Spinoza and Boethius on material possessions

Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God.

MATTHEW 4, verse 4.


A man's life consisteth not in the abundance
of the things which he possesseth.

LUKE 12, verse 15.


Whate'er God does is well,
Whether He gives or takes!
And what we from His hand receive
Suffices us to live.
He takes and gives, while yet
He loves us still;
Then love His will.

B. SCHMOLCK.


Is that beast better, that hath two or
three mountains to graze on, than a
little bee, that feeds on dew or manna,
and lives upon what falls every morning
from the storehouse of heaven, clouds,
and providence?

JEREMY TAYLOR.


For myself I am certain that the good of
human life cannot lie in the possession of things
which for one man to possess is for the rest
to lose, but rather in things which all can
possess alike, and where one man's wealth
promotes his neighbor's.

B. SPINOZA.


Every lot is happy to a person who bears
it with tranquillity.

BOETHIUS.