The Righteous Mammon. 671 ~ upwith rhewind ofconceit, give me leave eo prick them a little; and firft, let me A cell rhemrhey may have much, and be neverthe berrer : The chiruney ovcr-lookes all the reftof rhe houfe, is it nor (for all r~.at) the very bafell peeceof the building? The very heathen man could obferve(7•M•,-, i &!,~•, &c.) ThJt God givesmJny ;~7' i'orql<tr aman wealth for rhcirgrcoter miiChiefe : As the lfraelires were rich in Qllailes, ~·fliol' #-(f)'- bur rheir fawce was fuch, thlt famioe had been better; little caufe had they robe hJt ir7v;.<: i!- proud that they were fed with meateofPrinces, with the breadofAngels, whiles p.«.T«,(}n. that which they pm inco theirmourhes, God fercht om of theirnollrils. HamaJJ Arifl. was proud chat h~ alone was called eo the honor of Efttrs feaft : this advancement raifed him fifty c•birshigher, eo a fl:arely gibber. lfyour wealrh be to any ofyou an occaGon offalling; ifyonr gold be turned inro fetters, it had beenb~tter for you to B have lived beggers. Lee me reil themnext, of the folly ofthiS pnde; They are proud ofthat,vhich isnoneoftheirs,Thacwh!ch law and cafe-divinity fpe.1k of life, that man is not dominN< vit.e flu:, Jed cuftos, IS as true ofwealth : Nature can tell SC'ftco him in the Philofopher, that he is notDomlnm, but CoiMus, not the Lord, butthe Farmer. It is a jufl:obfervation ofPhilo, that God only bya propriety is fliled rhe Pofl'elfor ofheaven and earth, by Melchifodcch in his fpeech to A6r4h4m; we are only Gcn.2.;. merenanrs, and chat at thewillofrheLord; Atrhe moft(if,YeW!!Ias Divines)we have jv 4d rei1J, not dominiMnJ i~ rem, right to rhefe emhly rhmgs, not Lordfhipover rh'm; but right offavorfrom their proprierarie and Lord in heaven, and char liable to accounr. Doe we nor laugh at rhe groome that is proud ofhis M;!fters horfe, or fame vainewhiffler, that is proud ofaborrowed chaine? So ridiculous are c wetobe pufrupwirhrhat, whereofwemufl:need>fay, with rhepooremanofche harcher,AI.u M•Jier,il is b•l borr•wed;& whereofour account fhall be fo much more great and difficult, as our receipt is more. HarhGod rherfore Jaded you with rhefe earrhlyriches? be ye like unto the fulleare ofcome, han~ down your heads in true humility toward that earth from which you came : And if your ftalke be fo fiiffe, that it beares up above the rell ofyourridge, lookeup to heaven,not in the thoughts ofpride, but in the humble vowes of rhankfulaelfe, and be not high-minded bur feare. Hitherto ofrhe hi?;h·mindednelfe char followes wealth;Now whereourpride is there will be our confidence: As the wealthy therefore may not beproud oftheir ri· And t b.Jl tiJt] ches, fo theymay norrrufl: in them: What is this rrull, burrhe ferting ofour hearts trNft r;or. D upon them, the placing ofour joyand contenrwem in them; in a word, them•king ofthemour befi fi'iend,our parron,our idoll, ourgod? This the true and jelousGod cannot abide, and yet norhigg ismore ordinary; The richmanswealth is hisjlrong Cilf, faith Sa/omvR: and wheore lbould aman rhinke himfelfe fafe,bur io his fort? He feesMammon can doe fo much, and heares him talke ofdoing fo much more, it is no m.rvell ifhe yeeld to trufl: him : Mammon is fo proud a boafter, that his clients which bdceve in him cannot chufe bur be c6fident ofhim; For what dorh he nor b"g to doe? Silver •ufwm all, faith Salomon. That we grant; although wewould be loath it could anfwer to truth, to jullice, ro judgment:But yetmore,he vaunrs to procureall, ro pacifie all, to conquer all; He fayes, he con procure all fecular offices, E tirles,dignicies, yea(I would I mightnot lay in feme facrilegious and perjured wrerches) rhefacred promotionsofthe Church: andye know that old fong of1hePope Klp't, and his Romane trafficke, Clavu, liltaria, chrifl•m : Yea, foolifh Mag•s makes full Alurs. accounr,rhe Holy Oholl himfelfe may be had for mony: He fa yes he con pacific all ; Cbrifl. Agift in the bofomeapptafos rr>rath; yea, he filyes(looke to it ye that ficin the fears of judicature) he can fometimes bribeofffinnes, and pervert judgment : He fa yes he can overcome all, according to the old Greekeverfe, Fightrr>ithflverl4ncu a11d ~p)vpt«"'f 1'"ca,not faile of vi!Jory; yea,hewould make usbeleeve he rhou~ht this abait to "')'ltcn catch the Sonne ofGod himfelfe withal!, ( Jl/thefo will I give thee. ) Briefly hefayes ft">:.··&t. according to rhe French Proverb~, silver does 4/1, And letme reil you indeed,whu Mammon can doe; He can barrerhegaresof hell to the unconfcionable foule, and h~p his followers ro damnacion : This he can doe; but for other things,howfoevcr wnbusmen, the foolifh Silver-fmithsmaylhout out, Great isMammonofrhe worldlings
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