268 Vol. L ì Tie rourti Sermon on Text: SER MON XXXIX. The Evil and Unreafonablenefs ofCovetoufnefs. LUKE I2. 1S. And hefaidunto them, TaIe, heed and beware of Covetoufnef i for a Man's Life confifieth not in the abundance of the things which he poffeffeth. IN my Twokit Difcourfes on this Subje&, I have reprefented the Evil and Unreafonablenefs of the Vice of Covetoufnefs in Four Particulars. I proceed now to the Fifth and laft Particular, whereby I told you the Evil and Un- reafonablenefs of it would appear ; viz. That Riches are fo far from being the Happinefs of Humane Life, that theyufu- ally contribute very much to our Mifery and Sorrow ; as will evidently appear, ifwe confider thefe Four Things. Firfl, The Labour and Care which the Covetous Man is at in the getting of a great Estate. Secondly, The Anxiety ofkeeping it, together with the Fearsoflofing it. Thirdly, The Trouble and Vexation of having loft it. Fourthly, The heavy and dreadful Account which every Man tnuft giveof a great Estate. Fir(l, TheLabour and Care which the Covetous Man bath in getting a great Elate. He that will be Rich muff fweat for it, and refute no painsand trouble ; hemull rife upearly, and lie down late, and eat the bread of Carefulnefs. A Slave that Diggs in the Mines, or Rows in the Gallies, is not a greater Drudge, than fome Covetous Worldlings are ; only with thisdifference, that the Covetous Man thinks that he labours and takes all thefe Pains for himfelf ; whereas the Slave . underftands the matter more truly, and thinks that he does it for another. But betides the Pains he takes, he is full ofCare and Anxiety. How is he through the greedy delire of having rack'd between the hopes ofgetting, and the fear of missing what he feeks ? The Apoftle obferves what tormenting Cares ac- company this Vice, r Tim. 6. io. The love ofMoney (faith lie) is the root of all Evil; not only of the Evil of Sin, but of the Evil likewife of Trouble and Dill quiet. For it follows, which while force coveted after, they have pierced themfelves through with manyfarrows : Variety of Troubles attend them that will be Rich. Secondly, If we confider the Anxiety of keeping what they have gor, together with the Fear of lofing it again, this is another great part of +a Covetous Man's in- felicity. TheRich Man here in the Parable after the Text, whenhe taw his Elate coining upon him fo fail, cries out, what (hall I do ? Poor Man ! who would not pity his Condition, to fee himput to thisdifficulty and diftrefs, and to hear him make as heavy a moan as the poorefl Man could do ! Now that he bath a plenti- ful Harvest, and his Crop bath anfwered, if it were poffible, his Covetous Delire, he is in a great deal of perplexity, and almost at his wits end how to difpofe of it; he washorribly afraid left any of it should be loftfor want of a fecure place to (lore it up in. What /hall Ido, becaufe I have no room, where to beflow my Fruits? Where was the difficultyof this ? Why, he was loth to lofe his Fruits, and he was loth to lay out Money to fecure them. But upon farther confidera- tion, he refolves ofthe two Evils to chufe the leafs; and hefaid, this well I do, I will pulldown my Barns, and build greater, and there will I bellow allmy Fruits, and my Goods. But why could he not let theBarns he had land, and build more ? No, that
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=