many to advantage themselves five shillings will indamage another five hundred pounds and to gain five pounds will indanger the losing of three whole Kingdoms yea when once men are bewitcht with the love of money as Judas was a small matter would hire them to sell Christ himself were he now on the earth to be sold A resolution to be rich is the fountain of infinite evils yea Covetousness is the Index or Epitomy of or rather a Commentary upon all sin and wickedness Name but covetousness and that includes all the rest as being a sin made up of many such bitter ingredients All vices rule where gold reigns at least that heart which hath once inslaved it self to this sin may be wrought by Satan to any thing Justice is the mistress of all vertues and the truest tryal of a good man but the covetous heart is a very mint of fraud and can readily coyne falsehoods for advantage upon all occasions And as it is the root or cause of all evil so it is the rot or main hinderer of all good Covetousness is the grave of all goodness it eats out the very heart of grace by eating grace out of the heart Rom. 1. 29. When Avarice once gets admission into the heart it turns all grace quite out of doors as where salt grows it makes the ground so barren of all other things that nothing else will breed therein this is the cursed devil that mars all Covetousness No such impediment to conversion and salvation as it as for instance Ministers wonder that their Sermons take no better that among so many arrows none should hit the mark but God tells us the reason Ezek. 33. they sit before thee and hear thy words but their hearts go after their covetousness ver. 31. Whence is is that you may see swearers drunkards adulterers c. weep at a sermon where as you never saw the covetous shed a tear be the Doctrine never so dreadful Oh this golden devil this Diana of the Ephesians doth a world of mischief it destroyes more souls then all other sins put together as the Apostle intimates 1 Tim. 6. 10. Whence it is that we shall sooner hear of an hundred Malefactors contrition at the gallows then of one covetous Misers in his bed The Children of Israel would not beleeve Samuel that they had sinned in asking a King before they saw a miracle from Heaven even thunder and rain in wheat harvest which was contrary to the nature of that Climate and then they could confesse it and repent 1 Sam. 12. 17 18 19. But the covetous are in Pharaohes case whom neither miracles nor judgements could prevail withall and of whom God speaks to Moses in this manner See that thou speak all the words and do all the wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in thine hand but I will harden his heart and he shall not let the people go Exod. 7. 1 2 3 4. And certainly they of all others are the men to whom these ensuing Scriptures are applyable Go and say unto these people ye shall hear indeed but you shall not understand ye shall plainly see and not perceive make the heart of this people fat make their ears heavy and shut their eys lest they see with their eys and hear with their ears understand with their hearts and convert and he heal them Isa. 6. 9 10. They would none of me nor hear my voice so I gave them up unto the hardness of their heart and they walked in their own counsels Psa. 81. 11 12. Go up unto Gilead and take balm O Uirgin daughter of Egypt in vain shalt thou use many medicines for thou shalt have none health Jerem. 46. 11. The precious stone Diacletes though it have many excellent soverainties in it yet it loseth them all if put into a dead mans mouth so are all means ineffectuall that are used for the recovery of the covetous as is well imployed in those words of Abraham to the rich Glutton Luk. 16. 29 30 31. our Saviour expresly affirmeth that it is easter for a Camel to go through the ey of a needle then for a rich man that is a covetous rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Luk. 18. 25. and the Apostle That no covetous man can look for any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God Eph. 5. 5. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Such an ones doom is set down Deut. 17. 12. That man that will do presumptuously not hearkening unto the Priest that standeth before the Lord to minister there that man shall dye saith the Lord And again Prov. 29. 1. He that hardeneth his neck when he is reproved shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy implying that there is no hope of such a man and indeed he that despiseth Moses law dyeth without mercy as the Apostle concludes Heb. 10. 28. A covetous man is like a sick patient that cannot spit whom nothing will cure or like a crackt Bell for which there is no other remedy then the fire or like one that hath the plague tokens who as is conceived is past all hope and for whom all that can be performed is to say Lord have mercy upon him Deut. 17. 12. Pro. 1. Heb. 10. 28. which makes Musculus say that Divines shall reform this vice when Phisicians cure the gout which is incurable Our Mithologists tell us of many strange metamorphoses of men turned into beasts by Circe Our Poets tell of Licaon turned into a Wolf but when a ravenous Oppressor repents and turns pious and mercifull there is a Wolf turned into a man yea a Devil turned into a Saint Whence the Holy Ghost speaking of Zacheus and his conversion brings it in with an ecce behold as if it were a wonder that Zacheus a covetous man should be converted as let me referre it to the experience of the spirituall Reader Did ye ever know or hear of three such covetous extortioners as Zacheus was that repented and made restitution as he did no for if you should it were as great and as rare a miracle as if at this day the Turk Pope and K. of Spain ware at once perswaded to forsake their Idolatry and Superstition CHAP. XX AND yet it is no wonder if we consider the reasons For First the coverous man is an Atheist one that like Davids fool sayes in his heart there is no God the Mamonist is like Leo the tenth Hildebrand the Magician Alexander the sixth and Julius the second who were all meer Atheists who thought whatsoever was said of Christ Heaven Hell the day of judgement the immortallity of the soul c. to be but fables and meer impostures dreams toys and old wives fables and being Atheists that beleeve not a Heaven Hell or day of judgement when every man shall be rewarded according to his deeds be they good or evil what hope is there of their conversion or salvation or how should they not preferre temporal things before
Nor do I know any beast like him save Pharaohs seven lean and evill favoured kine and to them he is very like For when his large and greedy conscience hath devoured or eaten up many Customers or Clients estates as they did the seven fat and well favoured kine yet it cannot be known by any reall amendment that he hath eaten them but in his food raiment satisfaction of his mind c. he is as ill favoured as at the beginning He doth not more lock up his goods from the theis than from himself So that I cannot more fitly compare him to any thing than to an Idoll for as an Idoll hath eyes but sees not so he hath a reasonable soul but understands not And most just it is that he who is unjust to all others should be most unjust to himself And as a covetous man is good to no body so he is worst of all to himself It is the depth of misery to fall under the curse of Cham a servant of servants divitis servi maxime servi no thraldom to the inward and outward bondage too So that if there be any creature miserable it is the miserable miserly muck-worm and yet he is least to be pitied because he makes himself thus miserable Now this may move wonder to astonishment that they should take such care and paines and cast away their soules to heap up riches and when they have done to be never a penny the better for them Yea what can any wise man think of them are they not stark mad are they not fooles in folio What take so much care and paines indure so much greif sting of conscience losse of credit deprive themselves of heaven damn their own soules to get wealth and when they have got it not to be the better for it yea they are lesse satisfied and contented than before meanlier accommodated than mean men and could this possible be so if God did not give them their riches in wrath nor would he otherwise deny them the use of their own for the wise man hath given it as a rule That to whom God hath given riches as a blessing he also giveth him to eat and drink and to take pleasure and delight his soul with the profit of his labours wherein he travelleth under the sun for which see Ecces 2. 24. and 3. 12 13. and 5. 17 18 19. and 8. 15. And so you have one particular to prove what I promised But CHAP. VII SEcondly To this is added as another judgement let the ingrateful merciless miser have never so much he is never the more but the lesse contented As how many have mighty estates their houses full their shops and ware-houses full their coffers full their purses full and their pastures full and yet as if their hearts were bottomlesse that is still as lank and empty through an excessive desire of more as if they did indeed want all things The Cormorants desires are rather sharpened by injoying and augmented by possession For wishing still his wishes never cease But as his wealth his wishes still increase To shew that covetous men belong to hell after they dye they are like hell while they liue Hell is never filled and they are never satisfied covetous men drink brine which increaseth thirst rather than quenches it And though the devil should say to them as he said to our Saviour touching the whole world and glory thereof all these will I give thee though he needs not offer them all for they will serve him for less yet all would not content them no more than heaven it self contented Lucifer For as the rich glutton in hell desired a drop of water and yet a river would not have satisfied him for if his desire had been granted in the first he would have required more and then more to that never ceasing to ask never having enough nor being the better when he had it so it fares with the covetous man his abundance no more quencheth his lust than fuell does the flame For as oyle kindleth the fire which it seemes to quench so riches come as though they would make him contented but they make him more covetous And is not this thy very case that art covetous No man more happy in respect of outward things then thy self couldest thou but see it thou hast all things that heart can wish and shouldest thou but come to want what thou now injoyest and thinkest not worth thanks when it were past thou wouldest say thou wast most happy and after a little misse wish withall thine heart thou hadest the same again yea a world for such a condition and content withall Onely the devill by Gods just permission bewitches thee to think that thou hast not enough when thou hast too much and more than thou needest or knowest what to do withall Nor is it possible for a worldling to be contented for whereas naturall desires are soon satisfied those that are unnaturall are infinite Hunger is soon apeased with meat and thirst allayed with drink but in burning Feavers quo plus sunt potae plus sitiuntur aquae they still love amore concupi scentiae never amore complacentiae If covetous or ambitious men ever feel content in these transitory things it is no otherwise then as itching soars do in clawing and scratching fingers And indeed how should intemperate desires be satisfied with increase according as they are replenished when these appetites are not capable of satiety Men in this case are like poysoned Rats which when they have tasted of their bane cannot rest untill they drink and then can much less rest till they drink again swell and burst Covetousness is like the disease called the Woolf which is alwayes eating and yet keeps the body lean A moderate water makes the Mill goe merrily but too much will not suffer it to go at all Secondly another reason is Nothing can fill the heart of man but he that made it The heart shall be satisfied with gold when the body shall be contented with winde The whole world is circular the heart of man is triangular and we know a circle cannot fill a triangle Yea if it be not filled with the three persons in Trinity it will be filled with the world the flesh and the devil The heart is the seat or receptacle of spiritual things and the things of the world are corporal and carnal Now carnal and corporal things can no more fill our hearts then spiritual things can fill our Coffers Visible light will not cleer the invisible understanding nor will corporal food feed the soul Blessed are they sayes our Saviour who thirst after righteousness for they shall be satisfied Mat. 5. 6. not they that thirst after riches or honor or pleasure for instead of being satisfied they thirst more Yea these Mammonists are so infinite in desiring that could such a one swallow the whole earth that swallows all and will swallow him ere long it might choak him but not satisfie him
as abundance of examples that I could give you sufficiently prove namely Alexander and Crassus and Licinius and Marcus Crassus and Ahab and Haman c. But CHAP. VIII THirdly to this is added as a further judgement that as the more he hath the more he coveteth so the neerer he is to his journeys end the more provision he makes for it Other vices are weakned with age and continuance onely covetousness and that odious sin of drunkenness grows stronger As the covetous wretch increaseth in yeers so he increaseth in covetousness What Pline writes of the Crocodile is fitly appliable to the miserly muckworm other creatures grow up to their height and then decay and dye onely the Crocodile grows to her last day The aged worldling though he have one foot in the grave yet his appetite to and persute of gain are but new born Yea though he hath out-lived all the teeth in his gums the hairs of his head the sight of his eyes the tast of his palate have he never so much yet he hath not enough and therefore would live to get more and covets as if he had a thousand generations to provide for He so lives as if he were never to dye and so dyes as if he were never to live again He fears all things like a mortal man sayes Seneca but he desires all things as if he were immortal Had it not been for sin death had never entered into the world and were it not for death sin especially the Misers sin would never go out of the world Lust is commonly the disease of youth ambition of middle age covetousness of old age And Plautus maketh it a wonder to see an old man beneficent But what saith By as covetousness in old men is most monstrous for what can be more foolish and ridiculous then to provide more mony and victuals for our journey when we are almost at our journyes end Wherefore remember thou O old man yea O remember that your Spring is past your Summer over-past and you are arrived at the fall of the leaf yea winter colours have already stained your head with gray and hoary hairs Remember also that if God in justice did not leave you and the Prince of darkness did not blinde you and your own heart did not grosly deceive you you could not possible be so senceless as you are in these three last mentioned miseries Thus three of the covetous mans woes are past but behold more are coming for God inflicts more plagues upon him then ever he did upon Pharaoh I 'le acquaint you only with seven more CHAP. IX FOurthly his thoughts are so taken up with what he wants or rather desires for he wants nothing but wit and a good heart that he not once mindes or cares for what he hath as you may see in Abab 1Kings 21. 4. and Haman Hester 5. 13. and Micha Judges 18. 24. What the covetous man hath he sees not his eyes are so taken up with what he wants yea the very desire of what he cannot get torments him and it is an heart-breaking to him not to add every day somewhat to his estate besides not to improve it so many hundreds every yeer will disparage his wisdom more to the world then any thing else he can do as I have heard such an one allege when I have told him my thoughts about perplexing himself But see the difference between him and one that hath either wit or grace whose manner it is even in case of the greatest losses to look both to what he hath lost and to what he hath left and instead of repining to be thankful that he hath lost no more having so much left that he might have been deprived of But sottish sensualists have a duller feeling of many good turns then of one ill they have not so sensible a feeling of their whole bodyes health as they have of their fingers aking nor are they so thankful for twenty yeers jollity as displeased for one dayes misery Whereas an humble and good man will see matter of thankfulness there where the proud and ingrateful finde matter of murmuring And so much of the fourth particular onely let me add as a sure rule He that in prosperity is unthankful will in adversity be unfaithful CHAP. X. FIftly the Devil by Gods just permission prevails by his temptations to make them think that the forbidden fruit is the sweetest of all fruits as he did our first parents Nor will any other content him each thing pleaseth him better that is not his own And as Publius observes other mens goods are far more esteemed by him Plines Woolf is a true emblem of this avaritious beast whose nature it is when he is eating his prey though never so hungry if he sees another beast feeding to forsake that which he is about to take the prey from the other Ahab was such a Wolf who could not content himself with his own though he injoyed a whole kingdom but he must wrest Naboths inheritance from him The commandment is express Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors house thou shalt not covet thy neighbors wife servant Ox Asse nor any thing that is thy neighbors Exod. 20. 17. and all that fear God observe it but nothing more cross to the grain of a wicked mans heart to whom stoln waters are most sweet and hid bread the most pleasant Prov. 9. 17. For one so insatiably covets after another mans estate or office that he is never the better for his own Another so loves his neighbors wife that he even loaths and contemnes his own Thy neighbors wife to thee to him thines fairest sayes the Poet Hence hath that cursed speech issued from one too great to name That he could love his wife above any other if she were not his wife a word sufficient to rot out the tongue that spake it Solomon was a wise man and had tryed all things Oh that men would be so wise as to take his counsel and injoy their own with joy and gladness of heart drink waters out of their own Cistern and rejoyce with the wife of their youth so as her brests may satisfie them at all times and they be ravisht alwayes with her love rather then deprive themselves of that happiness by inbracing the bosom of a stranger and coveting that which is anothers Prov. 5. 15. to 21. Oh that thou wouldst be convinc'd that thy present condition what ever it is is the best for thee hadst thou but the wit to see it and that onely good use gives praise to earthly possessions that there are no riches comparable to content for this is the gift of God then surely thou wilt not much remember the dayes of thy life because God answereth the joy of thine heart Eceles. 5. 17 18 19. But no matter they love misery lose the comfort of their own brest and all outward blessings together with the tuition of God and they shall have it for he that makes
providence and if ever he sustaines losse he will never forget it He writes benefits received in water but what he accounts injuries in marble And for this his great ingratitude God gives him riches but withdraws his blessing For as Jacob gave Ruben a blessing but added thou shalt not be excellent Gen. 49. 4. so God gives the worldling riches but sayes thou shalt not be satisfied He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver Eccl. 5. 10. Yea no man more unsatisfied for let him have what his heart can wish he is not yet pleased like the Israelites who murmured asmuch when they had Mannah as when they had none Secondly the merciless Miser never sued or sought to God for his riches neither does he acknowledge them as sent of God but ascribes the increase of his means to his wit and industry Nay he dares not pray the Lords prayer forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors left he call for a curse upon himself Nay if he be as probably he is an Usuerer then in respect of other men he hath no need to pray at all for as one observes Each man to heaven his hands for blessing reares Onely the Us'rer needs not say his prayers Blow the winde East or West plenty or dearth Sickness or health sit on the face of earth He cares not time will bring his money in Each day augments his treasure and his sin Or admit he ever calls upon God his prayer is that some one may dye that he may have his office or break his day that the beloved forfeiture may be obtained His morning exercise being onely to peruse his bonds look over his baggs and to worship them as Marcus Cato worshipped his grounds desiring them to bring forth in abundance and to keep his Cattel safe And as touching hereafter if he shall finde in his heart to pray God will not hear him Prov. 1. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord Prov. 21. 27. What hope hath the hypocrite saith Job when he hath heaped up riches will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him Job 27. 8 9. When you shall stretch out your hands saith God to such I will hide mine eyes from you and though you make many prayers I will not hear Isa. 1. 15. God will turn him off to his gold and silver for help as he did Jehoram to the Prophets of his Father and the Prophets of his Mother 2 Kings 3. 13. And it is but just and equal that those which we have made the comfort and stay of our peace should be the relief and comfort of our extremity If our prosperity hath made the world our God how worthily shall our death-bed be choaked with such an exprobration If God do answer such an ones prayers it is as Archelaus answered the request of a covetous Courtier who being importuned by him for a cup of gold wherein he drank gave it unto Euripides that stood by saying Thou art worthy to ask and be denied but Euripides is worthy of gifts although he ask not And indeed good men many times receive gifts from God that they never dreamt of nor durst presume to begg which others extreamly strive after and go without As it is feigned of Pan that it was his good hap to finde out Ceres as he was hunting little thinking of it which none of the other gods could do though they did nothing else but seek her and that most industriously Now if he neither prayes to God for what he would have nor gives him thanks for what he gives nor desires a blessing upon what he receives viz. that he may be content and satisfied therewith How should God bestow this great blessing of contentation upon him and a true use of his riches Thirdly he cares not for grace but for gold therefore God gives him gold without grace He longs not after righteousness but riches therefore he shall neither be satisfied nor blessed whereas both are their portion that thirst after the former Mat. 5. 6. He desires riches without Gods blessing he shall have it with a curse he loves gold more then God and desires it rather then his blessing upon it or grace therefore he shall have it and want the other Whereas if he did first seek the kingdom of heaven all things else should be added thereunto Mat. 6. 33. But this worldlings appetite stands not towards the things of a better life he findes no tast in heavens treasure let him but glut himself on the filthy garbage of ill-gotten goods he cares not for Manna He sings the song of Curio vincat utilitas let gain prevail he had rather be a sinner then a begger The Apostle Saint Peter said silver and gold have I none Act. 3. 6. The devil says all these are mine Luk. 4. 6. The Rich man I have much goods laid up for many years Luk. 12. 19. Now ask the covetous muckworm whether had you rather lack with those Saints or abound with the devil and the rich man his heart will answer give me money which will do any thing all things Eccles. 10. 19. Now if he prefers gold before either God grace or glory no marvail if God grant him his desires to his hurt as he did a King and Quailes to the Israelites CHAP. XIIII FOurthly he puts his trust in his riches not in God loves serves Satan more then God therefore he shall have his comfort reward from them and not from God Yea Satan shall have more service of him for an ounce of gold then God shall have for the Kingdom of heaven because he prefers a little base pelf before God and his own salvation He loves God well but his money better for that is his summum bonum yea he thinks him a fool that does otherwise What part with a certainty for an uncertainty if he can keep both well and good if not what ever betides he will keep his Mammon his money though he lose himself his soul And yet the Lord gives far better things for nothing then Satan will sell us for our souls had we the wit to consider it as we may see Isa. 55. 1 2. Again he loves his children better then the Lord oppressing Gods children to inrich his own for so his young ones be warm in their nest let Christs members shake with cold he cares not He loves the Lord as Laban loved Jacob onely to get riches by him or as Saul loved Samuel to get honor by him He will walk with God so long as plenty or the like does walk with him but no longer he will leave Gods service rather then lose by it That the Mammonist loves not God is evident for if any man love the world the love of God is not in him 1 John 2. 15. yea the two poles shall sooner meet then the love of God and the love of money Nor is this all for he not onely loves Mammon more
refused a great sum of money sent him by Pirrhus albeit he was so poor that when he dyed his daughtets were married at the common charge of the City Apollonius Tianeas having divers rich gifts sent him by Vespasian refused thē saying They were for covetous-minded men and for those that had need of them which he had not Socrates being sent for by Archelaus to come to receive store of gold sent him word that a measure of flower was sold in Athens for a peny and that water cost him nothing Themistocles finding rich bracelets of Pearl and precious stones lie in his path bade another take them up saying Thou art not Themistocles Anacreon the Philosopher having received from Policrates a great reward of ten thousand Duckets soon after repented himself for he entred into such thoughts and was so vexed with fear care and watching for three dayes and three nights that he sent it back again saying It was not worth the pains he had already taken about it Democritus the Philosopher of Abdera having learned of the Chaldeans Astronomy and of the Persians Geometry returned to Athens where he gave infinite wealth to the City reserving only a little Garden to himself Crates to the end that he might more quietly study Philosophy threw his goods into the Sea Crates the Thebane delivered a stock of money to a friend of his upon condition that if it should happen his children proved Fools he should deliver it unto them but if they became learned and Philosophers then to distribute it to the Common people because said he Philosophers have no need of wealth Which examples I could parallel with many mentioned in the Word as Jacob Gen. 28. 20. and Samuel 1 Sam. 12. 3. and Job Chap. 31. 24 28. Moses Numb. 16. 15. Jer. 15. 10. Agar Prov. 30. 8. Abraham who would not receive so much as a shoe-latchet of the King of Sodom Gen. 14. 21 22 23. David who refused to have the threshing-floor of Araunah except he might pay to the full for it and whose longing was not after the increase of corn wine and oil but for the light of Gods countenance Psal. 4. 6. 7. Yea he more valued Gods Word then thousands of gold and silver Psal. 19. 10. and 119. 14 127. Elisha refused Naamans rich present of gold and costly garments though so freely offered and so well deserved 2 Kings 5. 16. Saint Paul in his greatest need was as well content as when he had the most plenty and rather chose to work at his trade then he would be chargeable to any Phil. 4. 11. He coveted no mans silver nor gold Acts 20. 33. it was only the saving of souls that he thirsted after 2 Cor. 12. 14. Zaccheus when he was once become a Christian was so far from desiring more that he was all for dimishing what he had for he gave one half to the poor and with the other he made four-fold restitution Luke 19. 8. And the like might be shewen of all the Apostles and lastly of our Saviour Christ To all which I might adde examples of many in this age and of that that went before it As Sir Thomas Moore Sir Julius Caesar The Lord Harrington Bishop Hooper Mr. Bradford Martyr Reverend Mr. Fox that wrote the Book of Martyrs Master Wheatley Minister of Banbury Doctor Taylor and others that are yet living were it fit to name them that have but a small portion a poor pittance of these earthly enjoyments in comparison of what others have and are not pleased with all even just enough to make even at the years end living frugally yet are they so contented that they desire no more nor would they change their private and mean condition with any men alive be they never so rich never so great Nor wouldst thou think it probable their hearts should deceive them if thou knewest what offers they have refused And I doubtnot but there are many such in the land Nor can it be thought strange that Gods children whose affections are set upon heavenly things should be so content with a little that they desire no more when we read of one Esau that could say I have enough my brother keep that thou hast to thy self Gen. 33. 9. Yea if it fared so with the Heathen for the love of that wisdome and vertue which shall have no reward because they wanted faith and saving knowledge how much more should Christians who have a more sure word of promise then they had 2 Pet. 1. 19. with Mary make choice of that better part which shall never be taken from them Luke 10. 41 42. True worldly mindes think no man can be of any other then their own diet and because they finde the respects of self-love and private profit so strongly prevail with themselves they cannot conceive how these should be capable of a repulse from others Nature thinks it impossible to contemn honour and wealth and because so many souls are thus taken cannot believe that any would escape But let carnal hearts know there are those that can spit the world in the face and say Thy gold and silver perish with thee Acts 8. 20. That had rather be masters of themselves then of the Indies and that in comparison of a good conscience can tread under foot with disdain the worlds best proffers like shadows as they are and that can do as Balaam said If Balack would give me his house-full of silver and gold I cannot go beyond the commandement of the Lord Numb. 24. 13. Elisha and Gehazi looked not with the same eyes upon the Syrian treasure but one with the eye of contempt the other with the eye of admiration and covetous desire Two men see a Masse together one is transported with admiration and delight the other looks upon it with indignation and scorn one thinks it heavenly the other knowes it blasphemy CHAP. XXV NOw why are godly Christians so content with a little that they desire no more certainly they could be as rich as the richest and as wise for earthly things as they are for heavenly As when Thales was upbraided that all his wisdome could not make him rich setting but his minde to it he saw by study that there would be a great scarcity of oil which in the time of plenty he took up upon credit and when the want came by his store he became exceeding rich as Laertius relates but they are better pleased with a competency then to trouble themselves to get or indeed to desire an opulency The Christians reasons are these First they consider that as a shoe fit is better then one either too big or too little for one too big sets the foot awry and one too little hindereth the going so a mean estate is best Better is a little with the fear of the Lord then great treasure and trouble therewith Prov. 15. 16. A ship of great burthen and heavy laden comes with great labour and difficulty and with much a