NO better fared it sometimes with our Lord himselfe in his ministery, then it now dayly doth with vs his seruants the ministers of the Gospell: and no better with vs then it did with the Pro­phet, Ezek. 33. 31. His auditors sate before him as the Lords people, they heard his words, they would not do them, their hearts ran after their couetousnesse. Such is the dunghilly disposition of many hearers, that euen then their hearts are most eagerly bent vpon their earthly intentions, when Gods ministers labour most of all to call them off, and to raise them vp to heauenly contemplations. It was iust thus with an auditour of our Sauiours in this present chapter; whilest this blessed seeds-man, euen the Lord of the field himselfe was committing his seed to the earth, behold some falles vpon thornie ground. Whilest our Sauiour was labouring to prepare men for an eter­nall, here was one whose heart ran after a temporall inheritance, and amidst our Sauiours heauenly, his thoughts are taken vp with an earthly businesse. Nay [Page 2] he cannot rest there neither; he doth not onely mind earthly things, as they, Philip. 3, but this sore breakes out in his lips: for, verse 13. One of the company said, Maister speake to my brother that he diuide the inheri­tance with me. This earthly minded man cannot be content with those, Ezechiel 33. 31. to haue his heart runne, but that which is worse, his tongue must runne too; and that which is yet the sore of all, euen then when our Sauiour is employed in the dispensation of the word, euen then is he thus bold with a sawcie importunity to trouble and interrupt our Lord in this sacred seruice. How iump and iust is this fellowes faith and religion with thousands of our times, who will vphold it for a truth, that a minister may do God better seruice in taking vp quarrels betweene neigh­bours, and composing differences betweene parishio­ners, then with all his paines in preaching. This is right to call Christ from diuiding the word to the diuiding of an inheritance. Oh maister, you might do well to ceasse this trouble to your selfe and this great multi­tude, to make an end of your Sermon, and to come and end a difference betweene me and my brother; you shall do a worke of charitie, and a neighbourly good office betweene vs, you may saue a great deale that may otherwise be idlely spent in law. Ridiculous follie! As if so be the sauing of the purse were to be preferred, were to be regarded, before the sauing of soules.

Well, but what is our Sauiours answer? His an­swer is:

• First particular, verse 14. He said vnto him.
• Secondly more seuerall, verse 15. He said vnto thē.

[Page 3] 1. His particular answer is a personall checke to this mans importunity and demand both: He said vnto him, Man, who hath made me a Iudge & a diuider ouer you? And so he answers not the foole according to his follie, refuseth to gratifie him in this his vnseasona­ble and vnlawfull request.

2. His seuerall answer is to the whole multitude: And he said vnto them, Take heed and beware of coue­tousnesse, verse 15. And thus our Sauiour doth answer the foole according to his follie, and takes occasion by his folly to teach the whole multitude wisedome. The roote of this mans folly was couetousnesse: the strong sauour where of our Lord sented in this his vn­seasonable request. Christ therefore layeth the axe to the roote of the tree, and smiteth at the maine radi­call corruption of his heart. And so answers him not according to his Desire, but according to his Neede. Therein following Gods owne rule, Ezech. 14. 4. that he that comes to the Prophet with a question, what euer his question be, should be answered not accor­ding to his curiosities, but according to his necessities; he must be answered according to his Idols, he must heare roundly and plainly of that sin whereof he was chiefly guiltie. Thus deales the Lord here. And not onely so, but of his poyson makes triacle, & prescribes a blessed preseruatiue against that pestilence where­with this mans heart was infected. Such was his hap­pie handinesse and dexterity, to make euill the rise and hint of good, and to extract heauenly light out of the darknesse of an earthly heart.

And thus we see in briefe how these words frame and fall in with the body of the text.

The words themselues are a Caution against Coue­tousnesse. In the which we haue three things conside­rable.

• 1. The manner of the caution. Take heed and be­ware.
• 2. The obiect of it. Of couetousnesse.
• 3. The persons warned to beware. And he said vnto them.

1. The manner of this caution lieth in the Duplica­tion thereof. Take heede and beware. Not take heede alone, nor beware alone, but both take heede, and be­ware. Now what meanes this double fence? might not a single item haue serued the turne? Certainly he that telleth vs that we must be accountant for euery idle word, would not himselfe be guiltie therof. Some­what therfore there is in it that the cautiō is doubled; yea not onely doubled, but in a manner trebled, in as much as the second word seemeth to haue a double weight aboue the first. [...]. The first word implying an ocular warinesse, an eye watch; the second, an hand watch, a kind of manuall, if not a martiall and presidiary guarding of a mans selfe. Mark, 8. 15. Christ giuing his disciples warning of the leauen of the Pha­rises, vseth two words also, but yet the latter there see­meth to be of no greater force then the former. It is but [...]. But here not onely the word, but the weight is doubled, [...], Take heede and beware. As if he had said, to paraphrase the text, not to mend the translation, Watch and ward, nay watch and guard, and defend your selues from the sinne of couetousnesse. Well. What may all this meane now? It seemes to argue these particulars.

[Page 5] 1. A wondrous strong inclination in our corrupt natures to this sinne. If our affections were not vio­lent and headstrong, a single reyne would haue ser­ued to haue courbed and bridled vs in. If we were not eagerly bent thereon, what should neede pikes and halbards to keepe vs off?

2. A wondrous great danger in the sinne. If it were not a deepe and a dangerous bog, a slighter fence might haue serued, this double pale might haue bene spared. Prou. 4. 14. 15, you haue an whole heape of prohibitions against the wayes of wicked men: Enter not into the path of the wicked, go not in the way of euill men; auoyde it, passe not by it, turne from it, passe away. What meanes this frequent and vehement iteration, and inculcation of one and the same thing? It serues to teach both our pronenesse vnto, and the perill in those wayes. Iust so it is here. Our Sauiours vehemen­cie in forewarning vs, argues the more then ordinary perill of this sinne. This double caueat argues more then a single danger therein.

3. A wondrous carefull watch that we should keepe ouer our owne hearts, that at no time they be ouer­charged with the couetous cares of this life. Since our inclination is so great, and the danger no lesse then it, our watch should be proportionable to both, double and double. Some dangers are auoyded by the bare espiall, it is enough [...] to see them. But here not onely eyes, but weapons are required; here we must [...], not onely haue our eyes in our heads, but our weapons in our hands. The danger of the sinne and inclination of our hearts thereto being so great, here it is true, that Abundans cautela non nocet. [Page 6] If this which is double in precept, were quadruple in practise, it were all little and little enough.

2. Point; the obiect of the caution. What it is wherof we must take heed & beware: take heed & beware of couetousnesse. Couetousnesse is the sin then, of which our Sauiour here forewarnes vs. A sinne, I make no question but hath often bene witnessed against in this place. Giue me leaue also to adde my testimony, that so in the mouth of many witnesses, yea of a cloud of witnesses, this truth may stand.

We haue here then a watchword against coue­tousnesse: Take heede and beware of couetousnesse. A sin indeed that ill beseemes, and in no wise will suite with the profession of the name of Christ. Let euery one that calles vpon the name of the Lord, & vpon whom the name of the Lord is called, depart from iniquity, 2. Tim. 2. 19. but especially from that iniquitie which hath cast vpon riches, otherwise Gods good blessings, the reprochfull title of the riches of iniquitie, Luk. 16.

Our conuersation must be as becomes the Gospell, Phil. 1. 27. But how may that be done? Heb. 13. 5. ye haue a comment to that text. Let your conuersation be without couetousnesse. When our conuersation is with­out couetousnesse, then is our conuersation as becometh the Gospell.

Our conuersation? nay our very communication must be free from it. Ephes. 5. 3. Fornication and all vncleannesse, and couetousnesse, let it not be once na­med amongst you, as becomes Saints. It becomes Saints to walke as becomes the Gospell; they then walke as becomes the Gospell, when both conuersation and communication are free from couetousnesse. So speakes [Page 7] Paul of couetousnesse as Dauid of idols, Psal. 16. 4. I will not make mention of their names with my lips. If the name, how much more should the thing be odi­ous? Our conuersation? our communication? yea our ve­ry cogitations should be free from it. It is the brand of those brute beasts that are made to be taken and de­stroyed, of cursed children, 2. Pet. 2. 14: that they haue their hearts, and so their thoughts exercised to couetousnesse.

Take we a view of all the Saints and seruants of God, whose memories, whose graces, yea and whose sinnes are recorded in holy writ; see if you can finde me one of all that blessed company, that was euer ble­mished with this filth, that was euer defiled with this mire. Indeed once Noah was ouertaken with the loue of wine, neuer with the loue of the world. Once Lot was twice incestuous, neuer couetous. Once Dauid was besotted with the flesh, neuer bewitched with the world, but euen in the top of the worlds happinesse acknowledgeth himselfe a stranger and a pilgrime, 1. Chron. 29. 15. Once Peter denyed his maister, but yet it was not the loue of the world (for he had denyed that before he denyed his maister, in forsaking all,) but the feare of the world that caused him to slip into that sin. Zaecheus indeed before his conuersion had bene a couetous pinching prolling publican; but no sooner doth he take Christ by the hand, but the first thing he doth is to shake hands with his couetous­nesse. Christ that hath bid vs beware of it, will much more himselfe take heed and beware of dwelling in that heart, where that sinne dwels. If he whip not this money merchant out of the temple of our heart, [Page 8] it will keepe and barre out him for taking any posses­sion there.

Now what, thinke we, may be the reason that these forenamed Scripture-saints, though they had their o­ther both infirmities and grosse sinnes, yet were still free from this? Seemes it not to aduise thus much? That grace and religion may better stand with once-acted adulterie, incest, and drunkennesse, then it can with that habituall iniquity of couetousnesse? Dauids adulterie, Noahs drunkennesse, Lots incest, these were actuall sinnes but once acted, they were no habituall euils in them. A man may fall into these sinnes, and yet not be an habituated sinner. But a man cannot properly be couetous without an habitual continued euill disposition of the soule. Now this is a sure rule, that grace may stand with some actual though grosse sinne, being but once slipt into (though but one actu­all sinne doth shrewdly wound and weaken grace:) but whether grace and a good heart can stand with a continued habituall wickednesse, there is the que­stion, if so be a question.

Hence haply therefore hath it bene, that diuerse of the Saints of God when they haue bene to iustifie their integritie, and make good their reputation, haue euermore bene especially carefull to free themselues from the imputation of this sinne, and haue shaken off not this dust, but dirt and filth from off their hands and feete. Thus Samuel in his apologie, 1. Sam. 12. 3. So Ieremie, Ier. 15. 10. Wo is me my mother, thou hast borne me a contentious man that striueth with the whole earth; I haue neither lent on vsurie, nor men haue lent to me on vsurie, yet euery one doth curse me. Well he [Page 9] thought they might haue cursed him, had he bene guilty of that cursed sinne; but he shewes the worlds iniquitie by his owne honesty, and his owne honesty in being free from the fruits of that sinne of coue­tousnesse. So Paule Acts 20. 33. I haue coueted no mans siluer, nor gold, nor apparell. Now why purge these men rather from this then from other sinnes? why purge they not from adultery, whoredome, drunken­nesse? but specially, and in a manner from couetous­nesse? Surely because full well they knew, that of all o­ther sinnes this is that which most staynes and ble­misheth good report and honest reputation, and standeth in greatest opposition to the life and truth of grace.

For where this sinne getteth head, it eateth out the heart of grace, by eating all grace out of the heart. While some haue lusted after money they haue erred from the faith. 1. Tim. 6. 10. Nay they haue not stayd there, but haue fallen from the faith. 2. Tim. 4. 10, Demas hath forsaken me, and hath embraced this present world. It so fares with earthly minds as with the earth in which are the mines of siluer and gold; of all earths they are obserued to be the most barren; and of all hearts such are the most fruitlesse, the most grace­lesse. Therefore in the parable the cares of this life are compared to thornes; thornes choke the good seed. As well may a man looke for an haruest in an hedge, as for grace in a couetous heart. These couetous de­sires are the seuen ill-fauoured empty eares that eate vp the full and good eares. These are the caterpillers, and grashoppers, the canker and palmer wormes that consume the greene herbe of grace in the field of the [Page 10] [...] [Page 11] [...] [Page 10] heart. The dampes of the earth do not more quench fire, then the loue of the earth dampes grace. And indeed no wonder that this sinne is such an enemy vnto grace; for it is an enemy vnto, and a scorner of the meanes of grace, the preaching of the word. E­zek. 33. 31. They sit before thee, and they heare thy words, but they will not do them. What was the reason? Their heart runneth after their couetousnesse. But that is not all, behold yet a greater abomination then this. It teacheth men not only to disobey, but to despise, and mocke at the word. Luke 16. 14. And the Pharises also who were couetous heard these things, namely our Sa­uiours Sermon against the seruice of Mammon, and what was the successe? And they derided him. Coue­tousnesse is a profane sinne that seateth a man in the chaire of pestilence, in the scorners pew.

We find a prohibition, Pro. 23. 6. not to eate of a couetous mans bread. A reason is secretly couched in that epithete there giuen him: Eate not the bread of him that hath an euill eye. He hath an euil eye, which makes him wish a man choakt, when he bids, much good may it do him. Such euill and counterfeit wel­come should make a man take little pleasure in table-friendship and familiarity with him. But yet there is a greater reason then this, that should make vs shy of his conuerse, namely the feare of the defilement of his pitch. Couetousnesse is a defiling sinne, Marke 7. 21. 22. Thefts, couetousnesse, these come from within, and de­file the man. Yea it so defiles, as that in that regard we should auoyd ouer familiar conuerse with him. And vpon this ground doth Paul forbid eating his bread; 1. Corint. 5. 11. If any man that is called a brother be [Page 11] couetous, with such an one no not to eate.

The world would faine hold that doctrine of ve­niall sinnes still; and though Popery it selfe which first hatcht that distinction, do ranke this amongst their mortall sinnes, yet would men haue it but a veniall triuiall offence. For a man to be an adulterer, a forni­cator, I hope the world is not growne to that despe­rate passe yet; but I may adde, to be a swearer, and a drunkard, these are counted, and indeed they are hey­nous abominations. But for a man to be couetous, this is slighted ouer as a matter of nothing. I he ordi­narie language of the world is, He is a man somewhat with the hardest, a little with the nearest, a little too much for the world, but yet a maruellous honest, a wondrous good man. Now in good truth were it not ridiculous to say so of a thiefe? of an adulterer? Why not then as ridiculous to say so of the couetous? For as honest a man as the world makes him, yet God still rankes him amongst the most heynous and transcen­dent transgressors. Besides those places, Marke 7. 21. 22, and Ephes. 5. 3. 5, consider these two places, 1. Cor. 5. 11. 1. Cor. 6. 9. 10. In both which places ye shall find the couetous in the middest of the throng crow­ded vp on both sides with fornicators, idolaters, sodo­mites, theeues, drunkards, reuilers, and extortioners. God would let vs see by his companions with whom he sorts him, what to thinke of his honesty. Nay yet to helpe the matter, and to let you see the full honesty of this sinne, note it, and with horrour note it you that are guiltie, that the Apostle makes it a Symp­tome, and signe of a reprobate sense. Twentie and two of them are there in all, and this is set in the fourth [Page 12] place, Rom. 1. 29. Wherefore God gaue them ouer to a reprobate minde. But how appeared it? Being filled with all vnrighteousnesse, fornication, wickednesse, couetousnesse. Thus how light and slight soeuer this sinne be in the worlds esteeme, yet behold how weightie and ponderous it is in the ballance and scales of the Sanctuary.

I doubt not but most mens iudgements will sub­scribe to this truth, but conscience is not so soone wrought to obedience, and the truth will sooner be confessed then practised; therefore to bring men to the practise of this confessed truth, I will commend to your Christian considerations these three par­ticulars.

• 1. What couetousnesse is.
• 2. The Danger of it.
• 3. The Remedies against it.

1. What couetousnesse is. This is a point so much the rather to be enquired after, because though a co­uetous man will acknowledge couetousnesse to be a sinne, yet by no meanes will he acknowledge him­selfe to be couetous. So that a man may say of the co­uetous man as Luther speakes of an hypocrite, that he is tale monstrum quod est simpliciter impeceabile, a sinlesse kind of monster that by no meanes will be borne downe to be guiltie. An adulterer, a drunkard, a swearer, these sinners and sinnes are easily discoue­red, easily conuinced, these openly weare Satans cog­nisance, these are palpable impieties. But this, it is a sculking iniquitie, it will needs be a vertuous vice, a gracious sinne. Paul hath a phrase, 1. Thessal. 2. 5. [...], coloured couetousnesse, or as our new [Page 13] translators, the cloke of couetousnesse. It is a colouring, and a cloking sinne. It is a sinne that weares the cloke and liuery of thrift, prouidence, good husbandrie, honest care for a mans owne, without which a man is worse then an infidell. It is fit therefore that this false colour and complexion be washed off, and that this monster be vncloked and vncased, that his euill fa­uoured, but naturall lineaments, may appeare.

There be two words then in Scripture which seeme to expresse the full nature of this sinne.

• 1. This word in my text, [...].
• 2. That word of Paul, 1. Tim. 6. 10, [...]. Loue of money.

1. Some define it by the first, to be a desire of ha­uing more. But yet with their good leaues I desire to haue somewhat more in the definition thereof; for euery desire of hauing more is not couetousnesse. A man may pray Agurs prayer without couetousnesse. A man in a low and meane condition may desire of God with condition to haue his estate bettered, and yet not be couetous. Others therefore adde, and make it to be an inordinate desire of hauing more, by vniust and vnlawfull meanes. But that is too fauoura­ble, for then should none be couetous but vniust get­ters of goods. A man may be couetous, and yet get his goods without fraud, oppression, and cosinage. Therefore not to trouble you with many, me thinkes that of Augustine hits the nayle on the head aboue all Auaritia est plus velle quàm sat est. Aug. de lib. arb. l. 3. c. 17. Quid est auarū esse? Progredi vltra quàm suf­ficit. others: Couetousnesse is the desire of more then enough. To desire beyond the bounds of sufficiencie, to seeke for more then a man may pray for, Giue vs this day our daily bread, to seeke and labour for superflui­ties, [Page 14] this is couetousnesse. A man, I take it, may be said to haue enough, when he hath such a portion Tantum autem sat est quantum sibi exigit natu­rae in suo gene­re conseruandae modus. August. and sufficiencie of these outward things, as that he hath wherewith to liue plentifully, as also both to traine vp his liberally for the best imployments, and to leaue his liberally according to their callings and conditions. I thinke such a man may be said to haue enough, and what is more is of sinne. No sooner doth a man steppe ouer the hedge and pale of suffici­encie, but he is presently in the wide, wilde, and boundlesse champian of couetousnesse.

2. The second word is [...], the loue of money. And thus a man may be couetous in the inordinate loue of that which he hath, though he go not beyond the limits of sufficiencie. There is a couetousnesse in scraping, that may be [...], and there is a coue­tousnesse in holding, that may be [...]. There is a couetousnesse in rapacitie, that comes from a desire of more then enough. There is a couetousnesse in te­nacitie, that comes from an immoderate loue of that we haue. [...] hath a large paw to get and gather more then enough. [...] that is like the man in the Gospell with the withered hand, whose sinewes are so shrunke vp that he is not able to reach forth his hand to any worke of pietie or pitty. The first is more properly the rich mans couetousnesse; with the second may a poore man be couetous. I am not so precise in my distinction, but that these two may be confounded; for indeed the first cannot be without the last, though it be possible the last may be without the first. So that lay both these together, and we haue the nature of this sinne. It is an inordinate loue of, and [Page 15] a desire after these outward things beyond the bounds of sufficiencie. Now besides the inward, pestilent, and ve­nomous nature thereof, there be certaine outward symptomes, in which as in so many plague-sores it breakes forth and discouers it selfe. They among ma­ny others are these:

1. That Ioh. 3. 31. He that is of the earth, is of the earth, and he speakes of the earth. His breath like a dy­ing mans is euer of a strong earthy sauour. His lan­guage is, Psal. 4. Who will shew vs any good? Corne and wine, sheepe and oxen, marketable and mer­chantable commodities are euermore the subiect of his discourse. It is euer market, and exchange time with him. Seldome or neuer with the vertuous wo­man, Pro. 31. doth he open his mouth with wisedome, neither is the law of grace in his lips. That looke as it is said of the righteous man, Psal. 37. 30. 31. The mouth of the righteous will speake of wisedome, and his tongue will talke of iudgement, for the law of his God is in his heart; so may it be said of the couetous, His mouth will speake of worldlinesse, and his tongue will talke of earthlinesse, for the loue of his god is in his heart. There is earth at his heart, and his very breath smels of it. Their Egyptian garlicke which they haue swal­lowed riseth in their stomackes, and makes them to belch, and to bring vp a filthy stinking vnsauourie Nam si sacrifi­cem summo Ioui, Atque in mani­bus extateneam vt po [...]riciam: interea loci, Si lucri quid de­tur, potius rem diuinā deseram. Plaut. in Pseudol. breath.

2. He keepes a court of Faculties in his conscience, he can giue himselfe a Dispensation to be free from a­ny dutie of Gods worship and seruice, if it be to serue his owne turne. He is none of your precise Sabbata­rians. He scruples not to lose Sermons, to trauell to [Page 16] shew and sell his wares as well on the Sabboth as o­ther dayes. It is no trouble to his conscience to bar­gaine and barter vpon the Sabboth as familiarly as vpon any other day. He esteemes his country Church euery whit as great a conuenience as the Citie Ex­change, where he may meete many of his neighbors, and dispatch many businesses at once without a fur­ther trouble of going to their seuerall houses.

3. He is sometimes homo omnium artium, a man of many callings and professions, he will haue an iron in euery fire, an hand in euery businesse, and euen ouer­loades himselfe with a multitude of employments. He will needs be a temporall pluralist, will haue as many farmes as he hath fingers, will be a Minister and a Physition, a citie merchant, and a countrey farmer; and so pesters and clogs himselfe with a multitude of businesse, that he hath but a little time for sleepe, and none at all for God, but what his couetousnesse to saue a tweluepenny mulct will affoord him.

4. He is sometimes againe a man nullius artis, a man of no calling. He giues ouer his multitude of farmes and employments, not out of conscience, but out of a desire of greater ease and security. For con­science though it forbid encombrance, yet it requires employment. But he flies from one extreame to ano­ther, from many callings and employments to none at all, and betakes himselfe to a course wherein he may liue with lesse faith and greater security. From hyring of farmes he falles to letting of money, and so comes to be of the number of those men, of whom if ten in an hundred chance to go to heauen, yet an hundred to ten are sure to go to hell.

[Page 17] 2. Thing the danger of couetousnesse. We haue here a double caution against this sinne. As is the cau­tion, so is the danger, double. Yea this double cau­tion implies the danger, if not the double danger. This sinne therefore is doubly dangerous.

• 1. In the sinnes it breedes.
• 2. In the punishments it brings.

1. For the sinnes it breeds. It is a mother iniquitie that giues life to many a foule sinne. Ten Comman­dements hath almighty God giuen vs, and this is an vniuersall breach, and breaker of them all. Indeed there is no sinne but it may be said to breake them all, for he that breakes one is guiltie of the breach of the whole Law, Iames 2. 10. because one sinne doth pre­pare and habitually dispose the mind to any sinne. But this doth actually transgresse them all. Please you in briefe to runne them ouer, and see how.

1. Commandement, Thou shalt haue none other gods before me. But the couetous Mammonist he hath Non adoro, in­quit. Quare? quia teipsum non inflectis, & incuruas? multo magis adoras per facta, & res ipsas. Haec enim est maior ado­ratio, & vt dis­cas vide in Deo. Quinam enim eum magis a­dorant, ijne qui solum stant in precibus, an qui faciunt eius vo­luntatem? Chrys. ad Ephes. hom. 18 other, and he serues other gods then the God of hea­uen, euen gods of the earth, gods of mettall, idols of siluer, and idols of gold. That as the Prophet com­plaines of the Iewes, Ier. 2. 28. According to the num­ber of thy cities are thy gods ô Iudah, so may we com­plaine of the couetous: According to the number of his bags, nay of his pence, is the number of his idols. And therefore no maruell that the Apostle, Colos. 3. 5. calls couetousnesse idolatrie, and Ephes. 5. 5. the co­uetous an idolater. For though he sacrifice not beasts to his idoll, yet that which is worse, he sacrifices his soule and himselfe; and though he fall not downe vpon his knees and pray not to his siluer, yet as the [Page 18] profane Atheist hath said in his heart, There is no God, Psal. 14. 1: so the couetous Mammonist sayeth in his heart, This is my god; he sayeth to his wedge, Thou art my confidence, Iob 31. 24. And howsoeuer his coue­tousnesse enioyne him sorer and sharper labor, more dangerous and desperate aduentures then euer God requires in his seruice, yet is it willingly and chereful­ly obeyed, and obedience is better then sacrifice, 1. Sam. 15. 22: yea it hath both obedience and sacrifice. Hab. 1. 16 They sacrifice vnto their net. His golden idoll hath the loue, confidence, trust, affiance, and obedience of Et inter alia eius nomina quod Pecuma vocare­tur. Et Pecunia, inquiunt, voca­tur eo quòd eius sint omnia. O magnam ratio­nem diuini no­mims? Sed ni­mirum hoc a­uaritia Ioui no­men imposuit, vt quisquis amat pecuniam, non quemlibet De­um, sed ipsum regem omnium sibi amare vi­deatur. Qualis ergo ista theo­logia debet esse sapienti, vbi rex deorum eius rei nomen accepit quam nemo sa­piens concupi­uit. August. de Ciuit. Dei. l. 7. c. 12. his heart; which are the things the first Commande­ment claimes for Gods part. The goddesse Pecunia was one of the idols of old heathen Rome, and Mo­ney (as Augustine reports) was one of the many names their Iupiter had. Euery Mammonist is a professor of this paganish religion: if at least it be not worse to giue vnto money the worship of God, then vnto God the name of money. The fond Israelites made them an idoll of the Egyptians iewels, and then dance about it, (one calfe about another) and sacrifice vnto it, and say, These be thy gods ô Israel. Such a calfe, such a sot is the couetous; when he hath scraped together the worlds iewels, he makes them his idols, & sayeth in his heart, These be thy gods, ô my soule, to whom thou owest thy loue, seruice and affectionate obedience. And so makes himselfe a grosse and notorious trans­gressor of this first Law.

2. Commandement, Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image, &c. A commandement that enioynes the puritie of Gods outward worship, com­mands maintenance, and forbideth the corruption [Page 19] thereof. But in this is he as foule as in the former. This corruption of the heart hath euer bene that which hath vshered corruptions into Gods Church & wor­ship. Therefore are these two ioyned together. Esay 2. 6. 7: Their land was full of siluer and gold, and there was none end of their treasures: Their land also was full of idols, they worshipped the worke of their owne hands. It is no wonder that couetousnesse in the breach of the first, should prepare and make way for the breach of the second Commandement in grosse idolatrie. What made Demetrius runne roaring and rauing a­bout the streets of Ephesus, and crying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians, but meerly the loue of his purse? Sirs, ye know that by this craft we get our goods, and that craft brought in great gaines vnto the craftsmen It was the great gaine that made Diana so great, and made him make so great noise for her. What brought in the de­uice of the hooke with the three teeth, 1. Sam. 2. 13. but this hooking and catching sinne of couetous­nesse?

What made the Temple in our Sauiour time a den of theeues? Euen that sinne that made the Priests theeues, the same sinne that made Iudas a theefe. It was the couetousnesse of the Priests that admitted the money-changers and the oxen into the Temple. They cared not with what corruption they filled Gods house, so that they might thereby fill their owne houses and purses. But this is most cleare in the Ro­mish Synagogue, which hath hewne out the princi­pall pillars of her superstition out of this rocke of co­uetousnes. Purgatory, Iubilees, Indulgences, all these came out of Iudas his bag, all coffer and kitchin do­ctrines. [Page 20] The doctrine of the Church treasure in the merits of supererogating Saints, a meere deuice to bring treasure into their Church. Masses for the dead, an inuentiō to bring in masses of wealth to the liuing. Praying for the dead a very tricke to prey vpon the li­uing. And what turned the keyes of the Church into picklockes, or picke-purses rather, but their abomina­ble couetousnesse? Egges of the same cockatrice, brats of the same hag, are steeple and temple broke­rage, absolution for solutions, impropriations, ten­pound reading stipendaries that haue lesse learning then they haue liuing, sacrilegious detention, and fraudulent purloyning of the Church salary. Coue­tousnesse brought in, and couetousnesse holds in these plague-sores and botches of the Church.

It was not for nothing therefore that when the di­uell would haue wrought our Sauiour to idolatrie, that he first of all laboured to poyson him with coue­tousnesse, thinking to make couetousnesse his shoo­inghorne to idolatrie. He takes him vp into an high mountaine, from thence sheweth him all the king­doms of the world with the glory of them, & all these will he giue him if he will fall down and worship him. The diuell knowes it is easie to draw on an heart cor­rupted with couetousnes, to the most corrupt worship that may be. And though the diuel sped not with our Sauiour, yet with Demas he did, who, if Dorotheus be Doroth. de vitis, &c. of any credit, turned from the faith of Christ to be an Idoll Priest of Thessalonica. A foule, a fearefull fall. But whence might he take it? Paul tels vs, 2. Tim. 4. 10. De­mas hath forsaken me, and hath embraced this present world. How easie is it to make him the diuels Priest, that is once Mammons Chaplaine? What religion or [Page 21] false worship will not that man embrace, that hath once embraced this world? The world is like the whores of Midian, with whom no sooner an Israelite can be familiar, but he shall be entised to the sacrifi­ces of the dead, to the sacrifices of Baal-Peor. To mar­rie the daughter of a strange god is a grosse transgres­sion of this Law. And yet how many sticke not to wed to the Canaanites, & so get not thornes in their sides, but in their consciences, and all because their hearts are first wedded to the world?

3 Commandement, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine. Alas, the couetous man thinkes this a very vaine Commandement. Now fie vpon such precisenesse. What! may not a man for his aduantage, to put off his commodity, helpe him selfe now and then with an oath? He thinketh this needlesse scupulositie. Nay and yet behold a worse abomination then this. Paul calleth couetousnesse, coloured couetousnesse, or the cloke of couetousnesse, 1. Thess. 2. 5. Now though in the former Commande­ment it sticketh not for gaine to corrupt religion, yet here for aduantage it will paint with religion, and put on a religious cloke or habite. Thus did the couetous Pharises prophane Gods holy name, while they de­uoured widdowes houses vnder the colour of long prayer, Math. 23. 14. There was couetousnesse colou­red with religion. Certainly Gods holy name is not more abused by profane couetousnesse, when it must be made a broker to helpe off base commodities, then it is by seeming-religious couetousnesse, when men vse religion for a siluer hook, & professe it as the She­cemites receiued circumcision, Gen. 34. 23. Shall not their flockes, and their substance, and all their cattell be [Page 22] ours? So, shall not their custome and their counte­nance be ours? Onely let vs make a shew of their re­ligion, for this is a maine principle in a couetous mans Catechisme, that gaine is godlinesse, 1. Tim. 6. 5. and therefore cares not to make a shew of godlinesse to bring in gaine: that so in a profane sence he may say with himselfe, Godlinesse (pretended) is great gaine. But such with the Pharises shall receiue the greater damnation.

4. Commandement, Remember thou keepe holy the Sabboth day. The couetous man is of Pharaohs reli­gion. He thinkes religion maketh men idle. The peo­ple are idle, therefore they crie, Let vs go sacrifice, saith Pharaoh, Exod. 5. The couetous man thinketh the rest of the Sabboth to be but idlenesse. It is a day lost in a weeke, seuen weekes and an halfe in a yeare. Oh how it grudges the wretch to spare God so much time! Therefore they crie, Amos 8. 5. When will the Sabboth be gone that we may sell corne? Nay he hath not the patience now to stay so long. He cries not now, When will the Sabboth, but when will the Sermon be done? Couetousnesse was modest in Amos his dayes, it would then stay marketting till the Sabboth were done. It is now growne more profligate and impu­dent, and dares impropriate as Gods tenthes in the se­cond, so Gods seauenths in the fourth Commande­ment. What makes many keepe their Sabboths in their saddles, and not so much as to keepe Sabbatum asinorum in the bare rest from labour, but their coue­tousnesse? What is the reason that many Lawyers chambers are in Sabboth afternoones better filled with Clients, then many countrie Churches are with [Page 23] people, but couetousnesse? This, this is that sinne that turneth Gods Sabboths into Sabbatum Tyri, the Sab­both of Tyrus, Nehe. 13. 16. that brought fish and all wares, and sold on the Sabboth. Ierusalem was troubled with fish-merchants on the Sabboth. And many townes and cities in this kingdome are troubled with flesh-merchants, wine-merchants, ale and beere-mer­chants, cup and tap-merchants; and what breedeth these trouble-townes but couetousnesse? He that is greedie of gaine troubles not onely his owne house, but a whole towne, a whole citie. And was it better in this your honourable Citie till your worthy Nehemiahs opposed these Tyrian Sabbatarians, & set themselues religiously and zealously to the suppression of Mam­mons solemne seruice in the publike shambles, and priuate temples of Bacchus? Now honoured be their memories that first begun that good worke, and no lesse theirs that do and shall continue it. What grea­ter honour can this renowned See, and famous Citie haue, then in their ioynt care and zeale to preserue Gods holy Sabboths from those foule profanations which couetousnesse and the loue of filthy lucre hath inuented? Those Iewes, Amos 8. cryed, When will the Sabboth be gone that we may sell? there was some kinde of honesty yet in their couetousnesse. But there is a broode now that crie, When will the Sabboth come, that we may sell ale, beere, and tipling commodities? They long for the Sabboth, not that they might en­ioy God in the publike assemblies of his Saints, but that the sonnes of Belial may haue their assemblies, and guzzeling Randevous in their houses and cellars. Now compare the sinne of Amos his times with the [Page 24] sinne of ours, and it is but light in comparison of ours. They broke the Sabboth but in thought and desire, in word at most; but our men grosly profane it by making it both Sabbatum Tyri, and Sabbatum Bacchi at once, a marketting and a iunketting, a selling and a swilling day both. And yet as light as their sin was, see what an heauie threatning is denounced against them, Am. 8. 8. Shall not the land tremble for this, and euery one mourne that dwells therein? And shall the land tremble for the lighter, and not much more for the heauier sinne? How great cause haue we to beg of God to giue all such whom it concerneth (whe­ther gouernours of the Church, or commonwealth) zeale and resolution to maintaine Gods honour in this point? that in stead of trembling and mourning there may be ioy and reioycing to all good hearts in the flourishing of Gods ordinances. Let me adde one thing that may adde encouragemēt to this work. Ne­hemiah after the report of his care for the Sabboths reformation, prayeth on this maner, verse 22. Remem­ber me ô God concerning this. Lay Nehemiahs Memento to Gods Memento, lay Gods commandement & Ne­hemiahs prayer together: Remember thou keepe holy the Sabboth, saith God; Nehemiah remembers it, and then prayeth, Remember me ô God. They with com­fort and confidence may pray to God to Remember them, who with courage and conscience Remember him and his Sabboths. But if we forget his Sabboths, then God hath sworne by the excellencie of Iaacob, Surely he will neuer forget any of these workes, Amos 8. 7.

5. Commandement, Honour thy father and thy mo­ther. That which Moses speaketh of Leui in a good [Page 25] sence, Deut. 33. 9. He said to his father and mother, I haue not seene him, may be said of him in an ill sence: He hath an euill, a blinde eye, that will not see, and a deafe eare that will not heare, when parents necessi­ties craue reliefe and succour. He thinketh it no trans­gression to rob father and mother, Pro. 28. 24. Nay, he thinketh it no transgression to sterue father and mo­ther. It was the Pharises diuinitie, Matth. 15. 4. 5. 6. It was no matter how empty the parents bellies were, so their Corban were filled. As if so be the smell and smoke of the sacrifice were sufficient to fat them. This sinne was before noted to be a signe of a reprobate sence, Rom. 1. 29. and well it may, for verse 30. ano­ther signe is, Without naturall affection. Euen this sinne stupifies the bowels of nature, and maketh men deny that debt which God, and euen corrupt nature doth call for. This is that sinne that made the heathen long since complaine of those vngracious births that Filius ante diem patrios inquirit in annos. Ouid. thought their liues too long from whom they had their liues. Oh, saith good Abraham, that Ismael might liue in thy sight. But many a couetous Ismael speaketh like a profane Esau, Oh that the dayes of my fathers mourning were come; not that he would mourne, but onely as heires vse to do whose teares we Haeredis lachry­mae. know are growne prouerbiall.

6. Commandement, Thou shalt not kill. But coue­tousnesse is a cut-throate, a bloud-sucking horseleech. To that height often groweth the thirst after gold, that it maketh men thirst after bloud. One of the Pro­phets calleth Babel, gold-thirstie Babel. And all that know Babel, know her to haue bene no lesse blood-thir­stie then gold-thirsty. Yea she is taxed for both, Hab. 2. [Page 26] 8. 9. This Salomon noteth, Pro. 1. 11. 12. 13. Come with vs, we will lay waite for bloud, and lie priuily for the in­nocent without a cause, we will swallow them vp aliue like a graue, euen whole as those that go downe into the pit; we shall finde all precious riches and fill our houses with spoile. And verse 19. Such are the wayes of euery one that is greedie of gaine, he would take away the life of the owners thereof. Therefore, Ezek. 22. 13. Couetous­nesse and bloud are ioyned together. Ahab will haue Naboths vineyard, or he will haue his bloud. Iudas was both couetous and a murtherer, and therefore a murtherer because couetous. He sold not his maister so much out of an hatred of him, as originally out of the loue of the thirtie peeces. Couetousnesse is a bloudy sinne, and if the hands be not defiled with bloud, it is the law and not conscience that keepeth them cleane.

7. Commandement, Thou shalt not commit adul­terie. What licenseth the publicke stewes at Rome, and those styes of Curtezans but the Popes Corban, and the huge reuenew of crownes they bring to the Popes purse? It is the inordinate desire after gaine that foun­deth that bestiall abomination of brothelry. It is not so much the lust of the flesh, as the lust of the eyes, that causeth such to be giuen ouer to that brutish­nesse. How many violate their matrimoniall faith and chastitie, and the couenant of their God, allured more with the adulterers purse, then with his person? How many a chast Danaë admitteth an adulterous Iupiter descending in a golden showre? How many vnchast persons force themselues to a single life meerly to a­uoyde the charges of married condition, and lie [Page 27] frying in the flames of their owne scorching concu­piscence, and so do offer vp themselues vnto Moloch, in the fire of their burning lusts?

8. Commandement, Thou shalt not steale. But as the world hath stolen his heart from God, so sticks he not to steale from men. This Commandement makes him an arrant theefe. Iudas is called a theefe, Ioh. 12 6. and why a theefe, but because he was coue­tous? Therefore our Sauiour (Mark. 7. 22.) ioynes thefts and couetousnes; and Paul, 1. Cor. 6. 10. ioynes theeues and couetous persons together, as neare and neighbouring sinners. False dealing, it is a breach of this commandement, it is a fruite of this sin. Ier. 6. 13. Euery one is giuen to couetousnes: they all deale falsly. Oppression, it is a breach of this commandement, it is a fruite of this sin. Prou. 28. 16. A Prince destitute of vnderstanding is a great oppressor, but he that hates couetousnesse shall prolong his dayes. See how oppres­sion and the hatred of couetousnesse are opposed.

We haue here a whole crowd of abominations all forbidden in this law, as defrauding, ouerreaching, cosining one another in mutuall commerce, in buy­ing and selling, extortion, inclosures, depopulations, sacriledge, impropriations, detention of the labou­rers wages, engrossers, corne-hoorders, those Mer­catores humanarum calamitatum, together with that foule-fangd sin of vsury, that indeed now bites no longer, but is turned Euening wolfe, that swalloweth the bones, and leaues not till the morrow. And whence, thinke ye, come these litters of snakes and vipers? Lo, this is the dunghill in which they breed: A couetous heart is the wombe that conceiues [Page 28] them, the mother that giues breath and being to them all.

9. Commandement, Thou shalt not beare false wit­nesse against thy neighbour. But as in the former he scrupled not at false dealing, so neither in this stickes he at false accusing. Therfore Luk. 3. Iohn ioynes these two together, Accuse no man falsly, and be content with your wages. Not to be content, is a fruite of coue­tousnesse; and he that is couetously inclined, will not sticke, in hope of gaine, to straine so farre as a false accusation comes to. Flatterers they sin against this commandement, and couetousnesse teacheth men to flatter. Iude 16. Whose mouthes speake proud things, hauing mens persons in admiration for aduantage. Co­uetousnesse makes men flatter in hope of gaine, as dogs fawne for crusts. Knights of the Post with their hackney consciences, what breeds those hellish mon­sters but this monster of couetousnesse? What makes many Lawyers make so little conscience of pleading for a naughtie, or against a good cause, manifest transgressions of this law, but because they see their Clients come to them, as Balaks messengers to Ba­laam, with the reward of diuination in their hands? The deceit of Balaams wages makes them they care not to what Balak they do retaine.

10. Commandement, Thou shalt not couet thy neigh­bours house, &c. What may a man haue that he co­uets not? Were his hands as nimble as his thoughts, he must liue like another Adam in the world by him­selfe, no man neare him, no man with him. He hath a chymicall heart of his owne. In his wishes he tur­neth all into gold. He wisheth the whole earth had [Page 29] bene mines and Indies. He cannot looke vpon hea­uen, Non aspicit coe­lum tanquam coelum, sed om­nia putat esse pecunias. Chrys. ad 1. Cor. hom. 9. which yet one would thinke might put him by his earthly thoughts, but with a wish it were gold too. He is iust like the Cardinals of Pope Benedict the 12. who being thereunto moued, refused to make more Cardinals, vnlesse he could withall make another world; for this was scarce sufficient (said he) for his Cardinals in present being. He could find in his heart with Alexander to weepe heartily that there are not, and that he enioyes not more worlds.

But especially if we take the affirmatiue of this commandement as some, to be Contentment with a mans condition, then is there no man a more direct transgressor then is the couetous, who out of a discō ­tent with his owne estate as not sufficient, enlargeth his desires as hell, to couet his neighbours house, oxe, asse, seruant, substance, goods, lands, or whatsoeuer else is his.

Thus we see the first part of this danger, and haue found the couetous a transgressor of euery of Gods lawes. Go now, go silly soules, and fondly blesse your selues, and thinke your case good because you are free from the blacke crimes and foule sinnes of the world, and that you haue no other sinne, you hope, but onely you are a little couetous. None other? Thou needest not, that art guiltie of it. This is a se­minary of all sins, this breakes all Gods lawes▪ There is no villanie, no impietie, no iniquitie to which this may not dispose thine heart and hand. It is easie to make a couetous man an Atheist, a Papist, a periu­rer, a profaner of Gods Sabboths, an iron-boweld wretch, a murtherer, an adulterer, a theefe, a false [Page 30] witnesse, or whatsoeuer else the diuell will.

2. The second danger followes, and that is in the punishments which it brings.

Heauie and wofull are those iudgements which Gods threatens against this sinne. Wo vnto them that ioyne house vnto house, Isa. 5. 8. We vnto him that in­creases that which is not his, Hab. 2. 6. Wo vnto him that couets an euill couetousnesse vnto his house, Hab. 2. 9. See how God thunders out woes thicke and three­fold against this sin. Indeed the couetous blesseth him­selfe, Psal. 10. 3. but in the same Psalme and verse, the Lord abhorres him. Yea he so abhorres him, that he euen smites his hands at him, Ezek. 22. 13. I haue smit­ten mine hands at thy dishonest gaine. Yea he so ab­horres him, that he not onely smites his hands at him, but smites at him with his hands, Isa. 57. 17. For his wicked couetousnesse I am angry with him, and haue smitten him. But see we a little in particular what those punishments are wherewith God smites him.

1. God often smites him in his body. That hunger, and hardship, and restlesnesse wherewith he wearies and weares out his poore carkasse, is but a whip of his owne making, but God also lashes and scourges him with his scorpions: Iob 20. 20. Surely he shall find no quietnesse in his belly. What got Gehezi by his rich bootie? The plague of leprosie vpon his bodie, 2. Kin. 5. 27. What got Achan by his great prize? A great heape of stones vpon his bodie, Iosh. 7. 26. So Ba­laam got a sword in his bowels, and Iudas an halter a­bout his necke, the gaines of many a corne-hoorder, and the iust end of many a wretched oppressor. And what got Ananias and Sapphira by their proiect, but [Page 31] a miserable and sudden end? He that hates couetous­nesse, shall prolong his dayes, Prou. 28. 16. but these had their dayes shortened for this sinne. Many a faire day might they haue liued, if they had kept themselues free from this foule sinne. Now let Iudas while he swings in his halter, boast of his thirtie peeces. Now let Balaam boast of his wages. The reward of diuina­tion was sweete in his eye, but let him tell vs how sweete is the Israelites sword in his bowels. Now Ge­hezi go blesse thy selfe with thy talent of siluer, and thy two changes of raiment, but yet tell vs whether is better the body or raiment? So iust it is, that he that will couet Naamans siluer, Naamans raiment, should be clothed, should be plagued with Naamans le­prosie.

2. God smites him in his goods. And that which is his god, his heauen, his happinesse, God makes a curse, a crosse, a plague vnto him. God plagues him in his goods, either in denying him the vse, or in de­priuing him of the possession of them.

1. In denying him the vse of them, Eccles. 6. 2. God giues him not power to eate thereof. All the vse he hath of his riches, is but to behold them with his eyes, Eccl. 5. 10. The plague of the Prince of Samaria is vpon him, who saw great plentie and abundance, but might not taste of it. All the good he hath of his ri­ches, is but for his eye. His backe and his belly are oft in his greatest abundance pinched and pined; and that pleasure which his eye hath, is but a miserable pleasure too; for the eye is not satisfied with siluer, Ec­cles. 4. 8. They are but Homines ad metalla damnati, no better then the miserable Indians, worne out in the [Page 32] mines vnder Spanish tyranny. Their drinke increa­ses Et maior acqui­sitio fit ei ma­ior accessio paupertatis. Nā quo plura ac­cesserit, eo plura concupiscit. Quo ergo plura contupiscit, eo magis fit pau­per. Qui enim plura concupis­cit pauperior est. Quum ergo centum talenta habeat non est valde mendicus, mille enim cu­pit. Quum autē mille acceperit tum magis fit pauper. Non amplius mille vt prius, sed decem millium se dicit egere. vide plura Chrys. ad 1. Cor. hom. 14. [...]. Chrysost. ad 1. Cor. hom. 15 Etiam si cellae penatiae impo­fueris clauem, si ostium, si ve­ctem, frustra fa­cis omnia qui auaritiam pessi­mum latronem intus incluseris, & qui potest omnia expor­ [...]are. Id, ibid. their thirst, their riches their pouertie, their abun­dance their want. Iob 20. 22. In the fulnesse of his suf­ficiencie he shall be in straits, euen in straits of want in the midst of his fulnesse. And herein is the couetous the most miserable of sinners. For other sinners yet, though they lose the pleasures of the life to come, yet do they enioy some kind of pleasure in this life: but the couetous, as God will depriue him of the future, so he depriues himselfe of the present world, and so enioyes neither.

2. But it may be, the foole thinkes this no misery; God therefore depriues him of the possession, and strips him cleane of all his goods. God hath a worme to smite their gourds, he hath vermine to consume their Manna gathered and hoorded vp against his commandement. This sin leaues a mans whole sub­stance with Gods curse, which shall make his bagges like his desires, bottomlesse, and so shall all run out. Iob 20. 20. 21. He shall not saue of that which he desired, there shall none of his meate be left, therefore shall no man looke for his goods. The couetous man hath many a one that gapes after his goods, but God often de­ceiues and disappoints them all; his goods are often gone before himselfe. He hath swallowed downe riches, he shall vomite them vp againe, God shall cast them out of his belly, Iob 20. 15. Greedy gourmandizing tren­chermen, that swallow their meate downe whole, and as neuer knowing when they haue enough, do still lay in and lay on, do so oppresse their stomackes, that nature is faine to seeke its owne ease by vomi­ting. When men will be rich, and cannot waite Gods [Page 33] leisurely distribution, and neuer know when they haue enough, but with Behemoth thinke to draw vp all Iordan into their iawes; they do so oppresse them­selues, that God giueth their estate a vomit, and cau­seth these greedy guts to regurgitate those morsels so rauenously deuoured. Excellent is that place, Ier. 17. 11. He shall leaue his riches in the middest of his dayes. It is an hell to him to leaue his riches in the end of his dayes, but God will bring him early to his hell, He shall leaue them in the middest of his dayes. But what shall become of him then in the end of his dayes? The words following tell vs, And at his end he shall be a foole. God will make him a poore man, and a foole both. He shall lose both his wealth and his wits; for whose wits would not cracke to lose his god? God is iust, and therefore maketh them a prey vnto others who haue preyed vpon others. See Hab. 2. 6. 7. 8. Wo vnto him that increaseth that which is not his: how long? and to him that loadeth himselfe with thicke clay. Shall they not rise vp suddenly that shall bite thee? and awake that shall vexe thee? and thou shalt be their prey. Because thou hast spoyled many nations, all the remnant of the peo­ple shall spoyle thee. God will spoyle these spoylers, and he which hath bene praedo minoris, shall himselfe be praeda maioris, as Augustine speaketh. In Psal. 38.

3. God smiteth him in his posterity and children. He cares not to depriue himselfe of an inheritance in heauen, and all to leaue his children an inheritance on earth. What maketh him lay about him? what ma­keth him thus take on? He is desirous to raise his house, to make his children gentlemen, men of place and regard. But alas he deceiueth himselfe, and the [Page 34] issue befooleth him. As the father was a rich begger, so the children proue poore gentlemen. Couetous­nesse raiseth not, but ruines houses, Hab. 2. 9. 10. Wo vnto him that couets an euill couetousnesse to his house. For he that is greedy of gaine raiseth not, but troubleth his house. He coueteth an euill couetousnesse to his house, that is, by his couetousnesse he bringeth euill vpon his house. But what euill? verse 10. Thou hast con­sulted shame to thine owne house; not honor, not great­nesse, but shame, euen the shame of beggery, and the shame of ruine, and a dishonourable downfall. Co­uetousnesse leaueth the children heires of a curse as well as of goods, for his goods are an execrable thing, accursed goods. The leprosie of Naaman claue not onely to Gehezi, but to him and to his seed for euer, 2. King. 3. 27. What got Gehezies seed and posterity by their fathers couetousnesse? What other heredita­ments they got I wot not, sure I am they got a filthy hereditary leprosie. For Gehezies couetousnesse is his seed plagued with leprosie. For many a couetous fa­thers sinne is his posterity plagued with beggery. He hath not power to eate of his owne goods, Eccl. 6. 2. I but the more he spareth, the more his child heires. So would one thinke indeed, but yet it proues otherwise; for not his childe, but a stranger eateth thereof. I but what becomes of his children then? Either taken a­way with fish-hookes, Amos 4. 2. a fit plague for the fathers sinne; or else, Iob 20. 10. His children shall flat­ter the poore. See what his gentlemen come to. To that miserable base beggery shall they come, that they shall be glad to flatter a meane man for an almes, and faune vpon a poore man for a crust. How ordinarily [Page 35] is prodigality heire to couetousnesse? and the prodi­gall heire scattering that in a few dayes that the coue­tous father was gathering many yeares, how quickly is he brought to the trough? how soone brought to flatter and faune for huskes and hogs meate? Oh con­sider this you that colour this iniquity with the com­plexion Noli parcere thesauris cadu­cis, thesauris va­nis. Noli sub imagine pietatis augere pecuniā. Filijs inquis me­is seruo. Pallia­re se volunt, & dealbare vt qua­si propter filios videantur serua­re homines quod propter auaritiam ser­uant. August. de dec. Chord. c. 12. Filijs meis ser­uo. Haec est vox pietatis, excusa­tio iniquitatis. Id. in Psal. 38. Habeo filios quibus labo­rem. Nō est hoc filios amare sed porius necare. Nolo te talem patrem sentiant filij tui, nolo sic prouideas. Id. hom. 48. of honest care for your children, I intreate you as Iob did his wife, Iob 19. 17. euen for the chil­drens sake of your owne bodies to take heed and beware of couetousnesse. As you feare the leprosie of Gods curse, and the canker of his vengeance vpon your children, so take heede of leauing them heires of such goods as couetousnesse hath scraped together. Leaue them heires of such goods as withall they may be heires of Gods blessing. Take heed of transmitting o­uer to them such a cankred inheritance as may disin­herit them of all. Were it not that couetousnesse ma­keth men without naturall affection, I should hope this argument might preuaile.

4. But yet the worst danger of all is yet behind. If God in his patience do forbeare in these, yet in the fourth place without faile will God plague him in his soule. It is a soule-plaguing sinne, not onely in regard of the inward tortures and cares wherewithall his soule is so distracted, that the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleepe, Eccl. 5. 12: Nor yet in regard of the continuall torment his insatiable desires put him to, whereby he is like a man sicke of the dogged appetite, euer in hunger and thirst without satisfa­ction; and his vexation little easier then the rich glut­tons in hell; who was euer in a burning desire after that drop of water which should neuer be granted [Page 36] him. Not onely in these, but in a farre worse respect is it a soule-plaguing sinne, in that it excludeth the soule from God and heauen. Hab. 2. 10. Thou hast sin­ned against thine owne soule. Wherein? In disinheri­ting it of heauen. Ephes. 5. 5. The couetous man hath no inheritance in the kingdome of Christ, and of God. He that is thus greedie of inheritance on earth, yet loseth all Vis esse haeres terrae, sed non habes in coelo haereditatem. Studium ponis vt alijs relin­quas haeredita­tem, teipsum autem priues? Chrysost. ad Eph. hom. 18. inheritance in heauen. 1. Cor. 6. 9. 10. Know ye not that the vnrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome? Be not deceiued; neither theeues, nor couetous shall inherit the kingdome of God. Indeed the couetous blesseth him­selfe, Psal. 10. 3. and with no lesse then the hopes of heauen, but he is deceiued. For what is the hope of the hy­pocrite though he hath gained, when God takes away his soule? Iob 27. 8. How should this awaken men to take heed and beware? What though thou gaine the whole world by thy couetous courses, yet what shall it ad­uantage thee to gaine the whole world, and to lose thine owne soule? He that purchaseth the whole world with the price and losse of his soule, will find but a biting & a smarting bargaine of it. He must needs be a loser by the bargaine, for he loseth God, heauen, happinesse, his soule and himselfe. Among all thy gaines thou art sure to haue hell into the bargaine. What euer thou gainest, Satan will be sure to gaine thy foule.

Now then, ô thou couetous man, be pleased a lit­tle to looke ouer these Items, and summe vp thy gaines. Auarus semper in rationibus: A couetous man is much in his counting house. Among other thine accounts be so good as to looke ouer this. Inprimis by thine oppression, fraudulent and false dealing, thou hast gotten so many pounds. Item by thine vsury and [Page 37] extortion so many hundreds. Item by thy bribery so many thousands. Well, what is the whole summe? The totall summe is, the curse of God vpon thy body, the curse of God vpon thy goods, the curse of God vpon thy children, the curse of Gods eternall vengeance vpon thy soule. Now in good sooth, and are not these goodly gaines? would they not set any mans teeth on watering? Yea but it may be these are but idle scar­crowes, the figments of Preachers idle braines. No, no. God hath sworne twice in one prophecy, Amos 4. 2. Amos 8. 7. to make them good. God can no more be forsworne then he can ceasse to be God. If he do forbeare the infliction of the temporall plagues, yet shall it be abundantly recompenced in the heauy weight of eternall torment.

And thus haue we seene the double danger of this sinne, which may both serue to verifie the Apostles saying, 1. Tim. 6. 10. That the desire of money is the roote of all euill, of all euill both of sinne and punishment; as also to terrifie our dead hearts, and make them awake to take heed and beware of couetousnesse.

The third thing followeth. The remedies and pre­seruatiues. What are we the better to know our dis­ease 3 and the danger thereof, vnlesse we know the remedies withall? The remedies therefore are these.

1. That which we find, 1. Ioh. 5. 4. This is the vi­ctory that ouercometh the world, euen our faith. Faith o­uercometh not onely the feare of the world in threat­ning, but the loue of the world in entising. The roote of this roote of all euill is commonly diffidence and distrust in Gods all-sufficient prouidence. This ma­keth [Page 38] men so greedily and eagerly prouide for them­selues, because distrustfully they imagine that they are left to the wide world, as shiftlesse and fatherlesse children. So much implieth our Sauiours speech, verse 28. of this Chapter: How much more will he cloath you ô ye of little faith? Our great cares come from our little faith. Greater faith would lessen our cares. This remedie Paul teacheth Timothie, 1. Tim. 6. 11. O man of God flie these things, namely those foo­lish and noysome lusts which drowne men in destru­ction and perdition rising from the loue of money. But how may we flie them? Follow after righteous­nesse, godlinesse, faith. The soule in which this grace hath residence, shall find it an heauenly amulet or plague-cake to defend it from the poyson of this sinne. For faith not onely purifies the heart, and so purgeth out this drosse, but it also satisfieth the heart, by making God its portion whereby the infinite de­sire of the soule is filled, which nothing can satisfie but the fruition of the infinite God. He alone that filleth heauen and earth and all things therein, he alone can fill the boundlesse desires of the soule. One­ly faith maketh him ours. And the soule hauing made God hers by faith, she ceasseth to seeke satisfaction from the temporall, and finite creatures. Faith is a chymicall grace. As couetousnesse is an earthly Al­chymist that turneth gold into God, so is faith a di­uine Chymicke that turneth God into gold, siluer, and whateuer the heart wanteth and desireth, Iob 22. 23. Eritue omni­potens lectissi­mum aurum tuum, & argen­tum viresue tibi. Sic Iun. 24. 25. If thou returne to the Almightie, then shalt thou lay vp gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brookes, yea the Almighty shall be thy choyce gold [Page 39] and siluer, and strength vnto thee. Would we haue our fill of gold and siluer, so as we would haue our thirst quenched? Let vs make God our portion by faith. He that by faith hath made God his gold, shall neuer through couetousnes made gold his god. Tem­porall things can no more fill the heart, then spirituall things a chest. The world can no more fill the heart, Mundus circu­laris est, cor quadratum; cir­culus quadra­turam implere non potest. then a circle can a square. God alone is he that can satisfie the soule, on whom the soule hauing layed hold, it then holds it selfe well apaid, and then, and neuer till then sings with Dauid, Psal. 16. 5. 6. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance. The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places, yea I haue a goodly heritage.

2. Sobrietie and temperance, sober affections in the vse of these earthly things. For though couetous­nes and prodigalitie be two extremes, yet oftentimes couetousnesse is but subordinate to prodigalitie; and mens prodigall and intemperate courses, makes them couetously scrape that together which may be ser­uiceable to their lusts. Many haue braue, or base minds rather, they must flaunt, and cut it out in ap­parell, furniture, houshold, attendance. Pride must haue this thing, & delicacie must haue that; pleasure cals for this, and lust for that. Which inordinacies of theirs being costlier then their own estates can beare, then couetousnesse instructs them to lay the burden vpon others. These intemperate affections crying like horse-leeches Giue, giue, they teach couetousnes to crie Take, take; and so by iniustice, exaction and oppression do seeke maintenance and exhibition for their pride and luxury out of other mens estates, and [Page 40] other mens maintenance which is for their bare ne­cessities, must be rauened vp to serue their inordinate and hellish voluptuousnesse. Hence comes it that the poore Tenant is racked to maintaine the Landlords dogs, hawkes, and coaches; the poore Tenants backe stripped, that their dead walls may be richly clothed; the poore Tenant can scarce go in good russet on high dayes, because the Landlord, like the rich glut­ton, must fare deliciously, and go in purple euery day. Moderation breeds contentation: contentation pre­serues from couetousnesse. He that is content with his owne, will neuer put forth his hand to wrong an­other.

3. Set bounds and a stint to thine estate, and learne to know when thou hast enough. Couetousnes is a desire of more then enough. Therefore do men still desire more, because they thinke they haue not yet enough. He that would be relieued against coue­tousnesse, must first seeke to stint his desires; a man shall neuer stint his desires, till his estate be stinted. Mens estates are not so much increased by their de­sires, as their desires are made endlesse by their estates boundlesse. If Esau had bene as honest in other things as in this, he should neuer haue deserued the brand of a profane persō. As profane as he was, I could wish this lesson were learned of him. As profane as he was, he was an honester man in this, then thousands that now liue. Wil ye heare how like an honest man he speakes? Gen. 33. 9. I haue enough my brother, keepe that which thou hast to thy selfe. Behold how farre he is beyond the honestie of the Harpyes and cormorants of our times, that neuer knowing when they haue enough, [Page 41] are euer fixing their kites clawes and their gryphons talants vpon their poore brother Iacobs goods. Foure things are specified, Pro. 30. 15, 16. that neuer say, It is enough: to which we may adde a fift, namely a coue­tous heart that knoweth no stint of its owne desires and endeuours. The way to preuent this immodera­tiō, is to see when we are well, when we haue enough. A point being determinable, why make not men con­science to determine it? God forbids the King, Deut. 17. 16, 17. to multiply horses to himselfe, and greatly to multiply his siluer and gold; and yet who hath greater vses of, and fairer pretences for these things then Princes haue? If a King may not multiply aboue that which is enough for a King, what prerogatiue haue inferiour subiects to haue estates boundlesse? We can say of others, They haue enough, if they can see. If we can see when others haue enough, why do we ouerlooke our owne estates? This is an euill coue­tousnesse, when men are euer lading themselues with thicke clay, and haue neither the hearts nor the grace to set downe an Hucusque to answer Gods Quousque, Hab. 2. 6. an Hitherto to Gods How long. For this ve­ry sin were the Iewes threatned, Isa. 2. 6. 7. Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people, &c. because their land is full of siluer and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures, any end of their chariots. Enough, we say, is as good as a feast. And what should a man do fea­sting or feeding when his belly is full? The purse must know a measure as well as the belly. And then it will be as easie to fill mens eyes as their bellies. Not that men hauing enough, should giue vp their honest cal­lings, and receiue in no more; but hauing enough, [Page 42] should lay vp no more, but make the ouerfloate of their cup seruiceable to the maintenance of Gods worship, and the reliefe of his poore Saints. Take this course, and be couetous if thou canst. Let your conuer­sation be without couetousnesse, Heb. 13. 5. What helpe may we haue hereunto? And be content with things present. Contentation preserueth from couetousnes. Then, and neuer till then, will a mans heart be con­tented when he hath enough, and knoweth he hath enough, and is resolued not to go further then enough.

4. Free thy selfe from a false opinion of riches. The conceit which men haue of riches, is false. They think riches lieth in Hauing much. They are deceiued. Anim' hominis diues, non arca appellari solet, quamuis illa sit plena, dum te inanem video, diuitem non putabo. Cicer. Parad. 6. God is called Rich in Scripture, not for money, but for mercie; not for hauing goods, but for doing good, Rom 10. 12. He that is Lord ouer all, is rich vnto all that call vpon him. Wherein is God rich? Not in be­ing Lord ouer all, but in doing good vnto all that call vpon him. So that I would not forbid men to be co­uetous of riches, so they would be couetous of true and durable riches. Couet true riches, and spare not. Couet to be Rich in God, Rich in faith, Rich in good works. The more couetous of these riches, the happier is thy soule. This was the fooles error next my text, that conceiued Riches to be all in Hauing, and not in Doing good. Therefore it is added in the closure of that parable, So is euery one that gathereth riches to himselfe, and is not rich in God. So, that is, as ve­ry a foole as was he.

5. Climbe vp mount Nebo, and from thence take a view of Canaan, and little list and loue shalt thou [Page 43] haue to the wildernesse of the world. Get a piercing eye in meditation to see the inuisible God, the glo­rie and beautie of heauen; and therewithall shall we find our affections so inflamed, that they shall easily slake and coole in regard of earthly things. Oh shame that we that professe the hope of an inheritance with the Saints in light, should lauish out so much of our precious time, of our precious life, and the strength of our affections in the so eager pursuite of the trash of the earth. View well that heauenly Ierusalem on high, that Citie which is of pure gold, Apoc. 21. 18. whose streete is also pure gold, verse 21. and in compa­rison of that Citie, thou shalt say of all earthly felici­ties as Hiram said of the cities which Salomon gaue him, 1. King. 9. 13. They pleased him not: and he said, What cities are these which thou hast giuen me, my bro­ther? And he called them, viz. in indignation, the land of Cabul vnto this day, that is, a dirtie, a mirie land. Heauen is our land of Canaan; fixe we our eye and heart thereon, and the earth will not please vs, it will be a very land of Cabul, a dirtie, drossie land in our eie. Oh fond thing for vs that hope for the milke and ho­ney of Canaan, to long and lust after the stinking garlicke and onions of Aegypt. Oh fond thing for vs that hope for a crowne and kingdome, thus to abase our selues to lie raking in the kennels of the earth. Thus if men would but seriously meditate, and work vp their thoughts and hearts to the loue of the trea­sures of heauen, it would soone breed in them an ho­ly neglect, if not a contempt of this present world. This remedy our Sauiour teacheth, Matth. 6. 19, 20, 21. Lay not vp treasures for your selues on earth, &c. [Page 44] as if he had said, Take heed and beware of couetousnes; and then followes, But lay vp treasures for your selues Nemo enim potest nisi co­gitare de the­sauro suo, & quodam cordis itinere diuitias suas sequi. Et sicut ecclesiam praecessit caput eius, sic Christi­anum praecedat cor eius. Eamus ergo hinc ex qua parte pos­sumus, sequetur totum nostrum quo praecesserit aliquid nostrū. Aug. serm. de di­uers. 44. in heauen; and then, Where our treasure is, there will our heart be. Our Head is in heauen, what do our hearts on earth then? Let Head and heart be toge­ther. The same remedy Paul teacheth Timothy among many others, 1. Tim. 6. 11, 12. O man of God flie these things, namely the couetous desires of the world. But how shall that be done? Lay hold of eternall life. The faster hold we take of the world to come, the looser hold shall we haue of this world, and the lesse hold shall this world haue of vs. For this makes men hold so fast on, and in this life, because they haue so slacke an hold of the life to come. This made Abra­ham dwell in tents in the land of promise, not raising cities or making great buildings, because he looked for a Citie hauing a foundation whose builder and maker was God, Heb. 11. 9. 10. And thus Dauid seemeth to weane his heart from the loue of the earth, Psal. 17. 14. 15: hauing before spoken of the men of this world who haue their portion in this life, he subioynes, I will behold thy face in righteousnesse, and when I a­wake I shall be satisfied with thine image. As if he had said, I neither enuie nor desire their happinesse, my teeth water not after their delicates, I long alone after that sweet satietie which I shall haue in the so­cietie of the glorious Trinitie at the day of my bles­sed resurrection. And so much for the remedies; and so much for the obiect of the caution.

3. Third point remaines. The Persons warned to beware. And he said vnto them. Vnto them? Vnto whom? See the first verse of the Chapter, There was [Page 45] an innumerable multitude of people, in so much that they trode one vpon another. And he said vnto them, euen to this whole and huge multitude, to them all, one and another, Take ye heed and beware.

Couetousnesse is an Epidemicall disease, an vni­uersall plague from which no sort is free. He said to them, euen to them all. Ier. 6. 13. For from the least of them, euen to the greatest of them euery one is giuen to couetousnesse. There is no sort or condition of per­sons free from this pestilence. Some sinnes are parti­cular to some callings, as to the Ministery, to the Ma­gistracy alone; some peculiar to some conditions, as to the rich or to the poore alone: but this poyson in­fecteth all ages, callings, conditions, sexes, persons. Therefore now Christ speakes not as verse 1. to his dis­ciples, but preaching against couetousnesse he spea­keth to them all, He said vnto them, Take heed and be­ware. I conceiue our Sauiours auditory to be much of the nature of this present assembly; and I conceiue this present assembly to be a mixt company of all sorts and conditions: and therefore as Christ said to them, so I say to you, euen to all, and euery of you, Take heed and beware of couetousnesse. But because hearers commonly are like ouer bashfull guests, that either fast, or feed not so liberally as they should for want of a caruer, giue me leaue therefore to take this office vpon me, and to lay vpon euery mans trencher what may best suite, though not with his tooth, yet with his necessitie.

1. And first, according to the rule of well ordered charity, to begin at home; and as our Sauiour began his sermon in this Chapter, He began to say to his disci­ples [Page 46] first of all; and as the Prophet in taxing this sinne, Ier. 6. 13. to begin with the Priest and the Prophet; let me aduise you of the tribe of Leui, who are to teach others the contempt of the world, to take heed of the loue of the world your selues. Aboue al men take you heed, and beware you of couetousnesse. It is an irre­gularitie, and an offence against Saint Pauls and Saint Peters Canons, 1. Tim. 3. 3. Not giuen to filthy lu­cre, not couetous, and 1. Pet. 5. 2 Not caring for the flocke for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. Ye are the light and the eyes of the world: If our light proue darknesse, how great will that darknesse be. This sinne will put out our eye, and eclipse our light. Zach. 11. 17. The foolish sheepheards right eye is threatened to be darkened. This is one sinne that will bring that plague vpon vs. This is a besotting, blinding, and in­fatuating sinne. Isay 56. 11. These greedy dogs can ne­uer haue enough, and these sheepheards cannot vnder­stand, for they all looke to their owne way, euery one for his aduantage, and for his owne purpose. In the verse before he had complained that they were dumbe dogs, that they could not barke. What made them dumbe dogs? They were greedy dogs that could neuer haue e­nough. Dogs that are euer feeding and gnawing their bones, haue neither list nor leisure to be bar­king, and keeping the house. What was the reason these sheepheards could not vnderstand? They all looked after their owne way, and for their owne ad­uantage. Ye cannot serue God and Mammon. They are two contrary Cures so infinitely distant each from o­ther, as no court of Faculties can giue a dispensation to serue both. We cannot be Gods Ministers, and [Page 47] Mammons chaplaines. I will vse no other argument to vrge this caution vpon you, then of Paul to Timo­thie, 1. Tim. 6. 11. O thou man of God flie these things. Which very phrase seemeth to haue a strong argu­ment couched vnder it, in that he calleth him the man of God. Why saith he not as at other times, ô Timo­theus, but ô thou man of God, but that his calling might be a monitour to him to make him wary and heed­full? We find mention, Psal. 17. 14. of the men of this world, and Luk. 12. 30. of the people of this world. Now this phrase, Thou man of God, me thinkes it standeth in opposition vnto those. As if he should haue said, Thou art not a man of the world, but a man of God, and seekest thou great things for thy selfe? Seeke them not, Ier. 45. 5. O man of God flie these things, for after all these things seeke the people of the world. Luke 12. 30. It becometh not the men of God to be men of the world. Indeed, I confesse, the men of the world haue put an E­gyptian tricke vpon the men of God; haue taken away, I would but the straw alone, and yet still call for the full tale of bricke both in preaching and hospitalitie: and hauing by their sacriledge made the Ministerie bare and penurious, and forced many to such shifts for their liuelihood as carry an appearance of this sinne, then they crie vs downe to be inhospitall, illi­berall, and couetous. But yet for all this I could wish that the men of God, by ioyning not house to house, but parish to parish, did not giue the men of the world too iust cause to clamour against them for their co­uetousnesse. Pluralities, multitudes of Cures, multi­plicity of Benefices, Absence from our flockes for our owne ends and aduantages, Citie Lectures with the [Page 48] neglect of countrey charges, all these haue a shrewd suspitious appearance of this euill, and maketh the men of the world speake broadly, and say that none are more couetous then clergie men. Wherefore ô ye men of God flie these things, Take heed and beware of couetousnesse.

2. Ye honourable and reuerend Magistrates and Iudges, who are not onely men of God, but vpon whom God hath put his owne name, I haue said ye are Gods. Psal. 82. take ye heed also and beware of coue­tousnesse. So Iethro would haue Moses his Iudges to be qualified, Exod. 18. 21. Men fearing God, dealing truly, hating couetousnesse. These are well ioyned to­gether, for it is not possible they should deale truly in the place of iustice, that do not hate couetousnesse. I neither do nor can accuse any of our reuerend Iudges as guilty of this sinne, or any such as commonly at­tend it when it setteth foote into the iudgment seate, such as are iniustice, bribery, corruption, raysing fa­uourites vpon the ruines of honest causes and men, &c. But onely as one this day in Gods roome, I am bold to beseech and aduise your wisedomes to take heed and beware thereof. And that so much the ra­ther, because this sinne will make you such as I dare not name. But the Prophet Isay dares, and doth, Isay 1. 23. Thy Princes are companions of theeues. Why so? Not for taking of purses on the high way, but for ta­king bribes in their chambers: For euery one loueth gifts, and followeth after rewards; they iudge not the fatherlesse, neither doth the widowes cause come before them. That is true of the iudgement seate, which Au­gustine speaketh of kingdomes, that magna regna sine De Ciuit. Dei. l. 4. cap. 4. [Page 49] iustitia, are but magna latrocinia. This sinne will turne Guild-hall into a Shooters hill, and Westminster-hall into a Saris-bury plaine. Her rulers loue to say with shame, Giue ye, Hos. 4. 18. And what difference betweene giue ye, and deliuer ye? Indeed giue ye is not so dange­rous by the law as deliuer ye; and giue ye goeth oft in chaines of gold, while deliuer ye lyeth in fetters of iron: but in the Court of conscience, & before Gods tribunall, there is no difference betweene theeuery and bribery. For the same commandement that for­biddeth theeuery forbiddeth bribery, yea and forbid­deth it vnder the name of theeuery. That word Hos. 4. 18. translated rulers, Iunius and the margent of our new Translation reade shields. Such indeed should men be that are in place of iustice; they should be shields to shelter and defend their poore brethren in their right and innocency. But if once these shields shall loue and desire to be gilt, these shields will be turned into spoyling swords. God shield you there­fore ye reuerend Iudges from couetousnesse. Walke in iustice, speake righteous things, refuse the gaine of op­pression, Isay 33. shake your hands from taking of gifts, shake them as Paul shooke off the viper, thinke them no lesse dangerous, let them do no more hurt then the viper did him, stop your eares, and shut your eyes from seeing euill. There be three sinnes in Scripture which are called peccata ingentia, huge or mighty sins. You shall find them all three together, Amos 5. 12. and the middlemost of them is, They take a bribe; And well is it placed betweene the other two, as that which in­deed giueth life to both the other. For why do they afflict or oppresse the iust? They take a bribe. And [Page 50] what mischiefe followeth vpon it? They turne aside the poore [...]n the gate from their right. Take heede of this sinne as of a mighty sinne, yea as of a burning sinne that will consume all, for fire shall consume the ta­bernacles of bribery, Iob 15. 34. Let therefore neither gaine nor rewards be the remora to the ship of iustice, let it saile speedily; Currat lex, let iustice haue a quick course. Iethro was not pleased to see causes hang from morning to euening, it would haue grudged him farre more to haue seene them hang from yeare to yeare: worst of all it would haue angred him to haue seene causes vsed as vnconscionable Chyrurgions vse sore legs, hold them long in hand not for the difficulty of, but for the gaine of the cure. Oh that your wisdomes would thinke of some course no lesse for speede then integrity in iustice, that a good cause might not be ti­red and wearied out with long suite, and that a mans right recouered by law might not be as costly as what is bought by purchase.

3. It will not be an vnseasonable caueat to all infe­riour Lawyers, to aduise them also to beware and take heede of couetousnesse. I may speake to you as the Apostle speaketh to the Corinthians with a little change of his words. 1. Cor. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Now there is vtterly a fault amongst you, euen amongst you Law­yers, not because ye go to law one with another, but be­cause many of you out of a couetous desire of gaine, do encourage men that haue bad causes to go to law with others. Why rather suffer ye not wrong? why rather sustaine ye not the losse of a little dishonest gaine? Nay ye your selues do wrong, and do harme, and that to your brethren, whilest out of a squint respect to your owne [Page 51] gaine, you sticke not to pleade such causes as you know to be weake and vniust. Know ye not that the vnrighteous shal not inherite the kingdom of God? Be not deceiued. Neither couetous nor extortioners shal inherite the kingdom of God. The Apostle addes, And such were some of you. I would I might not speake in the pre­sent tense, and say, And such are some of you. I speake not this as if I came hither to maintaine a foo­lish faction between Colledges and Innes of Court; God forbid that we should stand vpon this holy ground with such filthy shooes; but I speake it out of a desire of the peace of your owne hearts: to the which I dare referre my selfe, and make them the iudges, whether ye be guiltie of this sinne, yea or no.

For while with Absalom ye say to euery man, his cause is good, 2. Sam. 15. 3. See, thy matters (saith he) are good and righteous; and this, saith the text, he did to euery man, and so stole away the hearts of the peo­ple: whilest, I say, with Absalom ye tell euery man, his cause is good; and so steale away, not the hearts, for them ye lose at last, but the goods of the people, are ye not couetous?

Whilest with Tertullus for your sees, you care not to pleade against Paul, against an honest mans cause, Clientes sibi omnes volunt esse multos. Bonine an mali sint, id haud quaeritant. Res magis que­ritur quàm cli­entium Fides, cuiusmo­di clueat. Plaut. in Menaec. are ye not couetous?

Whilest with the men of Abiezer, Iudg. 6. ye will pleade for Baal, will for your gaines pleade in pub­licke Courts of Iustice for base debauched adul­terous drunkards presented and indicted for their notorious irregularities, and pleade for their honestie too; I will not say, Are ye your selues honest? but I dare say, Are ye not grosly couetous? Oh take heed [Page 50] [...] [Page 51] [...] [Page 50] [...] [Page 51] [...] [Page 52] of this couetousnesse; and aboue all fees and incomes in the world, tender your peace with God. In whose name and feare, I beseech you to make a conscience of pleading euery cause. When an ill cause cometh to you for counsell, say that of it plainly, which the buyer of his commoditie speaketh dissemblingly, Prou. 20. 14. It is naught, it is naught. It is not so great a sinne for a chapman to say of a good commoditie, It is naught, it is naught, as for a Lawyer to say of a naughtie cause, It is good, it is good. Make a consci­ence of pleading against a good cause. Let not coue­tousnesse make your wits, skill, learning and tongues, instrumentall to iniustice. Neither be Tertullists to pleade against Paul, nor Abiezrites to pleade for Baal. Will ye pleade for Baal? Let Baal and Belial pleade for themselues. How thinke ye to haue the Lord Iesus for your Aduocate, that dare be plea­ding aduocates for Baal and Belial? Therefore all Lawyers, Take heed and beware of couetousnesse.

4. I commend this caueat to all Church-patrons: Take ye heed also and beware of couetousnesse. What is the reason that our Church groanes vn­der the heauie burden of so many insufficient mini­sters? Nothing more then the couetousnes of Church-patrons, who while they looke more at the gifts and gratuities in the hand, then gifts and graces of the heart, sticke not to bring into Gods Sanctuary those for Leuites to diuide the word, who in good truth, giue them their due, are not worthy the place of Gi­beonites to cleaue and diuide wood, and draw water, vnfit for the meanest seruice of the Sanctuary. Me thinks Iudas his halter should make you afraid of Iu­das [Page 53] his question, Quid dabitis? What will ye giue? God gaue him an halter. Take heed lest while you ask the same question, God do not giue you the same answer. For certainly this sinne makes you as very theeues as euer was Iudas: and what can a theefe looke for, but the halter? You are euery whit as bad as Iudas. He sold the Head, you sell the members; he the shepheard, you the sheepe; and the same sinne that set him, sets you on worke too, the sinne of co­uetousnesse. As bad as Iudas? Nay in some respect ye are worse then he. Not that I am of that heretical opinion of the old Cainites, of whom Augustiné ma­keth Lib. de Haeres. ad Quodvultd. mention, who held that Iudas betrayed Christ out of a good and an honest mind, as foreseeing that infinite good which his passion & death should bring to mankind. No, I know he was a murtherer and a theefe; and yet I say, that you are worse then he. He sold but the body, but you sell soules, and so make your selues guilty of the sin of that execrable filth of Babylon, whose merchandize (Apoc. 18. 13.) is not onely pearles, linnen, scarlet, &c. but also the soules of men. Iudas by his barter made but the potters field, you by yours make Christs field, Christs Church, an Aceldema, a field of bloud, while for your wicked pe­cuniary respects, in stead of barking dogs to keepe, you put in rauening wolues and sleepie greedy dogs to kill Christs sheepe. Now as you feare to haue your hands besmeared with the gore of soules, and as you dread that heauie account which must be giuen for soule-bloud, so all Church-patrons take heed and be­ware of couetousnesse.

5. Me thinkes, in the next place, whilest this sinne [Page 54] is thus complained of, I should heare Landlords, and men that liue on Offices, saying to me as the Publi­cans to Iohn, Luk, 3. 12. What shall we do? If couetous­nes be thus foule a sinne, how then, and what then shall we do? To whom I giue the same answer that Iohn did to the Publicans and the souldiers both, Ex­act no more then is appointed to you, and Do no man vio­lence, be content with your wages. Take heed and be­ware of couetousnesse, Take heed of exaction, Take heed of oppression, Take heed of racking your rents, Take heed of tentring your poore Tenants. Grinde not the faces of the poore; vncloathe not their loines to cloathe your dead walls. Many Landlords are like Darius, Dan. 6. 16. he prayes God to helpe Daniel, but in the meane time sends him to the Lions den: so many oppressing Landlords, they crie, God helpe, but in the mean time play the Lions. God hath sworn by his Holinesse, that he will takeaway such oppressors with thornes, and their posteritie with fish-hookes, Am. 4. 2. God will serue them as Gideon serued the men of Succoth, Iudg. 8. 16. whom he did teare with the bri­ers and thornes of the wildernesse. It is but iustice that their flesh should be torne off with briers, who were thornes and briers to teare off the flesh of o­thers. Tantum ergo natum est vt lo­ca non suffice­rent quae sole­bant, & quaere­bat consilium miser, non quomodo ero­garet quod plus natum erat, sed quomodo re­seruaret. Aug. serm. de diuit. 28. Ye find a rich man immediatly after my text, whom the Lord calleth Foole: Foole this night shall thy soule be taken from thee. Wherein lay this mans folly? In that he tooke care not to lay vp for good v­ses, but to lay vp for voluptuous vses that surplusage of estate which God had giuen him. Now marke what Augustine inferreth hereupon: If he be a foole which layes but vp his owne goods, Vos inuenite ei [Page 55] nomen qui tollit aliena, find you out a fit name for him that takes away another mans. What name then may we find out? Salomon fits them with a name, Eccles. 3. 18. Viderem hos esse illis bestias; so Iunius; not fooles, but beasts. And what beasts may they be? Kine of Ba­shan, Amos 4. 1. that is with the easiest. Therefore Ze­phanie and Nahum make them wolues, euening wolues, Lions, Lions whelpes, roaring and ramping Lions, Zeph. 3. 3. Nah. 2. 11. 12. Beasts they are, beasts of prey, that liue ex rapto. Not onely kine of Bashan, that by op­pression trample vnder foote, but deuouring wolues, not onely trampling but tearing beasts. How fairely were this Iland blest, if it were as cleare rid of these as it is of other wolues? How happie were it if these Cannibals were amongst the sauage Indians? How well, if these man-eating beasts might be vsed as was Nebuchadnezzar, turned to grasse? Dan. 4. 30. He was Volunt nunc comparcere micas in alendo misero Lazaro, cum prius effu­derint in epu­lonem omnes opes suas. De­derunt enim e­piscopis arces & ciuitates, ac nimis splendi­de, ac laute ha­buerunt eos. Nunc cum isti alendi sunt qui vere & fideliter docent, vix mi­cas alioqui pe­rituras eis con­cedunt. Luther. in Gen. 21. driuen from men, and did eate grasse as the oxen.

6. I may not here let passe such as are guiltie of sa­criledge, impropriators of Church liuings, together with close and cunning defrauders of the Ministerie, Take ye heed and beware of couetousnesse. There is no­thing so sacred and inuiolable which this Harpy da­reth not seize vpon. The patrimony of the Church is exhausted, and they that haue enough otherwise will not let go their Church liuings. They whose forefa­thers fed and fatted the rich gluttons of Rome, think now the crums that fall vnder their tables too much for the poore Lazarus of the Gospell. They must needs haue this one feather in their peacockes taile. How should they maintaine that port and pompe in table, apparel, idle and prodigall expences, if this bor­rowed, [Page 56] what if I had said this stolne feather, were re­payd the Church againe? Couetousnesse pluckt this feather, and couetousnesse holdeth this feather, and telleth couetous Impropriators, that it is fitter that Gods Ministers should want maintenance, then that their horse heeles should want litter. To all such per­sons may that be spoken innocently which the vnpro­fitable seruant to his maister spake wickedly: Maister, I knew that thou wert an hard man, and reapedst where thou sowedst not. Is not this the case of Impropria­tors? Are they not hard men that reape where they sow not? If we sow spirituall things, what right, what reason hath Couetousnesse to thrust her sickle into our haruest, and to reape our temporall things? The world is wondrous busie about the disquisition of the tenure of Tithes by what right they are due, and ma­ny are cunninger in this, then in the maine funda­mentall articles of their religion; but neuerthelesse in the meane time there is a more necessarie Quae­re forgotten, to wit, by what right Impropriators detaine Church maintenance. Let that case be can­uased in the Court of conscience, and if God shall there determine on their sides, we haue done; much good do it them. I know I do but beate the ayre, but yet Israel must know his transgressions, and Iaacob his iniquities, and couetous ones heare of their im­propriations.

There is also another sort of sacriledge in the close purloyning and filching ministeriall dues, which co­uetousnesse hath taught false fingers to vse. The Pha­rises are taxed in the Gospell for couetousnesse, and yet it were happy the world had but the Pharises ho­nestie. [Page 57] Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteous­nesse of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdome of God. Alas, how many thinke to go to heauen, that yet come farre short of a Pharisees righ­teousnesse? Luk. 18. 12. I, saith the Pharisee, pay tithe of all that euer I possesse. In which speech I should haue feared he had lied, had not our Sauiour else­where acknowledged so much of their precisenesse in tithing euen vnto mint and cummin. The coue­tousnesse of the Pharisees was an honest couetousnes vnto the Church-robbing and Church-pilling coue­tousnesse of our dayes.

7. It were endlesse to follow couetousnesse into euery shop and profession: therefore last of all, All, of all sorts, one and another, high and low, rich and poore, old and yong, take heed and beware of coue­tousnesse. Take heed of it in your mutuall dealings in buying and selling: abuse no mans simplicitie, abuse no mans credulitie, take not the aduantage of any mans necessitie, but remember the speech of an hea­then, Gen. 23. 15. The land is worth foure hundred she­kels of siluer. Take no more for a commoditie then it is worth. VVe vse to say in another case, Caueat emptor, let the buyer beware; but here I say, caueat venditor, let the seller beware and take heed of couetousnesse. Take heed of false ballances, of a weight and a weight, Prou. 20. 10: of a weight for the hall, and a weight for the stall; of a weight to sell with, and a weight to seale with; of a weight to sell with, and a weight to buy with. Let no man go beyond his brother, 1. Thess. 4. 6. with swearing, protesting, and with termes of kind­nes, for God is the auenger of all these things. Euery [Page 58] trade is called a mystery. It were to be wished that in euery mystery, there were not a mystery of iniquitie found out and practised by the iniquitie of coue­tousnesse. It were a shame to send Christians to schoole to learne honest dealing of Turks, and yet they boast that we are a fourme beneath them for ho­nest and square dealing. I will rather send you to that rule of nature and equitie, the doctrine of the Law and the Prophets, Math. 7. 12. Whatsoeuer ye would that men should do to you, euen so do ye to them. Buy a [...] ye would sell, sell as ye would buy, and in all you dealings take heed and beware of couetousnesse. A [...] you loue God, and would be loath to breake his holy commandements; and as you feare God, and would be loath to suffer his heauy iudgements, the curse of God vpon your bodies, the curse of God vpon your goods, the curse of God vpon the fruite of your loynes, the curse of his euerlasting vengeance vpon your soules, so Take heed and beware of couetousnesse.