A word in season to this present generation, or, A sober and serious discourse…

Penal, for chastisement of Spiritual sloth and sluggishness, as here in the Spouse; now this last is far the saddest and heaviest, ⟨p. 189⟩and therefore as ever you would enjoy the gracious presence of the Lord, take heed of a lazy, slothful, sluggish spirit, in the things of God, in the concernments of your souls. That man must needs be miserable, that is lazy and slothful, and had rather go sleeping to hell, than sweating to heaven. But

Ninthly, Take heed of a covetous worldly spirit, under the smarting Rod, under the severe rebukes of God. Isa. 57. 17. For the iniquity of his covetousness I was wroth and smote him; I hid me and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. Covetousness was the common sin of the Jews, this disease had infected all sorts and ranks of men, this Leprosy did spread it self over ¹Princes, Prophets and Prople, as you may see in comparing the Scriptures in the margin together. Now covetousness being the root of all evil, as the Apostle speaks, and the Darling sin of the Nation, God is so provoked by it, that he first smites and then hides himself, as one that in displeasure, having left one to the evil, and harsh usage of some other withdraweth himself out of the way, and having shut himself up in his closet, will not be seen or spoken with. A worldly man makes the world his God, covetousness is flat Idolatry: Coloss. 3. 5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness which is Idolatry. Now though it be true that what ever a man loves most and best, that is his ²God, be it his belly, or his back; yet in a special manner covetousness is Idolatry, so as no other sin is. Three things especially make a God: First, our judgement, when we esteem it in our serious thoughts to be our chiefest good, and that in which we place our happiness: Now the covetous man looks upon the riches of the world, as his heaven, his happiness, his great all. Pope Sylvester placed so much happiness in riches that, to enjoy the Popedom for seven years, he sold his soul to the Devil. The People of Constantinople placed so much of their happiness in riches, and were so excessively