Spiriwal Perfeflion. ( 1 .) Immo 'crate Defires of Riches: For what is loved for it fdf, is defired with an unlimited Appetite. Covetoufnefs, lt!.:e the Gra-ve , ntvtr Jays tt ts <no(~~·) Immoderate Joy in polfelliog them. A covetous Man is railed and ravilh'd above himlelf, in the fight of hiS Trealures: He dunks htmf~lf happy wuhout Reconciliarion and Commu.nion wtrll God, wherem Heav;n confi~s. 1c ~vas a conv1~· cing evidence of Job's I.tcred and heavenly temper, that he d1d not YtjOJCt btcarJfe hJJ Joh3J. lf. Wealth WtU f!.rtat, and kis Hand had gotten much. ( l·) Anxious fears of lofing them. The Covetous lufpect every lhadow, are fearful of every fancy~ wherem their Intcrell is concerned. They are vex'd wuh the app reheofions, lefl they fi10 uld be opprelfed by the Rich, Rob'd by ~h e Poor, ~~~~(~~~~redC~~l~~~ ~f~\;? 'p~~ffu~~O ·~0~\ i~he~~O ~~~I;b;~{f~~~C~~CI~h:n~ j~~CV~a;~.~ To(;.erHeart-breaking Sorrow in being deprived of them. If you touch their Treafure, you wound th~Jr Hea rts. Accordm~ to the Rule In Nature, what 1s poffefs 'd with Joy, is lofl wtth Grief; and accordtng to the_ degree of the Defires, loch will be the Defpair when they are frullrate. Poverty, 10 the account of the Covetous is the worfl of Evils, that makes Men ablolutely delolate. Blind unhappy wret~hes ! Eternal Damnation is the extreamefi Evil. 'Tis infinitely better eo be depri ved of all their Trealures, and go naked into Paradile, than to fa ll laden witi) Gold into t he Pit of Perdmon. 3 . Covetoulnel; is vertually in the Actions; which are to be confidered either in the getting\ faviog, or uling an Eftate. 1 • The Covetous are inord inate and eager in their endeavours , to get an Efiate. They ,·ife ~arty, lye down 14/e, and eat ~he ~re .ad of cJtre(t,/nefs:. They rack their Brains, walte their Strength, confume the1r Ttme; they t01l and ure th_emfdves eo gain the prefent WorJd : For whe_n L_ufr counfels and commands, Vtolenc~ execut es. Their Eyes and Hearts, the1r A1ms and Endeavours, are concencered m the Earth. Who .vill fbew m any good? is their onfatisfied inquiry. ( 1.) They are greedy and earnefl to obtain great Riches; for they meafore their E!lates by their Defires. ( 2.) They will ule all means, fair or fraudulent, to amafs Wealth. The lucre of Gain is fo ravi£hing, they will not make a ftand, but vemure into a Houfe in~ feaed with the Plague, to get Trealure. 2 . They are fordid in faving, and contradict all Divine and Humane Rights by robbing God, their Neighbours and themfelves, of what is doe to them. A covetous Man robs God, the Proprietor, in neglecting to pay what he has relerv'd for works of Piety and Charity, as an acknowledgment, that all is from his Bounty : He robs the Poor, his deputed receivers: He defrauds himfclf; for God bello .vs Riches for the fopport and comfort of our Lives, that we may with Temperance and Tbankfgiving enJOY his Benefits: He wants what he has, as well as that he has ....w"ru~tm dt4 not. tft qu, dh.bu, ~· They are defective .in ufing Riches. If they do Works external1y good, the 1:h~~-quDd nQn fpr ing and motive is victous; and the Ends more furcly difcover Me·n ttran their Acti ons. They do not acts of Piety and Charity in Obedience and Thaokfolnels, to imitate and honour God, but fometimes for Reputadon and Fame ; as the Pha· rifeei (whole in leperable properties were Pride and Covetoufncfs ) dilpens'd their M". 6. Alms with the found of a Trumpet, to eaU the Poor together. Other Sins require lhadcs and retirements, bot Pride to be confpicoooOy di!lingoilhed from others. 2. Sometimes they do Good, to compound with God, and appeafe C onlcience, for thc~r unrighteous procuring Riches : Their Gifts an:: Sin·offerings ro expiate the Gutlt contracted by ill-gotten Goods, .not Thank-offerings for God 's free Favours 2nd Bene6ts. To countenance their Opinion and PraCl:ice, they alledge our Saviour's C~unfel, Make to JOllY feiv_es friends ?f the mammon of tmri:<httoufn~fs, that IVhen J:e Luke , 7 . ~·~~·i;:::o:.·~ ;r~~:v~~~id ·;:r:t::r:·~c~ia;~;jr;:~o:,s th/: r:;a ~s' ~~:it~g J:~:~e of 0 ~~~~~ Can there be a more monllrous perverting the re8itude of Truth, to conform ir ro the croo~ed ~u~ s of M7n? St. Aujlin fpeaking of this vain and impious Prefumption NQ!i ral rmril>i ~f fome m IllS ume, adv1fe~ th~m, ' ' Do not form f~ch an unworr~y conceprio~ of ~:gt.r ~'~;;m· "God,_ as were vc;y unbecomtng a go.od Man : He 1s not to be bnb'd by offenogs Ji .gdd'ub. "r: f~0~~;~;"p~~pl;i;:~n;hi~~ tb'::~h~~ t~l,; ~o~bb~,~~e~~~~ a~~~~ a~!fce~~~;esoffu~ Dom. "the11.
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