A14996:104
A caveat for the covetousA caveat for the couetous
A caveat for the covetous. Or, A sermon preached at Pauls Cross, upon the fourth of December, out of Luke. 12. 15. By William Whately, preacher of the word of God, in BanburyA caveat for the couetous. Or, A sermon preached at Paules Crosse, vpon the fourth of December, out of Luke. 12. 15. By William Whatelie, preacher of the word of God, in Banbury
London: printed by T. Snodham for Thomas Man, 1609
M. WHATELIES SERMON, PREACHED AT PAULS CROSS.M. VVHATELIES SERMON, PREACHED AT PAVLES CROSSE.
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.
As a tree that hath thick and large boughs, every man desires to lop him; besides that, the sidenes of his garment makes his own feet stumble: others also can more easily tread upon it, and give him a fall; But all this is nothing, a man might well either bear or prevent such troubles. There follows another rank of mischiefs out of the rankness of wealth, that are more pernicious to the soul and cannot so well be shunned.
As a tree that hath thick and large boughes, euery man desires to lop him; besides that, the sidenes of his garment makes his owne feet stumble: others also can more easily tread vpon it, and giue him a fall; But all this is nothing, a man might well eyther beare or preuent such troubles. There follows another ranck of mischiefes out of the ranknesse of wealth, that are more pernitious to the soule and cannot so well be shunned.
It breeds many noisome diseases to the soul.1 First it makes the soul very vainly and falsely confident. Men think themselves so much more safe, by how much ⟨p. 125⟩more rich, and cannot be content to have wealth, unless they do also trust upon it; as David on his hill, which yet deceived him. The rich mans riches is a strong tower to his imagination, saith Solomon; he takes himself as it were walled and moated about by them, though indeed he lie as open to danger as other men. Secondly, it swells the hart with loathsome pride,2 making a man think himself also so much the better, by how much, he possesseth more. This disease as well as the former, the Apostle notes, saying to Timothy, Charge them that be rich in this world, 3that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches: As if he had told us that these two maladies, false confidence and an haughty conceit of ones self, the pursiness of the mind, do so quickly ensue upon great possessions, that few or none escape them. None can miss them without many warnings, many earnest exhortations, nay, nor scarce with them. This wealth is like strong drink to a weak brain, which sends such hot and fuming vapours up into the same, that a man imagines he can hit the sky with his head, when he cannot