Of Peace and Contentment of Mind, Book 2 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Of Riches.
OF things that depend not of us, the moſt remote from us are the goods of fortune; The goods of the body are neerer, for our body is the houſe of our minde, which is our trueſelfe, and whoſe goods are properly ours. Yet ſuch is the imprudence of men, that they are moſt buſy about that which is moſt remote, and neglect that which is neereſt and moſt eſſential to them; for the goods of the body, neglecting thoſe of the minde; and for the goods of fortune, neglecting thoſe of the body; They will forfeit their conſcience to pleaſe and ſerve their body, and hazard their body to get or preſerve the goods of fortune. Whereas they ſhould follow a clean contrary order, hazarding and neglecting their body, if need be, for the good of the mind, and the goods of fortune for both. [Here I ſay once for all, that by fortune I underſtand not blind chance, ſince Gods providence rules all, but the exteriour of a mans condition as it is diſtinct from thoſe things which properly belong to the body and the mind.]
So farre I will comply with the humour of the world as to ſpeak of riches in the firſt place, for it is that they ſeek before all things, ſhewing by their actions, which alwayes muſt be beleeved rather then words, that they hold it the firſt and chiefe good. Pecunia ingens generis humani bonum. An errour, that hath provoked ſome to oppoſe it with another errour, ſaying that money is the root of all evill. St. Paul decides the difference, ſaying that the love of money is the roote of all evill; 1 Tim. 6. the love of money, not money it ſelfe. It is not wealth that doth the miſchiefe but the weakneſſe of men that cannot wield it, coveting it with greedineſſe, purchaſing it with wicked wayes, imploying it in unjuſt actions, keeping it with trouble, and loſing it with deſpaire.
Riches are good, but in the loweſt rank of all goods; for they have no place among laudable goods, there being no praiſe to be rich; Nor among goods deſirable for their own ſake, for they are deſired becauſe of other things. It is not nature but cuſtome and fancy that giveth price unto gold & ſilver, inſtead of which ſhells are uſed for commerce in ſome part of the Eaſt Indyes. But for fancy, a barre of Iron would be more precious then a wedge of Gold.
In one point, as indeed in all other reſpects, money is inferiour to other goods, as health, honour, and wiſedome; that whereas one may enjoy them by keeping, and increaſe them by uſing, one muſt loſe his money to enjoy it, and part with it to uſe it.
But in two things eſpecially the imperfection of riches is ſeen; that they ſatisfye not the deſire, and that in the greateſt need which is the redemption of the ſoul, they are of no uſe, rather a hindrance.
True goods are thoſe that make the poſſeſſors good, which riches do not. They are indeed inſtruments of good in the hands of thoſe that can uve them well; But they are inſtruments of evill, in the hands of thoſe that know not how to uſe them. And the number of theſe laſt being the greater by farre, riches do much more evill then good in the world. They ſtirre up folly, luſt, and pride, and open a wide gate to wickedneſſe, yet themſelves not wicked of their nature. To a well compoſed and diſpoſed minde they are excellent helps to vertue, for they afford meanes for good education and matter for good actions. Wiſedome and riches together is a faire match. The rich and wiſe Solomon ſpeakes thus of it by his experience, Eccl. 7.11. Wiſdome is good with an inheritance, and by them there is profit to them that ſee the Sunne, for wiſedome is a defence, and money is a defence, the excellency of knowledge is, that wiſdome gives life to them that have it.
The French verſion of that Text ſaith that Riches cover the owners, So they do, but it is as the ſhell covers a ſnaile, for they are a heavy toileſome luggage, wherewith a man can advance but ſlowly, and without which he cannot goe; And if they ſhelter him from ſome injuries, they expoſe him to other; they provoke envy, and are a faire butt for fraude and inſolency: So to go one ſtep further in the compariſon; that ſhelter may be broken upon a mans back, and he cruſht under it.
To know the juſt price of riches, reckon what they coſt both to get and to keepe, what paines there is to get them, what danger and care in the keeping, what unſatisfaction in the enjoying, what uncertainty in the poſſeſſion; Prov. 23.6. for they make themſelves wings (ſaith Solomon) which no humane art can clip; A thouſand accidents, which no prudent forecaſt can prevent, make them ſuddenly flee away. The worſt is, that they diſtract the minde from the true goods; for they that have got them and poſſeſſe them moſt innocently, if they will preſerve them and keepe them from ſinking (which they will naturally do) muſt apply their mind to them, and much more, if they will increaſe them. Which interpoſition of the earth cannot but eclipſe the cleare light of the minde, and hide heaven from the ſight of the ſoul. This made the Lord Jeſus to ſpeak this ſentence confirmed with an oath and a repetition. Matth. 19.23. Verily I ſay unto you, that a rich man ſhall hardly enter into the Kingdome of heaven. And againe I ſay unto you, It is eaſier for a Camell to go through the eye of a needle, then for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of God. And truly although riches of themſelves be not evill, but be as the minde of him that poſſeſſeth them is, good to him that uſeth them well, evill to him that uſeth them ill, yet the Devills haunting of gold mines, and places where money and plate is hid, gives a probable ſuſpition that the Devill ſticks by riches, and breatheth upon them the aire of his malignancy.
Let every wiſeman conſider whether he will beſtow for them as much as they coſt, that is, whether he will weary his body, vexe his minde, offer violence to his conſcience, bring his heavenly ſoul captive under the things of the earth, & be diverted from ſeeking the goods which are onelyonly permanent and true to them that have them once, to runne after deceitfull goods which are none of ours even when we have them; of which the keeping is uncertaine, and the loſſe certaine, though we might avoide the ordinary daingers, whereby fooliſh rich men deſtroy their wealth, and their wealth deſtroyes them.
The juſt meaſure of riches, is, as much as one needs for his uſe, for that which is above uſe, is of no uſe. How they muſt be uſed we ſhall conſider, when we treat of Paſſions. Here we ſeeke onelyonly to know their price.