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(1) Faith. "This is the victory that overcomes the world—even our faith." 1 John 5:4. The root of covetousness is distrust of God's providence. Faith believes that God will provide; that he who feeds the birds will feed his children; that he who clothes the lilies will clothe his lambs; and thus faith overcomes the world. Faith is the cure of care. It not only purifies the heart—but satisfies it; it makes God our portion, and in him we have enough. "The Lord is the portion of my inheritance, the lines have fallen unto me in pleasant places; yes, I have a goodly heritage." Psalm 16:5, 6. Faith, by a divine chemistry, extracts comfort out of God. A little, with God—is sweet. Thus faith is a remedy against covetousness; it overcomes, not only the fear of the world—but the love of the world.
(2) The second remedy is, judicious considerations.
1. Ah, what poor things, are these earthly things—that we should covet them! They are far below the worth of the soul, which carries in it a semblance of God. The world is but the workmanship of God, the soul is his image. We covet that which will not satisfy us. "He who loves silver, shall not be satisfied with silver." Eccl 5:10. Solomon had put all the creatures in a scale, and distilled out their essence, and behold—"All was vanity." Eccl 2:11. A man with dropsy—"the more water he drunks, the more he craves." Just so, the more a covetous man has of the world, the more he thirsts. Worldly things cannot remove trouble of mind. When King Saul was perplexed in conscience, his crown jewels could not comfort him. 1 Sam 28:15. The things of the world can no more ease a troubled spirit—than a gold cap can cure the headache! The things of the world cannot continue with you. The creature has a little honey in its mouth—but it has wings to fly away. Earthly things either leave us—or we leave them! What poor things are they to covet!
2. The second consideration is the frame and texture of the body. God has made the face look upward towards heaven. "He gave man an uplifted face, with the order to gaze up to Heaven." Ovid. Anatomists observe, that whereas other creatures have but four muscles to their eyes, man has a fifth muscle, by which he is able to look up to heaven. And as for the heart, it is made narrow and contracted downwards—but wide and broad upwards. As the frame and texture of the body teaches us to look to things above, so especially the soul is planted in the body, as a divine spark, to ascend upwards. Can it be imagined that God gave us intellectual and immortal souls—to covet earthly things only? What wise man would fish for gudgeons with golden hooks? Did God give us glorious souls—only to fish for the world? Sure our souls are made for a higher end; to aspire after the enjoyment of God in glory.
3. The third consideration is the examples of those who have been despisers of the world. The primitive Christians, were sequestered from the world, and were wholly taken up in converse with God. They lived in the world—yet above the world. They were like the birds of paradise, which soar above in the air, and seldom or never touch the earth with their feet. Luther says that he was never tempted to the sin of covetousness. Though the saints of old lived in the world—they traded in heaven. "Our conversation is in heaven." Phil 3:20. The Greek word signifies our commerce, or traffic, or citizenship, is in heaven. "Enoch walked with God." Gen 5:24. His affections were sublime; he took a turn in heaven every day. The righteous are compared to a palm-tree. Psalm 92:12. Philo observes, that whereas all other trees have their sap in their root, the sap of the palm-tree is towards the top; and thus is an emblem of saints, whose hearts are in heaven, where their treasure is!
(3) The third remedy for covetousness is to covet spiritual things more. Covet grace, for it is the best blessing, it is the seed of God. 1 John 3:9. Covet heaven, which is the region of perfect happiness—the most pleasant climate. If we covet heaven more—we shall covet earth less! To those who stand on the top of the Alps, the great cities of Campania seem but as small villages; so if our hearts were more fixed upon the Jerusalem above, all worldly things would disappear, would diminish, and be as nothing in our eyes. We read of an angel coming down from heaven, and setting his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the earth. Rev 10:2. Had we been in heaven, and viewed its superlative glory, how would we, with holy scorn, trample with one foot upon the earth and with the other foot upon the sea! O covet after heavenly things! There is the tree of life, the mountains of spices, the rivers of pleasure, the honeycomb of God's love dropping, the delights of angels, and the flower of joy, fully ripe and blown. There is the pure air to breathe in; no fogs or vapors of sin arise to infect that air—but the Sun of Righteousness enlightens the whole horizon continually with his glorious beams. O let your thoughts and delights be always taken up with the city of pearls, the paradise of God! It is reported of Lazarus that, after he was raised from the grave, he was never seen to smile or take delight in the world. Were our hearts raised by the power of the Holy Spirit up to heaven, we would not be much absorbed with earthly things.
(4) The fourth remedy is to pray for a heavenly mind. "Lord, let the loadstone of your Spirit draw my heart upward. Lord, dig the earth out of my heart! Teach me how to possess the world, and not love it; how to hold it in my hand, and not let it get into my heart!"
II. Having spoken of the command in general, I proceed to speak of it more PARTICULARLY. "You shall not covet your neighbour's house, you shall not covet your neighbour's wife," etc. Observe the holiness and perfection of God's law, which forbids the first motions and risings of sin in the heart. The laws of men take hold of actions; but the law of God goes further—it forbids not only sinful actions—but sinful desires. "You shall not covet your neighbour's house." It is not said, "You shall not take away his house;" but "You shall not covet it." These lusts and desires after the forbidden fruit are sinful. The law has said, "You shall not covet." Rom 7:7. Though the tree bears no bad fruit, it may be faulty at the root; so though a man does not commit any gross sin, he cannot say his heart is pure. There may be faultiness at the root: there may be sinful covetings and lustings in the soul.
Use. Let us be humbled for the sin of our nature, the risings of evil thoughts, coveting that which we ought not. Our nature is a seed-plot of iniquity; like charcoal which is ever sparkling, the sparks of pride, envy, covetousness, arise in the mind. How should this humble us! If there is not sinful acting, there are sinful covetings. Let us pray for mortifying grace, which like the water of jealousy, may make the thigh of sin to rot!
[1] "You shall not covet your neighbour's HOUSE." How depraved is man since the fall! He knows not how to keep within bounds—but covets more than his own. Ahab, one would think, had enough: he was a king; and we would suppose that his crown-revenues would have contented him; but he was coveting more. Naboth's vineyard was in his eye, and he could not rest, until he had it in possession. Were there not so much coveting, there would not be so much bribing. One man takes away another's house from him. It is only the prisoner, who lives in such a tenement that he may be sure none will seek to take it from him!
[2] "You shall not covet your neighbour's WIFE." This is a bridle to check the inordinate and brutish lusts. It was the devil that sowed another man's ground. Matt 13:25. But how is the hedge of this commandment trodden down in our times! There are many who do more than covet their neighbours' wives! they take them. "Cursed be he who lies with his father's wife; and all the people shall say, Amen." Deut 27:20. If it were to be proclaimed, "Cursed be he who lies with his neighbour's wife," and all that were guilty should say, "Amen," how many would curse themselves!
[3] "You shall not covet your neighbour's man-servant, nor his maidservant." Servants, when faithful, are a treasure. What a true and trusty servant Abraham had! He was his right hand. How prudent and faithful he was in the matter entrusted with him, of getting a wife for his master's son! Gen 24:9. It would surely have grieved Abraham if anyone had enticed away his servant from him. But this sin of coveting servants is common. If one has a good servant, others will be laying snares for him, and endeavor to draw him away from his master. This is a sin against the tenth commandment. To steal away another's servant by enticement, is no better than direct thieving.
[4] "You shall not covet your neighbour's ox, nor his donkey, nor anything which belongs to your neighbour." Were there no coveting ox and donkey, there would not be so much stealing. First men break the tenth commandment by coveting, and then the eighth commandment by stealing. It was an excellent appeal that Samuel made to the people when he said, "Witness against me before the Lord, whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey, or whom have I defrauded?" 1 Sam 12:3. It was a brave speech of Paul, when he said, "I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel." Acts 20:33.
What MEANS should we use to keep us from coveting that which is our neighbour's?
The best remedy is contentment. If we are content with our own, we shall not covet that which is another's. Paul could say, "I have coveted no man's gold or silver." Whence was this? It was from contentment. "I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content." Phil 4:11. Contentment says, as Jacob did, "I have enough." Gen 33:11. I have a promise of heaven, and have sufficient to bear my charges there; I have enough. He who has enough, will not covet that which is another's. Be content! "In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need." Philippians 4:12
(1) The best way to be contented, is, to believe that condition to be best, which God by his providence carves out to you. If he had seen fit for us to have more—we would have had it. Perhaps we could not manage a great estate. It is hard to carry a full cup without spilling—and a full estate without sinning! Great estates may be snares. A boat may be overturned by having too much sail. Believing that estate to be best which God appoints us, makes us content; and being contented, we shall not covet that which is another's.
(2) The way to be content with such things as we have, and not to covet another's, is to consider the less we have, the less account we shall have to give at the last day. Every person is a steward, and must be accountable to God. Those who have great estates have the greater reckoning. God will say, "What good have you done with your estates? Have you honoured me with your substance? Where are the poor you have fed and clothed?" If you cannot give a good account, it will be sad. It should make us contented with a less portion, to consider—the less riches, the less reckoning. This is the way to have contentment. There is no better antidote against coveting that which is another's than being content with that which is our own.
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