The trades-man's calling being a discourse concerning the nature, necessity, choice, &c. of a…

(3.) The Tradesman ought to watch against Covetousness, as a Sin most repugnant to Contentedness, as is plain in the Scripture before mentioned, Heb. 13. 5. By Covetousness I mean here, An unsatiable desire of Riches; when a Man will be rich, or else thinks he cannot be happy. And this restless Desire when it is kindled in the Tradesman's Heart, perpetually torments him; and he hath no content in what he hath, for the longing he hath for more. This makes him grudge himself Conveniences, scant his Family of Necessaries, forget the Poor, and neglect his precious Soul to get Money: grasps after the Shadow, and loses the Substance. Now what a madness is this? Do Riches make a Man more wise, more holy, more cheerful, more happy any way? but only that, when they are rightly got, they more enable a Man to do good. And do you in very deed desire them for this end? why do you not then, do some good with those you have? I take God to witness to my Conscience, (said good Mr. Tyndale in the Book of Martyrs) I desire of God to my self no more in this World, than That without which I cannot keep his Laws. I know you aim at Satisfaction; Every Man's mind would have Satisfaction, but that will never be got by increasing your Estate, but only by abating your desires. You may as well content your selves ⟨p. 178⟩with a moderate, as with a vast Estate. As Cyneas told Pyrrhus, when he was boasting how he would conquer Rome, and then Italy, and then Sicily, and then Carthage; to whom Cyneas, And what will ye do then? O then, says he, we'll feast and be merry: Why so, says he, you may do now every whit as well, without all this Pain and Danger.

(3.) The Tradesman ought to watch against Covetousness, as a Sin most repugnant to Contentedness, as is plain in the Scripture before mentioned, Heb. 13. 5. By Covetousness I mean here, An unsatiable desire of Riches; when a Man will be rich, or else thinks he cannot be happy. And this restless Desire when it is kindled in the Tradesman's Heart, perpetually torments him; and he hath no content in what he hath, for the longing he hath for more. This makes him grudg himself Conveniencies, scant his Family of Necessaries, forget the Poor, and neglect his precious Soul to get Money: grasps after the Shadow, and loses the Substance. Now what a madness is this? Do Riches make a Man more wise, more holy, more chearful, more happy any way? but only that, when they are rightly got, they more inable a Man to do good. And do you in very deed desire them for this end? why do you not then, do some good with those you have? I take God to witness to my Conscience, (said good Mr. Tindal in the Book of Martyrs) I desire of God to my self no more in this World, than That without which I cannot keep his Laws. I know you aim at Satisfaction; Every Man's mind would have Satisfaction, but that will never be got by increasing your Estate, but only by abating your desires. You may as well content your selves