[2.] Choose other business. One that maketh it his business to go to heaven, and to serve and please God, will not so easily be surprised by the love of the world ; he will measure himself by thriving in grace, not in estate : Ps. cxix. 14, ' I have rejoiced in the way of thy testi- monies, as much as in all riches.' Every man is as his business is : John vi. 27, ' Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life ; ' 1 Tim. iv. 7, ' Exercise thyself unto godliness.' The main business of your life is for earth or heaven, to please God or to get the world ; which way is your labour and care carried out ? You should be most careful to get God's love, and work out your salvation.
Use 4. To observe and examine whether this disposition be in us, yea or no. This will be known — (1.) By the frequency of your thoughts ; (2.) By the vehemency of your desires ; (3.) By the drift and course of your lives.
1. By the working of the thoughts and debates of the heart. If the heart be still exercised with covetous projects, if you have your wits set a-work how to get in more, this shows you would be rich. Thoughts are the genuine issue and birth of the soul, and do discover the temper of it. When their minds do run only upon earthly things : Phil. iii. 19, ' Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.' Such a pro- ject and course of gain, James iv. 13, and that with a savour and sweetness. Still catering and contriving, not how to grow good and gracious, but great and high in the world. The worldling in the gospel is brought in musing : Luke xii. 17, 18, ' And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits ? And he said. This will I do, I will pull down my barns, and build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits and goods.' I will do thus and thus, koX BceXoyl^eTo, verbum mire apposiium, saith Beza. For a worldly man is always framing dialogues within himself, and asking and answering his soul ; and his heart is so encumbered with these thoughts that he cannot get it off in holy duties : Ezek. xxxiii. 31, ' They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as thy people, and they hear thy words, but they will
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not do them ; for with their mouth they will show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.' Other sins distract us in duty, but none so often as this, by vain musings upon worldly advantages ; this always runneth in the mind night and day when alone.
2. By the vehemency of your desires. Unnatural predatorious heats argue a distemper. We may lawfully desire earthly things ; we carry about earthly bodies, that stand in need of earthly sustentation. We have an earthly house to support, 2 Cor. v. 1, and are subject to the common necessities of an earthly life ; and therefore surely God, that hath given us these earthly bodies, doth allow us to seek earthly things in a moderate way. But now when these desires are so vehement, that they grow to a perturbation and impatiency of check, they argue this immodest will to be rich. Eachel might lawfully have desired children ; but when it cometh to, ' Give me children, or I die,' then the desire is depraved and inordinate. So when we are disquieted by our desires, and are full of murmurings if we want, and of envious repining at those that have worldly things, and they always solicit us to more, and one degree of estate draweth us on to more, it is an evil disease, and it must be looked to in time, or else it will be baneful to the soul. Then you are gainthirsty, as the expression is, Ps. x., when there is such an eager pursuit after it, and you are so greedy upon worldly things. Desires are but vigorous motions of the will, and do discover the bent and purpose of it. They are the pulses of the soul. As physicians judge by appetite, so may you by desires ; when the soul is carried out by such an unsatisfied thirst, and like the horse-leech's daughter, crieth, ' Give, give,' Prov. xxx. God's people, as an argument of their sincerity, plead their desires, and the longings of their souls after God : ' Our desires are to the remembrance of thy name.' Now your desires run another way, and still they increase upon you with your enjoyments.
3. By the uniformity and constancy of your endeavours. A serious, choice and bent of will is always accompanied with invincible resolu- tions ; they will use all means, and break through all difficulties ; wit, and time, and strength is all engaged upon this design, that you may compass an estate. That argueth the fixed bent of their heart : Luke xvi. 8, ' The children of this world are wiser iu their generation than the children of light.' By wisdom in their generation is meant a dexterous prosecution of their ends and purposes. Now, when men are dull, and slow, and backward in holy things, but their whole souls run out upon temporal profits, it is the sphere of their activity, and the business that their hearts are set upon ; here men turn and wind, and try every course, and so it is constantly with them. A good man is unwearied and diligent in the pursuit of heavenly things : Phil. iii. 11, 'If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.' He goeth from this ordinance to that, and is ever waiting upon God, and is sagacious to spy out advantages of spiritual increase ; this is the sphere of his activity ; he is conferring, praying, reading, hearing, meditating. But now a worldly man is always exercised in covetous practices : 2 Peter ii. 14, ' Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin, beguiling unstable souls : an heart they have exeici.sed with covetous practices.' Wliat a stir and a bustle do they make to increase their estates ! They have the spirit of the world.