Sermon
Exodus 20:17. You shall not covet your neighbor's house, you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.
This commandment forbids, (1.) covetousness in general, You shall not covet. (2.) In particular, your neighbor's house, your neighbor's wife, etc.
(1.) It forbids covetousness in general, You shall not covet. It is lawful to use the world, indeed, and to desire so much of it, as may, 1. Keep us from the temptation of poverty. (Proverbs 30:8.) Give me not poverty, lest I steal, and take the name of my God in vain. 2. As may enable us to honor God with works of mercy. (Proverbs 3:9.) Honor the Lord with your substance. But all the danger is, when the world gets into the heart. The water is useful for the sailing of the ship; all the danger is, when the water gets into the ship: so the fear is, when the world gets into the heart. You shall not covet.
Question. What is it to covet?
Response. There are two words in the Greek which set forth the nature of covetousness. 1. [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], which signifies an insatiable desire of getting the world. Covetousness is a dry dropsy. Austin defines covetousness, plus velle quam sat est; to desire more than enough: to aim at a great estate: to be like the daughters of the horseleech, crying, Give, give (Proverbs 30:15), or like Behemoth (Job 40:23), He trusts that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth. 2. [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], which signifies an inordinate love of the world. The world is the idol; it is so loved, that a man will not part with it to any good use. This is to come under the indictment of covetousness. He may be said to be covetous, not only who gets the world unrighteously, but who loves the world inordinately. But for a more full answer to the question, What is it to covet? I shall show you in six particulars, when a man may be said to be given to covetousness.
1. When his thoughts are wholly taken up about the world. As a good man's thoughts are still in heaven: he is thinking of Christ's love, and eternal recompenses. (Psalm 139:18.) When I awake I am still with you: that is, by divine contemplation. So a covetous man is still with the world: his mind is wholly taken up about it; he can think of nothing but his shop or farm. The fancy is a mint house, and most of the thoughts a covetous man mints are worldly. He is always plotting and projecting about the [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], the things of this life. Like a virgin that has all her thoughts running upon her suitor.
2. A man may be said to be given to covetousness, when he takes more pains for the getting of earth, than for the getting of heaven. He will turn every stone, break his sleep, take many a weary step for the world, but will take no pains for Christ or heaven. The Gauls, who were an ancient people of France, after they had tasted the sweet wine of the Italian grape, they inquired after the country, and never rested till they had arrived at it. So a covetous man, having had a relish of the world, pursues after it, and never leaves till he has got it; but he neglects the things of eternity. He could be content if salvation would drop into his mouth, as a ripe fig drops into the mouth of the eater (Nahum 3:12). But he is loath to put himself to too much sweat or trouble to obtain Christ or salvation. He hunts for the world, he wishes only for heaven.
3. A man may be said to be given to covetousness, when all his discourse is about the world. (John 3:31.) He that is of the earth, speaks of the earth: as it is a sign of godliness to be still speaking of heaven, to have the tongue tuned to the language of Canaan. (Ecclesiastes 10:12.) The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious. He speaks as if he had been already in heaven. So a sign of a man given to covetousness, he is speaking of secular things, his wares and drugs. A covetous man's breath, like a dying man's, smells strong of the earth. As they said to Peter, Your speech betrays you (Matthew 26:73). So a covetous man's speech betrays him. He is like the fish in the Gospel, which had a piece of money in the mouth (Matthew 17:27). Verba sunt Speculum mentis. Bern. The words are the looking-glass of the heart, they show what is within. Ex abundantia cordis.
4. A man is given to covetousness, when he does so set his heart upon worldly things, that for the love of them he will part with heavenly. For the wedge of gold he will part with the pearl of price. The young man in the Gospel, when Christ said, Sell all, and come and follow me; [reconstructed: Abiit tristis], He went away sorrowful (Matthew 19:22). He would rather part with Christ, than with his earthly possessions. Cardinal Burbon said, He would forgo his part in Paradise, if he might keep his Cardinalship in Paris. When it comes to a critical point, that men must either relinquish their estate or Christ, and they will rather part with Christ and a good conscience, than with their estate, it is a clear case they are possessed with the devil of covetousness.
5. A man is given to covetousness, when he overloads himself with worldly business. He has many irons in the fire; he is in this sense a pluralist, he takes so much business upon him, that he cannot find time to serve God; he has scarce time to eat his meat, but no time to pray. When a man does overcharge himself with the world, and as Martha, cumber himself about many things, that he cannot have time for his soul, sure he is under the power of covetousness.
6. He is given to covetousness, whose heart is so set upon the world, that to get it he cares not what unlawful indirect means he uses; he will have the world per fas & nefas: he will wrong and defraud, and raise his estate upon the ruins of another. (Hosea 12:7-8.) The balances of deceit are in his hand, he loves to oppress. And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich. Pope Sylvester the Second did sell his soul to the Devil for a Popedom.
Use. Take heed and beware of covetousness (Luke 12:15). It is a direct breach of this Tenth Commandment. Covetousness is a moral vice, it infects and pollutes the whole soul. The sin,
(1.) It is a subtle sin, a sin that many do not so well discern in themselves: As some have the scurvy, yet do not know it. This sin can dress itself in the attire of virtue. It is called the cloak of covetousness (1 Thessalonians 2:5). Covetousness is a sin that wears a cloak; it cloaks itself under the name of frugality and good husbandry. It has many pleas and excuses for itself, more than any other sin, as the providing for one's family. The more subtle the sin is, the less discernible.
(2) Covetousness is a dangerous sin; it checks all that is good. It is an enemy to grace; it damps good affections, as the earth puts out the fire. The hedgehog in the fable came to the cony-burrows in stormy weather, and desired harbor; but when once he had gotten entertainment, he set up his prickles, and did never leave till he had thrust the poor conies out of their burrows. So covetousness by fair pretenses wins itself into the heart, but as soon as you have let it in, it will never leave till it has choked all good beginnings, and thrust all religion out of your hearts. Covetousness hinders the efficacy of the word preached. In the parable the thorns (which Christ expounded to be the cares of this life) choked the good seed (Matthew 13:7). Many sermons lie dead, buried in earthly hearts. We preach to men to get their hearts in heaven; but where covetousness is predominant, it chains them to the earth, and makes them like the woman which Satan had bowed together, that she could not lift up herself (Luke 13:11). You may as well bid an elephant fly in the air, as a covetous man live by faith. We preach to men to give freely to Christ's poor; but covetousness makes them to be like him in the gospel, who had a withered hand (Mark 3:1). They have a withered hand, and cannot stretch it out to the poor. It is impossible to be earthly-minded and charitable-minded. Thus covetousness obstructs the efficacy of the word, and makes it prove abortive. Such whose hearts are rooted in the earth will be so far from profiting by the word, that they will be ready rather to deride it (Luke 16:14). The Pharisees who were covetous derided him.
(3.) Covetousness is a mother-sin, a radical vice (1 Timothy 6:10). The love of money is the root of all evil. — Quid non mortalia pectora cogit Auri sacra fames — Hor. He who has this spiritual itch, a greedy desire of getting the world, has in him the root of all sin. Covetousness is a mother-sin. I shall make it appear that covetousness is a breach of all the Ten Commandments.
1. It breaks the First Commandment, You shalt have no other Gods but one. The covetous man has more gods than one; Mammon is his God. He has a god of gold, therefore he is called an idolater (Colossians 3:5).
2. Covetousness breaks the Second Commandment: You shalt not make any graven image, you shalt not bow down thyself to them. A covetous man bows down, though not to the graven image in the church, yet to the graven image in his coin.
3. Covetousness is a breach of the Third Commandment, You shalt not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain. Absalom's design was to get his father's crown — there was covetousness; but he talks of paying his vow to God, there he took God's name in vain.
4. Covetousness is a breach of the Fourth Commandment, Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. A covetous man does not keep the Sabbath holy: he will ride to fairs on a Sabbath. Instead of reading in the Bible, he will cast up his accounts.
5. Covetousness is a breach of the Fifth Commandment, Honor your father and your mother. A covetous person will not honor his father, if he does not feed him with money; in fact, he will get his father to make over his estate to him in his lifetime, and so the father shall be at the son's command.
6. Covetousness is a breach of the Sixth Commandment, You shalt not kill. Covetous Ahab killed Naboth to get his vineyard (1 Kings 21:13). How many have swum to the crown in blood!
7. Covetousness is a breach of the Seventh Commandment, You shalt not commit adultery. Covetousness causes uncleanness. You read of the hire of a whore (Deuteronomy 23:18). An adulteress for money sets both conscience and chastity to sale.
8. Covetousness is a breach of the Eighth Commandment, You shalt not steal. Covetousness is the root of theft. Covetous Achan stole the wedge of gold. Therefore thieves and the covetous are put together (1 Corinthians 6:10).
9. Covetousness is a breach of the Ninth Commandment, You shalt not bear false witness. What makes the perjurer take a false oath, but covetousness? He hopes for a dividend. And,
10. It is plainly a breach of the Last Commandment, You shalt not covet. The mammonist covets his neighbor's house and goods, and endeavors to get them into his own hands. Thus you see how vile a sin covetousness is: it is a mother-sin, it is a plain breach of every one of the Ten Commandments.
(4.) Covetousness is a sin dishonorable to religion. For such as say their hopes are above, yet their hearts are below. For them who profess to be above the stars, to lick the dust of the serpent: to be born of God, yet buried in the earth — how dishonorable is this to religion! The lapwing wears a little coronet on its head, yet feeds on dung. An emblem of such as profess to be crowned kings and priests to God, yet feed immoderately on these earthly dunghill comforts. And seeks you great things for yourself, seek them not (Jeremiah 45:5). What, you Baruch, who are ennobled by your new birth, and are illustrious by your office, a Levite, do you seek earthly things? And seek them now? When the ship is sinking, are you trimming your cabin? O do not so degrade yourself, nor blot your escutcheon! Seek you great things? Seek them not. The higher grace is, the less earthly should Christians be: the higher the sun is, the shorter always is the shadow.
1. Covetousness exposes us to God's abhorrence (Psalm 10:3). The covetous whom the Lord abhors. A king abhors to see his statue abused. God abhors to see a man made in his image should have the heart of a beast given to him. Who would live in such a sin as makes him abhorred of God? Whom God abhors he curses, and God's curse blasts wherever it comes.
2. Covetousness precipitates men to ruin: it shuts them out of heaven. (Ephesians 5:5) This you know, that no covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. What should a covetous man do in heaven? God can no more converse with them, than a king can converse with a swine. (1 Timothy 6:9) They that will be rich fall into a snare, and many hurtful lusts, which drown men in perdition. A covetous man is like a bee that gets into a barrel of honey, and there drowns itself. He is like a ferry-man that takes in so many passengers to increase his fare, that he sinks his boat. So a covetous man takes in more gold to the increasing of his estate, that he damns himself in perdition. I have read of some inhabitants near Athens, who lived in a very dry barren island, and they took much pains to draw a river to this island to water it, and make it fruitful; but when they had opened the passages, and brought the river to it, the water broke in with such a force, that it drowned the land, and all the people in it. An emblem of a covetous man; he labors to draw riches to him, and at last they come in in such abundance, that they drown him in hell and perdition. How many, to build up an estate, pull down their souls. Oh therefore fly from covetousness. I shall next prescribe some remedies against covetousness.
