A Sons Patrimony and Daughters Portion, Part 2 · Chapter 4 · Section 3
§. 3. Profit.
3. The other great Enchantreſſe of Mankinde (ſo I finde them coupled in the forementioned place lHiſt. of the World lin 2. chap. 4. § 13. p. 239.) is profit. A reſtleſſe deſire of getting ſtill more, when, though all the world were gotten, it could never ſatisfie, nor make a man ſay It is enough; It jades a man, and tires his ſpirits out in an eager purſuit of that, wherewith he can no more fill himſelf, then a coffer with knowledge, and a bag with grace mYou muſt not account that the chief riches, which you can put in a purſe. Clem. Alex. paed. 3. 7. p. 173.. And yet he layeth out his pretious ſtock of time and parts in his eager purſuit this way; which is, as if a man ſhould furniſh forth a chamber in a Through-fare, where he is to ſtay but a night, and neglect to provide himſelf of a Manſion in the citie, where he is for ever to dwell.
This is our folly, the chain of darkneſſe over our heart; That ſpirit of infirmity with which we are bowed down, ſo as we will weary our ſelves in the wayes of vanitie, though we finde our ſelves hungry and faint, as the beaſt, under their idols, and as the Smith working them with the ſtrength of his arm; or if we think our ſelves filled, it is as with the Eaſt-winde, or aſhes inſtead of bread; when we awake (for now the deceitfulneſſe of riches hath cloſed the eye) we ſhall be hungry. And it is not poſſible to be otherwiſe, for the heart turned from the Creatour to the Creature muſt needs be empty, there being a vanitie upon it; And being removed from the onelyonly and eternall Good, it muſt needs be like the needle, ſhaken off from the pole-ſtarre, in an unquiet trembling condition; Like a meteor ſtill in agitation, and doubtfull ſuſpenſe nforeign Luke 12 29.. The way then to fill the heart, and to quiet it, is, to point it heaven-ward, where is Reſt and Satisfaction.
And this conſideration may help to cure us of this ſpirit of infirmity, which clings us together that we cannot look up, to wit, that God hath ſummed up all our happineſſe in Himſelf, as the drops in the Ocean; All our ſtreams of comfort come from that Sea, and muſt return again thither; If we have Him, we have all, if we want Him, we have nothing. Here our comforts lie ſtrangling and divided, ſome in this thing, and ſome in that; we go to the coffer for ſome, and to the table for other ſome, and yet we are not ſatisfied; but in Chriſt theſe comforts are united, if we have Him, we have all; But God we cannot have, nor is it poſſible to feel how ſweet he is, while we feel a ſweetneſſe and ſatisfaction in the Creature, and are feaſting thereon. It was a good anſwer, and of great and high uſe, which one made, being asked where he found God, There I found God, (ſaid he) where I left the Creature. This is all I intend here, whereby to fortifie us againſt the deceitfulneſſe of riches, which oFatigant, nec ſatiant tamen. Buch. in Pſal. 73. verſe 7.weary, but ſatisfie not. I do not take this to be ſo proper to my ſcope, and in ſome things, which would fall in here, I have preſented my ſelf elſe where in the preface to the firſt part.
Hitherto of ſuch inordinate deſires, which are not properly paſſions, but proceeding from our opinion and fantaſie, our judgement and reaſon being put out of office, and expoſing us to the full ſway and power of our paſſions; whereby it doth appeare, That we are not in greater danger in the hands of any, then of our ſelves; And therefore great cauſe to pray; Deliver us from evil, That is, our pQuis eſt improbus ille? Libera me à meipſo, Domine.ſelves from our ſelves.
I come now to our maſter-paſſion; The ſubduing of it, is like the taking in of an Arch-rebell; It is the leader and maſter of miſrule, then which nothing doth ſonner and ſo immediately deforme Gods image, and ſometimes deface it utterly. This is,