The young man's guide through the wilderness of this world to the heavenly Canaan…

Consider, I beseech you, how little good your wealth can do you? Can it free you from cares? Can it lengthen your days? Can it keep you from the Dropsy, Fever, Gout, or other bodily Diseases? Can it preserve you from death, or obtain the pardon of your sins? You may indeed procure the Popes pardon, but will God sell you a pardon for money? Had you all the wealth in the World, it could not purchase Heaven for you, nor free you from hell▪ no nor procure you a drop of water to cool your tongue, or quench your thirst there. O who would lay out himself wholly upon that which cannot help him in his greatest distresses! Riches avail not in the day of wrath.

Consider, I beseech you, how little good your wealth can do you? Can it free you from cares? Can it lengthen your dayes? Can it keep you from the Dropsie, Feaver, Gout, or other bodily Diseases? Can it preserve you from death, or obtain the pardon of your sins? You may indeed procure the Popes pardon, but will God sell you a pardon for money? Had you all the wealth in the World, it could not purchase Heaven for you, nor free you from hell▪ no nor procure you a drop of water to cool your tongue, or quench your thirst there. O who would lay out himself wholy upon that which cannot help him in his greatest distresses! Riches avail not in the day of wrath.

I beseech you therefore in the name of Christ, to cast out this Worldliness, and cherish it no longer: know it will prove a Murderer of your souls; it will cheat you ⟨p. 130⟩of everlasting happiness, and entice you into Hell by pretences of profit and advantage. It is observable, that we […] not in all the Scripture that any Saint was guilty of this sin, of setting his heart upon the World, and seeking immoderately after earthly riches. We read of Aaron's Idolatry, Lots Incest, Noah's Drunkenness, Davids Adultery, Peters denial of his Master. But where do you read in Scripture of any Saint that was overcome with this sin? It is not to be denied, but that as the seeds of all sin are in the best of men, so likewise the seeds of this sin: but that any Saint was given up to the power thereof, we do not read. How should this consideration stir you up to a greater watchfulness against the same?