Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 160
§ 160.
4. He cares … for a little muck t…eave behind …im, then for ſoule or bod….FOurthly, vertue is in farre leſſe esteeme with the cunning Politician, then riches. As it fares with a naturall foole, he is ſo farre from ſelling all that he hath, to buy the rich Pearle of faith, with the wiſe Merchant, Matth. 13.46. that he will ſell this rich Pearle, and all other grace to boote, to purchaſe the triviall commodities of white and red earth; and good reaſon, as temporiſing States-men, politicke Machevilians, and hypocriticall Ambidexters thinke, who make a ſhew of Religion, but in their hearts laugh at it; he knowes no other coyne, he deſires no other ſtampe; yea, to be rich, thinkes this worldling, is to be three parts of the way on-ward to perfection. Indeed, gold is the onelyonly coverlet of imperfections, t'is the fooles curtaine, that can hide all his defects from the world, yea, from himſelfe: for though he have a want of all good, and which is worſe, a ſenſe of want of that want, yet he thinkes himſelfe in a very good eſtate, and ſo much neerer to Heaven, for having abundance of earth.
And yet if God did not give to ſome of them their riches in wrath, he would not deny them the uſe of their owne; as how often are men baſer by being wealthier, like Pierce Gaviſtone, who (as the Chronicle reports) the more he was enriched, the worſe was his eſtate; or whether it be, that they have not ſo much wit, as to know their money will buy them all neceſſaries of meate, drinke, apparell, and the like; or whether, by a juſt judgment of God, the Devill makes them his drudges, to get and bring him in gold (as the King of Spaine doth the poore Indians) that he may keepe it in banke, for the next prodigall to ſpend, as ill as the other got it, (as how oft is that ſpent upon one Chriſtmas revelling, by the Son, which was fourty yeares a getting, by the Father?) I know not; but ſure I am, that though with that Prieſt, 2 King. 12.9. they can put a world of gold and ſilver into their cheſts, yet they cannot take it out againe, to doe themſelves good; for the Devill keepes the key, as Iehoaſh the King of Iſrael did of that cheſt, verſ. 10.
So that a covetous griper is like Tantalus, who ſtandeth up to the chin in water, and hath all kinds of fruits hanging over his head, but is not ſuffered to taſt them. Or like an Aſſe, who is laden with gold, but feeds upon thiſtles. Or like the Indians, who though they have all the gold amongſt them, yet are the moſt beggerly and naked people alive. For what is he other then a rich begger, or a begger in the midſt of his riches, when upon all his eſtate there is ſet a ſpell, and his wealth ſayes to him in effect, touch not, taſt not, handle not?
But O fooles incomparable! Ariſtippus cared onelyonly for the body, as if he had had no ſoule Zeno but for the ſoule, as if he had had no body: Achitophel for his family alone, as if he had had neither body, nor ſoule of his owne to care for: but theſe care neither for ſoule, nor body, nor family, (for he both tyres and ſtarves them) but for a little mucke to leave behind them.
Fiftly, as a foole can finde in his heart to be ſurety for a ſtranger, yea, 5. Hee can finde …n his heart to goe to He… ſo his ſon may be ieft rich.yeild himſelfe to Priſon for anothers enlargment, Pro. 17.18. ſo the politick worldling, and cruell oppreſſor, can finde in his heart to goe to Hell for another; he will damne his owne ſoule, to leave his Sonne rich: yea, what a deale of paines and care doth the covetous man take, for his owne damnation, he ſcarce weares a good garment, or eates a liberall meale, or takes a quiet ſleepe, but torments himſelfe to get that, for getting whereof he ſhall be tormented: ſo himſelfe is voluntarily miſerable here, and elſewhere, that others may be happy.
And yet let him, with Pope Iohn the 22. leave behind him 250. Tunnes of gold, even all this will not make his Sonne happy, 'its well, if it make him not more unhappy.
No, neither it, nor the whole world, without grace, ſhall ever make him contented: as it fared with Alexander, who having conquered this world, was troubled that there was no more worlds, for him to conquer.
Beſides, in a ſhort time, this Sonne of his muſt part with his wealth alſo: for either his riches ſhall be taken from him, as they were from Iob, or elſe he from his riches, as the rich man was from his ſubſtance and wealth.
Wherefore it were more policy a great deale, for him to make his Sonne good, then great; for godlineſſe is great gaine, as the Apoſtle well phraſeth it, 1 Tim. 6.6. becauſe it gaines God himſelfe, and ſo his bleſſing upon all outward meanes, Hagg. 1.6. &c. O that thou hadſt the wit, to know how, when all is done, to be ſaved; and to have thy children ſaved, is the beſt plot, to know that the Proverbe, which ſaith, Happy that child, whoſe father is gone to the Devill, is farre from being Canonicall.
Sixtly and laſtly, 6. He prefers bables and trifles before things of greateſt worth.he eſtemes not of things according to their true value, but preferreth bables and trifles, before things of greateſt worth; which is the moſt remarkable property of a naturall foole, that is.
As Iudas preferred thirty peeces of ſilver before Him that was the price of the world, and ranſome of mankinde: ſo the Politician preferres earth, yea, Hell, to Heaven; time, even a moment of time, to eternity; his body, before his ſoule. (which if a man have once loſt, he hath nothing elſe to looſe) yea, his outward eſtate, before either ſoule or body.
Whereas the godly care for the ſoule, as for the cheife jewell and only treaſure; and for the body, for the ſoules ſake; and for this world, for the bodies ſake, and ſettle their inheritance in no land, but the land of promiſe, their end being to poſſeſſe a kingdome without end. They are not like Shebna, who built his Sepulcher in one countrey, and was buried in another: but like our Engliſh Merchants, that traffique in Turkie, and get wealth in Turkie, yet plant not in Turkie, but tranſport for England. Gods people are not like the firſt Indians, that hang'd Bugles at their eares, while they left their gold on the dunghills. It cannot be ſaid of them, as it may of the moſt, that they worſhip the golden Calfe; becauſe they conſider, that pecunia the world's Queene (I meane that world, whereof the Devill is King) extends her regiments but to the brim of the grave, and is not currant one ſtep farther. Yea, they are ſo farre from being of theſe mens minds, who are of Alexander's mind who (as the Philoſopher ſaid) yeſterday the whole world did not content him, …ow ten cub…ts containe him) that they thinke him none of the wiſeſt, who being askt, whether he would rather be Socrates, or Croeſus, the one, an induſtrious and p…infull Philoſopher, the other, a man flowing in all abundance; was ſo diſcreete as to anſwer, that for this life he would be Croeſus, but for the life to come Socrates.
But to returne to the worlds wiſeman, let him be offered his choice (as oftimes he is) whether he will forgoe himſelfe, I meane his faith, which is the ſumme of all, or ſuch a booty: he will forgoe his faith, and conſequently his ſoule, himſelfe, and all that is truely his; like the fooliſh Marine, that ſeeing a fiſh in the Sea, leaps into the water to catch that, which, together with his life, he looſeth: or like Narcaſſus, who to embrace his ſhadow, drowned himſelfe: yea, ſet life and death before him, as Moſes did before the Iſraelites, D…ut 30.15.19.20. and withall ſhew him. from Matth. 25.46. that this life offered is eternall felicity, that death threatned everlaſting woe, and miſery, which words are of ſuch extent, that as a worthy Writer hath it, though all the men that ever have, or ſhall be created, were, Briareus-like, hundred handed, and ſhould at once take pens in their hundred hands, and ſhould do nothing elſe, for ten hundred thouſand millions of yeares, but ſumme up in figures, as many hundred thouſand millions as they could, yet never could they reduce to a totall, or confine within number this triſillable word (e-ter-nall;) or that word of foure ſillables (e-ver-laſt-ing) and then bid him chooſe which of the two hee likes beſt, his heart, which is harder than an Adamant, will make anſwer, take Heaven, Paradiſe, that eternal felicity, and future happines, who will, it is good for me to be rich and happy while I live: much like Cardinall Burbonius who ſaid, hee would not leave his part in Paris, for his part is Paradiſe: or, Themistocles, who was not aſhamed of this damnable ſpeech in his mouth, If a man ſhould ſhew me two ſeverall wayes, the one leading to Heaven, the other to Hell; of the twaine I would chooſe the latter: wherin he is more ſottiſh, then the Indians; and more heatheniſh, then the infidels of Florida, Ʋirginia, New-England, and Kanida, who for a Copper Kettle, and a few toyes, as Beades and Hatchets, will depart from the pureſt Gold, and ſell you a whole country, even the houſes and ground which they dwell upon; for the whole world is not worth one ſoule.
But worldly hearts are penny wiſe, and pound fooliſh; Worldly men are penny wiſe and pound fooliſh.they know how to ſet high priſes upon the worthleſſe traſh of this world, but for heavenly things, or the God that owes them, this they ſhamfully under-value: like Iudas, who valued Mary's oyntment, which ſhe beſtowed upon the feet of Chriſt, at three hundred peeces of ſilver, and ſold his Maſter on whom that odor was ſpent, at thirty: And this is one reaſon. As the affection which an adulterer beareth to a ſtrumpet, doth exceedingly diminiſh the love, which he ſhould beare to his lawfull wife, ſo the love that wicked men beare to theſe vain, and tranſitory things, wondrouſly diminiſh that zeale and affection, which they ſhould bear towards Chriſt and heavenly things.But it is otherwiſe with the godly.
But it is farre otherwiſe with the godly; for as they that are after the fleſh, ſaveur the things of the fleſh: ſo they that are after the Spirit, ſavour the things of the Spirit: and our opinion onelyonly endeareth and increaſeth the price of things. When one boaſted how faire a ſhee-ſlave hee had bought for a pound; another made reply, that ſhe was to deare, of a groat. Commodities are but as they are commonly valued. Now becauſe tranſitory things, in the next life, beare no value at all; and becauſe there is nothing firme under the firmament, they hold it very good coveting what they may have, and cannot leave behind them. And though others moſt love, what they muſt leave; and think that money will buy any thing, like fooliſh Magus, who thought the Holy Ghoſt himſelfe might be had for money; or the Divell, who preſumed that this bait would even catch the Son of God; yet the wiſe and religious can conceive no reaſon, why it ſhould bee ſo doted upon, as it is; eſpecially, ſince riches can no more put off the Gout, or aſſwage griefe, or thruſt out cares, or purchaſe grace, or ſuſpend death, or prevent hell, or bribe the divell, then a Satten ſleeve can heale a broken Arme.
They think it the best purchaſe, that ever was in the world, to buy him who bought them; in compariſon of whom, all things are droſſe and dung, as S. Paul ſpeaks Philip. 3.8. for if we once have him, wee have all things: If, ſaith Paul, God hath given us his own Sonne, how ſhall he not with him give us all things alſo? Rom. 8.32. and againe, 1 Corinth. 3. All things are yours, whether it be Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death; whether they be things preſent, or things to come; even all are yours, and you are Chriſts, and Chriſt Gods, v. 21.22.23. And indeed, if God give the ſubstantive, Chriſt, we may be ſure he wil likewiſe afford the adjective, things, neceſſary for this life, Matth. 6.33. ſo that the godly man, is only rich, the ſervant of Chriſt, Jndeed, though the divell makes fooles of them, yet he make… them wiſe enough to make fooles of any that will truſt them.is Lord of all.