Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Of the caution, to be obf rued in the right vfe ofriches. 2 2 a ing riches are thornes let vs not fuddenly catch hold of them, left they wound our hands, but take hold ofthem daintilie,and with great warineflè. Thirdly,wee mutt feeke Pro.27.20. j them with quiet and contented minds,and tea fatisfied with 30.15. that proportion which God alotteth vnto vs ; and not feeke after them, with an vnfatiable appetite, which the more it hath,the more it coueteth, like thofe who are ficke of the dropfie,who the more they drinke, the more they thirft ; or like the horfeleaches, the graue and hell, of which Salomon fpcaketh,which crie,giue, giue,and are neuer fatisfied. But ofthis I (hall fpeake more afterwards. Laftly,wemutt affe6t the attaining ofriches onely by fuch meanes as are lawful!, and warranted in the booke ofGod; that is, we muff feeke them in a lawful! calling, and by honeft courfes, not at all coueting them, when as we cannot thus attaine veto them. In the former refpedt it is required, that we hue in a lawful! calling,and therein that we get ourriches, and not by play- ing, gaming, and filch like courfes,condemncd by the lawes of God and men. Neither mull we labour after wealth, by incroaching vpon other mens callings; for it is not lawful! for a minifterto inrich himfelfeby following the calling of private men, no more then it is lawful! for them, to inrich themfeluesbytaking vpon them the calling of aminifler. But eucry man ought to abide in that vocation wherunto he is called ofGod,as the Apoflle requireth.And for the other, r.Cor.7.:0., we ought in this lawfullcalling,to vfe oncly Iawfullmeanes to attaine vitro wealth, expeo`ting and waiting for Gods bleffing vpon them, and not after the fa(hion of the world, vfe thofe which are wicked and vnlawful,when thofe which are lawful! faile. As for example, wee mull auoid violence, wrong, oppreflion, extorfion,crueltie,as alto all manner of fraude,deceit,and craftiecourfes, whereby wee circumuent c and endamage others,to.inrieh our felues. For as the Tonne of Syrach faith, Riches are good to bon that hath no fnne in his 'Eiclef.t 3.z r. confcience, and the rich man is blefèe(açhichis foundlbuhout and3t.8; . blemi/h. Whereas contrariwife,thofe who feeke to compaffe riches by euil] courfes,what doe they elc but flee fromGod, aadfeeke tohut their Wires fatisfied by the diuell? What doe.