“ If you have money, you may become one of the Livery-men of London, an Assistant a Warden, or a master of a Company: but if you want money, you will never arrive to the honour of a beadle; for even for such an inferior employment you must make friends, and that cannot be done without bribes, nor can you bribe without money.
If you have money, you may be an honest man, and a good man; but if you want money, you must be a knave by consequence. Enquire of a rich man among his neighbours what he is, meaning only whether he be a substantial man, and one that is responsible ”

“ Such was that extraordinary and surprising storm in November 1703, whereby many thousands were undone as to their estates, besides the many lives that were lost; and such also was the dreadful fire in London, whereby some that had great estates the one week, had scarce bread to eat the next: and in the time of war many are unavoidably losers. But these must not be reckoned the common and ordinary ways that make and keep men poor. ”

“ But if a man has not a mind to purchase land with his penny, he may turn it several other ways to still greater advantage, in trade and commerce.
But there is more required in the art of thriving and turning the penny to advantage than most men imagine; it is true diligence is good; but a man can never thrive as he should do, without he looks higher than all this. ”

“ So that in those times, considering the misery of wanting money is so great, we may say with the wise man, "My son, it is better to die than to be poor;" which saying was perhaps the occasion of an old miser's mistake, who bid his son observe what Solomon said, "Always keep a penny in your pocket." ”

“ O let this benefit at least be found from our family-devotion, that we agree better together, and live more in peace and quietness, than those who call not upon thee; who lie down and rise up like the herd of the stall, never saying, Where is God the Maker! ”

“ And now this poor man, whose poverty made him the scorn of his neighbours and acquaintances before, became a very good man all on a sudden, insomuch that the city took notice of him, and ehose him sheriff the very next year; and the company that before refused to lend him £50, now chose him their master, and were all his humble servants, and he was applauded and cried up by every one. Here was now a mighty change, and yet the man was the same still; it was money only made the difference. Judge, therefore, whether want of money be not an extraordinary misery, and a great unhappiness. ”

“ Since Money is a thing so necessary and so useful, and the want of a competency of it, makes a man so very miserable, rendering him liable to all the scorn and contempt that an ill-natured world can throw upon him ”

“ We know, indeed, that by the divine providence, in the body of a common-wealth there must be both poor and rich, even as an human body cannot subsist without hands and feet to labour, and walk about to provide for the other members; so the rich being the belly, which devour all, yet do no part of the work; but the cause of every man's poverty is not one and the same ”

“ And this is the reason so many husbands travel beyond seas; or at home go from town to town, or from tavern to tavern, to look for company! and in a word, to spend anything, to live any where, save at home, in their own houses, where they are sure to hear nothing but the brawlings of a scolding woman. ”

“ The times, in no age, was so hard as to deny industry and ingenuity a livelihood; and, in a word, rather to be in misery for want of money, let a man undertake any vocation and labour, and
Never think the labour coarse
That puts a penny in his purse.
The want of money is a great torment, and often puts men on unlawful shifts to procure it; therefore let every one who has got money, be careful to know its worth: for since we are born we must live, and it is hard to live upon a small share of it. ”

“ But if the person complaining of the want of money, has been brought up to no trade, then let him consider to what kind of life his genius or natural disposition does most of all incline him. If he cannot find employment in his own country to suit his genius, (which can scarcely be supposed in a country such as Great Britain, where arts and science are carried to the greatest perfection, and where a person of any genius, or of little genius, may find employment) let him seek his fortune abroad. ”

“ Be sure not to keep company with drunkards and busy bodies, and all such as are apt to talk much to little purpose; for no man can be provident of his time, that is not prudent in the choice of his company.
4. Beware of idleness, and fill up the empty spaces of your time in useful employments; for vice creeps in, when the soul is unemployed, and the body at ease.
5. Avoid the filthy sin of whoredom, which brings the curse of God upon men's bodies and estates: "For a whorish woman is a deep ditch, and he that is abhorred of the Lord, shall fall therein." ”

“ I confess, if we look backward into the better and wiser ages of the world, virtue, though cloathed in rags, was more esteemed than the trappings of the gold ass; it is in these last and worst of days that viee has got such an ascendant in the
world, as to make men think all that are poor are miserable; for in the primitive times, poverty was the badge of religion and piety ”

“ And seeing without money a man can have nothing they must be very miserable that are without it.
Charity, in this last and iron age of the world, is grown so cold, that there is scarce any thing to be got upon that account. If you are cold, charity will not warm you; neither. if you are hungry will it fill your belly; but if you have money, you may do both. ”

“ For in a day, nay, in an hour, our prosperity may be turned by thee into deep affliction, our health into pining sickness, our ease into tormenting pain, & our life into death. O Lord God establish us in Christ Jesus, and give the earnest of thy spirit in our hearts, that whatever we are called to suffer, we may not be afraid with any amazement but bear our cross cheerfully, to the edification of those around us. ”

“ And let thy provision be solid, and not far fetched; fuller of substance than art. Be wisely frugal in thy preparation, and freely cheerful in thy entertainment, Too much is vanity, and enough is feast. ”

“ Many also there are, who having been born to a good estate, have quite undone themselves by marriage, and that after a twofold manner; first, by matching themselves without advice of parents or friends, in heat of youth, unto proud, foolish, and light women, that one would better live on small allowance at a distance, than have a full meal at home, where he is always troubled with her never ceasing tongue. ”

“ If thou wouldst in a little time arrive to worldly preferment, be very industrious in thy calling, be what it will; that which is so sparing saved, may be with diligence improved. It hath been observed, that it is not less gainful to navigate in a small vessel which makes quick and frequent returns, than in that which returns but seldom, though deeply laden. Therefore Solomon directs the sluggard to go to the bee and ant: which infirm creatures plainly show how much the assiduity of industrious labour can effect. ”

“ Others have had great estates left unto them by their friends, and who never knew the pain and care of getting them, have, as one said truly, galloped through them in a very short time: these are such as Solomon speaketh of "who having riches have no hearts, or rather the wit, to use them." These men are most aptly compared to the willow-tree, because the palms of the willow-tree are no sooner ripe, but blown away with the wind. ”

“ I remember to have heard of a wealthy citizen of London, in Queen Elizabeth's time, who left his son a great sum of money, who imagined he should never be able to spend it; would usually make ducks and drakes in the Thames with shillings, as boys were wont to do with the shreads and oyster shells ”

“ For it wresteth and maketh crooked the best natures; which are forced by their necessities, to do those things which they blush to think of while they are doing them; such as borrowing, and not being able to pay, to speak untruths to cover and disguise their poverty; to deceive and sometimes to cheat their nearest relations ”

“ Sanctify to them their present circumstances, whatever they are. May they mind the things of the Spirit, and never be deluded by things of time and sense. Be their guide through life, and at death give them admission into thy kingdom and glory. ”

“ Avoid the company of all vicious persons, whatsoever as much as you can; for no vice is alone, and all are infectious; Especially avoid all such persons as are scandalous, either for profession or manners, for you run his hazard, and espouse his disreputation ”

“ Assure yourself there can be no honest thriving without the fear of God, and the exercise of a good conscience, and therefore, above all things, disengage yourself from that business and those diversions that stand in opposition with that godly fear, that ought to be a guide to you in all your actions. ”

“ Others come to want and misery by spending their fair estates in ways of vicious living, as on drink and women; for Bachus and Venus are inseparable companions; and he that is familiar with the one, is never a stranger to the other. ”

“ Thus we may see the misery of wanting money. The buteher could certainly have punished Percy for killing his dog in such an unprovoked manner, and would have obtained it, had not the Justice discovered Percy's family, and let justice wink rather than offend the brother of a favourite of his Majesty's. The poor butcher must not only content himself with the loss of his dog, but be glad he eseaped so well. It is just so, generally speaking, in every state of life ”

“ He may at once satisfy his curiosity, supply his necessity, and serve his country, by going into the army or navy, and thereby have an opportunity of doing brave actions in the service of his country abroad, and there he may come to advantage both his fortune and family.- If he inclines not the employment of the army or navy, he may find something to suit him in our Plantations in the East and West Indies, and in America, in all which places many a man hath done well, who could do nothing at home. ”

“ And if he keeps servants, the want of his presence at home may have occasioned his losing as much as he could have gained himself; so that his spending a groat morning and night, (which is twopence each time) cannot be accounted less than than the loss of 2s 8d a-day, which comes to 14s a week, and £36 10s a-year. which sum, if saved until his eldest son arrived at 21 years of age, and so fit for marriage, and to set up in trade, would have amounted to £750 10s. They who would live so as not to want money, must avoid all such idle and needless expenses, and unnecessary loss of time. ”

“ The weight of an shekel being a quarter of an ounce and the true value of that 15 pence of our money. Abraham paid £25 English money, for that burying place. We read likewise of pieces of silver, or silverlings, before this, which was current-money among the nation at that day; for Abimelech, king of Gerar, having taken Abraham's wife from him, upon a supposition that she was his sister, when he came to understand the truth of the matter, not only restored his wife to him again, but also gave him a thousand pieces of silver, or silverlings ”

“ And indeed, unless we are under the influences of a blessing from heaven, all our own endeavours, how strenuous however they may be, will never make us thrive; for as the royal Psalmist excellently observes, "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. ”

“ Both the English, Dutch, and French treading to the Indians with it, above six hundred miles north and south from England; which is sufficient to shew, that the use of money is very ancient, and is made use of by all nations in trading with each other ”

“ Some again live in perpetual want, being naturally wholly given to idleness. These are the drones of a common-wealth, who deserve not to live. "He that laboureth not, should not eat.- Labour night and day, rather than be burthensome," saith the Apostle Paul: both country and city swarm with this kind of people; "The diligent hand," saith Solomon, "shall make rich ”

“ And therefore let every man, for the better ordering of his expenses observe the following rules. 1. See that your comings in be more than your layings out; for unless this be minded a man may waste away his substance to nothing insensibly. ”

“ Forty such roodsin length, (that is 660 feet) and four such roods in breadth, that is 66 feet) make an acre of land. 3. Now, multiply 660 feet, (the length of an acre) by 66 feet, (the breadth of an acre) and the product will be 43,560 square feet, and so many an acre contains. ”