A02178:4000
The works of the reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…The workes of the reuerend and faithfull seruant af Iesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…
The works of the reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. Richard Greenham, minister and preacher of the Word of God collected into one volume: revised, corrected, and published, for the further building of all such as love the truth, and desire to know the power of godliness. By H.H.The workes of the reuerend and faithfull seruant af Iesus Christ M. Richard Greenham, minister and preacher of the Word of God collected into one volume: reuised, corrected, and published, for the further building of all such as loue the truth, and desire to know the power of godlinesse. By H.H.
London: printed by Thomas Snodham and Thomas Creede for William Welby, 1612London: printed by Thomas Snodham and Thomas Creede for VVilliam VVelby, 1612
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
CHAP. IX. Of Covetousness, and the desire of Riches.
CHAP. IX. Of Couetousnesse, and the desire of Riches.
There are many which can be content to make Jacobs vow, that is, if they have meat, drink, and clothing, they will serve God, but they go upwards still in their worldlike accounts, and downwards in heavenly1 things, they rise from tens to scores, from scores to hundreds: they will not go downward with Abraham, they will have thousands of sheep, else they be but poor: they will have Nab•oths vineyard with Ahab, and dwell alone, else they be sick. Thou hast set up the heavens2 high, saith the Prophet, else surely rich men would have all the use of them, & leese them too. So nothing can satisfy mans desire which is infinite, but God, who infinite. And if he have all the riches in the world, he will desire more. A very unnatural3 desire is this (as the dropsy in desiring drink) when the desire proceeds from fullness, for a man should desire that which he wanteth. The mind of a man is not filled with corporal things, no more then a chest can be filled with wisdom or spiritual things. But presuppose4 that riches could fill a man: if we had all wealth, all riches, all apparel; we put not our wealth in our minds, our clothes do us no good, but when they are upon us. The possessing of riches doth not so fully possess the heart, but that it can desire a thousand things more.
THere are manie which can be content to make Iacobs vowe, that is, if they haue meate, drinke, and cloathing, they will serue God, but they goe vpwards still in their worldlike accounts, and downwards in heauenly