Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
~ James 4:14
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 2:15
But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
~ James 1:10
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope. O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good.
~ Job 7:6-7
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
~ Luke 12:34
Worldliness, or Sinful Love of Riches, and the Shortness of Life, by Richard Baxter. The following contains an excerpt from his work, “A Christian Directory”.
Worldliness is either predominant, and so a certain sign of death; or else mortified, and in a subdued degree, consistent with some saving grace. Worldliness predominant, as in the ungodly, is, when men that have not a lively belief of the everlasting men that have not a lively belief of the everlasting happiness, nor have laid up their treasure and hopes in heaven, do take the pleasure and prosperity of this life for that felicity which is highest in their esteem, and dearest to their hearts, and therefore love the riches of the world, or full provisions, as the matter and means of this their temporal felicity. Worldliness in a mortified person, is, when he that hath laid up his treasure in heaven, and practically esteemeth his everlasting hopes above all the pleasure and prosperity of the flesh, and seeketh first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and useth his estate principally for God and his salvation, hath yet some remnants of inordinate desire to the prosperity and pleasure of the flesh, and some inordinate desire of riches for that end; which yet he hateth, lamenteth, resisteth, and so far subdueth, that it is not predominant, against the interest of God and his salvation. Yet this is a great sin, though it be forgiven.
III. The malignity or greatness of this sin consisteth in these points, (especially when it is predominant.) 1. The love of the world, or of riches, is a sin of deliberation, and not of mere temerity or sudden passion: worldlings contrive the attaining of their ends. 2. It is a sin of interest, love and choice, set up against our chiefest interest: it is the setting up of a false end, and seeking that; and not only a sin of error in the means, or a seeking the right end in a mistaken way. 3. It is idolatry, or a denying God, and deposing him in our hearts, and setting up his creatures in his stead, in that measure as it prevaileth. The worldling giveth that love, and that trust unto the creature, which are due to God alone: he delighteth in it instead of God, and seeketh and holdeth it as his felicity instead of God: and therefore, so far as any man loveth the world, the love of the Father is not in him. And the friendship of the world is enmity to God. 4. It is a contempt of heaven; when it must be neglected, and a miserable world preferred. 5. It sheweth that unbelief prevaileth at the heart, so far as worldliness prevaileth: for if men did practically believe the heavenly glory, and the promise thereof, they would be carried above these present things. 6. It is a debasing of the soul of man, and using it like the brutes, while it is principally set upon the serving of the flesh, and on a temporal felicity, and neglecteth its eternal happiness and concernments.
7. It is a perverting the very drift of a man’s life, as employed in seeking a wrong end, and not only of some one faculty or act: it is an habitual sin of the state and course of mind and life, and not only a particular actual sin. 8. It is a perverting of God’s creatures to an end and use clean contrary to that which they were made and given for: and an abusing God by his own gifts, by which he should be served and honoured: and a destroying our souls with those mercies which were given us for their help and benefit. This is the true character of this heinous sin. In a word, it is the forsaking God, and turning the heart from him, and alienating the life from his service, to this present world, and the service of the flesh. Fornication, drunkenness, murder, swearing, perjury, lying, stealing, &c. are very heinous sins. But a single act of one of these, committed rashly in the violence of passion, or temptation, speaketh not such a malignant turning away of the heart habitually from God, as to say a man is covetous, or a worldling.
IV. The Signs of covetousness are these: 1. Not preferring God and our everlasting happiness before the prosperity and pleasure of the flesh; but valuing and loving fleshly prosperity above its worth. 2. Esteeming and loving the creatures of God as provision for the flesh, and not to further us in the service of God. 3. Desiring more than is needful or useful to further us in our duty. 4. An inordinate eagerness in our desires after earthly things. 5. Distrustfulness, and carking cares, and contrivances for time to come. 6. Discontent, and trouble, and repining at a poor condition, when we have no more than our daily bread. 7. When the world taketh up our thoughts inordinately: when our thoughts will more easily run out upon the world, than upon better things: and when our thoughts of worldly plenty are more pleasant and sweet to us, than our thoughts of Christ, and grace, and heaven; and our thoughts of want and poverty are more bitter and grievous to us, than our thoughts of sin and God’s displeasure. 8. When our speech is freer and sweeter about prosperity in the world, than about the concernments of God and our souls. 9. When the world beareth sway in our families and converse, and shutteth out all serious endeavours in the service of God, and for our own and others’ souls: or at least doth cut short religious duties, and is preferred before them, and thrusteth them into a corner, and maketh us slightly huddle them over. 10. When we are dejected over much, and impatient under losses, and crosses, and worldly injuries from men. 11. When worldly matters seem sufficient to engage us in contentions, and to make us break peace: and we will by law suits seek our right, when greater hurt is more likely to follow to out brother’s soul, or greater wrong to the cause of religion, or the honour of God, than our right is worth. 12. When in our trouble and distress we fetch our comfort more from the thoughts of our provisions in the world, or our hopes of supply, than from our trust in God, and our hopes of heaven. 13. When we are more thankful to God or man for outward riches, or any gift for the provision of the flesh, than for hopes or helps in order to salvation; for a powerful ministry, good books, or seasonable instructions for the soul. 14. When we are quiet and pleased if we do but prosper, and have plenty in the world, though the soul be miserable, unsanctified, and unpardoned. 15. When we are more careful to provide a worldly, than a heavenly portion, for children and friends, and rejoice more in their bodily, than their spiritual prosperity, and are troubled more for their poverty, than their ungodliness or sin. 16. When we can see our brother have need, and shut up the bowels of our compassion, or can part with no more than mere superfluities for his relief: when we cannot spare that which makes but for our better being, when it is necessary to preserve his being itself; or when we give unwillingly or sparingly. 17. When we will venture upon sinful means for gain, as lying, over-reaching, deceiving, flattering, or going against our consciences, or the commands of God. 18. When we are too much in expecting liberality from others, and think that all we buy of, should sell cheaper to us than they can afford, and consider not their loss or want, so that we have the gain: nor are contented if they be never so bountiful to others, if they be not so to us. 19. When we make too much ado in the world for riches, taking too much upon us, or striving for preferment, and flattering great ones, and envying any that are preferred before us, or get that which we expected. 20. When we hold our money faster thus our innocency, and cannot part with it for the sake of Christ, when he requireth it; but will stretch our consciences and sin against him, or forsake his cause, to save our estates; or will not part with it for the services of his church, or of our country, when we are called to it. 21. When the riches which we have are used but for the pampering of our flesh, and superfluous provision for our posterity, and nothing but some inconsiderable crumbs or driblets are employed for God and his servants, nor used to further us in his service, and towards the laying up of a treasure in heaven. These are the signs of a worldly, covetous wretch.
V. The Counterfeits of liberality or freedom from covetousness, which deceive the worldling are such as these. 1. He thinks he is not covetous because he hath a necessity of doing what he doth for more. Either he is in debt or he is poor, and scarcely hath whereon to live; and the poor think that none are worldlings and covetous but the rich. But he may love riches that wanteth them, as much as he that hath them. If you have a necessity of labouring in your callings, you have no necessity of loving the world, or of caring inordinately, or of being discontented with your estate. Impatience under your wants shews a love of the world and flesh, as much as other men’s bravery that possess it.
2. Another thinks he is not a worldling, because if he could but have necessaries, even food, and raiment, and conveniences for himself and family, he would be content; and it is not riches or great matters that he desireth. But if your hearts are more set upon the getting of these necessaries or little things, than upon the preparing for death, and making sure of the heavenly treasure, you an miserable worldlings still. And the poor man that will set his heart more upon a poor and miserable life, than upon heaven, is more inexcusable than he that setteth his heart more upon lordships and honours than upon heaven: though both of them are but the slaves of the world, and have as yet no treasure in heaven. And, moreover, you that are now so covetous for a little more, if you had that, would be as covetous for a little more still; and when you had that, for a little more yet. You would next wear better clothing, and have better face; and next you would have your house repaired, and then you would have your land enlarged, and then you would have something more for your children, and you would never be satisfied. You think otherwise now; but your hearts deceive you: you do not know them. If you believe me not, judge by the case of other men that have been as confident as you, that if they had but so much or so much they would be content; but when they have it, they would still have more. And this, which is your pretence, is the common pretence of almost all the covetous: for lords and princes think themselves still in as great necessity as you think yourselves: as they have more, so they have more to do with it; and usually are still wanting as much as the poor. The question is not how much you desire? but to what use, and to what end, and in what order?
3. Another thinks he is not covetous, because he coveteth not any thing that is his neighbour’s: he thinks that covetousness is only a desiring that which is not our own. But if you love the world and worldly plenty inordinately, and covet more, you are covetous worldlings, though you wish it not from another. It is the worldly mind and love of wealth that is the sin at the root: the ways of getting it are but the branches.
4. Another thinks he is no worldling, because he useth no unlawful means, but the labour of his calling to grow rich. The same answer serves to this. The love of wealth for the satisfying of the flesh is unlawful, whatever the means be. And is it not also an unlawful means of getting, to neglect God and your souls, and the poor, and shut out other duties for the world, as you often do?
5. Another thinks he is no worldling, because he is contented with what he hath, and coveteth no more. When that which he hath is a full provision for his fleshly desires. But if you over-love the world, and delight more in it than God, you are worldlings though you desire no more. He is described by Christ as a miserable, worldly fool that saith, “Soul, take thy ease, eat, drink, and be merry, thou hast much goods laid up for many years.” To over-love what you have, is worldliness, as wall as to desire more.
6. Another thinks he is no worldling, because he gives God thanks for what he hath, and asked it of God in prayer. But if thou be a lover of the world, and make provision for the desires of the flesh, it is but an aggravation of thy sin, to desire God to be a servant to thy fleshly lusts, and to thank him for satisfying thy sinful desires. Thy prayers and thanks are profane and carnal: they were no service to God, but to thy flesh. As if a drunkard or glutton should beg of God provision for their greedy throats, and thank him for it when they have it: or a fornicator should pray God to be a pander to his lusts, and then thank him for it: or a wanton gallant should make fine clothes and gallantry the matter of his prayer and thanksgiving.
7. Another thinks he is no worldling, because he hath some thoughts of heaven, and is loath to be damned when he can keep the world no longer, and prayeth often, and perhaps fasteth with the Pharisee twice a week, and giveth alms often, and payeth tithes, and wrongeth no man. But the Pharisees were covetous for all these. The question is not whether you think of heaven, and do something for it? But whether it be heaven or earth which you seek first, and make the end of all things else, which all are referred to; every worldling knoweth that he must die, and therefore he would have heaven at last for a reserve, rather than hell. But where is it that you are laying up your treasure, and that you place all your happiness and hopes? And where are your hearts? on earth, or in heavent? The question is not whether you give now and then an alms to deceive your consciences, and part with so much as the flesh can spare, as a swine will do when he can eat no more: but whether all that you have be devoted to the will of God, and made to stoop to his service and the saving of your souls, and can be forsaken rather than Christ forsaken.
8. Another thinks that he is not covetous, because it is but for his children that he provideth: and “he that provideth videth not for his own, is worse than an infidel.” But the text speaketh only of providing necessaries for our families and kindred, rather than cast them on the church to be maintained. If you so overvalue the world, that you think it the happiness of your children to be rich, you are worldlings and covetous, both for yourselves and them. It is for their children that the richest and greatest make provision, that their posterity may be great and wealthy after them: and this maketh them the more worldlings and not the less; because they are covetous for after ages, when they are dead, and not only for themselves.
9. Another thinks he is no worldling, because he can speak as hardly of covetous men as any other. But many a one revileth others as covetous that is covetous himself: yea, covetous men are most apt to accuse others of covetousness, and of selling too dear, and buying too cheap, and giving too little, because they would get the more themselves. And many preachers, by their reading and knowledge, may make a vehement sermon against worldliness, and yet go to hell at last for being worldlings. Words are cheap.
10. Another thinks he is not covetous, because he purposeth to leave much to charitable uses when he is dead. I confess that much is well: I would more would do so. But the flesh itself can spare it, when it seeth that it must lie down in the grave. If they could carry their riches with them and enjoy them after death, they would do it no doubt: to leave it when you cannot keep it any longer, is not thankworthy. So the glutton, and drunkard, and whoremonger, and the proud must all leave their pleasure at the grave. But do you serve God or the flesh with your riches while you have them? And do you use them to help or to hinder your salvation? Deceive not yourselves, for God is not mocked.
VI. Yet many are falsely accused of covetousness upon such grounds as these. 1. Because they possess much and are rich: for the poor take the rich for worldlings. But God giveth not to all alike: he putteth ten talents into the hands of one servant, and but one into another’s: and to whom men commit much, of them will they require the more: therefore, to be entrusted with more than others is no sin, unless they betray that trust.
2. Others are accused as covetous, because they satisfy not the covetous desires of those they deal with, or that expect much from them, and because they give not where it is not their duty, but their sin to give. Thus the buyer saith, the seller is covetous: and the seller saith, the buyer is covetous, because they answer not their covetous desires An idle beggar will accuse you of uncharitableness, because you maintain him not in sinful idleness. The proud look you should help to maintain their pride. The drunkard, and riotous, and gamesters expect their parents should maintain their sin. No man that hath any thing, shall escape the censure of being covetous, as long as there is another in the world that covetath that which he hath: selfishness looketh to no rules but their own desires.
3. Others are judged covetous, because they give not that which they have not to give. Those that know not another’s estate, will pass conjectures at it: and if their handsome apparel or deportment, or the common fame, do make men think them richer than they are, then they are accounted covetous, because their bounty answereth not men’s expectations.
4. Others are thought covetous, because they are laborious in their callings, and thrifty, and saving, not willing that any thing be lost. But all this is their duty: if they were lords or princes, idleness and wastefulness would be their sin. God would have all men labour in their several callings, that are able: and Christ himself said, when he had fed many thousands by miracle, yet. “Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.” The question is, How they use that which they labour so hard for, and save so sparingly. If they use it for God, and charitable uses, there is no man taketh a righter course. He is the best servant for God, that will be laborious and sparing, that he may be enabled to do good.
5. Others are thought covetous, because to avoid hypocrisy, they give in secret, and keep their works of charity from the knowledge of men. These shall have their reward from God: and his wrath shall be the reward of their presumptuous censures.
6. Others are thought covetous, because they lawfully and peaceably seek their right, and let not the unjust and covetous wrong them at their pleasure. It is sure, we must let go our right, whenever the recovering of it will do more hurt to others than it will do us god. But yet the laws are not made in vain: nor must we encourage men in covetousness, thievery, and deceit, by letting them de what they list: nor must we be careless of our master’s talents; if he intrust us with them, we must not let every one take them from us to serve his lusts with.
Direct. II. ‘Seriously consider of your everlasting state, and how much greater things than riches you have to mind. Behold by faith the endless joys which you may have with God, and the endless misery which worldlings must undergo in hell.’ There is no true eure for an earthly mind, but by shewing it the far greater matters to be minded: by acquaiating it better with its own concernments: and with the greater miseries than poverty or want, which we have to escape: and the greater good than worldly plenty which we have to seek. It is want of faith that makes men worldlings: they see not what is in another world: they say their creed, but do not heartily believe the day of judgment, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. There is not a man of them all, but, if he had one sight of heaven and hell, would set lighter by the world than ever he did before; and would turn his covetous care and toil, to a speedy and diligent care of his salvation. If he heard the joyful praises of the saints, and the woeful lamentations of the damned, but one day or hour, he would think ever after that he had greater matters to mind than the scraping together a heap of wealth. Remember man, that thou hast another world to live in: and a far longer life to make provision for: and that thou must be in heaven or hell for ever. This is true, whether thou believe it or not: and thou hast no time but this to make all thy preparation in: and as thou believest, and livest, and labourest now, it must go with thee to all eternity. These are matters worthy of thy care. Canst thou have while to make such a pudder here in the dust, and care and labour for a thing of nought, while thou hast such things as these to care for, and a work of such transcendent consequence to do? Can a man that understands what heaven and hell are, find room for any needless matters, or time for so much unnecessary work? The providing for thy salvation is a thing that God hath made thy own work, much more than the providing for the flesh. When he speaks of thy body, he saith, “Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat or drink, nor for your body, what you
shall put on:—for your Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” “Be careful for nothing.” “Cast all your care upon him, for he careth for you.” But when he speaks of your salvation, he bids you “work it out with fear and tremblingb,” and “give diligence to make your calling and election sure,” and “strive to enter in at the strait gated.” “Labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for that which endureth to everlasting life.” That is, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to youf.” Look up to heaven, man, and remember that there is thy home, and there are thy hopes, or else thou art a man undone for ever: and therefore it is for that that thou must care and labour. Believe unfeignedly that thou must dwell for ever in heaven or hell, as thou makest thy preparation here, and consider of this as becometh a man, and then be a worldling and covetous if thou canst: riches will seem dust and chaff to thee, if thou believe and consider thy everlasting state. Write upon the doors of thy shop and chamber; ‘I must be in heaven or hell for ever,’ or, ‘This is the time on which my endless life dependeth;’ and methinks every time thou readest it, thou shouldst feel thy covetousness stabbed at the heart. O blinded mortals! that love, like worms, to dwell in earth! Would God but give you an eye of faith, to foresee your end, and where you must dwell to all eternity, what a change would it make upon your earthly minds! Either faith or sense will be your guides. Nothing but reason sanctified by faith can govern sense. Remember that thou art not a beast, that hath no life to live but this: thou hast a reasonable, immortal soul, that was made by God for higher things, even for God himself, to admire him, love him, serve him, and enjoy him. If an angel were to dwell awhile in flesh, should he turn an earthworm, and forget his higher life of glory? Thou art like to an inoarnate angel; and mayst be equal with the angels, when thou art freed from this sinful flesh. O beg of God a heavenly light, and a heavenly mind, and look often into the Word of God, which tells thee where thou must be for ever: and worldliness will vanish away in shame.
Direct. III. ‘Remember how short a time thou must keep and enjoy the wealth which thou hast gotten.’ How quickly thou must be stripped of all. Canst thou keep it when thou hast it? Canst thou make a covenant with death, that it shall not call away thy soul? Thou knowest before hand that thou art of short continuance, and the world is but thy inn or passage, and that a narrow grave for thy flesh to rot in, is all that thou canst keep of thy largest possessions, save what thou layest up in heaven, by laying it out in obedience to God. How short is life! How quickly gone! Thou art almost dead and gone already! What are a few days or a few years more? And wilt thou make so much ado for so short a life? And so careful a provision for so short a stay? Yea, how uncertain is thy time, as well as short!
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