An earnest exhortation to the inhabitants of New-England, to hearken to the voice of…

4. Another Evil, which we have confessed before the Lord is, that of inordinate Affection to the World. Idolatry brings the Sword, and Covetousness is Idolatry. Land! Land! hath been the Idol of many in New-England: whereas the first Planters here that they might keep themselves together were satisfied with one Acre for each person, as his propriety, and after that with twenty Acres for a Family, how have Men since coveted after the earth, that many hundreds, nay thousands of Acres, have been engrossed by one man, and they that profess themselves Christians, have forsaken Churches, and Ordinances, and all for land and elbow-room enough in the World. Lot would forsake the Land of Canaan, and the Church, which was in Abraham's Family, that he might have better worldly accommodations in Sodom, and we see what came of it, God fired him out of all; his house and goods were burnt, and he forced to leave his goodly Pastures, which his heart (though ⟨p. 10⟩otherwise a good man) was too much set upon. Is the interest of New England indeed changed from a Religious to a Worldly interest? that's a strange God, and if it be so, no wonder that there is War in our Gates: do men prefer their Farms and Merchandise above the Gospel? here is the reason why Armies are sent forth against us, and our Cities are burnt up. Inordinate love to this present evil World, hath been the Fountain of all that misery, that we are bleeding under at this day; Those unhappy Indian-trading houses, whereby the Heathen have been so woefully scandalized, hath not covetousness built them, and continued them for so long a time? and was it not from the same root of all evil, that the Indians have been furnished with Arms, and Ammunition? would ever men have sold Guns, and Powder, and Shot, to such faithless and bloody creatures, if a lust of Covetousness had not too far prevailed with them? now then since these evils which have been mentioned (not to insist upon other particulars) have bin confessed, let us be sure to reform them, otherwise in our Confessions we have but dallied with the Almighty, who will never suffer himself to be mocked by any of the Sons of men.

4. Another Evil, which we have confessed before the Lord is, that of inordinate Affection to the World. Idolatry brings the Sword, and Covetousness is Idolatry. Land! Land! hath been the Idol of many in New-England: whereas the first Planters here that they might keep themselves together were satisfied with one Acre for each person, as his propriety, and after that with twenty Acres for a Family, how have Men since coveted after the earth, that many hundreds, nay thousands of Acres, have been engrossed by one man, and they that profess themselves Christians, have forsaken Churches, and Ordinances, and all for land and elbow-room enough in the World. Lot would forsake the Land of Canaan, and the Church, which was in Abrahams Family, that he might have better worldly accommodations in Sodome, and we see what came of it, God fired him out of all; his house and goods were burnt, and he forced to leave his goodly Pastures, which his heart (though