when he hath found the disease, like a skilful Physician, he goeth about to pick out the greedy worm which maketh men so hungry, and sets such a glass before them, that will make a shilling seem as great as a pound, a cottage seem as fair as a Palace, a plough seem as godly as a diadem, that he which hath but twenty pounds, shall be as merry as he which hath an hundred, and he which hath an hundred, shall be as jocund as he which hath a thousand: and he which hath a thousand: shall be as well contented, as he which hath a mission: even as Daniel did thrive with water and pulse,1 as well as the rest did with their wine and junkets. This is the ⟨image 3⟩virtue and operation of these words: if you hear them with the same spirit that Paul wrote them, they will so work upon your hearts, that you shall go away every man contented with that which he hath, like Zacheus, which before he had seen Christ,2 knew nothing but to scpane, but as soon as he had heard Christ, all his mind was set upon giving: this was not the first day that Zacheus seemed rich to others, but this was the first day that Zacheus seemed rich unto himself, when riches seemed dung, & Godliness seemed riches. Christ doth not will other to give all their goods away to the poor, as he bad the young man,3 to see what he would do, but he which forbade him to keep his riches, forbiddeth us to love riches, which makes our riches seem poverty,4 When ye contemn riches, ye shall seem rich, because no man hath enough but he which is contented: but if ye covet, and groan, and christ:5 as Jacob gave Reuben a blessing, but said thou shalt not be excellent, so God may give you riches, but he saith, you shall not be satisfied. For ye ⟨image 4⟩will be covetous until ye be religious. He that will have contentation must leave his covetousness in pawn for it. This is the spirit which we would east out, if ye will leave but this one sin behind, you shall depart out of the Church like Naaman out of Jordan, 6as if you had been washed, & all your sins sweep away like the seals from Pauls eyes.7 For what hath brought usury, and simony, and bribery, and cruelty, and subtlety, and envy, and strife, and deceit into this City, and made every house an Inn, and every shop a market of oaths and lies, and fraud, but the superfluous love of money?
when he hath found the disease, like a skilfull Phistian, hee goeth about to picke out the greedie worme whiche maketh men so hungry, and sets such a glasse before them, that will make a shilling seeme as great as a pound, a cottage seeme as faire as a Pallace, a plough seeme as godly as a diadem, that hee which hath but twentie poundes, shall be as merrie as hee which hath an hundred, and hee whiche hath an hundred, shall be as iocund as hee which hath a thousand: and he which hath a thousand: shall be as well contented, as hee whiche hath a mission: euen as Daniel did thriue with water and pulse,1 as well as the rest did with their wine and iunkets. This is the ⟨image 3⟩vertue and operation of these wordes: if you heare them with the same spirite that Paule wrote them, they will so worke vpon your heartes, that you shall goe away euery man contented with that which hee hath, like Zacheus, which before hee had seene Christ,2 knew nothing but to scpane, but as soone as hee had heard Christ, all his mind was set vpon giuing: this was not the first day that Zacheus seemed rich to others, but this was the first day that Zacheus seemed rich vnto himself, when riches seemed dung, & Godlinesse seemed riches. Christ doth not will other to giue all their goods away to the poore, as hee bad the yoong man,3 to see what he would doe, but he which forbad him to keepe his riches, forbiddeth vs to loue riches, which makes our riches seeme pouertie,4 When ye contenme riches, yee shall seeme rich, because no manhath inough but he which is contented: but if yee couet, and grone, and christ:5 as Iacob gaue Ruben a blessing, but said thou shalt not be excellent, so God may giue you riches, but hee saith, you shall not be satisfied. For yee ⟨image 4⟩will be couetous vntill ye be religious. He that wil haue contentation must leaue his couetousnesse in pawne for it. This is the spirite which we would east out, if ye wil leaue but this one sinne behinde, you shall depart out of the Churche like Naaman out of Ioraan, 6as if you had bene washed, & all your sms swepe away like the seales frō Paules eyes.
- 1Dan. 1. 12.
- 2Luke. 19. 8.
- 3Mat. 19. 21.
- 41. Tim. 6, 17.
- 5Gen. 49. 4.
- 62. King. 5, 14.
- 7Acts 9. 18.Actes 9. 18.
