Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Of thecautious to be ohferued in the right vfe ofriches. 227 our corruption this abundance ofriches and wealth is the foundation and ground of many dangerous tentations; whereby Satan choketh in vs the feed of Gods word,wca- neth vs from the loue of heauen and heauenly things, puf feth vs vp with pride,and maketh vs forgetful! of God, and of all duties which we owe veto him.So that like as our bo- dies,whëthey exceflìuely abound with any humour,though it be neuer fo good in it fen, they are thereby call into de- fperatedifeafes,ifitbee not purged and abated ; fo it fareth with vs in relpec`l of our flares, for when they abound with fuperfluitie of thefc good things which are earthly and tem- porall,and are not abated by imploying them to good vies, they make our foules dangeroufly lick in finne,and betray them to bee ouercome by the tentations of the diuell. And therefore as the difcreet Merchant,though his wares be ne- uer fo good,fitteth his burthen to his fhip, not ouerloading it with more then it can well carrie,for feare left all fhould frnke; and ifa florme happen, is readie to lighten his (hip, by calling out a part of this alfo, that fo the refidue with himfelfe may efcape the danger; fo wee are to vfe the like wifedome,and not ouerburthen our mindes and foules,with a greater loade ofthefe earthly things, then they can well beare,but allow only vnto them a fit and competentpropor - tion;and ifSatan taking aduantage of our plentie, doe in- danger vs with the (formes of his tentatious,we are to cafe our felues by giuing part ofthat, which othfrwife we might well vfe, to the poore, to preferue our foules from fuffering íhipwrack,and fo (hall we not only faue the re(l for our own E cclef t r a. vfe,but cafling our wares vpen the face of theft waters,'re Jha1l after many dates finde them,with no fmall aduantage. And thus haue I (hewed that howfoeuer abundance is 4.Seci.6. good in it (elfe, yet in many relpe &1s the delire thereof is That it isvn hurtful l vnto vs. The which may further appeare by chele 1amfi ll f > vs"' reafons.Firft, becaufe riches are not abfolutely good,but in defire faperfai- refpediofthe end,or vfe, for which they are defired and pof -1te' felled, according to which end they are to be meafured and proportioned ; for thofe things which are good in refpe& of _ their end, are to be meafured according to this end. As for Q`2 example,