item: #1 of 5 id: A26201 author: Audley, Hugh, d. 1662. title: The way to be rich, according to the practice of the great Audley who begun with two hundred pound in the year 1605, and dyed worth four hundred thousand pound this instant November, 1662. date: 1662 words: 12797 flesch: 58 summary: He took care to accompany himself with some Grave and reverend Divine to his dying day ; from whom if he gained not piety , he gain'd the reputation of it , you should have in his Chamber upon the Table a large Bible , & Bishop Andrewes Sermons , and if you surprized him not you might find him busie with one of these Bookes ; but if you come suddenly he was in his Closet , — he was a great frequenter of the Church in the time of Divine Service ; but for Sermons he cared not for them , and he was something concerned to see Religion ( as he used to say ) made a meer Preach ; he would usually say that we might very well content our selves to go to Heaven the old and good way which our forefathers went in ; what ( saith he ) are we wiser then our forefathers ? — seek wisdome among the Ancient and in length of dayes understanding , yea in all matters as well Religious as Civill this was his rule ; that the judgements of men experienced , aged , and wise , yea though they speak without any proofe or demonstration , are no less to be hearkned unto , then as being demonstrations in themselves , because such mens long observation is as an eye , wherewith they presently and plainly behold those principles that sway over all actions ; that which makes men wise is the gathering of principles out of their own particular experiments ; and the framing of our particular experiments according to the rule of their principles will make us such as they are ; — the times will never be well ( he said ) untill we had Queen Elizabeths Protestants againe in fashion , — here 's now one saith one thing , and another saith another , so that a man cannot tell what Religion to be of ; he observed that the great scandall of our Religion is the great covetousness of our Clergy men ; they must have their hundreds and thousands a year when as fome fifty or threescore might satisfie an honest man to buy him a few Books , and meat , and drink , and cloathing , wherewith he should be contented ; for he allowed not marriage in a Clergy man , for said he their Children never thrived ; and their Wives were usually left in a poor condition , when the Parson is alive , they lead a merry life ; but when the Parson is dead and gone , where then is the Parsons Wife ; truely he wondred what the Papist meant when he affirmed that the poor sinner should be saved by his workes ; I rest said he often in this , that salvation is not of workes but of grace ; for if of workes then we should have something to boast , but when we have done all , we are but unprofitable servants ; he would much complaine of the uncomfortable preaching of the late times , when he could hear of nothing but of Hell and damnation , whereas they are preachers of the Gospel , — the glad tidings of Salvation ; he looked upon the Lords Prayer as an absolute forme of Prayer to which none can adde by any their new inventions , which he would constantly say morning and evening ; — Virginity he looked upon as meritorious , and therefore he would say to an old Maid of his , I like thee the better because thou art unmarryed , to which she replyed , In troth master I like you the worse because you are unmarryed ; he thought all Religion consisted in this , Do unto others as thou wouldest have others do unto thee ; this is the Law and the Prophets . 2 He would take a Lease of a Parsonage under value for three yeares , and so gaine his wished for summe , in so much that he was called the Parsons Tenant ; being asked how he thought to be saved ? he answered he hoped his Landlords would pray for him ; — and being asked whether he was not afraid of a curse upon his Estate from Church livings so sacrilegiously obtained ? he answered that he thought that Church goods blessed him ; for said he a little that a man hath of a righteous mans , is better then if he had all the riches of the ungodly ; and withall he added that if the Clergy could in conscience allow money for their benefices , he could in conscience receive it , &c. keywords: audley; court; day; estate; good; great; hath; man; men; money; place; pound; tcp; text; thee; thou; time; way; year cache: A26201.xml plain text: A26201.txt item: #2 of 5 id: A31107 author: Barton, William, 1598?-1678. title: Mercy in the midst of judgment by a gracious discovery of a certain remedy for London's languishing trade : in a sermon preached before the right honourable, the lord mayor and the citizens of London, on September 12, 1669, at the new repaired chappel at Guild-Hall / by D. Barton ... date: 1670 words: 11819 flesch: 72 summary: To labour in the fire , and to weary themselves for vanity , to lose oleum & operam , cost and paines , is sufficient to bring men to desperation ; Especially when that little which is coming in , doth no good ; when God blows on it , and takes away the nourishing virtues , so that either men dare not eat their fill ▪ for feare of want another day ; or if they do eat , the Staffe of bread being broken for want of Gods concurrence , they are not satisfied A Boulimy , or Canine appetite , being a disease common at such times , when in the fulness of their sufficiency ( as Zophar in Job speaks of the wicked ) they are in streights ; that little is so far from abating , that it encreaseth the Calamity : And so much for the first Particular , the Judgment with the Severity of it . The Heavens are the Storehouses of Gods good treasure , which he openeth to mans profit and nourishment , yet they cannot drop down fatness on the earth , if God close it up , and with-hold the seasonable showers , which he can do if he please , and will do , if he be provoked . keywords: god; gods; good; house; judgment; labour; land; lord; man; mercy; place; saith; temple; text; worship cache: A31107.xml plain text: A31107.txt item: #3 of 5 id: A36377 author: Dorrington, Theophilus, d. 1715. title: The right use of an estate briefly directed and urg'd in a sermon lately preacht to a person of quality upon his coming to be of age / by Theophilus Dorrington. date: 1683 words: 22291 flesch: 56 summary: To know in the first place wherein the right use of these things does consist , let us observe that summary of every mans Duty which the Apostle layes down under Three Heads in 2 Tit. 12. where he directs men to live soberly , righteously and godly in this present World : Thus ought we to guide our selves in the use of what we enjoy , to take care that we do not contradict in this , that reverence and pious homage which is due to God ; nor that Justice and Good-will towards other men , which we may desire to find in their carriage towards us ; nor that good and wise Government which best becomes , and is most advantageous for our selves . When persons are admitted to a part in the Government , 't is certain that they have great opportunity to promote Religion ; they can force men to at least an outward practice of it ; they can punish Vice and Profaneness , and make it uneasie to Men ; they can make it ashamed of its self when 't is grown bold , or prevent its growing so ; they can reward , protect and countenance effectually those that will be good Men ; they can command a general and strict observation of the Sabbath , and force men to assemble to one or other of the places of publick Worship , whereby they will be under the means to make them good men ; 't is in their power to restrain , at least from appearing in publick , that profane liberty of Fancy , so much affected under the name of Wit ; which lies in finding out improbabilities in the clearest and most important truths , and matter of ridicule in the gravest rules of Morality and Religion ; a practice which tends to make men Scepticks and Atheists , to overthrow Religion , and civil Order and Government . keywords: end; estate; god; good; happiness; life; love; man; men; pleasure; present; publick; religion; respect; self; selves; things; time; use; world cache: A36377.xml plain text: A36377.txt item: #4 of 5 id: A67765 author: Younge, Richard. title: The prevention of poverty, together with the cure of melancholy, alias discontent. Or The best and surest way to wealth and happiness being subjects very seasonable for these times; wherein all are poor, or not pleased, or both; when they need be neither. / By Rich. Younge, of Roxwel in Essex, florilegus. Imprimatur Joseph Caryl. date: 1655 words: 39788 flesch: 71 summary: And indeed , what great difference is there , save in the pride and covetousness of a mans mind ? for my part , ( let me speak it to Gods glory , and out of thankfulness ) I have no share with either of them in these delights ; I enjoy neither curious gardens , nor delicious musick , nor sumputous fare , my body will scarce permit me a cup of strong drink , I do not know that I have been free from getting cold in my head ( more or less ) one whole day this thirty years , my means will not afford me to keep either horse or man , except with the unjust Steward , I should cozen my master , yet I would not change my condition either with him or his Lord , and I doubt not but there are thousands of my mind , as preferring a retired life , spent in conversing with Authors , before all the honors , pleasures , and profits that others enjoy ; This is the gift of God , ( Eccl. SEcondly , admit God is pleased to continue or increase the unthankful and unmercifull mans meanes , yet he denies to add his blessing withall , and then he had as good be without it ; for no outward blessing proves a blessing , without Gods blessing upon it , Mal. keywords: blessing; case; chap; children; conscience; covetousness; day; death; desire; earth; father; god; gods; gold; good; hath; heart; heaven; hell; life; like; lord; love; man; means; men; money; prov; psal; riches; saith; soul; thee; things; thou; thy; use; want; way; wealth; world; yea cache: A67765.xml plain text: A67765.txt item: #5 of 5 id: B01388 author: Clement, of Alexandria, Saint, ca. 150-ca. 215. Quis dives salvetur? title: An answer to Clemens Alexandrinus's sermon upon Quis dives salvetur? What rich man can be sav'd? Proving it easie for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. date: 1690 words: 1438 flesch: 73 summary: This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription B01388 of text R176291 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing A3354A). Imperfect: cropped, with loss of text. keywords: dives; man; text cache: B01388.xml plain text: B01388.txt