O, ye thousands—­the covetous of this world’s good—­behold at what a fire ye do warm yourselves! dread it:  even now, ye have imagined many deaths, whereby your gains may be the greater; ye have caught, in wishful fancy, many a parting sigh; ye have closed, in a heartless revery, many a glazing eye—­yea, of those your very nearest, whom your hopes have done to death:  and are ye guiltless?  God and conscience be your judges!

Even now ye have compassed many frauds, connived at many meannesses, trodden down the good, and set the bad on high—­all for gold—­hard gold; and are ye the honest—­the upright?  Speak out manfully your excuse, if you can find one, ye respectables of merchandise, ye traders, bartering all for cash, ye Scribes, ye Pharisees, hypocrites, all honourable men.

Even now, your dreams are full of money-bags; your cares are how to add superfluity to wealth; ye fawn upon the rich, ye scorn the poor, ye pine and toil both night and day for gold, more gold; and are ye happy?  Answer me, ye covetous ones.

Yet are there righteous gains, God’s blessing upon labour:  yet is there rightful hope to get those righteous gains.  Who can condemn the poor man’s care, though Faith should make his load the lighter?  And who will extenuate the rich man’s coveting, whose appetite grows with what it feeds on?  “Having food and raiment, be therewith content;” that is the golden mean; to that is limited the philosophy of worldliness:  the man must live, by labour and its earnings; but having wherewithal for him and his temperately, let him tie the mill-stone of anxiety to the wing of Faith, and speed that burden to his God.

If Wealth come, beware of him, the smooth false friend:  there is treachery in his proffered hand, his tongue is eloquent to tempt, lust of many harms is lurking in his eye, he hath a hollow heart; use him cautiously.

If Penury assail, fight against him stoutly, the gaunt grim foe:  the curse of Cain is on his brow, toiling vainly; he creepeth with the worm by day, to raven with the wolf by night:  diseases battle by his side, and crime followeth his footsteps.  Therefore fight against him boldly, and be of a good courage, for there are many with thee; not alone the doled alms, the casual aids dropped from compassion, or wrung out by importunity; these be only temporary helps, and indulgence in them pampers the improvident; but look thou to a better host of strong allies, of resolute defenders; turn again to meet thy duties, needy one:  no man ever starved, who even faintly tried to do them.  Look to thy God, O sinner! use reason wisely; cherish honour; shrink not from toil, though somewhile unrewarded; preserve frank bearing with thy fellows; and in spite of all thy sins—­forgiven; all thy follies—­flung away; all the trickeries of this world—­scorned; all competitions—­disregarded; all suspicions—­trodden under foot; thou neediest and raggedest of labourers’ labourers—­Enough shall be thy portion, ere a week hath passed away.