DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3689#0052
50 zA Serious Call to
them to those that want them. If we choose to indulge our-
selves in such expensive enjoyments, as have no real use in
them, such as satisfy no real want, rather than to entitle our-
selves to an eternal reward, by disposing of our money well, we
are guilty of his madness, that rather chooses to lock up eyes
and hands, than to make himself for ever blessed, by giving
them to those that want them.
For after we have satisfied our own sober and reasonable wants,
all the rest of our money is but like spare eyes, or hands ; it is
something that we cannot keep to ourselves, without being
foolish in the use of it, something that can only be used well, by
giving it to those that want it.
Thirdly, If we waste our money, we are not only guilty of
wasting a talent which God has given us, we are not only guilty
of making that useless, which is so powerful a means of doing
good, but we do ourselves this further harm, that we turn this
useful talent into a powerful means of corrupting ourselves;
because so far as it is spent wrong, so far it is spent in the
support of some wrong temper, in gratifying some vain and
unreasonable desires, in conforming to those fashions, and pride
of the world, which, as Christians and reasonable men, we are
obliged to renounce.
As wit and fine parts cannot be trifled away, and only lost,
but will expose those that have them into greater follies, if they
are not strictly devoted to piety: so money, if it is not used
strictly according to reason and religion, cannot only be trifled
away, but it will betray people into greater follies, and make
them live a more silly and extravagant life, than they could
have done without it. If, therefore, you do not spend your
money in doing good to others, you must spend it to the hurt of
yourself. You will act like a man, that should refuse to give
that as a cordial to a sick friend, though he could not drink it
himself without inflaming his blood. For this is the case of
superfluous money ; if you give it to those that want it, it is a
cordial; if you spend it upon yourself in something that you do
not want, it only inflames and disorders your mind, and makes
you worse than you would be without it.
Consider again the fore-mentioned comparison; if the man
that would not make a right use of spare eyes and hands, should,
by continually trying to use them himself, spoil his own eyes and
hands, we might justly accuse him of still greater madness.
Now this is truly the case of riches spent upon ourselves in
vain and needless expenses ; in trying to use them where they
have no real use, nor we any real want, we only use them to our
great hurt, in creating unreasonable desires, in nourishing ill
them to those that want them. If we choose to indulge our-
selves in such expensive enjoyments, as have no real use in
them, such as satisfy no real want, rather than to entitle our-
selves to an eternal reward, by disposing of our money well, we
are guilty of his madness, that rather chooses to lock up eyes
and hands, than to make himself for ever blessed, by giving
them to those that want them.
For after we have satisfied our own sober and reasonable wants,
all the rest of our money is but like spare eyes, or hands ; it is
something that we cannot keep to ourselves, without being
foolish in the use of it, something that can only be used well, by
giving it to those that want it.
Thirdly, If we waste our money, we are not only guilty of
wasting a talent which God has given us, we are not only guilty
of making that useless, which is so powerful a means of doing
good, but we do ourselves this further harm, that we turn this
useful talent into a powerful means of corrupting ourselves;
because so far as it is spent wrong, so far it is spent in the
support of some wrong temper, in gratifying some vain and
unreasonable desires, in conforming to those fashions, and pride
of the world, which, as Christians and reasonable men, we are
obliged to renounce.
As wit and fine parts cannot be trifled away, and only lost,
but will expose those that have them into greater follies, if they
are not strictly devoted to piety: so money, if it is not used
strictly according to reason and religion, cannot only be trifled
away, but it will betray people into greater follies, and make
them live a more silly and extravagant life, than they could
have done without it. If, therefore, you do not spend your
money in doing good to others, you must spend it to the hurt of
yourself. You will act like a man, that should refuse to give
that as a cordial to a sick friend, though he could not drink it
himself without inflaming his blood. For this is the case of
superfluous money ; if you give it to those that want it, it is a
cordial; if you spend it upon yourself in something that you do
not want, it only inflames and disorders your mind, and makes
you worse than you would be without it.
Consider again the fore-mentioned comparison; if the man
that would not make a right use of spare eyes and hands, should,
by continually trying to use them himself, spoil his own eyes and
hands, we might justly accuse him of still greater madness.
Now this is truly the case of riches spent upon ourselves in
vain and needless expenses ; in trying to use them where they
have no real use, nor we any real want, we only use them to our
great hurt, in creating unreasonable desires, in nourishing ill