T!Je (twe of Co1Jetouj1lejs. men have been overtaken with heinous fins ; _but its hard to tind where Scripture calleth any of Mmh. 6 14. them Covetous. A heart fecretly cleaving mofi ro this prefent world and irs prolperity, is the very Manh. 1 3· 11 • kiJ1ing fin of ever'i hypocrite, yea, and of all ungodly men. 2.1Poddline{r makes the Word unpro~ }u~. 16 ' 11 3 14 fitable; and keepeth men from believing and repenting, and coming home to God, and mindingferi4 L~~~~~\t~J oufly the everlafiing world; What fo much hindereth the 'Converfion of finners., as the love and Ma>th. 6 19 cares of earthly things ? They cannot fcrve God and Mammon: iheir treafure and hcarrs Clnnot 1 Tim-~06:1 · be chiefly be both in HLavcn and Earth? They will nor yield to the tt;.rms ofChriH that love this world: 7 8 They will not forfake all for a treafurc in Heaven~ In a word, as you heard> The: love of momy 1 Tohn :t. 15 is the root of all eyil, and the LoV'e of the f'ather is not in the lovers of the world. 3.1t ddlroy– l'r,w. :~.S 9 lfh holy meditation, and conference, and tnrneth the thooghts to worldly things: And it corrupt– PJOv. IS 8. c..th Prayer, and maketh it but a means to ferve the fldh, and therefore maketh it odio'us to God. ~)~:11• 4 J_ 4· L-is rhe great hindcrancc of mens neceffary preparation, for death and judgement, and fiealeth H~~b~; ,;;k_.tb away thdr hearr.s a11d time till it is toe, late. 5· le is the .£:reat cauf~ of contentions even among hafle to be the neardl relatiOns; and the caufc of the Wars and calammes of Nattons ; and of the woful divi– TI.i _IJ, {hall i!Dl fions and perfecutions o( the Church; when •a worldly generation think that their worldly intcrdl be ui/oCcilt. dorh engage them, againfi fdf~denying and fpirimal principles, praCtice! and perfons. 6. It is 1 he great caufe of all the injuHice, and opprdlion,and cruelty that rageth in the world. They_ would do as rh<::y would be done by, were itnot for the love of money. It maketh men perfidious and falfe J=m· r. ,, 2, to all their friends and engagunenrs: No vows to God, nor obligations to men, will hold a Lover J,4, 5· of the world. The wodd is his God, and his worldly interdl: is his rule and law. 7· It is the great · 1 {obnJ· 1 7· dtftroycr of Charity and Good works : No more is done for God and the poor, becaufC the Love of rhe world forbids it. 8. lt difordmth aod profaneth families; 'and betrayeth rhe fouls ofChildren and Servants to the Devil; It turneth out prayer, and teadingihe Scripture, and good books, and all ferious fpeeco:hes of the life: to come, bccaufe their heaus are taken up with the world; and they have no relilh of any thing but the provif.ions of their fhfh: Even the Lords own Day cannot be referved for holy works, nor a duty pntorrncd, but the world is inrerpofing, or diverting the mind. 9· It teff!pteth men to fin again!\ their knowledge, and to forhke the uuth, and tit themfc:lvt:s to the ti!ing fide, and fave their bodies and etlatcs, whateyei become of their fouls : ' It is the very price rl\at the Dtvil gives for (Quls! With this he bought the foul of Jud~u, who went to the Pharifees with 1 Tim. 4 . Jo. a [ TYhat n·ili y ou givt nu, aud 1 riiU dclh·cr him t.o you:] Wilh this he attempted Chrifi himfelf. Mauh.4. 9· All thrftwiU I givt thcr, if thrurrilt faU down and worjhip mt. It is ' the caufe of Apojl-acy and unfaithfuinds to Gqd: And i!s the price that finners fcl1 their God, their Confcience 1 Tim. 6 1 and their falvation for. Jo.lt depriveth the foul of holy communion with God, a11d comfort from ' JS. him, and of all foretafie of the life to come, and tinally of Heaven it fclf: For as the Love of the . world keepcth out the Love of God and Heaven, it rnuH needs keep out the hopes and comfons ~l:hnRs k which fhould arife from holy love. lrwould do much to cure the love of money, and ofthe world is ~\~;:;::t if you knew how pernicious a fin it is. , on the Sheep thn: are fuo'rn. When the Fh'cce groweth long , the Mark wean: out. Direll. If• 9 35· Direct. 14· Rmumbtr howbafe •fin iti1, and hllWdijhonoHrable and debafing lo the mind of man: Ifearth be bafer than Heaven,and money than God, than an earthly mind is bafer than a heaven– ly mind; As the Serpents feeding on the dufi is a bafer !if< than that of Angels, that are employed in admiring, and obeying, and pnifing the Mofi Holy God. Virell. I 5· 9· 36. Direct. I 5· eau your {elves to a daily rec/xJning, ~aw -1011 lay OHt aVtb.Jt God committeth /(} l'ecunia :lpudyou~ tmft; andtr~1 whethCI· it befo ai y ou wo_rdd!Jear ofJtatpt~gement. Ifyou did_but ufcto fie eum nunquam in Judgement da1ly upon your felves, as t~o(e that behc:ve the )Udge_mt:nt of God, Hwould make manfiflC pr~ you mote careful to ufc well what you have, than to get more: And 1t would CJilench )'OUr thirll af· batur. _nili ter plenty and profperity, when you perceived you mull give fo llriCt an accoum of it; The fldh it :;.:;t~~'hora felf will lefs ddire it, when it finds it may nor have the ufc of it. ~~:in~:pl;~;ns curfum, ncltt<rnis ttnebris· dlret locum. Mfior. ut. de E/1[,!11. Epifc. Ca,tb. Pbzto com!'ateth <'Ut life to a G;une ai T 2 bles: We may wifu for a good throw, but wha: ever it be, we mun pby it as wdl as we can. Pbirartb. d:tru.qki!. anim, §. 37· Diw~t. 16. When Y"' jiud your Covetoufnefs moft ragcr and daugerow, rrfohr moft to croft it, and give more to pios.u or charitable ufes tha;z at anothtr time. For a man h.uh reaion to tly fur– theft from rhat fin, which he is moll in danger of. And the ads tend ro the encreafe of the habit. Obeying your Covetoufnefs doth increa(e it ; And fo the comury acts, and the difobcying and di· fplea{ing it, do ddl(oy it. Thi5 cowrfe will bring your Covetoufi1cfs into a defpair of attaining irs defires; and fo will make it fit down and give over the purfuir. It is an open prorefiing againH eve– ry covetous defin:: and an effectual kind of repenting: and a wife and honefi difllming iln, ·and turning its motions aga,inll it fdf to its own dcHruCtion : Ufe it thm ofr, and Covuoufnefs will think it wi{dorn to bL quiet. .-, 9· 3&. DireCt. 17. Above aU ta~ bled tbat you tbinlz not of reconciling God and ".M.tmmMt, •nd mixing Heavm tJnd EattiJ ta be your frlicity, and of dreamiNg that you mJy krep Heaven for a referve at /aft, -when tht wor:ld bath bteu loved as your beft, fo Jong a1 y:Ju could i{!cp it· Nothing fo much defendcth worldlincfs, iJS a cheating hope, that .you have ic buc in a fubdued pardoned degree; and . that you are npl worldlings, wh~n you are : And nothing fa much fupports this hope, as becaufe you con-
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