Works of Joseph Hall, Section 18
SECT. XVIII.
THeſe are enemies on the left hand. There want not ſome on the right,The ſecond ranke of the enemies of peace. which with leſſe profeſſion of hoſtilitie, hurt no leſſe. Not ſo eaſily perceiued, becauſe they diſtemper the minde, not without ſome kinde of pleaſure. Surfet kils more than famine. Theſe are the ouer-deſiring and ouer-ioying of theſe earthly things. All immoderations are enemies, as to health, ſo to peace. He that deſires,Hippocr. Aphoriſ. wants as much, as he that hath nothing. The drunken man is as thirſtie as the ſweating traueller. Hence are the ſtudies, cares, feares, iealouſies, hopes, griefes, enuies, wiſhes, platformes of atchieuing, alterations of purpoſes, and a thouſand like; whereof each one is enough to make the life troubleſome. One is ſicke of his neighbours field, whoſe miſſhapen angles disfigure his, and hinder his Lordſhip of entireneſſe: what he hath, is not regarded, for the want of what hee cannot hauehave. Another feeds on cruſts, to purchaſe what he muſt leaue (perhaps) to a foole, or, (which is not much better) to a prodigall heire. Another, in the extremitie of couetous folly, chuſes to die an vnpitied death; hanging himſelfe for the fall of the market, while the Commons laugh at that loſſe, and in their ſpeeches Epitaph vponupon him, as on that Pope, He liued as a Wolfe, and died as a Dogge. One cares not what attendance hee dances at all houres, on whoſe ſtaires he ſits, what vices he ſoothes, what deformities he imitates, what ſeruile offices he doth, in an hope to riſe. Another ſtomackes the couered head and ſtiffe knee of his inferiour; angry that other men thinke him not ſo good as he thinkes himſelfe. Another eats his owne heart, with enuy at the richer furniture, and better eſtate, or more honour of his neighbour; thinking his owne not good, becauſe another hath better. Another vexeth himſelfe with a word of diſgrace, paſt from the mouth of an enemy,The firſt remedy of an ouer-proſperous eſtate. The vanity and vnprofitableneſſe of riches. The firſt enemy on the right hand. Socrates. A proofe, that with Chriſtians deſerues no credit; but with Heathens commands it. which he neither can digeſt, nor caſt vp; reſoluing, becauſe another will be his enemy, to be his owne. Theſe humours are as manifold, as there are men that ſeeme proſperous. For the auoiding of all which ridiculous, and yet ſpightfull inconueniences, the minde muſt be ſetled in a perſwaſion of the worthleſneſſe of theſe outward things. Let it know, that theſe riches hauehave made many prouder, none better: That, as neuer man was, ſo neuer wiſe man thought himſelfe better for enioying them. Would that wiſe Philoſopher hauehave caſt his gold into the ſea, if he had not knowne he ſhould liue more happily without it? If hee knew not the vſe of riches, he was no wiſe man: if he knew not the beſt way to quietneſſe, he was no Philoſopher: now euen by the voice of their Oracle, he was confeſſed to be both; yet caſt away his gold, that he might bee happy. Would that wiſe Prophet hauehave praied as well againſt riches, as pouertie? Would ſo many great men (whereof our little Iland hath yeelded nine crowned Kings while it was held of old by the Saxons) after they had continued their life in the Throne, hauehave ended it in the Cell, and changed their Scepter for a Booke, if they could hauehave found as much felicitie in the higheſt eſtate, as ſecuritie in the loweſt? I heare Peter and Iohn (the eldeſt and deareſt Apoſtles) ſay, Gold & Siluer hauehave I none: I heare the Deuill ſay, All theſe will I giuegive thee; and they are mine, to giuegive. Whether ſhall I deſire to be in the ſtate of theſe Saints, or that deuill? He was therefore a better husband then a Philoſopher, that firſt tearmed riches Goods: and he mended the title well, that (adding a fit Epithet) called them goods of Fortune; falſe goods aſcribed to a falſe patron. There is no fortune, to giuegive or guide riches: there is no true goodnes in riches, to be guided. His meaning then was (as I can interpret it) to teach vsus, in this title; that it is a chance, if euer riches were good to any. In ſumme, who would account thoſe as riches, or thoſe riches as goods, which hurt the owner, diſquiet others? which the worſt hauehave; which the beſt hauehave not, which thoſe that hauehave not, want not; which thoſe want, that hauehave them: which are loſt in a night; and a man is not worſe, when he hath loſt them? It is true of them, that we ſay of fire and water; They are good ſeruants, ill maſters. Make them thy ſlaues, they ſhall be goods indeed: in vſe, if not in nature; good to thy ſelfe, good to others by thee: But if they bee thy maſters, thou haſt condemned thy ſelfe to thine owne Gallies. If a ſeruant rule, he proues a Tyrant. What madneſſe is this? thou haſt made thy ſelfe, at once, a ſlaue and a foole: What if thy chaines be of Gold? or if, with Heliogabalus, thou haſt made thee ſilken halters? thy ſeruitude may be glorious: it is no leſſe miſerable.