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Observe here, A dehortation, or negative precept, Let your conversation be without covetousness.
By conversation, we are first to understand the disposition of the mind, then the actions of the life, both ought to be free from all inordinate love to, and endeavours after, more of this world than God is pleased to give unto us.
By covetousness, we are not to understand, as if a provident and prudential care for the things of this life were forbidden, or as if all endeavours to maintain our right to what God has given us were unlawful; but by covetousness is meant an eager and unsatiable desire after, accompanied with restless and unwearied endeavours for the things of this life, proceeding from an undue valuation of them, and an inordinate love unto them.
Learn hence, That as all sin in general, so covetousness in particular, is inconsistent with a Christian conversation, according to the gospel. No sin at this day doth more stain the glory of Christianity than this doth. Alas, the profligate lives of debauched persons, their blasphemies, adulteries, drunkenness, and such like, do not half the mischief to religion which this sin doth, because the persons guilty of it pretend to religion, which the other concern not themselves with.
Observe, 2. A positive injunction, Be content with those things that you have.
Contentment is a gracious disposition of mind, whereby the Christian rests satisfied with that portion of the good things of this life which the wisdom of God assigns him, without complaining of the little which God gives to him, or envying the much which God bestows on others. Yet know, that contentment with what we have, is not consistent with, nor exclusive of, an industrious diligence, and an honest moderate care to increase what we have, for ourselves and families. Honest industry is the command of God, and he has given us six days in seven for the exercise of it: but it is utterly exclusive of all covetous desires, of all anxious cares, of all priding ourselves in, and boasting of, what we have received, contemning and despising others, a vanity which men of weak minds are only guilty of.
Observe, 3. The argument to enforce the duty; For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. The words are a promise, a promise of God, a promise of his presence and providence to assure us of both, and that he will never leave us.
He uses five negatives, I will not leave thee, I will not, I will not, I will not forsake thee.
Where note, That the vehemency of the expression, by the multiplication of the negative particles, is both an effect of divine condescension, and gives the utmost security to the faith of believers, that God will be present with them, and comfortably provide for them; so that the words are a strong reason to dehort from covetousness, and to exhort to contentedness; for having God present with us, to take care of, and provide for us, we have all things in him, and a promise from him, that we shall not want any thing that is good and needful for us; only we must allow God this liberty, and give him leave to judge what is needful, and when it is needful.
Observe, 4. That though the foregoing promise is made to Joshua, yet the apostle applies it to all believers, and draws comfort from it: We may boldly say, the Lord is my helper.
Here note, That whatsoever promise is made in particular to any one believer, if there be not some special reason which confines and ties it to his person, every believer may apply it to himself. This promise which God made particularly to Joshua for his support under that great difficulty in conquering the land of Canaan, the apostle here applies to the case and state of particular believers: We may therefore boldly say, &c., believers have the same grounds that he had, may use the same confidence that he did, though our circumstances and his are not the same. All the promises of God's gracious presence made to the prophets and apostles of old, all believers may apply to themselves in their suffering state: We may boldly say, &c.