is a burden to him. But covetoufnefs is not the thirst of nature, but of a difeafed mind. It is the thirst of a fever, or of a dropfy; the more a man drinks, the more he defires, and the more he is inflamed. In like manner, the more the covetous man increafeth his eftate, the more his defires are enlarged and extended, and he finds continually new occafions and new neceflities; and every day as he grows richer, he difcovers new wants; and a new poverty to be provided againft, which he did not think of before, comes into his mind: Et minus hac optat, qui non habet; and be that is without these things, covets them less than he that hath them. So far is a covetous man's attaining to riches from giving him fatisfaction, that he who hath fcarce any thing at all, is many times much nearer to contentment, than he that hath got fo much; nay, fo unreasonable is this appetite, as to defire more, even when the man knows not how to beftow what he hath already. This Solomon obferved long fince, (for the vices and humours of men are much the fame in all ages), Ecclef. iv. 8. There is one alone, and there is not a fecond; yea, he hath neither child, nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labour, neither is his eye fatisfied with riches, neither faith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my foul of good? This is alfo vanity, yea, it is a fore travel. And indeed what can be greater vanity and folly, than to be at certain pains and labour all the days of a man's life, and yet to be uncertain all the while for whom it is that he drudgeth and taketh all thefe pains.

And if this be the nature of this vice, the more it gets, ftill to covet the more; then nothing can be more unreasonable, than to think to gratify this appetite; because at this rate, the man can never be contented, because he can never have enough; nay, fo far is it from that, that every new 'acceffion to his fortune, fets his defires one degree farther from reft and fatisfaction for a covetous mind having no bounds, it is very probable that the man's defire will increase much fafter than his eftate; and then the richer he is, he is ftill the poorer, because he is ftill

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the lefs contented with his condition. However, it is impoffible that the man's defire fhould ever be satisfied; for defire being always first, if the man's defire of riches advanceth, and goes forward as faft as riches follow, then it is not poffible for riches ever to overtake the defire of them, no more than the hinder wheels of a coach can overtake thofe which are be fore; because, as they were at a distance at firft fetting out, fo let them go never so far, or so fast, they keep the fame distance still.

So that it is the vaineft thing in the world, for a man to defign his own fatisfaction by the perpetual increafe of his fortune, becaufe contentment doth not arife from the abundance of what a man hath, but it muft fpring from the inward frame and temper of our minds; and the true way to it, is not to enlarge our eftate, but to contract our defires; and then it is poffible, that a man's money and his mind may meet; otherwife, the pursuit is endless, and the farther a man follows contentment, it will but flee fo much the farther from him; and when he hath attained the estate of a Prince, and a revenue as great as that of France, or the Turkish empire, he fhall be farther from being fatisfied, than when he began the world, and had no more before hand than would just pay for his next meal.

I fhould now have proceeded to the fourth thing, whereby the unreasonableness of covetoufnefs doth ap pear; becaufe the happiness of human life doth not confift in riches. And this is the argument which I fhall more especially infift upon, because it is that which our Saviour useth here in the text, to take men off from this vice. The life of a man confifteth not in the abundance of the things which he poffeffeth. And this certainly is one of the best and most reasonable confiderations in the world, to moderate mens affections towards thefe things. Every reasonable defire propounds fome end to itself. Now to what purpofe fhould any man defire to increase his wealth fo vaftly beyond the proportion of his neceffities and. real occafions? What benefit and advantage would it be to any man, to have an hundred times more than

he

he knows what to do withal? But I fhall not enlarge upon this argument at prefent, but refer it to another opportunity.

SERMON

XCII.

The evil and unreafonablenefs of covetouf

nefs..

LUKE XII. 15.

And he faid unto them, Take heed, and beware of co-vetousness; for a man's life confifteth not in the a bundance of the things which he poeeth.

The third fermon on this text.

After I had in my first difcourfe upon this fubject,

given you an account of the nature of the vice. of covetoufhefs, I proceeded in the next place to reprefent the great evil and unreasonableness of it.

First, Because it takes men off from religion, andi the care of their fouls.

Secondly, Because it tempts men to many things which are inconfiftent with religion, and directly con trary to it.

Thirdly, Because it is an endless and insatiable des fire. Thus far I have gone; I proceed to the

Fourth thing, whereby the unreasonableness of co vetoufnefs will yet farther appear; namely, because the happiness of human life doth not confift in riches and abundance. And this I fhall infift upon fome what the more largely, because it is the argument which our Saviour makes ufe of here in the text, to take men off from this fin: The life of man confifteth not in the abundance of the things which he poffeffeth;: therefore take heed, and beware of covetousness. And this certainly is one of the best and molt reasonable: confiderations in the world, to moderate our affec-

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tions towards these things. For every reasonable defire propounds fome end to itfelf. Now, to what purpofe fhould any man defire to increase his wealth fo vaftly, and beyond the proportion of his neceffitiesand real occafions? What benefit and advantage can it be to any man, to have an hundred, or perhaps a thousand times more than he knows what to do withal?

And as for the other world, no man ever pretended, that the heaping up riches here would be useful to him there: Riches will not deliver him in the day of wrath. No man was ever fo fenfelefs, as to imagine, that he could take his estate along with them into the other world; or if he could, that heaven was to be bought with money; or that a great estate, or a great many lordships, would recommend him to the favour of God. It is true indeed, a man may fo ufe. riches in this world, as thereby to promote and further his happiness in the next. But then it is likewife as true, that a man may fo demean himself in a poor and low condition, as thereby to render himself as acceptable to God, and capable of as great a reward as the richest man can do. The poor woman's two mites chearfully given to pious and charitable uses, will go as far in the other world, and find as great a reward there, as the rich man's thousands of gold and filver. And a man may be as truly generous and charitable out of a little, as out of the greatest fortune. Befides, that the poor man's contentedness in a mean condition, is more admirable in itfelf, and more valuable with God, than for a rich man to be fo.

So that the great ufe of riches refpects this world, and the beft ufe of them is in ways of charity; and the poor man's charity, though it cannot be of fo great an extent in the effects of it, yet in the degree of its virtue and merit, it may be equal to it.

Now the two great defigns of men, in regard to this world, are thefe.

1. To maintain and fupport our lives as long as we

can.

2. To make our lives as truly happy and comfortable as we can.

To the firft of thefe ends, namely, the fupport of our lives, a very little will fuffice; and it is not much that is neceffary to the other, to render our lives as truly comfortable as this world can make them: fo that a vast estate is not neceffary to either of these ends; for a man may live, by having what is neceffary; and may live comfortably, by having that which is convenient.

No man lives the longer by having abundance; it is many times an occafion of fhortening a man's life, by miniftring to excefs and intemperance; but feldom of prolonging it. And fetting afide the vain fancy and conceit of men, no man lives the more happily, for having more than he hath real use and occafion for.

Thefe two heads I fhall at prefent fpeak to, to make out the full force of this reason, which our Saviour here ufeth, namely, That a man's life confifteth not in the abundance of the things which he poffeffeth.

i. That riches do not contribute to the fupport of our lives; nor,

2. To the happiness and comfort of them. That is, they are not neceffary to either of thefe ends. For by riches I mean, whatever is beyond a fufficient competency of thofe things which are requifite to the real ufes and occafions of human life.

Firft, Riches and abundance do not contribute to the fupport of our lives. And this our Saviour very well represents to us in the parable immediately atter the text, of the rich man, who was continually increafing his eftate, fo that he had goods laid up for many years; but he lived not one jot the longer for being provided of the conveniencies of life for fo long a time before hand; for whilft he was bleffing himself, as if he had fecured his happiness fufficiently for this world, he was uncertain of his continuance in it; God having decreed to take him out of this world, at that very time when he had determined to enter upon the enjoyment of thofe things which he had

been