Obs. 3. Covetousness bringeth God's curse upon our estates. He sendeth corruption, and the rust, and the moth. There is nothing- gotten by rapine or tenacity, by greedy getting, or close withholding. Not by greedy getting ; wlien men will snatch an estate out of the hands of providence, no wonder if God snatch it away again ; ill gains are equivalent to losses: Blicah vi. lU, ' Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked ?' that is, have they them still? Not by undue withholding ; it draweth man's curse and God's tof> upon us : see Prov. xi. 26, ' He that withholdeth corn, the poor shall curse him ; but blessing shall be upon the head of hhn thatsellethit.' God can easily corrupt that which we will not bestow, and cause a worm to breed in manna. Certainly there is a ' withholding that tendeth to poverty,' Prov. xi. 24. Well, then, learn the meaning of that gospel riddle, that he that will save must lose, and the best way of bringing in is laying out.
Obs. 4. There is corruption and decay upon the face of all created glory, Piiches coirupted, garments moth-eaten, gold and silver can- kered. It is madness to set up our rest in j)erishing things : Prov. xxiii. 5, ' Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not?' It is not only against grace, but reason ; confidence should have a sure and stable ground. Well, then, take Christ's advice, Mat. vi. 11), 20, ' Lay not up treasures upon earth, where moth and rust do corrupt,' &c. We are apt to seek treasures here, but the moth and the rust checketh our vanity : these are like treasures of snow, that melt in our fingers. So Luke xii. 33, ' Provide yourselves bags that wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, or moth corrupteth.' A man should look after a iiappiuess that will last as long as his soul lasteth. Why should we, that have souls that will not
' Calvisiu.s in anno 125S. [Called by D'Hcrbelot Mostuzevi. TUe nwaner of liis deatL io differently stated. — Ed.]
JaS. V. 2, 3.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JAMES. 405
perish, look after things that perish in the using ? These things pass aAvay, and tlie lust of tlieni also, 1 John ii. 17. Time will come, when the world will not relish with us ; when we are about to leave the world, then we complain how it hath abused us.
Ohs. 5. From the diversity of the terms, moth, corruption, canlcer, note that God hath several ways wherewith to blast our carnal com- forts. Sometimes by the moth, sometimes by the thief, by rust or robbery; they may either rot, or be taken from us. Well, then, let the greater awe be impressed upon your thoughts. Usually we look no further than the present likelihoods. Sometimes God can arm the tire, sometimes a great wind, and anon the Sabeans : Job hath mes- senger upon messenger, chap. i. There is nothing keepeth the heart so loose from earthly comforts as the consideration of the several ways they may be taken from us : this evinceth our near dependence upon God, and the absolute dominion of providence.
And the rust of them shall he a luitness orjainst you. — It is usual in scripture to ascribe a testimony to things inanimate against the unthankful and wicked. As to the gospel ; Mat. xxiv. 14, ' For a witness to them.' The preaching of the word mil be a witness that men had warning enough. So to the dust of the apostles' feet : Mark vi. 11, ' Shake off the dust of your feet for a testimony against them ;' that is, it shall be clear that you are free of their blood ; if there be no other witnesses, this dust shall witness it. So to the rust here, it shall be a witness ; that is, for the present it is an argument of convic- tion that you had enough, though you would not lay it out ; and here- after it shall be brought by the supreme judge as a circumstantial evidence for your condemnation. Your own consciences, remember- ing the moth and the rust, shall bring to remembrance your covetous hoarding. Note hence: —
Ohs. That in the day of judgment the least circumstances of our sinful actions shall be brought forth as arguments of conviction. God cannot want witnesses ; the rusty iron, the cankered silver, the moth- eaten clothes shall be produced ; that is, by the recognition of our consciences. So see Hab. ii. 11, ' The stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it ; ' that is, the materials of the house built up by oppression shall come as joint witnesses. The stones of the wall shall cry, Lord, we were built up by rapine and violence ; and the beam shall answer, True, Lord ; even so it is. The stones shall cry, Vengeance, Lord, upon our ungodly owner; and the beam shall answer. Woe to him, because he built his house with blood. The circumstances of sin are as so many memorials to put us in mind of guilt, and to put God in mind of vengeance. Well, then, think of these things for the present; this rust may be produced against me, this pile of building, these musty clothes in the wardrobe. Conscience is a shrewd remembrancer ; it writeth when it doth not speak. Many times for the present it is silent, and seemeth to take no notice of those circumstances of guilt ; but they are all registered, and produced at the last day ; the very filth of thy fingers in telling money will be an evidence that thou hast defiled thy soul with the ove of it.