A view of the threats and punishments recorded in the Scriptures, alphabetically composed with some briefe observations upon severall texts / by Zachary Bogan ...

Covetous men are threatn'd and punished

First with not being satisfied. He that lo∣veth silver, shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he that loveth abundance▪ with increase Eccles. 5. 10. The Hebrew in Scripture ex∣presseth

a covetous man by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉a 1.1 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉b 1.2 he that coveteth a covetousnesse, as Jer. 6, 13. and chap. 8, 10. Hab. 2, 9. because there is no more end of his coveting, when he hath what he coveted, then before; but he covets, and covets without end. when he hath got∣ten, what he coveted, he hath not enlarged his estate, so much as his desire; and that he enlargeth like hell, and the grave, Hab. 2. 5. The Apostle Paul 1 Tim. 6, 10. (as one might think though there be no necessity for it) had allusion either to this Hebrew expressi∣on, or to this quality of covetuousnesse; when having said that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the love of money is the root of all evill, he added 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which while some coveted af∣ter; that is, not wich mony, but wich love of money; as if he ment to shew the cove∣tousnesse of covetousnesse.

The love* 1.3 of mony growes as the mo∣ny growes; and I believe if mony did leave growing; the love would also in little time, There is no slavery so endlesse and impor∣tunate as the service of Mammon Mat. 6, 26. There is no sinne which after a man hath once begun, is so hard to leave, as co∣vetousnesse: because of the unsatisfying na∣ture of the things which are coveted; or ra∣ther indeed, because of the unsatisfiablenesse of the soule which covets. For according as that is well or ill disposed, never so little is much enough, and never so much is too little. This, Not being satisfied, I looke upon as a heavy punishment from God for the sinne of coveting: and such it is reckoned for, in the Scriptures: See the chapter of gluttony Sect: 2.

2 Many sorrowes. For the love of money is the root of all evill, which while some cove∣ted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves thorow with many sor∣rows. 1 Tim: 6, 10. Have pierced themselves 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 have peirc'd themselves all round, or on every side; on that side on which they loose; on that side on which they spend; on that side on which they do not gaine; nay lastly on that side on which they do•• gaine; because they have not their desire, though they have what they desired. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

themselves have pierced them∣selves; which aggravates the misery: For a man is never more vex'd, then when he is vex'd by himself; & never more hurted, then when he hurts himselfe. 'Tis an usuall way with God of punishing the wicked, to fill him with his own wayes* 1.4: and I think a cove∣tous man is as much punished this way, as any other. Nulla enim avaritia sine poena est quamvis satis sit ipsa poenarum, there is no co∣vetousnesse without punishment, although it be punishment enough it selfe Sen: epist: 1. 15. He that desires to be still loading himselfe with wealth, is like a bird that loades himself with dirt, till he cannot fly upward for the weight: and therefore, sayes the Prophet Habakuk, Woe to him that ladeth himselfe with thick clay chap: 2, 6. The Septuagint translate 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 against himselfe; because thereby he hurts himselfe most.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, have thrust themselves thorow with many sorrowes: there must needs be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 many sor∣rowes▪ where there are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 many lusts, (as there are wherever there is cove∣tousnesse) verse 9.

3 Many foolish and ungodly actions to their owne hurt. the Apostle in the afore quoted chapter v: 9. They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and many foolish and

hurtfull lusts which draw men into destru∣ction & perdition (destruction, and perdition.)

So are the wayes of every one that is greedy of gaine, which taketh away the life of the ow∣ners thereof Prov: 1, 19,

What made the men of Shechem so foo∣lishly to yeeld to be circumcis'd, whereby they became so weak, that two men (Sime∣on and Levi) put them all to the sword; but only covetousnesse? For it is said they hearkened to Hamor and Shechems perswa∣sion thereunto, assoone as they heard this argument Shall not their cattel and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours? Gen: 34, 23.

Thus they would be punished, if God took no notice of them: But are they threatned with nothing from him? yes they are threatned.

1 With his Hatred.—and blesseth the cove∣tous whom the Lord abhorreth Ps: 10, 3.

2. His anger, and also punishment; very great both, as may be gathered by his ex∣pressions. For the iniquity of his covetousnesse, I was wroth, and smote him; I hid me and was wroth. Isa: 57, 17. For the iniquity of his covetousnesse: the iniquity of covetousnesse is much; and commonly there is much ini∣quity also goes with it: especially in men that exercize trades; or are in places of power and trust.

I will stretch out mine hand upon the Inhabi∣tants of the land, saith the Lord; for from the least of them even to the greatest of them every one is given to covetousnesse Jerem: 6, 13. In the eighth chapter vers: 10. he shewes how he would punish their coveting to have more, with the losse of what they had; and their wronging others, with being wronged themselves (which is an usuall pu∣nishment of covetous men) I will give their wives unto others & their fields to them that shall inherit thē: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: that shall dis∣inherit them, may seem a better translation; (for so the Hebrew word is used sometimes with the accusative case of the person as Zach•• 9,a 1.5 4. and elsewhere) so that them shall relate to the men, & not to the fields. unlesse you had rather say to their heires; that is, to the heires of those that marry their wives: so the vulgar and the Chald: Paraphrast.

3. Exclusion out of the company of the Saints in this world (or excommunication) for so Paul would have them punished. I have written unto you not to keep company, If any man that is cal'd a brother be a forni∣cator or covetous &c. With such a one no not to eat.* 1.6 1 Cor. 5, 11.

4. Exclusion from their company in the world to come; Nor theeves nor covetous men

nor drunkards &c. shall inherit the kingdome of God 1 Cor: 6, 10. The very rust of their mony which they have greedily gathered, and niggardly kept, if their owne consciences would not confesse their covetousnesse, will come in judgment against them and testify it to their faces: Your gold and silver is can∣ker'd, and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you, and shall eate your flesh as it were fire; ye have heaped treasures together for the last dayes Jam: 5, 3.

Covetousnesse must needes be severely punished if it be Idolatry, as the Apostle sayes it is, Col: 3, 5. Indeed it may well be counted so, rather then other sins; yet not so much because covetous men love their wealth more then God; (for so the gluttons love their belly, and voluptuous men their pleasures, and other sinners other things) as because usually they put their hope and confidence* 1.7 in it, (which are acts to be ex∣ercised upon nothing but God) and because they think their life consists in the abun∣dance of things which they possesse; for so∣much our Saviour intimated in affirming the contrary, when he charged the people so earnestly to beware of covetousnesse, doub∣ling the caveat: Take heede and beware of co∣vetousnesse; for a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth:

Luk. 12, 15. doubtlesse those who are guil∣ty of this sinne have cause to feare God's severe punishment: for else our Saviour had never spoken in this manner. I might pro∣duce many instances of severe punishments of other sinnes, of which this sinne was the occasion: as Samuel's sons, 1 Sam. 8. Saul chap. 15. Nabal chap. 25. and Ananias and Sapphira Acts 5. But of these in their places.

Notes

• a 1.1

  This word▪ if it signi∣fie gaine, it signifies covetous∣ne••••e too, as it does Exod. 18. 21. which is enough to raise my observation upon.
• b 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉sig∣nifies also to cutt, and when it sig∣nifies to be covetous, it is proper∣ly meant of being co∣vetous of gaine by cutting off from another, or by another's losse: as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 does signifie in Greeke not so much to desire to have simply 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 more, as to have more then another; or rather to have more by anothers having the lesse, and by our meanes: and therefore it is used with the Accusative of the person whom we over-reach, or are too hard for (viz. by cunning or cozening) out of love of gaine, as you may see in diverse places in the Epistles of Paul; insomuch that it is sometimes applyed to any other out-witting and going beyond a man to his hurt: as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 1 Thes. 4. 6. to gaine upon, or to gaine advantage of a brother. So in 2 Cor. 2. 10. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, lest Satan get an advantage of us, viz, by his cunning. This is a thing too much delighted in by too many politicians of these times.
• * 1.3

  Crescit a∣mor num mi quantū ipsa pecu∣nia crescit.
• * 1.4

  See Selfe destructi∣on.
• a 1.5

  Where the word is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.6

  This ex∣communi∣cation the Jewes cal'd Herem. He that was thus ex∣communi∣cated by them was not to con∣verse or commerce, unlesse it were in buying his victuall. for in eating he might not. there were two other ex∣comunicat∣tions: one lesse then this called niddui, and the other greater call'd sche∣matha by them, by the Christi∣ans Mara∣natha.
• * 1.7

  Accor∣ding to that of Job, If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, thou art my confi∣dence c: 13, 24. If I have said &c. i. e. If I have not only incon∣siderately trusted to; but if I have deli∣berately trusted in my wealth.