THE REFORMAtion of Couetousnesse Written vpon the 6. Chapter of Mathew from the 19. verse to the ende of the said Chapter By William Perkins Imprinted at London for Nicholas Ling and Iohn Newbery 1603. In memoriam Perkinsi Is Perkins gone that whilome was a Lamp A Cantabrigian Phôspher shining farre Gon gon indeed And yet his deeds remain As monuments of such a writers worth Hei-papist snarle cōtend his works to dim Thou bites blots thy wretched selfe not him He. Clapham To the Christian Reader IT shall not greatly neede well disposed Reader to commend to thy kinde allowance this godly learned and necessary Treatise of the reformation of that sin which of our ancient Philosophers and Diuines hath bin condemned for the originall and roote of all euils since the Author therof now dead while hee liued receiued a true approbatiō of his faithfull labors from the most iudiciall graue and learned censures of our time The neuer-wearied vertues of his inward soule still laboring like the Sunne to illuminate and enlighten the darkenesse of our vnderstandings amongst other of his industrious studies haue left this token to the world that his whole care and endeuour was alwaies bent to the begetting of a generall profit How necessary the publishing of such a subiect is in respect of the Idolatrous worshipping of the wicked Mammon I referre me to the truly zealous soule-labouring Ministers in the Lords vineard whose voices like brazen trompets cōtinually sounding in the obdurate and stif-necked worldlings worke little or no motion at all in them either for compassion of their poore distressed brethren or saluation of their owne soules My request therefore is that thou wouldst reache thy gentle hand of acceptance to the New-yeares gift of a dead man who by a vertuous and godly life hath chased obliuion from his graue and now suruiueth in the hearts and tongues of all godly Christians Fare ye well THE REFORmation of Couetousnesse Math. 6. 19 20. 19. Lay not vp treasures for your selues vpon the earth where the moath and canker corrupt and where theeues digge through and steale 20. But lay vp treasures for your selues in heauen where neither the moath nor canker corrupteth and where theeues neither break through nor steale HEre beginneth the fift part of Christs Sermon containing a seuerall distinct doctrine from the rest From this 19. verse to the 25. is contained a discourse touching the reforme of couetousnesse that is the disordered and inordinate care of earthly things The ground of which discourse lyeth in this 19. and 20. verses In them Christ layeth downe a double commaundement 1 First what wee must not doo with a reason of the same 2 Secondly what we must do with a reason thereof The things forbidden are the practises of couetousnesse of which that wee may speake in order first let vs see the sense and meaning of the words There bee two things contained in them Lay not vp hoord heape The greeke woord signifieth more then the translation expresseth and namely two things first to gather together secondly to store vp things gathered together against the time to come That it hath these two significations see Romaines 2. verse 5. Treasures aboundance of worldly wealth and excellent things of great price as Golde Siluer Plate Iewelles Rings precious stones c. Vpon the earth Here he noteth not so much the place of treasure as the kind of treasure earthly For your selues for your owne priuate gaine and commoditie all respects of the good eyther of the Church or Common-wealth set aside Now that we may see what is forbidden we must first see what he forbad not First he forbids not here labour in our calling wherby we prouide things necessarie for vs and ours for that were against himselfe Gen. 3. 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eate bread Secondly he forbids not the possession of goods and riches for they are the blessings of God Iob. Thirdly he doth not forbid the gathering or keeping of treasure for the word of God alloweth of some treasure as 2. Cor. 12. 14. for the child and for the Church And Ioseph is commended for hoording vp corne in the seuen yeares of plentie against the seuen yeares of dearth Gen. 41. 48. Yea in the Temple there was a treasure by the appointment of God made maintained and continued from time to time Therfore hee dooth not simply condemne the gathering of riches or the laying vp of them What forbids he then Sundry practises of couetousnesse implyed in the 19. verse The first practise is excesse in seeking worldly wealth whē men know keepe no meane moderation or measure And that we may see the daunger of this vice I will answere this question How farre a man may seeke and prouide for worldely wealth In answere wherof I lay this ground for a foundatiō that is mens goods must be distinguished into three sorts viz. necessaria abundātia superflua that is necessarie abundance and superfluous Necessarie goods are twofolde some are necessary to the nature and some are necessarie to the person and condition of man Those which are necessary to nature are such as without which neither a man himselfe nor his family can liue as meate drinke cloath and lodging Those which are necessarie to the person that is to any mans state condition calling or kinde of life are such as the Artificers Instruments the Trades-mans tooles and the Students bookes Now here ariseth a question or two by the way What goods and how much is necessarie for the person For answere wherof the opinion and iudgement of the couetous must be no rule because his heart is a sea vnsatiable or that cannot be filled What then must bee the rule thereof There is no certaine rule therefore the iudgement of the wise learned godly and Christian frugall men must be the rule to iudge what is necessarie and whatsoeuer is in their iudgement necessarie must be so accounted Further things necessarie must not bee iudged onely by the present vse but also by the vse in time to come As for example A Trades-man groweth in yeares and hath nothing to liue on besides his Trade his hands and sight faile him therefore hee prouides something to maintaine him in his olde age and layeth it vp for a certaine and necessarie vse in time to come vntill his death Again a man that hath children the time will come when he must giue them their portions and therefore he may prouide for thē against they come to age and hee sinneth not but doth well because it serueth for a certaine vse in time to come Thus farre of the first sort that is of necessarie goods Now of the next The second kinde is aboundance that is plentie of worldly riches wherewith a man is so stored that hee hath both for a necessitie and also for an holy delight and hearts-ease The third are superfluous These are such whereof a man hath neither present vse nor any
certain vse in time to come Now I answere to the first question viz. How farre a man may seek prouide for worldly wealth I say that things necessary for nature for a mans person place may be sought for and laide vp But here is a barre put in by God himselfe we may goe no further we may not seeke for aboundance or superfluitie The reason hereof is alledged in the 30. Chapter of the Prouerbes the 8. and 9. verses where it is said Giue mee not pouertie nor riches feede mee with foode conuement for mee least I bee full and denye thee and saye who is the Lorde c. That which wee must aske of God that we may seeke for and no more But wee haue no warrant to aske at Gods handes aboundance or superfluitie Therefore wee may not seeke for them Againe if wee haue meate and drinke we must therewith be content 1. Tim. 6. 8. Ob. If wee must pray for nothing or labour for nothing more then is necessarie then what shall we doo if God giue aboundance Resp. Wee must not seeke aboundance But if God cast it vpon vs without seeking wee must thankefully receiue it lay it vp and vse it for the good of the Church and Commō-wealth and for the good of our owne families If this bee so that wee must seeke for nothing but necessaries then wee must learne contentednesse therewith which that we may doo weigh these reasons following First it is Gods commaundement that we should be content with things necessary and seeke no further therefore wee must be obedient and content Secondly a man that is too greedie to lay vp much can hardly keep a good conscience but must needs vse some vniust meanes Thirdly such are subiect to the diuels snare 1. Tim. 6. 9. Fourthly in persecution and times of triall the richest will hardly confesse Christ hold out but will be the more easily drawne from Christ and the confession of the truth because their mindes are glewed to the things of this world Heerevnto may bee added the examples of many Saints who haue bene contented with little that they might serue God the better And also Christes admonition How hard it is for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen Thus much of the first practise of couetousnesse which is excessiue seeking of goods without al measure The second practise is when worldly goods are sought onely and principally which practise Christ meets withal when he saith First seeke the kingdome of God This was Esaus sinne and the sinne of the Gadarens Math. 8. who preferred worldly goods before spirituall treasure And this may be called vnreasonable disorder preposterousnesse worldlinesse c. The third practise is to put our trust and confidence in riches laid vp and to make them our God and rather to forsake God then them 1. Tim. 6. Psal. 62. The fourth practise is when a man layeth vp for himselfe onely and not for the Church nor Common-wealth but sibi soli this man may bee called churle niggard c. All these practises of couetousnes Christ condemneth Thus much concerning that which is forbidden Now followeth the reason VVhere moth rust and thiefe c. The reason standeth thus That which is subiect to vanitie to casualtie and corruption must not bee our treasure But earthly goods gold siluer riches cloathes c. are subiect to such things Therefore they must not bee our treasure The Greeke word Sès is a moath or worme that wasteth and consumeth the best garments may be taken here for any worme that doth destroy and consume any creature Brôsis a canker This translation is too strict for it signifieth any thing that wasteth any creature whatsoeuer Heere then is set downe the vanitie of the creatures which vanitie stands in two points First in the corruption Secondly in the abuse of the creature Touching the corruption it teacheth vs that gold and siluer yea that al riches haue some diseases to waste them or some canker to rust and consume them Touching the abuse of the creature it stands in this that it is subiect to the iniurie and ill vsage of men as riches are whē they are hoorded vp and serue for no vse From whence comes this vanitie From mans sinne Rom. 8. 20. which when wee consider it puts vs in minde of our sinnes howe loathsome they are that they are causes of vanitie to the creatures both by corruption and abuse Christ seeing men bent and disposed to treasure vp wealth in abundance calles them back to an other kinde of treasure better then that as much as heauen is better then earth and an heauenly life better thē a little money or mucke And therefore hee saith Lay not vp treasure in earth That is let not all your heart and minde be set vpon this I can tell you a little better treasure Here I might take occasiō to inueigh against mens ill dispositions and affections who will not follow this good counsell but still preferre earth before heauen for all this admonition Euery man by nature is greedie to gather goods and desirous to be rich but fewe care to be rich in God What profit did the rich men receiue by all their treasure Luk. 16. and 12. Had it not bene a great deale better if they had possessed lesse so they had enioyed this But let vs come to the 20. verse 20. But lay vp treasures for your selues in heauen c. Ob. This is a straunge instruction and precept to lay vp treasure in heauen Why How should we come there Resp. Indeed Christ saith it is hard for rich men to come there and yet they haue meanes to make it easie if they will How shall wee lay vp therefore Thus. Lay out here and lock it not vp and so you shall lay vp treasure in heauen 1. Tim. 6. Otherwise if you lay vp here and imprison the coyne that it cannot be currant you lay vp a treasure in hell Rom. 2. For by your hardnesse of heart what doo you else but treasure vp wrath against the latter day So that this place seemeth to be a speciall motiue to charitie and liberalitie but yet it is not to be restrained to that as if it pertained onely to rich men Then how shall the poore lay vp treasure in heauen who want it in earth Very well for they must make God their treasure and Christ and his word and so all their treasure is spirituall and heauenly And this Dauid made more account of then any treasure whatsoeuer Ps. 119. 72. 127. And say with him Psal. 57. Thou art my portion ô Lord. Rich men vse at euery yeares end to cast vp theyr accounts to see how their store and treasure encreaseth and it is not amisse But it were better if they would take a time for this account and see how this encreaseth The rich man in the Gospell had gold inough siluer corn great store euen by his owne confession and yet he
was but a foole that a miserable foole because he sought not this Say that a man could get all the world into his hands though it be not possible I pray you what would it profit him if hee loose his soule for his labour What madnesse is it then to heape vp treasure in earth and not to regard the true treasure in heauen But lay vp treasures in heauen c. In this last part of this chapter Christ goeth about to reforme his hearers in regard of the practise of couetousnesse and begins at the 19. verse teaching thē first what to eschew not forbidding them to haue riches but forbidding to seeke and get them and to gather them without measure moderation and with excesse Secondly when they seeke them onely and principally Thirdly when they make them their felicitie Fourthly when they gather riches for themselues without respect of the commō good eyther of the Church or of the Common-wealth These foure abuses are here forbidden Now because it is mans nature to seeke treasure and men cannot be broken from it but they wil haue a treasure Christ addes this commaundement in which he teacheth his seruants in all ages what to doo in this case But lay vp treasures in heauen c. These words containe a commandement informing vs in our dutie and a reason of the same Lay vp c. As if he shuld haue said seeing your naturall disposition is such that you wil and must neeeds haue a treasure I will shewe you what you shall do if you will be ruled by mine aduise and followe my counsell you shall lay vp treasure in heauen because there neither moath nor canker can come to corrupt Quest. Touching the commaundement it may bee demaunded why Christ gaue it to his Disciples seeing it is not in the power of any creature to do this no more then to saue himselfe but the beginning progresse and end of saluation is from God Therefore why doth hee propound the commandement in this forme and tenure Answer It is an vsuall thing in the scriptures to ascribe and attribute the worke and effect of the principall cause to the Instrument whereby a thing is effected Thus in the last verse of Obadiah Preachers are expresly called Sauiours So 1. Tim. 4. 16. Paul saith In doing this thou shalt both saue thy selfe and them that heare thee Yet saluatiō is the proper worke of God alone but because Preachers are Gods Instruments for the saluation of his people therfore they are called sauiours So here to gather and lay vp treasure in heauen it is the worke of God alone it is not in the power of any mā nay as much as in vs lieth we treasure vp nothing but wrath Rom. 2. And yet because we are instruments of it it pleaseth God to ascribe his owne worke to vs who are but instruments that by his grace Now they to whom the cōmandement is giuen must bee conceiued as mēbers of Christ and instruments of God That we may the better conceiue of this commandement and practise it two points must be considered First what this treasure is Secondly how euery one may lay it vp for himselfe Of these in order with reuerence for they are points of great waight and moment The very maine point of our saluation standeth in the practise of these Consider what is erroniously counted to be this treasure and then search the word to finde out the truth The Papists haue long abused the world with shewing the false treasure for they make it a commō chest in which is gathered and stored all the ouerplus of Christes merits and of the Saints merits of all ages And this chest is in the Popes custodie and hee onely hath the ordering disposing opening and shutting giuing out of indulgences pardons when where and to whom hee listeth and by this treasure he vpholdeth and maintaineth his kingdome hereby comes his riches and reuenewes But this treasure is not good and currant for it hath two defects First they make Christ his merits to be vnsufficient For if his passion must haue an addition and supply from men it is a poore treasure Secondly they make the merits of Saints deceased to bee our merits and that is not possible for if men could merit yet it should but be for themselues alone All men are but priuate men in regard of saluation and so their merits if they were any should be proper and personall Thus you see their treasure is defectiue in a double respect and therefore to let it passe we are to renounce it and leaue it to them Now let vs with reuerence come to cōsider what is indeed the true treasure here ment and mentioned It is the true God to speake in fewe words one God in three persons Creator of all things in whom all the treasures of happinesse are to be found Gen. 17. 1. I am God all sufficient And Gen. 25. Thy exceeding great reward And Psal. 16. A large beautifull portion And this is as much as if hee had said The Lord is my treasure I will not stand long vpon this for men by light of nature haue seene and said this And S. Paul saith God is all in all to the elect Cor. But marke how he must bee considered that he may be our treasure To this ende wee must conceiue of God as hee hath reuealed himselfe to vs in Christ for God in Christ made manifest is our treasure and not otherwise without Christ. This the Gentiles neuer knew Col. 2. 3. In him is the treasure of all wisedome and knowledge There he is made the Churches treasure And Coloss. 3. Our felicitie and life eternall is hidde with God in Christ. There hee is made the treasure fountaine and store-house of our eternall happinesse Iohn 1. Iohn Baptist saith Of his fulnesse wee receiue grace for grace Hee makes Christ that treasure whence wee receiue that grace which wee haue And 2. Corinthians 1. 31. Christ is our treasure whence we receiue our righteousnesse wisedome sanctification aud redemption Therefore it remaineth that GOD reuealing himselfe in Christ or God incarnate or Christ God and man is the treasure of the Church Now that hee may bee our treasure we must cōsider him as hee is reuealed and set forth vnto vs in his word and Sacraments for so is he a treasure and no otherwise Therfore Christ crucified dying and rising againe is our treasure Our treasure lyeth all in his suffering death and bloud-shed and for this cause we must so conceiue of him as crucified for our sinnes Quest. Why is Christ called our treasure Hee is the fountaine of all true blessednesse that is conueyed from God to man and from him doth proceed all our felicitie happinesse whatsoeuer Wouldest thou haue remissiō of sinnes life eternall Wouldest thou haue any temporall blessings or comfort by them or comfort in distresse Thou must haue it from Christ crucified The good things that come vnto vs if
they come not as frō Christ they are no blessings vnto vs. If he then be the fountain of all true happinesse he is the true treasure Besides or without him there is none In a word then remember this that the treasure here spoken of is God reuealing himself vnto vs in Christ by whom he conueyeth all good things to vs. And this is that which Christ aymeth at in this place Now hauing found what the true treasure is let vs see how euery one of vs may lay it vp for our selues as we are here commaunded And that wee may so doo some particular things are to be performed insinuated in Math. 13. 44. you may reade them there where the kingdome of God is compared to a treasure hidde in the fielde c. Concerning which fiue things are to be noted First finding it Secondly the price or value of it Thirdly getting it Fourthly keeping it Fiftly vsing it The first of these is necessarie for vntill it be found wee can neither value it get it keepe it nor vse it Therefore this is first to bee done of vs. Wee must finde it before we can haue it and enioy it It is called a hidden treasure because the naturall man cannot discerne it and the finding of it is when God reueales it to men and makes them feele that themselues stand in neede of it This is the right finding of it when God makes a man in his conscience to feele the want of it then he begins to seeke that which hee neuer sawe before Not euerie reuealing of the treasure is a finding of it for God inlightens men two wayes First generally whereby a man reading the word is able to vnderstand the meaning of it and to conceiue the generall sense But besides this there is a second kinde when God makes a man to discerne the worde in his owne soule and conscence that is a speciall and distinct kinde of illumination and it appertaineth vnto fewe to bee able to discerne the power of the word in our owne consciences But when this is once wrought in vs then doth a man find this treasure The outward senses cannot discerne it for it is hidden And then it is found onely when men feele the want of it This is a great blessing of God and not common to all nor to many for our eyes are dazeled with the pompes pleasures and vanities of the world Nay they that are learned are blinded with humane wisedome Not euery one that can preach hath foūd out this treasure Men may haue great gifts and yet want this and faile in finding it till they feele themselues to stand in neede of Christs righteousnesse God hath hidden this from the wise and great ones often and reuealed it to the simple Before we proceed any further let vs descend into our owne hearts and trie whether wee haue yet found this treasure for we may perswade our selues amisse as the Iewes who haue a vaile before their eyes these many yeares If we finde that we acknowledge Christ to be the principall treasure and that wee want him then wee finde him But if our eyes be not opened yet let vs labour for it for otherwise we can neuer get it or haue vse of it if we neuer finde it And the cause why there is so litle ioy in the word and so little comfort and sweetnesse in the doctrine of the Gospell is because wee neuer yet found the treasure which it speaketh of hath hiddē in it The second action to bee performed is when our hearts and eies are enlightned so that wee haue founde it then to estimate and prise it for then it begins to be a treasure to vs whē we prise it as the man doth Matt. 13. 44. who valued it at more then all his goods Nay if a man had a whole world of wealth all were nothing in comparison of this this is more worth then all the world or all things in the world Philip. 3. Paul valued it at such a price that he counted all things losse and dung and no better in regard of Christ marke what a high price hee sets it at all his good workes were nothing to it This second thing is necessarie for all thē that would lay vp treasure in heauen Therefore let vs haue a care of this dutie and learne to value Christ aboue all things whatsoeuer how excellent soeuer they be Wee haue well profited in the Schoole of Christ and begin to make good proceedings when wee can prise this treasure at a due and true rate To proceede The Scripture doth reueale this treasure therfore as this treasure must be valued aboue all so this word which reueales it must be preferred aboue all things as Dauid did Psal. 119. It is better to him then much riches yea the finest gold of Ophyr or India was not comparable vnto it And Christ saith His fruits are better then fine gold Therefore this must be valued aboue all writings for it sheweth more then any other can do It were to be wished therefore that it had his due estimation and value amongst vs. Many make but one truth and it is all one with them whether it bee out of mens writings or Gods word But they are farre deceiued for the word of God alone is the truth according to godlinesse which doth discouer the heauenly treasure and it is to bee honoured aboue all writings though it be brought in earthen vessels If wee had learned to value this treasure the word which reuealeth it wee should profit more for knowledge and obedience then we do we would reuerence it more and reioyce in it more then we doo c. When we haue found it and valued it we must seeke to get it and make it our owne for so it is in that parable We must vse all meanes to purchase it to our selues for so the commandement is here Lay vp treasures for your selues That wee may get it to our selues we must vse such means as God hath appointed for this end and they are these First we must heare the word with all care diligence and reuerence and mixe it with faith Secondly wee must receiue the Sacraments with due preparation and reuerence Thirdly wee must pray earnestly and cōstantly with faith and amongst all other meanes this especially must be vsed by vs. The reasons hereof are these The Word and Sacraments are Gods hand wherewith he giues this treasure vnto vs. And our faith shewing it selfe in our prayers is a hand whereby we receiue it God in his word doth offer it with his hand and wee by faith earnestly asking it do receiue it By faith wee make Christs right to be ours also his obedience merits therefore vse all these good meanes First of hearing the word Secondly of receiuing the Sacraments Thirdly of prayer in faith And bee constant in these duties and thou shalt haue this treasure as thine owne for faith is the only meanes whereby we attaine
it After that we haue some testimony in our coÌ„sciences that we haue gotten it wee must labour to assure our selues of it How must we doo this For this purpose read 1. Tim. 6. Charge the rich that they bee not high minded c. Marke there how by liberalitie and bountie we are exhorted to lay a good foundation What must wee bee saued by our almes-deedes No this foundatioÌ„ is not laid in heauen for that is our electioÌ„ which God laieth vp there But our foundation is our conscience that is by good works by which as by fruites meÌ„ may assure themselues that eternall life appertaineth vnto them Workes of mercie done with simplicitie singlenes of heart are markes of the children of God signes of true faith and of the true treasure For this cause Paul would haue rich men to lay vp a foundation in their consciences Lastly wee must vse it as a treasure when wee haue done the foure things before mentioned then come to this To this ende diuers duties are required at our hands to be performed of vs. First we must haue our conuersation in heauen If Christ be our treasure then our affection ioy comfort our heart minde and all the whole man liuing on earth must be in heauen If Christ bee thy treasure and his bloud and passion then all thy hart hope ioy and comfort is there Therfore we must send vp our hearts to heauen otherwise he is not our treasure If wee will vse him as our treasure let all our care and ioy bee in and for heauen Secondly wee must turne earthly goods into heauenly treasure How why hee that giueth to the poore lendeth vnto the Lord The Lord becomes a debter to him and boroweth of him for the poore The poore is but the Lordes bayliffe and messenger whom he sends to the rich and hee returnes a rewarde of heauenly treasure for it Marke there how by giuing almes to the Lordes poore we turn earthly blessings into heauenly Luke 12. 43. expressing these words saith Sell all that you haue and giue to the poore make your selues purses which shall last for euer When men do so theÌ„ they turne their temporall goods into heauenly treasure and so men that haue this worlds goods may by the blessing of God make great encrease of them Thirdly we must part with all for this the best thing in the world must not bee too deare though it bee our owne bloud and our life we must part with them rather then with thâ—â— And when wee are thus minded then wee carrie our selues to Christ esteeming him as our treasure When wee esteeme any thing aboue him or preferre ought before him he is not our treasure Thus you see fiue duties all necessary to be performed that we may keepe this commaundement And when by Gods grace wee are enabled to doo these then we shall obey and practise this commaundement Therefore lette vs remember them and bee carefull to performe them so long as wee liue And marke what will follow If wee can finde it and value it c. we will bee content to endure whatsoeuer Gods hand shall lay vpon vs in body or soule and neuer bee dismayed nor discouraged with any thing that befalles vs. Nothing can daunt or discourage a mans heart that hath this treasure but they shall vanish all in time Further it will make that we shall neuer feare death nor iudgement all paines will bee nothing great comfort ease and contentation shal be to vs so long as wee liue if wee can doo thus Now a word or two of the reason Where neither moath c. The reason is drawne from the certaintie and vnchangeablenesse of the treasure Earthly riches are subiect to wormes and cankers and if no canker can come to corrupt them yet the thiefe will haue them But there is no canker moath nor thiefe that can hurt Christ and his merits Ob. Why the highest heauens the place of happinesse should bee free from that vanitie and corruption which the lower heauens and all other creatures be subiect vnto All that we see ouer our heads is subiect to vanitie euen the starres Answer To man by right of creation belongeth the earth and the heauens and they were all mans by creation euen the highest heauens to the very firmament by creation all were mans They were made for him and he was Lord of all They were his pallace all sauing Gods throne And when he fell he was punished in all these creatures but not in the highest heauen because the right vnto it is not by nature but aboue nature and is ours by right of redemption and not by right of creation Secondly by Christs death and passion they are made ours and not by nature but by grace onely and that after the fall Therefore the heauens and the starres and all creatures visible are subiect to vanitie and corruption And so much of the commaundement and the reason I beseech you remember it and learne it and put it in practise both in life and death 21. verse For where your treasure is there wil your hearts be also In the two verses next before going these words Christ gaue two commaundements First what we should not doo and the reason of it Secondly what we should do a reason therof The first a corruptione mutabilitate The second ab incorruptione immutabilitate Now he renders a common reason pertaining to both and serues to confirme both which is thus framed Where your treasure is there your hearts will bee But your heart must not be on earthly treasure but on heauenly Therefore lay not vp treasure in earth but in heauen Now touching the words and the meaning of them By treasure vnderstaÌ„d things excellent and precious in our estimation laid vp for time to come in which men place and put theyr principall ioy and comfort where your treasure is that is your speciall ioye and felicitie For so much the worde treasure imports By heart vnderstand the principall powers and actions of the soule as the thoughts and affections loue ioy feare c. yea the labour paines studie care and endeuour all these are to bee vnderstood by this word heart As if hee should haue said Thus your treasure and heart are things ioyned together and inseperable therefore where your treasure is there is also your care and studie For that which men iudge to bee their principall good and felicitie in seeking it they spend al their paines and time Now for our further edification let vs see what vses may be made of this reason First wee learne here how to iudge aright of our owne hearts Indeed it is a bottomelesse gulfe as Ieremy saith yet we may in some sort search it and iudge of it by this sentence For an earthly treasure and a carnall heart goe together And on the contrary part a heauenly treasure and a spirituall heart goe together These cannot be seuered Therefore looke vpon what you spend your
thoughts and cares and accordingly iudge of your selues If vpon earthly things your minde bee set and fixed then your heart is earthly and carnall it is most certaine Christ hath giuen the sentence If you pleade that it cannot bee because you heare the word receiue the Sacraments and pray c. all this is nothing if your minde and affection be in this world you deceiue your selues for where your heart is there your treasure is And contrary if our principall thoughts and affections be in heauen and our care be for that principally then our heart is he auenly and our treasure heauenly And thus we may iudge of our selues and search our hearts whether they be carnall or spirituall Secondly hereby we may all trie our selues without deceit plainly whether wee haue any portion in heauen or no for if our hearts be on the earth only or chiefly all our portiō is here and none in heauen The man whose portion is in heauen hath his heart and affections there Though you professe Christ though you heare the word pray receiue the Sacraments yet you may be deceiued Therefore looke to this for if thy heart be here thou hast yet no treasure laid vp in heauen Thirdly by this coupling of the hart and treasure we learne that wee must not regard this world tēporall life Nay we must despise it so farre forth as it may be done without hatred of a good blessing vnthankfulnesse to God For this life is a blessing of God giuen vs to prepare our selues for a better Therefore simply we are not to despise it but in respect of heauen And as we must not regard this life so our meditation must be of heauen and not of the earth for heauen cannot bee thy treasure except thy heart be there Therefore drawe thy delight from worldly things and weane it to heauen So much for this verse 22. The light of the body is the eye if then thine eye be single thy whole body shall bee light 23. But if thine eye bee wicked then all thy body shal be dark Wherfore if the light that is in thee be darknes how great is that darkenesse This part hath diuers expositions First I will touch one of the principall though I take it not to be the rightest and thē I will set downe that which I take to bee the best And thirdly I will shew how this depends on those things that go before which will then best appeare when the sense is made manifest By single eye some vnderstand a liberall minde And by a wicked eye an enuious and couetous minde and so they expound these words of enuie and couetousnesse And this exposition is to the purpose And the words of good and euill eye will beare this sense For Salomon puts the good eye for a liberal heart an euil eye for a couetous heart Prouerbes 22. Therefore this is a good sense but not the proper meaning of this place as I take it because the single eye and the light of the body are put for one and the selfe-same thing Now the light that is in vs is the vnderstanding iudgement Againe it is said here that the eye is the light of the body Now a liberall eye cannot bee the light of the body for all actions but for liberall actions only Therefore though it be true that the single eye is a liberall minde and the euill eye a couetous minde yet it is not proper to this place Wherfore we must search further The words be similies and there bee diuers similies in thē The comparison is borrowed from a candle which serues to lighten all that be in the house so the eye serues to light all the body and giue direction to all the actions If thine eye be single To the ende of the 23. verse there is a double Simily which goeth thus As a man that hath a good and cleare sight in his bodily eye can carrie his body any way right and keepe it without wandring and stumbling But if the bodily eye haue any default or defect if it be dimme and corrupt then a man cannot walke without falling or stumbling Nay further if a man haue an eye and it bee blinde hee cannot finde one steppe of his way In the same maner saith Christ if you haue a minde to iudge rightly all is well but if the iudgement bee corrupted there is much darknesse many wants and faults This is the plaine comparison here vsed To come to the words The light of the body is the eye These words are plaine If thine eye be single Here vnderstand the mind resembled by the bodily eye The single eye is the minde able to iudge of things to be done or not to be done good or bad The whole body shall be light That is the whole life For looke as the eye is to the body so is the minde to the life Bright That is the whole course of our life shall bee well ordered if God giue man a minde well disposed But if thine eye be wicked That is if the mind be corrupted the iudgement depraued the vnderstanding darkened so that a man cannot rightly discerne of things to bee done though there be some light remembrance All thy body shall bee darke That is thy life will be full of sinne and disorder For therein stands the darkenesse when the vnderstanding is dimmed and darkened there the life is out of order If the light that is in thee bee darknesse That is if the naturall light of reason vnderstanding and iudgement which is left after the fall and which God hath put into euery man How great is that darknesse That is then there is no difference betweene the life of a man and a beast when the light of naturall reason is put out so as there is no power of iudgement or discerning c. This I take to bee the truest and fittest exposition Now hauing found the meaning let vs come to consider how this depends on the words going before I take it they depend as an answere to an obiection for the two former commaundements are hard to flesh and bloud men cannot brooke them Therfore Christ before he leaues it cuts off all the cauils which might be made against it Quest. If treasure must bee laid vp in heauen why doo all the wisest men seeke earthly treasure so much Answer The effect of the answere is this wee need not to maruell at it for they want the gift of discerning theyr eye is blinde and they cannot discerne things that differ earthly and heauenly And so it comes to passe that they omit the seeking of heauenly treasure Here some things must bee supplied by the readers minde Euery mās eye is eyther a blinde corrupt or single eye 1. The single eye befalles not all but those only to whom it is giuen of God 2. The corrupt eye appertaines to all 3. And some by sin put out the light of nature and hence it is that
permit the fall but now the gifts and graces of God are without repentance and the man that is a beleeuer shall neuer bee mooued Psal. 15. Though the nature of grace bee such that it may bee lost yet God giues the second grace to the first and thereby it is made sure that it shall not bee moued or lost The gates of hell shall not preuaile against the Church By reason hereof vpon this and such like promises it is that faith is not lost and not by any vertue which it hath in it selfe or by it owne nature Let this bee the first aunswere Secondly as I said this light of nature cannot be quite put out but onely buried so faith may bee buried hidden and driuen into some corner but it cannot bee wholy put out where it is once truly kindled So much of the third eye In which the light of nature seemes to bee quite put out because it cannot discerne at al but takes euill for good and good for euill it seeth not so much as there is a God or that God is to bee worshipped Now to come to the verie scope of these words marke the ende of them why Christ vsed them It was to shewe that men could not discerne when they seeke for earthly riches before heauenly And the euill eye corrupt and blinde by nature is the cause why men cannot distinguish things that differ From the scope one profitable admonition must bee renued that is to labour to attaine the gift of discerning to put a differēce between earthly and heauenly things therefore let vs search the scripture that we may haue our eyes enlightned and so see the right way to eternall life For the want of this discerning is the cause of all disorder and particularly of this disorder in preferring temporall and earthly things before eternall and heauenly And by this you may walke with comfort and peace of conscience the way to life eternall Whereas without it you wander in darknesse all the dayes of your life 24. No man can serue two maisters for eyther he shall hate the one and loue the other or else hee shall leane to the one and despise the other ye cannot serue God and Mammon or riches We haue heard of two commaundements of Christ first negatiue in the 19. verse the second affirmatiue in the 20. verse and afterward an obiection answered in the 22. verse now hee remoues another impediment The former obiection was this If our treasure must bee laid vp in heauen and not heere on earth it is maruell that so many lay vp treasure heere and not in Heauen The answere hereof is They haue either a blinde eye or an euil eye and so want the gift of discerning Now in this verse he meetes with an other obiection which the carnall wisedome of man makes commonly and hath euer made against these commaundements and it is thus Why may wee not loue and serue God and serue Mammon too Some men flatter and perswade themselues that they may serue God yet set their hearts to seeke riches too And therefore they thinke that they may seeke earthly riches heauenly riches both together and that one doth not hinder an other but that one may haue both treasure in earth and treasure in heauen Here therefore Christ meetes with this carnall conceit of naturall men and proues it to be impossible that one man should practise both these Thus you see how this verse doth depend on the former and this will the better appeare if we seeke the true meaning of the words No man can serue two maisters c. It may seeme at the first to be otherwise for both in reason and also by experience one seruant may serue two diuerse masters as we see one Factor may and dooth well serue diueser Merchants Therefore how can this bee that Christ saith here Some answere it thus That the words must bee conceiued after this manner as if hee had said Two diuerse or contrarie maisters As for example when one shall say come and an other shall say come not when two maisters are thus cōtrary diuerse in their mindes and wills one seruant cannot serue both And so these words carrie a holy truth But this clause of diuerse and contrary is not exprest therefore I say further that this sentence was a common prouerbe among them Now in a Prouerbe if it be vsually or generally true though it holde not alwaies if it haue effect ordinarily it is inough As no Prophet is honoured in his owne countrey that is vsually and commonly it is so So this Prouerbe is true ordinarily And thus this sentence must be vnderstood as a familiar prouerbe vsuall and common among the Iewes which Christ taketh for the ground of his speech Now it followeth For eyther hee shall hate the one that is as he is a maister or in regard of his commaundement And hee shall loue the other in respect of his commaundement in that hee doth embrace it and performe it Or else hee shall leane to the one This is an illustration of the former words for it might bee demaunded How shall hee bee knowne to loue or hate them The answere is thus Loue will cleaue to the one and contemne the other That is a seruant is knowne to loue his maister in his commaundement First if he cleaue vnto him Secondly if he giue himselfe as a seruant to the obedience of his commaundement And he will despise the other That is hee will neglect his commaundements Thus hee testifieth his loue or hatred by omitting and neglecting or by performing and practising the commaundements enioyned him Now the words that follow You cannot serue God and Mammon are the application of the argument you cannot serue God and riches treasure profit gaine A man cannot serue God and giue himselfe to get and lay vp riches It is not said you cannot serue God and haue riches for Abraham Ioseph Iob serued God and yet had riches But thus you cannot serue God serue riches that is giue your selues to seeke them and set your hearts vpon them Thus the sense and meaning is plaine and now the scope of the words wil the better appeare The obiection is this Why may we not do both viz. lay vp treasure in heauen and in earth The answere is No man can serue two maisters But God and Mammon are two maisters therfore you cannot serue both these The proposition is confirmed by a reason which is added And thus you see the scope and the sense of this verse Now see what doctrines naturally arise hence First it is to be marked that Christ dooth heere set downe what it is to serue God A thing that euery man speakes much of yet a thing that fewe know and fewer doo practise therefore in a word it is this To serue God is to loue him and to cleaue vnto him and he serueth God that doth these two For the first euery man will say that he