Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

48 a 'That worldly things are vnprofitable. riot and exceffe, that which they haue gotten with miferable niggardlineffe, feldome remembring their benefa6ìors,vn- leffe it be to ftout their follie, and inuey againft their fordi- dous auarice, the which they fo much hate and abhorre, ha- uing feene the wretched fruits ofit in their progenitors,that Si aueraa es, vfually they runne into the contrary extreame, and become non babes, f: asprodigallas they were niggardly, and fo within a while prodigus,non haue not that in poflflon, which the other had not in vfe. habcbn. So theSonneofS racssfaith that he utherethand era - Ectlefiaßieus y g f 14.4. peth by defrauding his owne foule, he gathereth for others, and x1n¡an & .xi, theylball)nakegood choerewith his goods.By all which it is eui- Tu. dent that mifersmay get much wealth, but no gaine or pro- fit, great (lore of riches, but no goods; for that onely is good veto vs, whereof we haue not the poffefíîon alone, but thevfe and fruition allo, whereas, like their bags, they haue onely the keeping of their money, and haue no good, but great hurt by it, whilefl (like them) they are worne out with care and labour, in getting and keeping it,and hautnocom.. fort by inioying it. And thusby this their iniferablenes, they make Gods gifts to be no benefits, and turne his bleflings in- to heauie burthens. So the Sonne ofSyrach faith, that riches Awe. tuxes%Svm are not good to a n ggard,and whatfhoaldan enajene man do with 1 4&x.7 &. money ?For that is only good and to be efleemed Gods bier Ec 14 lcfiaßicus fng, whereby we receiue good, and haue it in vfe and fruiti- on, as well as in culiodie and poffeffion : for fo the Pfalmilt Pfahnee1a8.a. faith, When thoueate&f thelabours of thine hands thou/halt 6e ficdef: 2.4 bleffed, and it fballbe well with thee.And thePreacher teatheth v43.12..13. vs, that there is no benefit toman in all he enioyeth, but that he eate anddrinke,and delight hisfoule with theprofit of his labour, andthat we haste this ofthe hand of God. And againe, I know that there is nothinggoodin them, but to reioyce, and to do good in his life, and alfo that emery man eateth anddrinketh, and feeth thocoanrnodirsie ofall his labour; this is the gift of God. Where- by he implieth, that it is a gift, and no gift, or a gift, and no- benefit, when Godbe(loweth goods, and not grace to vfe them for good purpofes,both by reioycing in their fruition, and by imploying part ofthem to charitable and pious vfes; yea rather thepofleffion ofriches without the vfe hurteth the owners,,