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may not so much as eat, and if the covetous shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven, and be such as the Holy Ghost doth join with thieves and the vilest sinners; who then but an infidel can think it is not a scandalous sin, and such as will be the damnation of all that be not thoroughly cured of it? See Ephes. v. 5-7. 1 Cor. v. 10, 11. Psal. x. 3. Mark vii. 22.

2 Tim. iii. 2. 2 Pet. ii. 14.

Luke xvi. 14.

Jer. viii. 10. vi. 13. David prayeth God to “incline his heart to his testimonies, and not to covetousness;" Psal. cxix. 36. And now men think they may be inclined to both, and that they have found out the terms of reconciling heaven with earth and hell. I marvel these men will not see their own faces, when the prophets and Christ himself do hold them so clear a glass! "They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them; for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness;" Ezek. xxxiii. 31. "He that received seed among the thorns, is he that heareth the word, and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful;" Matt. xiii. 22. I know the men that I am now speaking of have many excellent gifts, and in other respects do seem the most forward for godliness in the country; but the more is the pity, that men of such parts should be rottenhearted hypocrites, and damned for worldliness, after so much pains in duties; for a heathen may as soon be saved as a worldling. When they have prayed, and preached, and cried down profaneness, let them hear what the Lord saith to them (Luke xviii. 22-24.), and there see again their faces in that glass. "Yet lackest thou one thing," even such a one as none can be saved without, even a love to God and heaven above earth. "Sell all that thou hast and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come follow me ; and when he heard this he was very sorrowful, for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!"

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Set not then so high a value on a full estate. Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have ;" and trust yourselves on the security of his promise, who hath said, "I will never leave

thee nor forsake thee;" Heb. xiii. 5. It is not for nothing that Christ himself hath given you so many and so terrible warnings to take heed of this sin. As Luke xii. 15. "Take heed and beware of covetousness; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things that he possesseth." As if he should say, while you think you are securing your wellbeing, you do not secure your being itself. When you have done all to provide for the delights of your life, you are never the surer of life itself. Read the following passages in the text, and let them warn you or condemn you. If such admonitions as these will not take, from the mouth of him whom you call your Lord, and from whom you profess to expect your judgment, what have we then further to say to you, or how should our warnings expect entertainment with you? Yet I shall do that which is my duty, and leave the success to God. I do therefore again in the name of God, advise and warn you to take heed of having too pleasant thoughts on a prosperous state. Long not after fulness and plenty in the world. Be not too eager for accommodations to your flesh. A coffin of two yards long will shortly hold it, and be room enough for it. And will nothing but well-built houses, adorned rooms, the neatest clothings and plentiful possessions serve you now? How sad a mark is this of a soul that never had a saving taste of the everlasting riches! Away foolish children, and stand not building houses with sticks and sand! Home with to God, and remember where you must dwell for ever. When you have feathered your nests, and made them as you would have them, you must leave them before you are well settled and warm in them. And if it comfort you to think that you leave them to your children, remember that you leave them the fruit of your sins, and bequeath to them the snares that undid your souls that so they may become the heirs of your wickedness, and be deceived and destroyed by the world, as you have been. This is your great care for them; and this is your kindness to them. I have told you once already from God, that "this your way is your folly, though your posterity be like to approve your sayings," because you do so much to make them of your mind; Psal. xlix. 13. For though "your inward thoughts be that your house shall continue," and you hope to leave a name behind you, yet man being in honour abideth not, but is like the beasts

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that perish. When he dieth he shall carry nothing away, his glory shall not descend after him; though while he lived he blessed his soul, and men praise them that (thus) do well to themselves; yet shall they go to the generation of their fathers, and shall never see light. Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish;" ver. 11, 12.17-20. Though "the ungodly prosper in the world and increase in riches," yet he that" goeth (believingly) into the sanctuary, may see their end. Surely they are set in slippery places, and cast down unto destruction. How are they brought to desolation as in a moment, and consumed with terrors?" Psal. lxxiii. 12, 17-19. "And in that very day do all his thoughts perish ;" Psal. cxlvi. 4. "Then shall they eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices; for the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them;" Prov. i. 31, 32.

See then that you be not eager for prosperity; and if God cast it on you, use it with fear. And if ever you feel the creature begin to grow too sweet and delightful to you, then spit it out as the poison of the soul, and presently take a mortifying antidote before you are past remedy. As you feel the working of poison by its burning or griping, or other effects agreeable to its nature, by which it seeketh the extinguishing of life; so you may feel when the world is poison to your souls, by its creeping into your affections, and insinuating into your hearts with present delight, or future hopes; by seeming more lovely and more necessary than it is. As soon as ever you feel it thus creep into your hearts, it is time to rise up against it with holy fear, and to cast it out, if you love your souls.

And that which I would advise you at present, when the world hath got too deep into your hearts before you are aware, is this: Do something extraordinary in such a necessity, for its crucifixion and your recovery, Though a careful diet may serve to preserve health while you have it; yet if you have lost it, and sickness be upon you, you must have recourse to physic for your cure. If honour, or preferment, or house, or land, or friends, or gain, or recreations begin to seem too sweet and dear to you, and your hearts begin to hug them with delight, or make out after them with keen desires, you must now have recourse to extraordinary

helps; and in particular, try these following: 1. Withdraw yourselves to some more frequent and serious meditation of the brevity and vanity of the world, than you have been used to steep your thoughts longer in mortifying considerations, until the bent of your hearts begin to change. 2. Be ofter with God in secret and public prayer, and give up a larger portion of your time to holy things than ordinarily you have done; that acquaintance with heaven may wean your mind from earth; and the love of God may drown your worldly love. When you have taken any extraordinary cold, you will get nearer the fire than ordinary, and be longer at it, and drive it out by heating things. And when the world hath insinuated into your affections, and chilled and cooled them to God and heaven, it is time to draw nearer God than before, and to be longer with him; and to strive harder in every duty than you did, until spiritual life do work more vigorously, and expel that earthly distemper which had possessed you. 3. And at such a season let prayer be furthered by fasting and extraordinary humiliation; which may help down the flesh which causeth you so much to overvalue the world. Even an Ahab found some ease by a common humiliation, when he had taken a mortal surfeit of Naboth's vineyard and his blood. Much more may a true Christian find much help by special humiliation, when he hath surfeited on any creature whatsoever. 4. And I think it would be a very good course at such a time as that, to be at some more cost for God than you were before. When you feel your love to the world increase, give somewhat extraordinary then to the poor, or to pious uses, according to your ability. Yea, what if it were so far as might a little pinch yourselves! This were a real opposition to the world, and you might turn a very temptation to a gain, and get much good by occasion of a sin. It might do much to dishearten and repel the tempter, when he seeth that you overshoot him in his own bow, and make such use as this of his temptations, as to do the more good, and use your wealth the more for God, and deny yourselves more than you did before. If you would but faithfully practise these few directions, you would find it the surest way of recovery when you begin to be infected with this earthly disease.

Direct. 10. The last direction that I shall give you for

the crucifying of the world, is this, Be sure to keep off the means of its livelihood, and keep it still under the mortifying means. Lay siege to it, and stop up all the passages, by which the world's provision would come in; and keep it still under the strokes of enmity, and the influence of that which is contrary to it. Some particulars I will but briefly mention.

1. Keep a constant guard upon your senses; for this way the world creeps into your hearts. It is by gazing on alluring objects, or hearing or tasting, or the like, that the flames of concupiscence are kindled in the heart. By gazing upon beauty or comeliness of person, the heart of the wanton is infected with lust, and so incited to the damnaable practices of uncleanness. The sight of the cup doth set an edge on the desires of the drunkard; and the sight of enticing meats doth awaken and enrage the appetite of the gluttons and by the presence of the bait their disease is set to work, as worms in the body are by some kind of food. Clemens Alexandr. saith of these men, that their disease is called Xaquapyía, that is, 'a madness about the throat.' And yasrouapyla, that is, a' madness in the belly.' And saith of them that are given to fulness or fineness of diet, for the pleasing of their bellies, that they are ruled by a belly-devil, which, saith he, is the worst and most pernicious of all devils. Cl. Alex. Pædag. 1. 2. c. (The whole book is worth the reading by such.) Lay siege then to this belly-devil, and starve him out. It is by the sight of gaudy fashions, and curious apparel, that the minds of vain, effeminate persons are provoked to desire the like. And the sight of pomp and honours doth kindle the fire of ambition; and the sight of buildings, money, and lands, doth help to provoke the desire of the covetous. See therefore that you always keep a watch upon your eyes. Let them not run up and down like a masterless dog, nor roll as the eyes of the lascivious, that are hunting after their prey of lust. If you have cause to pray as David, Psal. cxix. 37., "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity," you must practise according to your prayers, and endeavour yourselves to turn them away. Have not the best of us as much reason as Job to " make a covenant with our eyes?" Job xxxi. 1. What wonder if the garrison surrender not where the besieged have free passage and continual supplies? And what wonder if

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