Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

232 Of the cautions to beobferued in the lawful! ofriche,, proud, becaufe he bath nothing to be proud of, beítyet feeking that which may fire /l him vp. Now God daub not regard the riches,6ut the desire and affellion, and itrdgeih him according to his concupifceace, whereby bee greedily gapeth after temporall t ings,andnut according to hisriches which he cannot compaff 4 ;Se,I t, And if we doe not thus fet our hearts and affeblions vp_ That we moil on our riches, then will diners others things follow there- be contented upon,which alto are required to the lawful' poffeffion of with our e- them. As firfl, that we be contented with our eflate,as be. flate,andbee in g that portion ti whichGodallottethvntovs &noire pine milling to , p _ lease our riches againflGods prouidence, becaufe -wee haue not a larger al- when Godta- lowance; for hee that doth not too much affea them;will i¿eth'bemaaay. not too much bewails their abfence, or bee difcontent be- caufe hee bath not abundance of that which he doth not s.Tim.6.8. much regard ; but as the Apoflle faith,hauing food and rai- ment will therewith refl contented. So alfo hauing abun: dance ofriches,if we doe not fet our hearts vpon them, then will we bee contentto leave them, when as God the chiefe owner calleth againe for them; if wee lightly- efleerne of themwhilefl we haue them,then wilwebutflightly mourne for thentwhen they leaue vs, neither (hall they take away any thing from vs but themfelues,leauingcontentment,ioy, and comfort, which we haue chiefly in God, behind them. And as we will not rcie6i them when we haue them, teeing they are the gifts ofGod, fo when they take them ro their wings,and flee away, we will looke after them with a quiet mind, and a careleffe countenance. An example whereof we lob3r,sÇ, baud nlo6; who, becaufe bee reioyced not when hie fubflance & capa ci. was great, and thhen his hand hadgotten much; therefore hee did not much grieue when they were taken away, but in his greatefi loft praileth the Lord. AsalfoiuPawl,who,be- r.Cor.9.3t. cattle bevfed this world as though he vfed it not, and effeemed Phil.3.y.8, all the bell things thereofbut as dung and loffe,in compari- fon ofChrifl and his benefits,therefore with eafe hce Cooke Phil.4,Ii.Iz. out that otherlef %n; in wh: efletefoeuer he was, there.rith-to be content. I can (faith he) be aba j -d, and I can abound euerie where in allthings I am inFl rulled, both to be full and to bebisn- grie,and to abound, and to haue *ant. Which who fopra &ife their