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The young man's guide through the wilderness of this world to the heavenly Canaan…
The young man's guide through the wilderness of this world to the heavenly Canaan showing him how to carry himself Christian-like in the whole course of his life / by Tho. Gouge ...The young man's guide through the wilderness of this world to the heavenly Canaan shewing him how to carry himself Christian-like in the whole course of his life / by Tho. Gouge ...
London: printed by S. and B.G. for Nevil Simmons, 1676
THE Young Man's Guide. › Chapter 24: Of Moderation in seeking after Riches
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.
Be wise, O Young Man; if thou hast no more Grace, yet learn more Wit than thus intensely to mind, and immoderately to seek after earthly things, which when thou hast them, cannot add one Cubit to thy contentation. It is God alone that can satisfy the otherwise insatiable heart of man. That Soul that seeketh contentment in any thing below God, is like to have the same success with that unclean Spirit, which sought rest in dry places. The full Bags, or Barns, will be as empty things as his dry places; thou mayst seek rest in them, but wilt find none.
Be wise, O Young Man; if thou hast no more Grace, yet learn more Wit than thus intensely to mind, and immoderately to seek after earthly things, which when thou hast them, cannot add one Cubit to thy contentation. It is God alone that can satisfie the otherwise insatiable heart of man. That Soul that seeketh contentment in any thing below God, is like to have the same success with that unclean Spirit, which sought rest in dry places. The full Bags, or Barns, will be as empty things as his dry places; thou mayst seek rest in them, but wilt find none.
4. Consider that worldly riches, as they are unsatisfactory, so unprofitable, yielding little profit to those who have ⟨p. 132⟩most of them, Matth. 16. 26. What will it profit a man, though he gain the whole World, and lose his Soul? As he assuredly will, who sets his heart more upon gold, than upon Grace and Godliness: and seeketh more earnestly after worldly things, than after an interest in Christ, after the light of Gods Countenance, and the assurance of his loving favour.
Suppose a man have an affluency of this Worlds goods, yet what profit or privilege hath he above him that enjoyeth but a competency? A little will be enough to a prudent mind, and enough is a feast. When thou hast the most, what wilt thou have more than for Food and Raiment, out of all thy store? For what's over and above, thou must be Accountant to thy Lord and Master at the Great Day, how and where thou hast bestowed it for him.