Sd. The third remedy : covet spiritual things more, and you will covet earthly things' less. Covet grace ; grace is the best blessing, it is the seed of God, 1 John iii. 9., the angels' glory. Covet heaven ; hea- ven is the region of happiness, it is the most pleas.int climate. Did we covet heaven more, we should covet earth less. Tiicy that stand on the top of the Alps, the great cities of Campania seem but as small vil- lages in their eyes : if we could have our hearts more fixed upon the Jerusalem a- bove, how would all worldly things disap- pear, and be as nothing in our eyes ! We read of an angel coming down from hea- ven, who did tread with his right foot on the sea, and with his left foot on the earth, Rev. X. 2., had we but once been in heaven, and viewed the superlative glory of it, how might we, in an holy scorn, trample with one foot upon the earth, and with the other foot upon the sea ! O covet after heavenly things ! There is the tree of life, — the mountains of spices, — the rivers of plea- sure,— the honey-comb of God's love drop- ping,— the delights of jingels, — the flower of joy fully ripe and blown. There is the pure air to breathe in ; no fogs nor vapours of sin arise to infect that air, but the Sun of Righteousness enlightens that horizon continually with his glorious beams. O let your thoughts and delights be always taken up about the city of pearl, the |)ara- dise of God ! Did we covet heavenly things more, we should covet earthly things less. Ii is reported after Lazarus was raised from the grave, he was never seen to smile or he deli^-iited Avith the world after: were our hearts raised by the power of the Holy Ghost, u]) to heaven, we should not be much taken with earthly things.
■Wi. The fourth remedy : pray for an heavenly mind. « Lord, let the loadstone of thy Spirit draw my heart upward !
rd, dig the ejirlh out of mv heart. — teach
me how to possess the world, and not lovo it, — how to hold it in my hand, and not let it get into my heart ! So much for the commandment in general. " Thou shalt not covet."
IL I shall speak of it more particularlv : " Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife," &c. Observe here the holiness and perfection of God's law ; it forbids the mn~ tus prhno primi, — the first motions and ris- ings of sin in the heart: " Thou shalt not covet." The laws of men take hold of the actions, but the law of God goes further, it forbids not only the actions, but the affec- tions, " Thou shalt not covet thy nci£rh- hour's house." It is not said, thou shalt not take away his house; but " Thou shalt not covet it." These lustings and desires after the forbidden fruit are sinful, Rom. vii. 7., " The law had said. Thou shalt not covet." Though the tree bears no bad fruit, it may be faulty at the root ; though a man doth not commit any gross sin, yet who can say his heart is pure ? Tiiere may be a faultiness at the root, there may be sinful covetings and lustings in the soul.
Use. Let us be humbled for the sin of our nature, the risings of evil thoughts, co- veting that which we ought not. Our na- ture is a seed-plot of iniquity; it is like charcoal that is ever sparkling ; the sparkles of pride, envy, covetousness, arise in the mind. How should this humble us ? If there be not sinful actings, there are sinful covetings. Let us pray for mortifying grace which may be like the water of jea- lousy to make the thigh of sin to rot. But to come to the words more clearly, " Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, nor thy neighbour's wife," &c.
QuKST. J17u/ is the house put before the wife ? in Deuteronomy the wife is put first. Dent. V. 21, Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house. Here the house is put first ?
Ans. In Deuteronomy, the wife is set down first, in respect of lier value. She (if a good wife) is of far greater value and es- timate than the house, Frov. xxxi. 10., " Her price is far above 'ubies." She is the furniture of the hou^.l, and this furni-
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ture is more worth than the house. When Alexander had overcome king Darius in battle, Darius seemed not to be much dis- mayed; but when he heard his wife was taken prisoner, now his eyes, like spouts, did gush forth water, as valuing his wife dearer than his life. But yet in this place in Exodus, the house is put before the wife ; the reason is, because the house is first in order, — the house is erected before the wife can live in it, — the nest is built before the bird is in it, — the wife is first esteemed, but the house must be first pro- vided.