Serm. XXXIX. öf Covetoufnefs: that not think to well, he loved to fee all his Good Things at one view, and what a goodly Chowthey would make together. Betides that it is thehumour of Covetoufnefs, when it breaks out into Expence, to over-do ; the Mifer's Build- ings are like his Feafis, always Extravagant. TheCovetous Man (as to the buG- nefs of Expence) is like a Coward as to Fighting, he declines it as long as he can ; but when he is pufh'd to the lall necdty, he grows defperate and lays about him. Tantis parta malis, curl majore metuque Servantur, rmifera efl magni cefiodia.censsts. Riches which are got with fo much trouble, : are not kept without greater fear and care. A Covetous Man is in nothing more miferable, than in the Anxiety and Care of difpofing and fecuring what he hath got. When a Man's Deliires are endlefs, his Cares and Fears will be fo too. Thirdly, As great an Evil as any of the former, is the vexation of having loft thefe Things. If by any Accident the Man happens "to be deprived . of them, then he takes on heavily, hangs down his Head and mourns, as a Man would do for his firfl-born , and is ready to cry out with Micah, they have taken away my Gods, and what have Imore ? Upon every little lofs the Covetous Man is undone, tho' he have a hundred times more left than he knows what to do withal. So deeply are the Heartsof Earthly-minded Men many times pierced with Earthly Loffes, as with Rachel to refufe to be comforted. Nay St. Paul obferves, that the forrowof the World fometitnes worketh death, r Cor. 7. to. Fourthly, But the faddett Confederation of all is, that heavy and dreadful Ac- count that mutt one day begiven, both of the getting and uGng of a great Eflate. They that have got an Eftate by Fraud and Falfehood, or by Oppreffion and grinding theface of the Poor, may read their Doom at large, James 5. t, 2, 3, 4., 5. Go to nowye Rich Men, weep and howl for your miferies that hall come upon you ; your Riches are corrupted andyour Garments moth -eaten ; your Gold and Sil- ver is canker'd, and the ru(l of themfhall be a witnefs againfl you, and Aug eat your fefh as it were fire : ye have heaped treafuretogetherfor the loft days. Behold the hire of the Labourers which have reaped downyour fields, which is ofyou kept back byfraud, cryeth, and the cries of them which have reaped, are entred into the ears of the Lord ofSabbath ; ye have lived inpleafure on the earth, and been wanton, ye have nourifhed your hearts at in a day of ffaughter. And we mutt be accountable likewife for the Ming of our Elates. God gives themto us in truth, and the greater theyare, the more we are to account for ; fo much as we need is ours, but beyond what will fupport us, and be a convenient Provifion for our Families, in the rank God bath placed them ; all that is given to us, that we may give it toothers; and indeed it is not ours,; we are the Pro- prietors of it in refpe&of Men, but in refpe&of God we are but Truflees, and Stewards, and God will require an Account of us how we have difpofed of it. And can there be a more reigning Madnefsamong Men, than to take care only to increafe their Account more and more, by receiving much ; whereasour great Care and Concernment fhould be to clear our Account, by laying out what we receive, according to the Trutt repofed in us. How much we (hall receive of the Things of this World, is in the Care and Will of our Matter ; but our Care and Fidelity is feen in laying it out as we ought. Among Men (fays one) it is well enough, if a Steward can give an Account of fo much laid out, and fo much inCana, and upon this he (hall have hisDifcharge: But we cannot this way clear our Account with God , for it is not offeringhim his own again that will fatisfie him, as we may learn from the Parable of theTalents. So that upon the whole Matter, we (hould be fo far from envying the Rich, that we thould rather envy the Safety and Happinefs of thofe who are not intrufted with fuch dangerous Wettings, and who are free from the Temptations of a plentiful Fortune, and the Curfe of a Covetous Mind, and from the heavy Account of a great Eftate. I come now, inthe lait place, to make fome Application of this Difcourfe to our felves. if. het 269.
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