212 The Evil and `Unreafonablenefs Va1, L prefent, and thinking that fufficient. A Covetous Man cannot enjoy the prefent, for fear of the future ; either out of fear that he (hall come to want, or out of a ficknefs and uneafinefs of Mind, which makes that nothing pleafeth him: But if we could bring our Minds toour Condition, and be contented with what we have, we Ibould notbe foeager and impatient after more. ThisConrentednefs with our prefent Condition doth not hinder, but that Men by Providence, and Induftry, and lawful Endeavours, may lay the Foundation of a more plentiful Fortune than they have at prefent. For provided a Man ufe no indite& and di(honeft ways to increafe his Eftate, and do not torment him- felf with anxious Cares, do neither make himfelf guilty, nor miferable, that he may be Rich ; providedhe do not negle& better things, to attain thefe ; and have not an infatiable "Appetite towards them ; provided he do not Idolize his Eftate, and fe, t his Heart upon thefe things ; and if he can find in his heart to en- joy them himfelf, and to be Charitable to others ; nothing hinders but that he may be contented with his prefent Condition, and yet takeall fair Opportunities which the Providence of God puts into his hands of enlarging his Fortune. It is a good Chara&er which thePoet gives of Arftippus, Omnis Arilfippum deceit color, &flatus È? res ; Tentantem majora, ferì prefentibus equuev, " Every State and Conditionbecame him; for tho' he endeavoured after " more, yet his Mind was always in a manner equal to his prefent, Condition. But if a Man be difcontented with the prefent, and reftlefs becaufe he bath no more, the whole World will not fatisfie him ; and if God' (hould raifehim from one/Stepto another, he would never think his Fortune high enough, and in every degreeof it would be aslittle contented as he was at firft. Our Saviour re- prefents this fort of Men by the Rich Man here in the Parable, who ,when,his Barns were full, and ready to crack, his Mind was not fill'd ; therefore he pulls them down and, bu lids greater ; and if he had lived 'till thefe hadbeen full, they mutt havegone down too, and he would fill have built greater. So that tho' he defigned when he had raifed his Eftate to fuch a pitch, to have fat down, and taken his cafe, yet his Covetous humour would have been firring again, and (till have fiept in between him and Contentment, and for ever have hindred him from arriving at it. III. By way of Dire&ion, I would perfwade thofe who are Rich, tobe Cha- ritable with what they have. If God hath bleft us with abundance, and we would not be like this RichMan here in the Parable, we muff lay out of our E- Dates, in ways of Piety and Charity, for the Publick Good, and for the private Relief of thofe who are in want ; for that is the Sárá?oouç, or Moral of the Para- ble ; fo is he that layeth up Treafuresfor himfelf, and is not Rich toward God. So fhall he be ; fuch an iffue ofhis Folly may every one expe&, (to be taken away from his Eftate before he comes to enjoy it) who layeth up Treafures for himfelf, but is not Rich towards God ; but does not lay up Riches with God. How is that ? By Works ofMercy, and Charity. This our Saviour calls laying upfor our felves Treafure in Heaven; Mat. 16. 2o. And at the 33d Verfe of this Chapter, he calls giving ofAlms, providing for our films bags which wax not old, a Treafure in the Heavens whichfaileth not : they whodo thus, who are Rich in good Works, ready to D?ribute, willing to Communicate, are faid to lay up for themfelves a good Treafure againfl the time which is to come, that they may lay hold on Eternal Life, r Tim. 6. 18,x9. Extrafortunam ell quicquid donator; " whatfoever we give to " the Poor is fafely difpofed, and put out of the reach ofFortune, becaufe it is " laid up in Heaven, wherewe may expe& the return and recompense ofit. Cha- rity to our poor Brethren is a certain way of tranfmitting our Riches into the other World, to make way for our reception there. So our Lord tells us, Luke 16. 9. Ifay unto you, make toyourfelves Friends of the Mammon ofVnrighteouf- nefs, that whenye fhallfail (that is) when ye fhall leave thisWorld, and the En- joyments of it, they may receive you into Everlafling Habitations. At
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