A COUNTERPOISON AGAINST COVETOUSNESS: In a Sermon preached at Pauls-Crosse, May 23. 1619.  
By IER. DYKE Minister of God's word at Epping in Essex.  PSAL. 119. 36. Incline mine heart unto thy testimonies, and not unto covetousness. August. in Psal. 128. avaritia opus est mali hominis, homo ipse opus Dei. Et quid vult Deus? Occidere in te quod ipse fecisti, & saluare te quem ipse fecit. ANCHORA SPEI  printer's device of Robert Milborne 
LONDON, Printed for ROBERT MYLBOURNE, and are to be sold at his shop at the great South door of Paul's.  
1619.   

A COUNTERPOISON AGAINST COVETOUSNESS:  LUKE 12. 15. And he said unto them, Take heed and beware of covetousness. 
NO better fared it sometimes with our Lord himself in his ministry, than it now daily doth with us his servants the ministers of the Gospel: and no better with us than it did with the Prophet, Ezek. 33. 31. His auditors sat before him as the Lords people, they heard his words, they would not do them, their hearts ran after their covetousness. Such is the dunghilly disposition of many hearers, that even then their hearts are most eagerly bend upon their earthly intentions, when God's ministers labour most of all to call them off, and to raise them up to heavenly contemplations. It was just thus with an auditor of our saviours in this present chapter; whilst this blessed seeds-man, even the Lord of the field himself was committing his seed to the earth, behold some falls upon thorny ground. Whilst our Saviour was labouring to prepare men for an eternal, here was one whose heart ran after a temporal inheritance, and amidst our saviours heavenly, his thoughts are taken up with an earthly business. Nay he cannot rest there neither; he doth not only mind earthly things, as they, Philip. 3, but this sore breaks out in his lips: for, verse 13. One of the company said, Master speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me. This earthly minded man cannot be content with those, Ezechiel 33. 31. to have his heart run, but that which is worse, his tongue must run too; and that which is yet the sore of all, even then when our Saviour is employed in the dispensation of the word, even than is he thus bold with a saucy importunity to trouble and interrupt our Lord in this sacred service. How jump and just is this fellows faith and religion with thousands of our times, who will uphold it for a truth, that a minister may do God better service in taking up quarrels between neighbours, and composing differences between parishioners, then with all his pains in preaching. This is right to call Christ from dividing the word to the dividing of an inheritance. Oh master, you might do well to cease this trouble to yourself and this great multitude, to make an end of your Sermon, and to come and end a difference between me and my brother; you shall do a work of charity, and a neighbourly good office between us, you may save a great deal that may otherwise be idly spent in law. Ridiculous folly! As if so be the saving of the purse were to be preferred, were to be regarded, before the saving of souls.  
Well, but what is our saviours answer? His answer is:  

First particular, verse 14. He said unto him.  
Secondly more several, verse 15. He said unto them.   
1. His particular answer is a personal check to this man's importunity and demand both: He said unto him, Man, who hath made me a judge & a divider over you? And so he answers not the fool according to his folly, refuseth to gratify him in this his unseasonable and unlawful request.  
2. His several answer is to the whole multitude: And he said unto them, Take heed and beware of covetousness, verse 15. And thus our Saviour doth answer the fool according to his folly, and takes occasion by his folly to teach the whole multitude wisdom. The root of this man's folly was covetousness: the strong savour where of our Lord scented in this his unseasonable request. Christ therefore layeth the axe to the root of the tree, and smiteth at the main radical corruption of his heart. And so answers him not according to his Desire, but according to his Need. Therein following Gods own rule, Ezech. 14. 4. that he that comes to the Prophet with a question, what ever 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 hear roundly and plainly of that sin whereof he was chief guilty. Thus deals the Lord here. And not only so, but of his poison makes treacle, & prescribes a blessed preservative against that pestilence wherewith this man's heart was infected. Such was his happy handiness and dexterity, to make evil the rise and hint of good, and to extract heavenly light out of the darkness of an earthly heart.  
And thus we see in brief how these words frame and fall in with the body of the text.  
The words themselves are a Caution against Covetousness. In the which we have three things considerable.  

1. The manner of the caution. Take heed and beware.  
2. The object of it. Of covetousness.  
3. The persons warned to beware. And he said unto them.   
1. The manner of this caution lieth in the Duplication thereof. Take heed and beware. Not take heed alone, nor beware alone, but both take heed, and beware. Now what means this double fence? might not a single item have served the turn? Certainly he that telleth us that we must be accountant for every idle word, would not himself be guilty thereof. Somewhat therefore there is in it that the caution is doubled; yea not only doubled, but in a manner trebled, in as much as the second word seemeth to have a double weight above the first. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. The first word implying an ocular wariness, an eye watch; the second, an hand watch, a kind of manual, if not a martial and presidiary guarding of a man's self. Mark, 8. 15. Christ giving his disciples warning of the leaven of the Pharisees, useth two words also, but yet the latter there seemeth to be of no greater force than the former. It is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. But here not only the word, but the weight is doubled, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Take heed 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 yourselves from the sin of covetousness. Well. What may all this mean now? It seems to argue these particulars.  
1. A wondrous strong inclination in our corrupt natures to this sin. If our affections were not violent and headstrong, a single rain would have served to have courbed and bridled us in. If we were not eagerly bend thereon, what should need pikes and halberds to keep us off?  
2. A wondrous great danger in the sin. If it were not a deep and a dangerous bog, a slighter fence might have served, this double pale might have been spared. Prou. 4. 14. 15, you have an whole heap of prohibitions against the ways of wicked men: Enter not into the path of the wicked, go not in the way of evil men; avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, pass away. What means this frequent and vehement iteration, and inculcation of one and the same thing? It serves to teach both our proneness unto, and the peril in those ways. Just so it is here. Our saviours vehemency in forewarning us, argues the more than ordinary peril of this sin. This double caveat argues more than a single danger therein.  
3. A wondrous careful watch that we should keep over our own hearts, that at no time they be overcharged with the covetous cares of this life. Since our inclination is so great, and the danger no less than it, our watch should be proportionable to both, double and double. Some dangers are avoided by the bare espial, it is enough 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to see them. But here not only eyes, but weapons are required; here we must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not only have our eyes in our heads, but our weapons in our hands. The danger of the sin and inclination of our hearts thereto being so great, here it is true, that Abundans cautela non nocet. If this which is double in precept, were quadruple in practice, it were all little and little enough.  
2. Point; the object of the caution. What it is whereof we must take heed & beware: take heed & beware of covetousness. Covetousness is the sin then, of which our Saviour here forewarns us. A sin, I make no question but hath often been witnessed against in this place. Give me leave also to add my testimony, that so in the mouth of many witnesses, yea of a cloud of witnesses, this truth may stand.  
We have here then a watchword against covetousness: Take heed and beware of covetousness. A sin indeed that ill beseems, and in no wise will suit with the profession of the name of Christ. Let every one that calls upon the name of the Lord, & upon whom the name of the Lord is called, depart from iniquity, 2. Tim. 2. 19 but especially from that iniquity which hath cast upon riches, otherwise Gods good blessings, the reproachful title of the riches of iniquity, Luk. 16.  
Our conversation must be as becomes the Gospel, Phil. 1. 27. But how may that be done? Heb. 13. 5. ye have a comment to that text. Let your conversation be without covetousness. When our conversation is without covetousness, then is our conversation as becometh the Gospel.  
Our conversation? nay our very communication must be free from it. Ephes. 5. 3. Fornication and all uncleanness, and covetousness, let it not be once named amongst you, as becomes Saints. It becomes Saints to walk as becomes the Gospel; they then walk as becomes the Gospel, when both conversation and communication are free from covetousness. So speaks Paul of covetousness as David 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 conversation? 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 have their hearts, and so their thoughts exercised to covetousness.  
Take we a view of all the Saints and servants of God, whose memories, whose graces, yea and whose sins are recorded in holy writ; see if you can find me one of all that blessed company, that was ever blemished with this filth, that was ever defiled with this mire. Indeed once Noah was overtaken with the love of wine, never with the love of the world. Once Lot was twice incestuous, never covetous. Once David was besotted with the flesh, never bewitched with the world, but even in the top of the world's happiness acknowledgeth himself a stranger and a pilgrim, 1. Chron. 29. 15. Once Peter denied his master, but yet it was not the love of the world (for he had denied that before he denied his master, in forsaking all,) but the fear of the world that caused him to slip into that sin. Zaecheus indeed before his conversion had been a covetous pinching prowling publican; but no sooner doth he take Christ by the hand, but the first thing he doth is to shake hands with his covetousness. Christ that hath bid us beware of it, will much more himself take heed and beware of dwelling in that heart, where that sin dwells. If he whip not this money merchant out of the temple of our heart, it will keep and bar out him for taking any possession there.  
Now what, think we, may be the reason that these forenamed Scripture-saints, though they had their other both infirmities and gross sins, yet were still free from this? Seems it not to advise thus much? That grace and religion may better stand with once-acted adultery, incest, and drunkenness, than it can with that habitual iniquity of covetousness? David's adultery, Noah's drunkenness, Lot's incest, these were actual sins but once acted, they were no habitual evils in them. A man may fall into these sins, and yet not be an habituated sinner. But a man cannot properly be covetous without an habitual continued evil disposition of the soul. Now this is a sure rule, that grace may stand with some actual though gross sin, being but once slipped into (though but one actual sin doth shrewdly wound and weaken grace:) but whether grace and a good heart can stand with a continued habitual wickedness, there is the question, if so be a question.  
Hence haply therefore hath it been, that diverse of the Saints of God when they have been to justify their integrity, and make good their reputation, have evermore been especially careful to free themselves from the imputation of this sin, and have shaken off not this dust, but dirt and filth from off their hands and feet. Thus Samuel in his apology, 1. Sam. 12. 3. So jeremy, jer. 15. 10. Woe is me my mother, thou hast borne me a contentious man that striveth with the whole earth; I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury, yet every one doth curse me. Well he thought they might have cursed him, had he been guilty of that cursed sin; but he shows the world's iniquity by his own honesty, and his own honesty in being free from the fruits of that sin of covetousness. So Paul Acts 20. 33. I have coveted no man's silver, nor gold, nor apparel. Now why purge these men rather from this then from other sins? why purge they not from adultery, whoredom, drunkenness? but specially, and in a manner from covetousness? Surely because full well they knew, that of all other sins this is that which most stains and blemisheth good report and honest reputation, and standeth in greatest opposition to the life and truth of grace.  
For where this sin getteth head, it eateth out the heart of grace, by eating all grace out of the heart. While some have lusted after money they have erred from the faith. 1. Tim. 6. 10. Nay they have not stayed there, but have 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 silver and gold; of all earths they are observed to be the most barren; and of all hearts such are the most fruitless, the most graceless. Therefore in the parable the cares of this life are compared to thorns; thorns choke the good seed. As well may a man look for an harvest in an hedge, as for grace in a covetous heart. These covetous desires are the seven ill-favoured empty ears that eat up the full and good ears. These are the caterpillars, and grasshoppers, the canker and palmer worms that consume the green herb of grace in the field of the heart. The damps of the earth do not more quench fire, than the love of the earth damps grace. And indeed no wonder that this sin is such an enemy unto grace; for it is an enemy unto, and a scorner of the means of grace, the preaching of the word. Ezek. 33. 31. They sit before thee, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them. What was the reason? Their heart runneth after their covetousness. But that is not all, behold yet a greater abomination than this. It teacheth men not only to disobey, but to despise, and mock at the word. Luke 16. 14. And the Pharisees also who were covetous heard these things, namely our saviours Sermon against the service of Mammon, and what was the success? And they derided him. Covetousness is a profane sin that seateth a man in the chair of pestilence, in the scorners pew.  
We find a prohibition, Pro. 23. 6. not to eat of a covetous man's bread. A reason is secretly couched in that epithet there given him: Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye. He hath an evil eye, which makes him wish a man choked, when he bids, much good may it do him. Such evil and counterfeit welcome should make a man take little pleasure in table-friendship and familiarity with him. But yet there is a greater reason than this, that should make us shy of his converse, namely the fear of the defilement of his pitch. Covetousness is a defiling sin, Mark 7. 21. 22. Thefts, covetousness, these come from within, and defile the man. Yea it so defiles, as that in that regard we should avoid over familiar converse with him. And upon this ground doth Paul forbid eating his bread; 1. Corint. 5. 11. If any man that is called a brother be covetous, with such an one no not to eat.  
The world would feign hold that doctrine of venial sins still; and though Popery itself which first hatched that distinction, do rank this amongst their mortal sins, yet would men have it but a venial trivial offence. For a man to be an adulterer, a fornicator, I hope the world is not grown to that desperate pass yet; but I may add, to be a swearer, and a drunkard, these are counted, and indeed they are heinous abominations. But for a man to be covetous, this is slighted over as a matter of nothing. I he ordinary 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 marvelous honest, a wondrous good man. Now in good truth were it not ridiculous to say so of a thief? of an adulterer? Why not then as ridiculous to say so of the covetous? For as honest a man as the world makes him, yet God still ranks him amongst the most heinous and transcendent transgressors. Besides those places, Mark 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 covetous in the midst of the throng crowded up on both sides with fornicators, idolaters, sodomites, thieves, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners. God would let us see by his companions with whom he sorts him, what to think of his honesty. Nay yet to help the matter, and to let you see the full honesty of this sin, note it, and with horror note it you that are guilty, that the Apostle makes it a Symptom, and sign of a reprobate sense. Twenty and two of them are there in all, and this is set in the fourth place, Rom. 1. 29. Wherefore God gave them over to a reprobate mind. But how appeared it? Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness. Thus how light and slight soever this sin be in the world's esteem, yet behold how weighty and ponderous it is in the balance and scales of the Sanctuary.  
I doubt not but most men's judgements will subscribe to this truth, but conscience is not so soon wrought to obedience, and the truth will sooner be confessed then practised; therefore to bring men to the practice of this confessed truth, I will commend to your Christian considerations these three particulars.  

1. What covetousness is.  
2. The Danger of it.  
3. The Remedies against it.   
1. What covetousness is. This is a point so much the rather to be inquired after, because though a covetous man will acknowledge covetousness to be a sin, yet by no means will he acknowledge himself to be covetous. So that a man may say of the covetous man as Luther speaks of an hypocrite, that he is tale monstrum quod est simpliciter impeceabile, a sinless kind of monster that by no means will be borne down to be guilty. An adulterer, a drunkard, a swearer, these sinners and sins are easily discovered, easily convinced, these openly wear Satan's cognisance, these are palpable impieties. But this, it is a skulking iniquity, it will needs be a virtuous vice, a gracious sin. Paul hath a phrase, 1. Thessal. 2. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, coloured covetousness, or as our new translators, the cloak of covetousness. It is a colouring, and a cloaking sin. It is a sin that wears the cloak and livery of thrift, providence, good husbandry, honest care for a man's own, without which a man is worse than an infidel. It is fit therefore that this false colour and complexion be washed off, and that this monster be uncloked and uncased, that his evil favoured, but natural lineaments, may appear.  
There be two words then in Scripture which seem to express the full nature of this sin.  

1. This word in my text, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
2. That word of Paul, 1. Tim. 6. 10, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Love of money.   
1. Some define it by the first, to be a desire of having more. But yet with their good leaves I desire to have somewhat more in the definition thereof; for every desire of having more is not covetousness. A man may pray Agurs prayer without covetousness. A man in a low and mean condition may desire of God with condition to have his estate bettered, and yet not be covetous. Others therefore add, and make it to be an inordinate desire of having more, by unjust and unlawful means. But that is too favourable, for than should none be covetous but unjust getters of goods. A man may be covetous, and yet get his goods without fraud, oppression, and cozenage. Therefore not to trouble you with many, me thinks that of Augustine hits the nail on the head above all 
avaritia est plus velle quàm sat est. Aug. de lib. arb. l. 3. c. 17. Quid est auarum esse? Progredi ultra quàm sufficit.  others: Covetousness is the desire of more then enough. To desire beyond the bounds of sufficiency, to seek for more than a man may pray for, Give us this day our daily bread, to seek and labour for superfluities, this is covetousness. A man, I take it, may be said to have enough, when he hath such a portion 
Tantum autem sat est quantum sibi exigit naturae in suo genere conseruandae modus. August.  and sufficiency of these outward things, as that he hath wherewith to live plentifully, as also both to train up his liberally for the best employments, and to leave his liberally according to their callings and conditions. I think such a man may be said to have enough, and what is more is of sin. No sooner doth a man step over the hedge and pale of sufficiency, but he is presently in the wide, wild, and boundless champain of covetousness.  
2. The second word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the love of money. And thus a man may be covetous in the inordinate love of that which he hath, though he go not beyond the limits of sufficiency. There is a covetousness in scraping, that may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and there is a covetousness in holding, that may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. There is a covetousness in rapacity, that comes from a desire of more then enough. There is a covetousness in tenacity, that comes from an immoderate love of that we have. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath a large paw to get and gather more then enough. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is like the man in the Gospel with the withered hand, whose sinews are so shrunk up that he is not able to reach forth his hand to any work of piety or pity. The first is more properly the rich man's covetousness; with the second may a poor man be covetous. 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 have the nature of this sin. It is an inordinate love of, and a desire after these outward things beyond the bounds of sufficiency. Now besides the inward, pestilent, and venomous nature thereof, there be certain outward symptoms, in which as in so many plague-sores it breaks forth and discovers itself. They among many others are these:  
1. That joh. 3. 31. He that is of the earth, is of the earth, and he speaks of the earth. His breath like a dying man's is ever of a strong earthy savour. His language is, Psal. 4. Who will show us any good? Corn and wine, sheep and oxen, marketable and merchantable commodities are evermore the subject of his discourse. It is ever market, and exchange time with him. Seldom or never with the virtuous woman, Pro. 31. doth he open his mouth with wisdom, neither is the law of grace in his lips. That look as it is said of the righteous man, Psal. 37. 30. 31. The mouth of the righteous will speak of wisdom, and his tongue will talk of judgement, for the law of his God is in his heart; so may it be said of the covetous, His mouth will speak of worldliness, and his tongue will talk of earthliness, for the love of his god is in his heart. There is earth at his heart, and his very breath smells of it. Their Egyptian garlic which they have swallowed riseth in their stomachs, and makes them to belch, and to bring up a filthy stinking unsavoury 
Nam si sacrificem summo iovi, Atque in manibus extateneam ut po●riciam: interea loci, Si lucri quid detur, potius rem divinam deseram. Plaut. in Pseudol.  breath.  
2. He keeps a court of Faculties in his conscience, he can give himself a Dispensation to be free from any duty of God's worship and service, if it be to serve his own turn. He is none of your precise Sabbatarians. He scruples not to lose Sermons, to travel to show and sell his wares as well on the Sabbath as other days. It is no trouble to his conscience to bargain and barter upon the Sabbath as familiarly as upon any other day. He esteems his country Church every whit as great a convenience as the City Exchange, where he may meet many of his neighbours, and dispatch many businesses at once without a further trouble of going to their several houses.  
3. He is sometimes homo omnium artium, a man of many callings and professions, he will have an iron in every fire, an hand in every business, and even overloades himself with a multitude of employments. He will needs be a temporal pluralist, will have as many farms as he hath fingers, will be a Minister and a Physician, a city merchant, and a country farmer; and so pesters and clogs himself with a multitude of business, that he hath but a little time for sleep, and none at all for God, but what his covetousness to save a tweluepenny mulct will afford him.  
4. He is sometimes again a man nullius artis, a man of no calling. He gives over his multitude of farms and employments, not out of conscience, but out of a desire of greater ease and security. For conscience though it forbidden encumbrance, yet it requires employment. But he flies from one extreme to another, from many callings and employments to none at all, and betakes himself to a course wherein he may live with less faith and greater security. From hiring of farms he falls 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 heaven, yet an hundred to ten are sure to go to hell.  
2. Thing the danger of covetousness. We have here a double caution against this sin. As is the caution, so is the danger, double. Yea this double caution implies the danger, if not the double danger. This sin therefore is doubly dangerous.  

1. In the sins it breeds.  
2. In the punishments it brings.   
1. For the sins it breeds. It is a mother iniquity that gives life to many a foul sin. Ten Commandments hath almighty God given us, and this is an universal breach, and breaker of them all. Indeed there is no sin but it may be said to break them all, for he that breaks one is guilty of the breach of the whole Law, james 2. 10. because one sin doth prepare and habitually dispose the mind to any sin. But this doth actually transgress them all. Please you in brief to run them over, and see how.  
1. Commandment, Thou shalt have none other gods before me. But the covetous Mammonist he hath 
Non adoro, inquit. Quare? quia teipsum non inflectis, & incuruas? multo magis adoras per facta, & res ipsas. Haec enim est maior adoratio, & ut 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 serves other gods than the God of heaven, even gods of the earth, gods of metal, idols of silver, and idols of gold. That as the Prophet complains of the jews, jer. 2. 28. According to the number of thy cities are thy gods o judah, so may we complain of the covetous: According to the number of his bags, nay of his pence, is the number of his idols. And therefore no marvel that the Apostle, Colos. 3. 5. calls covetousness idolatry, and Ephes. 5. 5. the covetous an idolater. For though he sacrifice not beasts to his idol, yet that which is worse, he sacrifices his soul and himself; and though he fall not down upon his knees and pray not to his silver, yet as the profane Atheist hath said in his heart, There is no God, Psal. 14. 1: so the covetous Mammonist sayeth in his heart, This is my god; he sayeth to his wedge, Thou art my confidence, job 31. 24. And howsoever his covetousness enjoin him sorer and sharper labour, more dangerous and desperate adventures then ever God requires in his service, yet is it willingly and cheerfully obeyed, and obedience is better than sacrifice, 1. Sam. 15. 22: yea it hath both obedience and sacrifice. Hab. 1. 16 They sacrifice unto their net. His golden idol hath the love, 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 divini nomims? Sed nimirum hoc avaritia iovi nomen imposuit, ut quisquis amat pecuniam, non quemlibet Deum, sed ipsum regem omnium sibi amare videatur. Qualis ergo ista theologia debet esse sapienti, ubi rex deorum eius rei nomen accepit quam nemo sapiens concupivit. August. de Civit. Dei. l. 7. c. 12.  his heart; which are the things the first Commandment claims for God's part. The goddess Pecunia was one of the idols of old heathen Rome, and Money (as Augustine reports) was one of the many names their jupiter had. Every Mammonist is a professor of this paganish religion: if at least it be not worse to give unto money the worship of God, then unto God the name of money. The fond Israelites made them an idol of the Egyptians jewels, and then dance about it, (one calf about another) and sacrifice unto it, and say, These be thy gods o Israel. Such a calf, such a sot is the covetous; when he hath scraped together the world's jewels, he makes them his idols, & sayeth in his heart, These be thy gods, o my soul, to whom thou owest thy love, service and affectionate obedience. And so makes himself a gross and notorious transgressor of this first Law.  
2. Commandment, Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, etc. A commandment that enjoins the purity of God's outward worship, commands maintenance, and forbiddeth the corruption thereof. But in this is he as foul as in the former. This corruption of the heart hath ever been that which hath ushered corruptions into God's Church & worship. Therefore are these two joined together. Esay 2. 6. 7: Their land was full of silver and gold, and there was none end of their treasures: Their land also was full of idols, they worshipped the work of their own hands. It is no wonder that covetousness in the breach of the first, should prepare and make way for the breach of the second Commandment in gross idolatry. What made Demetrius run roaring and raving about the streets of Ephesus, and crying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians, but merely the love of his purse? Sirs, ye know that by this craft we get our goods, and that craft brought in great gains unto the craftsmen It was the great gain that made Diana so great, and made him make so great noise for her. What brought in the device of the hook with the three teeth, 1. Sam. 2. 13. but this hooking and catching sin of covetousness?  
What made the Temple in our Saviour time a den of thieves? Even that sin that made the Priest's thieves, the same sin that made judas a thief. It was the covetousness of the Priests that admitted the money-changers and the oxen into the Temple. They cared not with what corruption they filled God's house, so that they might thereby fill their own houses and purses. But this is most clear in the Romish Synagogue, which hath hewn out the principal pillars of her superstition out of this rock of covetousness. Purgatory, jubilees, Indulgences, all these came out of judas his bag, all coffer and kitchen doctrines. The doctrine of the Church treasure in the merits of supererogating Saints, a mere device to bring treasure into their Church. Masses for the dead, an invention to bring in masses of wealth to the living. Praying for the dead a very trick to prey upon the living. And what turned the keys of the Church into picklocks, or pickpurses rather, but their abominable covetousness? Eggs of the same cockatrice, brats of the same hag, are steeple and temple brokerage, absolution for solutions, impropriations, ten-pound reading stipendaries that have less learning than they have living, sacrilegious detention, and fraudulent purloining of the Church salary. Covetousness brought in, and covetousness holds in these plague-sores and botches of the Church.  
It was not for nothing therefore that when the devil would have wrought our Saviour to idolatry, that he first of all laboured to poison him with covetousness, thinking to make covetousness his shooinghorne to idolatry. He takes him up into an high mountain, from thence showeth him all the kingdoms of the world with the glory of them, & all these will he give him if he will fall down and worship him. The devil knows it is easy to draw on an heart corrupted with covetousness, to the most corrupt worship that may be. And though the devil sped not with our Saviour, yet with Demas he did, who, if Dorotheus be 
Doroth. de vitis, etc.  of any credit, turned from the faith of Christ to be an Idol Priest of Thessalonica. A foul, a fearful fall. But whence might he take it? Paul tells us, 2. Tim. 4. 10. Demas hath forsaken me, and hath embraced this present world. How easy is it to make him the devils Priest, that is once Mammon's Chaplain? What religion or 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 enticed to the sacrifices of the dead, to the sacrifices of Baal-Peor. To marry the daughter of a strange god is a gross transgression of this Law. And yet how many stick not to wed to the Canaanites, & so get not thorns in their sides, but in their consciences, and all because their hearts are first wedded to the world?  
3 Commandment, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Alas, the covetous man thinks this a very vain Commandment. Now fie upon such preciseness. What! may not a man for his advantage, to put off his commodity, help himself now and then with an oath? He thinketh this needless scupulositie. Nay and yet behold a worse abomination than this. Paul calleth covetousness, coloured covetousness, or the cloak of covetousness, 1. Thess. 2. 5. Now though in the former Commandment it sticketh not for gain to corrupt religion, yet here for advantage it will paint with religion, and put on a religious cloak or habit. Thus did the covetous Pharisees profane Gods holy name, while they devoured widows houses under the colour of long prayer, Math. 23. 14. There was covetousness coloured with religion. Certainly Gods holy name is not more abused by profane covetousness, when it must be made a broker to help off base commodities, than it is by seeming-religious covetousness, when men use religion for a silver hook, & profess it as the Shecemites received circumcision, Gen. 34. 23. Shall not their flocks, and their substance, and all their cattle be ours? So, shall not their custom and their countenance be ours? Only let us make a show of their religion, for this is a main principle in a covetous man's Catechism, that gain is godliness, 1. Tim. 6. 5. and therefore cares not to make a show of godliness to bring in gain: that so in a profane sense he may say with himself, Godliness (pretended) is great gain. But such with the Pharisees shall receive the greater damnation.  
4. Commandment, Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day. The covetous man is of Pharaohs religion. He thinks religion maketh men idle. The people are idle, therefore they cry, Let us go sacrifice, saith Pharaoh, Exod. 5. The covetous man thinketh the rest of the Sabbath to be but idleness. It is a day lost in a week, seven weeks and an half in a year. Oh how it grudges the wretch to spare God so much time! Therefore they cry, Amos 8. 5. When will the Sabbath be gone that we may sell corn? Nay he hath not the patience now to stay so long. He cries not now, When will the Sabbath, but when will the Sermon be done? Covetousness was modest in Amos his days, it would then stay marketting till the Sabbath were done. It is now grown more profligate and impudent, and dares impropriate as God's tenths in the second, so God's seventh in the fourth Commandment. What makes many keep their Sabbaths in their saddles, and not so much as to keep Sabbatum asinorum in the bare rest from labour, but their covetousness? What is the reason that many Lawyer's chambers are in Sabbath afternoons better filled with Clients, than many country Churches are with people, but covetousness? This, this is that sin that turneth God's Sabbaths into Sabbatum Tyri, the Sabbath of Tyrus, Nehe. 13. 16. that brought fish and all wares, and sold on the Sabbath. jerusalem was troubled with fish-merchants on the Sabbath. And many towns and cities in this kingdom are troubled with flesh-merchants, wine-merchants, ale and beere-merchants, cup and tap-merchants; and what breedeth these trouble-townes but covetousness? He that is greedy of gain troubles not only his own house, but a whole town, a whole city. And was it better in this your honourable City till your worthy Nehemiahs opposed these Tyrian Sabbatarians, & set themselves religiously and zealously to the suppression of Mammon's solemn service in the public shambles, and private temples of Bacchus? Now honoured be their memories that first begun that good work, and no less theirs that do and shall continue it. What greater honour can this renowned See, and famous City have, then in their joint care and zeal to preserve Gods holy Sabbaths from those foul profanations which covetousness and the love of filthy lucre hath invented? Those jews, Amos 8. cried, When will the Sabbath be gone that we may sell? there was some kind of honesty yet in their covetousness. But there is a brood now that cry, When will the Sabbath come, that we may sell ale, beer, and tippling commodities? They long for the Sabbath, not that they might enjoy God in the public assemblies of his Saints, but that the sons of Belial may have their assemblies, and guzzeling Rendezvous in their houses and cellars. Now compare the sin of Amos his times with the sin of ours, and it is but light in comparison of ours. They broke the Sabbath but in thought and desire, in word at most; but our men grossly 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 heavy threatening is denounced against them, Am. 8. 8. Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwells therein? And shall the land tremble for the lighter, and not much more for the heavier sin? How great cause have we to beg of God to give all such whom it concerneth (whether governors of the Church, or commonwealth) zeal and resolution to maintain God's honour in this point? that in stead of trembling and mourning there may be joy and rejoicing to all good hearts in the flourishing of God's ordinances. Let me add one thing that may add encouragement to this work. Nehemiah after the report of his care for the Sabbaths reformation, prayeth on this manner, verse 22. Remember me o God concerning this. Lay Nehemiahs' Memento to God's Memento, lay God's commandment & Nehemiahs' prayer together: Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath, saith God; Nehemiah remembers it, and then prayeth, Remember me o God. They with comfort and confidence may pray to God to Remember them, who with courage and conscience Remember him and his Sabbaths. But if we forget his Sabbaths, than God hath sworn by the excellency of jaacob, Surely he will never forget any of these works, Amos 8. 7.  
5. Commandment, Honour thy father and thy mother. That which Moses speaketh of Levi in a good sense, Deut. 33. 9 He said to his father and mother, I have not seen him, may be said of him in an ill sense: He hath an evil, a blind eye, that will not see, and a deaf ear that will not hear, when parents necessities crave relief and succour. He thinketh it no transgression to rob father and mother, Pro. 28. 24. Nay, he thinketh it no transgression to starve father and mother. It was the Pharisees divinity, 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 sin was before noted to be a sign of a reprobate sense, Rom. 1. 29. and well it may, for verse 30. another sign is, Without natural affection. Even this sin stupefies the bowels of nature, and maketh men deny that debt which God, and even corrupt nature doth call for. This is that sin that made the heathen long since complain of those ungracious births that 
Filius ante diem patrios inquirit in annos. ovid.  thought their lives too long from whom they had their lives. Oh, saith good Abraham, that Ishmael might live in thy sight. But many a covetous Ishmael speaketh like a profane Esau, Oh that the days of my father's mourning were come; not that he would mourn, but only as heirs use to do whose tears we 
Haeredis lachrymae.  know are grown proverbial.  
6. Commandment, Thou shalt not kill. But covetousness is a cut-throat, a bloodsucking horseleech. To that height often groweth the thirst after gold, that it maketh men thirst after blood. One of the Prophets calleth Babel, gold-thirty Babel. And all that know Babel, know her to have been no less blood-thirsty than gold-thirsty. Yea she is taxed for both, Hab. 2. 8. 9 This Solomon noteth, Pro. 1. 11. 12. 13. Come with us, we will lay wait for blood, and lie privily for the innocent without a cause, we will swallow them up alive like a grave, even whole as those that go down into the pit; we shall find all precious riches and fill our houses with spoil. And verse 19 Such are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain, he would take away the life of the owners thereof. Therefore, Ezek. 22. 13. Covetousness and blood are joined together. Ahab will have Naboths vineyard, or he will have his blood. judas was both covetous and a murderer, and therefore a murderer because covetous. He sold not his master so much out of an hatred of him, as originally out of the love of the thirty pieces. Covetousness is a bloody sin, and if the hands be not defiled with blood, it is the law and not conscience that keepeth them clean.  
7. Commandment, Thou shalt not commit adultery. What licenseth the public stews at Rome, and those sties of Courtesans but the Pope's Corban, and the huge revenue of crowns they bring to the Pope's purse? It is the inordinate desire after gain that foundeth that bestial abomination of brothelry. It is not so much the lust of the flesh, as the lust of the eyes, that causeth such to be given over to that brutishness. How many violate their matrimonial faith and chastity, and the covenant of their God, alured more with the adulterer's purse, then with his person? How many a chaste Danaë admitteth an adulterous jupiter descending in a golden shower? How many unchaste persons force themselves to a single life merely to avoid the charges of married condition, and lie frying in the flames of their own scorching concupiscence, and so do offer up themselves unto Moloch, in the fire of their burning lusts?  
8. Commandment, Thou shalt not steal. But as the world hath stolen his heart from God, so sticks he not to steal from men. This Commandment makes him an arrant thief. judas is called a thief, joh. 12 6. and why a thief, but because he was covetous? Therefore our Saviour (Mark. 7. 22.) joins thefts and covetousness; and Paul, 1. Cor. 6. 10. joins thieves and covetous persons together, as near and neighbouring sinners. False dealing, it is a breach of this commandment, it is a fruit of this sin. jer. 6. 13. Every one is given to covetousness: they all deal falsely. Oppression, it is a breach of this commandment, it is a fruit of this sin. Prou. 28. 16. A Prince destitute of understanding is a great oppressor, but he that hates covetousness shall prolong his days. See how oppression and the hatred of covetousness are opposed.  
We have here a whole crowd of abominations all forbidden in this law, as defrauding, overreaching, cosining one another in mutual commerce, in buying and selling, extortion, enclosures, depopulations, sacrilege, impropriations, detention of the labourer's wages, engrossers, corne-hoorders, those Mercatores humanarum calamitatum, together with that foule-fangd sin of usury, that indeed now bites no longer, but is turned Evening wolf, that swalloweth the bones, and leaves not till the morrow. And whence, think ye, come these litters of snakes and vipers? Lo, this is the dunghill in which they breed: A covetous heart is the womb that conceives them, the mother that gives breath and being to them all.  
9 Commandment, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. But as in the former he scrupled not at false dealing, so neither in this sticks he at false accusing. Therefore Luk. 3. john joins these two together, Accuse no man falsely, and be content with your wages. Not to be content, is a fruit of covetousness; and he that is covetously inclined, will not stick, in hope of gain, to strain so far as a false accusation comes to. Flatterers they sin against this commandment, and covetousness teacheth men to flatter. Jude 16. Whose mouths speak proud things, having men's persons in admiration for advantage. Covetousness makes men flatter in hope of gain, as dogs fawn for crusts. Knights of the Post with their hackney consciences, what breeds those hellish monsters but this monster of covetousness? What makes many Lawyers make so little conscience of pleading for a naughty, 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 divination in their hands? The deceit of Balaams' wages makes them they care not to what Balak they do retain.  
10. Commandment, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, etc. What may a man have that he covets not? Were his hands as nimble as his thoughts, he must live like another Adam in the world by himself, no man near him, no man with him. He hath a chemical heart of his own. In his wishes he turneth all into gold. He wisheth the whole earth had been mines and Indies. He cannot look upon heaven, 
Non aspicit coelum tanquam coelum, sed omnia putat esse pecunias. Chrys. ad 1. Cor. hom. 9  which yet one would think might put him by his earthly thoughts, but with a wish it were gold too. He is just like the Cardinals of Pope Benedict the 12. who being thereunto moved, refused to make more Cardinals, unless he could withal 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 weep hearty that there are not, and that he enjoys not more worlds.  
But especially if we take the affirmative of this commandment as some, to be Contentment with a man's condition, then is there no man a more direct transgressor then is the covetous, who out of a discontent with his own estate as not sufficient, enlargeth his desires as hell, to covet his neighbour's house, ox, ass, servant, substance, goods, lands, or whatsoever else is his.  
Thus we see the first part of this danger, and have found the covetous a transgressor of every of God's laws. Go now, go silly souls, and fond bless yourselves, and think your case good because you are free from the black crimes and foul sins of the world, and that you have no other sin, you hope, but only you are a little covetous. None other? Thou needest not, that art guilty of it. This is a seminary of all sins, this breaks all God's laws▪ There is no villainy, no impiety, no iniquity to which this may not dispose thine heart and hand. It is easy to make a covetous man an Atheist, a Papist, a perjurer, a profaner of God's Sabbaths, an iron-boweld wretch, a murderer, an adulterer, a thief, a false witness, or whatsoever else the devil will.  
2. The second danger follows, and that is in the punishments which it brings.  
Heavy and woeful are those judgements which Gods threatens against this sin. woe unto them that join house unto house, Isa. 5. 8. We unto him that increases that which is not his, Hab. 2. 6. woe unto him that covets an evil covetousness unto his house, Hab. 2. 9 See how God thunders out woes thick and threefold against this sin. Indeed the covetous blesseth himself, Psal. 10. 3. but in the same Psalm and verse, the Lord abhors him. Yea he so abhors him, that he even smites his hands at him, Ezek. 22. 13. I have smitten mine hands at thy dishonest gain. Yea he so abhors him, that he not only smites his hands at him, but smites at him with his hands, Isa. 57 17. For his wicked covetousness I am angry with him, and have 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 restlessness wherewith he wearies and wears out his poor carcase, is but a whip of his own making, but God also lashes and scourges him with his scorpions: job 20. 20. Surely he shall find no quietness in his belly. What got Gehezi by his rich booty? The plague of leprosy upon his body, 2. Kin. 5. 27. What got Achan by his great prize? A great heap of stones upon his body, Josh. 7. 26. So Balaam got a sword in his bowels, and judas an halter about his neck, the gains of many a corne-hoorder, and the just end of many a wretched oppressor. And what got Ananias and Sapphira by their project, but a miserable and sudden end? He that hates covetousness, shall prolong his days, Prou. 28. 16. but these had their days shortened for this sin. Many a fair day might they have lived, if they had kept themselves free from this foul sin. Now let judas while he swings in his halter, boast of his thirty pieces. Now let Balaam boast of his wages. The reward of divination was sweet in his eye, but let him tell us how sweet is the Israelites sword in his bowels. Now Gehezi go bless thyself with thy talon of silver, and thy two changes of raiment, but yet tell us whether is better the body or raiment? So just it is, that he that will covet Naaman's silver, Naaman's raiment, should be clothed, should be plagued with Naaman's leprosy.  
2. God smites him in his goods. And that which is his god, his heaven, his happiness, God makes a curse, a cross, a plague unto him. God plague's him in his goods, either in denying him the use, or in depriving him of the possession of them.  
1. In denying him the use of them, Eccles. 6. 2. God gives him not power to eat thereof. All the use he hath of his riches, is but to behold them with his eyes, Eccl. 5. 10. The plague of the Prince of Samaria is upon him, who saw great plenty and abundance, but might not taste of it. All the good he hath of his riches, is but for his eye. His back 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 silver, Eccles. 4. 8. They are but Homines ad metalla damnati, no better than the miserable Indians, worn out in the mines under Spanish tyranny. Their drink increases 
Et maior acquisitio fit ei maior accessio paupertatis. Nam 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, mill enim cupit. Quum autem mill acceperit tum magis fit pauper. Non amplius mill ut 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 clavem, si ostium, si vectem, frustra facis omnia qui avaritiam pessimum latronem intus incluseris, & qui potest omnia expor●are. Id, ibid.  their thirst, their riches their poverty, their abundance their want. job 20. 22. In the fullness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits, even in straits of want in the midst of his fullness. And herein is the covetous the most miserable of sinners. For other sinners yet, though they lose the pleasures of the life to come, yet do they enjoy some kind of pleasure in this life: but the covetous, as God will deprive him of the future, so he deprives himself of the present world, and so enjoys neither.  
2. But it may be, the fool thinks this no misery; God therefore deprives him of the possession, and strips him clean of all his goods. God hath a worm to smite their gourds, he hath vermin to consume their Manna gathered and hoardward up against his commandment. This sin leaves a man's whole substance with God's curse, which shall make his bags like his desires, bottomless, and so shall all run out. job 20. 20. 21. He shall not save of that which he desired, there shall none of his meat be left, therefore shall no man look for his goods. The covetous man hath many a one that gapes after his goods, but God often deceives and disappoints them all; his goods are often gone before himself. He hath swallowed down riches, he shall vomit them up again, God shall cast them out of his belly, job 20. 15. Greedy gormandizing trenchermen, that swallow their meat down whole, and as never knowing when they have enough, do still lay in and lay on, do so oppress their stomachs, that nature is feign to seek its own ease by vomiting. When men will be rich, and cannot wait Gods leisurely distribution, and never know when they have enough, but with Behemoth think to draw up all jordan into their jaws; they do so oppress themselves, that God giveth their estate a vomit, and causeth these greedy guts to regurgitate those morsels so ravenously devoured. Excellent is that place, jer. 17. 11. He shall leave his riches in the midst of his days. It is an hell to him to leave his riches in the end of his days, but God will bring him early to his hell, He shall leave them in the midst of his days. But what shall become of him then in the end of his days? The words following tell us, And at his end he shall be a fool. God will make him a poor man, and a fool both. He shall lose both his wealth and his wits; for whose wits would not crack to lose his god? God is just, and therefore maketh them a prey unto others who have preyed upon others. See Hab. 2. 6. 7. 8. woe unto him that increaseth that which is not his: how long? and to him that loadeth himself with thick clay. Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee? and awake that shall vex thee? and thou shalt be their prey. Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee. God will spoil these spoilers, and he which hath been praedo minoris, shall himself be praeda maioris, as Augustine speaketh. 
In Psal. 38.   
3. God smiteth him in his posterity and children. He cares not to deprive himself of an inheritance in heaven, and all to leave 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 deceiveth himself, and the issue befooleth him. As the father was a rich beggar, so the children prove poor gentlemen. Covetousness raiseth not, but ruins houses, Hab. 2. 9 10. woe unto him that covets an evil covetousness to his house. For he that is greedy of gain raiseth not, but troubleth his house. He coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that is, by his covetousness he bringeth evil upon his house. But what evil? verse 10. Thou hast consulted shame to thine own house; not honour, not greatness, but shame, even the shame of beggary, and the shame of ruin, and a dishonourable downfall. Covetousness leaveth the children heirs of a curse as well as of goods, for his goods are an execrable thing, accursed goods. The leprosy of Naaman clave not only to Gehezi, but to him and to his seed for ever, 2. King. 3. 27. What got Gehazi's seed and posterity by their father's covetousness? What other hereditaments they got I wots not, sure I am they got a filthy hereditary leprosy. For Gehazi's covetousness is his seed plagued with leprosy. For many a covetous father's sin is his posterity plagued with beggary. He hath not power to eat of his own goods, Eccl. 6. 2. I but the more he spareth, the more his child heirs. So would one think indeed, but yet it proves otherwise; for not his child, but a stranger eateth thereof. I but what becomes of his children then? Either taken away with fishhooks, Amos 4. 2. a fit plague for the father's sin; or else, job 20. 10. His children shall flatter the poor. See what his gentlemen come to. To that miserable base beggary shall they come, that they shall be glad to flatter a mean man for an alms, and faun upon a poor man for a crust. How ordinarily is prodigality heir to covetousness? and the prodigal heir scattering that in a few days that the covetous father was gathering many years, how quickly is he brought to the trough? how soon brought to flatter and faun for husks and hog's meat? Oh consider this you that colour this iniquity with the complexion 
Noli parcere thesauris caducis, thesauris vanis. Noli sub imagine pietatis augere pecuniam. Filijs inquis meis servo. Palliare se volunt, & dealbare ut quasi propter filios videantur servare homines quod propter avaritiam servant. August. de dec. Chord. c. 12. Filijs meis servo. Haec est vox pietatis, excusatio iniquitatis. Id. in Psal. 38. Habeo filios quibus laborem. Non est hoc filios amare sed porius necare. Nolo te talem patrem sentiant filii tui, nolo sic provideas. Id. hom. 48.  of honest care for your children, I entreat you as job did his wife, job 19 17. even for the children's sake of your own bodies to take heed and beware of covetousness. As you fear the leprosy of God's curse, and the canker of his vengeance upon your children, so take heed of leaving them heirs of such goods as covetousness hath scraped together. Leave them heirs of such goods as withal they may be heirs of God's blessing. Take heed of transmitting over to them such a cankered inheritance as may disinherit them of all. Were it not that covetousness maketh men without natural affection, I should hope this argument might prevail.  
4. But yet the worst danger of all is yet behind. If God in his patience do forbear in these, yet in the fourth place without fail will God plague him in his soul. It is a soule-plaguing sin, not only in regard of the inward tortures and cares wherewithal his soul is so distracted, that the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep, Eccl. 5. 12: Nor yet in regard of the continual torment his insatiable desires put him to, whereby he is like a man sick of the dogged appetite, ever in hunger and thirst without satisfaction; and his vexation little easier than the rich gluttons in hell; who was ever in a burning desire after that drop of water which should never be granted him. Not only in these, but in a far worse respect is it a soule-plaguing sin, in that it excludeth the soul from God and heaven. Hab. 2. 10. Thou hast sinned against thine own soul. Wherein? In disinheriting it of heaven. Ephes. 5. 5. The covetous man hath no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ, and of God. He that is thus greedy of inheritance on earth, yet loseth all 
Vis esse haeres terrae, sed non habes in coelo haereditatem. Studium ponis ut alijs relinquas haereditatem, teipsum autem prives? Chrysost. ad Eph. hom. 18.  inheritance in heaven. 1. Cor. 6. 9 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom? Be not deceived; neither thieves, nor covetous shall inherit the kingdom of God. Indeed the covetous blesseth himself, Psal. 10. 3. and with no less than the hopes of heaven, but he is deceived. For what is the hope of the hypocrite though he hath gained, when God takes away his soul? job 27. 8. How should this awaken men to take heed and beware? What though thou gain the whole world by thy covetous courses, yet what shall it advantage thee to gain the whole world, and to lose thine own soul? He that purchaseth the whole world with the price and loss of his soul, will find but a biting & a smarting bargain of it. He must needs be a loser by the bargain, for he loseth God, heaven, happiness, his soul and himself. Among all thy gains thou art sure to have hell into the bargain. What ever thou gainest, Satan will be sure to gain thy foul.  
Now then, o thou covetous man, be pleased a little to look over these Items, and sum up thy gains. avarus semper in rationibus: A covetous man is much in his counting house. Among other thine accounts be so good as to look over this. Inprimis by thine oppression, fraudulent and false dealing, thou hast gotten so many pounds. Item by thine usury and extortion so many hundreds. Item by thy bribery so many thousands. Well, what is the whole sum? The total sum is, the curse of God upon thy body, the curse of God upon thy goods, the curse of God upon thy children, the curse of God's eternal vengeance upon thy soul. Now in good sooth, and are not these goodly gains? would they not set any man's teeth on watering? Yea but it may be these are but idle scarecrows, the figments of Preachers idle brains. No, no. God hath sworn twice in one prophecy, Amos 4. 2. Amos 8. 7. to make them good. God can no more be forsworn than he can cease to be God. If he do forbear the infliction of the temporal plagues, yet shall it be abundantly recompensed in the heavy weight of eternal torment.  
And thus have we seen the double danger of this sin, which may both serve to verify the Apostles saying, 1. Tim. 6. 10. That the desire of money is the root of all evil, of all evil both of sin and punishment; as also to terrify our dead hearts, and make them awake to take heed and beware of covetousness.  
The third thing followeth. The remedies and preservatives. What are we the better to know our disease and the danger thereof, unless we know the remedies withal? The remedies therefore are these.  
1. That which we find, 1. joh. 5. 4. This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Faith overcometh not only the fear of the world in threatening, but the love of the world in enticing. The root of this root of all evil is commonly diffidence and distrust in Gods all-sufficient providence. This maketh men so greedily and eagerly provide for themselves, because distrustfully they imagine that they are left to the wide world, as shiftless and fatherless children. So much implieth our saviours speech, verse 28. of this Chapter: How much more will he  you o ye of little faith? Our great cares come from our little faith. Greater faith would lessen our cares. This remedy Paul teacheth Timothy, 1. Tim. 6. 11. O man of God fly these things, namely those foolish and noisome lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition rising from the love of money. But how may we fly them? Fellow after righteousness, godliness, faith. The soul in which this grace hath residence, shall find it an heavenly amulet or plague-cake to defend it from the poison of this sin. For faith not only purifies the heart, and so purgeth out this dross, but it also satisfieth the heart, by making God its portion whereby the infinite desire of the soul is filled, which nothing can satisfy but the fruition of the infinite God. He alone that filleth heaven and earth and all things therein, he alone can fill the boundless desires of the soul. Only faith maketh him ours. And the soul having made God hers by faith, she ceaseth to seek satisfaction from the temporal, and finite creatures. Faith is a chemical grace. As covetousness is an earthly Alchemist that turneth gold into God, so is faith a divine Chemic that turneth God into gold, silver, and whatever the heart wanteth and desireth, job 22. 23. 
Eritue omnipotens lectissimum aurum tuum, & argentum viresue tibi. Sic jun.  24. 25. If thou return to the Almighty, then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks, yea the Almighty shall be thy choice gold and silver, and strength unto thee. Would we have our fill of gold and silver, so as we would have our thirst quenched? Let us make God our portion by faith. He that by faith hath made God his gold, shall never through covetousness made gold his god. Temporal things can no more fill the heart, then spiritual things a chest. The world can no more fill the heart, 
Mundus circularis est, cor quadratum; circulus quadraturam implere non potest.  than a circle can a square. God alone is he that can satisfy the soul, on whom the soul having laid hold, it than holds itself well paid, and then, and never till then sings with David, Psal. 16. 5. 6. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance. The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places, yea I have a goodly heritage.  
2. Sobriety and temperance, sober affections in the use of these earthly things. For though covetousness and prodigality be two extremes, yet oftentimes covetousness is but subordinate to prodigality; and men's prodigal and intemperate courses, makes them covetously scrape that together which may be serviceable to their lusts. Many have brave, or base minds rather, they must flaunt, and cut it out in apparel, furniture, household, attendance. Pride must have this thing, & delicacy must have that; pleasure calls for this, and lust for that. Which inordinacies of theirs being costlier than their own estates can bear, than covetousness instructs them to lay the burden upon others. These intemperate affections crying like horseleeches Give, give, they teach covetousness to cry Take, take; and so by injustice, exaction and oppression do seek maintenance and exhibition for their pride and luxury out of other men's estates, and other men's maintenance which is for their bare necessities, must be ravened up to serve their inordinate and hellish voluptuousness. Hence comes it that the poor Tenant is racked to maintain the Landlord's dogs, hawks, and coaches; the poor Tenants back stripped, that their dead walls may be richly clothed; the poor Tenant can scarce go in good russet on high days, because the Landlord, like the rich glutton, must far deliciously, and go in purple every day. Moderation breeds contentation: contentation preserves from covetousness. He that is content with his own, will never put forth his hand to wrong another.  
3. Set bounds and a stint to thine estate, and learn to know when thou hast enough. Covetousness is a desire of more then enough. Therefore do men still desire more, because they think they have not yet enough. He that would be relieved against covetousness, must first seek to stint his desires; a man shall never stint his desires, till his estate be stinted. men's estates are not so much increased by their desires, as their desires are made endless by their estates boundless. If Esau had been as honest in other things as in this, he should never have deserved the brand of a profane person. 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, than thousands that now live. Will ye hear how like an honest man he speaks? Gen. 33. 9 I have enough my brother, keep that which thou hast to thyself. Behold how far he is beyond the honesty of the Harpies and cormorants of our times, that never knowing when they have enough, are ever fixing their kites claws and their griffins talons upon their poor brother jacobs' goods. Four things are specified, Pro. 30. 15, 16. that never say, It is enough: to which we may add a fift, namely a covetous heart that knoweth no stint of its own desires and endeavours. The way to prevent this immoderation, is to see when we are well, when we have 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 himself, and greatly to multiply his silver and gold; and yet who hath greater uses of, and fairer pretences for these things than Princes have? If a King may not multiply above that which is enough for a King, what prerogative have inferior subjects to have estates boundless? We can say of others, They have enough, if they can see. If we can see when others have enough, why do we overlook our own estates? This is an evil covetousness, when men are ever lading themselves with thick clay, and have neither the hearts nor the grace to set down an Hucusque to answer God's Quousque, Hab. 2. 6. an Hitherto to Gods How long. For this very sin were the jews threatened, Isa. 2. 6. 7. Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people, etc. because their land is full of silver 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 easy to fill men's eyes as their bellies. Not that men having enough, should give up their honest callings, and receive in no more; but having enough, should lay up no more, but make the overfloate of their cup serviceable to the maintenance of God's worship, and the relief of his poor Saints. Take this course, and be covetous if thou canst. Let your conversation be without covetousness, Heb. 13. 5. What help may we have hereunto? And be content with things present. Contentation preserveth from covetousness. Then, and never till then, will a man's heart be contented when he hath enough, and knoweth he hath enough, and is resolved not to go further then enough.  
4. Free thyself from a false opinion of riches. The conceit which men have of riches, is false. They think riches lieth in Having much. They are deceived. 
Anim' hominis dives, non arca appellari solet, quamuis illa sit plena, dum te inanem video, divitem non putabo. Cicer. Parad. 6.  God is called Rich in Scripture, not for money, but for mercy; not for having goods, but for doing good, Rom 10. 12. He that is Lord over all, is rich unto all that call upon him. Wherein is God rich? Not in being Lord over all, but in doing good unto all that call upon him. So that I would not forbid men to be covetous of riches, so they would be covetous of true and durable riches. Covet true riches, and spare not. Covet to be Rich in God, Rich in faith, Rich in good works. The more covetous of these riches, the happier is thy soul. This was the fools error next my text, that conceived Riches to be all in Having, and not in Doing good. Therefore it is added in the closure of that parable, So is every one that gathereth riches to himself, and is not rich in God. So, that is, as very a fool as was he.  
5. Climb up mount Nebo, and from thence take a view of Canaan, and little list and love shalt thou have to the wilderness of the world. Get a piercing eye in meditation to see the invisible God, the glory and beauty of heaven; and therewithal shall we find our affections so inflamed, that they shall easily slake and cool in regard of earthly things. Oh shame that we that profess the hope of an inheritance with the Saints in light, should lavish out so much of our precious time, of our precious life, and the strength of our affections in the so eager pursuit of the trash of the earth. View well that heavenly jerusalem on high, that City which is of pure gold, Apoc. 21. 18. whose street is also pure gold, verse 21. and in comparison of that City, thou shalt say of all earthly felicities as Hiram said of the cities which Solomon gave him, 1. King. 9 13. They pleased him not: and he said, What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother? And he called them, viz. in indignation, the land of Cabul unto this day, that is, a dirty, a miry land. Heaven is our land of Canaan; fix we our eye and heart thereon, and the earth will not please us, it will be a very land of Cabul, a dirty, drossy land in our eye. Oh fond thing for us that hope for the milk and honey of Canaan, to long and lust after the stinking garlic and onions of Egypt. Oh fond thing for us that hope for a crown and kingdom, thus to abase ourselves to lie raking in the kennels of the earth. Thus if men would but seriously meditate, and work up their thoughts and hearts to the love of the treasures of heaven, it would soon breed in them an holy neglect, if not a contempt of this present world. This remedy our Saviour teacheth, Matth. 6. 19, 20, 21. Lay not up treasures for yourselves on earth, etc. as if he had said, Take heed and beware of covetousness; and then follows, But lay up treasures for yourselves 
Nemo enim potest nisi cogitare de thesauro suo, & quodam cordis itinere divitias suas sequi. Et sicut ecclesiam praecessit caput eius, sic Christianum praecedat cor eius. Eamus ergo hinc ex qua part possumus, sequetur totum nostrum quo praecesserit aliquid nostrum. Aug. serm. de divers 44.  in heaven; and then, Where our treasure is, there will our heart be. Our Head is in heaven, 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 fly these things, namely the covetous desires of the world. But how shall that be done? Lay hold of eternal life. The faster hold we take of the world to come, the loser hold shall we have of this world, and the less hold shall this world have of us. For this makes men hold so fast on, and in this life, because they have so slack 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 City having a foundation whose builder and maker was God, Heb. 11. 9 10. And thus David seemeth to wean his heart from the love of the earth, Psal. 17. 14. 15: having before spoken of the men of this world who have their portion in this life, he subjoins, I will behold thy face in righteousness, and when I awake I shall be satisfied with thine image. As if he had said, I neither envy nor desire their happiness, my teeth water not after their delicates, I long alone after that sweet satiety which I shall have in the society of the glorious Trinity at the day of my blessed resurrection. And so much for the remedies; and so much for the object of the caution.  
3. Third point remains. The Persons warned to beware. And he said unto them. Unto them? Unto whom? See the first verse of the Chapter, There was an innumerable multitude of people, in so much that they trod one upon another. And he said unto them, even to this whole and huge multitude, to them all, one and another, Take ye heed and beware.  
Covetousness is an Epidemical disease, an universal plague from which no sort is free. He said to them, even to them all. jer. 6. 13. For from the least of them, even to the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness. There is no sort or condition of persons free from this pestilence. Some sins are particular to some callings, as to the Ministry, to the Magistracy alone; some peculiar to some conditions, as to the rich or to the poor alone: but this poison infecteth all ages, callings, conditions, sexes, persons. Therefore now Christ speaks not as verse 1. to his disciples, but preaching against covetousness he speaketh to them all, He said unto them, Take heed and beware. I conceive our saviours auditory to be much of the nature of this present assembly; and I conceive this present assembly to be a mixed company of all sorts and conditions: and therefore as Christ said to them, so I say to you, even to all, and every of you, Take heed and beware of covetousness. But because hearers commonly are like over bashful guests, that either fast, or feed not so liberally as they should for want of a carver, give me leave therefore to take this office upon me, and to lay upon every man's trencher what may best suit, though not with his tooth, yet with his necessity.  
1. And first, according to the rule of well ordered charity, to begin at home; and as our Saviour began his sermon in this Chapter, He began to say to his disciples first of all; and as the Prophet in taxing this sin, jer. 6. 13. to begin with the Priest and the Prophet; let me advise you of the tribe of Levi, who are to teach others the contempt of the world, to take heed of the love of the world yourselves. Above all men take you heed, and beware you of covetousness. It is an irregularity, and an offence against Saint Paul's and Saint Peter's Canons, 1. Tim. 3. 3. Not given to filthy lucre, not covetous, and 1. Pet. 5. 2 Not caring for the flock for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. Ye are the light and the eyes of the world: If our light prove darkness, how great will that darkness be. This sin will put out our eye, and eclipse our light. Zach. 11. 17. The foolish shepherds right eye is threatened to be darkened. This is one sin that will bring that plague upon us. This is a besotting, blinding, and infatuating sin. Isay 56. 11. These greedy dogs can never have enough, and these shepherds cannot understand, for they all look to their own way, every one for his advantage, and for his own purpose. In the verse before he had complained that they were dumb dogs, that they could not bark. What made them dumb dogs? They were greedy dogs that could never have enough. Dogs that are ever feeding and gnawing their bones, have neither list nor leisure to be barking, and keeping the house. What was the reason these shepherds could not understand? They all looked after their own way, and for their own advantage. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon. They are two contrary Cures so infinitely distant each from other, as no court of Faculties can give a dispensation to serve both. We cannot be Gods Ministers, and Mammon's chaplains. I will use no other argument to urge this caution upon you, then of Paul to Timothy, 1. Tim. 6. 11. O thou man of God fly these things. Which very phrase seemeth to have a strong argument couched under it, in that he calleth him the man of God. Why saith he not as at other times, o Timotheus, but o thou man of God, but that his calling might be a monitour to him to make him wary and heedful? 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 thinks it standeth in opposition unto those. As if he should have said, Thou art not a man of the world, but a man of God, and seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not, jer. 45. 5. O man of God fly these things, for after all these things seek the people of the world. Luke 12. 30. It becometh not the men of God to be men of the world. Indeed, I confess, the men of the world have put an Egyptian trick upon the men of God; have taken away, I would but the straw alone, and yet still call for the full tale of brick both in preaching and hospitality: and having by their sacrilege made the ministery bare and penurious, and forced many to such shifts for their livelihood as carry an appearance of this sin, than they cry us down to be inhospitall, illiberal, and covetous. But yet for all this I could wish that the men of God, by joining not house to house, but parish to parish, did not give the men of the world too just cause to clamour against them for their covetousness. Pluralities, multitudes of Cures, multiplicity of Benefices, Absence from our flocks for our own ends and advantages, City Lectures with the neglect of country charges, all these have a shrewd suspicious appearance of this evil, and maketh the men of the world speak broadly, and say that none are more covetous than clergy men. Wherefore o ye men of God fly these things, Take heed and beware of covetousness.  
2. Ye honourable and reverend Magistrates and judges, who are not only men of God, but upon whom God hath put his own name, I have said ye are Gods. Psal. 82. take ye heed also and beware of covetousness. So jethro would have Moses his judges to be qualified, Exod. 18. 21. Men fearing God, dealing truly, hating covetousness. These are well joined together, for it is not possible they should deal truly in the place of justice, that do not hate covetousness. I neither do nor can accuse any of our reverend judges as guilty of this sin, or any such as commonly attend it when it setteth foot into the judgement seat, such as are injustice, bribery, corruption, raising favourites upon the ruins of honest causes and men, etc. But only as one this day in God's room, I am bold to beseech and advise your wisdoms to take heed and beware thereof. And that so much the rather, because this sin will make you such as I dare not name. But the Prophet Isay dares, and doth, Isay 1. 23. Thy Princes are companions of thieves. Why so? Not for taking of purses on the high way, but for taking bribes in their chambers: For every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards; they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the widows cause come before them. That is true of the judgement seat, which Augustine speaketh of kingdoms, that magna regna sine 
De Civit. Dei. l. 4. cap. 4.  justitia, are but magna latrocinia. This sin will turn Guildhall into a Shooter's hill, and Westminster-hall into a Saris-bury plain. Her ruler's love to say with shame, Give ye, Hos. 4. 18. And what difference between give ye, and deliver ye? Indeed give ye is not so dangerous by the law as deliver ye; and give ye goeth oft in chains of gold, while deliver ye lieth in fetters of iron: but in the Court of conscience, & before God's tribunal, there is no difference between thievery and bribery. For the same commandment that forbiddeth thievery forbiddeth bribery, yea and forbiddeth it under the name of thievery. That word Hos. 4. 18. translated rulers, junius and the margin of our new Translation read shields. Such indeed should men be that are in place of justice; they should be shields to shelter and defend their poor brethren in their right and innocency. But if once these shields shall love and desire to be gilded, these shields will be turned into spoiling swords. God shield you therefore ye reverend judges from covetousness. Walk in justice, speak righteous things, refuse the gain of oppression, 
Isay 33.  shake your hands from taking of gifts, shake them as Paul shook off the viper, think them no less dangerous, let them do no more hurt then the viper did him, stop your ears, and shut your eyes from seeing evil. There be three sins 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 between the other two, as that which indeed giveth life to both the other. For why do they afflict or oppress the just? They take a bribe. And what mischief followeth upon it? They turn aside the poor ●n the gate from their right. Take heed of this sin as of a mighty sin, yea as of a burning sin that will consume all, for fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery, job 15. 34. Let therefore neither gain nor rewards be the remora to the ship of justice, let it sail speedily; Currat lex, let justice have a quick course. jethro was not pleased to see causes hang from morning to evening, it would have grudged him far more to have seen them hang from year to year: worst of all it would have angered him to have seen causes used as unconscionable Chirurgeons use sore legs, hold them long in hand not for the difficulty of, but for the gain of the cure. Oh that your wisdoms would think of some course no less for speed then integrity in justice, that a good cause might not be tired and wearied out with long suit, and that a man's right recovered by law might not be as costly as what is bought by purchase.  
3. It will not be an unseasonable caveat to all inferior Lawyers, to advise them also to beware and take heed of covetousness. I may speak 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 utterly a fault amongst you, even amongst you Lawyers, not because ye go to law one with another, but because many of you out of a covetous desire of gain, do encourage men that have bad causes to go to law with others. Why rather suffer ye not wrong? why rather sustain ye not the loss of a little dishonest gain? Nay ye yourselves do wrong, and do harm, and that to your brethren, whilst out of a squint respect to your own gain, you stick not to plead such causes as you know to be weak and unjust. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived. Neither covetous nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God. The Apostle adds, And such were some of you. I would I might not speak in the present tense, and say, And such are some of you. I speak not this as if I came hither to maintain a foolish faction between Colleges and Inns of Court; God forbidden that we should stand upon this holy ground with such filthy shoes; but I speak it out of a desire of the peace of your own hearts: to the which I dare refer myself, and make them the judges, whether ye be guilty of this sin, yea or no.  
For while with Absalon ye say to every 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 every man, and so stole away the hearts of the people: whilst, I say, with Absalon ye tell every man, his cause is good; and so steal away, not the hearts, for them ye lose at last, but the goods of the people, are ye not covetous?  
Whilst with Tertullus for your sees, you care not to plead against Paul, against an honest man's 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 covetous?  
Whilst with the men of Abiezer, judg. 6. ye will plead for Baal, will for your gains plead in public Courts of justice for base debauched adulterous drunkards presented and indicted for their notorious irregularities, and plead for their honesty too; I will not say, Are ye yourselves honest? but I dare say, Are ye not grossly covetous? Oh take heed of this covetousness; and above all fees and incomes in the world, tender your peace with God. In whose name and fear, I beseech you to make a conscience of pleading every cause. When an ill cause cometh to you for counsel, say that of it plainly, which the buyer of his commodity speaketh dissemblingly, Prou. 20. 14. It is nought, it is nought. It is not so great a sin for a chapman to say of a good commodity, It is nought, it is nought, as for a Lawyer to say of a naughty cause, It is good, it is good. Make a conscience of pleading against a good cause. Let not covetousness make your wits, skill, learning and tongues, instrumental to injustice. Neither be Tertullists to plead against Paul, nor Abiezrites to plead for Baal. Will ye plead for Baal? Let Baal and Belial plead for themselves. How think ye to have the Lord jesus for your Advocate, that dare be pleading advocates for Baal and Belial? Therefore all Lawyers, Take heed and beware of covetousness.  
4. I commend this caveat to all Church-patrons: Take ye heed also and beware of covetousness. What is the reason that our Church groans under the heavy burden of so many insufficient ministers? Nothing more than the covetousness of Church-patrons, who while they look more at the gifts and gratuities in the hand, than gifts and graces of the heart, stick not to bring into God's Sanctuary those for Levites to divide the word, who in good truth, give them their due, are not worthy the place of Gibeonites to cleave and divide wood, and draw water, unfit for the meanest service of the Sanctuary. Me thinks judas his halter should make you afraid of judas his question, Quid dabitis? What will ye give? God gave him an halter. Take heed lest while you ask the same question, God do not give you the same answer. For certainly this sin makes you as very thieves as ever was judas: and what can a thief look for, but the halter? You are every whit as bad as judas. He sold the Head, you sell the members; he the shepherd, you the sheep; and the same sin that set him, sets you on work too, the sin of covetousness. As bad as judas? Nay in some respect ye are worse than 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 judas 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 murderer and a thief; and yet I say, that you are worse than he. He sold but the body, but you sell souls, and so make yourselves guilty of the sin of that execrable filth of Babylon, whose merchandise (Apoc. 18. 13.) is not only pearls, linen, scarlet, etc. but also the souls of men. judas by his barter made but the potter's field, you by yours make Christ's field, Christ's Church, an Aceldema, a field of blood, while for your wicked pecuniary respects, in stead of barking dogs to keep, you put in ravening wolves and sleepy greedy dogs to kill Christ's sheep. Now as you fear to have your hands besmeared with the gore of souls, and as you dread that heavy account which must be given for soule-bloud, so all Church-patrons take heed and beware of covetousness.  
5. Me thinks, in the next place, whilst this sin is thus complained of, I should hear Landlords, and men that live on Offices, saying to me as the Publicans to john, Luk, 3. 12. What shall we do? If covetousness be thus foul a sin, how then, and what then shall we do? To whom I give the same answer that john did to the Publicans and the soldiers both, Exact no more than is appointed to you, and Do no man violence, be content with your wages. Take heed and beware of covetousness, Take heed of exaction, Take heed of oppression, Take heed of racking your rents, Take heed of tentring your poor Tenants. Grind not the faces of the poor; uncloathe not their loins to clothe your dead walls. Many Landlords are like Darius, Dan. 6. 16. he prays God to help Daniel, but in the mean time sends him to the Lion's den: so many oppressing Landlords, they cry, God help, but in the mean time play the Lions. God hath sworn by his Holiness, that he will takeaway such oppressors with thorns, and their posterity with fishhooks, Am. 4. 2. God will serve them as Gideon served the men of Succoth, judg. 8. 16. whom he did tear with the briars and thorns of the wilderness. It is but justice that their flesh should be torn off with briars, who were thorns and briars to tear off the flesh of others. 
Tantum ergo natum est ut loca non sufficerent quae solebant, & quaerebat consilium miser, non quomodo erogaret quod plus natum erat, sed quomodo reseruaret. Aug. serm. de divit 28.  Ye find a rich man immediately after my text, whom the Lord calleth Fool: Fool this night shall thy soul be taken from thee. Wherein lay this man's folly? In that he took care not to lay up for good uses, but to lay up for voluptuous uses that surplusage of estate which God had given him. Now mark what Augustine inferreth hereupon: If he be a fool which lays but up his own goods, Vos invenite ei nomen qui tollit aliena, find you out a fit name for him that takes away another man's. What name then may we find out? Solomon fits them with a name, Eccles. 3. 18. Viderem hos esse illis bestias; so junius; not fools, 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 wolves, evening wolves, Lions, Lion's whelps, roaring and ramping Lions, Zeph. 3. 3. Nah. 2. 11. 12. Beasts they are, beasts of prey, that live ex rapto. Not only kine of Bashan, that by oppression trample under foot, but devouring wolves, not only trampling but tearing beasts. How fairly were this Island blest, if it were as clear rid of these as it is of other wolves? How happy were it if these Cannibals were amongst the savage Indians? How well, if these man-eating beasts might be used as was Nabuchadnezzar, turned to grass? 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 & civitates, 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.  driven from men, and did eat grass as the oxen.  
6. I may not here let pass such as are guilty of sacrilege, impropriators of Church livings, together with close and cunning defrauders of the ministery, Take ye heed and beware of covetousness. There is nothing so sacred and inviolable which this Harpy dareth not seize upon. The patrimony of the Church is exhausted, and they that have enough otherwise will not let go their Church livings. They whose forefathers fed and fatted the rich gluttons of Rome, think now the crumbs that fall under their tables too much for the poor Lazarus of the Gospel. They must needs have this one feather in their peacocks tail. How should they maintain that port and pomp in table, apparel, idle and prodigal expenses, if this borrowed, what if I had said this stolen feather, were repaid the Church again? Covetousness plucked this feather, and covetousness holdeth this feather, and telleth covetous Impropriators, that it is fit that God's Ministers should want maintenance, then that their horse heels should want litter. To all such persons may that be spoken innocently which the unprofitable servant to his master spoke wickedly: Master, 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 reap where they sow not? If we sow spiritual things, what right, what reason hath Covetousness to thrust her sickle into our harvest, and to reap our temporal things? The world is wondrous busy about the disquisition of the tenure of Tithes by what right they are due, and many are cunninger in this, then in the main fundamental articles of their religion; but nevertheless in the mean time there is a more necessary Quaere forgotten, to wit, by what right Impropriators detain Church maintenance. Let that case be canvased in the Court of conscience, and if God shall there determine on their sides, we have done; much good do it them. I know I do but beat the air, but yet Israel must know his transgressions, and jaacob his iniquities, and covetous ones hear of their impropriations.  
There is also another sort of sacrilege in the close purloining and filching ministerial dues, which covetousness hath taught false fingers to use. The Pharisees are taxed in the Gospel for covetousness, and yet it were happy the world had but the Pharisees honesty. Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of God. Alas, how many think to go to heaven, that yet come far short of a Pharisees righteousness? Luk. 18. 12. I, saith the Pharisee, pay tithe of all that ever I possess. In which speech I should have feared he had lied, had not our Saviour elsewhere acknowledged so much of their preciseness in tithing even unto mint and cummin. The covetousness of the Pharisees was an honest covetousness unto the Church-robbing and Church-pilling covetousness of our days.  
7. It were endless to follow covetousness into every shop and profession: therefore last of all, All, of all sorts, one and another, high and low, rich and poor, old and young, take heed and beware of covetousness. Take heed of it in your mutual dealings in buying and selling: abuse no man's simplicity, abuse no man's credulity, take not the advantage of any man's necessity, but remember the speech of an heathen, Gen. 23. 15. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. Take no more for a commodity than it is worth. We use to say in another case, Caveat emptor, let the buyer beware; but here I say, caveat venditor, let the seller beware and take heed of covetousness. Take heed of false balances, 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 seal 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 terms of kindness, for God is the avenger of all these things. Every trade is called a mystery. It were to be wished that in every mystery, there were not a mystery of iniquity found out and practised by the iniquity of covetousness. It were a shame to send Christians to school to learn honest dealing of Turks, and yet they boast that we are a form beneath them for honest and square dealing. I will rather send you to that rule of nature and equity, the doctrine of the Law and the Prophets, Math. 7. 12. Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, even 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 covetousness. A● you love God, and would be loath to break his holy commandments; and as you fear God, and would be loath to suffer his heavy judgements, the curse of God upon your bodies, the curse of God upon your goods, the curse of God upon the fruit of your loins, the curse of his everlasting vengeance upon your souls, so Take heed and beware of covetousness.  
FINIS.