CHAPTER XLIV – 4. Comeliness and beauty to be denied
eye, I think should not much lift us up. All the riches of the world do make you never the better thought of with God, or any wise man; nor will they cause you to live a month the longer, or quiet your consciences, or save you from death, or the wrath of God. The only worth of riches is, that you are better furnished than others to do
God some kind of service, by relieving the poor, and helping the church, and furthering many such good works; and for the sake of these good ends, you must patiently bear a state of riches, yea, and thankfully receive them, if they are given you by God: though the care and labour in a faithful distribution of them, and the danger of abusing them, and the reckoning to be made for them, are so great, as may deter a wise man from a greedy seeking them, or glorying in them.
CHAPTER XLIV
Comeliness and Beauty to be Denied 4. ANOTHER part of the honour that self must be denied in, is the reputation of your personal comeliness or beauty; for such fools and children sin hath made folks, that many much set by the reputation of these: and hence is most commonly the abuse of apparel. Every proud person is desirous of that which will make them seem the most hand some or beautiful persons unto others, and make it their care to set forth themselves to the eyes of beholders. What they indeed are, we can see as well in the meanest attire; but what they would be thought to be, we may best see in this: but of this I spoke before. Yea, some that think they are not proud of their comeliness, yet cannot endure to be esteemed ill-favoured or uncomely, and so shew that pride which they would deny. I confess these are commonly but the