they spend or need, I know not what Teftimony Man can give of his Love to any Thing.

§. VIII. To conclude: It is an Enemy to Government in Magiftrates; for it tends to Corruption. Wherefore those that God ordained, were fuch as feared him, and hated Covetoufnefs. Next, it hurts Society; for old Traders keep the young ones poor: And the great Reason why fome have too little, and fo are forced to drudge like Slaves to feed their Families, and keep their Chin above Water, is, because the Rich hold fast and press to be richer, and covet more, which dries up the little Streams of Profit from fmaller Folks. There fhould be a Standard, both as to the Value and Time of Traffick; and then the Trade of the Mafter to be shared among his Servants that deferve it. This were both to help the Young to get their Livelihood, and to give the Old Time to think of leaving this World well, in which they have been fo bufy, that they might obtain a Share in the other, of which they have been fo careless.

S. IX. There is yet another Mischief to Government; for Covetoufnefs leads Men to abuse and defraud it, by concealing or falfifying the Goods they deal in: As bringing in forbidden Goods by Stealth; or lawful Goods, fo as to avoid the Payment of Dues, or owning the Goods of Enemies for Gain; or that they are not well made, or full Meafure; with Abundance of that Sort of Deceit.

§. X. But Covetoufnefs has caused destructive Feuds in Families: For Eftates falling into the Hands of those, whose Avarice has put them upon drawing greater Profit to themfelves, than was confiftent with Justice, has given Birth to much Trouble, and caufed great Oppreffion. It too often falling out, that fuch Executors have kept the right Owners out of Poffeffion with the Money they should pay them.

§. XI. But this is not all; for Covetousness betrays Friendship: A Bribe cannot be better placed to do an ill Thing, or undo a Man. Nay, it is a Murderer too often both of Soul and Body: Of the Soul, because it kills that Life it thould have in God: Where Money mafters the Mind, it extinguishes all Love to better Things: Of the Body, for it will kill for Money, by Affaffinations, Poisons, false Witnefs, &c. I fhall end this Head of Covetoufnefs, with the Sin and Doom of two covetous Men, Judas, and Simon the Sorcerer.

Judas's Religion fell in thorny Ground: Love of Money choaked him. Pride and Anger in the Jews endeavoured to murder Chrift; but till Covetoufness fet her Hand to effect it, they were all at a Lofs. They found Judas had the Bag, and probably loved Money; they would try him, and did. The Price was fet, and Judas betrays his Mafter, his Lord, that never did him. Wrong, into the Hands of his moft cruel Adverfaries. But to do him Right he returned the Money, and to

be

man.

be revenged of himself, was his own HangA wicked Act, a wicked End. Come on, you Covetous: What fay you now to Bro ther Judas? Was he not an ill Man? Did he not very wickedly? Yes, yes: Would you have done fo? No, no; by no Means. Very well; but fo faid thofe evil Jews of toning the Prophets, and that yet crucified the beloved SON of GOD; he that came to fave them, and would have done it, if they had received him, and not rejected the Day of their Vifitation. Rub your Eyes well, for the Duft is got into them; and carefully read in your own Confciences, and fee, if out of Love to Money you have not betray'd the juft ONE in yourfelves, and to are Brethren with Judas in Iniquity. I fpeak for GOD against an Idol; bear with me: Have you not refifted, yea, quenched the good Spirit of CHRIST, in your 2 Cor. 13. Pursuit after your beloved Wealth? Examine

5.

Acts 8,9,

to 24.

your felves, try yourselves; know ye not your ownfelves; that if CHRIST dwell not, if he rule not, and be not above All beloved, in you, you are Reprobates; in an undone Condition?

§. XII. The other covetous Man is Simon the Sorcerer, a Believer too; but his Faith could not go deep enough for Covetousness. He would have driven a Bargain with Peter, So much Money, for fo much Holy Ghost; that he might fell it again, and make a good Trade of it; corruptly measuring Peter by himself, as if he had only had a better Knack of cozening the People than himself, who had fet

up

up in Samaria for the great Power of God, before the Power of God in Philip and Peter undeceived the People. But what was Peter's Answer and Judgment? Thy Money, says he, perish with thee, thou haft neither Part nor Lot in this Matter: Thou art in the Gaul of Bitternefs, and in the Bond of Iniquity. A difmal Sentence. Befides, it tends to Luxury, and rifes often out of it: For from having much, they spend much, and fo become poor by Luxury: Such are covetous to get, to spend more, which Temperance would prevent. For if Men would not, or could not by good Laws well executed, and a better Education, be fo lavish in their Tables, Houses, Furniture, Apparel and Gaming, there would be no fuch Temptation to covet earnestly after what they could not spend: For there is but here and there a Mifer that loves Money for Money's Sake.

§. XIII. Which leads to the laft and basest Part of Covetoufnefs, which is yet the most fordid, to wit, Hoarding up, or keeping Mo ney unprofitably, both to others and themselves too. This is Solomon's Mifer, that makes him-Prov. 13. felf rich, and bath nothing: A great Sin in the 7Sight of God. He complained of such as had fored up the Labours of the Poor in their Houfes ; Ifa. 3. 14, he calls it their Spoils, and that it is a grinding 15. of the Poor, because they fee it not again. But

he bleffeth thofe that confider the Poor, and Pfal. 41. 1. commandeth every one, To open freely to his Deut. 15. Brother that is in Need; not only he that is 7.

fpiritually,

fpiritually, but naturally fo; and, not to withbold his Gift from the Poor. The Apostle chargeth Timothy, in the Sight of God, and 1 Tim.6. before Jefis Chrift, That he failed not to charge 17, 18. them that are Rich in this World, that they trust not in their uncertain Riches, but in the living God, who giveth liberally; and that they do Good with them, that they may be rich in good Works. Riches are apt to corrupt; and that which keeps them fweet and best is Charity: He that uses them not, gets them not for the End for which they are given; but loves them for themselves, and not their Service. The Avaricious is poor in his Wealth: He wants for Fear of spending; and increases his Fear with his Hope, which is his Gain; and fo tortures himfelf with his Pleasure: The most like to the Man that hid his Talent in a Napkin, of all others; for this Man's Talents are hid in his Bags out of Sight, in Vaults, under Boards, behind Wainscots; elfe upon Bonds and Mortgages, growing but as under Ground; for it is good to none.

XIV. This covetous Man is a Monster in Nature; for he has no Bowels, and is like the Poles, always cold. An Enemy to the State, for he fpirits their Money away: A Disease to the Body Politick, for he obftructs the Circulation of Blood, and ought to be removed by a Purge of the Law: For thefe are Vices at Heart, that deftroy by Whole fale. The Covetous, he hates all ufeful Arts and Sciences as vain, left they should coft him fomething the

learning: