OfRjchesand theirabufe. 407 CHAP. 60. Of andtheir abufe. Iches and finne haue fomeaffinitie,in regard whereofChrift faith, in a compaflion of their miferie whom wefo wonder at , Ohhow ricbm;frie of hard a thing is it forarich man to enter into theI¿ingdome of heatien? Adding (which theworld condemneth for a hard Ipeech,) Thatit is aseafiefor4Cable togne through thetieofaneedle,&c. ariacal- Lech riches thornes,forewarningvsthat wehandlethere wcll,iealt we beprickedwith thë. They are evilcómonly in eithergetting, uses a °nq5 di- or inkecpping,or invfrng,or in lowingthere. It is an oldpprouerbe among ttièheatben,therichman is either vniuft hintfelforhisfa poi aires. ther. Marke themill Steward in theGofpel, thegorgeousRich-man , the Glutton that promifedto himfelfe aboundance for many yeeres , who poffe fed it notmany honres. When Chrift catechilèd the Richrnan, bee wentawayfadly.. Hee calles riches the Mani- wonofiniquitie,Matth. S . Thegiorieofamans houle,Pfal.37. The bleflingon the left hande,Pronerb.3. And thefatneffeoftieearth,isas wellthe bleflingof Efauasof laçob. Demos loved theworld, Paul loved not the world. Efayponce andSobnah rich. I put the qucftion to the verielt reprobate, and let himaniwere me; whetherEfas benot nowwife, and Sobnah be not a foole. Alas whatwill itprouteaman tohoordvpany thing in fuel' a herrttim cbeft,asinfouredayeswill ftinke? What ifa man can reioycein his wicked riches fenen- rnafhorrttme. tieyeeres, when bee.fhall begrimed for them feuenhundred tboufandyerres, when they (hallfay to the rnountaines fallon vs, and tothe Gilles court vs? z Riches dinime oureyes asaeloude,that wecannot fee farre with them,andonemay Holt, richer are well fay Ponertiehashllaineathoufand,but riches bane llainetennethouland . They are abufed,and . very vncertaine, theypromife that whichthey cannot performe, neither canthey affoord hoar,,many a contented minde. A'man will fay, Oh,if I couldget fomany Furres, I fhould bee very warme, and yet his locate commeth from hisbodie; fo manie will fay, if I had manie m= b v, y farines, I fhould bee well contented, when as a contented minde commeth from the anddeceive Lorde.' TakeCiuetand rubbe aBeggars cloake with it, it will make the cloáke lweete; vr rubbe Velvet with it, and it will flame it. Likewifetake riches, andgioie them to a poore Simile. man, and they will refrefh him, glue them to one already rich, and theywill furcharge him. They are not the water of life alwayes flowing, but they areas the brookes ofAra. simile. bia which are molt drie, when onefhould molt neede them for water. And they beeas Simile. Spiders webbes , whichwhen theywaxe great, are (wept away with a beefome , and them eyther thou perifheftfrom them, as did the richman, or theyperilh from thee,aswee may fee in lob. Arc thou rich inmoney, thou art in daunger of theeues? Art thou plentifullin bouifehold fluffy,thou art indaunger of fire ? Haft thou much golde , the raftloth venim itand dace? Is thine apparellgorgeous ,thouhaft theMothtliineenemie? Haft thou much eattell, thoufeareß rottenneffe, iu inarchandifePirates feare thee, in husbandrie blafting hindered, thee? Thus the Lorde of Hoftes bath let anholt of enemies againft all worldly thingswbatfoeuen iWben the ice is frozen, onemay walke on itfora time, but when the Sunne comineth, it mclteth, andlarch things perifh loaner then they grow, Inmomenta arder; quaddincrefcebat lignum. TheTemplewas deftroyed in fourtie and fixe homes,that was to long inbuilding. 3. Thelefeaccolantwee makeofearthlie thinges, and the moreaccount of heauenly things, thehiker we.are tohaue them,for worldly things muftbe to craned, as wefirft glue Ho"' base them to God,and then willtohale them ifit pleafehim,as David didwhenhe was driven both earthly outofhis ki lam,&Abrahamwhêhewasread tofacriflcehisSouaheonehadhasking-. andbeauenly y riehec. db reftored,teotherhadhis Songiuen himagain.But whenwe defireearthly things grit- dily,Sc care lisle forhcaueniy,theLord withdraweth them fróhischildren,to teach them to fceke
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