not ours. Every defire of what is our neighbour's is not finful, otherwife there could be no trading, buying, felling, exchanging, bargaining, &c. amongst men. There are holy boundaries fet to thefe defires by the law of God; and as long as they abide within thefe, they are lawful; but when they exceed, they are inordinate, luftings, and coveting, and here forbidden. Now, they are inordinate,

1. When the very having of them is unlawful, the defire of them is a luft, and inordinate motion. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife; for as John faid to Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have ber, viz. his brother's wife, Matth. xiv. 4.

What

is abfolutely forbidden us, we may no way defire, otherwife we do but react Adam's fin, in lufting after the forbidden fruit. The heart joins with thofe things which God has put out of its embrace, and requires it to ftand at a diftance from,

2. Though the having of them may be lawful, as of our neighbour's houfe, fervant, ox, &c. yet the defire of them may be a luft, and is fo in feveral cafes; as,

st, When they are desired for unlawful ends, to. feed fome luft, as when a man defires his neighbour's drink, not for ftrength, but drunkennefs, this is a finful coveting, an inordinate motion to what is his, though he pay for it. Ohow much fin is contracted this way, that is never noticed! How many things are defired and purchased too from others, even in a lawful way, which are for no other end defired but to feed fome luft? If our defires be not regulated by reafon, neceflity, or expediency, they are but finful luftings. This finful humour in the hearts of men and women, has produced many trades and inventions in the world, which had never been known if man's nature had not been corrupted. And these are maintained and encouraged, by people's care to gratify their lufts, their vanity, pride, fenfuality, c. Whereas if they walked ftrictly by neceflity

and expediency, according to religion and reason, there would be no more ufe for them than there is of a third wheel to a cart. From the beginning it was not fo. Therefore furely the heart is diftempered, and these the diforderly motions.

2dly, When the defire fets people on unlawful means to procure them, it is a luft. Though it be lawful to have one's neighbour's fervant, his ox,

c. they may be thine lawfully; yet if thy defire fet thee on underhand dealing to rob him of his fervant, to cheat or wheedle him out of his ox, &c. it is coveting of them with a witness. And this luft of covetousness thus acting keeps the world in a continual ferment, fo that no man is fure of another, For hardly is there a bargain made, but both buyer and feller labours to get fomething for this luft, as well as for his neceffity and expediency. And what wonder is it, that one who has running fores in his hand, leave some marks of them on every thing he touches? Such is our cafe by natural corruption.

3dly, When the defire, though it fets not on unlawful means, yet is too eager after what is another's. This finful eagerness discovers itself several ways, all here forbidden; as,

(1.) When people cannot wait with ease the time they are to get the thing; but the feverish defire makes them uneafy, as Rachel was with the defire of children.

(2.) When they are overjoyed with the enjoy ment of it, as Jonah was with his gourd. And indeed it is hard to joy, and not overjoy in any thing that is not God or grace.

(3.) When they are fretted and discontented at the mifling of it, as Ahab was, who, for ought appears, had no mind to seek Naboth's vineyard but for money, till his wicked wife put it in his head; but he was fretted for the want of it.

(4.) When they cannot be fatisfied without it, out must have it, though not truly neceffary, coft

what it will, as Efau was fet for the red pottage that his brother had. This makes a price that they call the price of affection, which often is nothing elfe but the price of unreasonable fancy, which must be gratified at any rate.

4thly, When the defire fingly goes out after fomething that Providence has put out of one's reach, though the man has no mind to feek it, nay would not have it, if it were offered him. This feems to have been David's fin, when he longed, and faid, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! 2 Sam. xxiii. 15. Some think this was a gallant foldier's wish, as if he had faid, O that we could drive the Philiftines garrifon out of Bethlehem! Some of the old Rabbi's think it was a pious wifh, and that David longed for the Meffiah that was to break out there. But it seems to be a finful wifh, as both the word, which is used Prov. xxi. 26. He coveteth greedily all the day long, and the pointing in the original, feem to carry it. The weather was hot, and he was thirfty, and a violent fancy took him to have a drink out of the well of Bethlehem, where he had often drank in his young days. But I cannot think that ever he meant, that any body should go fetch it at that time, ver. 17.; but his men feeing the humour he was in, ventured. Thus luft breaks out, and guilt is contracted, many ways. The eyes fee fomething that is not ours, and the heart fays, O that it were mine! without any defign about it. Something that God' has locked up from us in providence, and the heart yearns after it, faying, O that I had it! Something we hear others have got, a good gift, bargain, or match, and the heart fays, O that it had fallen to my fhare! and many fuch things, all without any defign, They are inordinate defires and luftings, for they ftill imply a coveting, and a diffatisfaction in fome fort with our lot, which the holy law can never allow.

In all these cafes the defire of what is not ours is a luft, a finful, inordinate motion, to what is our neighbour's.

Further, to trace this luft and lufting of the heart forbidden in this command, though it is as impoffible for me to follow it in its feveral turnings and windings, as to tell the motes that appear where the beams of the fun are fhining in a room. fides the actual fulfilling of lufts (Eph. ii. 3.) in deeds which they drive to, which belongs to other commands, there are other things forbidden here, viz.

Be

1. Luft in the fruit fully ripe, though not fallen off in the act. That is, when the luft is not only confented to and refolved upon, but all the measures are laid for bringing it forth into action. As Haman's luft of revenge, when he had got the king's fealed letters for the deftruction of the Jews; Jofeph's miftrefs's luft, when the caught him, and faid, Lie with me. This fometimes Providence blafts when come to all this ripenefs, as in those cafes, against the perfon's will. That is before God much alike as the finful action itself. Sometimes confcience blafts it, fo that the perfon fuddenly retires as from the brink of a precipice, which he was going to throw himself over. That is before God as wanting but a very little of the fin completed. And, according to the nature of the thing, it will be very bitter in penitent reflections on it.

2. Luft in the fruit unripe. That is, when it is confented to for action, but the means of fulfilling it are not deliberated upon. Thus people, in the hurry of a temptation, are carried fo far, that, their hearts fay within them, they will do it. Then luft hath conceived, Jam. i. 15. When it is brought this length, a little more will bring it to the birth. But though it never come farther, it leaves as much guilt on the foul, as will make a fick confcience.

3. Luft in the bloffom. That is, when though it

is not confented to for action, yet it is confented to in itself, and fpreads in morofe delectation as they call it, or abiding delight in the luft. That feems to be the luft efpecially meant Matth. v. 28. Whofoever looketh on a woman to luft after her, hath committed adultery already with her in his heart. O what guilt is contracted this way, even by the wandering of the defire (Eccl. vi. 9.), which the perfon has no mind to gratify by action! Thus the covetous man lufteth, and heaps up riches and wealth to himself in imagination; the proud man lufts, and heaps up honour, &c. the revengeful, &c. And all that the luft feeds on here is but mere fancy, airy nothings, which perhaps never had nor does the man really expect will ever have a being. This is luft dreaming, for which a confcience will get a fearful awakening; though ftupid fouls pleafe themfelves in it, that it does ill to no body, nor minds ill to them.

4. Luft in the bud. That is the first rifings of luft, even before the confent of the will to them; the first openings of particular lufts, fometimes not regarded nor noticed, and fo neither approved nor difapproved; and fometimes checked in their very rifing, Rom. vii. 15. But however it be, they are fins here forbidden, though the Papifts will not allow them to be fo, more than Paul in his unconverted ftate: I had not known luft, except that the law had faid, Thou shalt not covet, Róm. vii. 7. Who can number thofe that are ftill fetting up their heads in the corrupt heart, as naturally rifing from it as ftench from a dunghill, or weeds and thifiles from the curfed ground? Thefe are luftings in embryo, whereof fome are formed, others not. They are happieft in this world that crush them in the bud; but happieft of all when they do not fo much as bud; but it is fo in heaven only.

Lastly, Luft in the feed. The feed itfelf is the corrupt nature, original fin, of which afterwards.