BEcause when we preach, we knowe not whether wee shall preache againe, my care is to choose fit and proper textes to speake that which I would speake, and that whiche is necessarie for you to heare. Therefore thinking with my self what doctrine were fittest for you, I sought for a text which speakes against couetousnesse, which I may call the Lon­doners sume. Although God hath giuen you more then other, whiche should turne couetousnesse into thankefulnesse, yet as the Iuie groweth with the Oke, so coue­tousnesse hath growen with riches: euerie man wisheth the Philosophers stone, and [Page] who is within these wals that thinkes he hathe inough, though there be so manie that haue to much? Exod. 16. 2. As y ^e Israelites mur­mured as muche when they had Mamma as when they were without it, Nom. 11. 4 so they which haue riches couet as much as they which are without them: that conferring your mindes and your wealth together, I may truly say, this Citie is rich, if it were not couetous. This is the deuil which be­witcheth you, to thinke that you haue not enough, when you haue more then you neede. If you cannot choose but couet ri­ches, I will shewe you riches which you may couet. Godlinesse is great riches. In which words, as Iacob craued of his wiues and his seruants to giue him their Idols, Cene. 35. 4 that hee might burie them, so Paule craueth your couetousnesse, that hee might burie it: and that yee might be no loosers hee offereth you the vantage, in stead of gaine, hee proposeth great gaine. Godlinesse is great gaine: as if hee shoulde say, Will you couet little gayne before great? You haue found little ioy in money, you shall finne great ioy in [Page] the holy Ghost: you haue founde little peace in the world, you shall finde great peace in conscience. This seeing y ^e world striue for the worlde, like beggers thru­sting at a dole, Lawyer against Lawyer, brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor for the golden apple, that poore Naboth cannot holde his owne, 1. King. 21. 4. because so manie Achabs are sicke of his vine­yard: when he hath found the disease, like a skilfull Phistian, hee goeth about to picke out the greedie worme whiche ma­keth men so hungry, and sets such a glasse before them, that will make a shilling seeme as great as a pound, a cottage seeme as faire as a Pallace, a plough seeme as godly as a diadem, that hee which hath but twentie poundes, shall be as merrie as hee which hath an hundred, and hee whiche hath an hundred, shall be as iocund as hee which hath a thousand: and he which hath a thousand: shall be as well contented, as hee whiche hath a mission: euen as Daniel did thriue with water and pulse, Dan. 1. 12. as well as the rest did with their wine and iunkets. This is the [Page] vertue and operation of these wordes: if you heare them with the same spirite that Paule wrote them, they will so worke vp­on your heartes, that you shall goe away euery man contented with that which hee hath, like Zacheus, which before hee had seene Christ, Luke. 19. 8. knew nothing but to scpane, but as soone as hee had heard Christ, all his mind was set vpon giuing: this was not the first day that Zacheus seemed rich to others, but this was the first day that Zacheus seemed rich vnto himself, when riches seemed dung, & Godlinesse seemed riches. Christ doth not will other to giue all their goods away to the poore, as hee bad the yoong man, Mat. 19. 21. to see what he would doe, but he which forbad him to keepe his riches, forbiddeth vs to loue riches, which makes our riches seeme pouertie, 1. Tim. 6, 17. When ye contenme riches, yee shall seeme rich, because no manhath inough but he which is contented: but if yee couet, and grone, and christ: Gen. 49. 4. as Iacob gaue Ruben a bles­sing, but said thou shalt not be excel­lent, so God may giue you riches, but hee saith, you shall not be satisfied. For yee [Page] will be couetous vntill ye be religious. He that wil haue contentation must leaue his couetousnesse in pawne for it. This is the spirite which we would east out, if ye wil leaue but this one sinne behinde, you shall depart out of the Churche like Naaman out of Ioraan, 2. King. 5, 14. as if you had bene washed, & all your sms swepe away like the seales frō Paules eyes. Actes 9. 18. For what hath brought vsurie, and simonie, and briberie, and cru­eltie, and subtiltie, and enuy, and strife, and deceite into this Citie, and made euerie house an Inne, and euerie shoppe a mar­ket of othes and lies, and fraud, but the su­perfluous loue of money? Name coue­tousnesse, and thou hast named the mother of all these mischiefes: other sinnes are but hirelinges vnto this sinne: vsurie and briberie, and simonie, and extortion, and deceite, and lies and othes, are factors to couetousnesse, and serue for porters to fetche and bring her liuing in. As the re­ceiuer makes a theefe, so couetousnesse makes an vsurer, and extortioner, and deceiuer: because she receiueth the bootie which they steale. Gen. 30. 1. Euen as Rachel cryed [Page] to her husband, Giue me Children or else I die: so couetousnesse crieth vnto vsurie and briberie, and simonie, and cru­eltie, and deceipt, ant lies, Giue me ri­ches or else I die. Howe they may saue a little, and how they may get much, & how they may prolong life, is euerie mans dreame from sunne to sunne, so long as they haue a knee to bowe vnto Baal: Rom. 11. so manie vices bud out of this one that it is called The root of all euil, 1. Tim. 6. 10. as if he would say, the spawne of all s [...]es. Take away couetousnesse and hee will sell his wares as cheape as hee: hee will bring vp hys Children as vertuously as he: he will re­fuse bribes as earnestly as hee: hee will succour the poore as heartily as hee: hee will come to the Church as lightly as he. If ye could feele the pulse of euerie heart, what makes Gehezi take the bribe, which Elisha refused? 2, King. 5, 17. What makes Demetrius to speake for images, Actes 19, 24, which Paule con­demned? What makes Nabal deme Dauid that whiche Abigali gaue hym? 1. Sam. 5. 10. what makes Iudas grudge the oyle which Mary tendered? Math. 26, [...]. Nothing but couetous­nesse. [Page] When thau shouldst giue, she saith it is too much: when thou should receaue, she saith it is too litle: when thou should remit, she saith it is too great: when thou should repent, she saith it is to soone: when thou should heare, shee saith it is to farre: like Pharao whiche found one businesse or other to occupie the Iewes, Exod. 5, 6. when they should serue God.

Thus euery labour hath an ende, but couetousnesse hath none, like a suiter in law which thinkes to haue an end this fearne and that tearme, and the lawyer which shuld procure his peace prolongeth his strife, because he hath an action to his purse, as his aduer­sarie hath to his land: so hee which is set on coueting doth drinke brine whiche makes him thirst more, and seeth no hauen till he arriue at death: when he hath lied, hee is readie to lye agayne: when he hath sworne, hee is readie to sweare againe: when he hath de­ceiued, he is readie to deceiue again: when the day is past, he would it were to begin again: When the tearme is ended, he wi­sheth [Page] that it were come againe: and though his house be full, and his shop ful, and his coffers ful, and his purse full, yet his heart is not full, but lanke and emptie, like the disease which wee cal the Woolfe, that is alwaies eating, and yet keepes the body leane. The Ant dooth eat the foode which shée findeth: the Lyon doth refresh himselfe with the pray that hée taketh, but the couetous man lieth by his money as a sicke man sits by his meate, and hath no power to take it, but to looke vpon it, like the Prince to whome Elisha said that he should see the corne with his eies, but none shuld come with­in his mouth. Thus the couetous man makes a foole of himselfe. Hee coueteth to couet: hée gathereth to gather: hée laboureth to labour: he careth to care, as though his office were to fill a coffer full of angels, and then to dy, like an asse which ca­rieth treasures on his back all day, [Page] and at night they are taken from him, which dyd him no good but lode him, Howe happie were some if they knewe not golde from lead? If thou be vvise (sayth Salomon) thou shalt bee vvise for thy selfe, Prou. 9. 12. but hée which is couetous, is couetous a­gainst himselfe. For what plague is this (vnlesse one woulde kill himselfe) for a man to spend all his life in carking, and pining, and scra­ping, (as though hee shoulde doo nothing but gather in this world, to spend in the next) vnlesse he be sore that he shall come againe when hee is dead, to eate those scraps which hee hath gotten with all this styrre? Therefore couetousnesse may well bee called miserie, and the couetous miserable, for they are miserable indeed.

Of them which séeme to bee wise, there be no such fooles in the world as they which loue money better then themselues, but this is a iudg­ment [Page] of God, that they which de­ceiue other should deceiue thēselues & liue like Cain which was a vaga­bond vpon his owne landes, Gen. 4. 14. so they are beggers in the middest of their wealth. For though they haue vn­derstanding to know riches, and a minde to seeke them, and wit to finde them, and pollicie to keepe them, and life to possesse them, yet they haue suche a false sight and bleare eye, that when their riches lie before them, they seeme pouer­tie, and hee which hath not halfe so much seemes richer then they wil you know how this comes to passe, to shewe that the couetous men be­long to hell, they are like hel while they liue. Pro. 30. 15. Hell is neuer filled and they are neuer satisfied, but like the horse-leath which cryeth giue, giue, so their heartes crie bring, bring, and though the tempter shoulde say to them as hee said to Christ, Mat. 4. All these vvill I giue thee, [Page] yet [...] would not content them no more then heauen contented him: Luke. 16. but as the glutton in hell desired a drop of water & yet a riuer woulde not satisfie him, for if a drop had bin granted him he would haue desired a drop more, and a drop more, and a drop to that, so they will lie and sweare and deceiue for a droppe of riches. The deuill need not offer them all as hee did to Christ, for they will serue him for lesse, but if he coulde giue them all, all would not content them, no more then the worlde contented Alexander. For it is against the name and na­ture of couetousnesse to be content, as it is against the name and na­ture of contentation to bee coue­tous.

Therefore one sayth, that no mans heart is like the couetous mans heart, for hys heart is with­out a bottome, like a fire which hath neuer woode inough.

[Page] A prentise is bound, but for nine yéere and then hee is free: but if the couetous might liue longer then Methusalah, Gen. 5. 25. yet they woulde neuer be free men, but prentises to the world while they haue a foote out of the graue.

It is a woonder to see, as the deuill compasseth about, seeking whome hee may deuour: so men compasse about seeking what they may deuour, such loue is betweene men and money that they which professe good wil vnto it from their heartes, will not take so muche paynes for their life as they take for gaine.

Therefore no maruaile if they haue no leysure to sanctifie them­selues, whiche haue no leysure to refreshe themselues. Christ knewe what hee spake when hee saide No man can serue two maisters, Mat. 16. 24. (mea­ning God & the worlde) because ech would haue all. As y ^e angel & deuil [Page] stroue for Moses bodye, Iudg. 1. not who should haue a part but who shoulde haue the whole so they striue stil for our soules who shal haue al. Ther­fore the Apostle saith, the loue of this world is enmitie to God. 1 Ioh. 2. 15 Sig­nifieng suche emulation betweene these two, that God cannot abide the worlde should haue a part, and the worlde cannot abide that God should haue a part. Therefore the loue of the worlde must needes be enmitie to God, and therefore the louers of the world must needes be enemies to God, and therefore no couetous man is Gods seruant, but Gods enemie. Ephes. 5. 5. For this cause coue­tousnes is called Idolatrie which is the most contrary sinne to God, be­cause as treason setteth vp another king in the kings place, so Idolatrie setteth vp another God in Gods place. This word doth signifie, that the couetous make so much of mo­ny, that they euen worship it in [Page] their hearts, and would do asmuch for it, as the idolaters doe for their idols. Paul seing such sins commit­ted, and such paine taken for gaine, thought with himselfe if they could be perswaded, that godlinesse is gaine, it is like that they woulde take as much paines for godlines, as they take for gaine. Therefore hee taketh vppon him to proue this strange paradoxe. that godlines is gaine, against all them in the verse before, which hold that gain is god­linesse: These two opinions are verie contrarie, and here are manie against one. A man woulde thinke that Paule should be very eloquent and sharpe witted, and that he had neede to vse some Logicke: For he hath chosen an hard text: what Paul, wil you proue that godlinesse is gaine? You shal haue moe oppo­nentes against you, 1. King. 22. 17. then Michaia had when he forbad Achab to sight: if you had taken the former verse [Page] which saith that gaine is godlines, then you shoulde haue had matter and examples inough, the marchant and mercer and lawyer, and land­lord, and patrene, and all woulde come in and speake for gaine, as the Ephesians cryed for Diana: Act. 19. 28. but if you will be crosse to all and preach godlinesse is gaine, to them which count gaine godlines. Men will thinke of you as Festus did, Acts. 25. that you speake you know not what. These lessons are for Paul himselfe. Mat. 19. As Christ saith, All doe not receiue this word, Luke. 12, 18. so all doe not count this gaine but losse, we count him riche which hath his barnes full like the Luke. 16. 14. churle, Dan. 5. 1. his coffers ful like the glut­ton, his table full like Baltasar, his stable ful like Salomon, 1. King. 4. 26. his grounds full like Iob, his purse full like Cressus. Iob. 1. 3. you speake against your maister: for Christ sent worde vn­to Iohn that the poore receiue the Gospell, Luke. 7. 22. as though the godly were [Page] of the poorer sorte, Psal. 73. 38. 5. 12. and Dauid cal­leth the wicked rich, they prospe­and florish, their seed blasteth not, their cowe casteth not, as if hee shoulde say, it is not as you take it Paul, that godlines doth make men riche. For this I haue obserued in my time, that the wicked are the wealthiest, Luke. 16. and good Lazarus is the poore man and wicked Diues is the rich man. Againe we read that the blinde man was asked, vvhich of of the Scribes or the Pharisees or the Elders did follovv Christ, yet these were counted rich men, though they had no godlinesse: and if ye should examine your selfe, it seemes you were no riche man for all your godlinesse, when you did worke with your handes for your liuing: 1. Thes. 2. 9. therefore if Godlinesse bee suche gayne, how happeneth it, that your share is no better: So they which are like Nicodemus (when Christ saith they must be borne agayne) Iohn. 3. [Page] thinke that hee can haue no other meaning but that they must re­turne againe into their mothers wombe: Iohn. 6. and when he calleth hym­selfe bread, that hee must needes meane such bread as theydine with As the Iews hearing the prophets speake so oft of Christes kingdom, Math. 20. 20. and call him a king, looked for a temporal king which should bring them peace, and ioy, and glory, and make them like kings themselues: so the carnall eares whē they heare of a kingdome, and treasures, and riches, straight their minds runne vpon earthly, and worldly, and transitory thinges, such as they loue: to whome Paul answereth as Christ aunswered hys Disciples. I haue an other meate vvhich you knovve not of: Iohn. 4. 32. so there is another gaine, which you know not of, I sayd not that godlinesse is earthly, or world­ly, or transitorie gaine, but great gaine. Godlinesse is great gayne. [Page] He will not prooue Godlinesse to be gaine, but great gaine: Godlines is great gaine, as if he shoulde say, more gainful then your wares, and rents, and fines, and interest: as though he would make the Lawyer and Marchant, and Mercer, & Dra­per, and Patrone, and Landlord, & all the men of riches beléeue that Godlines wil make thē rich sooner then couetousnes. Aba. 1. 5. I feare this say­ing may be renued. Psal. 14. 2. & 43. 2 If a man tel you, ye vvil not beleeue it, nay if God tel you, yet ye wil not beleeue it. As the Lord looked down vpon earth, to see if any did regard him, & saith, there is not one, so this sentence may go from court to citie, from citie to countrie, and say there is scarce one in a towne that will subscribe vn­to it. Many (saith Dauid, Psal. 4.) aske vvho vvill shewe vs any good, meaning riches, and honour, and pleasure, which are not good, but when he came to goodnesse it selfe, [Page] hée leaues out Many, and prayeth in his owne person, Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs. as though none woulde ioyne with him, yet Wisedome is iustified of her ovvn children, and the godlye call Godlines gaine. To make vs loue Godlinesse, he calleth it by the name of that we loue most: that is, Gaine. As the Father calleth his sonne which hee would loue more than the rest by his owne name, to put him in minde of such a loue as he beareth to himself. Here we may see that God dooth not commannd men to be godly onely, because it makes for his glory, but because Godlinesse is profitable to vs. For Godlines is not called Gaine in re­spect of him, but in respect of vs: it is gain to vs, but it is dutie to him. So it is not called health in respect of God, but in respect of vs, because it is the health of the soule. so it is not called a kingdome in respect of [Page] God, but in respect of vs, because we are intituled to the kingdome by this difference from the repro­bates. But all the good thinges in the world together, and the good­nesse of all is found in Godlinesse: and therefore godlinesse is called by the names of those thinges that men count. best, to shewe that the Godlie are as well, as merrie, as content with their loue towarde God, and Gods loue toward them, as other are with health, and wealth, and pleasures. Therefore it is said of the Godly. Esay. 33. The feare of the Lord is his treasure. Therefore saith Ieremy, 3. Lament. The Lord is my portion. as though he desired nothing els: and therfore it is said of Moses. Heb. 11. 26. That he esteemed the rebuke of Christ greater riches thē al the treasures of Egypt. If crosses be riches, as Moses thought, what riches are in Godli­nes? but is this al? shal godlines be [Page] our riches in this life only. Nay (saith Paule, 1. Tim, 4) Godlinesse hath the promises of this life and of the life to come. And therfore christ saith, First seeke the kingdome of God, and all the rest shall bee cast vpon you, Mat. 6. Ruth. 2. 16. euen as the sheaues fel before Ruth: so riches shall fall in your way, as they did to Abraham, and Lot, and Iacob, and Iob, and Io­seph, riches wer cast to thē they knewe not how, but as if God had said, Be rich, and they were rich straight. For all good thinges were created for the good, and therefore they are called good. Gen, 1. Because the good God created them for good men to good purpose: Gene. 25. 30 Gen. 27. 8 and therfore as Iacob got the blessing, so he got the inheritance also: to shew that as the faithfull haue the inwarde blessing, so they haue the outward blessings too, when they are good for thē. For (sayth Dauid, Psal. 34) They vvhich seeke the Lord shall [Page] vvant nothing that is good. He sayth not, that they shall vvant nothing, but, that they shall vvant nothing that is good. Now God knowes better then wee what is good for vs: as the Nurse knoweth better then the child when the milke is ready for it. Therefore Christ saith, Your heauenly Father knovveth vvhat you haue need of: he saith not that vve know vvhat vve haue need of, but that our father knovveth: as if he shoulde say, when you haue neede of health, your Father will sende you health: when you haue neede of riches your Father will send you riches: whē you haue néede of l [...]ertie, your Father will send you libertie: for he saith not onely, that his Father knovveth vvhat vve haue neede of, but he vvill giue vs the things vvhich vve need. Therfore as childrē take no care for their apparell, what cloathes they should weare, nor for their victuals, what [Page] meat they should eat, but leaue this care for their father, so saith Christ, Take you no care, for my father ca­reth for you.

Hee was not content to call Godlinesse gain, but hee calleth it great gaine, as if hee would say Gaine, and more then Gaine: ri­ches, and better then riches: a Kingdome, and greater then a Kingdome.

As when the Prophetes woulde distinguish betweene the Idol gods and the liuing GOD, they call him the great God: so the gaine of Godlinesse is called greate gaine. The riches of the worlde are called earthlye, transitorye, snares, thornes, dung, as though they were not worthye to bee counted Riches: and therefore to draw the earnest loue of men from them, the holy Ghoste bringes them in with such names of disdaine, to dis­grace them with their louers: but [Page] when hee comes to Godlinesse, which is the riches of the soule, he calleth it great riches, heauenlye riches, vnsearcheable riches, euer­lasting riches, with all the names of honor, and al the names of plea­sure, and all the names of happi­nesse. As a woman trimmes and deckes her selfe with an hundred ornaments, onelye to make her amiable, so the holy Ghost setteth out Godlinesse with names of ho­nour, and names of pleasure, and names of happinesse, as it were in her iewels with letters of commen­dation, to make her to hee loued. Least any riches shoulde compare with Godlinesse, hee giues it a name aboue other, and calleth it Great Riches, as if, hee woulde make a distinction betweene Ri­ches and Riches: betweene the gaine of Couetousnesse, and the gain of Godlinesse, the peace of the [Page] world and the peace of conscience, the ioy of riches, and the ioy of the holy Ghost. The worldly men haue a kind of peace, and ioy, and riches, but I cannot call it great, because they haue not enough, they are not contented as the Godly are, there­fore onely Godlinesse hath this ho­nour, to be called great riches. The Gaine of couetousnes is nothing but wealth, but the Gaine of God­linesse is wealth, and peace, and ioy, and loue of God, and the remission of sins and euerlasting life. There­fore onely Godlines hath this ho­nour to by called great gaine. Ri­ches make bate, but Godlinesse makes peace: Riches breede coue­tousnesse, but Godlinesse bringes contentation: Riches make men vnwilling to die, but Godlinesse makes men ready to dy: Riches of­ten hurt the owner, but Godlinesse profiteth the owner & other. Ther­fore onely Godlinesse hath this ho­nour [Page] to be called great riches, such [...]ine, such ioy, such peace is in Godlinesse, and yet no man couets it: for this is the qualitie of vertue, it seemeth nothing vnto a man vn­til he hath it, as Salomon saith of the buier, while he is in buying he dis­piseth the thing which he buyeth, & saith, Pro. 20. 14. It is naught, it is not woorth the price which ye ask, but when he hath bought it, so soon as he is gon, he boasteth of his peniworths, and saith it is better, then his mony. So Godlines, before a man haue it, hee saith it is not woorth his labor, and thinkes euery houre too much that he spendeth about it, but when hee hath found it, he would not loose it againe for al the world, because hee is now come to that, which followeth, to be contented vvith that hee hath. Riches come, and yet the man is not pleased, honour comes and yet the man is not pleased: li­bertie [Page] comes, and yet the man is not pleased, pleasure comes, and yet the man is not pleased, Psal. 23. 5 vntill God come, & then he saith, My cup is ful. Shevv vs thy father (saith Phillip) & it sufficeth. Iohn. 14. 7 nay shew vs thy truth and it suffiseth. Novv my soul (saith the Churle) take thy rest: nay, now my soule take thy rest, Luke. 12. 19 for thou hast layd vp for many yeares. The god­ly man hath founde that which the world dooth seeke, that is inough, e­uery word may be defined, & euery thing may be measured, but enough cannot be measured nor defined: it changeth euery year: when we had no thing, we thoght it enough if we might obtaine lesse then we haue: whē we came to more, we thought of an other enough: nowe we haue more, we dream of another enough: so enogh is alwais to come, though too much be there already. This is because we séek contentation in the things, when it is in the mind, for [Page] Godlines is in the mind, and the gaine of Godlines is contentation. The apostle speakes as though hée had founde a new kinde of riches, which the world neuer thought of that are of such a nature, that they will satisfie a man like the water that Christ spake of, Iohn. 4. he that drinkes of this vvater shall thirst no more: so they that tast of these riches shall couet no more: but as the holy ghost filled all the house, Act. 2. ( Act. 2) so y ^e grace and peace, and ioy of the holy ghost filleth all the hart, that as Ioseph had no neede of Astronomy because hee had the spirite of Prophecie, Gen. 44. 15 so hée which hath contentation hath litle need of riches. Such a sweet thing is Godlinesse that it seasoneth al e­states, like the Vnicornes horue, which dippeth in y ^e foūtain, & maks the waters which were corrupt & noisom clear & wholsome vpon the suddaine: so whatsoeuer estate god­linesse comes vnto, it saith like the [Page] Apostles, Peace bee to this house, peace be to this heart, peace bee to this man.

I may liken it to the fiue loaues Luke. 5. 9 and two fishes wherewith Christ fed fiue thousand persons, and yet there were twelue baskets full of that which was left, which coulde not fill one basket when it was whole: so their litle feast was made a great feast: so the godlye though they haue but litle for themselues, yet they haue something for other, like the wyddowes Myte, that they may say as the Disciples saide to Mark. 12. Christ, Math. 10 they want nothing, though they haue nothing. Contentation wanteth nothing, and a good heart is worth all: For if she want bread, she can say as Christ said, I am ano­ther bread: Iohn. 4. 32. If she want riches, she can say, I haue other riches: If shee want strength, she can say, I haue other strength: If shee want friends, she can say, I haue other [Page] friends. Thus the Godly and all within, that the Godlesse séek with­out. Therfore if you sée a man con­tented with that which hée hath, it is a great signe that Godlinesse is entred into him, for y ^e hart of man was made a Temple for God, and nothing can fill it but God alone. Therefore Paule saith after his conuersion that which he coulde neuer say before his conuersion, Phil. 4. I haue learned to be contēt, First he lear­ned godlines, then godlines taught him contentatiō. Now (saith Paul) I haue learned to be content, as though this were a lesson for eue­ry Christian to learn, to be content For thus he must thinke, that as God said to Moses, when he coulde not obtaine leaue to goe to Canaan, Let this suffice thee to see Canaan: Deut. 26. so whatsoeuer he giueth, he giueth this charge with it, Let this suffice thee. As Ieremy saith, This is my sor­row, and I vvil beare it, Ier. 10. 19 so thou must [Page] say, This is my portiō & I wil take it. This is the signe, whether God­lines be in a man, if he haue ioy of y ^t which he hath: for y ^e thinges which god giueth to y ^e righteous, Paul saith y ^t he giueth thē to enioy, 1. Tim. 6. 17. y ^t is, if he haue much, he can say with Paul, I haue learned to abound: if he haue litle, he can say with Paule, I haue learned to vvant: y ^t is, if he haue much as Abraham, & Lot, & Iacob, & Iob, and Ioseph, yet it cannot corrupt his mind, but as the net was ful of fishes, and yet did not rent, because they cast it in at Christs cōmaund: Iohn. 21. 11. so though y ^e godly man be full of ri­ches, yet his heart is not rent, his mind is not troubled, his coūtenāce is not chaunged, because hée remē ­breth y ^t these thinges were geuen him to doo good, as Hester thought of her honor: if hée haue litle, Hest. 4. 14. it is like the litle oyle, which serued the wid­dow as little as it was, 2. King. 4. 7. For a litle to the righteous Psal. 34. (saith Dauid) is better [Page] then great riches to the vngodly: for when a man hath found y ^e heauenly riches, hee careth not for earthly ri­ches no more then he that walketh in the Sun, thinks not whether the Moon shine or no, because he hath no néed of her light. Therfore we con­clude w ^t Christ ( Math. 5) Mat. 5 Blessed are they vvhich thirst after rigteousnes, for they shall be satisfied: Not they which thirst after riches, nor they which thirst after honour, nor they which thirst after pleasure, they shal not be satisfied, but thirst more, as the ambitious, voluptuous and co­uetous do, but they that thirst after righteousnesshalbe satisfied, though they haue no riches, nor honor, nor pleasure: Gen. 2 euen as Adam was warm though he had no cloaths, though he was naked, yet he did not sée his nakednes, so long as he was innocent: but when he began to rebel, then he began to want cloaths, so thogh a man be pore, yet he doth not see his pouerty [Page] so long as hee is contented, but when hee beginnes to couet, then he beginnes to want riches, and from that day the curse (in the first of Agge. 6.) takes holde vpon him, Ye eat, but ye haue not inough: ye drinke, but ye are not satisfied: ye cloath your selues but ye are not vvarme. Indeed the couetous man séemeth to drawe the world to him with cordes, his coffers are of lode­stones, his handes like nettes, his fingers like lime-twigges, there it comes, and there it comes, one would thinke that this man should be happie one day.

When the Churles barnes wer full, hee bad his soule rest, thin­king to gaine rest by couetousnesse, Luke. 12. 8. that hee might say Riches gaine rest aswell as Godlinesse, but see what happened that night when he began to take his rest, riches & rest, and soule and all were taken from him. Did he not gaine faire? would [Page] he haue taken suche paines if hee had thought of such rest, couetousnesse may gaine riches, but it cannot gaine rest, ye may thinke iike this churle to rest, when your barnes and shoppes and coffers are full: but yee shall finde it true which Esay saith, Esay. 41. there is no rest to the vngodly, therefore the wise man to preuent anie hope of rest, or honour or profite, by sinne, speakes as though he had tried, Pro. 12. 3. a man cannot be established by iniquitie. Therefore hee cannot be quieted nor satisfied by the gaine of deceipt, or bribes, or lies, or vsurie, Pro. 10. 2. which is iniquitie: therefore blessed is the man whome godlinesse doth make riche, for vvhen the bles­sing of the Lord maketh rich (saith Salomon) he doth ad no sorrovv to it, Pro. 13. 6 but (saith he) the reuenevves of the vvicked is trouble, as though his money were care: wherefore let pa­trone, and landlord, and lawyer, and all say, that Paul hath chosen the bet­ter riches, which theefe, nor moth, [Page] nor canker can corrupt. these are the riches at least which wee must dwell with, when all the rest which wee haue lied for, and sworne for, and fretted for, and cosoned for, and broken our sleepe, and lost many sermons, forsake vs. Like seruauntes which chaunge theyr maisters: then godlinesse shall seeme as great gaine to vs as it did to Paul, and hee which loued the worlde moste, would giue all that he hath for a dram of faith, that he might be sure to go to heauen when hee is dead, though hee went towardes hell so long as hee liued.

It is said of this citie that manie citi­zens of London haue good willes, but bad deedes, that is, you doe no good till that ye die.

First you are vngodly, that you may be riche, and then you part from some of your riches to excuse for your vn­godlinesse, it may be, that some heere haue set down in their willes, when I die I bequeath an hundreth pound to a [Page] colledge, and an hundreth pound to an hospitall, and an hundreth gownes to poore men. I doe maruaile that you giue not more when you are at that poynt, Mat. 27. 3 for Iudas when hee died retur­ned all agayne: so yee die and thinke when ye are goue, that God wil take this for a quittance: bee not decei­ued for God doth not looke vppon that whiche yee doe for feare, but vpon that which yee doe for loue. If you can finde in your heart to doe good while yee are in healthe, as Zacheus did, then God hathe respect vnto your of­fering, but before God hearken howe you giue your riches, first hee exa­mines howe ye come b [...] them.

Thus you see the fruites of God­linesse and the fruits of couetousnesse if yee bee couetous you shall neuer haue inough though ye haue too much. If ye be godly, yee shall haue inough though yee seeme to haue nothing.

Therefore what counsell shall I giue you, but as Christ counselled hys [Page] disciples, Lnk. 16. 9 be not friendes to riches, but make you friendes of riches, and knowe this, that if hee cannot say as Paul saith, Phil. 9 I haue learned to be con­tent, Godlinesse is not come into your house yet, for the companion of Godli­linesse is contentation. Therefore as Christ saith, Iohn. 8. 39. if the sonne make you free, you shall be free in deede, so I say, if godlinesse make you rich, ye shalbe rich indeede.