In Prov. xix. 15. it is declared, He that justifieth the Wicked, and be that condemneth the Juft, even they both are Abomination to the LORD.

The fupreme Lawgiver fays, Thou shalt not raife a falfe Report: Put not thine Hand with the Wicked to be an unrighteous Witness, Exod. xxiii. 1.

And in Prov. xix. 5. it is declared that, A falfe Witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh Lies fhall not efcape. This Declaration fhews, that thefe Sinners have Reason to expect Punishment in the Day of the LORD's Visitation for Sin.

The speaking falfely of others is a pernicious Practice; and the doing fo as Witneffes in Courts of Judicature has brought innocent Perfons to fuffer Death for Crimes they never committed, and others to loose their Eftates, which were their juft Property, or to loose their good Reputation, a Bleffing more valuable than Life.

They who are guilty of this cruel Iniquity do not deal towards others, as they would have others to deal with them.

They imitate their Father the Devil, who is the Accufer of the Brethren, fee Rev. xii. 9, 10.

And altho' they may for a while escape Punishment, the Day is coming when the righteous God will take Vengeance on them, when they fhall neither be able to escape, nor able to bear his Wrath.

XV. COVETOUs Perfons, are another Sort of Sinners marked by divine Threatnings for fuffering Punishment in the Day of the LORD's Vifitation for Sin.

These are Tranfgreffors of the tenth Commandment, which fays, Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbour's Houfe, thou shalt not covet thy Neighbour's Wife, nor his Man-fervant, nor his Maid-fervant, nor bis Ox, nor his Afs, nor any Thing that is thy Neigh. bours, Exod. xx. 19.

This Law fhews that it is finful to defire any Thing that is another's Property, and appropriated to his own Ufe; because the Things of another, which he trades in, and has a Right to fell, and which we have Occafion for, we may defire, and may purchase; but appropriated Things we muft not defire, or covet.

A ftrong Defire, or Coveting another Man's House, or Land, has prevailed with fome to murder the rightful Poffeffor, as was the Cafe when Abab coveted Naboth's Vineyard, 1 Kings xxi. or to use other unjuft Methods to get the Poffeffion of it.

Thus coveting another Man's Wife, has been followed with Adultery, and Murther; of which David was a fad Inftance.

And the coveting the Servants of others, has influenced fome to ufe indirect, or difhoneft Means to prevail with them to leave their Masters.

And the coveting of Money has led many to rob, fteal, and commit Murder. So are the Ways of every one that is greedy of Gain: Which taketh away the Life of the Owners thereof, Prov. i. 19.

The tenth Commandment must be understood to forbid all inordinate, or too flrong Defires after worldly Things, or too much Love to Money: Becaufe fuch Coveting is not only inconfiftent with the Love we owe to God, and to our Neighbour, but leads on to many other Sins.

For (as St. Paul fays) the Love of Money is the Root of all Evil: Which while fome covet after, they have erred from the Faith, and pierced themfelves through with many Sorrows, 1 Tim. vi, 10.

Here I would obferve that a Man's Defire of Money, or other worldly Things is certainly too ftrong, or is a finful Coveting, when for obtaining them, he will ufe unlawful Means, or neglect fome Duty God requires of him; and likewise, when, for the Sake of increafing his Riches, he will withhold

to

to himself what God would have him to distribute for the Use and Benefit of others.

Thus, if a Man for Lucre Sake will be guilty of Extortion, he is a covetous Man; or if inftead of performing the religious Duties of the Sabbath, he will buy, or fell on that holy Day, or if on other Days he will be fo eager in his Pursuits after earthly Riches, as not to allow Time for the Worship of God in his Family, and Clofet, he is a covetous Man: And likewife if he will not expend in the Maintenance of his Family, and Education of his Children, fo much as according to his Rank in the World, and his Riches, ought to be expended, he is a covetous Man; and if he will not distribute in Acts of Charity, according to his Abilities, and the Occafions, which call for his Affiftance, he may justly be thought a covetous Man.

And fuch covetous Perfons certainly do love their Money, more than they love their God; for they who do not defire, and endeavour to please God, cannot be truly faid to love him; and of those, who wilfully fin against God in their way of getting, or of keeping Money, it cannot be justly said they defire, and endeavour to please him.

The covetous, the Lord abhorreth, Pfal. x. 3.

In Prov. xxviii. 16. it is faid, He that hateth Covetousness fhall prolong his Days, which implies that he who loveth Covetoufnefs, is like to fhorten his Days.

In Ifa. lvii. 17. The LORD faid of his People, For the Iniquity of his Covetousness was I wroth, and fmote him. Hence it is very evident, that in Ages paft, God inflicted deftroying Judgments on his People for their Covetousness. And therefore covetous Perfons have Reafon to be afraid of his Judgments in the Day that he vifits a Land for Sin.

It was a fad Complaint which God made of his People in Ezek. xxiii, 31. where he fays to the ProF

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phet concerning them, They come unto thee, as the People cometh, and they fit before thee as my People, and they bear thy Words, but they will not do them : for their Heart goeth after their Covetousness. That is, altho' they profefs Love, and Obedience to God, and attend the folemn Affemblies to hear the Words of the Lord delivered by his Prophet, yet they will not do them; their ftrongeft, and prevailing Affections, being after Riches and other worldly Things, the Objects of their Covetousness.

Their Riches, and other earthly Things, are the Idols of their Hearts: therefore, Covetoufness is declared to be Idolatry in Col. iii. 5. where Chriftians are commanded to mortify inordinate Affections, evil Concupifence, and Covetoufcnefs, which is Idolatry. In Ephef. v. 5. it is declared, That no Whore. monger, nor unclean Perfon, nor covetous Man, who is an Idolater, bath any Inheritance in the Kingdom of Chrift, and of God.

It appears from this Declaration, that it is decreed by the righteous Governour of the World, that covetous Perfons fhall not be admitted to partake of the Joys, and Happiness of the Kingdom of Chrift, and of God: And this implies that they will be fent into endless Miferies in the next Word, and that they are liable to deftroying Judgments in this, when God proceeds in vifiting a Nation for Sin.

The Covetous, instead of looking to, and relying on the Lord, place a Confidence in their Wealth. The rich Man's Wealth, is his ftrong City, and as an high Wall in his own Conceit; as it is faid in Prov. xviii. 11. But let fuch know, and confider thofe Declarations recorded in Prov. xi. 4. viz. Riches profit not in the Day of Wrath; and Verfe 28. He that trufteth in Riches fhall fall.

Thus faith the LORDglory in his Riches, Jer. ix. 23.

Let not the rich Man

In Jer. xv. 13. God fays to the Wicked among his People, Thy Subftance, and thy Treasures will I give to the Spoil without Price, and that for all thy Sins, even in all thy Borders, Jer. xv. 13. See alfo Jer. xvii. 3.

Thefe Declarations plainly fhew that the Covetous, and they who will go on in difobeying the Commandments of the Lord, have Reason to be afraid, when he is rifen out of his Place to punish wicked Nations.

I have now confidered the principal Sorts of Perfons, Tranfgreffors of one or other of the ten Commandments, against whom the holy God has denounced his awful Threatnings.

A righteous Nation, a holy City, whofe Inhabitants know, and love, and ferve the Lord, and make it their Practice to obey all his Precepts, have no Cause to be afraid, but abundant Ground for Comfort, and Joy on the Account of the manifold Promises of Bleffings in this World, and of everlafting Felicity in the next, which are made to the Righteous.

But if the Inhabitants of a City, or Country, have revolted from God, if the Generality of them have caft off the Fear of the Almighty, and have long been regardless of his Authority, and Laws, and have gone on stubbornly in wicked Ways, and remain incorrigible, notwithstanding the Obligations of multiplied Bleffings, notwithstanding the Patience, and long Forbearance of God, notwithstanding the divers Threatnings, and the Feeling of leffer Judgments, they have then the strongest Reasons to expect that the righteous God will proceed in vifiting them for Sin, and pour out the Vials of his Wrath upon them.

I fhall now conclude thefe Papers with an Address to the Inhabitants of London, Westminster, and all the other Parts of Great-Britain.