Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

That worldly things cannotfatisfie or bring contentment. 429 man,is much worfe then thofe that are of poore efiate ; yea Surely herin thevery beafls are to be preferred before him;for they whé hunger inciteth thé hunt aftertheir prey,but when their flomackeisfufficiently filled, their appetite alfo refleth fatisfied, defining no more till againe hunger prouoketh them. But (as wee fay) the couetous mans eye is farre worfe thenhis bellie ; for when hee hath enough and too much in his pofheflion hee greedily hunteth after more, and is neuer fatisfiedfo long as he feeth any thing which is to be defined. To this purpofe one of theancients fpeaketh fitly. Couetouf- neße( faith he) the more it taketh from others and raketh Aaaritiaquo together, the more poore it is in it owneopinion ; it enuieth Ptara abítn[eria all men, and is vile to it felfe; it is poore, in abundance of eo magic ino_ riches; andneedie in affe6tion,when it is rich in poffef ion, dimómn ins It hath no meane in raking, becaufe it hath no meafure of nida,frbi vitir, defiring. It fo inflameth the mind, and feedeth his foule with &c.Ambrof de his fire, that it feemeth oncly in this to differ from lull, that Cain. & Abel. this lußteth after beautifull perfons,and that the beanie earth. lib.cap.s. T.4° It troubleth the elements, ploweth vp the fea, diggeth the earth, and with varietie ofwifheswearieth the heavens, be- ing thankfull neither for faire weather nor for foule; it repi_ ningly extenuateth the yeerely profits, and findeth fault with the fruits ofthe earth. Seeing therefore couetoufnefle is vnfatiable, Iet vs not 4.5`ec`tt.I T. feeke for fuflîciencie and contentment in earthly abundance, That it is in imagining that the more wee encreafe in riches, the fooncr vaineio feeke wefhall refifatisfied: for when our defines exceed meafure for ri. tment . wee cannot attaine vnto contentment by adding to ourcbescbes wealth, but by detra6ting from our concupifcence ; not by increafing -our riches, and filling our chefls with filuer and gold,butby diminifhing our greedyappetite,andemptying our hearts ofvnfatiable couetoufneffe.For as well may a man fill a fieue with water, or a bottomles purfe withmoney,as a couetous heart with fuffaciencie of riches. And therefore as his follie were rediculous, who fhould endeauour to fill a leaking or bottomleffe veffell ina ditch or pond, and not be- ing able to doe it,fhould carrie it to a full riuer,or the maine fea, becaufe the reafon why it cannot bee filled, is not in the quantity