sin? Is not pride and haughtiness a sin? Is not unrighteous dealing between man and man a sin? Is not theft and robbery a sin? Is not treason and rebellion a sin? Are not all these sins, and great ones too? But whence spring these poisonous fruits into the lives of men, but from the bitter roots of covetousness in their hearts? It is the love of money that makes these sins to rise amongst us: it is this that makes men forswear themselves, and cozen others; it is this that ofttimes makes fathers ruin their children, and children to long for the death of their fathers; it is this that makes neighbours go to law, and brethren themselves to be at variance; it is this that makes men strive to overreach each other, and to blind the eyes of those they deal with; it is this that hath caused some to murder others, and others to destroy themselves. What shall I say more? There is no impiety that can be committed against God, nor injury that can be offered unto men, but the love of money hath been the cause of it in others, and will be so in us, unless it be timely prevented; and therefore it may well be termed the root of all the evil of sin.

And it being the root from whence all the evil of sin springs, it must needs be the root of all the evil of punishment and misery too; misery and punishment being the necessary consequent of sin. Indeed, this sin carries its misery along with it; as Seneca himself saw by the mere light of nature, saying, "No avarice is without punishment, though it be itself punishment enough." For what a torment is it for a man to be always thirsty, and never able to quench his thirst? Yet this is the misery of every

covetous man, whose thirst after money can never be satisfied, and who is so desirous of having more, that he can never enjoy with comfort what he hath, loving money so well, that he grudgeth himself the use of it. Hence the aforesaid author observed, that "The covetous man is good to none, but worst to himself." And as this is the natural consequent of this sin in itself, so it is the ordinary punishment that God inflicts upon men for it; not suffering them to take any pleasure in the use of what they love. And besides that, what cares and fears, what labours and travels, what dangers and hazards, doth the love of money put men upon ! How do they rack their brains, and break their rest, to get it! and, when it is gotten, what fears are they always in, lest they should lose it again! What grief and trouble do the poor wretches undergo for every petty loss that befalls them! So that every covetous man is not only miserable, but therefore miserable because co

vetous.

But if their misery be so great in this life, how great will it be in that to come? Concerning which there are two things to be observed: First, that the very having of riches makes it very difficult to get to heaven, Matt. xix. 23, 24, 25. Hence Agur was afraid of them.

ever read of any of the patriarchs,

Luke xvi. 19, 22. Neither do we prophets, or the

saints recorded in Scripture, to have been guilty of this sin, unless Baruch, who was reproved for it.

And as the having of money makes it difficult to get to heaven, so the loving of it makes it impossible to keep out of hell. For so long as man is covetous, temptation, ready to catch at

he is liable to every

every bait that the devil throws before him; so that he is led by him as he pleaseth, till at length he be utterly destroyed. "But they that will be rich fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition." And therefore the same apostle elsewhere tells us, that the covetous have no inheritance in the kingdom of God, but the wrath of God will most certainly fall upon them. But the wrath of God is the greatest evil of punishment that is possible for men to bear: indeed it is that which once

being incensed makes hell fire. And yet we see that the heat of our love to money will enkindle the flames of God's wrath against us; yea, and such flames too as will never be quenched. And so for the little seeming transient pleasure they take in getting, or keeping money now, they must live in misery and contempt, in shame and torment for ever

more.

Thus now we see that love of money will not only put us upon the evil of sin, but it will also bring the evil of punishment upon us, both which the apostle imputes to this sin. And therefore he both well may, and must be understood of both these sorts of evil, when he saith, that "the love of money is the root of all evil;" which the premises considered, I hope none can deny; and need I then heap up more arguments to dissuade men from this sin, and to prevail with them to leave doting upon the world, and loving of money? Is not this one argument of itself sufficient? For is it possible for us to indulge ourselves in this sin, now that we know it is the root of all evil? and that if we still love money, there is no

and no misery Surely if this

sin so great but we may fall into it, so heavy but it may fall upon us? consideration will not prevail upon us to despise and contemn, rather than to love and desire this world, for my part I know not what can. Only this I know, that so long as men continue in this sin, all writing and preaching will be in vain to them; and so will their hearing be, their going to church, their reading the scriptures, their hearing them read and expounded to them; all this will signify nothing, this root of all evil is still within us, and will bring forth its bitter fruit do what we can. And therefore as we desire to profit by what we hear, as ever we desire to avoid any known sin whatsoever, to know what happiest means to escape either present torment, or eternal misery, as ever we desire to be real saints, and to manifest ourselves to be so, to go to heaven, and live with God and Christ for ever, let not our affections be entangled any longer in the briers and thorns of this lower world, let us beware of loving money. "If riches increase, let us not set our hearts upon them," but scorn and despise them hereafter, as much as ever heretofore we have desired or loved them.

But I cannot, I dare not but in charity believe and hope, that by this time my readers are something weaned from their doting upon the present world, and desire to know how they may for the future, get off their affections from it, so as to have this root of all evil extirpated, and quite plucked up from within them. I hope this is the desire of all, or at least of most of them; and therefore I shall now endeavour to show them how they may infallibly accomplish and effect it. In order thereto,

1. Let such persons often consider with themselves how unsuitably the things of this world are for their affections and love, which were designed only for the chiefest good. When God implanted 'the affection of love within us, he did not intend it should be the root of all evil, but of all good to us; and therefore he did not give it us, to place it fondly upon such low and mean objects as this world presents unto us, but that we should love himself with all our hearts and souls. And surely he infinitely deserves our love more than such trash can do.

2. Let them remember that so long as they love money, they may pretend what they please, they do not love God, 1 John ii. 15. nor Christ, Matt. x. 37. Luke xiv. 16. and by consequence they have no true religion at all in them, James i. 27.

3. Let them often read and study our Saviour's Sermon upon the Mount, where he pronounces the meek and low, not the rich and mighty, to be blessed, and weigh those strong and undeniable arguments which he brings to prevail upon us not to take thought for the world, nor trouble our heads about the impertinent concerns of this transient life.

4. Let them labour to confirm and strengthen their trust and confidence on the promises of God, who hath assured us, that if we love and fear him, he will take care of us, and provide all things necessary for us, Matt. v. 33. This is the great arguHeb. xiii. 5, 6.

ment which the apostle uses, 5. Let them remember that they are called to higher things than this world is able to afford them: the Christian is a high and heavenly calling; we are called by it, and invited to a kingdom and eternal