Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Of the cautions to be oGri rued in the lawfull vfe of riches. 2 31 fore to auoid prolixitie, I referre the reader to that place. and that ne dot Thirdly, to the lawfull poffeílion of riches, is required that soot /u our harts we doe not Pet our hearts and affeElions vpon them; but re- 'ilea shim. feruc them chiefly and principally for God and hcauenlie things; vfing these earthly riches as though wee vftd them not; and being contented to recline them, (as the pilgrmu i.Cur. 7.31. doth his ílaffe) fo long as they further vs in our heaueniie iourney,but dcfpifing and rcie6ting them, when they be- come hindrances and impediments. And this counfell the Pfalmifl giueth vs; If riches (faith hee) increale, fer not your Pfal.6zï1o. hearts vpon them that is, dot not dote vpon them with fontines of loue, aff ding them abone their worth and de- fert,and preferring thembefore Gods heauenly and fpiritual treafures; nor put any trufl andconfidence in thë, as though they werefuflïcient for preferuation and proteélion, feeing they are not onely weake and impotent, but allo incertaine r.Tim.s.t7.. and momentanie. And if wee onely giue them the keeping with this carcleffe regard,andintertaine them with Inch cold affeflions,theycannot hurt vs ; for not the pofleflion but the immoderate loue of them is condemned. To this purpofe t4ugufiine writing on thofeawords ;Ifrichesincreafe, /et not thequinon ha- your hearts on them, faith thus, He who hath notthis riches,let bet,non am. him not couetoufly feelZe them ; be that hath them, let himnot be hiat;is qui ha_ proud o them : or the P almi.fí tith not,fee a baue not riches, be f f .i f f y biar.d?e. but,doe not fet your hearts on them. He doth not condemne ri- Aug.in PfaLór ches,butthe heart weed to them, becaufe it is not willing to be- flow them,but hordetb andhideth them. And anotl'ier writing Bcda in gloff. vpon the twelfth of Luke, faith,tbat the rich man isnot repro- fuper Lue.tz. hended,becaufe he tilled bisgrounds,andgatheredhis fruiter into his barnes,but becaufe he didplace the confidence of his life vpon them,and diflributed them not to the poore,t hatfo he might baue been receiued into eternall habitations. On the other fide, it is polfible 3 a man may offend in Petting his heart vpon riches who neuer had them in his poffeílion, euen as hee may con - temne them that bath them in keeping. To which purpofe one faith : Thou ma fometime finde a rich man humble, rrho vfeth his riches, but putteth his *hole confidencein God: and Aug.inPfal. cantrariwife,a beggerpuffed vpwith pride, or therefore only not 135 .tom.8. 4 proud,