The TAzovs£i here trantlated Govetouſneſs, 15 an immoderate deſire v1 .4viig of this Worids Goods, which diſcovers it (cf. ther by aurightccus Ads in procuring, or uncharitable omilfions for the keeping of the things of this Life. It is that giAaguas, Love of money, which the Apoſtle determineth to be the rootot all Evil, It is alſo diſcovered by a too much thoughtfulneſs, whit we ſhall Eat,drink,or put on ; or by the too great meltings of our hearts into our bags of Gold, or Silver, All theſe come under the notion of that Covetouſneſs, which is here forbidden. In ſhort, vliat- ſoever it 1s that hindreth our Contentment with the Portion God giveth us upon our endeavours,though it amounteth to no more than Food,and Rayment,according to the Apoſtles Precept,1 7in.s, 8. and Heb, 13. 5. this is what Chriſt warneth his Diſciples to be- ware of, he gives us the reaſon, | For mans Life conſiſteth nit in th2 abundance of what he poſſeſſeth.') Which is true, whether we under- ſtand by Life,the ſubſiſting and upholding of our Life,or(as lite is often taken )for the Happineſs and Felicity of our Lives. Abundance
juſtifie. what our Saviour had ſaid in theVerte mamedately pen ing, That a mans life lyeth nat in the abundance of whR4t mY Mogelne for ke who hath the greateſt Polſettions, may dy 45 10942 de 3:0
15 not necetfary to uphold our Lives. Ad manum est quod jat eſt, laith Seneca, Nature 1s content with a little. Sudamus (laith he) at ſupervacanea.We ſwet only to get Supertluities. Nor wil} abandiuc? protect our lives; it will not keep oft an Enemy,but rather tempt him 3 nor fence out a diſcaſe,but rather contribute to it, as ings- ging us in 1mmoderate cares or Labours to procure, and keep 1t, or as expoling us to Temptations, to Riot, and Debauchery, by which inens 1:ves are often thortened.Nor doth the Happineſs 7f !i'? tye in the abandance of what we poileſs. Some Philoſoplicrs deter- mined rightly,that ſomething of this. VVorlds good, is necelfary to our Happineſs of life, but abundance is not. The poor are as merry, and many times more ſatisfied, more healthy, and more at eal;, than thoſe that have abundance. It is a Golden Sentence which deſcrves to be Ingraven in every Soul. 16 And he ſpake a parable unto them, faying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth pleoritully: 17 And he thought within himſelf, ſaying, What ſhall I do,becauſe I have no room where to beſtow my fruits ? 18 And he ſaid, This will I do, I will pull down my barns,and build greater,ard there will I beſtow all my fruits and my goods. | i9 AndI will fay unto'my foul, * Soul,thou halt + much goods laid up for many years ; take thine calc, _ eat,drink, and be merry. ON” wo 20 Bur God ſaid unto him, Thou fool ! this night '+y, - ſhall! * thy ſoul be required of thee ; * then who: ſhall thoſe things be that thou haſt provided ? _ 7 w 21 So # he that layeth up treaſure for himſcli; and fog is got rich towards God. bras The Evangeliſt lets us know, that theſeVerſes contain not a NaF- Fla:
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hath not where to lay down his Head, and may be taken away at a time when he 15 1njoy1ng the fulleſt Satrsfactions that he can promiſe himfelf, or the Creature can afford him. Therefere he a&teth not like a wiſe and rational Man, that takes care to lay up for himielf Treaſure 01 Earth, and 1n the mean time neglettcth the Riches of Grace: The Senſe of the Parable 1s to be [caraed from the 633 au- aj which we have, Vv. 21- So he that layeth up treajure joi hamelf: So fooliſh, and unwiſe 1s he, Fc. But from this Parable we may make general Obſervations. | 7. That God maketh his Sun to ſhine, and his Rain to fall on the juſt, and on the unjuſt. Men may have laid up much Earthiy Treaſure, who are yet very pour towards God. 2: That the 1ocreaſe of Riches increaſeth Care. The rich Man ſaith, What ſhall do 2 The difference betwixt the Bezger and the Rich Man 15 but ins, both are ſiying, What ſhall I do ? The Begger faith, What ſhall T ao t» get Money ? The other ſaith, What ſhall T do with it now T have it? 3. Woildly Mens Fruits are their Goods, V+ 3- they are fo 1n their Efituw,ation, and they arc ſo as they are the whole Portion that ſuch fhould have from God.
_ Great Eſtates and Enjoyments of this Life, have a very inticing
uality in them, they make us loth to die, -and willing to thinx we {hall live many years. 5. They 1ntice us to a ſpiritual Sloth and Se- curity, and to ſing a Requiem to our Souls. 5. They 1utice us I ſinful Mirth and Luxury, Eat, Drink and be Merry 7. He that hath moſt, may have h1s Soul taken from him in a Night. 8. A Man is no longer owner of the Goods cf this Life, than he can keep an Eartiily PoſletTion of them. $5. When he dies, he knoweth not whoſe thoſe things ſhall ve, not whether kzs Son or Strangers ſhall Inherit them 3 nor, if his Son doth happen to meet with the Coun- tenance of the Law, doth he know whether that Son thall bea wiſe Man or a Fool. 10. Hence it appears to be the moſt egregious Folly imaginable, for Men to ſpend their time, and ftr.ngth in gerting,and laying up Treaſure upon Earth, in the mean time neglecting, or not duly cndeavouring to be Rich :owards God, Both 1. in that Grace by which the Soul 15 juſtified, and accepted, 2. and alfo in that Grace in the Exerciſe of which alone he may giorine Ged ; this latter is that which the Apoſtle calls, 1 Tim. 6. 18. a being Rich in good Works, ready to diſtribute, willing to Communicate, &c. where he mentioneth only one Spectes of good Works, tor, whereas Wiſdom lies in the choice of the beſt end, and then ot the beit means to obtain it, and the beſt Circumſtances in the uſe of thoſe mans, the world'y Man failing in the heft, not chuiing the beſt end muft needs be a Spiri- tal Foal, And indeed, of all Folly that is the greatett, whica is 1e.n in the choice of a worſer, and more 1gnoble end, before thar which is of more advantage, more noble, and excellent, as certainly rhe 2cquiring of an eternal happ.acts aud felicity 1s, before an acquiring 3 meer tranſitory, and wacertain fclicity and fatistation. =