Meditations, Meditation 72
72
A setled and resolued purpose to bee rich, is the fountaine of infinite euils. For this resolution once being fixed, presently the eyes, and the eares are turned into meere intelligencers and suruaiors. They are wholly imployed to seeke & search whatsoeuer lyeth fit, and whatsoeuer is profitable; And withall the heart greedily stands gaping to deuoure whatsoeuer of this fit and profitable comes within reach. The difference of things (as lawfulnesse & vnlawfulnesse) is takē away; for the strēgth & eagernesse of the desire digests all alike into nourishment, as a mightie Appetite doth meates both raw and rosted. It is a heart-breaking, not to adde somwhat continually; and if Nabothes Vineyard come not, being called for, it is death to looke vponupon it. What though the getting of it cost the death of the owner, yet the couetous man must saue the life of his lust; and indeede his owne life, which he saies, profiteth him not, except he satisfie his lust. Hence it is so many widdowes grone toward heauen for the help which they cannot hauehave on earth, so many fatherlesse children are ready to die in the streetes for want of bread; and so many vndermined, sacked, and ransacked families, being driuen from their own homes wander vp and downe to seeke a couering for their heads from raine and tempest. Iustly therefore that holy Apostle and out of diuine inspiratiō pronounced this as an infallible and neuer failing positiō: They that will be rich, fall into temptation and snares, and into many foolish and noisome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction. And how can it be otherwise? The end and marke being fixed, the eye is still ayming, & the hands are still working toward that end: And this end being riches, and not God (for a man cannot serue two masters) thither tend the whole endeauours of the hungry & couetous soule. If an vniust profit bee offered, or rather vnoffered may bee hooked; the eye lookes on riches, and not on God: and accordingly God & his will being neglected, riches are taken howsoeuer displeasing vntounto God. God must beare with him; for hee must bee rich. That plot must go forward, the resolution is fixed; God must giuegive place, he doth not see it, or will perchance forgiue it. But whiles thou not seeing, or at least not regarding God, thinkest God therefore seeeth not thee; he sees thee verily, and will bring forth thy workes of darkenesse into light euen starke naked, and they shall bee thy perdition and destruction. But rather breake in pieces this thy resolution, O man of earth, whosoeuer thou art. Fasten not thy soule to riches which are not worthie of thy soule; neither make them thy marke and end, which were made for thee: know thou that God alone is thy end, and thou art made to serue him only, that God is thy happinesse, and it is thy only felicity to enioy him: that God is thy chiefest treasure, therfore fixe thy heart resoluedly on him, remoouing it from riches. Change thy couetous, and be strongly couetous after God, and by godlines, euen faith and a good cōscience draw him more and more into thee: and so godlinesse shall be to thee the greatest gaine, for it shal get thee the best treasure. As for riches, make no couenant with them, fasten not thy heart on them, lest withall thou fasten thy hart to many noisome lusts, to many cares, and finally, to perdition it selfe. The holy and most quiet way is to put contentednesse in the place of couetousnesse, and then godlines will appeare that which it is, euen the greatest gaine. This thou shalt the better doe, if thou consider the ende of thy creation, that man was created not to be rich, neither is that the busines appointed him by his Creator: But the Creator himselfe is the end of man; neither hath the Creator made any necessitie, that a man should be rich: for foode and raiment, and satisfaction of naturall necessities, is his chiefest drift and purpose of worldly things. Therefore in the last iudgement when it shall be demanded of thee, how thou hast spent thy time in the world, and what thou hast done there; shalt thou not bee ashamed then to say, I hauehave there done all that I could doe to bee rich? For then shall that plainly appeare, which now is true, though not appearing: The man hath mistaken his busines, that onelyonly studieth riches; for then it shall bee said to the couetous, That man was not made to bee a gatherer of mettall, nor a filler of bags, nor a ioyner of hedge to hedge; much lesse to be a prowling vermine, a rauening wolfe, or a roaring Lyon to deuoure the weake, the distressed and the helpelesse. The imployment of our naturall abilities, as vnderstanding, or strength, in lawfull actions to procure maintenance for our selues and our families, shal then be allowed. For this maintenance is the supportation of Gods Church in this vale of necessities, and so tendeth to God. But a desire of riches for themselues, or for the outward glory of them, and that setled purpose to be rich, shall be condemned in the great and terrible day of the Lord; and then chiefest in condemnation, and of any of their ranke next the diuell in torment shall they bee, that hauehave made a prey of miserie; and whereas miserie is to goodnesse a ground of mercy and reliefe, these hauehave made it a ground of oppression, so adding sorrow to affliction, making miserie because it was somewhat wretched, perfectly miserable. To these shall also the perfection of miserie be appointed for a portion, euen pure and cleare iudgement, without the mixture of any mercy; and so their owne measure for qualitie being returned to them, (but in a farre greater quantitie) they shall then taste how bitter the cup is, which they hauehave giuen others to drinke; and they shall by experience, but helpelesse and remedilesse, know the grieuousnes of their owne workes. And because this day is by such put farre from them, and they comfort themselues in the delay of it, let them know also, that some sinnes are partly iudged aforehand, euen in this world: And among them, very commonly, the sinne of oppression. For often is it seene, that the fathers oppression, hath been powred out on his owne sonne; and riches gotten wrongfully for posteritie, hauehave beene wrongfully taken from them, for whom they were wrongfully gotten. Wherfore euē for feare of present iudgement, and in meere good husbandrie, leaue not the goods of wrong and robberie to your children. For vengeance and they are inseparably tied together; they will hardly bee quiet till they bee gone againe, and the beame will crie to therafter, the hedge to the field, This is not our place, let vsus eueryevery one returne to our owne home.