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Vers. 8. Woe be vnto them that ioyne house to house, and lay field to field, till there be no place, that ye may be placed by your selues in the midst of the earth.
NOw he reprooues their insatiable aua∣rice and couetousnes; from whence frauds, iniuries, and violences do commonly arise. For it is not a thing vnlawfull in it selfe to ioyne one field to another, nor one house to another: but he aimes at the heart; which by no meanes whatsoeuer can bee satisfied,
when it is once set on fire with desire of ha∣uing. Hee describes the affection of those then which thinke they haue neuer enough: neither are content, how rich soeuer they be. We may see that the couetous are possessed with such a greedy lusting, that they desire to haue all to thēselues alone; & think that that which others haue, is their want, or is taken frō them.* 1.1 And therefore Chrysostome hath an elegant speech to this purpose: That the couetous would gladly take away the sunne from the poore; if it were in their power. For they grutch their brethren, the very ele∣ments which yet are common, and would gladly swal ow them vp: not to enioy them; but because their lust depriues them of vn∣derstanding in this behalfe. In the meane while they consider not that themselues are not able to doe any thing without the helpe of others, & that a man being alone by him∣selfe is vnprofitable; they onely carke and care how to gather much together; and therefore they deuoure all by their coue∣tousnesse.
He chargeth the couetous and proud with such a furie, that they would haue all others cut off from the face of the earth, to the end themselues alone might haue it in possession: and therefore there is neither end nor mea∣sure in their lust. What folly and madnes is it to driue those from of the earth, whom God hath placed therein with vs, and to whom he giues a dwelling place common with vs?* 1.2 Questionlesse a worse thing could not befall them then to haue their wish. Nei∣ther could they alone till the ground, reape, and performe other necessarie duties of this life; nor yet could they administer things necessarie to themselues. Also God hath so vnited men together; that one hath neede of the helpe and industrie of another: and there is no man, vnlesse he be out of his wits, who will reiect his brethren; as though they were hurtfull or vnprofitable. The proud also cannot inioy their glorie, if they should be left alone. How blind are they then who would chase and driue men away to reigne by themselues.
Now as touching the length and great∣nes of houses: the like is to be said of them; as was heretofore said of fields: because the ambition of those is also reprooued, who de∣sire to dwell in goodly palaces and spatious houses. It is not vnlawfull for him who hath a great family to haue also a large house: but when men (puffed vp with pride) will adde to their houses without cause, onely to be at more libertie, and that one alone takes vp the dwelling places which would suffice a great many; then it is meerely ambition and vaine glorie, which ought worthily to be re∣prooued. For it is all one, as if hauing con∣temned others; they onely should bee lod∣ged: and that their poore brethren were worthie of no more but the couering of the firmament; or that they ought to goe seeke out some other habitation.
Chrysostom.
The coue∣tous d••si••e to dwell a∣lone. But a worse thing could not befall them, then to haue their wish.