes it not. What child doth not thinke hee could vse a knife well? but the wise father knowes his conceit ariseth from ignorance: so I say to thee, that drea­mest wealth should not make thee worse. Art thou better than Dauid and Salomon his sonne? To say as the thing is, therefore God doth not giue so much of this wealth to his children, because he knowes they would hurt themselues with it, but giues a low estate to most of his seruants: for if they had more wealth, they would be so drunk with conceit, that they would think themselues too good to serue him, as many men doe that haue it. And no wonder that riches bring a man to great pride: for they make him vtterly distaste religious exer­cises, which should weane the heart from conceit of it selfe. Hee cannot haue while to pray, reade, meditate, for following his pleasures, or seeking to adde more to that he hath, so that none doe seldomer visite God in their closet, with true deuotion and feruent cryes than these, vnlesse the Lord [Page 128]fetch them in by a sore crosse, and then themselues can see what harme their pro­speritie did vnto them.

Then from pride growes securitie;3. Security as a dead sleepe from drunkennesse. Those that haue their barnes and houses full, as the rich man after my text, if they be not so wholy past sence as in words to take vp his note, and say; Soule, soule, eate and drinke, and take thine ease: yet indeede fall iust to this practise, nuzling them­selues in this world, as an hogge in straw, and giuing themselues to seeke their plea­sures, profits, and promotions, and are so possessed with their owne thoughts, viz. how to get such a liuing, such a faire house, such a match for this daughter, such a thing for this sonne, that scarce once in a moneth or an yeare, they can haue time seriously to thinke of getting heauen for themselues, or for their children; yea, and though they haue some good thoughts put into their hearts by a good sermon, or good exhortation, they die all, like a sparke of fire for want of blowing; and adding too more fewell; I would these things did neede any proofe, and it were [Page 129]not so plaine, that all can see it, but those that feele it.

Yea sometimes wealth breeds that no­table licentiousnesse (where it is growne to a great floud) that it makes men not to care what they do,4. Licenti­ousnesse. but commit whore­dome, and other as foule sinnes, euen o­penly, because no man, scarce their mini­sters, whom they wil likely choose for their owne turne, scorning to suffer the whole­some plainnesse of him that scornes to flatter; scarce I say, their ministers dare tell them they offend. Yea, they promise to themselues, by money and friends, to out-face Iustice it selfe, and peruert righ­teous iudgment; so that when none keeps them from sinne by reproofe, nor drawes them to repentance by iust punishment, they may goe to hell without rub, as a bowle downe an hill in a smooth place, the matter being referred to the last iudg­ment, and the iudge of all flesh, who will iudge them so much more seuerely, by how much they boare out sinnes on earth with more quietnesse and safety.

And least men should thinke only the worst men fell to these sicknesses, by fat [Page 130]pastures, behold Dauid, a man after Gods owne heart, who in his abundance stood vpon his hill vaunting himselfe, and say­ing, He should neuer be mooued; and so­dainly fell to adultery, to murther, to such hardnesse in both, as not to confesse them of a long time; and had not God strange­ly turned him, wealth would haue brought him to the diuell; and this is the good it doth euen to good men, except God doe chastise them euery morning and euery night, and make them sober by many tri­bulations, that a poorer man shall scape. In one word therfore, the richer any man is, vnlesse he pray more, and bewaile his sinnes more, and think more of his latter end, the worse he is, and if God doe not crosse him more than others; he will pray lesse than others.

Wherefore vnlesse his wealth be al­layed by more pinching afflictions, and then who would wish it?1 Hinde­ring. he cannot but be a greater sinner than other men. And say hee be Gods childe, yet hee growes farre slower in grace: others profite more at one sermon than he at ten; others make more feruent prayers, and haue more holy [Page 131]meditations in a moneth, than he in a year; and thinke more of heauen in a day, than hee in a moneth; so that Christ may well call riches the thornes that do euen choke the word, and therefore they doe also make the way to Heauen harder.1. Grace The same meanes that drawes poorer men to saluation, will not doe him: hardly can a rich man goe to heauen, it is as thicke clay in his iourney, that makes a man goe softly. Not many rich men are saued, saith Paul. And how hard it is for him that hath riches to enter into heauen? saith he that cannot lye or be deceiued. Now let them goe and boast of their happinesse, that makes them more proud, secure, and li­centious than other men, and makes the way of grace, and the way of life to bee much more difficult and tedious to them than other men; and who would bee so greedy of that which the more hee hath, the lesse vertuous hee shall be, if hee bee not more afflicted, and shall finde it more difficult to be saued: wherefore if any of you haue doated on wealth heretofore, let him seriously consider and ponder vpon this, how fickle it is, how little good [Page 132]it can doe, how much hurt it will doe; and I assure my selfe and him too, hee shall soone grow lesse in loue with it, if hee will be led by reason and truth, not by fashion and opinion.Conclu­sion of all. And thus Bre­thren I haue according as I was able, shewed you what couetousnesse is, the causes, effects, signes, and remedies. Try your selues by this description and these signes, fright your selues from it by these causes and effects, and heale your selues of it by these remedyes. Suffer your soules to be wrought vpon, and let the successe of your hearing be good, you are neerer damnation by this Sermon, if you mend not the fault reproued, neerer saluation, if you will take warning: let not the word be a sauour of death to any of you. It comes to my minde, what is saide in the Gospell, when Christ had spoken against couetousnesse, the Pharises that were co­uetous heard these things and they laugh­ed him to scorne, as if hee had disgraced couetousnesse onely because hee wanted wealth. If these speeches finde no better effects, how ill haue wee bestowed our time? Be not as bad as Pharises, I beseech [Page 133]you, contemne not the speaker, deride not the word of God, but heare it, beleeue it, practise it, condemne the sinne, leaue the fault, beware of couetousnesse, and be that which no couetous man can be, true Christians, and true blessed men: which God graunt for his Sonnes sake Christ Iesus, to whom with the Father & the holy Ghost, be all honour and glo­ry, now and for euer. Amen.