Thomas Adams
Vers. 21. Nephtali giveth goodly words: wee have too many of this Tribe, hypocrites, that can give nothing but goodly words. They will speake so faire, and deale so foully: that you would not beleeve they are made all of a peece. But when the winde sings, and whistles in the leaves, looke for a storme.
Vers. 22. Ioseph is a fruitfull Branch: and blessed be God, we have also a Tribe of Ioseph, fruitfull of good workes. Though hee be the But of contradiction, and the Archers have shot at him, and hated him; yet he is made strong by the hand of the mighty God: and an universality of blessings from heaven, earth, the wombe and breasts, and the everlasting hils, shall be on the Crowne of his head that was separated from his brethren.
Vers. 27. Benjamin shall ravine as a wolfe: the last is a wolfe, the mercilesse oppressor, that from morning to evening doth prey upon the poore, and divide the spoile: but at last they shall be divided; their names to infamie, their wealth to the world, their bodies to the dust, and their cruell soules a prey for those more cruell spirits of darknesse. Iudg. 5.15. Reuben had his divisions, and the rest their waverings and infirmities; onely we have Iudah and Ioseph among us, that faithfully adhere to the truth of Iesus Christ.
They beguile.] the net wherewith they catch these Trouts is Fraud. If wee continue the sense from the foregoing words, they charme them with the witchcraft of the eye. That is a silent oratory, and discourseth the meaning of the heart in a dumbe motion. The tongue is a speaking eye, and the eye is a silent tongue: and by this dumbe language, lovers understand one anothers minde, though their lips open not. But I rather take this net to be the tongue; a subtle perswasion to lewdnesse. A deadly net, like that in Suidas, which in single combates one did cast over another, and being so insnared slew him. They hunt every man his brother with a net; Micah. 7.2. a bloudy net. Not a fantasticall, imaginary net, such as Purgatory; which Szegedin cals Amplissimum rete ad capiendas animas, a large net to catch soules; he should have said, A large net to catch fooles: a net wherewith the Pope catcheth fish enough to serve his kitchin.
Fraud hath a thousand trickes of cheating; but of all instruments, the chiefe is the tongue. A handsome tale drunke in at a thirsty eare, is a philtre to the soule. The tongue is either a mans glory, or his shame. When it is the servant of an honest heart, it is an especiall organ to glorifie the Maker. If otherwise, the divell is more beholding to it, than to all the body besides. It hath a thousand wayes to doe good, and mille nocendi artes, as many to doe hurt. When Satan had stripp’d Iob of his riches, children, health; and laid him so full of sores, that no part of his body was free; yet all this while he spared his tongue. The reason might be, because the divell looked that that should doe him some service; even such as his wife prompted him too, Blaspheme God and die. Still hee expected when all his vexation should breake out at his lips. Iam. 3.2. He that offends not in word, be is a perfect man. But where is that man? The Lord sanctifie our eares, that they be not seduced by others tongues: and sanctifie our tongues, that they offend not the eares of others.
They have an heart exercised with covetous practices.] There is not a more dangerous vice in all the store-house of hell, than covetousnesse. To other sinnes Satan tempts a man often; but covetousnesse is a fine and recovery upon the purchase; then he is sure of him; as when the Iailor hath lock’d up his prisoner safe in a dungeon, he may goe play. It is an imperious sinne; and sits like a Iustice of Quorum, in his chaire, while Religion must stand cap in hand to it. Heaven is the highest place, earth the lowest: yet covetousnesse sets the lowest in the highest esteeme, and the highest it undervalues to the lowest. He respects heaven but on the By, for recreation; his maine game is the world. While Christ was preaching, Luk. 12.13. a covetous younger brother interrupts him with the division of an Inheritance. Make an end of your Sermon, and come and end a difference betwixt me and my brother: you shall doe a deed of charitie, a neighbourly office, and save a great deale that would be idly spent in Law. We have many of his religion; that thinke we doe God better service in composing their quarrels, than in preaching heavenly doctrines. This is to call Christ from dividing the word, to divide the Inheritance. I know there is no Christian but condemnes this vice, and yet this vice shall condemne many Christians. The difficultie here, is not so much to winne consent of Iudgement to the point, as conformitie of practice to the Iudgement. There may be a conviction of conscience, without any preparation of obedience: and truth will be sooner confessed, than practiced. If every man were his owne Iudge, there is not a covetous man among us: but the Iudge of all the world will finde many, that flatter themselves with not guilty. The world hath very ill lucke; for many affect it, admire it, adore it, yet will not be knowne of it. But God hath more injurie; for they professe to love, serve, trust in him, yet indeed care not for him. The world hath many servants, but they weare not his livery: God hath many that weare his livery, but they are none of his servants.
They have an heart exercised with covetous practices.] Me thinkes here bee foure words not unlike the foure elements. First, the heart, like the earth; it being the Center of man, as the other is of the world. Secondly, covetousnesse, like water, soakes into it, and makes it hydropicall, yea, turnes it into dirt. Thirdly, exercise, like the aire; which is Elementum mobile, agitabile, circumfluum, full of exercise. Fourthly, practice, like fire, active and devouring. Or covetousnesse is the childe borne; the house it is bred and brought up in, is the heart: her education is the exercise of cruelty: and her whole course is the practice of iniquitie.
But covetousnesse must formerly be defined, that we may not lose our selves at the first setting forth. Some say, It is a desire of having more: but we must have more in the definition of it than so: he that hath not enough, may desire more, and yet be free from covetousnesse. Other say, It is a desire of having more by unjust meanes: but covetousnesse is beholding to them for so favourable an expression: this were rather to confine it, than define it. Aug. Avaritia est plus velle quàm sat est: Covetousnesse is a desire of more than Enough. Gen. 45.28. But now what is that Enough? There is no such word in the worldlings Dictionary. It is enough; Israel said so: it is a word onely knowne in Israel. Enough is both necessary for being, and competent for well-being. Having food and raiment, let us therewith bee content. In those boundaries doth God hedge up our desires, 1 Tim. 6.8. like wilde Buckes in a Parke. If we have money enough to beare our charges to our journies end; to desire more is covetousnesse.
But who then is not covetous? It is a disease of nature; but here is the difference: some give it physicke, and no sustenance: others give it sustenance, and no physicke. Some would destroy it, and those it molests, but kils not: the other maintaine it; and those it kils, but molests not. These latter are the covetous. The good man feeles it as his enemie; the bad loves it as his friend. If you see a man that hath sufficient for his familie, yet scraping for more, know him for covetous.
Covetousnesse is like the father of it, of many names, but never a good one. As the same soule in the severall faculties, hath severall titles: or as the same river, passing through divers regions, hath divers appellations: so hath Avarice. In the Church, it is Sacriledge: in a Church-man, Simonie: in the place of Governement, it is oppression and tyranny: in the place of Iudgement, it is corruption and briberie: and when this river swels up to the Banke, it is usurie. First, Col. 3.5. it is called idolatrie, Col. 3.5. All idolatrie is not covetousnesse, but all covetousnesse is idolatry. Secondly, adultery; as a man forsakes a wife peerelesse for beautie and vertue, to embrace a wanton and common strumpet: so doth the covetous man relinquish pietie for gaine, God for the world. Thirdly, homicide: Zeph. 3.3. for betwixt life and living, there is no such wide difference: cut the poore mans purse, hee thinkes you cut his throat, and the throats of all his children: such a mercilesse cut-throat is oppression. Mic. 3.2.3. The Prophet speakes of Princes that were such butchers: Prov. 6.30. The theefe steales to satisfie his hungry soule: but they can plead in themselves no necessitie, for they are Princes: in the other no superfluity, for they rob the poore. This is a sinne which the poore man cannot commit though he would; the rich man doth, because he can. The high rate and port that divers live at, can be maintained by no dribblets: but in the countrey by racking tenants, inclosing commons: in the citie, by diminishing quantities, corrupting qualities, taking advantages, falsifying balances or measures, by mixtures, blendings, and such sharking sophistications: a small bootie will not serve their turnes. Mise may be nibblers, and live; but the Cat that keepes them in awe, is of the eating kinde: shee devoures more at one bit, than the poore mouse would have done at twenty. This sin is the rich mans peculiar.
Zech 5.4. Lastly, it is theft; There is a Flying roule that shall enter into the house of the theefe. Are none theeves but they that scowre the plaines? Yes, there is a theefe that dwels in a house, a house of his owne; In domum furis; and that commonly one of the fairest and stateliest, for it is built with bloud. Theeves? rich men scorne the name: a theefe is the onely man they are afraid of. Yet they that lie in itinerant ambushments, shall in comparison of oppressours bee justified as no theeves. Alas, they bee poore shallow fooles, soone taken and clapp’d up in chaines of iron; whereas the other walke like Senators in chaines of gold: the great theeves are a terrour to the little ones. Without partiality, to take men as we finde them, the universall practices of covetousnesse occasion me to make an humble sute to free men, and rich men, and gentlemen, to lawyers and Iudges, and Magistrates; that they would thinke it no scorne to bee no theeves. Let not the motion seeme harsh, that you would not disdaine the commendation of being no theeves. As portly and stately as they beare their heads, were they but stripp’d of that pompe wherewith injustice hath cloth’d them, and to beg in the world anew; those poore people whom they now despise, would scarce bee bound for their truth and honestie. Thus the covetous man may be called an idolater, an adulterer, a murderer, a robber.
But some will not beleeve the plague, till they see the tokens. Take therefore some concomitant signes. First, sollicitous care for the future; as if God that was here yesterday, and is to day, would be gone to morrow. Quid faciam senex? What shall I doe when I am old? So hee breakes his sleepes while hee lives, to thinke what shall happen to him hereafter, perhaps when hee is dead. This is an extreme folly of avarice, when a man makes himselfe miserable for the present, for feare of being miserable afterwards: not suffering himselfe to be free from a burden while he may, because he doubts hee shall not be free when he would. Thus the foole leapes into the water, for feare of being drowned in the boat. Secondly, engrossing of too much businesse: they censure Church-men for Pluralities; but there be temporall pluralists: and many have made themselves so much to doe in the world, as if they had nothing to doe with the world to come. They onely say that they love eternall life; but if you marke their employment, you will confesse they preferre the temporall. Thirdly, no businesse at all; when they give over their profession, to live with lesse faith, and more security: and make themselves of that desperate number, whereof ten in the hundred goe not to heaven. Fourthly, Religion must not stand in their way to riches, without contempt, without violence. Moses broke the Tables of the law in peeces for anger at the golden Calfe: these men would have broken them in sitters for the gold that made the Calfe. In their conscience there is kept a Court of Faculties; whereby they can give themselves a dispensation for any sin at pleasure. Fifthly, their discourse is of nothing but riches. Ioh. 3.31. He that is earthly, talkes of the earth. His breath, like a dying man, is of an earthy favour. Psal. 37.30. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisedome; why? Because the Law of God is in his heart. So the covetous hath earth in his heart, and his very breath smels of it. Take off his tongue from the market, it walkes to the Exchange, then to the key or wharfe, and from the custome-house to the warehouse; it never comes neere the Church. These be the Signes.
The heart;] that is the throne of covetousnesse. It is bad enough in the eyes; so Achan tooke the infection that cost him his life. Worse in the tongue; Ephes. 5.3. Let not covetousnesse be once named among Saints. As if that world, which many preferre before heaven, were not worth talking of. Psa. 16 4. I will not take the name into my lips, saith David. The worldlings worship those idols, which the Saints will not so much as honour with a mention. But the covetous mans mouth is full of earth while he lives, and shall bee fuller when he is dead. Yet worse in life; Heb. 13.5. let your conversation bee without covetousnesse. But worst of all is the heart: alas, that any disease should come neere the heart; and yet any disease lesse dangerously, than avarice. Psal. 119.36. Lord, incline my heart to thy Testimonies, and not to covetousnesse. Our contemplation, our conversation, our communication, yea, our very cogitations, should be cleare from covetousnesse.
Exercised with covetousnesse.] The worldling will acknowledge covetice to be a sinne, but he will not acknowledge himselfe to bee covetous. Whoredome, and blasphemie are notoriously convinced; they weare their Masters knowne livery. But avarice, like hypocrisie, will needs be a vertuous vice, a gracious sin. It weares the cognisance of Frugalitie, the complexion of good husbandry, and would be called by the honestest names that are. There is no Text against intemperance, but they thinke it makes for them. Because the drunkard spils the wine in wantonnesse, doth this excuse the miser that grudgeth himselfe a draught in necessitie? A man may sinne damnably, though he never come at the Taverne; as at the Taverne a good man may bee merry and guiltlesse. The covetous wretch, that locks up his cupboord, and rageth at his servant for eating a poore crust more than allowance, cryes out against riot; the times are prodigall; and railes at him for lavishnes, whose snuffes he is glad to drinke of in private. He tels his children how thirsty our predecessors were; how long one gowne served his grandfather: and himselfe is still knowne by his forefathers coat, which with his blessing he bequeaths to his posterity, that they may be known by it too, for many generations. Thus he praiseth plainesse, not for lesse sinne, but for lesse cost; because it is cheaper, not because it is better. Hee perswades his familie into meannesse; as the tyrant served the idols; he tooke away their golden robes, which were too cold for winter, and too heavy for Summer; and made them linsey-wolsey coates, that might serve them better for both seasons. Hee condemnes others for wasting time, and never blames himselfe for selling time; which he doth so punctually, that hee will neither prevent his day, nor deferre it. Bring him principall and interest before his day, hee feares you have law against him: after his day, hee hath law against you. Some gratuities in the meane time are morsels to stay his stomacke. He grudgeth a coale of his fire, a bucket of his water; and of all things next stealing, he hates borrowing.
Divers sinnes have the Saints of God beene taxed with; never with covetousnesse. Once Noah was drunke with wine, never drunke with the world. Lot was twice incestuous, never covetous. Peter denied his master thrice; it was not the love of the world, but rather the feare of the world, that brought him to it: for hee had denied the world, before hee denied his master. Once David was overcome with the flesh, never with the world. Grace may stand with some transient acts of naughtinesse, but never with covetousnesse, those were acts, avarice is a habite: grace is not overthrowne by every act, but by the habite of sin. Therefore of all sinnes, the children of God have cleared themselves from covetousnesse, when they would approve their integritie before God and men. So Samuel; 1 Sam. 17.3. Whose oxe or asse have I taken? Hee that was the Iudge of Israel, would not now judge himselfe, but be judged by Israel: they shall acquit him, and of all sinnes, Ier. 15.10. from covetousnesse. So Ieremie; I have neither lent on usury, nor on usury borrowed; Act. 20.33. yet they curse me: as if that practice had deserved a curse. So Paul, I have coveted no mans silver or gold. He was covetous of nothing, but of their soules for Christ. Why did they not purge themselves from adultery, anger, contention, and the like? Because into these sinnes the infirmitie of a Saint may fall: but if once into covetousnesse, there is nothing of a Saint left, not the very name. A guest may lodge in my house all night, yet leave mee master of it still in the morning: but avarice, when it gets admission, turnes grace quite out of doores. Exercise facilitates things in their owne nature troublesome: the old cart goes quietly under a heavy load; when the new cannot away without creaking. This makes them call their wealth, their substance; while themselves waite on it like base circumstances, and servile accessaries. Their Heart is obdurate, like rammed earth, to be the foundation of mischiefes, and beare the weight of all villanies.
With covetous practices.] Ex ungue leonem. Hee that prescribes medicines, and undertakes cures, professeth himselfe at least a practitioner in physicke. The covetous are not without their practices, yet they deny the name. When Christ preached against covetousnesse, Luk. 12.15. one man gave the hint or occasion of the Text, the whole multitude heard the Sermon. Good reason, for from the least to the greatest, they were all given to covetousnesse: Ier. 6.13. some sinnes are peculiar to some places and conditions; but covetousnesse is an epidemicall disease, infecting all persons. Let me discover to you some of these practices.
1 According to the rule of charitie, I begin at home, with the Church. If we should love the world, that teach others to contemne it; this were like the fox, to dispraise the grapes we keepe for our owne tooth. There is much art to elude the law; as a wager to be lost, that the living may be gotten: a poore Iade bought at an hundred peeces, and a benefice at the taile of him; as one wittily said; The case is cleare: the benefice is cheape, the horse was deare. Such a Simonist is not Tutus, quamvis astutus: he applauds his owne wit, that hee is no bungler in carrying of a businesse. What followes? Hee that bought deare, cannot sell cheape; unlesse he meanes to live by the losse; and hee that so buyes, hath no such meaning. I doe not deny, but the Patron hath as damned a share in this bargaine: for hee sels what hee should give, and the other is faine to buy his owne. Againe, to take Gods wages, and not to doe his worke, is a legall sacriledge. We finde men of the world, Psal. 17.14. Luk. 12.30. 1 Tim. 6.11. mentioned in holy Writ, and their worldly practices: But thou, O man of God, flee these things: Man of God, stands in opposition to those. Let fishes love salt-waters, birds of the aire flie up towards heaven. God and Mammon are two contrary cures; and they bee so infinitely distant, that no Court of Faculties can give a dispensation to serve both. Bernard observes of Saint Paul; Omnia quae mundus amat, illi cruci erant. But indeed, all the charity of the world is put upon us, other men rid their hands of it: as if wee onely were bound to doe all things for God-have-mercy. If the least recompence be afforded to our paines, they thinke it is their courtesie, not our merit. God is much beholden to such men, and without question at the last day he will thanke them to their faces; but they had better bee without it. In this Citie, for the Tenth, they have scarce left us the fortieth part; yet if we demand but that, wee are censured covetous. But oves pastorem non judicent. Deo, Parenti, & Magistro, non redditur equivalens. God made thee, thy parents begot thee, Arist. thy Preacher saves thee; where is the fourth equivalent to these? Yet as if God and the Preacher had nothing to doe with us, and nothing had done for us, there is none whom wee so boldly defraud. There was an order and custome in Saint Augustines time, that the poore should beg of none but the Priest: and if hee had not wherewithall to relieve them, they might exclaime against him, for not more effectually moving the people. Then the poore came to us for succour, now all the succour we have, comes from the poore. The rich robbe us, onely the poore are more willing than able to bestead us. Wee dare not plead for our owne, then sacriledge would not heare us; the Law must not helpe us, their evill conscience will not helpe us, the poore cannot helpe us; now the Lord helpe us.
There be some that have brought downe the price of our function; and for the bettering of their owne severals, have inveighed against the Churches commons: in Iudas his language, Ad quid perditio haec? Crafty cub, Ioh. 12.5. he would have had it himselfe. O how these Preachers tickle the peoples eares, that can fit them with a cheape religion! If I should prophecie of wine and strong drinke, Mic. 2.11. I were a Prophet fit for this people, saith Micah. Now it is but turning wine into water; and strong drinke into small charges, and then hee is an excellent Prophet. Faith, and all faith, and no good workes, but to the houshold of faith, by which they meane themselves. I could also mention Non-residents, and selfe-silencers; but they are my brethren, and I will not accuse my brethren: my fathers, and I will not lay open the nakednesse of my fathers: onely pray for them, Gen. 9.29. as Noah did for Iaphet; God perswade them to dwell in their owne Tents; and purge all avarice from the house of Levi. You see I have not spared our selves, shall I flatter the rest? God forbid.
2 Church-patrons; who in stead of Levites to divide the Word, put in Gibeonites not worthy to divide wood. Their question to him that moves them for a living, is Iudas’s, Quid dabis? let their end bee Iudas’s; despaire and a halter, Quid dabis? God gave him a halter. They that aske the same question, why should they not receive the same answere? Sacriledge is the highest theft; and by their owne confession, the theefe is worthy of a halter. They are in some kinde worse than Iudas; he sold the body, they sell soules: his barter bought but a Potters field for buriall: theirs doth make the Church Acheldama, a field of blood, for slaughter. Besides all their other damnable traffique, they shall answer for Soule-blood at the day of Iudgement. Rev. 18.13.
3 For Magistrates and Iudges, they have their practices too. Esai. 1.23. Esay cals the unjust ones, The companions of theeves. Why? for taking purses of travellers? no, but for taking bribes in their chambers. The theefe hath as much right to the one, as the Iudge to the other. They plead gift; and what is freer? so the true man gives his purse to the theefe, to save his life; and the Client gives his money to the Iudge, to save his living. This sinne is able to turne Guild-hall into Shooters hill, and make Westminster-hall more dangerous than Salisbury Plaine. Hos. 4.18. They cry, Give; and the theefe saies but Deliver; and what is the difference betwixt Give and Deliver? Yet Give, sits on the Bench; while poore Deliver stands at the Barre. If places of Iudicature were to bee bought for money, (and I would to God they never had beene so) we have them among us, that would buy them up by the whole-sale, and make them away againe by retaile.
4 Covetous Lawyers have their practices too. See, thy matters are good: so Absalom stole the peoples hearts, so these steale their purses. Shall I say with the Apostle, Such were some of you? No, Such are some of you.
1 Cor. 6.11. He is a dissembling chapman, that saies of a good commoditie, It is naught: and he is a coozening Lawyer that saies of a naughty cause, It is good. Tertullists will plead against Paul, and Abiezrites for Baal; such Lawyers are advocates against Christ, and Christ will be no Advocate for them. It is a proverbe not more old than true: Logicke, the Law, and the Switzers may be hired to fight for any body.
I must omit many practices of covetousnesse. As that of the covetous gamester; who when he winnes, plaies the theefe with another, and losing is a theefe to himselfe. Or the oppressing Land-lord, who while hee makes his Tenants beggars, Luk. 12.20. makes himselfe a foole. Thou foole, when thy soule is snatch’d away, whose shall these things be? yea worse; for if he be a foole that laies up but his owne goods; Vos invenite ei nomen qui tollit aliena: finde out a name for him that takes away other mens. Aug. Or the severe Creditor, that useth his debtors, as Darius did Daniel; Dan. 6.16. first cast him into the lions denne, and then sollicite God for his deliverance; Thy God deliver thee. So he casts them into prison, and praies God to helpe them out. I have heard of prisoners, that on their death-bed, when they had scarce one houre to pray for themselves, have spent halfe of it in cursing their Creditors; and in stead of their owne pardon, have desired their vengeance: It was a fearefull condition, yet remarkeable; the parties thus cursed falling into such insufferable diseases, that they have beene desperately ready to blaspheme God and die.
Or the sacrilegious purloiners of Tithes: who fed the rich gluttons of Rome with the fat of bread, and will not allow poore Lazarus of the Gospell the very Crummes. Nor is it the fault onely of impropriators, some of which number are cursed for reaping where they never sowed; and doe not value a Minister so much as they doe their horse; with whom, as with men given over to a reprobate sense, there is nothing more to doe: for no voice of God can awake them out of their dreame, nothing but the Archangels Trumpe; at which day they will bee found to have impropriated their owne soules from Christ. Theeves are broke in upon the remainder. The world is busie about the disquisition of the Tenure of Tithes; and many are cunninger in this, than in the Articles of their Religion. But why does custome over-beare Gods Law, mans law, and all? Let this point be argued in the Court of Conscience; and if God determine on their sides, Luk. 18.12. we have done, much good doe it them. I pay tithes of all that I have, saith the Pharisie. I should have fear’d he had lyed, but that our Saviour justifies him, even to Mint and Cummine. A Pharisie of Ierusalem was in this an honest man to many a Citizen of London; yet the Pharisie went to hell. The least sheafe the covetous man culs out for God, and what he steales from him, hee thinkes the clearest gaine.
1 If the usurer were not desperate, I would say something of his practices too; but the very name is enough to condemne him. Hee breeds of money to the third generation; and a shilling is not sooner his, than hee sets it to beget another. The Beare cannot drinke, but hee must bite the water, the usurer never cooles his thirst, but his draught is a poore mans estate. Saint Augustine fele a heavy burden on his Conscience, Confess. li. 2. c. 4. for robbing of a Peere-tree in his younger dayes; he cals it his perishing, his falling from the Firmament. Usurers rob men of whole Orchyards, and never grudge at it. A Gentleman in the Countrey takes in the Commons, which in the Citie he takes out in Commodities; and for his racked rents, he is furnished with rattles. The divell had a Serpent to tempt Eve, and the usurer hath a Parasite to tempt the young heire: bring him but once to riot, and then he will want powder, and who should supply him but the usurer? Thus his minde is quite transposed from his originall: the usurer furnishes him for the Taverne, the Taverne for the Brothell, the Brothell for the divell. If one intice an Apprentice to rob his master, the Law makes it felonie: if he maintaine him being runne away, there is a penaltie. And is there no law for him that enticeth a Sonne to rob his Father, yea that shall rob a father of his sonne, rob God of a soule? Mee thinkes, such injured Fathers should put up a Bill in Parliament against such Caterpillars. This is the heire, come, let us kill him, Mat. 21.38. and the inheritance shall be ours. They are like foxes, that use their wits and their teeth together; they never talke, but they take hold. Bees, of all creatures cannot abide sheepe; because being once got into their wooll, they are so intangled that they cannot get out againe. Usurers have the countenance of sheepe, they looke simple, and goe plaine; you would take them for sheepe, but they are sheepe-biters. They make no other use of their wooll, that is their wealth, but to snarle and enwrap men; and once in their bookes, it is hard getting out.
2 For practices of avarice in Trade; preventions, interventions, circumventions, adulterate wares, blended mixtures, a weight for the Hall, and a weight for the stall, a measure to buy with, and a measure to sell with; they transcend all numeration. There be certaine mysticall principles in every science, which cannot bee declared; wherein caveat Emptor. Call them what they will, they may all be reduced to fraud, that’s the formall, yea and practicall part of them. 2 Kings. 5 22. Gehezi runnes after Naaman for a talent of silver and two change of raiment, with a lie. The good Syrian greets the servant in that language wherwith he was dismissed of his master; Is it peace? So suddaine a messenger might seeme to argue some strange newes: but the breathlesse Gehezi soone satisfies him, if hee will as soone satisfie Gehezi. Had he come for this reward in his owne name, as a fee for the Prophets servant, as his gaine, so his sinne had beene lesse: but hee must have a greater summe. Light profit will not content a covetous Tradesmen; therefore he stretcheth his conscience; as Gehezi belied his master, robbed Naaman, burdened his owne soule. Avarice is ever cunning, as having the mother wit, and the fathers wit to helpe. Two young men of the sonnes of the Prophets bee come from mount Ephraim. What a sound and formall tale hath he devised? Of the number, the place, the qualitie, the age of his Masters guests? The value of his demand was so proportioned, that it might not be unlikely of his master, and yet well enrich himselfe. I aske you but reason, saith the Shop-keeper. But the love of money can never keepe good quarter with honestie: there is a mint of fraud in the worldly brest; and it can coine lies as fast as utterance. Covetousnesse never lodged in the heart alone: if it doe not finde, it will breed base companions. We are not to doe evill, that good may come of it. Rom. 3.8. But there is no evill which they will not doe, that goods may come of it.
But now what is the end or project of all these practices? To be rich; an impatient desire to be rich. They that will be rich, fall into temptation, &c. 1 Tim. 6.9. Qui dives fieri vult, & citò vult fieri. All is fish that comes to their net, though it bee a snake in stead of a Lampreele. He that makes haste to be rich, shall not bee innocent: yea sometimes, hee shall not bee rich: the more haste, the worst speed. Cushi runnes apace, but through chubby and rough grounds, uneven disadvantages: Abimaaz out-runnes him, because he takes the way of the plaine. Plaine-dealing doth not seldome get more riches, it ever gets more happinesse. The spurred horse soonest tires: many a one is so hasty, that he loseth the game. When the winde is strong, and the sailes full, then let the Mariner beware the rockes. How many had beene rich, if they had tarried Gods leasure? If Saul will not stay for Samuel, his sacrifice shall doe him no good. But now when they will bee rich, and God shall not know of it: rich, and never trouble him about it: when fraud is imployed as a coagent of trade, to ripen and forward it, as Art helpes to improve Nature: when the spring of Conscience is skrewed up to the highest pin, that it is ready to cracke: when Religion is lock’d up in an out-roome, and forbidden on paine of death to looke into the shop or warehouse: then is Covetousnesse in the full practice. The Poets fained Pluto to bee the god of Riches, and of hell; (as if hell and riches had both one master) and to bee lame; yet withall, swift and nimble as fire. When Iupiter sent him to a souldier or scholar, he went limping: but when to one of his Bawdes or mistresses, he flew like lightning. The morall was; The riches that come in Gods name, and are sent to honest men, come slowly: but they that come by unjust dealing, flow in apace. He that resolves to be evill, may soone be rich. All the wealth which the worst man hath, is for the matter the gift of heaven: yet for the manner of getting it, millions goe to hell. Health cannot come but from God; yet how many have sought and obtained health of the divell? But more safe and welcome is the gaine that comes in the slow waine of honestie, than that which comes hurrying in the swift charriot of iniquity.
Thus I have discovered some practices of avarice; but who can declare them all? not he that hath done them, the covetous: not he that is undone by them, the guiltlesse; not hee that teaches them, Satan himselfe; but onely hee that shall judge them, the omniscient God. But to what purpose is all this, if the covetous man will not be found? While the Preacher walkes in generals, declares the nature of avarice; every man can be the master of his owne patience. But descending to particular application, Thou art the man; then hee is held to leave his Text, and to mistake his Auditory. For my owne part I professe, that I should be farre from Ionah’s passion, to vex or fret at it, should Gods mercy and your innocence make me this day a liar, and prove all my speeches impertinent; yea, I will pray that it may be so. But when the Pharises came to Christ with an errand of accusation, Ioh. 8.3. there were at first many sinners: when they had charged the woman with adultery, Vers. 4. there appeared but one: but when they all went away convicted by their owne Consciences, Vers 9. there appeared never an one: but this did plainely shew that they were all sinners. O that men would ransacke their owne Consciences, and make a stricter inquisition into all the suspected passages and practices of their lives. You shall finde this sinne full of fetches, pretences, excuses: beleeve it not, spare it not: shrive it to the proofe, arraigne it, condemne it, punish it. Punish it in the body by fasting and mortification punish it in the soule by repentance and contrition, punish it in the purse by workes of charitie and restitution. Breake open your consciences, more rusty than your coffers. The Law will not allow of the defendants bare negation, without witnesses. Thy owne word will not be taken before God; let the poore witnesse for thee that thou art not covetous. Their prayers shall unlocke the gates of heaven for thy soule, and their testimonie availe thee, when no riches shall, in the day of Christ.
An heart exercised with covetous practices.] This is the disease; now let mee aske thy soule two questions. First, Visne sentire, wouldst thou perceive the danger of it? Secondly, and then, Visne sanari, wouldst thou be cured of it? If so, first, consider the Effects, then the Remedies. The Effects are many, and mortall.
1 It ineffectuates the instruments of Salvation: covetous thornes choke the seed, it is but cast away. It may breed a swimming, but not a saving knowledge: furnish the head, but not better the heart. Nabal is his Name, and Foole is his Sirname: the wisedome of God is shut out of doores, while this folly keepes the house. We wonder that our Sermons take no better effect; that among so many arrowes, none should hit the marke. But God tels us the reason; They sit before thee, and heare thy words, but their heart goes after their covetousnesse. Ezek. 33.31. The dampes of the earth doe not more quench fire, than the love of the earth stifles grace. Neither trees nor grasse grow above, where the golden mines are below. If money be centred in the heart, no fruits of goodnesse can appeare in the life. What, looke for grace in the covetous? We may as well looke for a harvest in a hedge. They doe but serve us, as they did Christ; when we preach against covetousnesse, they laugh at us. Luk. 16.14.
2 It impossibilitates the entrance into heaven. Where the treasure is, there is the heart: no man hath two hearts, or two treasures; the one is but counterfeit, if any at all. The world indeed sometimes fals into mens mouthes; but God doth not spill his heavenly riches: hee parts not with them without suit, without thankes. He must strive to enter into heaven that misseth not, and hee shall misse of entrance that striveth not. The Covetous is like a Camell, with a great bunch on his backe: heaven gate must be made higher and broader, or hee will hardly get in.
3 It disposeth a man to all sinnes, be they never so horrid: he is a fit piece of timber for any place in the building of hell: this mercenary souldier will refuse no office in the divels campe, for booty. Any sinne doth prepare and habitually dispose the minde to every sinne: but this doth actually transgresse the whole Decalogue.
1 Commandement; Thou shalt have no other gods but Me. If the covetous have not another god, why does Paul call him an Idolater? Either he doth offer Iob 31.24. Hab. 1.16. sacrifice to his gold, or if hee does not, yet he refuseth no desperate adventure, it puts him upon, and obedience is better than sacrifice. Aug Civit. Dei, lib 7. cap. 12. One of Iupiters many names was Money: Pagans gave unto their god the name of Money: and the covetous give unto money the worship of God. The Romanes had a God which they called Terminus: I feare we have made it a London-god, and a Westminster-god, too. The Israelites made a calfe, and then danced about it, one calfe about another: with no lesse joy doe the covetous adore gold.
2 Thou shalt not worship an image. But marke how the Prophet joynes them; Esa. 27, 8. Their land is full of silver and gold; and presently, their land is full of idols. It was gaine that made Diana so great, and Demetrius to roare, and make so great a noise for her. They bee the coffer-doctrines that Rome is most violent to justifie: Masses, which bring in masses of wealth: Praying for the dead, which is a tricke to prey upon the living: they are somewhat colder for those Tenants that doe not warme their kitchin: yea, I would that covetousnesse had not robbed God of his worship among us. How many Churches of this land have no better than a ten pound stipendary, that hath lesse learning than living, whiles one of another coat goes away with the Churches Salary?
3 Thou shalt not take the Name of God in vaine: this the covetous thinkes a very vaine Commandement. What equivocation, oath, lie, blasphemy, perjurie, will not he swallow in the sweet broth of Commoditie? It is a principle in his Catechisme, Gaine is Godlinesse; and hee never likes Godlinesse, but when it brings in gaine. Sometimes covetousnesse strips off all religon, at other times Religion must be 1 Thess. 2.5. the cloake of covetousnesse. Gen 34.23. Shall not their substance be ours, saith Shechem? So shall not their custome be ours? Are wee brothers at the Church, and shall we not bee Cosins at the shop.
4 Remember to keepe holy my Sabbath. But the covetous thinkes, Religion makes men idle: the Sabbath is one day lost in a weeke; above seven weekes lost in a yeere; and Ad quid perditio haec? Exod. 5 8. The people are idle, saith Pharaoh, therefore they cry, let us goe sacrifice: as if men would never thinke of sacrifice, unlesse they were idle. Sacriledge hath impropriated Gods Tenths already; and now covetousnesse would impropriate his Sevenths too. Christ should have neither Tithe nor Time, if avarice might have her will. Not to speake of some Lawyers chambers, which on a Sabbath afternoone are fuller of Clients, than some Country-Churches are of suppliants. We reade that on the Sabboth dayes Neh. 13.16. Ierusalem was troubled with fish-merchants: and does not London abound with drinke-merchants? Suppose that these Temples of Bacchus are better visited among us, yet what are the suburbs and adjacent villages? Amos 8.5. When will the Sabbath bee gone, that we may sell corne? There was some honestie yet in that covetousnesse; they had the patience to tarry so long. But our borderers cry, When will the Sabbath come, that we may have our houses full of Citizens, and vent our tippling commodities? So they turne Sabbatum Dei, into Sabbatum Bacchi: and make it both a selling day, and a swilling day.
5 Honour thy Parents. The father saies of his childe, as Abraham did, O that Ishmael might live: the covetous sonne, like Esau, O that the daies of mourning for my father were come: Haeredis lachrymae, such teares bee growne into a proverbe. This is one practice among the Romish orders, like that of the Mark. 7.11. Pharises: they must give all their goods to the Colledge, and goe as naked into the Cloisture, as they came into the world. Thus their poore parents that depend on their maintenance, must have empty bellies, that the others Corban may be full: as if the very smell or steame of the sacrifice were enough to give them their dinners. Did wee never heare of such unnaturall prodigies, that have denied reliefe to their owne Parents?
6 Thou shalt not kill. Yet this is a common effect of covetousnesse. Prov. 1.19. He that is greedy of gaine, takes away the life of the owners. The Lampe is not onely put out by powring on of water, but by not powring in of oile. Was not the rich man guilty of Lazarus his blood, while hee relieved him not? It will grieve those Churles, that have either made beggars, or not comforted them, to bee found at the last day murderers. Ezek. 22.13. Dishonest gaine is accompanied with blood, saith the Prophet. Iudas did not so much hate his master, as love the money: yet the love of the money moved him to betray his master. 1 King. 21.13. Naboth will not part with his vineyard, hee shall therefore part with his life. Hee is accused, condemned, stoned; heere is a ready payment for a rich vineyard: Ahab will drinke his blood, that hee may come to taste his wine. What makes Rome give toleration of murder, by ordaining refuges for wilfull blood, but avarice? Murder is condemned by the light of Nature, as the Act. 28.4. Barbarians concluded upon Paul: yet to the golden shore how many feare not to swim through a streame of blood?
7 Thou shalt not commit adultery. Yet coy Danaë will admit an adulterous Iupiter in a golden showre. The purse hath often prevailed more than the person. Do not too many Gallants plot how to get into the Merchants bed, rather than how to get out of the Merchants booke! What doth countenance the Romish Curtesan, but the Popes Corban? Out of those licenced Stewes, hee makes himselfe pleasant broth. Some force themselves to a single life, meerely to avoid the charges of the married condition. They that had rather fry in their owne sensualitie, than quench that fire with an allowed remedie, doe (as it were) offer up themselves to Moloch, in the burning flames of lust. Thus a covetous father in the marriage of his childe, inquires not after vertues, but riches. Abigail signifies her fathers joy, yet she was matched with Nabal, and sorrow together. If her father had meant her joy, either in her selfe, or in her life; so unworthy a Churle had wooed in vaine. But hee married her Nummo, non viro. O how many a childe is thus cast away upon riches? What is the usuall effect of it; but either for the discontented wife to want issue, or unlawfully to seeke it?
8 Thou shalt not steale. All coozenage is theft; and ostende mihi avarum, Ier. 6.13. remonstrabo tibi furem. Extortions, Depopulations, Impropriations; Enclosures, engrossings, monopolies, with that whole litter of vipers, are bred in the dunghill of covetousnes. Now the covetous man may be counselled by his lawyer, that he hath an action against me, for calling him Theefe. But if we should come to tryall, there is a witnesse within him that would cry, a Theefe, a Theefe, his conscience would attach a Theefe in his owne bosome. I could tell you of an eulogie made by an orator of a magistrate, wherein he commended him for being no Theefe. This, replied another, were a good commendation for a servant; if besides, he be no runnagate. But at the great Assises, he is no lover of riches that shall cleare himselfe from being a theefe.
9 Thou shalt not beare false witnesse. But he that scruples not at false dealing, will never sticke at false accusing. The tongue is an ill apprentice to the covetous heart, if it cannot lend the false hand a lie or an oath. I know there be hackney consciences, Knights of the Post; and flatterers that Iud. ver. 16. admire persons for advantage, as dogs fawne for a crust. But does not the tradesman, that tels me a tale in my eare, while he cuts a hole in my purse, deceive me with a false testimony? Prov. 30.9. Lest I be poore, and steale, and take the Name of my God in vaine. Poore and steale; povertie brings in theevery. Steale, and take the Name of God in vaine. Theevery brings on Perjury. The lawyer that pleads his clients cause, against his owne conscience, is hired by covetousnes to beare a false witnesse.
10 Thou shalt not covet that which is thy neighbours. But if the covetous mans hands were as able, as his wishes be nimble, like another Adam, he would have the whole world to himselfe. They talke of the Philosophers stone, your rosy-crosse brethren; there is no such thing in Rerum natura, unlesse it be a covetous mans heart. That is of a chymicall vertue, and would turne all into gold, a perpetuall limbecke that labours of projection: till on the suddaine the glasse breakes and all flies out in fumo. He doth wish the whole earth were mines and Indies; the ocean a sea of gold, as S. Iohn cals it a Sea of glasse. If every fish had so much money in it as S. Peters, he would quickly turne fisherman. Heaven it selfe cannot tempt him, unlesse it were al gold, and every starre a diamond. Pope Benedict. 12. refused to make another Cardinall, unlesse he could make another world: for as that was not sufficient for his Cardinall, so one is too little for the covetous. Si offa totius mundi injiceretur dentibus, & faucibus eorum universa rerum massa; if the whole world were throwne as a sop into their mouths, it would not content avarice.
Thus is he a transgressor of every law. Goe now yee fooles, and flatter your selves, that you are no Atheists, no Idolaters, no Blasphemers, no Sabbath-profaners, no parent contemners, no murderers, adulterers, theeves, nor lyars: you have beene al these, are al these, or may be al these, or whatsoever else the devill will, if you continue covetous. The opinion of honestie is put on this sinne through the world; An honest man, but something hard: but yet in the Iudges sentence, the adulterer and theefe are as honest men. Read 1 Corinth. 6.10. and Eph. 5.5. There you may learne what to thinke of his honestie. He is got into the midst of that desperate throng, that shall never see the face of God. We ranke him with Addermen and Gentlemen, give him the best offices, the highest roome at the Table, and Pew in the Church: God reckons him amongst whores, and blasphemers, and theeves, and dogs, which be indeed his companions. Certainely, if such a man be honest, there are abundance of honest men in hell. We are loth to keepe company with swearers, and swashers, and harlots, and drunkards; but we have as great a charge of separation from the covetous. 1 Cor. 5.11. Eate not with him: and Salomon gives the reason, Prov. 2•.7. Because he hath an evill eye; that wisheth a man choakd, when he bids much good do’t him; when his guests are gone, he talkes how much this man did eate, and how fast the other called for drinke; and feeds his familie with the mouldy remnants a moneth after. If such muckewormes were as odious to the rest, as they are to me: they should appeare in the street like owles, with whom no honest man will converse. Why should I preferre him before a piece of copper, that preferres a piece of gold before my Maker.
It is time to come to the Remedies of this desperate disease; and to stoppe that violence and precipitation, wherewith we are transported to these rotten inconstancies.
1 1 Ioh. 5.4. Faith overcomes the world. What doth it bring the riches of it into our coffers? no, but it casts the love of it out of our hearts. The world is not overcome by gaining, but by despising it. As covetousnesse is an Alchymist, that turnes gold into God; so faith makes Christ unto our soules All in all. The more hold a man takes of the world, the more he loseth hold of the Lord. Covetous men cleave to the world so long as they can; but when that staffe breakes, then to the Lord. Extremitie of distresse will send the profanest to God: as the drowning man stretcheth out his hand to that bough, which he contemned whiles he stood safe on shore. So Saul retired himselfe to 1 Sam. 28.6. inquire of the Lord, but be answered him not. It is an unreasonable inequality, to hope to find God at our command, when we would not be at his: to looke that he should regard our voice in trouble, that would not regard his voice in peace. Hebr. 13.5. Let your conversation be without covetousnesse: why? Because he hath said, I will not leave thee, nor forsake thee. We credit the promise of a wealthy and trusty friend: yet man may lye, man may die, man may be unable to helpe himselfe. God is too constant to be changed; too potent to be crossed, too wise to be deceived. I will never leave thee: not in a deare yeare, not in age, not in sicknesse, not in death: they that beleeve this, cannot be covetous. The wealth thou keepest, is not thine owne, but Gods: he must give it thee out of thine owne chest: and if thou hast little, cannot he give it thee out of anothers chest, as well?
2 Content with our owne condition: he that hath wrought his heart to this happy resolution, hath disfurnished Satan of a deadly weapon. The King is forbidden so Deut. 17.17. multiply to himselfe silver and gold: yet who hath greater uses, or fairer pretences, for this multiplying, than a King? Prov. 30.16. Salomon sayes there be foure things that cry Nunquam satis; and we may adde a fift, the covetous heart, that shall care with them all foure, and yet rise up with a Never enough. Esau was an honest man to thousands of these; for Gen. 31.9. Esau had Enough. 1 King. 21.2. Naboths vineyard lay too neare Iezabels court, it had beene better for him in the wildernesse. The vicinity did not make it more commodious to the owner, than envious to the beholder. It was now the perpetuall object of an evill eye: his vines grew too neare the smoke of that Tyrants chimneys, too much within the prospect of Ahabs window. The sight of it breeds those desires, that can neither safely be denyed, nor honestly satisfied. Eminence is still joyned with perill, obscurity with peace. An inheritance needs no worse inconvenience, than the covetous eye of a Great neighbour. There is no such annoyance belongs to a house, as an Ahabs avarice. He had vineyards enough of his owne, but all their grapes were sowre to Naboths. His heart covets it, his tongue demands it, the possesser denyes it, he growes sicke upon it, Naboth must bleed for it, and then he will have it. Ahab was sick of a Plurisie, and Naboth must be let blood to cure him. O the impotent and insatiate desire of avarice! what is there that can make a man rich, but content? Ahab was Lord and King of all the territories of Israel: Naboth is the owner of one poore vineyard: yet Ahab can have no joy of all Israel, if Naboth enjoy his vineyard. Besides Samaria, Ahab was Lord Paramount of Damascus, and all Syria; conqueror of Him that was attended with two and thirty Kings. Naboth was a plaine Townesman of Iezreel; the good husband of a little vineyard. Whether is the richer? Naboth wisheth for nothing of Ahabs; Ahab longeth for something of Naboths, and cannot brooke a repulse. Riches and povertie is more in the heart, than in the hand: hee is wealthy that is contented, hee is poore that wants it. O poore Ahab, that carest not for thine owne large possessions, because thou mayest not have anothers. O rich Naboth, that carest not for all the dominions of Ahab, so thou maist enjoy thine owne.
3 Looke up to the Promised land: if but one glimpse of those heavenly treasures were presented to our eyes; how scornefully would we behold the world, and call it as Hiram did the cities given him by Salomon, in indignation, 1 King. 9.13. Cabul, a myrie or dirtie land. Thou lovest gold, there is a citie whose Rev. 21.21. streets be gold. Who would be raking in the kennels of the earth, that might gather pearles out of those chrystalline streames of joy? Our Head is in heaven, what make our Hearts upon earth! It is fit the Head and the heart should goe together. Sicut Ecclesiam praecessit Caput ejus, sic Christianum praecedat cor ejus. Aug. We cannot yet get up our bodies, let us send up our hearts. Sequetur totum nostrum, quò praecesserit aliquid nostrum. The way to mortifie covetousnesse, is 1 Tim. 6.19. to lay hold on eternall life. The looser hold we have of the world, the lesse hold the world shall have of us: and the more we fasten above, we loosen below. Psal. 17.14. Men of the world have their portion in this life; but my teeth shall not water at their dainties.
4 Let us free our selves from a false opinion of riches: we thinke they will satisfie us, and they cannot. Non plus satiabitur cor hominis auro, quam corpus aurâ. The heart shall be satisfied with gold, when the body is contented with wind, yea, does not Aurum rather make Auarum? Confess. l. 6. c. 6. S. Augustine tels of an oration which he made to the Emperor; wherein he exceedingly pleased him, because he exceedingly praised him; and was so eloquent in his commendation, that all the hearers fell into commendation of that eloquence. But for his reward, it was like ours; for our good words, the people returne us onely good words againe: as when a Poet presented Augustus with Greeke verses, he for his reward gave him Greeke verses againe. Home he came, and by the way in a greene medow he spyed a poore beggar, well lin’d with strong drinke, frisking, and singing, and dauncing, and taking care for nothing. Whereupon he thus sighed; What is riches, that it should not give so much content as beggary? Miserable is that life, wherein none are happy but the miserable. All our labour for wealth, is but care and travell, for travell and care. He that hunts this game in the worlds forrest puts up more beasts than he well knowes how to be shut of. This beggar hath not burnt candles all night a moneth together, he made no oration to the Emperor to day, yet he is merry. His purse hath no crownes, his flesh weares ragges, yet he is jocund: sure there is no art leading to felicitie, but the art of beggary, The meditation of this beggarly content wrought that learned man to provide for the posterity of his soule unperishing riches. Thus though the beggar had more joy than Augustine, yet Saint Augustine had more joy than the beggar. With how different aspects and affects do diverse men looke upon the world! The Prophet and his man did not looke upon the Syrian treasure with the same eyes. 2 King. 5. The one with the eye of contempt, the other of admiration: the one refuseth it offered, the other runs after it forbidden. Ier 45.5. Petrarch. I will destroy the whole land, and seekest thou great things for thy selfe? Mundus perit, & tu mundana quaeris? Alas, they are but speciosa supplicia, fortunae vomitus. If they like true servants could continue, yet we like fraile Masters must vanish.
5 Lastly Charitie. The sheepe is ouerladen with wooll, if it be never shorne; and no coate is made for the child while it grows there. The worldlings wealth is too heavy a burden for him: let him be clipp’d, and his wooll then may doe much good. 1 Tim. 6.18. Doe good, and distribute. Call your riches what you will, you shall never find them to be goods, till you doe good with them. Men are mistaken in riches: God is called Rich; not for his money, but for his mercie: not for having good, but for doing good. Rom. 10.12. The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. Wherein rich? not in being Lord of all, so much as in doing good to all. Thus covet to be rich; Rich in Faith, rich in God, rich in good workes. It was the worldlings folly, to thinke that wealth consisted in having goods, not in doing good. Luk. 12.21. So is he that layeth up treasure for himselfe, and is not rich toward God; So, that is, as very a foole as he was. Covetice is that iniquitie, which hath cast upon riches that reprochfull Title; to be called The riches of iniquity. This inconvenience can onely be helped by charitie; Make you friends of that Mammon. Otherwise, a treasure of riches gathered and hoorded this day, is but a Iam. 5.3. treasure of vengeance gathered and hoorded against the last day. Whereas he that gets to give, doth give to keepe. Thou fearest to lose thy money by giving it, and yet fearest not to lose thy selfe by keeping it. Every man shall leave his riches behind him, and every man shall find them againe. They that have done good with them, shall find them safe in heaven, with the advantage of glory: they that hoorded them here, shall find them againe too, and with usury; but the super-addition is the plague of conscience, and eternitie of torments.
God hath appointed himselfe the rewarder of almes, even to a Mat. 10.42. cup of water: and a punisher of covetousnes, even to the Luk. 16. want of a droppe of water. Dives would not give Lazarus a crumme of bread, though it might save his life: and Lazarus must not bring Dives a drop of water, though it might save his soule. Discused riches do not more rust in the coffer, than in the conscience, they be not onely Corruptae, Luk. 12.48. but corrumpentia. Moisture was not given to the springs, that they should remaine in the places where they were bred; but to run along in their watry chanels, and to spend themselves upon the dry and barren grounds. Plato had a conceit, that nature at first was delivered of two daughters, Plentie and povertie: that need might be beholding to plentie, for supply to her indigence: and Fulnesse to povertie, for ease of her abundance. The rich man was made for the poore, August. and the poore for the rich. Pauperis est rogare, divitis erogare. Rich niggards are like blessed Thistles: when death hath cropp’d them, some water may be distilled out of them, medicinall to the disease of povertie.
Rich men should imitate Iob, as he did the eagle; who is so honourable, that he will not eate his prey alone. The conceit that keeps rich men from giving, is a faithlesse feare that they shall want before they die. Therfore God often takes them away in the midst of their Mammon; and so rids them of what they were afraid, and provides for others whereof they have need. It is easy for avarice to find an excuse to save the purse: the widow of Sarepta could have answered the Prophet, with her owne want; as the Macedonians could the Apostle, that they had poore enow of their owne, to take up their reliefe: yet they did not. God loves a carefull giver. An almes given with a grudging hand, doth not onely lose all reward, but deserveth no pardon. Erogando pecuniam, augebis Iustitiam: thy righteousnes shall shine forth as the Sunne, when the Sunne of righteousnes shines forth in his glory. Otherwise, audiant irrogare supplicia, qui nolunt erogare subsidia. Men receive but ten for the surplusage of a hundred below: there shall be a hundred for ten repayed hereafter. What do we give, but that which was first given us, and we cannot keepe? Psal. 112.9. He hath dispersed and given to the poore: his righteousnes remaineth for ever. The good man hath both riches and righteousnes: he gives his riches, his righteousnes he shall keepe for ever. Good deeds derived from faith, are rampiers and fortifications against Satan: what shall become of those cities, that have no such wals? they are a tribute we owe unto God, for defending us from our enemies, and planting peace in our consciences: he requires now no burnt offerings nor sacrifices; but the fruits of mercie. Thus our Religion affords us more, and costs us lesse: yet when the Lord gives us the whole harvest, we scarce allow him the very gleanings. The Idolatrous Gentiles shall condemne us; for they bestowed their wealth in Fanes and Shrines and Images; whereas we to the living Images of the true God will not give our superfluities. Our devotion can away with anything, rather than this same Pharisaicall almes-giving. Yet the Cart that is overladen and crammed too full of sheaves, hath a taile that will scatter: let those full gorged worldlings take heed, lest hogs come to gleane after their carts taile; and their heires be made Wards to usurers. Psal. 109.11. Let the extortioner catch all that he hath. It may bee for his soule, he gives it gone; but his goods (he hopes) shall last: the extortioner sayes Nay to that; and his children shall not have enough left to keepe them in prison. The Miser is the theeves marke; if he would prevent robbing, let him be bountifull. The Catle comes to disstresse, and no man pities him. Be charitable, that you may save your heires from undoing. If there be in your bagges but one shilling that should have been the poores, that shilling shall be the consumption of all his fellowes.
But after all this, he will build an Hospitall. Will he? Now blessing on him: when he hath taken away a mans land and inheritance, he will give him a staffe to walke withall. By oppression he hath hedged into himselfe great pastures, and now he will allow the owner, the running of a nagge. When I passe by an Hospitall built by a money-monger, me thinkes I see the goodly monument of a bloudy devotion. He sets a dossen beggars to pray for him, that God would forgive him the making of a thousand. And not seldome lewd persons are chosen into those places; whose prayers in the chappell cannot so much availe him, as their curses out of it make against him. In the law, God abhorred that offering, which was the price of a dog, or the hire of a harlot. He that thinkes to be excused by giving part of his robberies, goes about to corrupt God with presents, and cals him in to take part of the spoile. But why doth Christ then say, Luk. 16.9. make you friends of your unrighteous Mammon? I answere; Hee cals them not evill, because they were so much gotten by evill meanes, as were the baites of evill motions; otherwise, first wrongs should be satisfied, before friends be purchased. The Apostles rule is, first to Eph. 4.28. Labour honestly for wealth, and then to give to him that needeth. Quamvis de parvo, tamen de justo, de proprio. It is true, that a pound does the poore more good than a peny; yet a well earned peny shall doe the giver more good, than ill gotten thousands.
But there be some that hold it idle, to doe but so well, with what they got so ill. He that hath nothing to doe with his money; but build Churches, they count him one of God Almighties fooles. Or if the Bench of peny-fathers do not censure his wisedome, yet they will terme him a vain-glorious fellow. Tut, Almehouses will make good Stables; and being let out in tenements, yeeld a round summe by the yeere. A strong closset, and a good yron hutch, is worth twenty of your Hospitals. These Chuffes will contribute something toward the building of a Iaile, to deterre theeves; or of a gallhouse, to execute them: but for a Church or an Almeshouse, they see no need of those. Thus do they teach God to deny themselves mercie: for he that demands mercie, and shewes none, mines the bridge, over which himselfe is to passe. We reade of a Lad that had Ioh. 6.9. five barley leaves in a Basket, which, Iesus tooke and distributed to the people. Much goods are too heavy for the covetous, as the loaves were for the Boy. Clausa [onerabunt], reclusa recreabunt: Let them open the Basket, and divide them among the poore. This is a speciall medicine, to breathe out the corrupt bloud of covetousnes.
Cursed children.] Filii maledictionis. Hebrais. which may be taken either actively, or passively. For they carry a curse about them, wheresoever they goe: and they bring a curse along with them, whithersoever they come. Covetousnes is the Roote of all evils, not onely criminall but penall. There be innumerable woes against it, and sooner or later they shall overtake it. Ezek 22.13. I have smitten my hands at thy dishonest gaine; there the covetous man is but threatned. Esa. 97.17. For the iniquity of his covetousnes, I was wrath, and smote him; there he is plagued. God doth not onely smite his hands at him, but he smites at him with his hands. Hee is in Laodicea’s case; Reu. 3.17. Wretched in getting, poore in not using, blind in keeping, naked in leaving, miserable in accounting.
Iob 20.20. 1 Cursed not seldome in his body; which restlesse calamitie is but a whip of his owne making. I might instance Achans heape of stones, Balaams sword in his bowels, Iudas his halter about his necke; one piece more to his thirtie; but looke upon 2 King. 5.20. Gehezi for all. The Prophet and the Syrian are parted; onely Gehezi could not so take his leave: his heart was mailed up in one of Naamans Portmanques, and he must after to fetch it. He thinkes his Master too kind, or too simple, in refusing so just a present: himselfe will be wiser, thriftier. Desire hastens his pace; he does not goe, but runne after his bootie. He hath it with advantage, two for one; and now pleaseth himselfe with the waking dreames, of what Land he might purchase, how well he was provided for, to live at ease. What sayes his Master to it? The leprosie of Naaman cleave unto thee, and to thy seed for ever; the act overtakes the word; he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow. A wofull change hath Gehezi made with Naaman. Naaman came a leper, returned a Disciple: Gehezi came a Disciple, returned a leper. Naaman left behind him his disease and his money, Gehezi takes up both his money and his disease. The rest of his dayes he shall weare out in paine, and shame, and sorrow. He hath two changes of rayment for his body; but is not the body better than rayment? He weares Naamans double livery, both of apparell and leprosie. He shall never looke upon himselfe, but thinke on Naaman, and ô ye covetous, when you see your selves, thinke upon Gehezi.
2 Cursed in his goods, which are his gods; first, he shall never have comfort in them: the curse of that unbeleeving Prince shall fall upon him? 2 King. 7.19. he shall see his owne abundance, never tast it. Like the Indians that are slaved to the Spanish mines, he is homo ad metalla damnatus. Iob 20.22. In the fulnesse of his sufficiencie he shall be in straites. Dives in miseriis, miser in divitiis. Other sinners that have forfeited heaven, yet receive some pleasure on earth: but the covetous deprives himselfe of this world, and God will deprive him of the world to come; so he enjoyes neither; is not this a curse? But suppose the foole thinks it none; therfore, secondly, he shall not long keepe his wealth. Ier. 17.11. He shall leave it in the midst of his dayes, and at his end shall be a foole. It is a hell to him to leave his riches at the end of his dayes; what is it then to lose them in the midst? The Sapies of Affrica are buried with all their gold about them; and worldlings would either not die at all, or else be buried so. If he must be a beggar in the midst, Aug. what shall he be at the end of his dayes? A foole; he shall lose both his goods, and his wits. Thus Praedo minoris erit praeda majoris. Iob 20.21. There shall none of his meate be lest, therfore shall no man looke after his goods.
3 Cursed in his Posteritie. All his project and drift is to leave his children an Inheritance on earth, though he forfeit his owne in heaven: loe, even this also God disappoints. As the father was a rich beggar, the children shall be poore Gentlemen. What got Gehezi’s posterity by their fathers covetousnesse, but an hereditary leprosie. Hab. 2.9. He covets an evill covetousnesse to his house. Indeed his desire is of good, Vers. 10. Iob 20.10. but the event of that desire turnes to evill; and he consults shame to his house, not as he supposed, honour. His children shall seeke to please the poore; flatter the needy, and beg even of beggars: see now what his Gentlemen come to. Eccl. 6.2. God hath given him riches, saith Salomon, but not power to eate thereof. It may be so, but the more he spares, the more he leaves for his children; no, but a stranger shall eate it. Parents be good to your children; Iob 19.17. let not my breath seeme strange to you, (to speake in Iobs phrase) that intreat for the children of your owne loines. Do not covet to leave them so much, that you disinherite them of all. There is no surer way to undoe them, than by undoing others for them.
4 Cursed in his soule: he is in little better case on earth, than that rich miser was in hell, burning in desire of that drop of water, which never shall be granted him; Content. Eph. 5.5. The Covetous hath no inheritance in the kingdome of God. No inheritance there? and none heere, neither? In what countrey then lies this mans purchase? In a place, which is called, Rev. 22.15. Without; the Territory of Hell. After all his commings in, he shall be sure of that to come into the bargaine: this is that makes up his revenues.
Now he that is so well practised in casting up parcels, Semper in rationibus, so much in his counting-house; let him looke over these particulars, and summe up his gaines. A curse upon his Body, upon his goods, a curse upon his children, upon his owne soule; here is his profit: would not this gaine make a man covetous? A mans Mat. 16.26. soule in exchange for the whole world, were but a hard bargaine. Luk. 12.20. Thou foole, they shall fetch away thy soule from thee, and then whose shall these be? yea, whose shalt thou be? Lord, give us nothing in this world, that may prevent our happinesse in the world to come; let us rather bee beggars, than not Saints.
To take yet a fuller view of this curse, let mee give you a short Character of the covetous man. Hee is cursed to be a servant of servants: the Saints drudge is his Saint. He shrines his god in his coffer, and there lockes up his heart for a perpetuall sacrifice to it. Whereas the true God keepeth his, hee will keepe his god: and gives to a peece of earth that veneration, which he denies to his Maker. Yet he dares not trust either any other God, or his owne: but feares lest theeves should put him to Micah’s complaint; Iudg. 18.24. Yee have taken away my gods, and what have I more? O poore god, that cannot keepe it selfe from stealing! Hee feares a theefe worse than the divell; yea, he will be beholding to the divell for a spell to save him from the theefe. In his unquiet sleepe he dreames of Burglary; and is not sure that even now hee barred the doore. If his conscience ever goe about to prejudice his profit, hee condemnes it for a common Barretor. Hee would often hang himselfe when hee is cross’d of his hopes, but that he is loth to bee at the charges of a halter; which if he finds ready provided, hee is ready to doe it indeed: and if some charitable hand cut the cord, hee cries out that hee is undone; when if he had not beene undone, he had perished. He laughs at poore mens curses; and before hee dies, curseth himselfe to boot.
The Ancients have compared covetous men to Hogges: of all beasts, the ejected devils chose to enter into them: and still they affect those hoggish carles, that insatiately swill up the draffe of the world. One wittily observes, that if the Iewes had not beene forbidden by the Law, yet Nature it selfe would have disswaded them from eating swines flesh; lest one hogge should eate another. Worldlings are hogs, carrying their snowts downeward, not looking up to the tree whence comes their mast, wallowing in mucke, digging up the earth, if they be not ring’d by the law for rooting; insatiable in devouring, hoinish and grunting, and grudging any neighbourhood. The unthrift with his riotous courses, doth but still feed hogs. Mat. 15.26. It is not meet to give the childrens bread to dogs; much lesse to hogs. By their unnaturall dealing in the world, you would not thinke they came naturally into the world; but rather like those that were called Caesares, quasi caesi ex utero matris. Their sinne is so impatient of the delay of vengeance, as if they would plucke the sterne of the world out of Gods hand, till he had confounded them. Oppression is the price of blood: the Iewes would not put it into their Treasurie; these dare put it into their Patrimony. There is no religion in them, but the love of money: by fraud and perjurie they had confiscated their soules long agoe. Any doctrine is welcome to them, but that which beats upon good workes. They sticke not with the Sages, to fall downe and worship Christ, but they cannot abide to present him with their gold. Not to meddle or make with a man, is a high favour, for which (they looke) God and the world should be beholding to them. They thinke all charitie to their neighbour consists in bidding him Good morrow. How grossely doe they coozen themselves! The Prince requires not onely that his Lawes be not contradicted, but not violated. Goe, ye cursed, because ye did not give: you do not heare them taxed for condemning charity in others, but for not performing it themselves.
All their devotion consists in a few abrupt graces; God bee praised, Much good do’t you. And if any man speake against unjust dealing, they stand not to maintaine their Copy-hold; but, wee are all naught, God amend us: and stop the Preachers mouth with, Sir I drinke to you: but Gods mouth will not bee stopped so. Being asked at the day of Iudgement, From whence come you? they must answere in the divels language, From compassing the earth; for heaven they have not compass’d. All their good deedes bee onely good words, but Gods Words are deeds: Goe, ye cursed. He that spake the word, and made heaven and earth, shall but speake the word, and send them to hell. Nec volunt esse pauperes, nec haberi divites. To avoid a subsidie, they complaine of poverty: and when they complaine of want, they most feare that which they complaine to have. Thus doe they live in anguish, to die upon the racke, and to finish their course in everlasting unhappinesse. Now as you like this cursednesse, you may goe on in covetousnesse. It is pitie but the world should love him, that will love the world upon these conditions. But for our selves, let us impartially scourge this Manmon out of our Temples: Christ did not die to purchase this world for us: let us not lose that which he purchased, to purchase that which he contemned. No Lord, thou hast prepared Mansions for us, prepare us for those Mansions; that by being rich in Grace, we may come to be rich in Glory. Amen.
