The Vanity of the Lives and Passions of Men, Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Of the vanity of worldly riches.
THere are two ſorts of riches; the one worldly, and the other ſpiritual; the ſpiritual are the immediate gifts of God, and by conſequence ſuperexcellent: but the worldly are meer vanity and vexation of ſpirit, ſubject to divers accidents and changes; Wilt thou, ſaith Salomon, aProv. 23.5.ſet thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches make themſelves wings; they flye away as an Eagle toward heaven; notwithſtanding men make an Idol of riches, and will venter their lives, and hazard their ſouls to obtain and enjoy them. Now as comparing two objects together, it is eaſie to diſcern which is the moſt excellent of the two: ſo by the comparing of the imperfections of the worldly riches, againſt the perfections of the ſpiritual, the excellency of the laſt will be more viſible to the Reader. I will therefore begin with the worldly; and for method ſake obſerve theſe four Particulars: firſt, how they are obtained: ſecondly, how they are perſerved: thirdly, how they are loſt: fourthly, how they are to be diſpenſed.
For the firſt, Worldly riches are of an indifferent nature, and by conſequence, become good or evil by accident: I mean, that they are either a bleſſing or a curſe, by the evil or good acquiſition and diſpenſation of them. They are called the gifts of fortune, becauſe they are more proper to the undeſerving then to the well-deſerving men; for fortune being blinde, doth commonly diſtribute her gifts more by chance, then by judgement. And daily experience doth ſhew, that the wicked abound in worldly riches, and the righteous are poor and needy. Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? ſaith Job. Their ſeed is eſtabliſhed in their ſight with them, Job 21.7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.and their off-pring before their eyes: Their houſes are ſafe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. Their bull gendreth and faileth not, their Cow calveth and caſteth not her Calf. They ſend forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance. They take the Timbrel and Harp, and rejoyce at the ſound of the Organ: And ſpend their dayes in wealth. The reaſons why ungodly men do out-ſtrip the godly in Riches, may be theſe:
1. Becauſe they have a larger conſcience then the godly.
2. Becauſe they account worldly Riches as their ſupream good.
3. Becauſe they erroneouſly conceive that they were created for no other end then for to enrich themſelves, whereas the godly make conſcience of enriching themſelves by any indirect means, hold the love and favour of God their ſupream good: and are confident that they were only created to propagate the honour and glory of their Creator. The main end of the ungodly being then to enrich themſelves: it is no wonder if they out-ſtrip the godly in wordly riches,Pſal. 37.35: and flouriſh in this life, like a green Bay-tree. But the end of the godly being only the advancement of Gods glory, and to make their calling and election ſure, they value not theſe momentary riches,Math. 6.21. knowing that whereſoever their Treaſure is, there will their heart be alſo. But to return to the point in hand, worldly riches are obtained
1. By the immediate hand and bleſſing of God.
2. By hereditary ſucceſſion.
3. By activity and diligence in our calling.
4. By indirect and unlawful means. And of theſe I will ſpeak in order.
For the firſt, The riches of Abraham, Iſaac, Jacob and Job, did immediately proceed from the hand and bleſſing of God; for their innocent vocation did depend only upon the bleſſing of God,Gen. 26.12. and not upon the art and induſtry of man: Therefore God was pleaſed that the earth ſhould bring forth a hundred for one,Gen. 30.43. and that their Cattel ſhould multiply extraordinarily.
Secondly, Men become rich by hereditary ſucceſſion, as Solomon by the incredible Treaſures that his Father King David heaped up together by the Wars he had with divers Nations, which according to Sir Walter Raughleys Opinion cannot be paralleld in any Hiſtory.See Sir Walter Raughley.
Thirdly, Men grow to be rich by being diligent and active in their lawful calling; for as Solomon ſaith,Prov. 10.4.5. He becometh poor that dealeth with a ſlack hand, but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. And again, He that gathereth in Summer is a ſon of wiſdom, but he that ſleepeth in harveſt is a ſon of ſhame. Now theſe three wayes of obtaining worldly riches, are commendable, and approved of God, ſo the diſpenſation of them be ſutable to his word.
But the fourth, That is by indirect and unlawful means, it is odious to God, and deſtructive to men; And yet it is the ordinary way whereby men do attain to incredible riches: And ſpecially by theſe four ſorts of Profeſſions. 1. By the practice of Arms. 2. By the managing of Politick affairs. 3. By the practice at law. 4. By the practice of Merchandiſe, which ſhall be proved by inſtances. Firſt, by the practiſe of Arms; Sylla and Lucullus became incredibly rich,See Plutarch in their lives. but it was by unjuſt rapines and Tyrannical couſes. Secondly, Sejanus and Titus Vinius, by the managing of Politike affairs became extraordinarily wealthy,See Tacitus. but it was by concuſſion and bribery. Thirdly, by the practiſe at Law, Sir John Cook and Judge Richardſon became wealthy and rich, but it was by condemning the innocent, and acquitting the guilty. Fourthly, by the practiſe of Merchandize, Peter de Medecis, and Sir John Spencer became extraordinary rich, but it was by falſifying and Monopolizing of all manner of Commodities: Whereupon I conclude with Solomon, That ſuch as make haſte to be rich, ſhall not be innocent.Prov. 28.20.
For the ſecond, firſt, the preſervation of riches is as irkſom to the minde as their acquiſition hath been painful to the body; for when men have heaped up much wealth, they are in continual fears to be deprived of them, and hold no place ſecure for the keeping of their treaſures. Secondly, Riches expoſe their owners to eminent dangers to preſerve them, for as the higheſt Cedars in a tempeſt, are more ſhaken then the low ſhrubs, even ſo rich men in a Civil war are the objects of the falſe accuſations of all Promoting Knaves; as it appears inkYou may finde divers inſtances to prove this point in Tacitus. Tacitus; and in the life of Sylla there is a notable inſtance for it, for although a Roman Senator, called Quintus Aurelius, (in the civil wars between Marius and Sylla) had always kept himſelf neuter, and never ſided in words and actions, with either of theſe two parties, yet notwithſtanding Sylla coming victorious to Rome, his name was written in the preſcriptions of ſuch as had been of the abbettors of the faction oflSee Plutarch in Syllas Life, fol, 180. Marius, and for no other reaſon, but becauſe he was very rich, and had a ſtately Palace at Alba, and ſo loſt his life becauſe of his riches. But it were in vain to prove this Point by many forraign inſtances, ſith in this unnatural civil war of ours: many have been accounted Round-heads, and other Malignants, that neither had ſided with one or the other ſide, but meerly becauſe of their riches. Thirdly, Rich men are commonly the prey of Theeves; for where ſtore of gold and ſilver is, theſe ſpirits never leave haunting, For whereſoever the mMatth. 24.28.carcaſs is, there will the Eagles be gathered together. In Queen Elizabeths days a Pirate of Dunkerk laid a plot with twelve of his mates to carry away Sir Iohn Spencer, which if he had done, fifty thouſand pounds ranſome had not redeemed him: he came over the ſeas in a Shallop with twelve Musketiers, and in the night came into Barking-Creek, and left the Shallop in the cuſtody of ſix of his men, and with the other ſix came as far as Iſlington, and there hid themſelves in ditches, near the path in which Sir Iohn came always to his houſe:nI have this out of a private Record. but by the providence of God, Sir Iohn, upon ſome extraordinary occaſion was forced to ſtay in London that night, otherwiſe they had taken him away; and they fearing they ſhould be diſcovered; in the night time came to their Shallop, and ſo came ſafe to Dunkerk again. This was a very deſperate attempt; but hear another of the like nature, only it was more bloody, and more ſucceſsful, for the villains that undertook the ſame, ſome two years paſt it hapned at Paris in France, that ten ſtout theeves had notice given them that the Duke of Orleans had received ſix thouſand pounds in gold, and had cauſed them to be laid in a chamber, next to his own bedchamber in the Palace ofoThis hapned in Paris, in the year 1647. at the beginning of the year. Lugſeinbourg his ordinary abode; hereupon they plotted to ſteal away this gold, & ſo in the day time got into the great garden, and in the night broke into the middle court, and with a ladder of cords got up to the Chamber window, & ſo into the chamber, ſlew two Gentlemen that were aſleep in their bed, and carried away the gold, unheard, and undiſcovered, although there was above one hundred Officers and ſervants in the houſe, and that the Duke lay in the next Chamber. Many other inſtances might be produced for the confirmation of this Point, That riches do expoſe their owners to great dangers, but theſe ſhall ſerve for brevity ſake. Fourthly, the care of the preſervation of riches interrupts the reſt and ſleep of men, and hinders learned men from their Studies, and others from their ordinary employments. It is recorded, that the Tyrant Policrates, to ſhew his liberality, gave at one time to the Philoſopher Anacreon three talents, that is above nine hundred pounds ſterlin, but after he had it ſome four or five days in his cuſtody, the care he took to preſerve the ſame, did ſo trouble his minde, that he neither could take his reſt in the night, nor in the day tend his School as he did before, for the fear he had that theeves ſhould break into his Chamber in the night, and deprive him of his gold, took away his ſleep, and the carking cares he took in the day to diſpoſe of his money to increaſe the ſame, hindred him from his Studies; whereupon being vexed in his minde, he carried the ſaid money again to the Tyrant, intreating him to keep it himſelf, for it had done him more hurt in that time, then it could ever do him good if he kept the ſame. And Demetrius pSee Plutarch in the tranquillity of the mind.the Phalerian, who by trading in merchandize had attained to be very rich, finding his minde daily more and more perplexed with the increaſe of his wealth, went to hear the Philoſopher Crates, who made publique Lectures upon the tranquillity of the minde, and having learned that riches were the greateſt diſturbers of the ſame, gave away all his riches to his poor kinſmen, that he might with moore freedom apply himſelf to the Studies of Philoſophy: Even ſo, if the rich men of theſe days would divide their riches into three parts, and give the firſt part to the poor, and the ſecond to their poor kinſmen, and keep the third part for themſelves, they would be more free to frequent the hearing of the Word of God, and more careful to make their calling and election ſure: for the cares of their great riches do ſo diſquiet their minds, that they have no time to indeavor to becomeqAn Alluſion upon the 17. ver. of the 3. Chap. of the Revelation. rich in God, and ſo in the midſt of their riches remain wretched, miſerable, poor, blinde, and naked in the ſight of God.
For the third, Riches are loſt divers ways, for there is nothing more ſubject to accidents then riches: ſome looſe their riches by theeves, as it hath been ſhewed, other looſe them inſenſibly, others conſume them by riots, gaming, and whoring, others by prodigalities, others by gluttony and drunkenneſs, others by building ſtately houſes, others by caſualties of fire, others by imbraſing more then they can gripe, I mean by undertaking of things beyond their abilities, others by their inconſtancy, by changing their dwelling, and their profeſſion, for this Proverb is not more common then true, That a rowling ſtone never getteth Moſs, others by ſloath and idleneſs, For he becometh poor, ſaith Salomon, rPro. 10.43that dealeth with a ſlack hand: But rich men do commonly loſe their riches by theſe four means: firſt, by ventring over their abilities at ſea, by ſhipwrack, and Pirats: ſecondly, by invaſion of a forraign enemy: thirdly, by ſiding in a civil war with an unfortunate party: fourthly, by tyranny and oppeſſion; and for confirmation of it I will give ſome inſtances. The Philoſopher Zeno had been in his former time a rich Merchant, but having loſt his wealth by a Shipwrack, gave himſelf to the Study of Philoſophy: and I could here produce the names of divers Engliſh, French, and Italian Merchants that have loſt all their means by Pirats & ſhipwracks, if I did not regard their fame: ſecondly, by forraign Invaſions; Creſus loſt his incredible treaſures by the invaſion of Cyrus, and Darius the laſt King of Perſia his unparallel'd riches by the invaſion ofſSee Plutarch in his Life. Alexander the great: thirdly, all thoſe of Marius faction that bore arms againſt Sylla, loſt their means and eſtates: and betweentSee the Hiſtory of Guicchardine. the two factions of the Guelfs and Gibelins, the richeſt Families of Italy loſt their means, ſometimes the Guelfs being plundred of all, and preſently after the Gibelins; and how many rich families have alſo been undone in this Kingdom by this unnatural war of both parties? Fourthly, by tyranny and oppreſſion rich men commonly loſe their riches, for Tyrants are always jealous of rich men, becauſe moneys are the ſinews of war; ſo where Tyranny raigns the rich men go to rack; Piſo uSee Tacitus in their Lives.under the Emperor Otho loſt his life for his riches, and ſo did Seneca xSee the Turkiſh Hiſtory.under the Emperor Nero, and the Viſier Naſſuff under the Emperor Achmat; and the Viſier Ibrahim under the Emperor Morat, and a hundred more which I omit for brevity ſake. In a word, it is dangerous to be rich, a moderate eſtate is ſafer, and there is no confidence to be repoſed in riches; for as Salomon ſaith,yPro. 11.28. He that truſteth in his riches ſhall fall, but the righteous ſhall flouriſh as a branch; nor profit nothing at the hour of death, for as Salomon ſaith,zPro. 11.4. Riches profit not in the day of wrath, but righteouſneſs delivereth from death: beſides, men preſume upon their riches, for as Salomon ſaith in another place, The rich man is wiſe in his own conceit; but the aPro. 28.11.poor that hath underſtanding ſearcheth him out: and at laſt, the Prophet David ſaith,bPſal. 49.10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Like ſheep they are laid in the grave, death ſhall feed on them, and the upright ſhall have dominion over them in the morning, and their beauty ſhall conſume in the grave from their dwelling.
For the fourth, of the diſpenſation of riches; in this conſiſts the bliſs, or woe of rich men; for it is certain that they are but the Stewards of their riches, and that the Lord will call them to an account how they have diſpenſed of them; for Stewards, ſaith St. Paul c1 Cor. 4.2.are to be faithful: now if the rich man ſpoken of in the Goſpel, might call his Steward to an account, and ſay thus unto him;dLuke 16.2. How is this that I hear this of you? give an account of your Stewardſhip: for you may not be any longer ſteward, how much more may the Lord of Lords call rich men to an account for the wealth that he hath been pleaſed to intruſt them withall? for by him onelyonly they live and move, and all they have are the free gifts of his liberality: And in the twefth Chapter of the ſame Goſpel the Character of a good and bad Steward is elegantly ſet forth, and the reward of the good, and the puniſhment of the bad Steward is exactly ſet down in theſe words,eLuke 12.42, 43, 44, 45, 46, and 47. And the Lord ſaid, Who then is that faithful and wiſe ſteward, whom the Lord ſhall make ruler over his houſhold, to give their portion of meat in due ſeaſon? Bleſſed is that ſervant whom the Lord when he cometh ſhall finde ſo doing: Of a truth I ſay unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But if that ſervant ſay in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming, and ſhall begin to beat the men-ſervants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and be drunken; the Lord of that ſervant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in ſunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers: And that ſervant which knew his Lords will, and prepareth not himſelf, neither did according to his Will, ſhall be beaten with many ſtripes. By this it appears that upon the good or evil diſpenſation of riches, depends the bliſs and woe of rich men; and yet there is not one of a hundred that diſpenſe of them as they ſhould, or may truly be called wiſe and faithful ſtewards, for the greater part conſumes them in carnal pleaſures in chambering and wantonneſs, in braveries and prodigality, in drunkenneſs and gluttony, in dicing and whoring, in hawking and hunting, and in ſenſualities and vanities, and other like: miſerable wretches continually heap them up, and have not the grace to make uſe of them, but famiſh themſelves in the midſt of their treaſures, whereas they might above all other do good to their native Countrey, relieve the poor, and abound in works of charity, whereby it is commonly ſeen, that riches are as a ſtumbling block to the ways of righteouſneſs; and it is confirmed by theſe words of our Saviour,fMat. 19.23. A rich man ſhall hardly enter in the kingdom of heaven; for rich men are for the greater part ſo beſotted with their riches, that their gold and ſilver is their Idol, to whom they ſacrifice morning and evening, nay day and night, the beſt of their cogitations and thoughts; and rather then they will part from them, will hazard the ſalvation of their ſouls, as it may appear by the carriage of the young man ſpoken of in the Goſpel; for when our Saviour ſaid unto him,gLuke 18.22, 23. Go and ſell all that thou haſt, and diſtribute the ſame unto the poor, and thou ſhalt have a treaſure in heaven, and come and follow me; he went away, ſaith the Text, very ſorrowful, becauſe he was very rich: for their hearts be ſo glued to the things of this world, and their mindes ſo taken up with carking cares to increaſe or preſerve their riches, that they have no time to attend carefully upon the hearing of the Word of God; and ſuppoſe they frequent (as other men) do the publique exerciſes, yet their mindes are ſo bent upon their worldly affairs, that they are not attentive to the Word, and do not apply it to themſelves, and ſo neglect to make their calling and election ſure: And for Charitie, daily experience doth ſhew, that the greater part of them are inferior to others in that excellent grace, for they above all others are full of malice, envy, and vindication, and will upon the leaſt offence, or unadviſed word undo poor men by tedious ſuits at law to vindicate themſelves, preſumption and pride being as a natural habit to rich men, and theſe are the greateſt Antagoniſts to charity: and for their charity towards the poor, they are alſo generally more cloſe-fiſted then the middle ſort of men, for charity is not to be valued by the gift: a man that giveth ſix pence a week to the poor, may be more charitable then another that gives five ſhillings a weeke, becauſe that ſix pence may be more, according to the Arithmeticall proportion to his eſtate, then five ſhillings is to the wealth of a rich man: and that was the reaſon that the two mites that the poorhMark 12.42. widow did caſt into the Treaſury, was more eſteemed of our Saviour, then the great gifts that the rich Phariſees did caſt in, becauſe ſhe gave even all ſhe had, and they gave but a ſmall part of their abundance: and many of them are ſo hard-hearted, and deprived of all pity, compaſſion, and mercy, that like the rich Glutton, they will ſuffer the poor Lazarus to famiſh at their doors rather then they will allow them the crums that falliAlluſion upon Luke 16.21.25. from their tables; but it will be ſaid unto them one day, Sons remember that in your life time you received your good things, and the poor Lazarus evil things, but now they are comforted and you are tormented. It cannot be denied but there are divers monuments abroad of the Chriſtian charity of many rich Citizens of London; but to erect Alms-Houſes, and Hoſpitals with ill-gotten goods, tending more to Oſtentation then to true Charity, is an abomination to the Lord; and Selymus Emperor of the Turks, and one of the greateſt tyrants that ever was, made conſcience of it, forkSee the Turkiſh Hiſtory in Selymus Life. Pyrrhus his grand Viſier perſwading him upon his bed of death, to erect a ſtately Moſque of the moneys that ſhould proceed from the Perſian Merchants goods that he had moſt unjuſtly confiſcated, he anſwered, No, Pyrrhus, this would be an abomination to God, and to our great Prophet Mahomet: to build a Church and an Hoſpital, with the moneys proceeding from goods that are not juſtly my own, but rather I charge thee, they be ſuddenly reſtored to their right owners; and to rob Peter to give to Paul, as many do, is a meer impiety, rather then charity: Can men be ſo groſly deluded by Satan, as to think that it is a ſatisfactory reſtitution to erect a ſorry Almſ-Houſe, or Hoſpital, or a Free-School for the relief of the poor, and for the education of poor Scholars, after they have undone many by Uſury, Rapines, and Oppreſſions? No, the reſtitution to be acceptable to God, muſt be made to the very ſame parties they have wronged and oppreſſed, or at leaſt to their heires; and like Zacheus ſay,lLuke 19.8. Behold Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have taken any thing from any man by falſe accuſation, I reſtore him four fold. Mr. Sutton after he had undone by Uſury, and Forfeitures of Bonds, and Morgages many Gentlemen, out of a remorſe of conſcience, erected Charter-Houſe Hoſpital for relief of decaied Gentlemen; but it had been a better reſtitution if he had diſtributed the moneys it coſt among the children of thoſe he had oppreſſed: yet few there are in theſe days ſo conſcientious as he, for they wil make no reſtitution at all, neither in their life time, nor after their death: True Charity proceeds from a feeling compaſſion of our poor brethrens preſent miſery, and therefore men that are cloſe-fiſted to the poor in their life time, and great benefactors at their death, cannot be accounted true charitable men, for they part from their money when they can make no more uſe of it, and by conſequence, this charity ſavors more of Oſtentation then of true Piety. The Magnificence and Chriſtian Charity of Sir Thomas Greſſam is then to be commended, for as anothermPericles did adorne the City of Athens with ſtately ſtructures. See Plutarch and Thucidides. Pericles, he did in his life time erect the Royall Exchange for the ornament of the City of London, and Greſſam Colledg for the propagation of Learning, and many Almeſ-Houſes for the relief of the poor, and ſo ſhewed himſelf a wiſe and faithful Steward of thoſe riches that the Lord was pleaſed to intruſt him withall: and certainly rich men that do not diſpenſe of their riches after this maner, ſpecially if they have no children, as he had none, without the ſpeciall mercy of God, and an unfained and timely repentance, they will be cut aſunder, and have their portion with the unbelievers: for it is rather a curſe then a bleſſing to be rich, and have not the grace to make uſe of our riches, which is confirmed by this ſaying of Salomon, nEccleſ. 6.12.There is an evil, ſaith he, which I have ſeen under the Sun, and it is common among men; A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honors, ſo that he wanteth nothing for his ſoul of all that he deſireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a ſtranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil diſeaſe. And in another place,oEccleſ. 2.24. There is nothing better, ſaith he, for a man then he ſhould eat and drink, and that he ſhould make his ſoul injoy good in his labor; This alſo I ſaw that it was from the hand of God. By theſe things it appears, that worldly riches are painful in their acquiſition, full of cares in their preſervation, and in their loſſes grievous and full of ſorrow,The third Chap. of the vanity of riches. and that in their diſpenſation do conſiſt the bliſs, or the wo of the owners of them.
As for the ſpiritual riches of a Chriſtian, they are the immediate gifts of the bleſſed Trinity; for his Election is the gift of God the Father, his Juſtification is of God the Son, and his Sanctification the gift of God the Holy Ghoſt; and the riches of his other graces proceed from the ſame Spring, and therefore theſe riches are ſupernaturally excellent, and free from all changes and mutations whatſoever. Neither can the Elements, or any creature in heaven, or upon earth, nor the Prince of darkneſs, nor death deprive him of theſe riches: for as St. Paul ſaith,pRom. 11.19. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance: And every good gift, and every perfect gift, ſaith St. James, qJam. 1.17.is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableneſs, neither ſhadow of turning. Spiritual riches are then that treaſure laid up in heaven, where neither moth, nor ruſt doth corrupt, and where theeves do not break thorow and ſteal; It is that treaſure rMatt. 6.21.hid in the field, the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth, and ſelleth all he hath, and buyeth that field. It is that precious Pearl of great price, ſMatt. 13.44.which when a man had found, he went and ſold all he had and bought it. tMat. 13.46.To conclude, the gifts and graces of God, of his Son, and of his bleſſed Spirit, are the true riches that men ſhould endeavor to attain, for they onelyonly are able to rejoyce his heart, and content his minde, and to comfort him at the hour of death: This is the wiſdom that Salomon ſaith,uPro. 8.11. is better then rubies, and all things that may be deſired, are not to be compared to it. It is in theſe mercies, and graces, in which the Prophet DavidxPſa. 1. and 119.77. took all his delight, and meditated upon day and night, for they are more to be deſired then gold, yea then much yPſal. 19.10.fine gold, and are ſweeter then hony, and the hony comb: whereas riches are but meer vanity and vexation of ſpirit.