or winter and more before ten then after threescore There are graves of all fizes and likewise sculls in Golgotha as sayes the Hebrew proverb One dies in the bud another in the bloom some in the fruit few like the sheaf that comes to the barn in a full age Men may put far from them the evil day but they may finde it neerer then they are aware of Revel. 22. 12. The pitcher goes oft to the water but at length it comes broken home The cord breaks at last with the weakest pull as the Spanish proverb well noteth The tree falleth upon the last stroke yet all the former strokes help forwards A whirl-winde with one furious blast overturneth the greatest and tallest trees which for many years have been growing to their perfect strength and greatness so oftentimes the thrid of life breaketh when men think least of death as it fared with Saint Lukes fool who promised himself many years to live in ease mirth and jollity when he had not one night more to live Luke 12. 19 20. For when like a Jay he was pruning himself in the boughs he came tumbling down with the Arrow in his side John the 22th prophesied by the course of the Stars that he should live long but whilest he was vainly vaunting thereof the Chamber wherein he was fell down and bruised him to pieces His glasse was run when he thought it but new turned And the Axe was lifted to strike him to the ground when he never dreamed of the slaughter-house And whether thy soul shall be taken from thee this night as it fared with him formerly spoken of thou hast no assurance the very first night which the rich man intended for his rest proved his last night Nor was there any more between Nabals festival and his funeral then ten or a dozen dayes 1 Sam. 25. 38. And could any thing have hired death to have spared our forefathers they would have kept our possessions from us Neither is this all for if thou beest wicked and unmerciful thou hast no reason to expect other then a violent death for which see Job 24. 24. Psal. 37. 10 11. Job 36. 11 12. Psal. 37. 37 38 39. 55. 23. Prov. 12. 27. Great trees are long in growing but are rooted up in an instannt The Axe is laid to the root Matth. 3. 10. down it goes into the fire it must if it will not serve for fruit it must for fuel And what knowest thou but God may deal with thee as Mahomet did by John Justinian of Geneva who having taken Constantinople by his treason first made him King according to promise and within three dayes after cut off his head God may have fatted thee with abundance on purpose to send thee to the slaughter-house Nay why hath God spared thee so long as he hath probably not in love to thee but for some other end As perhaps God hath some progeny to come from thee As for good Hezekiah to be born his wicked Father Abaz is forborn Why did Ammon draw out two years breath in Idolatry but that good Iosia was to be fitted for a King Many sacrilegious extortioners Idollaters c. Are delivered or preserved because God hath some good fruit to come from their cursed loynes However thou canst not look to live many years The Raven the Phenix the Elephant the Lyon and the Hart fulfill their hundred yeares But man seldome lives to four score and thou art drawing towards it Besides the last moneth of the great yeare of the World is come upon us we are deep in December And that day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night for when thou shalt say peace and safety then shall come upon thee sudden destruction as the travel upon a woman with childe and thou shalt not escape as the Apostle speaks 1 Thess. 5. 2 3. That nothing is more certain then death nothing more uncertain then the houre thereof That this only is sure that there is nothing sure here below and that if we were owners of more land then ever the Devil proffered to Christ yet when death shall knock at our door no more can be called ours then the ground we are put into needs no more proof then experience See Psal. 37. 35 36. But Ninthly and lastly a godly mans desires are fixed upon the riches of the minde which being once had can never be lost The which Saint Augustine only counted true riches The wise and godly are of Pythagoras his minde who being asked why he cared no more for riches answered I despise those riches which by expending are wasted and lost and with sparing will rust and rot They are of Stilpons judgment who used to say All that is truly mine I carry with me They desire not so much to lay up treasure for themselvs upon earth but to lay up for themselvs in Heaven as their Lord and Master hath commanded them Matth. 6. 19 20. What saith the Apostle Let not covetousness be once named among Saints Ephes. 5. 3. As if that world which many prefer before Heaven were not worth talking of All worldly things are but lent us our houses of stone wherein our bodies dwell our houses of clay wherein our souls dwell are but lent us honours pleasures treasures money maintenance wives children friends c. but lent us we may say of them all as he said of the Ax-head when it fell into the water 2 Kings 6. 5. Alass they are but borrowed Only spiritual graces are given of those things there is only a true donation whereof there is a true possession worldly things are but as a Tabernacle a moveable heaven is a mansion Now put all these together and they will sufficiently shew that he is a fool or a mad man that prefers not spiritual riches which are subject to none of these casualties before temporal and transitory And so at lenght I have shewn you what it is not and what it is to be rich And I hope convinced the worldling that the richest are not alwayes the happiest Yea that they are the most miserable who swim in wealth wanting grace and Gods blessing upon what they do possesse while that man is incomparably happy to whom God in his love and favour giveth only a competency of earthly things and the blessing of contentation withall so as to be thankful for the same and desire no more I will now in discharge of my promise acquaint you how of poor melancholy and miserable you may become rich happy and cheerful CHAP. XXVIII THe which I shal do from the Word of God Nor need it seem strāge that for the improving of mens outward estates I prescribe them rules and directions from thence For would we be instructed in any necessary truth whether it be Theological concerning God Ecclesiastical The Church Political The Common-wealth Moral Our neighbours and friends Oeconomical Our private families Monastical Our selves Or be it touching Our Temporal estate
thee a better way to grow rich and happy The second is that if thou beest not wanting to thy self if thou wilt but observe those rules and directions which I shall produce from the mouth of God who never yet deceived the trust of any that had the wit or grace to confide in him and obey his Precepts thou shalt become of poor and melancholy both rich and happy Wherefore be at leasure to hear what I shall say and call your best thoughts to counsell touching this great business CHAP. I. NOw for the better discharge of what I have undertaken you may please to take notice that a poor and melancholy man is like a City infested with too Enemies the one forraign the other domestick which can never injoy peace and safety unless the one be kept out and the other cast out or which is better both subdued The domestick or in-bred enemy to be cast out is Melancholy the forraign foe to be kept out is Poverty of these two I will chuse to set upon the last first and the rather for that this being kept out or vanquisht the other will the sooner yeild or with more ease be overcome Touching Poverty for that error in practise proceeds many times originally and dangerously from errour in judgement and because a sound mind and a right understanding of things will much advantage a man in the obtaining and injoying of a good and happy estate for the one layes the foundation as the other raiseth the walls and roof and lastly because this discourse may inrich the soul settle the heart and with Gods blessing change the will as well as increase wealth an ignorant rich man being no better than a sheep with a golden fleece that so God in all may have the glory I will first shew what it is and what it is not to be rich and then acquaint you how of poor you may become rich As touching the first of these it is to be observed that most men are much mistaken in judging who are poor and who are rich as strongly perswading themselves that a man is so much the happier by how much the more he is wealthier which is as gross a delusion as possibly can be for there are some cases wherein men are never the better for their wealth and others again wherein they are much the worse as thus God giveth to every man a stock or portion of this worlds goods as well as of grace and wisdom more or lesse to occupy withall yea I perswade my self there are few men that have not once in their life a golden opportunity offered them whereby if they neglect it not they may live comfortably all their dayes and to him who is thankfull and useth the same well viz. to Gods glory and profit of himself and others he giveth more as to the servant which used his tallents well he doubled them but to such as are unthankful and abuse the same to their own hurt and Gods dishonour or distrustfully hoord it up he either taketh from them that which he had formerly given as he took away the od talent from the servant which had but one and did not well imploy the same Luke 19. 24. Or else which is worse he gives them all outward blessings without his blessing upon them and then they were better mist than had and will do them more hurt than good Eccles. 5 13 Or thirdly which is worst of all he bestowes riches upon them in wrath as he gave a King to the Israelites and Quailes of these severally and in order Onely it will be necessary that I first give you an account in breif how sordldly and ingratefully they deal with God that so you may the better see how God again requites and payes them back in their own coin without the least tincture of injustice or severity CHAP. II. GOD hath bestowed more blessings upon many men than they have hairs on their heads yea God hath given them far larger portions of this worlds wealth than he hath done to millions of their brethren they so grow and increase in substance as if they had found out the Philosophers stone and had the art to turn copper into gold or as if with Thales they had the faculty to fore-see what commodities will be cheap and what dear and the more God hath bestowed upon them the greater is their debt of thankfulness and the greater their duty of obedience But alass They are like the hog that acornes feed upon But never look up from what tree they come Or they more regard the gift than the giver as Martia Catoes daughter found it to fare with her Suitors who being asked why she did not marry made answer that she could not meet with a man that would love her more than hers Perhaps they will profess they love God and afford him a kind of verbal thanks so resembling the Elder-tree whose slour is more worth than all the tree besides Or Nazianzons Country of Ozizala which abounded with gay floures but was barren of corn for their thanks is a meet complement and their lip-love no other than self-love as any one may see by these few signs As observe but how easily they are moved at their own injuries how patient at Gods let their own credits or riches be troubled they rage like Lions let Gods honour be questioned they are as tame as Lambs If the aspersion of scandal lights upon their names there is sute upon sute from Court to Court all to begger the raiser of it let the Lords dreadful name be blasphemed they are so far from spending a penny that they will not spare a sillable like Jonah they are more moved for the losse of their gourd than for all Nineveh which could not be if they did in the least love God or were thankful as they say they do and are Yea it were well If this were the worst if they were onely negative if they did return nothing for all the loving kindness of God and good they have received from him for they return evill as may not God say to these I mean all unholy and unmerciful rich men as Sarah spake to Abraham concerning Hagar I have given thee mine handmaid and How I am despised in thine eyes And commonly this is the return that rich men make to God for as oftentimes he who lendeth money unto his friend looseth both money and friend too as Seneca observes so fares it between God and the ingrateful As our stomacks are usually worst in summer so are our appetites to grace-wards weakest in time of prosperity and peace And as the Moon when she is fuller of light is still farthest from the Sun so the more wealth men have the farther commonly they are from God Too much rankness layeth the corn and trees overladen with fruit are their own ruine God hath thrown away a little white and red earth upon thee and thou art like some vain Whiffler that is proud of
doe is brought in if it want ballast and lading there is great danger of overturning but a light Pinace indifferently freight comes along swiftly and is brought to the harbour with much ease Nor do the godly wise desire more then they can wield in which they resemble Aristippus who when a servant in journeying with him was tyred red with the weight of the money which he carried bid him cast out that which was too heavy and carry the rest whereas the covetous man is like Arthipertus King of the Lombards who flying from Asprandus his enemy and being to swim over the River Tesino to save his life took so much gold with him that he both drowned it and himself with it Secondly the poor and mean have a deeper sense of Gods fatherly care and providence in replenishing them at all times of need even beyond imagination or expression then others have that know not what it is sometimes to want whiles wicked mindes have their full scope they never look up above themselves but when once God crosseth them in their projects their want of success teaches them to give God his own We should forget at whose cost we live if we wanted nothing And doubtless one bit from the month of the Raven was more pleasing to Elijah then a whole Table full of Ahabs dainties Nothing is more comfortable to Gods children then to see the sensible demonstrations of the divine care and providence as is promised Prov. 3. 6. In all thy wayes acknowledge him and he shall direct thy wayes The godly man wearies not himself with cares fears have he but from hand to mouth never so little for he knows he lives not at his own cost He considers what Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 5. Cast your care upon the Lord for he careth for you verse 7. He remembers what our Saviour saith Matth. 6. observes the same and never doubts of the performance so he takes no thought for to morrow what he shall eat or what he shall drink or wherewith he shall be clothed but applauds his own happiness knowing that he who feedeth the fowls of the Air and arrayeth the Lillies of the field will be sure to feed and clothe them that are his sons and houshold servants Matth. 6. 25 to the end Luke 12. 22 to 33. Levit. 26. 3 to 14. Phil. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 7. Psal. 55. 22. Besides as there are intercourses of sleeping and waking of night and day of fair weather and foul of war and peace of labour and recreation that each may set off the other so God findes it meet by a sense of want to humble us and by supplying our wants to fill us with joy and thankfulness Ptolomie King of Egypt going a hunting lost his way and could get no better fare then a course brown loaf in a Shepherds house but this he said seemed sweeter and better to him then all the delights that ever he ate or met with before Content in want is plenty with an over-plus The giver of all things knows how to dispence his favours so as that every one may have cause both of thankfulness and humiliation whiles there is none that hath all nor any one but hath some Thirdly God in mercy not seldome keeps his children from riches and abundance lest they should choak and wound them for they are snares and thorns Matth. 13. 22. Indeed riches are a blessing if we can so possess them that they possess not us There can be no danger much benefit in abundance all the good or ill of wealth or poverty is in the minde in the use But this is the misery Plenty of goods commonly occasions plenty of evils How many had been good had they not been great Divers have changed their mindes with their means neither hath God worse servants in the world then are rich men of the world if adversity hath slain her thousands prosperity hath slain her ten thousand Commonly where is no want is much wantonness and as we grow rich in temporals we grow poor in spirituals Usually so much the more proud secure wanton scornful impenitent c. by how much the more we are enriched advanced and blessed They spend their days in wealth therefore they say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes and what is the Almighty that we should fear him Job 11. 13 14 15. CHAP. XXVI FOurthly men in a middle condition are mostly more merry and contented then others that surfeit with abundance Who so melancholy as the rich worldling and who more merry then they that are poorest I have read of a rich Land-lord that envied his poor tenant because he heard him sing every day at his labour yet had scarce bread for his family while himself wanting nothing was full of discontent One advised him to convey cunningly into his Cottage a bag of money he did so the tenant finding this mass so great in his imagination left off his singing and fell to carking and caring how to increase it Crescentem sequitur cura pecuniam The Land-lord fetcheth back his money the Tenant is as merry as ever he was Which shews that there is no riches comparable to a contented minde as Plutarch is of opinion That there are poor Kings and rich Coblers as wise Solon seemed to insinuate to the King when he was vaunting of his greatness For it was Iris a poor beggar that he told Croesus was the happiest man in his Dominions And when King Agis requested the Oracle of Apollo to tell him who was the happiest man in the world expecting to hear himself nominated the answer was Aglaion who was a poor Gardiner in Arcadia that at sixty years of age had never gone from home but kept himself and his family with their labour in a fruitful plot or garden as Livius relates Pyrrhus opened himself to his friend Cineas that he first intended a war upon Italy and what then said Cineas then we will attempt Cicile and what then then we may conquer Carthage and Affrica and what then said Cineas Why then quoth Pyrrhus we may rest and feast and sacrifice and make merry with our friends to which Cineas replied as every servant of God would do in the like case and may we not enjoy all this sweetness now and that without all this ado But natural men are mad men Yea were great men though good men but asked the question their consciences could not but acquaint us if they would speak out that true contentment seldom dwels high whiles meaner men of humble spirits enjoy both earth and heaven However not a few of them have freely acknowledged it as I have largely related in my second Part of Philarguromastix Wherefore be pleased ô God to give me a contented minde and then if I have but little in estate I shall have much in possession Fiftly mean ones with their poverty misery ignominy are often saved whiles others with their honour