od, but also be overcome with dread and fear for this
perilous, miserable life, which is so exceedingly overburdened,
entangled and taken captive with cares of this temporal life and
dishonest seeking of gain.

[Sidenote: Greed]

II. Therefore the Wise Man says not in vain: "Happy is the rich
man, who is found without blemish, who does not run after gold,
and has not set his confidence in the treasures of money. Who is
he? We will praise him, that he has done wondrous things in his
life." [Sir. 31:8 f.] As if he would say; "None such is found, or
very few indeed." Yea, they are very few who notice and recognise
such lust for gold in themselves. For greed has here a very
beautiful, fine cover for its shame, which is called provision
for the body and natural need, under cover of which it
accumulates wealth beyond all limits and is never satisfied; so
that he who would in this matter keep himself clean, must truly,
as he says, do miracles or wondrous things in his life.

Now see, if a man wish not only to do good works, but even
miracles, which God may praise and be pleased with, what need has
he to look elsewhere? Let him take heed to himself, and see to it
that he run not after gold, nor set his trust on money, but let
the gold run after him, and money wait on his favor, and let him
love none of these things nor set his heart on them; then he is
the true, generous, wonder-working, happy man, as Job xxxi says:
"I have never yet relied upon gold, and never yet made gold my
hope and confidence." [Job 31:24] And Psalm lxii: "If riches
increase, set not your heart upon them." [Ps. 62:10] So Christ
also teaches, Matthew vi, that we shall take no thought, what we
shall eat and drink and wherewithal we shall be clothed, since
God cares for this, and knows that we have need of all these
things. [Matt. 6:31 f.]

But some say: "Yes, rely upon that, take no thought, and see
whether a roasted chicken will fly into your mouth!" I do not say
that a man shall not labor and seek a living; but he shall not
worry, not be greedy, not despair, thinking that he will not have
enough; for in Adam we are all condemned to labor, when God says
to him, Genesis iii, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat
bread." [Gen. 3:19] And Job v, "As the birds to flying, so is man
born into labor." [Job 5:7 Vulgate] Now the birds fly without
worry and greed, and so we also should labor without worry and
greed; but if you do worry and are greedy, wishin