Spiritual Perjef1ioi1. Cove toUS are never more deeply tainted with the Earth, tha~ wlien ~hsy _d:aw near to their fatal period, and their Bodies mull be refolved Into t he~r ongma l Ele· me.~ts;fhe difficulty of t~e Cure is evident from the inefficacy of the mcarls ufed t? effeCt it. The Divine Authority of the Scnprure, the clearell Reafon,. the plamdt. Experience~ are ofren ufed in vain to reform the Cov_etous. Of a thoufd.nd Perfons1 in whom Covctoufnefs is the regent Lull, fcarce ten are cleanfed and changed fro rrt covetous to be liberal. 1. The Word of God has rio commanding perfuaGve power upon them. The Word declares, that Covetotifnefs u Idolatry; for it depofes God, and places the World, the Idol of Mens Heads and Hearts, in his Throne: It deprives him of hiS Regaha, his Royal Prerogatives, which he has referved to himfelf in the Empire of the World. He is infinitely Jealous of our transfernng them to the Creature. Our htghell Ado· ration and Elleem, our Confidence and Trull; our Love and Complacency, our De· . pendance and Obfervance, are entirely and effential1y due to him. Who in the He11-r:m PfJJ.S 9 6. &An be comp:1red to the Lord? Who Among the {ons of the might} can ·he likuud to lum ?- Ff..J. 7i· '-5'· Whom have I in He~ven lmt thu? and t!Jtre U none t~pon Earth 1 defire in comparifon of Lm:. 3· thu. The Lord is my portion, faith mJ Soul. The n~tme of the Lord U 4. j!rong lower,. Prov. tS . 10, the righteoll4 fly to it, and are fafe. Behold, tU the eJes of .Servants look to the h.:nds l• of their M41ers; {o o11r eyes wait upon the Lord OtJr Gad, until he have Mercy upon m•. Thcfe Scri ptures are declarative of thofe eternal rcfpcch that arc due to God from reafonablc Creatures ; and he is highly dilhonoured and difpleafed, when they are alienated from him. Now the Covetous deifie the World: The rich Man's Riches are hU jfrong City, and M an high J11a/L, in hU ima1.ination. He will trull God no farther than according to vifible fupplies and means : He tal<es not God for hi s llrength; but trufls in the abundance of hu Riches. His Heart is poffeffcd and polluted with the love of the World, and God is excluded: Therefore we are commanded, not to love the World, nor the things of it: If any Man love tht World, the love of the Father u not in him. He is provok'd to Jealoufie, the moll fevere and {enfiblc Attribute, by the coldnef< of Mens Love. From hence it appears how this comprehenfive Sin is injurious to God. The Pf•lmill tells us, that the Covetous are not only the objecrs_of God's Anger, but ab!Jorrence : Thus he brands them, 1 he covetom whom the Lord tJb~ hors. The words are of the moll heavy fignification. If his Loving-kindnefs be better than Life, his Hatred is worfe than Death. 'Tis tht root of aO Evil, in Perfons of all conditions, civil and facred. This bribes thofe that are in the Seat of Judgment, to clear the guilty; and which is a bolder Crime, to condemn the innocent. Of this there is recorded a cruel and bloody In· /lance, in the death of Naboth, occafioned by Ahab's Covetoufnef<. This corrupts the Preachers of the Word, to fpeak to the Lulls, not ~he Confciences of Men, up0!1 whom they· have a fervtle dependance: And as the Sptnt of Delufion is never more the Spirit of Delufion, than under the appearance of an Angel of Light ; fo his Minillers are never more his Minillers, than when they pervert the Word of God td fupport finful Pra£l:ices by corrupt Principles. Covetoufnefs makes Men faint and falfe in the time of tryal: They will fave the World with the lofs of their Souls. In lbort, it was the impuiGve caufe of a Sin of the greatell Guilt that ever was committed, in betraying the Son of God; and his fuffering the moll cruel and ignominious Death : A Sin never to be expiated, but by the Flames that lball confume this World, the place wherein he fuffered. Covetoufnefs excludes all, in whom 'tis predominant, from the Kingdom of Heaven. L•zarus may as foon be expelled from Abra/;am's Bofom, as a covetous Man may be recelVed mto It. Be not decezved, neither Fornic,tors, nor Idolaters, nor Effeminate, 11of Ab~[ers of them/elves with Mankind, nor Thieves, »or Covetous, nor Drrmkards, nor Re~ 'll!lers, nor E.xtortioneYJ, /hall inherit the l(ingdom of God. A covetous \V retch is in as d1re8: a progrefs to Damnation, as the moft notorious Sinners, guilty of the mol! fil~hy Lulls, natural and unnatural. Did Men believe atid prize Heaven, how would tlus terrible denunciation llril<e them through? But what Tongue has fo keen an edge, ~~n,~o~u~n~e?~~;;e t:~:o~~r~e~cc~s,a~~e ~~~~~~1,t~~a~; ~f,:h~a~I~I~·~~~~Jhc I fY ~~~ dt[co~rfe to them of Righteou{nefs and 'Judgment to come, they are not tlt /ei[t,ye to he11.rt or w11l not attend. Tell them of another World, when they arc ready to be expell'd from th1s prefent World. We have a moll convincing lnllance of inefficacy of DiVlne lnflruchon . upon the Covetous. Our Saviour directed his Auditory ro the be(l ufe of Rtches, In doing good to the Saints in their Wants, that after dwh, t/Jq might L"k' lo. r ~ Eeee h
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