Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

434 That worldly things cannot fatisfie or bring contentment. galled confcience ? to haue goods, and no good by them ? to keepe that money which they haue gotten by painful! labor, with toiling care locking it vp, as ifit were a (hangers, and (as if it were theft) not daring to touch it, for thebenefit of themfelues, theirchildren,or friends: as though they had no other end ofkeeping it,but that others might haue no bene.. fit by it : and yet wretches that they are, they call there pof. fcftìons their goods, and by foie vertue of this iaylorfhip, they lay claime to the title ofgoodnes,as though they defer- ued to be called good men, becaufe they haue goods in pof- fcftïon, notwithftanding that they donor at all vfe them, for the good either ofthemfelues,or any others: but much more right haue they vino that title ofmifers,which is iulily allot- ted unto them,fceing ofall other men they are the molt mi.. ferable. And as they do by their wretched courfes bewray their miferie,foalfo their cxtrearne folly; for whereas wife men propound vino theinfelues ionic end of their labours, which is better then the painesit Idle; they either haue no end at all ofall their toile, or at leafs fuch as is fottifh and ri- diculous ; for the end oftheir gathering riches is to gather them,and therefore gathering for no end but for it felfe,they can makeno end of gathering. As though the foie end of their comming into nhc world were like harbingers and purueiours to prouide lodgings and good fare for others, and fo to depart without tatting of it:or to play thebailiffes, who haue nothing to doe ,but onely to gather the rents of large reuenues, that others may haue them ro fpend and en- ioy. And this foolifh vanity the wife man in his time obfer- Ecelef..4..8, ucd.There is one alone( faith he) and there is not afecond,tvhich bath neitherfonne nor brother, yet is there no end of alibis tra- ixe /, neither canhis -eye be fat isf:ed lbíth richer. Neither doth bee thinbe; for whom doe I trataell,anddefraudmyfouleofpleafure? 7 his alfoisvanity,and this is an twill tranell. Or if they haue anyends of their care and labour, they are foolifb and ab ford ;for either out ofa diftruftfìtll care of Gods prouldence they truftto theirowne, fcraping abundance together, left in.time to come they might be brought to want and miferie; orelk bet-auk attheir.death theywould be accounted great rich