temptations: Their 

Nature,  
Danger,  
Cure.   The third PART: BY RICHARD CAPEL, Sometimes fellow of Magdalen college in Oxford.  
LONDON, Printed by R. Y. for John Bartlet, and are to be sold at his Shop in Cheap-side, at the sign of the gilded Cup. 1636.   

temptations: Their 

Nature,  
Danger,  
Cure.   The third PART.  
WEe are now in this third part to treat of such temptations, as do not use to stare in the face of common Christians: but of such temptations as startle the consciences of such Christians as are now 
1 Cor. 2. 6. Inter imperfectos nonnulla▪ obtegunt, nulla mentiuntur. Aug. de vera relic. c. 28.  perfect, as Saint Paul calls them in one place, and become spiritual in some great degree, as he means by that term in 
1 Cor. 3. 1.  another place. For when a man comes once to be very spiritual, to have an eye to see, and a sense to feel such things, which before he made no care of, then his heart will ache at some faults, and his soul will smite at such things, which before he used not to see to be any sins at all; or if he did, yet he felt no great bitterness in them. Paul, because he had much grace, and was in comparison of many now( as it were) all conscience, and his conscience was( almost) all tenderness, a seeing, a speaking, a feeling, and a smiting conscience, therefore he did cry out for ordinary scapes, O wretched man, a body of sin, a Law in my members: So Rom. 7. 14. I am carnal: What, simply? No, but he had a quick eye, and saw too much flesh in himself: sold under sin: What a slave to sin simply? No, no sin reigned in him, but sold in respect of his flesh, and in respect of his feeling, he felt abundance, it even wearied him out. Ahab sold himself to do evil. Paul was sold under sin, he did not sell himself: Ahab sold himself to sin, Paul was sold under sin. All this cry was not because his sins were so great, but because his heart was so good, and for that he had an extraordinary conscience of his own. And thus it is( in our measure) with some now, who because they are come to be very heavenly, and exceeding spiritual, they find great trouble for such matters, which others( though otherwise good people) make little or nothing of. But before we come to mention any particulars by name▪ I will first speak of an head or two, under which lie many branches.  

CHAP. I. Of lesser sins.  
IT is false divinity for a man to call any sins little, simply and without comparison. sins cannot bee little to him that thinks them little. But yet it is so, that some sins in relation to other sins, are far lesser; and so some are great, and some are little. In this sense there are degrees of comparison in sins and sinning;& some have gone about to tell us which is the greatest sin of all, but which is of all sins the least, I do not find that any man hath been on that argument. 'tis enough for us that some sins are a great deal lesser than others, and the same sin is lesser in one, and at one time, than in another, and at another time. And these lesser sins, when they be of the least size of all both for matter and maner, yet they may and will make a foul cry in the consciences of some men, who are come to that measure Saint Paul speaks of, Eph. 4. 13. Wherefore, first we are to do our best to avoid them; simply to bee without them we cannot, but yet we are to stand as free as may bee: and to that end consider but these things:  
1 That the least that is, is sin, forbidden by the great God, and that on pain of damnation, and cost Christ his precious blood. No sin, be it ever so little, but hath in it all the nature of poison. It is killing, it is damning. Be it but a penny, yet it hath the superscription and image of the devil on it. It carrieth guilt enough in the mouth of it to damn all the souls in the world, in case all the souls in the world were guilty of it. And what if Saint Paul put it on 
1 Cor. 6. 9.  great sins, that they shut us out of heaven? yet the least sin hath in it enough to do the dead. His meaning is, that such great sins use not to be where grace is; and when they bee done by such a man, they do turn away from him the light of Gods blessed face, cast for a time a cloud upon the countenance of the Lord, and they do distress the heart of such a sinner with a terrible fear: but 'tis not so( ever) with lesser sins, because they may and do use to scape a man without his allowance, and God useth not to show himself in his displeasure against such sinners. Lesser are damnable, in and of themselves: greater sins are not onely, but yet chiefly, the sins which do draw out the anger of God; so that we are to beware most of great and foul faults, the great transgression, Psal. 19. 13. But yet small debts are dangerous, and so are many, nay one small sin; and sometimes there is the more danger, for that we think there is no danger. And such sins, of which wee use to say, it is but a little one, we are more apt to allow, and consent unto, than to greater, and then, when such a sin is so committed, and after it is committed, so allowed, there will follow in a tender conscience a main out-cry. This being a common practise with the devil, to make us make too little of a little sin, when it is to be done or while it is a doing, but after to make us make rather too much, than too little of it. Consider then, not so much what it is which is forbidden, but who it is that forbids it, and why, and what is like to become of it: when Satan saith, do it, because it is a little sin, Answer, No, I will not do it, I dare not do it▪ because it is a sin, and God will be very angry with me( nay, say, I will not do it because it is a little sin, and God will be very angry with me) in case I prove 
Luk. 16. 10.  unfaithful in a little, especially if it bee not a thing done in 
Psal. 116. 11.  hast, and I have time to ponder on the matter: I must not; it is a most unfaithful thing to break with God for a little. Little sins carry with them but little temptation, and then a man shows much viciousness within, when he sins on a little tentation. 'tis devilish to sin without a temptation, 'tis little less than devilish to sin on a little occasion. Many times the less the temptation, the greater the sin. Sauls sin in not staying for Samuel was not so much in the matter; but it was much in the malice of it, and cost him dear. Say, the guilt is not little when we therefore sin, because the sin is little.  
2 Secondly, let us not bee made such children, as to think that wee shall avoid some greater sin by yielding unto some lesser. For a lesser makes way for a greater, and a lesser sin thus chosen and yielded unto, is greater and worse than the great sin, had we fallen into it without such choice; a lesser sin allowed being guiltier than a greater sin not allowed. Neither is it a little sin to commit a little sin, because it is a little sin. again, in case wee give way to a lesser to avoid a greater, in the course of our corrupt nature we are in the way to do the greater, and in the course of Gods justice wee shall( a thousand to one) fall into the greater. For if we commit one sin to avoid another, it is but just wee should avoid neither. Let us rather say, sin is not cured nor prevented by sin. Do not once think to avoid a greater sin by it; if thou shouldst, yet this little sin is little to thee no longer, but the wrath is great, and the danger great, and 'tis ten to one, that if we will fall into the lesser, we shall fall into the greater, we having not the law in our hands to keep off sins as we please.  
3 Thirdly, bee not deceived, so as to think, and say, It is but a little sin: or, They bee but small, and it is not possible to avoid them. Take them together, and it is not possible but wee shall sin some sins while we are here. 1 Joh. 1. 8. If we say wee have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. He saith not, and 
Hoc non tantum humiliter dicitur, said eriam ve●aciter: poterat enim Apostolus dicere, Si dixerimus quia non habemus peccatum nos ipsos extollimus,& humilitas in nobis non est: said cum ait nos ipsos decipimus,& veritas in nobis non est, satis ostendit, eum qui se dixerit non habere peccatum, non verum loqui, said falsum. Conci●. Mil●vit. can. 6.  humility is not in us, but, and the truth is not in us, to show, that he that saith he hath no sin, speaks not truth. But set them down one by one, and 'tis easier to avoid this, or that lesser sin, than a greater. Simply not to sin we cannot; but name this or that sin, and we may avoid it. As not to eat at all we cannot: but not to eat of this, or that dish we may. Grace within may, and( if we would) it would keep us easier from lesser infirmities, than from greater sins. The reason why we are not kept from lesser, rather than from greater, is not because that grace in us may not do one with more ease than the other, but because first, God he it is who doth by his actual assisting and preventing grace keep us, and not our habits of grace within,( in, and of themselves) and therefore one reason of this is, because he will, and doth suffer us to fall into lesser sins, but will not suffer us to fall into greater. So we have in Deut. 18. 14. These Nations which thou shalt possess harkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners, but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee to do so. It was not because they were better to God than the Nations, but because God was better to them. And God doth suffer us to fall into lesser sins, rather than into greater sins, because lesser sins use not so to disturb our peace, as greater sins do; wee having our discharge for them in our general pardon of grace.  
Secondly, we fall into lesser sins, rather than into greater, because wee do not take that heed of lesser sins which wee do of greater. We are foolish in this, and do think that lesser faults are venial, and do not deserve hell: and on these grounds it is, that we hold out against greater, but not against lesser sins, albeit in and of itself it is easier to avoid the lesser; only lesser slips being very many, we do not eye them so as wee might: again, we pray more against great temptations than against lesser. For we dream, that of ourselves we can resist the smaller and weaker temptations; whereas 'tis out of our power, without Gods special grace in a spiritual and gracious maner, to resist the least motion that is. We must then be at it, and keep our spirits waking, and know that as wee ought, so we may with weak graces preserve ourselves from lesser sins. In a word, all in general are not 
Durand l. 2. D. 42. q. 2.  evitable: for while Reason is in her watch against one motion, another on a sudden steps in, and surpriseth a man ere he is ware; but when they come one by one in single, it is easier by far to check a lesser than a greater motion, as being more avoidable.  
Thus much for the means to avoid lesser sins. Now a word or two how to get off the trouble of mind that falls on the Conscience of a spiritual man for lesser faults.  
1 First, think it to be a blessed trouble, when we can find an aching Conscience for lesser evils. It shows that we are very tender, and that wee have much grace, a great deal of the spirit, much light that can see them, much life that can feel them, and can make much of that which others make nothing of. This trouble is mixed with joy, and it ends in comfort, sith it brings us to the main ground of all comfort, that is, that wee are in the state of grace. Bee thankful that thou hast a Davids heart, that can smite thee for a lap of Sauls garment: that thou hast a Pauls Conscience, that can cry out and call himself wretched man, and sigh after death, not for greater crosses, but for lesser sins. This is a sure testimony of faith: onely wee must see that it be not in hypocrisy, that we do it not in partiality. This were to strain at a gnat; and wee may know, that we do not swallow a camel, if wee strain at a camel first and most, and then strain at Gnats: Thus if we do, happy we that have such troubles in our consciences, because such troubles breed and feed heavenly comforts: and what if troubles arise many together, for many lesser leaks in our souls? yet they do not exclude comfort quiter, they do onely suspend it for the present: and how suspend it? not in regard of the roote, but of some fruit: as a sick man is settled, because he hath and knows he hath the possession of his estate, albeit for the present he have not the fruition. Right so, such do mourn, and they are blessed. Blessed are they that 
{αβγδ} i. e. as men do at funerals, Zach. 12. to. as one mourneth for his only son.  mourn. And why blessed? what? have they comfort? No, but they shall have, they shall be comforted: they are blessed that do mourn, not because they mourn, but because their mourning is some cause, and a sign, that they shall bee comforted. A man then may be a blessed man without comfort in hand as long as he hath it in hope. A man should not for any thing desire to have his Conscience to pass over lesser faults, without some cry and some touch; it being our infirmity that in troubles of heart we use to cry too much for greater, too little for lesser faults: yet( saving some frailties in the manner of our trouble of mind) this trouble of heart is( not indeed an happy thing, but it is) an happy sign.  
2 Secondly, wee must not judge of the sin altogether by the trouble we feel, for we are troubled more with horrors sometimes for lesser sins, than for far greater sins, 
Durand. l. 4. D. 33. q. 2.  because we have a greater inclination to one sin than to another: and as the 
Arist. de anima. l. 1. c. 2.  Philosopher observes, it is from the body, and the temper thereof that some weaker passions and affections move us more than some stronger do: wherefore our trouble must not be our judge. It follows not, this sin doth trouble me least, therefore it is the least sin; this doth trouble me more, therefore it is the greater sin: but we must judge of the greatness and littleness of sin by the word, and we must do what wee can, that our trouble come chiefly from the right light of our mind, and not from the humour, the inclination or disinclination of the body: next, that our sorrow and trouble carry some proportion to our sins: and lastly, that we turn our sorrows upon our sins, to crucify them, because they so crucify us; and then, when wee find that our little sins grow less and less, fewer and fewer, our trouble stands, and runs right, and wee are happy men when our sins cure themselves, when they eat out their own guilt and strength. There is no sin so little but it may grow less, and he is in the right who finds this use of his troubles for lesser sins, that they weaken under his trouble, and wear away daily. Thus little sins hurt not; but when they are seen and allowed, they hurt and damn: and I think some are in hell, who never committed such great sins, as some have done, who are now in heaven.  
Lesser sins are of two kinds; First, 
Arist Eth. 1. 7. c. 7.  of precipitaney and hast, when a man ere he can consider the matter, is on a sudden by imprudencie hurried away with some passion, and is in some sin ere he is ware: So he,( I said in my HAST, all men are liars.) Secondly, of infirmity, when a man wrestles, and hath some time to fight it out against evil motions: but for want of breath and strength, falls and is as S. Paul was, in some 
Rom. 7. 23.  Captivity to the law of sin. This is worse than the former, because here a man hath while and space to look to himself, but in the former all is in an hurry; hast doth it, and mars all, and there is no time for one to bethink himself: and sins of infirmity having more of our nature, are more hard to cure, than sudden hasty sins of precipitancie; but both are lesser sins, and our point is meant of both.   

CHAP. II. Of sins of Omission.  
WHen a man is come to some height of grace, then he is wringed in his Conscience, sometimes for doing his duties so poorly, and sometimes for not doing them at all: It is an argument of a brave spirit to have an heart to ache, and to find ones blood to rise for omitting duties; and that not for custom, as boyes, who find something within, when they pass their set times and forms of prayer, but when tis out of Conscience. To mourn over our souls for sins of Commission is not so much, sith sins of Commission do more quickly, and more sharply check the Conscience, than sins of Omission: for that in sins of Commission there is both an act, and a defect; but in 
Durand. l. 2. D. 36. q. 1. n. 4.  sins of omission there is a defect onely. again, sins of omission are against an affirmative law, which doth rather show us our duty than check us for 'vice. And lastly, sins of commission do presuppose the omission of some duty. Wherefore it is a note of a judgement rightly and clearly informed, and of an heart excellently steeled with grace, when wee cannot find quiet after omitting duties, but are grieved at the very heart when a duty is omitted; and that chiefest of all, when we find little feeling in the very doing of such duties. Now if we dare not omit duties, and when through infirmity we do pass them over, our hearts are in a chafe for it, it is a sign that all is very well with us within: and chiefly in case wee do find our conscience complain for the omission of duties, which nature doth not convince us of, but they are duties onely because the Word saith so, and wee know them to be duties because in the Word we find them so. Here now if wee can feel trouble because wee omit the reading of the Word, the hearing of a Sermon, our duty in prayers, and in the Sacraments, believe it, it is a sign of a sound mind, of much grace, and of some growth in virtue. But in case wee can take it to heart, that when wee do do our duties, that we do them no better, in no better manner; that we red the Word so cursorily; we pray indeed, but it is so coldly; wee receive Sacraments when time serves, but it is but in form, and for fashion: now I say, if we can weep within, and that betwixt God and ourselves without a witness, not onely for non-performance of duties, but for our unmannerly doing of them; believe it, this shows not onely that such are holy, but very holy, and passing good men and women. Albeit troubles for omission of duties be a good sign, yet he doth not best still who hath least inward trouble, but who hath least cause; and therefore wee are to beware, that we draw not needless troubles, nor spiritual brushes on ourselves; attend and watch over our souls, that when the heart calls, and God calls, we do set about such duties as conscience doth require. As wee must not make duties where God makes none; so wee must not omit, and skip over such lessons as God doth command us to perform, lest God smite us with some pang of unbelief, as he did Thomas Didymus, for being absent but once from an holy meeting of the Apostles,( I think) on the Lords day. We do not know what may come of it when we miss a duty, 'tis to be expected that the next will be to fall into some sin of Commission. Omission of our diet will breed diseases, so will omitting of duties breed noi●ome matter in the soul, and make work for hell, or for the ●hysician of our souls. We must die the death, or take some ●trong physic. nought is like ●o come of it when we seem to make conscience of committing sins, but not of omitting duties: one being an offence against God as well as the other. Let us then see to our matters, that wee do what is required, because it is required, and as it is required, and when it is required, and then wee shall have peace within: and when we have done our best, such is our frailty, that many things will scape us, and wee shall through hast or heedlessness step over many a duty; but if wee feel remorse and trouble of heart, we are in a good and excellent estate, very spiritual: onely we must beware that we rest not in our trouble, and think that that is all, but wee must go farther. A sinful thing it is, when wee have omitted a duty, to think to make all amends with Go● and our consciences, by passing thorough the fire of some biting anguish for it: as though this inward bleeding had some merit in it. No, no, it must bring us farther: our troubles must draw us up to Christ. Wee must repent, and be truly and hearty sorry that we have broken with God, that we have not kept ourselves up in doing our duties and even vow unto him to bee more strict that way against another time. Grieving without repenting, and repenting without obeying comes to little. And for that we are more apt to omit duties than to commit sins, wee are to use the more care, that wee hold fast our resolution to perform our obedience to God, to omit nothing for any mans pleasure which God would have us do. In no case we are to do an unlawful ●ct for fear, or favour, or at the ●ommand of man: but for du●es we may upon the interposi●ion of authority sometimes ●mit some things lawful, but ●hen they go not for duties to and done at this time: and some are always sick or crazy, and cannot do duties in public, ●nd of necessity must omit ma●y duties in private: this is a cross, not a sin, thus to omit duties; which wee do not, because: by reason of weakness we cannot do them. God doth by sickness call such to a more excellent duty, which is to suffer crosses and sicknesses with patience, when it is not because we will not, or care not, but because we cannot. The not doing of the duty is a cross, and not a sin; wee must then see to it, that we do not slubber over duties, and care not how they bee done, so they bee done: for he that doth duties the next way, the next will be, he will not do them at all; and when we come to omit duties, wee must and will, and shall commit sins. So the issue is, that when it is a duty, and a duty to be done now by us, wee forfeit our peace in case we do omit the least thing that is: every tittle of Gods Law being better worth than all the world. Wherefore for what is past mourn and spare not, but not as men without hope. The pardon is ready, and was made in Gods mind before we were ever made. We might die in our sins the while, if when we have sinned we were to stay the providing of a pardon. chirurgeons have some general plasters ready to clap on on a sudden, lest the patient die ere he can make and provide his salue. God in Christ hath all plasters and pardons ready made and sealed: he still offers, 'tis but for us to come and take the offer. as soon as a duty is omitted, and the wound begins to ache and fester, away to God, make peace with him, and all will end well. Sometimes wounds trouble us at first: sometimes again we feel nothing while we are hurt, we cannot tell whether we are hurt or not; but after the wound pays us. And so it is in sins of omission; at first, when it is omitted, we ail nothing, feel nothing: but when we pause, and blow upon it a while, the pang of a tender conscience will come upon us, and we shall find it bitter. Wherefore go on without interruption, lose not a stroke. The more we fast, the longer we may: the more wee omit, the longer we may, and shall still, except we return. Oh return, give not over so: satan doth not mean it shall end thus. Let us get our pardon, make our peace, do our first works with advantage. Declining will steal upon us. Lose not a meal. Do all that wee are to do with all our heart. do what we do, not onely to stop the mouth of conscience, but to stop Gods mouth. do all for matter; for manner in obedience to him, because he saith it, because he will have it so: then use ourselves to it, and use is a gteat matter; and wee shall find when conscience and custom come together, it must bee a great matter which must put us by. And when it is rather weakness than negligence which doth occasion a default, our peace will hold, the quiet of our mind will not crack. Not but that the least omission of the least duty that is, is a sin, but it troubles not, because we have a pardon of course for daily weaknesses, included in that genetall pardon which we have upon our general repentance. And here wee must see, that our peace for such infirmities do result out of our general acquittance, wherein all sins are contained, though none in particular name: and not because wee think them to be but venial sins,& have a Pope in our belly, which makes us think, that they do not deserve Gods anger. And in some others there is a quiet, because they judge of sin and desert by nature and not by Scripture, and do conceit of God as of men; and because men do pass over light abuses and petty matters, therefore God also doth( think they) not count of them: but this is foolish divinity. For man is no way bound in justice to proceed against abuses offered him; and therefore small matters doing him no sensible hurt, he may and doth pass them over: but God hath tied himself in justice to enter his action against the least sin, and in law the penalty is hell. Besides, man being under a law stands bound to skip over such offences against him, but God is under no law of any superior, but hath onely bound himself self by a law of his own justice of his own making to proceed against all sins, except he have satisfaction made him. The right is, that when we feel no grudging for such daily infirmities( after all care had and used) it is because they do not stagger, nor cause us to doubt of our right to that great and general pardon, written for us in blood; in the blood of the lamb. Thus we see what our care is to bee, that wee omit as few duties as we can, and as seldom as 'tis possible: wee see also what our comforts are to be, in case wee fall into omission of a duty; and wee smart for it, to wit, it is a proof of our faith; a work of grace, and wee shall come out in better case than ever, and wee shall bee more curious in observing, and careful in doing our duties ever after.  
Next, beware of delaying. I deal dyed not( saith David) to keep thy Commandement▪ Psal. 119. delays bee dangerous; our hearts will cool, and our affections will fall down. It is good then to be doing while it is called to day, while it is called now. Now, now, now, saith David, Psal. 118. 2, 3, 4. There be three nowes, and all to teach us, that for ought we know now or never, to day or not at all, while the heart strikes, else our irons will cool. satan hath little hope to prevail should he put us to omit our duties quiter when the clock strikes, and therefore his skill is to urge us to put it off till another time, as fitter and better: Do it anon, next hour, next day, next week( saith he): and why not next year? Hereafter( saith he) it will be as well as now. This he saith indeed, but his meaning( by hereafter) is never; and he that is not fit to day hath no promise but he shall bee more unapt to morrow. We have neither God, nor our own hearts at command: and when we have lost the oppotunity, God to correct us perhaps will not give us affections. The cock within shall not crow to awaken us, the sun shall not shine, and then we are in danger to give over quiter; and if we come once to a total omission of one duty, why not of another, and of another, and so of all? and then farewell to us.  
again, omission of duties will bring us to commission of the sin that is contrary to that duty. Men do sin and scandal,( Ps. 119. 11.) Why? because the Word is not in them. They killed Christ: Why? because they received not his Word, Joh. 8. 37. And wee feel that sins committed will give a fearful blow to our consciences. Then he that would not come to that penance, as to be put to it in the court of his own conscience for committing of sins, that man must see to it, that he do not omit duties; or if he do, yet let him see to it, that he make all well again presently; else the next will be, that he will, and must, and shall fall into the commission of sin. The sum is, he that will not commit sins, let him not omit duties. First, God will scourge omitting of duties with suffering us to commit sins, and so we shall sin. Secondly, omitting duties weakens us, lets satan in, and corruption out: and so we will sin. Thirdly, makes. God in his justice to give us over; and so we must sin. Lastly, when we have an extraordinary occasion come in, it is lawful to omit for a turn or so; the doing of ordinary duties: only we must take two caveats,  
First, that we double it, and make it up the next time; do twice as much as we are wont, and as our stint was.  
Secondly, that we take it as a cross that wee are necessary hindered. If a man make and take occasion to put by the doing of duties, the end will be nought: we are in danger to come from putting by duties, to put them off quiter: But now if an occasion be put upon us, it is no sin to omit; but yet we must take it as a cross. If we be glad that we have such occasion come in the way, that without sin we may omit a duty, it shows hypocrisy and deep corruption; but if we be sorry it falls out so, there is no hurt done. So pray( saith Christ) that your flight bee not on the Sabbath day, Matth. 24. 20. Not but that it was lawful, and no sin for a Jew to fly on the Sabbath day( for Eliah did fly forty dayes, and so of necessity five or six Sabbaths); but yet they were to take it heavily, that( though by a just occasion) they might not enjoy their Sabbaths: so we are to grieve, that by a just occasion we are put by the doing of our duties. It is no sin, but it is a cross, that by the providence of God wee are hindered, and put to the loss of a duty: If we be glad of it, it shows much corruption; if we take it as a cross, it shows much sanctification.   

CHAP. III. Of covetousness.  
covetousness breeds a( tentation) and more( a snare.) It draws us in, it holds us fast when wee are in. Wee think too well of this sin, and it useth not to vex us till we are brought to a fight and sense of it. God useth to give men over to some vexing sin, on purpose to bee even with them for this sin. temptations, base temptations of the seventh Commandement are let out often to pay men for this sin of covetousness, the worse sin of the two, take them both in the height of their degrees. For lasciviousnes properly is not, bu● covetousness is idolatry; not so much, because the love of money makes money an idol: for so the Glutton makes his belly his god, but he doth not trust in his belly-cheere, he thinks not to bee protected by his belly: but the covetous person puts his trust in his money; and it is high idolatry to make any creature our confidence, as the Worldling saith to his wedge, Thou art my confidence: and we find, that the Word is much against the sin of covetousness; page. after page. there be many sharp invectives against worldliness, and all little enough to bring men to think it to be a sin, or such a sin as it is.  

SECT. 1. What covetousness is.  
LEt your conversation( saith Saint Paul) be without covetousness, Hebr. 13. 4. How? Be content with such things as ye have. Why? The Lord hath said, he will not forsake us. So then covetousness is, when wee are not content with what wee for the present have. Oh, but I have nothing! Yes, thou hast the promise, and the promise is all, and he that hath the promise hath all. Have wee more, have we little, have we nothing, yet by virtue of the promise we are to bee content: Be content( saith Saint Paul) with food and raiment, under these two heads containing all necessaries. In reason and in nature, he that hath necessaries for back and belly is to be content: Houses are not name, for that in those dayes they were to stand ready to run from place to place, and to leave house and all behind them. But in Divinity, and in the way of Faith, he that hath neither food nor raiment is to be content: for the promise is virtually food, raiment, and all. But to come near the matter; covetousness doth not properly stand in getting, but in 
Aristot. eth. 4. c. 1.  keeping: for it is opposite to liberality; and liberality is in giving: Wherefore covetousness stands in not giving, in parting with nothing. he is greedy to get, but it is that he may save and keep. 
1 Cor. 6. 10.  Nor covetous, nor extortioners, saith the Apostle plainly; differencing extortion( immoderate getting) from covetousness, which consists in pinching and saving. So the Apostle, 1 Tim. 3. 3. Not greedy of filthy lucre, not covetous. So that to be greedy to get filthy lucre, is not formally and properly covetousness; but to be covetous is to bee all for sparing. To get is an effect of covetousness: to save is the life and nature of covetousness. Hence men are more glad of a penny saved than of a penny gotten. Wherefore their plea is to no purpose, who stand upon it, that they are not covetous, because they rak not after that which is anothers, but onely look to their own: whereas indeed he is the very covetous man, who is all for saving and sparing, and can part with nothing.   

SECT. 2. That covetousness is a great sin.  
WE must bee convinced that covetousness, I mean that our covetousness is a 'vice: for it holds something of a virtue, of frugality, which is not to wast that which one hath: and this makes us entertain thoughts that it is no 'vice; and we often say that it is good to bee a little worldly: a little covetousness we like well: which shows that wee do not indeed and in heart hold it to be a sin. For if sin be nought, a little of sin cannot be good: as good say a little poison were good, so it be not too much. And so we find, that men will rate at their children for spending, and are ready to turn them out of doors, if they bee given unto wast: but if they be near and pinching, then we like that too much; and I scarce know a man, who doth use to call upon his children that they spare not, save not. I know youth is rather addicted the other way, and is more subject to wast, and consume, by reason that natural heat is quick, and active in them: and therefore indeed there is more fear, and danger, that they prove prodigal, and turn wasters; and the more may bee said and done that way to youth: but the thing I press is, that in case wee see our children in their youth to begin to be covetous and worldly, wee call them good husbands, and are too glad to see it so, and are too much pleased with them for it: little do they think that worldliness is a most guiltfull sin in respect of God, and most hurtful in respect of men. hark what the Word saith of it, Ephes. 5. 5. It is idolatry, and idolatry is the first sin of the first Table: It is the roote of all evils, 1 Tim. 6. 10. there is no evil but a worldly man will do it to save his purse. Thus David, Ps. 119. 36. incline mine heart unto thy testimonies, and not unto covetousness: he saith not, this or that testimony, but( as including all the laws of God) he saith testimonies: to show us, that covetousness draws us away, not from some onely, but from all Gods Commandments So S. Paul, Where covetousness is, there are many lusts, 1 Tim. 6. 9. and many sorrows. 1 Tim. 6. 10. It drowns men in perdition and destruction, 1 Tim. 6. 9. And such a drowning the greek word signifies, as is almost past all hope and recovery; the bane of all society. Men cry out of it, because they would have none covetous, none rich but themselves. An hater he is of mankind; 
Chrys. in mat. 26. hom. 81.  he hates all poor, because they would beg some thing of him: and all rich, because they have riches, which he would have. A covetous man would have all that all have. Thus speaks a noble Father, Such believe not the Word, they trust neither God nor man. For he that trusts not God, cannot trust man. It robs God of that confidence wee should have in him, and dependence wee owe unto him: it turns a man from all the Commandements. Hence the Prophet David prays God ●o turn his heart to his Commandements, and not to cove●ousnesse, Psal. 119. 36. For not onely we ought not, but, as the phrase is, we cannot serve God and Mammon, Luk. 16. 13. It is impossible for any sinner( as a sinner) to enter into the kingdom of Heaven, mat. 19. 26. But there is something in it, that it is said to bee an unpossible thing for a rich man, that is, a rich covetous man, to enter into heaven: and perhaps this is thus delivered, because we do think that their riches will bee a means to bring them to heaven. Therefore Christ, to repress such conceits, saith, that it is not possible for a rich man to come to heaven. Who then( say the disciples) can be saved? Who then! which shows that they were sick of this disease to think that if any went to heaven it were your rich men; dreaming that riches were a good help that way. The● had no wealth, and therefo● were they more apt to admi● them, as not feeling what forc● in them, to rob God of his fl●wer,( his trust) which is due unto him from his creature: which Christ shows to be his meaning▪ when he adds what a hard thing it is to have riches, and not to trust in them. Wherefore it was an excellent prayer of that wis● man, Prov. 30. 8, 9. Give me neither poverty, nor riches, lest I bee full and deny thee. The danger( as he shows) of poverty was much; lest I be poor, and steal, and take the Name of God in vain, either by denying the fact, or by opening the mouths of the wicked: but the danger of riches is more, lest( saith he) I deny thee, and say, who is the Lord? which is far the greater offence of the two: to take the name of God in vain is nought, but to deny God is far worse. A convenient estate betwixt famishing and surfeiting is best for the soul, as being that condition, which( as Aristotle says, and proves) is easiest of all to bee subject to, and moderated by the ●uless of Reason. The sum is, that we stand convinced by the Word and Spirit that covetousness is a foul 'vice; and that ●ur sparing more than needs, is( in us) covetousness, and that ●o spare more than needs, as well ●s to spend more than needs, will( as Solomon saith, Prov. 11. 24.) ●ring us to poverty, and to worse than poverty. Wherefore ●ake heed and beware of cove●ousnesse.  
Lastly, the sin is great because the temptation is not ●reat. Such have not that to say ●or themselves which many o●her sinners have: 
Chrys. in mat. 26-hom 82.  the com●lexion of the body helps forward other sins( at least ●en think so:) a sanguine sappy ●ody is thought to incline with some force to the sin of uncleanness: such again as are hot and dry of complexion, a● most subject to choler, an● Physicians are called and used to drive away the edge of these humors: and in these matters 'tis true that the manners of the mind do much, ay too much follow the humors of the body▪ but now for covetousness, it holds little or nothing of the body; and covetous men themselves do not think nor say that it is long of their complexion▪ and never yet did any go to physic for a pill to purge ou● this covetous humour. Wherefore it is only from the evil habit of the mind, and the depraved complexion of the soul; wherefore this sin is so much the more culpable, in that it is not at all under the nature o● our body, but onely under th● corrupt humour of our will. W● have medicines to purge choler, and to purge melancholy▪ but none to purge covetousness: wherefore in this sin the complexion of the body is onely a slander by, a mere looker on.   

SECT. 3. That all men are more or less covetous.  
THere is no man living but is sickish at least of this disease. It grows in the flesh, and breeds in the bones of all. Some are given over to it: all are more or less given to it. One disease may take away the feeling of another: and so some think they are not covetous, because they feel it not; whereas perhaps pride and prodigality, perhaps something else doth master this disease, and keep it under so, that such feel it not: and if you mark it, such as are transported with some other passion of vain glory or worse, do show much worldliness withall. You shall see how they trouble their own house, vexing at servants because they get no more, heaving at the wife for that shee saves no more. They about them are scarce quiet in their beds; and yet because there is predominant and prevailing in them some spending humour, forsooth they do think themselves, and others must think them to bee free from covetousness. Whereas in truth no man can simply wash himself from this corruption; and Martin Luther was out, when he said he stood free from covetousness. It is a chief piece of original sin, and they that take themselves to be free by nature are least free. For how can they bee freed from it, sith they never in any particular wise prayed against it, or set the Word, or the threatening, or the promise against it? sins use not of themselves to cure themselves, but rather they do multiply, and increase, and grow in our hands, and 'tis our simplicity to think otherwise. And therefore such are in worst case of all, who did never set against this sin in any earnest, because they thought who ever was free from it they were.  
1 poor men they pass it over to rich men, and alas, what have they to be covetous of▪ as though it came from without. The Apostles were poor fellows, and had nothing to be covetous of, yet( take heed) is not enough, but take heed and beware of covetousness, Luk. 12. 15. he is a covetous man who loves money, though he have no money: and I think that poor men are generally more covetous and worldly than rich. The sluggard lusteth and hath nothing, Prov. 13. 4. and the cause is, because they do not think that they are covetous,& therefore they pray not against it, and so get no power against it: wherefore the oppression of a poor man( an effect of covetousness) is like a sweeping rain,( Pro. 28. 3.) some thunder shower; they take all before them. Sith then it is a sin which is bread and born with them, except poor men be convinced of it, and use the means to cure it, they are deadly sick of covetousness. Besides, poor men wonder at riches as at some excellent thing, whereas rich men find by experience there is no such thing in riches.  
2 Secondly, Rich men, they think that they need not be covetous, they have enough. 
Ge. 33. 9. Esau's is {αβγδ} i. e. I have much. Jacobs vers. 11. {αβγδ} i. e. I have all things.  Esau indeed said so, and so did Jacob; but yet in the original Esau's enough is not the same with Jacobs: one said it and thought it, the other onely said it. But what do riches serve for? Of all one would think, that riches would cure a man of this disease of cotousnesse, if of any sin: and yet we find that men are the worse this way, the more they have of the worlds goods; and fuel will put out fire, as soon as riches will extinguish worldliness. Thus we see the passions of rich men are stronger after riches, than of poor men. Wee never red of any poor man sick unto death for anothers garden, as King Ahab took his bed for Naboths vineyard. Indeed, if other matters do concur, and there be a like portion of reason and religion, the poor man hath the advantage of the rich. For the one his desire is to have to live, and there is some limit and stint: but the desire of the rich is to thrive, and there is no limit nor end of that desire. It grows all upon fancy, and for certain rich men are in greatest danger of all, there being more snares in a great estate than in a little estate. Of all they love riches most when it is of their own 
plate. de Just. l. 31. Dial. 1. Arist. Rhet. l. 2.  getting, as wee do books of our own making, and men do children of their own begetting. A state too big is troublesone, like a show too big, which hinders our gate as well as a show too little. All, both rich and poor, high and low, are so far covetous as they have not got power against it by the word and promise, by faith and prayer.   

SECT. 4. That covetousness is a dangerous temptation.  
WE red of the deceitfulness of riches, Matth. 13. 22. Nothing cozens a man so much. Men go on, and think no hurt,& as long as they make profit, they are so pleased with it, that gain is godliness to them: and we( naturally) do so admire the things of this life, that we think God would never give riches to us, did he not love us. Where we love we bestow our wealth, and we think that whom God loveth he enricheth, and whom he enricheth he loveth. And a common speech it is with us, that God hath blessed such or such a man: I knew( say we) his beginning, and how wonderfully the Lord hath blessed him in a short time,& raised him to a great estate; and thus for a time the hearts of wise men are set upon riches. And therefore when men come to see with Gods eyes▪ this proves a terrible temptation. For what wee are most vehement after, for that, when wee come to some ripeness in grace, then wee hear a new note. That which before was scarce a sin, nay almost a virtue, is now a sin of sins. What I, a Christian; one bound for heaven, to be an earthly mind! I thought i● had the love of the Father, because I had the world at will: but now I see, I feel, I find to my cost that such as love the world, the love of the Father is not in them, 1 Joh. 2. 15. We cannot bring heaven and earth together. There is no mixing of heavenliness and worldliness. I am a man not worthy to look on God, or to have God look on me, that have set so much of the world. Now I find that men do bless the covetous, Psal. 10. 3. but the Lord abhors them And God hath given me over to many other noisome lusts, to make this lust of covetousness to be noisome to me. Ah wretched man, that have been an idolater now for so many yeares and have made a God of the shells of the Tower, and have even lost the life of grace for a little day. And 'tis certain, that this sin, when once it comes to be seen in its true and right colours, will stare a man in the face, and make an hideous cry in the conscience; and many a man hath been even at the pit of despair for sucking so after the world, it being a sin so contrary to God and godliness: and the longer we are cozened with the skill of hell, and held in the chains of this corruption, the worse it is when the ulcer breaks forth; and it puts a man even quiter besides himself. He cannot pray for the world: there is no entrance for the Word because of the world: he can relish no talk but of buying and selling; getting and saving is all his life: he is followed with many dangerous lusts; he grows weary of life and light: and yet all this while a man may stand amongst men for a religious man. A drunkard, and a very religious man one cannot be, but a worldly Judas, an earthworm, and a very religious man one may be; I mean, one may bee accounted so amongst men: chiefly, if so be that we do vent our covetousness, not so much in getting and haling from others, as in saving and keeping within the compass of our own; whereas a man may be extreme worldly, and is indeed most properly covetous, when he is all for saving, and useth no unlawful ways to gain and rak in from others. And this doth drench men in this earthly humour, that as long as all is but their own, they think all well, and thus they grow secure( though not safe); whereas not to give when wee should, is as bad a piece of covetousness, as to get where we should not: and when things come to a reckoning, alas the day that ever Christian souls should taste of such bitter sauce for seeking great things to themselves; and thereby they pass many a lamentable night when they find out themselves to have been covetous, who did not once dream of it. Saint Paul calls this sin all that is nought. He can scant invent names bad enough for this wickedness. Idolatry: What else? The roote of all evil, sets all lusts on fire: and lusts in 
Hippoe: ad: Dem.  beasts indeed are unruly, yet they are finite; but in men they are infinite. A Tentation. What else? A snare; and more, drowns men in perdition. Is that all? No, and in destruction too; cloys a man with many foolish and hurtful lusts. They think they have all the wit who can get money, but their lusts are foolish lusts. They take money to be a great help, but it fills a man full of hurtful lusts; hurtful to others and to themselves: for such pierce themselves. How? thorough( not with some onely, but) with many sorrows: yea, and worse yet, for it makes some to err from the truth; and it had been better for such never to have known the ways of God. By all which wee see what a great blow it must needs give to the Conscience of a ma● of God, when he once sees himself to bee over head and ears in this 'vice. Wherefore I conceive it to be a wise speech of the Apostle, Fly these things, 1 Tim. 6. 11. and of another, The best coveting is to covet not to bee covetous.   

SECT. 5. How to bee convinced of covetousness.  
IF wee will not convince ourselves to our comfort, God will convince us to our woe and the Conscience first or last shall bee made to speak when wee have little list to hear Wherefore it is good to be be forehand. We must be made to see it; better now than hereafter. Be not afraid: What if the sight of this sin in the ugly face thereof, and in its particular colours will cost us some hot water? There is no danger, 'tis not the way to despair: but to let all run, to refuse to look into the guiltiness of this sin, to bee afraid to account( now) with our consciences, is the way to bloody despair hereafter, to hang in hell, and to hang perhaps too on earth, before such come to hell. Satan tells us, that now to do it is the way to melancholy and despair, that he may the better fill all full of blood and fire at once hereafter. Bee doing now, and get to bee convinced, not onely negatively, as not to be able to deny it to be a sin, and that we in many particulars are very faulty, but affirmatively to be set down in it, to affirm that it is a very great sin, and that wee have our hearts and hands deep in this transgression. First, be willing to be convinced of the heinousness of this crime. Many indeed are willing to be rich, and would indeed be loth ro bee covetous: but because rich they think they cannot be, except they be having and saving, therefore they think it fit and good to be near: And for a world of particulars in buying and selling, they would leave them they say, were they convinced that they were covetous practices. Now they are not convinced, because they will not, not because the case is not plain enough, nor because there is not enough said to prove such and such courses in getting and saving to be notorious, and to savour strong of the earth, but because they are at a point not to leave them; and therefore they will not bee convinced; and this is, because( as the Apostle saith) They WILL BE rich, 1 Tim. 6. 9. They are loth that their consciences should tell them that they live in sin. And wee Divines do assure men, that it is not sin to them ●ill they be convinced; this they catch at, and say that they are not convinced: but our divinity is, when they would fain bee convinced, but are not, not because they would not, but because they cannot; that in this case ignorance and non-convincement doth help. But now when these men are not convinced because they will not; as when the thing is plain, and carries convincement in the mouth of it, in this case 'tis all one as though they did what they were sure were a sin, and worse too: for their not being convinced hath much obstinacy 
Negligentia addiscendi, vel voluntas non addiscendi. Durand. l. 3. D. 22. q. 3. n. 3.  and wilfulness in it; or at the best, this their ignorance comes out of too too much negligence. These help themselves with this, that they know some good Divines that hold such and such dealings to bee lawful, as to set or fell money, to sell for day, to mary for money, to enclose and depopulate: but that will be no answer to the conscience of ● man when it is opened. For ther● is scarce any sin but a ma● may sin it, and say he is no● convinced of it to be a sin. Fo● one Divine holds one thing t● be lawful, another good Scholar holds another thing to be● lawful; and so in the rest ● man may pick matter out of several Divines, some one for one thing, and some one for another, to dispense with almost ever● thing. Bee willing then ●o bee convinced, and the Spirit will convince us that covetousness is a sin, and that wee are all too too worldly, and that in this earthly vein, in many things we sin all, I am. 3. 2. in all for the manner, in many for the very matter.  
2 Secondly, it is not enough t● be convinced: we must go further. Convincement of itself i● no note of saving grace. The devil sins against convincement, ●nd so do all who sin against knowledge and conscience, and ●ch as sin of malice: and the ●nne against the Holy Ghost is ●herefore the worst sin of all, because it is clearly and flat against convincement. And ●herefore to bee convinced is ●ood, if it come to good and ●rove good; if we fall to mourn ●nd to forsake our earthly min●ednesse: but if when wee are ●onvinced, we sin and grow ra●her worse than better, run away with the bit in our mouths, then our sin is the greater and our case the worse because wee are convinced, it ●hewes wee are grown head●trong. Wherefore with convincement wee must begin, but we must not end with it.  
3 Thirdly, use means of being convinced that wee are worldly and covetous: as by way of faith to believe it, because wee are born in original sin, and that this is a great and a chief roote in our original sin to lust after the worldly is an hereditary disease, a sinn● lying deep in our nature; and when men have not killed it, or not crucified the world, the world must needs be their God. Diseases that we are born with are not cured with ease, as born blind, born deaf; so born covetous, born worldly. Therefore it is long ere one shall get power. I writ unto you Fathers, that is, strong Christians, that you love not the world, 1 Joh. 2. 13. that is, no one thing of the world. So that a man may be a very mortified man, a Father, and yet be very subject to dote on the world. So those who have done nothing to speak of in any particular manner against this sin of covetousness, must needs be very full without any more question. Every man, and every woman must say within themselves, I am a covetous man, a covetous woman, and the less I have felt ●t the worse it is, and the more ●ovetous I am: and if I look not to it betime, I shall feel it with a witness one day. Next, ●inde out this disease by the 
Job 31. 25.  fruits of it; as thus: I can joy when goods increase, I can grieve when I receive a loss in mine estate. I can find myself a glad man when I have a commodity to sell, if it be dear: if my servant, when he comes from town, sell cheaper than before, then I am sorry; if dearer, then I can be glad. Oh this is very covetousness. again, when a man is loathe to part with his money to a good use; here is covetousness. Men think themselves free, because they can poure out their money upon a feast, upon building, upon apparel, upon their children, upon worse: but say one can do all this, a man is but a true lover of himself: as Luk. 16. 19. that rich man spent royally on himself, he was n● in debt to his back or belly, y● a very churl. And Nabal co● feast( saith the text) like a Kin● yet for all that it was but a m●sers feast. But if such an one ca● find that a pound is ready thi● way, but Gods way( I meane● to give to the poor, to besto● on a good use, a penny com● harder than a pound; here is covetousness. In the other cas● pride is stronger than covetousness: but when wee can drop our blood as soon as our m●ney when it is directly and immediately on God, this is to b● covetous. This I find in myself, therefore I am hard and covetous, and the end will bee nought unless I mend my manners.  
4 Fourthly, be convinced i● affection, as well as in judgement, not onely to see it to be sin, and a sin in thee, but t● hate it. Naturally all the waye● of a man are clean in his owns ●yess, Prov. 16. 2. And though and say wee are all sinners, yet when it comes to particulars, no men do aclowledge themselves to be sinners. A covetous man thinks all the world to be covetous except himself; he hath reason for what he doth, ●o make the most of his own. He hath Nature and Scripture ●or it to provide for his own: and Christ saith, Let nothing be lost. This hinders convincement in affection, in that wee love the sin, because we love the fruit, the profit of it. The Law will convince the judgement; but it is the Gospel which doth convince the lust and the affection. The Spirit of love doth convince: it is the Spirit of power, 2 Tim. 1. 7. and this comes not by the works of the Law, but by the hearing of faith, Gal. 3. 2. to wit, by the Gospel. For by the Gospel wee fall in love with God, with Christ, with the promises. Now a man must love something th● is better than the world, e● he cannot choose but love t● world. He must see a better co●moditie, a truer gain in Go● else he will let his heart go after the earth: and he is to take more delight in heaven, else he will have his delight in the earth. No man can long hold together without some principal matter( at least in his conceit) to rejoice in. For the reason why we do delight in such poor matters( as the things of th● world are, being compared to the noble mind of a man) is, for that we have no better things to take delight in. Let us learn then to be convinced in our affection of love: first, that the matters here are not worthy ou● love: secondly, to know the things of heaven to be infinitely better: thirdly, to aclowledge a sovereign good in them: fourthly, and to get an assurance and a sound taste of them; and then the world and the things of the world will taste but dead in our hearts. sweet things spoil the taste of ones drink: and there is a superexcellent& a transcendent sweetness in the delights of the promises, which when wee have caught once, away then with earthly profits, treasures, pleasures, delights: All is but dung and trash, Phil. 3. 8. Honey, and the honey comb is nothing to the content and sweetness we find in things above, Psal. 19. 10. Some delight in the sweetness of things, as younger people; David tells them that the word is sweeter than live honey dropping from the very combs: others again are all for the gain and profit that is to be made, as elder people; David in the same place tells them that the word is better and more to be desired; What, than silver? No, than gold, yea than much gold( eversomuch he means) ay th●n much fine gold. 'tis then because wee have not tasted that the Lord is gracious,( 1 Pet. 2. 3.) that we dote so on this world. If wee had tasted deep of the heavenly gift, we would not bee so feverish after the world as we be, but would say with David, Psal. 119. 103. Thy words are sweeter unto my taste than hony to my mouth. And, I am now become a stranger in the earth, hid not thy Commandements from me: do not suffer me to hid myself from them, but reveal them to me( almost) whether I will or no. look upward, and get acquaintance with heaven: Hunt after shadows and flies no longer: bee for heaven alone. Wee strive to no purpose, and do but beate the air as long as we go about to take our affection from things wee see, till by faith wee see better. Wee must have our heaven in heaven, or else wee shall set up our heaven here on the earth; see better things to be trusted unto, or else we shal make a God of this world, and trust to lying vanities rather than to nothing. The affection of love being thus won, all other affectons follow after accordingly: and though the judgement should carry the affection after it still, yet always it doth not. For the affections can tell how to bride the judgement, and with their smoke to dazzle the eye of our mind, and to woe away the last resolution of our judgement. For the understanding of a man is quick, and turns almost at an instant, and therefore to hold the understanding firm to the last it is excellent, to set our affections on things above, and then 
Pro. 1●. 24.  the ways of life will be above to the wise.( So saith Solomon the wise) fools be for things below, but wise men are all for things above; above the common strain, above themselves, above the world: they live in heaven. Let us then seek( and 
tart. de praescrip. c. 9.& 10.  find) the kingdom of heaven, and for other matters, matters of the world, they will 
mat. 6. 3.  seek us. Fall in love with heaven, and the things of heaven, and then wee shall not love the world nor the things of this world.   

SECT. 6. How to be cured of covetousness.  
WE must know that wee can never be so healed of it, as not to find and feel some bitter roots of it, still ready to set our teeth on edge. Let your conversation bee without covetousness. What, simply? No covetousness at all! That cannot bee; but let not covetousness reign. Let it not be in us in the guilt or in the power; in our consciences in the guilt, in our hearts and lives in the power. Be you as free from it as possibly you can, and when wee have all done, say, I am too too covetous still. Lord have mercy on me; now I am leaving the world I am earthly still: now I am to be weaned I am longing to suck the breast still: the longer I suck the worse I am to be weaned. Christ must be our Advocate when wee have done all, else wee are gone, wee are undone.  
1 First, wee must know and confess that wee can neither pardon nor cure ourselves. Age helps against many sins; here it doth hurt. For to show us that this sin is utterly against all reason, when we are old and leaving the world, why then we are worst in raging love to the world: we then sing loathe to depart with this earth, when wee see that a little will serve to bring us to our grave; and though we are ready to kiss the earth for age, yet then wee are even sick after the world; nothing sits so merry with us then as the world. One would think that when we have gotten that wisdom and experience as to find what the world is, viz. lighter than vanity, yet I know not how the hearts of good men do steal▪ after the world strangely in their old age. Hence we see Solomon, and Asa, and Uzziah fell in their old age. Therefore it is certain age will not do it, nor will money do it. For the more we have the more we desire to have. What makes us set so much of money? One would think if riches would cure any sin, it should be covetousness: and many desire it to stay the rage of this affection; but wee see that the richer the harder, part with nothing, as in Dives; like children with mouths full, and both hands full, yet they will rather spoil it than give away any:& therefore 'tis out of our hands to heal this sickness. And many had made some cure but that they went about it by their own strength;& then we see the more we strive( leaving Christ out) the more covetous we are.  
2 Secondly, wee must go to God and to Christ, first to pardon it, and then to cure it; and wee must begin at the more within: else if we lop off the aets and boughs, and let the roote alone, a 
Non est idem resurgere à peccato,& cessare ab actu peccandi▪ ● Durand 〈…〉 D▪ 8. q. 3. 〈…〉  ceasing there may bee for a time, but no healing, no cure done. The love of money doth remain, and spring up it will again 
Mat. 12. 45▪  seven for one. By faith in Christ, and prayer to Christ suck the poison out. Say, Ah Lord, I am so worldly that I cannot tell what to make of myself, nor what to do with myself▪ Help Lord, help quickly, take away the sting, ease my conscience; take away the strength, ease mine heart; wash away the filth, purge my soul that I may live in thy sight; and then( but not till then) the Word and ordinances will be sweet and good unto my soul.  
3 Thirdly, go to the Bible, set the Word against this sin: the Word is as plain as may be against this 'vice; yet wee see men pass plain places over: and 'tis no small marvel; for Christ was often upon it, that his kingdom was not of this world. He did shun all earthly pomp on purpose: and yet how did the Apostles themselves dream of a temporal kingdom? and even then when Christ was pressing it hard, that his kingdom was not of this world, yet then( I say) some of the chief Apostles would needs be great officers about him when he came to his kingdom; and being reproved for it, and( I think) sorry for it, yet they were at it again and again, no fewer times than thrice. They did not see the plain light, because it was an opinion that they had been bread in, and made for their purpose. Wee are loth to see what we would not have to be true, and to believe things against our mind, bee the places never so plain. And so it is with a world of particulars in covetousness. The word is clear, and yet wee see how the Apostles themselves did not see the meaning of what the Lord himself spake very often in their hearing. Therefore the 
Joh. 16. 9.  Spirit must bee had and used, else all will not do. The Word cannot work it without the Spirit: the Spirit will not without the Word; both joined together will do the dead. The heart when it is set upon by the converting and convincing Spirit of God, will yield to the Word. A man shall find that( as other sins, so) this sin of covetousness will dy and wear away, now some and then some. It cannot stand before the Word and Spirit of God. In drunkenness▪ and lasciviousness, and some other sins, Reason may do somewhat: and men do think that a little drunkenness is a sin; but with most a little worldliness goes for a virtue: and Reason will pled hard for this sin. What! men must live as others do: the world is hard, and men must do as they may. There is no living as others do, that is, growing rich in hast, except we do as others do. And till the hearts& wils of men be mastered by the Word and Spirit of God, a covetous man will have something to say. He will find one evasion, one distinction or other: and many heap up riches rather for that they would bee set of, and not left out, than for any thing else. Charge( saith S. Paul, 1 Tim. 6. 17.) them that are rich that they be not HIGH MINDED. Men get a fat purse to maintain an high mind: But when the Spirit comes with its mighty work, then here I am, Lord, speak for thy servant heareth( 1 Sam. 3. 10.); there is an end of disputing: satan himself hath no more to say. Nothing under heaven can make the heart of man come down but the Spirit of God. Men speak but too true when they say, that Preachers shall never persuade them from making the most of their own, that they will never believe such and such propositions which conclude against their profit. For all the preaching in the world without the work of the Spirit cannot reach the heart of a man in any sin, but chiefly not in this sin, which hideth in the very bottom of the heart▪ If the 
Gen. 9. 27. Illabi in animam convenit soli Deo. Aquin. 3▪ q. 64. 1. c.  Lord persuade japhet, japhet will and must yield, but not till then.  
4 Fourthly, desire to bee pardonned and healed, that God may have the glory, that he may have the praise of all; and then in the second and third place wee may come to the other ends, as that I may have rest in my mind, quiet in mine heart, and in mine house, and that I may find a blessing from the Almighty; but the chief and main must bee the glory of God: else wee serve ourselves, and seek our own respects. Excellent is that of Agur, Give not poverty( so that God must give us to bee poor, else all the world cannot make us poor) lest I bee poor and steal, Prov. 30. 8. And what? bee fined? bee made to restore fourfold? bee put into the gaole? No, but lest I take the name of God in vain: that is, cause men to think ill of God, to see me deny it to his shane and mine, that such a man( as I have shewed to bee) should steal( a base sin). This is the way to bee cured: else if wee seek ourselves, or our own souls quiet in it, and do not begin with the glory and honour of God, wee are like to lose our labour, and to be as far off at the last as at the first.  
5 Fifthly, pray hard against this disease. It will come and rise in our hearts amain. The motions of it odd so please, that they are up and past ere they are discerned, without great care. Wee are to pray to God to give us a sight of this disease in the motions of it, that wee may by his grace suppress it ere it rise to its height: and prayer will make us give over to be covetous; but pray in& with the Spirit, and the Spirit( as 'tis in the 
{αβγδ}.  original, Ro. 8. 26.) lifts with us and before us in our prayers.  
6 Sixthly, let us exercise ourselves in the acts of giving and lending. For sometimes it is a greater work of mercy to lend than to give. Give much, give often; 
Eccl. 11. 2.  Give( not a little, but) a portion to seven, and also to eight. And, To him that hath shall bee given, mat. 25. 29. that is, to him that useth that he hath shall bee more given: he doth not say he shall HAVE more, but more shall bee GIVEN. In moral habits the act, and exercise, and use of those habits, do intend and increase the habits by the force of a customary use of the actions of those habits; as to enure on's self to temperate courses, doth increase the virtue, and augment the habit of temperance, because there bee seeds of such virtues in our nature to be fetched out. But it is not so in graces, in supernatural habits of spiritual and theological virtues. For they are of mere gift, by infusion from heaven, not onely in the habits themselves, but in the degrees and increase of them, and not by eduction from any power pre-existent, or disposition coexistent in our nature. Wee have of ourselves no hand in getting or in increasing spiritual virtues and supernatural habits: only the promise is for us, that in case we do exercise ourselves in the duties and actions of any graces, God hath bound himself to preserve them, to add unto them, to increase them, to put more unto the heap, and to cast in some more degrees of holinesse into the old store. We must then enure our hearts and hands to give. And as it is a moral virtue, it will increase by the force and strength of moral exercise: and as it is a divine quality, so wee shall have more by the mere gift and promise of God. The increase is the gift of God, 1 Cor. 3. 7. Use makes mastery, and exercise doth make us do things with ease and delight. There is nothing lost by giving: We shall find it, saith Salomon, Eccles. 11. 1. But when? after many dayes. Cast thy bread upon the waters. As good( say we) throw it down Thames, wee shall never see it again. Yes that wee shall one day. What if after many dayes? yet at last, and at the best it shall be found. How many the word saith not; but 'tis enough that we have a promise that wee shall be payed for giving, and for staying too. Were there no reward proposed& promised, yet this were enough to move us to give, for that it is an honor to be an instrument of Gods glory. We think it a great favour in case wee may bee for the honour of our sovereign Lord the King, albeit we gain not a groat by it, but venture life and all: but now sith we hereby shall not onely be a means to glorify God, but even in this life to reward ourselves also, Give therefore a portion to seven and also to eight. Care not how much portion we give, nor to how many( in case wee beggar not ourselves by it.)  
Oh but I do best to keep that I have against hereafter. Who knows what dayes may come?  
Ay, because evil dayes are like to come on the earth, what therefore? hid all? give nothing? No, no, give the rather: for( saith Solomon, Eccles. 11. 2.) Thou knowest not what evil may come on the earth: Therefore give liberally, it being the best way to provide against the evil to come. 
Act. 20. 35.  Better it is( said Christ often) to give than to receive. Wee think it better to receive a pound than to give a penny, and we are all for receiving: but it is far better to give, better for us, better for such as do receive. Yet we must not therefore give, because we would find an increase by it in the later end; that were to serve ourselves upon God, to give a purpose that he should give us again, and wee get by the bargain: but in case we should never see penny again, yet wee must give, and give, and give ourselves over to giving, and expect our reward in heaven. Now God in a second and third place to help our infirmities hath promised us, that our seed shall multiply upon the earth. It is a sowing, and the more seed wee sow, the greater crop wee shall have, and wee shall have heaven and earth too, as far as is good and fit for us to have, and for God to give: Ay, giving is so rare and admirable a piece of service, that such as have nothing but what they 
Eph▪ 4. 28. Act. 20. 34.  yearn, must work a little the harder, that they may have to give to such as lack. And what if we ourselves do feel some lack, and are in need? yet we are like to meet with such as need more than we do, and to them we must give somewhat of that we get by our fingers ends. Besides, this giving increaseth love, not only from them to us to whom we give, but chiefly from us to them to whom we do give. We do truly and hearty love such as we give unto, more than they do or can love us that do give unto them. For as wee hate such as the objects of our sin and wrong, to whom-we do any hurt, from whom wee take any thing: as a lying tongue hates those that are afflicted by it, Prov. 26. 28. so on the other side, we love those to whom we do give, as the objects of our virtues. As our creator God loves us because he makes us, so we do( as it were) set them up and make them; and wee love our children to whom wee do good, more than they can love us. It is a blessed thing to receive when a man hath need; but 'tis a more blessed thing to give than to receive. 
Psal. 41. 1.  Blessed( saith the Prophet David) is he that 
i. e. qui praeoccupat vocem petituri. Aug. in Psal. 103.  considereth the poor. What? to say, Alas poor man! the world is hard with him, I would there were a course taken to do him good. No, no, but so to consider him as to give; to give till the poor man be satisfied, to draw out ones sheaf, ay ones very soul to the hungry. But what if troubles should come? were it not better to keep money by one? money will not deliver one. It may be an occasion to endanger one, to bring one in rather than to help one out of trouble: but if a man be a merciful man, God will deliver him either by himself, or by some other man or matter. Ay, but what if sickness come? why the Lord will strengthen him in the bed of 
Psal▪ 41. 3.  languishing; and, which is a great ease and a kindness, God( as it were) himself will make his bed in his sickness. Here poor people have the advantage: for they are they who can best make the beds of sick folk, which we see is a great act of mercy, in that it is said, that the Lord himself will make their beds in▪ their sickness: and there are none so poor but they may make the beds of the sick. This made Saint Paul refuse to receive, but ready to give. This ●tood for S. Pauls comfort: I have( said he) coveted no mans silver, Act. 20. 33. he said not that he had not taken any thing from any man, but he had not ●oved nor coveted any thing that was anothers.  
again, we are not only to be liberal, but in case there be occasion we are to bee munificent also. For he is covetous, not only who is not liberal, but he also who is not munificent. So they were 
Luk. 23. ●  commended by Gods own pen who bought unguents& costly spices to embalm the body of Christ after the maner of Princes and Grandies. Therefore we must not only do things for need, but for state and for honour; chiefly sith God is not only liberal, but bountiful and munificent to us. I speak of such as are able; for we may not stretch beyond our staple, and ●poyle all. I must not make myself poor to keep another from being poor; throw my self into the same degree of need, to help another in and against his need. The 
Mar. 12. 43, 44.  widow who cast in all that shee had, binds us not by her example, because what shee did give, shee gave it rather to and for the service of God than to the poor: it was to Gods box, not to the poores box, shee gave all that she had. So that we may give all to maintain and hold up Gods worship, but not so in giving to the poor. Her example was admirable to free her from covetousness, who could part with all for, and to the Lord; chiefly shee being a woman, a sex through the weakness and fears of that sex, more subject to bee covetous then man. Howsoever when the case doth require, and our estate will bear it, we must not onely be liberal but munificent: which is not onely an higher step in the same virtue, but another superior virtue of another kind: for liberality and munificencie do differ in the species and very nature: they make two virtues, not two degrees of one and the same virtue. To conclude, the rule is, that an excellent and ready way to be able to get money out of our own fingers, is to accustom ourselves to give much and often. And as corruption and custom meeting together, work very forcibly in sins; so in duties, where grace and custom join hands, there we find the work to be done with delight and ease; and such prove at last to become to bee givers without grudging, 1 Pet. 4. 9. Liberality is a virtue which onely of all virtues is above envy. Some do discommend such as are just, but all commend the liberal and bountiful man, because all may get by him; and therefore we have the advantage of it, that we may study to show ourselves liberal, and not bee vexed with the evil eye of any, but rather have thankes from God and man: therefore give without grudging, and( as S. Paul hath it, Rom. 12. 8.) with cheerfulness; and of a ready mind, 2 Cor. 8. 19. and if the mind be ready the purse will be ready.   

SECT. 7. Why, and to whom wee must give.  
TO all, but chiefly to the poor, such as are in need: and need in a case, or in some one particular point may befall a rich man. But when they do make their own need, and through pride or folly do occasion their own occasions and wants, and do desire that wee should give or lend, here we are to withhold, and not to feed the lusts& humors of men: For in such diseases rank feeding doth hurt. But when there is a ●rue and real need which God makes, and they themselves do not make, and cannot of themselves put off; here wee are to give and spare not. Give to them that need, to keep them from need, and so by consequence from sin. For who knows what need may force a man to do? Now need is not onely for the belly, but for the back also, ay and for firing also. Wood was a wonder 
Lam. 5. 4.  heretofore to be sold at a rate, but now poor people have most to do to get fire. For they may get a small piece of money to buy a loaf, but cannot get so much together as to buy and get home a load of wood. Besides, there is an use for a poor body to ask a piece of bread and an old garment: but to come to ones door and to ask for a faggot, a billet, or so, were strange. And therefore it were to bee wished that men would show their mercy in this case, to provide for poor people, lest they steal and take the Name of God in vain. Neither must we take delight in it when wee have occasion to save ourselves from giving, if there be any occasion come in why lawfully we may, and( perhaps) we must forbear( as not to give when wee see them cast it away on drink): but a liberal heart should take it as a cross; and wee are covetous and out of the way, if we find that our hearts are glad that we have just occasion( at this present) not to give, and so may( as we think) save our money and our consciences also: this is covetousness. As also when a man doth give because he dares not choose, but gives to a poor body for fear of his own conscience, and would rather than any thing that his conscience would give him leave not to give, but to get and save as others do: here is too much covetousness; and therefore when we meet with fit men, wee must bee glad that wee have means and occasion to give to seven and to eight: ay and in cases that bee thereafter, we must give beyond our ordinary ability; give even almost all away, as 
Mat. 10. 42.  Christ intimates, to a cup of could water: and there is none but hath a dish of water to give; yea could water, as not to be able to be at the 
Quod lignum non habuerit unde calefaceret aquam. Aug. in Ps. 125.  charge of heating of it. If it be but a cup of could water in that hot climate, it is accepted, in and through the promise which is Amen in Christ. Heaven is to be had for little or nothing, for a sigh, for a 
Aug. hom. 13.  cup of could water. Wherefore it is a great gift of God when a man hath a free heart, and can bee master of his purse, and can turn that he hath the right way: it being considerable that the Lord is said to punish in all the Parables of that nature in the gospel, such as do abuse their substance either in too much wasting or sparing; albeit our greatest danger doth lie in sparing: this being also proper to this sin of covetousness, that whereas in other vices the 
Suus ●uique modus est, tamen magis offendit nimium quam parum. Cic. de Orat. l. 1.  excess is hardest to cure, here the defect is most incurable, it being by odds more easy to cure a waster than a saver; and the rather, because it doth partake much of frugality, which is a virtue wee all admire.   

SECT. 8. A removal of such shows as men have why they may be worldly.  
THe heart of man is 
Jer. 17. 9. {αβγδ}& {αβγδ} import crooked, crafty, deceitful, wretched, desperately sick unto death.  deceitful and wicked above all things, and the wit of man is active to excuse or defend what ever pleaseth us. If wee cannot say, it is not done, then the next is to say it is no sin, it is rather a virtue than a fault. Thus wee see how sin makes men to fall into errors a purpose to quiet the conscience. As 
Mar. 8. 15. mat. 16. 6.  Herod fell into the heresy of the Sadducees, that there was no being after this life, that death did end itself and all, and that there was no pleasure nor pain after death, and all to stupefy his conscience for the murder of John the Baptist. Thus men make it their religion to be irreligious, and pretend conscience in their own divinity, and all to be of no conscience at all. So doth this sin of covetousness: it makes men coin false Doctrines a purpose to get or save money: as usury to be no sin, to sell for time to bee no fault, to make the most of ones own to be frugality and thrift; to suffer nothing( no not the paring of ones nailes) to be lost, is to follow the counsel of our Lord Jesus. So the Pharisees made it a matter of conscience that 
Matth. 1●. 4, 5, 6.  children should starve their own parents to give to their box. So the 
Mat. 22. 17.  Pharisees would most willingly pay Caesar his due, were it( forsooth) a thing lawful, sith it was once dedicated unto God. And thus when it was covetousness they would fain have it seem to be conscience; which made them question the lawfulness of paying tribute unto Caesar. But fie upon that branch of covetousness, which stinks as bad as hell, when under a pretence of 
Mat. 23. 14.  long prayers, they would like a whale devour whole houses. Of whom? of widows: not of virgins or wives, who were under covert of their parents or husbands; but widows, weak for their sex, and lying open to their spoil, because they have what they have at their own disposing. And who be they who thus devour and eat up widows? why the Scribes and Pharisees, the great rabbis of that age, who used in their Pulpits to preach against covetousness in others:( a great 
Rom. 2. 21.  aggravation of their sin.) And what did they devour? not their money and purses onely, no nor their beds under them only, but their whole houses. And why must they sweep all thus? Under pretence( saith the Text) of their long prayers: i.e. making them believe they should have great benefit by such long prayers; insomuch that all that ever the widows had must goody all little enough to make them amends for the good they should receive by their prayers. Thus they made whole houses the price of their prayers, which hypocrisy of theirs made their sin the greater; and they did( saith Christ) receive the greater damnation. Let him go then for the worst of covetous men, who makes religion a means to devour others, and a cloak for his covetousness. And again, there is a vile deceit, when wee will bee very merciful, and give something liberally, a purpose because we think God will take notice of us,& bless us, and make us rich. Thus men abuse God and honest dealing, a purpose to serve their covetous dealings. We must then beware that religion be not made a cover for our covetousness, and that wee do not say or think that it is conscience, when it is covetousness and nothing else. And this deceit such are most subject to, who are religiously given. Many pretences else men catch at to cover this filthy cup; as to have wherewith to do good to others, whereas the more a man hath, commonly the less good he doth. Christ and his Apostles did most good this way in providing for poor people, and poor Churches, and yet they were poor. For 'tis the love( not the lack) of money that makes men churls; and the more money wee have the more wee use to love it, and the less willing wee are to part with it. Moreover, it is forsooth against Gods Law, say they, to give to beggars: And why? There must( saith the text, say they) be no beggar in Israel: But where is that text? not in the Bible that I know of. 1 Sam. 2. 8. wee read that the Lord lifteth up the beggar out of the dunghill, and so should wee: where the hebrew signifies beggar as beggar is distinguished from poor: and the greek word in the New Testament, which is commonly translated poor, signifies 
Mat. 26. 11. {αβγδ}. tart. advers. Marcel. l 4. c. 14.  beggar properly and strictly. The poor( i.e. the beggar) you have always with you. Lazarus a beggar, Bartimeus a beggar, and others were beggars. David saw none for his time onely. And again( we say) we desire to be rich, not so much because wee love money, as for that we would not be burdensome to others▪ and are loth to be beholding. 'tis good not to be burdensome any more than needs wee must: but rich men be usually the greatest burdens of all, and it is pride that wee would not bee beholding to others; whereas wee cannot live without being beholding one to another: and generally rich men are more beholding to poor, than poor to rich, and poor men may live without the rich better than the rich can without the poor.  
2 A second colour is, that they may have to live, and to bring the year and world about. Now if we would turn our desire of living into a desire of living well, this would not be. For wee all do desire to be here for ever; and we are in our thoughts immortal; for there is no man so old, but thinks he shall live a day elder; and he that thinks he shall live a day longer, doth upon the matter think he shall live ever, and never die. And hence it is, that our desire of having riches( wherein we think our life consists) doth prove immortal and infinite.  
3. A third error is, that men do think that their happiness doth consist in the pleasure and voluptuousness of the body. Now these lusts cannot be content with a little, but are without measure, and in a man worse than in a beast. Hence they are apt to study to heap up riches without all stint, that they may have wherewith to serve the turn( not of grace, not of nature neither, but) of sin and satan. Pleasures necessary are satisfied with a little and with ease, being content with things easy to come by: pleasures not necessary, though not sinful, we need not trouble ourselves much about them: but for delights carnal and sinful, there is no stinting of them, no need, no use of these; they are a burden to nature itself, therefore they are to bee rejected. Thus we see how and why men do not refer money to its right end, but refer all to the getting and saving of money, as to the end of all; and men do make riches to be all in all, and a man is said to bee made when he is made rich. The glutton would needs bee in his change of suits every day, and fare sumptuously every day( though to fare thus every day took away the sense of it). Now thus to wear, and thus to fare are costly ware. Such lusts will ask great cost and charges. Again, rich men think of living many 
Luk. 12. 19.  yeares, and so do heap up much wealth to provide for so many yeares; and that night when they are plodding in their beds how to be richer, death comes and their 
Ps. 146. 4.  thoughts perish in that very day.  
4 A fourth deceit is, that men do think that they do so esteem of a penny saved, because they have many children, and were it not for their children to breed them, and to mary them, they would not care so much as they do for the muck of this world; whereas the truth is, that they get money for themselves and their own lusts, and not for their own children. A world of particulars do clear this.  
1 First; we see men that have no children are more covetous, and stand more upon a penny, then such as have. Neither doth the life of children consist in their riches: wee dream so indeed; but riches and the care of riches doth cause death: and what a madness is it thus to bee foolish after riches to prolong when it doth shorten life? Such as have children about them are forced by necessity to part with money to provide necessities: and use makes them the more willing and able to part with that they have. Whereas they who have no children are all for saving: they are put to it but seldom to lay out any thing, and therefore it is death to them to see any thing go out of their fingers.  
2 Secondly, such as have children, and while their children are young, do say and think that all their raking and coveting is for children, yet they breed them not the best, but the cheapest way; and when once their children are grown up, can part with nothing to place their sons: would fain mary their daughters, but for their blood they cannot abide to part with an answerable portion, not because they have it not, but because they have not a heart to part with it, and so suffer their daughters to pass over the 
Rom. 7. 36.  flower of their youth in great and fearful discontent. The marriage of the daughter must stay for the purchase, not the purchase for the marriage of the daughter: and when the heir is up, he is sold rather than married; a great portion is all ●n all, and the father must have it: so he is paid many times more than all is worth he parts with to his son.  
3 Thirdly, such as say that all is long of children, yet mark such, and if one or two of six or seven die, they are rather more covetous and hard than before. There is so much saved, and some necessary laying out barred, and the more one doth save, the more he may still. The rich 
Luk. 12. 16.  churl that was as covetous▪ as ever he could hold, had no children: so means the text by these words, Then 
Vers. 20.  whose shall those things bee which thou hast provided? So that Hold-fast spoken 
Eccl. 4. 8. Psal. 39. 6.  of, who was never satisfied, had no child nor brother. And therefore 'tis a mere mistake for men to think they save the paring of their nailes for their children, when wee find that this 
Qui hoc morbo premuntur,& vitam parentum senum graviter ferunt,& dulce illud,& naturae suavissimum liberorum donum, grave& molestum esse censent: unde factum est, ut multi sterilitatem ux orum emerint, ac naturam orbam effecerint, qui etsi filios non interfecerunt natos, attamen ne omnino nascerentur effecerunt. Chrys. Hom. 29. in. mat. 8.  wicked humour doth not onely make brother sick of brother, sister sick of sister, children sick of their father, but even parents sick of their children: and the best comfort that many parents have when their children are dead and butted is, that there is one cared for, and so much saved.   

SECT. 9. A trial of covetousness in us, how far forth it may bee said to prevail.  
ALas the day, it is woeful to see how all sorts of men deny themselves to be faulty in this sin, wherein they are most faulty. ask the young man,& he knows not what it means to be covetous; his toy takes him another way, he wonders what you mean to ask him any such question. ask the aged man, and though by reason of fears and melancholy he is most subject to this disease, to make his riches his maintenance, his 
Psal. 30. 7.  strong mountain, yet he denies all, and he( forsooth) hath but a little time to live, and a little will now serve his turn, sith he is even at his journeys end; and why should he be covetous now? it is too late now. And indeed because he is now past getting, therefore he is now the more eager after saving; and yet he must not bee thought to bee worldly( not he.) Come to the poor man, and what should he be covetous of? Alas, he hath little or nothing about him. Come to the rich man, and he hath enough( as he saith) and why should he bee covetous? though 'tis but from the teeth outward that he saith he hath enough, who hath never enough; and the more he hath, the more he would have: and look how many thousand he hath, so many thousand he wants. This is not Jacobs enough, but Esaus enough, which albeit in the English the word( enough) be in both, yet in the original the words differ; which shows that the sense in those two brethren was different also. Some purge themselves, for that they can spend with the best; but this is nothing: for the 
Luke 16.  churl of all churls could and did find in his heart to fare royally, and spend like a young Prince on his back and belly; and like another 
Suet. in Nero. c. 30.  Nero he was in his change of apparel, a new svit for every day, and yet a covetous wretch, a mere earthworm, not a crumb for Lazarus. Others think they stand clear, because they let others alone with that which they have; but this serves not: for Dives is in 
Luke 16. 23.  Hell, and his inditement did pass against him, not for taking any thing from any man, but for that he did not 
Luke 16. ver. 21.  distribute of his own to the sick and poor. The truth is, we are all too worldly given, and this sin is in us all, we are more or less all of us sick of it, and we have need of a Redeemer, and to stand under mercy for the pardon and cure of this sin; and he that saith he hath no covetousness in him is a liar, and if he persist in this conceit after conviction, farewell to him: this canker will gangrene his soul, and eat him out for ever. Wee must all cry him mercy, and confess ourselves to be guilty; but yet all are not totally under this corruption: where it is and reigns, there the estate is nought. Where it is, and molests indeed, but reigns not, there the estate is good for the main, and will grow better; there is comfort and hope, and such are in Christ, and may and shall come to good.  
But how shall I know whether it reigns in me or not?  
1. First, if I use all the means to be convinced, that such saving is covetousness: though such a man hath much nearness in him, yet the sin is not imputed to him; it reigns not because he sees it not. Many will take nothing from others, because they think it the way that others shall take nothing from them; but yet they give nothing to others, and think no hurt of it for want of light. They see that to be a sin to take from others by way of injustice, but they see not this to be a sin not to give to others by way of mercy, it being much easier to bee convinced of a sin of commission than of omission. In this case it reigns not for want of sight, sith the want of sight is not for want of will to see it to be a sin, but for want of light.  
Secondly, if grace doth make as grieve at the heart after wee have played a covetous prank, and failed in our duty this way; ●ut when we have done what we ought in giving, and parting with some of what we have, Sin and satan cannot make us sorry; or if we feel some sorrow cut of our flesh for parting with our goods, yet we reflect upon our sorrow, and this sorrow for doing a duty will cost us much and much sorrow: Here covetousness is indeed, but is not in its reign; it is in us, but we are not in it. In this case we are in the Spirit, not in the Flesh, albeit wee have much, yea too much flesh in us. Here we may cry, Victory, victory.  
'tis danger the sin doth reign,  
1. First, when a man doth make much of such phrases, and lickes his lips at such places as speak of frugality, and have a show to excuse his sin; but places that are flat against him, and clear against his sin he cannot abide, and would bee glad if there were no places i● the Word against covetousness, and had rather than any thing God had not forbidden this sin; and were he to make a Bible, he would leave covetousness out, that he might enter upon all covetous practices, and his conscience sit at quiet. This is a bad sign.  
2. Secondly, when a man( forsooth) prays against covetousness( what else?) but never prays that he may be liberal and bountiful. This shows too much bad blood.  
3. Thirdly, when a man doth use means to increase his greedy desire; as a man may be said to be a drunkard in a high degree, when a man doth use means to provoke himself to drinking, and to 'tice down his liquour. So when a man doth nourish and feed his covetous humour, doth not set against it, but doth all for ●t, as to take all our delight up ●n covetous talk, in covetous company: and in this case it is past question, but that covetousness for the present doth master him, and reign in him.  
4. Fourthly, when covetousness doth grow against the means to cure it, then all is like to be nought. We say a disease is past cure, when it is 
Mar. 5. 26.  worse, and the party is sicker after the use of the physic which doth use to cure it. And so when the means, which should, and( were wee ought) would cure covetousness, doth rather occasion the sin to be more strong, and ripen the humour; here covetousness is in its power: the more the Minister doth labour against it, the more we 
Pro. 23. 4.  labour to be rich. God doth correct us, and let us blood, and yet wee grow worse; he crosseth us in some losses in our goods; we lose them a purpose because we love them, and yet wee study not how to be more merciful and pitiful, but how to lick ourselves whole again by saving, how to pick up our crumbs again by being nearer than ever; whereas the blow was given in our estate to chastise us, because wee were too near before. Again, God comes nearer, takes away a wife, a child, because wee say we are so hard, a purpose to provide for wife and children: and do wee mend upon it? Alas no, but ten times harder after wife, or child, or children are dead. We become more covetous, and stand more upon a penny than before. The fewer children the less expense, and wee become more troubled for expenses, and all our care is to spend less and lay up more to the heap still. This is worst of all, when wee are instructed and corrected too in the very kind, and yet will not learn righteousness, Isa. 26. 9. This is a dangerous case, and such are in danger to be eaten up of the world, and to bee choked with the cares of this life. But where the means do prosper,& do weaken and lessen the disease, though it bee but a ●oore little at a time, and there ●s ever a striving and a groaning that wee come on in liberality ●o faster, and we are troubled that we can be no better in this matter, and yet do stay our hearts, that Christ dyed for us, ●nd did do better, and that in ●im there was no covetousness: ●ere is matter and cause of com●ort. Humbled we must be, because there is so much covetousness in us still: but comforted we may be, because there is no more.   

SECT. 10. helps against temptations and doubts arising from covetousness.  
WHen a man is once a thorough Christian, and grown ripe and strong in faith, the passions and humors of covetousness will pay him home. What, thou a Christian! Is there any hope that ever thou shouldst come to heaven, that hast such passions of love, and affection to the ea●●h? And sure it is a base humour, and fights strongly against the principles of our faith, that wee that profess heaven should practise so much of the earth: and our motions to, and in this vein do trouble us the more, because they move with too much consent and content. The way to settle the heart is:  
1 First to consider that more or less, there will be some dregs of this disease in us all till wee die. Nothing will kill this disease quiter but death. It is a sin that lies so close, that the elder we grow, the more it will work upon the advantage of age, and we must discontentedly be contented to be exercised with it while we are here: and what is in all, we must bear it when we feel it in us. Are we better than all the world? wee get some advantage out of Reason, some out of age, some out of example against some other sins: but for covetousness, Reason( as it is in us) is for it; age is a friend to it; and for example, all the world is sick of the world. As for religion, the power of it is as much against this sin as any, but the profession of it may stand with it as long as it keeps within the bounds of lawful contract:( but a man may bee very covetous in keeping and holding his own together). And for shane, it daunts other sins; but for this sin it hath the voice of the time, and applause of the world, and therefore wee must not be out of heart, but thank God that we have a mind and an heart set against it.  
2 Secondly, a man may come to some good degrees of much faith and sanctification, and yet bee too too worldly, love the world, and the things of the world too much. They were 
1 Joh. 2. 15.  Fathers, to wit, not children, but men in Christ, to whom Saint John gave counsel not to love the world, nor the things of the world. So that a man may bee a Father in Christ, and yet love the world too much. The Apostles were poor, and so had an advantage against covetousness; were bread up at Chirsts feet, were at his elbow, still heard him speak much and often against covetousness, saw him in a poor estate in his own person, trusted one that he knew to be a thief with the keeping of his purse, lived in a time of persecution, stood in danger of their heads every hour, and yet 
Luk. 12. 15.  Christ saw what their disease was, as it is plain by the physic he did prescribe them, Take heed and beware of covetousness. He doubles his words, to show in what danger they were of this disease; they had the roote of it in their flesh. And he doth not bid them take heed of it, as though they had no covetousness in them at all, but he means they must take heed it grow not upon them, that it bring not forth fruit, cursed and bitter fruit. So that wee must hold up in the midst of all that satan can object against our estate, by reason that wee are yet so worldly; for that better men than wee, who also lived in freer times, were pestered with this disease: they are in heaven, and so shall wee bee. Alas, our dayes are dayes of peace and plenty, and wee know not what such tempests and sorrows mean as the Apostles did run thorough. And therefore it is no marvel in case we be followed with this sorry guest worse than they were. Answer all with this, Others did well, and came to good for all this disease; it did not damn them, it shall not damn me.  
3 If wee have asked our pardon, we are safe. For sin pardonned is as no sin. And what if wee fall into the acts of it afresh, and the same acts too? that is not to be wondered at so much in this sin, sith it is in the habit within, a sin that is as much natural as any, and stands in motions within rather than in acts& actions without. Say, I have asked pardon, I do believe my pardon, I am safe.  
4 Fourthly, if we have power against it. What power? not such as wee would have, nor such perhaps as some others have. What of that? 
Ps. 119. 36.  David himself was fain to pray hard that God would incline his heart to his Law, and not to covertousnesse. It serves to comfort us, if wee have an heart that can hate it, and a judgement that can condemn it. For the power of sin stands in the love of it. If wee love it not, it is enough: For love will have its way at the last. In case then that wee hate it and abhor it, and the oftener the motion is made, wee reject it the more, and the faster it comes upon us, wee do hate it the more, and had rather than any thing wee could rid our hearts more of it than we do, all is well. This is enough to carry us to heaven. And what if sometimes wee are in a maze, and do study, and plod on in covetous pranks a great time, and feel no actual opposing within all the time?( actual, I say, for virtual opposing there is) yet if after wee come to settle and to think of the matter in could blood, we groan, and do look back on our own thoughts with great indignation, happy wee, we are not to bee called covetous men. It is not the often coming of the assault and motion, but the end and use of it which comes after, that shows all. It may bee it is suffered to tempt us often that wee may conquer the lust often.  
4 Fourthly, desire to be dissolved, and to bee set free from this choking sin; a sign of great hatred against a sin is, when we had rather die than be pestered and haunted with such a ghost. 'tis a devil, and it will fright a godly man: 'tis an angel of light sometimes, and preacheth to us that it is good to save, a virtue, a duty to have wherewith to do good, to provide for ones own, to leave somewhat to children: and therefore if ever we cry out with S. Paul, let it bee in this case, I desire to be 
Phil. 1. 23. {αβγδ}, solvere nautarum instar.  let loose, to be free from this sin, and to bee with Christ Jesus. We can sigh after death to bee free from crosses, but not from covetousness. We rather would live to feed this disease, and to get more goods. Ah cursed companion! Ah dangerous snare! learn of Saint Paul, who did not desire to die to bee free from persecutions: he did rather glory in them, and desire to live that he might suffer more; but he did desire to die to bee free from sin. Wee desire to live to sin longer, he to die to sin no more: 
Ro. 7. 24.  Ah wretched man that I am, who shall free me from this body of death! Ah wretched man, who shall deliver me from this sinning sin! he that can say this, is in a good estate. When covetousness and saving do please, there is great danger: when it doth vex and disquiet ones mind, not by reason of the cares of it, but the guilt of it, such a man may live and die upon on it, and venture his soul on it, that he shall go to heaven. I speak not that it is lawful to wish for death simply, but with a tacite submission to the will of God; nor to bee set free from the troubles, and fears, and cares of this sin, nor that we would not conflict and wrestle any longer; for this were to serve ourselves, as not willing to bee at any pains, or to bear any sorrow: wee must rather bee content to be in the combat against sin as much, and as long as God will have us: But now to desire to be rid of this corrupt affection in hatred to it, as it is a sin; and though wee feel some carnal love to the world in us still, yet 
This reflecting on ourselves for loving the world is the greatest hating the world that is, for it is infinite as all reflect acts are infinite one upon another still Scot. Coll. 6.  we do not love this love, but hate it most extremely; and wee would rather than our lives bee gone hence, that we might sin this sin no longer; for that it hinders us like another clog in doing God service, and makes us that wee cannot run the way of Gods Commandements, and as it is a great and foul dishonour to God: In this sense he that can desire to be dissolved, to be where covetousness is no more, that man is in an happy case; and that chiefly, if that we be such as do much fear death, and the fear of death be strong in us; and yet we had rather die than sin, and do rather choose to die than live that we may be freed from this lust: for certain here is great power against covetousness. But for a man who doth not much fear death, for such an one to wish to die rather than to live in this world among so many worldly lusts, is good, I confess, but not so good a thing, nor so good a sign as it is when one is more strongly afraid of death, and yet death is nothing to him, but doth rather seek it than shun it, and all because of this sin. He fears death very much, but he fears this devil covetousness much more. Here is faith: here is a picture of liberality.  
5 Lastly, if we can pray against this sin, and the fruit of it, that wee had rather bee poor than covetous, have nothing than love any of the things of the world, and not for form, but from the heart, can beg of God pardon and power, then we are not in any danger, by reason of the law of this sin( yet) in our members. Many would fain be rich, but would not be cove●ous, and do pray against the sin, but not against the desire of riches. They dare not say as Agur, Give me neither poverty nor riches, Prov. 30. 8. Alas ask thèse, and they will tell you, that they do think that they cannot possibly be rich except they be covetous, and that there is no thriving without it:& yet they will pray not to be covetous, but yet they hold this fast, that they would& mean to be rich; whereas it doth imply, and it is in our English a contradiction to say 
1 Tim. 6. 9.  I will bee rich, and yet not covetous. And therefore if wee mean to have ground of comfort, wee must pray against the sin without all reservation, and leave it to God to dispose of us and our estate for outward things, as he pleaseth, and say, Lord, rather than I should-bee covetous give me not riches, ay take riches from me, so thou take covetousness away from me withall. This is right, and he that can pray so, and doth it from the heart, his heart is upright, and God will bee his friend, and comfort him against all his inward sorrows, which do so urge him, for that he feels covetousness work so mightily in his flesh. Many feel no trouble, for that they are ignorant, and do see nothing, and do think well of it that their heart is after the world, they think they do God good service to gather riches together; but this is a dangerous depth of error. But for us, let us see it( if any thing) to be a sin, and a mighty sin. Let us feel it, and spare not to work much upon our hearts with godly sorrow. Let us see that wee pray, and lie at God against it day after day: and then when Satan saith, Thou art not an upright man because thou art covetous, ansver, I am, I am: for covetousness hath not me, though I have too much of it; it is in me but not of me. I hate it, I pray against it, I take physic against it; It is not in me in power, and I care not how soon death doth come, that it may not be in me at all. I with 
Ps. 119. 113.  david have vain thoughts, but I hate them; and that is enough.  
Object. But I see many can part with their money better than I can.  
Answ. 1 On themselves they may, but not on God; and this proves nothing, sith thou canst part with as much or more than they, on the Lord.  
2 On good uses also perhaps they do give more than thou dost, who are yet carnal men, but it is to be seen, to be praised and commended of men, it is not to be seen and allowed of God: and therefore the left hand must know what the right hand doth, else nothing will drop from them: But now though we cannot give so much and so often, yet that we give is as in Gods sight, and in the fear and to the glory of God; and we take all occasions that are offered in secret, and one hand shall not bee acquainted with what the other gives: here less given comes to more, sith it is to serve God, than more given when it is given to serve ourselves: and a man is not more willing to serve himself in any thing more than in reaching to himself the praise of men: and wee dote more after the praise of men to be counted and called liberal, merciful and bountiful, than in all virtues again whatsoever.    

CHAP. IV. Of Lying.  

SECT. 1. The greatness of the sin.  
GOD is not onely true, but truth itself, and to lye is a sin contrary not onely to the revealed will, but after a sort to the nature of God: I say( after a sort) for properly God being infinite, and there being nothing infinite but GOD, nothing can bee contrary to the nature of GOD, sith nothing can be contrary to that which is infinite, but what is also infinite. Besides, one thing can bee properly contrary but to one thing. whereas therefore lying is contrary to veracity and truth in man, it cannot in strict and proper speaking, be said to be contrary to the nature of God too: but herein we speak after the common manner of men; and thus we mean when wee say that lying is contrary not onely ro the expressed will, but to the nature of God.  
God can kill though he cannot commit murder. he can command us to take away, as the life, so the goods of another, he being Lord of life and all; as he did the Israelites to take away the jewels of the 
Exod. 11. 2.  Egyptians( though perhaps these jewels proved after a snare to them in the matter of the 
Exo. 32. 4.  golden calf) but yet God cannot lie, nor give command to any man to speak that which is false: in many other sins the act is good, the obliquity is nought, here in a lie the very act is an obliquity; a false matter is a lie, bee the manner what it will. It is not said he will not lie, but the terms be flat, he cannot lye; for whatsoever God can do, were it done by him, must needs bee good and justly done, otherwise he should have power to be unjust. His nature is so against a lye, that he cannot commit a lye, nor command us to speak that which in the matter is false, but yet he can permit us to lie, and thus to permit us to lie is good and just. Note, that God cannot be said to sin, being under no binding law of any superior, yea 'tis against his nature to speak that which is false, and things do and must needs work according to the first principles of their nature. he cannot lye, not because he is impotent and weak, but because he is not weak but omnipotent. And as wee hate that most, which is most contrary to our humour: so God hates a lye as a thing contrary to the truth, and to his nature, as well as against his will. All which doth prove, that to lye is to sin a great sin in itself: yet by reason of some circumstances, partly in the matter of a lye, partly in our nature, it is a sin that useth not to smite hard on our consciences, till we come to be very spiritual, and much sanctified: but then it cuts deep, not only because it is a very sinful sin, but also for that it is a very base sin. For sin is then very faulty, when is is far off from the nature of God: as that is most could, which is farthest off from the fountain of heat; most dark, which is most remote from the sun the first light. Now this sin of lying being far distant from the nature of God, as being( in the sense I shewed) quiter contrary to it; this makes it to be in the eye of a super-spirituall man very odious: and when it is once laid on such a conscience, though it grinned but slowly, yet it grinds surely and sorely. Wee read that the devil is the father of lies, Joh. 8. 44. Is he not the father of all sins? Yes, but yet there is something in it that he is said in a strict phrase of speech to bee the father of lies, which is for that he brought sin into the world by the way of lying at the first, and doth still maintain and propagate his kingdom by nothing so much as by lies. All the corruption that is in us came from satan, but yet this sin of forging and lying is from the devil more than any, tastes of the devil more than any. Hence 
Rom 3. 4.  every man is a liar,& so every man is every sinner else; but in a special maner every man is a liar, for that the very first depravation of our nature came in by lying,& our nature doth taste much still of this old block to bee given to lying, the devil breathing into us a strong breath to stir us up to lying. Hence no 
Psal. 58. 4.  sooner do we speak but we ●ie. As we are in body subject to ●ll diseases, but yet some to one ●icknesse rather than to another: so in the soul all are apt ●nough to all sin, and some ra●her to one 
Cic. Tusc▪ 4.  'vice than to another, but all are much inclined ●o lying. A liar then is as like ●he devil as ever he can look; ●s unlike to God as ever he can and. So God is said to hate a lying ●ongue, Prov. 6. 17. and wee know what S. John saith of such ●s do make or love lies, Apoc. ●2. 15. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, Prov. 12. 21. he that loves lies is, what? an abomination, the very height of all distaste. To whom? not to men, not to Kings, but to the Lord. Which is to bee noted, for that wee can believe that God loves the godly, but that he hates the wicked wee are loathe to believe. Moreover, it is a sin that useth to be done without( almost) any temptation; out comes a lye without any occasion, ay many times many have such a vein, that they will lye to their own hurt, when to speak the truth would serve their turns better, and make for their ends more: yet they are so foolish, and so wicked, that way, that for their tongues and hearts they cannot choose but lye. It is a sin soon acted, it is but to speak a word or two. And for swearing, others may know when wee swear, but for lying men make the bolder, because it is not easy to find them out in a lye. And when a man hath used his tongue to a custom in lying, it is hard to forbear, sith when it is come to an use once there are two things to bee left, natural corruption and habitual custom.   

SECT. 2. What lying is.  
ALie( to speak properly) is a signification of that which is false, with a will to deceive the ears of the hearer with that which is not true. So that ironical speeches, and some hyperbolical phrases are not very lies. feigning, or simulation is not ever lying, when it is only divers from the truth, and not contrary to the truth. So parents are not 
Perk. on Gal. 1. 20.  thought to lye, when they do affright their children on just occasions with the bloody man, the bear, the bulbegger. To conceal some of the truth is no lye. Abraham 
Gen. 12. 13.  said Sarah was his sister, and so shee was, but he had lied, if he had said shee was not his wife. Jacob is noted in the Scripture to be a 
Gen. 33. 14.  plain man, no dissembler, yet what saith he? Let my Lord pass on before his servant, until I come unto my Lord unto Seir; yet he never meant to come to Seir, nor in these words doth he promise to come to Seir. So then thou shalt say( saith the King to Jeremiah) I presented my supplication before the King, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathans house to die there, Jer. 38. 26. And no question thus he did; but by the Kings command he was not to tell to the Princes the rest which passed between the King and him. None of all this doth make for equivocation( a sinful practise crept into the Church now in the latter end of the world). It is wisdom when it is for the glory of God, and the good of all, to hid sometime some of the truth; we are so far from being to tell all, that wee are bound to the contrary, as never to speak any thing that is false, so not ever to out with all that is true. Nor do I justify Davids practise in feigning himself to bee out of his mind, 1 Sam. 21. 11. This was not fit for any man, much less for a man of his quality, for to save a thousand lives. Had David firmly believed that GOD could, and would deliver him from that danger he was in, which he ought to have done, he having a promise that he must be King after Saul, David needed not to have done as he did, and God did look on his upright heart, and did set him free; and David did on that occasion make the 34th psalm.  
Albeit it bee lawful to conceal some of the truth to do another good, yet wee must not lye to save 
Job. 13. 7.  Gods honour. Officious lies be sins, and were it possible that one by lying might save a mans soul, yet lye he should not. A man is not to cast away his own soul to save anothers, nor to sin against God for any mans sake. Many measure matters by the good or hurt they do: and when by accident a lye may serve the turn, then the lye goes for a virtue; and in the opinion of men he is so far from sinning who tells an officious lye, that in their conceit he sins, except he lye such a li●. This is an error, for sin doth deprive us of a greater good, than all the possible good it may bee thought to bring unto the party whom one thinks to help by a lye: yet 'tis certain that 'tis besides the nature of a lye to do any good to any: and 
judge. 14 15. 16.  Dalilah did lye to save her fathers house from burning, but wee see that her fathers house was burned. And Abraham tells a tale to save his life, and the end was that it proved a dangerous occasion to venture life and all. The way to have saved all, was to have said she was his wife. Plain English is usually best and most beneficial on every side. Being asked by a lawful Magistrate, a plain and direct answer had been best, and in likelihood have stood him in best stead; for the King would sooner have abstained from his wife than his sister, Gen. 12. 18, 19. and 20. 5. 9. and 26. 10. It was very ill to endanger Sarahs chastity, which was done more by saying she was his sister, than that shee was his wife. God that preserved them notwithstanding their dissimulation, would sure have preserved them in plain speaking. again, if they would make no conscience of murder, is it like they of that land would make any conscience of adultery? so that we see feigning useth to prove but a sorry shift.  

Whether one may not make use of the lye of another.  
First, I say in the general that it is no sin to make use of the sin of another; as the taker of money to use in case of his true need is no way a partaker of the sin of the usurer, who sins in not lending gratis. For this is not to induce another to sin, but rather to occasion him to fall into the lesser sin, that is, that he rather sin the sin of usury than of homicide& undoing another: And this is lawful, for the man is supposed to bee in danger of perishing by extreme need, in case he have not money to serve his turn. Jacob did require an oath of Laban, Gen. 31. and yet Jacob did know that Laban would swear by his false gods; which was a sin in Laban, but not in Jacob: and therefore to ask an oath of one who wee know will depose by Idols, in and of itself is No sin, which what is it but to make use of anothers sin? So 
Act. 23. 6.  S. Paul was not ignorant that the Pharisees and Sadducees would, and must sin in falling together by the ears, yet he did, and did well in it, when he cast a bone betwixt them a purpose to get his own liberty. Herein he did not partake of their sin, because he knew them to be incorrigible,& set in monstrous malice. he did look at his own escape( which he might lawfully seek) he used their unavoidable corruption to bring about his own liberty. So that in such cases a man may use things( in others unlawful) to bring about his lawful ends. Neither is this to use unlawful means: For an unlawful thing may become a lawful means to purchase our lawful desires. So in our very particular, a man knows another will tel a lye,& by his lye he is like to receive good, or to be put in case to do some good, as long as one doth not persuade or cause him to make an excuse, to tell a lye, I think it lawful for one thus to make use of that humour wee see in others to fain matters for our good: I do not put matter of lying in him, nor provoke him, but I do verily think that in helping me he will trip, and use a false tongue. I may make a good use of his lying lips, chiefly if he might help me without a lye if he would, but I think he will not: his sin is upon him, not on me: I do onely take occasion to make use of his vicious habit of lying. But am I not bound to profess an outward dislike of his lying, and wish him in any hand to use no lies?  
Ans. I am bound to abhor his lying vein within, and that from the heart, but herein I join not with him in the sin; I am not bound to profess outward mislike, and to call upon him to let all alone rather than to lye; for in so doing I should destroy the end in the means, and frustrate myself of mine own intentions.  
And for jesting lies they are worse than officious lies. There is no good meant to any by them. What? to sin against God and then to say 
Pro. 26. 19.  am I not in jest? It is an evil indeed for a man to sport away his soul. There is no jesting with sin, sin is an edgetoole. Idle words are under a deep 
Mat. 12. 36.  censure, and what are idle lies? I confess pernicious lies are worst, when there is sin against God, and hurt against men: but yet your lying jests are next, and though not so bad as pernicious, yet worse than officious lies. Saint Paul sets the text against 
Eph. 5 4. {αβγδ}. i. e. the abus 〈…〉 jests, bec 〈…〉 in Pauls time the Greekes called scurrilous jests {αβγδ}.  jesting, and what then can be said, when jesting and lying meet together? All( but of all) such as are given to jesting are to beware of lying in jest, lest they fall into hell in good earnest. Thus we see that lying is a sin, and what kind of sin it is.    

SECT. 3. Remedies against lying, and temptations that way.  
THe trouble of mind, which issues from this sin of lying, is not great on weaker Christians, because it is not seen in the true guilt of it: but when once we come to bee able to see day at a little hole, and to find out sin in its own nature, then it goes to the heart of an humbled Christian, that he hath lied all maner of lies: then it comes fresh to his mind, that it is a sin flat and direct against the very nature of God, who is not onely true, but truth; that it is not onely a thing which GOD will not do, but which GOD cannot do. Now he sees how bad a 'vice this sin of lying is, and the less he thought on it before, the more it bites now, that on no occasion a lye was ready; and it vexeth his righteous soul something also, that it is so base a sin as it is. All sins have a baseness in them, but lying is more base( almost) than any, either for that it comes from fear( and fear is a base passion) or for that it tends to cozening and imposture; and this makes this sin, when it is well weighed, to make a woeful cry in the conscience of a much mortified and enlightened man.  
For remedies against the clamour of this sin, take forth such rules as these:  
1 First, make not this sin of lying worse than it is. Many are against it, as though it were almost the sin against the holy Ghost. Thus wee see mothers will not sit down by it, but presently correct their children if they tell them a lye. But for other sins( as bad, though not in our eyes as base as this) they will make nothing of them: as they can teach their 
Peccatum quod tibi non displicet in filio tuo delectatte: said aetas deseruit, non cupiditas. Aug. in Ps. 50.  children to bee proud, and call upon them to bee fine: You a gentleman, and be thus, do thus, bee once seen in such beggarly company! And so for the sin of covetousness, their care is to teach them to save, to get, to be rich and worldly; never once angry with them for covetous practices, but do approve and applaud them: but if a lye fall from their lips, they chide, they fight, as though there were no sin but lying. Is this sincerity, to make such respects of sins and sinning, that one must bee condemned, the other commended? whereas pride is a far greater sin than lying, and is the cause of most lies that are  told. Lying dies when we die, but pride lives when we are dead. We love to bee praised, and commended even after we are dead and butted. I speak not that children are to bee let alone without word or blow in this cursed sin of lying, but wee must not teach them to sin other sins, and spend all our zeal on this 'vice of lying. he that teacheth men so shall bee called the least in the kingdom of heaven, Mat. 5. 19. To sin is from temptation, to teach another to sin hath scarce any temptation: therefore the actor of sin is bad, the teacher of any sin is worse. To teach any, chiefly our children, to sin any sin is a great wickedness; and yet it is common to teach them to be worldly( wee call it thrifty). No mother I think to bee found, who doth britch her child for sparing, and saving: but for lying the very hope of the family must up toties quoties; and they do lash their children more for lying, than for all sins and faults else; and yet lying is not Idolatry as covetousness is: a little covetousness is good, and a little lying is unpardonable with them. And again, to lye commonly is a sin that doth less hurt to man than covetousness doth. I fear the cause why parents do so bear their children for their lies, is not for that they sin against God when they lye, but because it is a disgrace to their children to be liars, and a disgrace to them to have their children flap them in the mouth with a lye. What? tell me a lye! Ile teach you better manners. So that upon the matter 'tis not zeal, but pride that makes women fight so for lying. They can( many of them) be well content to have their children lye to others for an advantage, but not to themselves, and can place them in shops where they make a common trade of lying, but by no means they cannot abide that they should make a lye to them. This is pride to be lamented in the parent rather than the lye to be corrected in the child.  
2 Secondly, make it as great as it is, as near as we can. Men have some temptation to steal for some profit, to adulteries for some pleasure: but for to lye( as men do use) on slight or no occasions, makes the sin the worse, as being almost without any temptation. Men think it an ornament to their speeches: But can that be an ornament to us, which is an abomination to God? S. 
Jam. 3. 6.  James tells us that the tongue is a world of iniquity. What? is not the hand a world of iniquity too? Is not that set on fire of hell? It is, but not like the tongue. For the hand hath its bounds, and cannot bee all the town and country over, cannot reach over heaven& earth: but the tongue is able to walk all the world over, can run over whole countries, parishes, houses, doth bite at every body. The tongue is a member apt to move, it turns up and down without any labour, it is not apt to bee quickly weary. Besides, man is a sociable creature, and the tongue is an instrument of society, therefore wee are apt to talk. The hand is not for all sins, but there is no sin but the tongue is for it, can sin all manner of sins, is full of deadly poison, poisons all the soul, all the body, all the town, all the country. Other poison works by contract, but the venom of the tongue works far and near. The uncurable poison of asps, which indeed is 
r Rom. 3. 13. asps poison past remedy. Arist. hist. an. 1. 8. 29. Plin. 29. 4,  said to bee under the tongue, is the sin of lying. And it is to some purpose that Saint Paul making the anatomy of a natural man, doth stand more on the organ, and instrument of speaking, than all the members of the body else. A boasting, a railing tongue are bad enough, but a lying tongue is worst of all, yet a sin very common. The other sins of the tongue discover themselves, this of lying lies hide. Wherefore we are to use great heed that we fall not, or lie not in this sin of lying. There is a way of lying, as Davids phrase is, Ps. 19. 29. and by use we come to a custom, which is as another law. Wee must look to ourselves in four cases especially.  
1 First, when we are baited with some advantage, when by a lye we may get or save. Whereas gain got by a lye will burn our fingers, and burn in our purses too. lye not for advantage sake. he loseth indeed, who loseth in the latter end. Now mark the end of your common liars, and a lying tongue many times proves their undoing.  
2 Secondly, when it is to avoid the ill will of some great man, or to please some good friend, whom we make and take for an▪ Idol. In that case we are apt to double, to say, and unsay any thing, we know not, we care not what.  
3 Thirdly, when we are about the commending of any good man, or any good thing, then we think it no great matter, yea rather a virtue than a 'vice, to speak too much, to go too far, to borrow a point of the law, because it is to do good, as wee think, to bring good men, and good things in request.  
4 Fourthly, when wee praise ourselves. He that saith he hath no sin, 
1 Joh. 1. 8.  lies, and sins the sin of lying in saying that he hath no sin.  
Now when in these cases wee do fall into some lye notwithstanding all our care, the medicine is to repent, and then God must either lye( which he cannot) or else he must forgive us our lye, and heal our tongues, and touch our lips with the law of truth, and settle us, that all is well for all this. look upon David, who did lye often, and Abraham did little better; and what did Peter but lye, and worse? and yet they came to themselves again, and all went well with them.  
3 Thirdly, break off this custom of false and vain speaking, by an anti-custome, enure ourselves to speak the less, go to God to rule that unruly member of ours. As when wee have got a toy by reason of use, and would but cannot leave it, we see it to bee a blemish, then we use to say, Wife tell me of of such a matter; son do you speak to me, and rather than fail wee will put our servants upon it to tell us also: and thus many times wee break off from a foolish custom. And so when we find that we are given to a vain of lying, and false speaking, what should wee do but say, Wife tell me of it, when you hear me tell a lye; so to our children and friends. Wee all do show ourselves content that our very servants should tell us of any blemish by dirt or so in our faces, and we all should desire even our servants to show us of lies or other blemishes in our souls: do thus, and in time the law of truth will be in our lips.  
4 Fourthly, we must be content to have this sin of lying to die in us by pieces. It is a disease wee use to recover of but slowly( yet surely) wee shall remain in part what wee were wholly in nature, and it is a sin very natural unto us, and rooted deep in our nature, a sin fit to serve turns, and therefore it goes away by degrees, and a foot, as some diseases do. Wherefore we must not bee dismayed in case wee find some weakness this way more than ordinary. Indeed, if the oftener we lye wee hate the sin the less, and begin to think of it, as of a venial matter, our case is dangerous; but in case we do ●ate it the more the more wee ●ommit it, and love truth in ●ur selves and others, and it ●umble us mightily that we are ●● often overtaken with a lye, ●nd wee learn to consider of o●hers with mercy, and we grow ●ore and more willing to cast ●ff this lying skin of ours, why ●hen happy time that ever we ●old a lye. Wee must show no ●ercy to our sin of lying, be ●s cruel as wee can against the ●ice: but to ourselves wee must, ●hew so much mercy, as not to ●hinke that wee are utterly reje●ted, because of a lye or two. He is a 
Jam. 3. 2.  perfect man who can rule ●is tongue( it is an unruly member) and of all most in the sin of lying the tongue is very apt to trip, and in case wee cannot do what wee would in the government of the tongue, wee must not despair, but pray to God to pass over all that is past, to forgive all the lies that ever wee have  told: this is a common sin of our youth, and too common a sin of our age: for 
Arist Rhet. 2.  old people are too too apt to talk, and they think they may lye by authority; and for the time to come, wee are to pray him to preserve u● from the law of lying, to set a door before our tongues. The 
Jam. 3 7. Aelian. l. 17. Plin. l. 10. c. 45.  creatures a man may tame, yea the fishes of the sea, but the tongue of a man or woman who can tame? God can and will.  
Ob. But Saint James saith, that out of the same fountain comes not sweet and bitter, therefore out of the same mouth comes not lying and truth.  
Sol. I answer, in a regenerate man there are two fountains, the flesh is one, the spirit is another: out of the spirit comes truth, out of the flesh lying; but the flesh is not the godly mans fountain: Not I( saith Paul) but sin that dwelleth in me, Rom. 7. 20. he allows nothing that comes out of the flesh, he ●wnes it not. again, S. James ●ides those that were bitter ●nd censorious against the faults ●f others, have a saying against ●very body, and think that all ●his is zeal, nothing forsooth ●ut the spirit. But Saint James ●hews that this comes from the ●ountaine of the flesh, and not ●rom the spirit, as some did ●reame; for to bless is sweet, to ●ensure bitter; bitter and sweet ●ome not out of one and the ●ame fountain; the fountain of ●he spirit doth sand forth sweet ●lessings, not bitter censures; it came from flesh in them that they were so bitter against flesh in others. And therfore they did mistake, who did take their bitter speaking against others( though for their infirmities and sins) to come from the spirit.  
5 Fiftly, speak with the least. Much speaking breeds much lying. he that hath ears to 
mat. 13.  hear let him hear. So saith Christ often, but we never red, he that hath a tongue to speak let him speak: rather as Saint James hath it( Chap. 1. 19.) Be swift to hear, but slow to speak, hear much, but speak little.    

CHAP. V. Of Swearing.  
TO say much of swearing needs not, except where custom hath taken away sense. This sin doth rattle the conscience quickly, but where the sin is by reason of use grown inveterate, there 
Hos. 4. 2.  oath toucheth oath, and almost as many oaths as words; for which profane vein we should all mourn, for that it makes the land to mourn, and see to it betime lest it bee( almost) too late; for inveterate sins are seldom pardonned. But put case a man do forget himself, and do ripp up an oath, yet wee must not think too much of the mat●er, but befriend ourselves with ●ope of pardon, else we shall be apt to swear, and swear again, that if wee must go to hell wee may go for somewhat. Hope of pardon is the best medicine( next to the blood of Christ) ●o cure sin in the world. It is a sin so much the greater, because it is without a sensible temptation: they are not baited with pleasure or profit, but they do swear because they will swear; and such shall one day know, that( without repentance) the Lord hath sworn to bee the destruction of swearers. Briefly, I will put off the matter in a few lines.  
1 First, wee must not swear by the creature. Indeed to speak properly we cannot: for it is no oath in itself when it is by the creature. For it is the life and form of an oath to bee by the Creator; but yet it is an oath to us, and we must answer for it, or Christ for us. By the creature we must not swear.  
2 Secondly, wee must see that we do not swear very oaths, and we to think no such matter when wee have done. Many men have oaths as common in their mouths as can be, and yet think nothing less, as[ gods me] is swearing by a figure:[ gods lord] is an oath without the form indeed, but yet there is the matter of an oath expressed and the form implied: and[ as I am a gentleman] is little better. Say those terms bee not very oaths, yet deep protestations they are by the grant of all, which is enough to cry down the common and vain use of such speeches. This we find as common as may bee amongst the wisest and best sort of people, to fill their mouth with such speeches as these,[ as true as I live, and, as I live it is so, or not so:][ as I live it is thus or thus.] In my opinion this is( to us) no better than plain swearing. For we find[ as I live] up and down in the Word as a common form of an oath, when the Lord is said to swear: So, as true as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, Num. 14. 21. This was an oath. For speaking of this very place the Phalmist saith, that the Lord did swear( Unto whom I swore in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest, Ps. 95. 11.) Thus then by the voice of the holy Ghost himself( surely as I live) is the form of an oath, and that commonly in the prophesy of Ezechiel, Chap. 18. 3.& 20. 33.& 5. 11. I cannot but marvel that honest minded people, after this hath been reproved in them& proved to them to be an oath, should yet use it, as they do almost at every third word,& venture the displeasure of God for a foolish phrase. Can one imagine that these( if cause were) would leave their lives for God, when wee cannot persuade them to leave a word or two for the Lords sake? This shows that it is the Lord who must persuade, and that the Word without his cooperating Spirit will not convince. There is much humour and pride in this. They can say nothing for it, why 'tis good or fit to use such phrases, to out presently with[ as I live, as true as I live] onely they have used it long, and now will not leave it, because they will not bee thought to have been out of the way all this while. Many good people wonder at the patriarchs for their polygamy, what they meant in it; but this sin of common and trivial swearing is to me a greater wonder, having less temptation in it, and the more use it the more wee should shun it, and the longer wee have been in it the more hast wee should make out of it. Had none but Lamech, and such as Lamech, doubled or treble their wives, polygamy had been as strange then in the Church as it is now; but when Abraham, Saint Abraham took to him more wives than one, it went for currant, and grew common. Right so, if none but vain and light persons would swear such oaths, if[ as true as I live, and such like forms of swearing] were heard onely from the mouths of the sons of Belial, such oaths had never been so rife in the Church: but now when grave and godly people make no bones of such swearing phrases, every one thinks he may, and( almost) ought to speak as they speak. To do as most do is no answer. Wee are to do as God doth, and as the word would have us speak and do. Some think to put off all with this, that it is but a ptotestation. But a protestation! do wee think to cry( but) at a protestation? There is, I confess, one main difference between a protestation and an oath, that wee may lawfully protest by a creature, but without sin wee cannot swear by a creature. But in the matter in hand there is little, if any difference, betwixt protesting and swearing. It is a sin to swear frivolously, and so it is to protest frivolously. A vain protestation comes to as much( for ought I know) as a vain oath. Whatsoever is more than Yea, yea, cometh of that evil one, saith Chtist, Matth. 5. 37. that is, of the devil; and as it comes of of evil so evil comes of it. Let your Yea bee yea, and your Nay nay, lest you fall into condemnation, saith Saint James, Chap. 5. 12. So that more than yea, or nay comes from the devil, and brings to the devil: and is not a protestation more than yea or nay as well as an oath? My meaning is not, that wee should tie ourselves superstitiously to those terms, neither doth it warrant us to swear by yea, or by nay; but wee must see that wee do consider before hand what wee say, and that wee know things to be true ere wee affirm them, and say( ay): to bee false, ere we do deny them, and say( no): and that wee should ordinarily content ourselves with bare affirming or denying, 
Eccl. 9. 2.  fearing all oaths, all protestations in ordinary communication. What do these leave for themselves in greater matters, who will protest thus for every trifle? I would they that can, and do acquit themselves, and free their mouths from vain oaths, would also as much from foolish protestations. oaths and protestations are couzen germans, and he that makes no care of the one, 'tis but a scruple that he makes of the other. Let us then away with petty oaths, made oaths. swear not at all, that is, without cause, and often: Know and aclowledge that these oaths wee now speak of, have a guilt in them above what wee think of perhaps; that wee sin in swearing vainly, and we sin in swearing thus[ as true as I live] because wee swear by a creature, and that frivolously too. Give it over lest God give us over, be willing to be convinced, be willing to leave thy foolery in speaking, and then wee shall bee quickly convinced, and then there is a pardon ready for our folly herein. And what if we be long used unto it? why 'tis a matter of comfort to us, if wee have the wit and the grace with us to break off an old and long custom, to cure an inveterate disease. What if all the country do use it? it is the more for our comfort that wee can stand alone, and walk alone with God.  
Lastly, take heed wee bridle our tongues in our passion: for then a man is not his own man. Other affections carry one power of the soul out of the way; but passion overturns all. Anger( we see) rests not onely in the head, but in the bosoms of fools, Eccles. 7. 9. Thus we call hangman whom wee know never hanged any man: whore-son, whose mother wee know to bee very chast: thief, who to our knowledge did never steal. Dogges in a chafe bark at their own masters: so we in our passions let our tongues fly at our best friends. To sum and shut up all, wee must see to our lips and words, that they bee ●et on fire of heaven. Christ saith, that a man is condemned by his words,( mat. 12. 37.) as though nothing did return into the condemnation of a man but his words; and indeed a mans most and worst sins be his words. The holy 
Rom. 3.  Ghost is more on the tongue than all the members else, as though a man were almost all tongue always: it is a little member, but a world of iniquity, Jam. 3. Not a City or Country, but a world of iniquity. Rule the tongue and rule all. A man shall eat good by the fruits of his mouth, Prov. 13. 2. He is a perfect man, that can do it: and a Christian should( as all men in all mysteries else do) desire to be perfect in his faculty; and that he cannot be but by ordering his tongue aright. For the tongue is a very movable member, which is turned up and down without much labour, or much weariness, or any great difficulty. And again, man by his very nature is much given to be speaking: for man is( as before I shewed) a sociable creature, and without intercourse of speech and talk, the society of man with man cannot hold. Man hath his tongue in his head to that end: and David calls his tongue 
Psal. 16. 9. 30. 2.  his glory: 
Ps. 57. 8.  Awake my glory. They do ill that say words are but wind: such a wind they are, that without repentance will serve to blow a man to hell. Wee think that our tongues of all members are our own, Psal. 12. 4. Our eyes, ears, hands, feet are not our own to use them at our pleasure: but of all our tongues are least of all our own. There is no one of our members but is unruly: but yet it is not for nothing that the tongue is said to bee an unruly member, Jam. 3. 8. All the members, when they sin, are set on fire of hell; but none like unto the tongue, none so much, none so often: and therefore we must learn to commit the government of our tongues unto the Lord, that he would set a door before our lips, and that he would keep the k 〈…〉 and be( as 'twere) the porter to let out words at his pleasure, that our words may be 
Eccl. 5. 2.  but few no more than we can well justify; that we speak not unprofitably, but to purpose; that our words may bee both food to the weak to nourish the soul, physic to the sick in soul to cure the conscience; that he would put away swearing, lying, and equivocating, which is worse than lying. As Abraham in that he said Sarah was not his wife, did speak doubly: he did not speak out, and besides his tale he did dissemble. To equivocate is upon the matter to lye& to dissemble too. plain dealing( ay though it be in sinning) is a jewel,& double dealing is base: a tongue and a tongue is hateful to God and man, a monster in grace and nature, and therefore bee beforehand to keep our tongues from evil, and when we do overlash, speaking foolishly or falsely, lets salue all by confession, and petition, seeking to the God of truth for pardon of our lies, and we shall have our pardon: wee need not doubt of our pardon, sith truth itself hath made the promise. Have wee spoken foolishly or falsely, and sinned with our words? Why 
Hos. 14 2.  take unto you words: what words? why words of confession, of humiliation, of petition, and the match is made, peace is concluded betwixt God and us. In the Law they offered a calf, and there followed atonement, let us offer up the calves of our lips, Hos. 14. 2. the lips made the breach, let our lips make up the breach again. And( Psal. 85. 8.) God will speak peace to us, always provided that wee return not again to the same or the like folly in speaking wee know not or care not what. Be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, Maith. 5. 48. And 
Jam. 3. 2.  perfect wee are not till wee do rule our tongues, but perfect we are when we do rule our tongues: every other creature in his kind doth, and wee should labour after perfection. So speak ye as they that must bee judged by the Law of liberty. Iam. 2. 12.   
FINIS.   

THE CONTENTS OF THIS THIRD PART.  

CHAP. I.  
TEmptations to lesser sins, to spiritual Christians are very grievous. pag. 1  
No sins are little, simply and without comparison. 4  
The least sin forbidden and damnable. 5  
Wee cannot avoid a greater sin by yielding to a lesser. 8  
Wee must not say, It is but a little sin, and cannot bee avoided. 10  
Why wee fall into lesser sins, rather than into greater. 11  
How to get off trouble of conscience that comes for lesser faults. 13  
This trouble is not an happy thing, but an happy sign. 16  
Lesser sins of precipitancie, and of infirmity. 18   

CHAP. II.  
IT is a brave spirit, that rises at the omitting of duties. 19  
he is not best still who hath least inward trouble, but who hath least cause. 22  
Omitting of duties breeds sins of commission. 23. 32  
Troubles of conscience must draw us up to Christ. 24  
The not doing of a duty is sometime a cross, not a sin. 25  
Delay not to amend omissions. 30  
mischiefs of omissions. 33  
Caveats in omitting duties on extraordinary occasion. 33   

CHAP. III.  
covetousness breeds a temptation and a snare. 35  
What covetousness is. 37  
covetousness is a great sin. 41. wholly in the mind, not the body. 45  
All men are more or less covetous. 47  
poor men generally more covetous than rich. 49  
Riches are not the disease of covetousness. 50  
covetousness is a dangerous temptation. 52  
How to bee convinced of covetousness. 58  
The Law convinceth the judgement: the gospel, the lust and affection. 67  
How to bee cured of covetousness. 72  
Why and to whom we must give. 92  
A removal of such shows as men have why they may bee worldly. 96  
How far forth covetousness may be said to prevail in us. 108  
helps against temptations and doubts arising from covetousness. 118   

CHAP. IV.  
THe greatness of the sin of lying. 132  
What lying is. 139  
Whether one may not make use of the lie of another. 143  
Remedies against lying, and temptations that way. 148  
four cases wherein wee must look to ourselves especially. 155   

CHAP. V.  
WEe must not swear by the creatures. 163  
We must see we swear▪ not very oaths, and think them no such matter. 164  
Of Protestations, what is to bee thought. 167  
Take heed to bridle your tongues in passion. 171  
Of equivocation. 174   
FINIS.