in the image of truth, and will be disquieted in the counsel of vanity. Finally, see his disquiet,
see it, and as it were in a glass, be displeased with thyself. “Though,” he says, “man walk in
the image of God,” and therefore be something great, “yet will he be disquieted in vain;”
and as though we might ask, How I pray thee, how is man disquieted in vain? “He heapeth
up treasure,” saith he, “and knoweth not for whom he doth gather it.” See then, this man,
that is the whole human race represented as one man, who is without resource in his own
case, and hath lost counsel and wandered out of the way of a sound mind; “Heapeth up
treasure, and knoweth not for whom he doth gather it.” What is more mad, what more un-
happy? But surely he is doing it for himself? Not so. Why not for himself? Because he must
die, because the life of man is short, because the treasure lasts, but he who gathereth it,
quickly passeth away. As pitying therefore the man who “walketh in the image of God,” who
confesseth things that are true, yet followeth after vain things, he saith, “He will be disquieted
in vain.” I grieve for him; “he heapeth up treasure, and knoweth not for whom he doth
gather it.” Doth he gather it for himself? No. Because the man dies whilst the treasure endures.
For whom then? If thou hast any good counsel, give it to me. But counsel hast thou none
to give me, and so thou hast none for thyself. Wherefore if we are both without it, let us
both seek it, let us both receive it, and both consider the matter together. He is disquieted,
he heapeth up treasure, he thinks, and toils, and is kept awake by anxiety. All day long art
thou harassed by labour, all night agitated by fear. That thy coffer may be filled with money,
thy soul is in a fever of anxiety.
3. I see it, I am grieved for thee; thou art disquieted, and as He who cannot deceive, as-
sures us, “Thou art disquieted in vain.” For thou art heaping up treasures: supposing that
all thy undertakings succeed, to say nothing of losses, of so great perils and deaths in the
prosecution of every several kind of gain (I speak not of deaths of the body, but of evil
thoughts, for that gold may come in, uprightness2102 goeth out; that thou mayest be clothed
outwardly, thou art made naked within), but to pass over these, and other such things in
silence, to pass by all the things that are against thee, let us think only of the favourable cir-
cumstances. See, thou art laying up treasures, gains flow into thee from every quarter, and
thy money runs like fountains; everywhere where want presseth, there doth abundance flow.
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Hast thou not heard, “If riches increase, set not your heart upon them?” 2103 Lo, thou art
getting, thou art disquieted, not fruitlessly indeed, still in vain. “How,” thou wilt ask “am I
disquieted in vain? I am filling my coffers, my walls will scarce hold what I get, how then
am I disquieted in vain?” “Thou art heaping up treasure, and dost not know for whom thou
gatherest it.” Or if thou dost know, I pray thee tell me. I will listen to thee. For whom is it?
If thou art not disquieted in vain, tell me for whom thou art heaping up thy treasure? “For
2102 Fides.
2103 Ps. lxii. 10.
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On the words of the Gospel, Matt. vi. 19, ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures…