Chapter 10 — Of Covetousness
First, For Covetousness.
1. Covetousness; it is all one with desire; he who desires, covets, whether what he desires is evil or good. So what is called coveting, in Exodus 20:17, is called desire, in Deuteronomy 5:21. As the apostle also says, 'I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet' (Rom 7:7). That is, I had not known lust to be a sin, unless the law had forbidden it. So, though lawful desires are good (1 Cor 12:31), and to be commended, yet covetousness, as commonly understood, is to be fled from, and hated, as of the devil. 2. Covetousness, or evil desire, is the first mover, and causes every sin both to begin and act; as was said before, the apostle would not have known sin if the law had not said, You shall not covet; for where there is no desire to sin, there appears no sin. 3. So covetousness carries in it every sin; sins against the second table as well as the first, just as a serpent carries her young ones in her belly. This the scripture affirms, where it says, 'You shall not covet your neighbour's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is your neighbour's' (Ex 20:17). Covetousness will meddle with anything.
Now, there are these eight notes of covetousness, which hinder good works and a Christian lifestyle among men, wherever they are harboured.
(1) When men, to whom God has given a comfortable income, are not content with it. This is against the apostle, where he says, 'Let your lifestyle be without covetousness; and be content with what you have: for he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you' (Heb 13:5). (2) It is covetousness in the seller that causes him to say it is better than it is, that he may raise the price of it; and covetousness in the buyer, that causes him to say it is worse than he really thinks it is to get a lower price. This is what the apostle forbids under the name of fraud, 1 Cor 6:8, and what Solomon condemns (Prov 20:14). (3) It is through covetousness that men think a lot of what they deny themselves, even though possibly it goes to those that have more need than themselves, and also better deserve it. (4) It indicates covetousness, when men will deprive themselves and those around them, of the privileges of the gospel, for more of this world; and is condemned by Christ (Luke 14:18-20). (5) It indicates covetousness, when men that have it, can go by, or hear of the poor, and shut up their heart and compassion from them (1 John 3:17). (6) Also when men are convinced they should give to such and such that have need, but put off doing anything, and if not quite forget it, yet delay doing it, as being reluctant to meet the needs of those in need. This is forbidden by the Holy Ghost: 'Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.' Now, it is due from you to the poor, by the commandment of God, if they lack, and you have it; 'Say not to your neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when you have it by you' (Prov 3:27, 28). (7) It indicates a greedy mind, when, after men have decided what to give, they reduce it in little ways; whereas the Holy Ghost says, 'Every man according as he intends in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver' (2 Cor 9:7). (8) And lastly, It indicates a filthy greedy heart when a man, after he has done any good, then has second thoughts, and secretly wishes that he had not done so, or at least that he had not done so much: this is to be weary of well-doing; (I speak now of sharing) and carries in it two evils, First, It spoils the work done. And, secondly, it, if entertained, spoils the heart for doing any more. 'The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl called bountiful,' for 'the liberal devises liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand' (Isa 32:5, 8). Now then, to warn all against this poisonous sin, note that this is idolatry, worse than all other sins in the New Testament, (Eph 5:5; Col 3:5). So God's people should be so far from doing it, that they should be afraid even to mention it, lest it should, as adulterous thoughts, infect the heart, by talking of it (Eph 5:3).
Quest. But why is covetousness called idolatry?
Answer. 1. Because it occupies the very heart of man in it, to mind earthly things; it gets our love, which should be set on God; and sets it on poor empty things; it takes our hearts away from heaven, where they should be, and sets them on earth, where they should not be (Ezek 33:31; Phil 3:18, 19; Col 3:1-3). So it changes the object on which the heart should be set, and sets it where it should not be. It makes a man forsake God, 'the fountain of living waters,' and causes him to hew for himself 'cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water' (Jer 2:1113). For, 2. It rejects the care, government, and providence of God towards us, and causes us to make of our care and work a god, to whom, instead of God, we fly continually, both to keep what we have and to get more. This was Israel's idolatry of old, and the cause of all her idolatrous practices. 'For their mother has played the harlot,' that is, committed idolatry: 'she who conceived them has done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, who gave me my bread and water, my wool and flax, my oil and drink' (Hosea 2:5). 3. It obstructs God's way of caring for his creatures, and seeks to provide for them without heeding his heavenly wisdom; from this arises all discontent about God's dealing with us. Covetousness never yet said, It is the Lord, let him do what he pleases; but always objects, like a god, against everything that goes against it; and it is what, like a god, draws away the heart and soul from the true God, and his Son Jesus Christ: 'And he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions' (Matt 19:16-22). Now then, what causes the heart to reject the providence of God, and wishes to order and deal with things contrary to God, and to negotiate God on these terms, is idolatry; and all these are covetousness. 'The wicked boasts of his heart's desire, and blesses the covetous, whom the Lord hates' (Psa 10:3). Now the way to remedy this disease is, to learn the lesson which Paul had got by heart; that is, 'In whatever state you are, be content' (Phil 4:11).