good in this vale of misery is imperfect yet in continuall motion and progresse to perfection though the whole engine with all the furniture thereof man and euery condition and state of life ethike politike ecclesiastike groane vnder the burthen of vanity Here then is wisedome and worke for the curious Alchymist who surpasseth common capacities Here is the skill that extracteth gall out of hony and hony out of gall Here is the Phylosophers stone that turneth yron that base mettall into gold the purest mettall euen the soueraigne good that ouercommeth euill yea that turneth things in their natures cursed into blessings the beginnings of endlesse torments into eternall glory the light that expelleth darknesse the life that swalloweth vp death the spirit that weareth out the leprosie canker and rottennesse of the spirit of the vessell of the person of the outward state To omit the many learned dotages of the worldly wise and madnesses of selfe-willed Idiots some man thinketh himselfe happy if he knoweth the euils of this life and with all hath knowledge to auoid them and in procuring of good vnto himselfe for his bodily ease comfort and pleasure thinkes that by this wisedome he hath obtained the chiefe good and so kisseth his hand and sacrificeth to his net his subtle sound pate as he iudgeth Here is his vttermost extent in this sphere is he rowled as the Sow in the mire Secondly some man againe esteemeth such a one but brutishly subtle because he doth not good to others as well as to himselfe as the principle of humanity requireth Quod tibi vis fieri fac alijs Doe as thou wouldest be done to Therefore because he is cautelous and prouident for himselfe and communicateth to others also he iudgeth himselfe to be that happy man He excelleth indeed the former brute as he againe doth that vegetable one Eccles. 4. 8. euen as the ayre excelleth the water and that the earth But the wisedomes of these three conioyned by vnion into one indiuiduall are but as an excellent vessell or receptacle for this last Lastly another who is truly wise indeed excludeth this man from happinesse yet because he is but as a beautifull body without a quickning spirit which is pietie the soule or supernaturall spirit enlining the rest So that neither the wise vegetable nor the wise brutall or sensible nor the wise reasonable or humane but the wise spirituall organized with the rest as I may say is onely capable of this soueraigne good of Solomon This onely knoweth what is good in euill things and states what euill in good things and States what is good for himselfe in both in this vaine life according to that line and measure that God dealeth to man This wisedome ordereth and enliueth the other wisedomes being a supernaturall gift the diuine influence of the sanctifying Spirit For they being seuered from this are but an eye without the optike spirit which indeed is no eye but a dead member The like we see in the structure of mans vessell id est in the vegetable and brutall spirits but the reasonable soule enliueth moueth and ordereth them both or rather her selfe in and by them by vertue of her vnion with them whereby they become rationall The degrees of this good to be gathered out of Solomons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or positiue doctrine are briefly these 1. To be in a calling according to Gods generall decree Gen. 3. 19. Otherwise a man is a belial a sluggard a dissolute disperst incompact member out of fauour with God and man and his owne conscience and lyeth open to many miseries as he is the fittest subiect to be sentina malorum the sinke of euils 2. To labour in that lawfull calling to exercise his talent that his Lord may receiue his owne with aduantage 3. To labour with diligence Chapter 9. 10. of this booke Hereby many bodily miseries and occasions of spirituall temptations also are auoyded For a man to be negligent in his businesse is to be brother to a waster as Solomon saith else where 4. To comfort and solace the body with the fruits of our labours all the creatures from the highest heauen to the centre of the earth seruing to no other purpose then the reparation conseruation of the soules fraile corruptible vessell For the soule her self is enliued fed conserued by another World the Word of God effectuall by the spirit that speaketh therein The body is ex limo terrae of the slime or seede of the vniuerse but the soule is ex alia propagine progenie 5. As we haue receiued good so to be faithfull dispensers thereof viz. to communicate to others wherein the essence of charity consisteth Communicating of mutuall duties is the bond of ciuill or sociable life whereby a man in any condition of life in harmefull occurrences and vnfortunate accidents is preserued helped relieued and the beneuolous aspect of neighbours congratulating his prosperous state is a lightsome pleasant and comfortable thing Moreouer danti dabitur qua mensura metimini vobis metietur But this communicating is of all gifts and duties towards equals superiours and inferiours euen of euery one in their place and calling towards others in oeconomike ethike politike state Thus farre the Heathen man goeth but here he makes a stand he cannot transcend his Orbe All things are made for man saith Cicero and man is borne for man to be seruiceable and comfortable one to another in sociable life Therefore all these degrees doe but as it were constitute the vessell of the quickning spirit 6. The sixt and last degree therefore of felicity is piety towards God sincerity in diuine worship briefly shut vp in this word Feare God and keepe his Commandements It is totum hominis or totus homo the whole man without which he is but praestantissimum brutum What this feare and obedience is is set downe in the Law of Moses at large which is more largely and plainely expounded by the Prophets and they againe by the life and doctrine of our Sauiour Christ and that againe by the Apostles and they by Pastors and Teachers to the Worlds end This is that compleate soueraigne good of soule body and state positiuely taught in this Treatise Which in a word is this the wise demeanor of a man towards himselfe towards others towards God in things concerning his owne body and person concerning communicating or sympathising others concerning diuine worship according to the direction of Gods Word These degrees must not be sundered but kept intire of him that would be compleatly happy so farre forth as happinesse can be obtained in this confused enormous World Men being ignorant of this sixe-fold vnion fall into many errours run out into many extremities and plunge themselues into a gulfe of miseries yea and digladiate among themselues praysing dispraysing blaming excusing they know not what euen tossed in a labyrinth But he that builds on this ground and walketh in this light riddeth himselfe and others
neither in contemplation nor in experimentall knowledge found I any thing saue onely much affliction of the flesh and vexation of minde for contentation cannot be attained nor grieuances auoyded thereby Well then I purposed in my heart to proue what profit the vse of worldly things might bring vnto me And first of all t is before I subdued my body to the spirit of my minde supposing that the chiefe good wherein the soule resteth contented was to be traced out by that path whereby a man commeth neerest vnto God but found no contentment at all yea contrarily sorrow so now on the contrary I fell into a consideration of the vses of the manifold creatures of God for mans necessitie comfort and delight Therefore now I began to apply and exercise my wisedome in the cheering and pampering of the flesh in bathing my selfe in the pleasures and delights of the sonnes of men I with-held nothing from the desires of my heart but yeelding my selfe to all my bodily appetites as farre forth as lawfully I might to try what more profit and better contentment I or any other that is most delighted in this way might finde in this course of life But when I reflected my spirit vpon the consideration of this way also I saw that here was nothing but vanitie For there is no stedfastnesse in the things that consume away euen with the moderate vsing and the body together with them also and the immoderate vse thereof would be a greater burden to the flesh than the immoderate studyes of Learning Because immoderation in this kinde would bring a sure and sudden destruction both to body and soule Wherefore neither in the moderate nor immoderate vse thereof was there any felicitie but vanity Verse 2. I said of laughter it is mad and of mirth what doth it A Confirmation of the censure Mirth and pleasure are vanitie For when I had sought out and tryed what contentment epicurish and sensuall liuing could afford to him that is most addicted to it I saw that laughter was madde and mirth reasonlesse both vaine For indeede the matter of laughter is mans shame or nakednesse it is follie or brutalitie to be lamented not laughed at For let a man laugh at what he will and but smile at any thing when he returneth to sobriety of heart and to the prudent consideration of himselfe and the thing that he laughed at he shall finde it to be follie vanitie miserie I meane a slippe or defect of that wisedome prudence prouidence and reason in some saying deede or euent which is not in the perfect image of God nor in man as he is man to wit graue wise reuerend honourable perfect in this imperfect state that no light conceit of him his words actions euents in the mindes of men should moue laughter For what matter of laughter is there in the persons speaches deedes euents of reuerend Sages Kings Iudges of Christ and of God Our Sauiour Christ often sorrowed but we cannot learne that euer he laughed neither yet conceiue at what he should laugh It is recorded in stories that the Philosopher Heraclitus alwaies wept and sorrowed because he saw nothing but vanities and miserie yea bruitishnesse in all the dealings of men whether in their sobriety or laughter Contrarily Democritus alwaies laughed What was the matter or obiect of his laughter Euen the follie madnesse vanitie brutalitie of men which by laughter he neither reioyced at nor approued Finally whensoeuer a man laugheth at things great or small let him by gathering onething of another but diue to the ground of his laughter and he shall finde some matter of griefe and repentance both in the person or thing laughed at and in himselfe or at least in the one For if Adam had neuer fallen there should neuer haue beene laughter nor weeping but an heart possest with heauenly ioy euen ioyfull sobriety The epicurish and sensuall laughter therefore that Solomon here speaketh of is madnesse euen the corruption and intemperance of reason the froath of vaine imaginations the superfluity of the spleene corrupted by the fall and bewrayeth oft times much sinne in the soule which bringeth griefe and repentance And as laughter was madnesse so was mirth vnreasonablenesse or foolishnesse For it neither causaily bringeth out of it selfe nor yet accidentally occasioneth any profit It is short and vanishing dying with the action like the stroke of an instrument and the taste of honey The one whereof in the continuall vse groweth wearisome and is in the end the greatest toyle the other groweth bitter and is in the end very loathsome Neither affoord solide contentment For hee that maketh the time of this life but a play is as hee that maketh it but a market Both shall receiue the same iudgement the one for his Iouilâ—y as the leud Iauils of these dayes tearme it the other for his drudgery Both are their owne Idols opposite one to another and both to God Therefore are both the carefulnesse of the one and carefulnesse of the other a burden to the conscience So that in laughter and mirth wine and women dissolutenesse and luxury there is no felicity but vanity no contentation but desperation Yet notwithstanding all this we must put a difference betweene the common frailty of mans nature which God passeth by and the sinful laughter of the wicked Verse 3. I sought in mine heart to giue my selfe vnto wine yet acquainting mine heart with wisedome and to lay hold on folly till I might see what was that good for the sonnes of men which they should doe vnder heauen all the dayes of their life AN exposition or declaration of Solomons counsell concerning the finding out of the chiefe good by the tryall of another way which is the exercise of his wisedome in pompe and magnificence to the end of the tenth verse First he found no content in the studies of learning or speculations of the minde Secondly he found lesse comfort in the contrary course bodily pleasures Now thirdly hee will try the â—â—xt or middle course in the right vse of all worldly delights and bodily pleasures according to the direction of wisedome which is the glory of a King euen that thing which all men count happinesse And for the attainment of his intended purpose he fared still deliciously and by wisedome beheld the follies and vanities thereof Namely how Princes wanting wisedome abused themselues in the dissolute and immoderate vse of these delights all prerogatiues yea oft times transformed themselues into the natures of beasts that so he might behold the true and right vse thereof and consequently find out yea worke out a perfect contentation to himselfe in such an happy state during the time of life as many men haue dreamed of and aimed at but none for lacke of wisedome to enter into and keepe the right path haue attained As the Alâ—hymists hold a possibility of making their Philosophers stone to turne yron into gold so doe men imagine a possibilitie of
signifieth order Psal 110. 4. and Barar signifieth to chuse to purge to declare whereof commeth Berurim choyce men set vp in dignity namely Princes Rulers Gouernours Officers ordained of God for peaceable honest and happy life which abusing themselues and their places are to mans reason as but stronger and more subtile beasts preying vpon the weaker and more simple harmelesse Againe they may be translated thus that they might cleere or iustifie God and see that they themselues are beasts and therefore vanity it selfe euen out of measure vaine Lastly thus that God had purged them id est created them pure holy and righteous in his owne image in the beginning yet to see to in this state of degeneration or corruption they are in themselues as beasts accordingly as he saith Chap. 7. 31. God hath made man righteous but they haue sought out many inuentions and Psal 49. 20. Man that is in honour and vnderstandeth not is like the beasts that perish Which of these interpretations is the most genuine and naturall I leaue to euery mans iudgement Verse 19. For that which befalleth the sonnes of men befalleth beasts euen one thing befalleth them all as the one dyeth so dyeth the other yea they haue all one breath so that a man hath no preheminence aboue a beast for all is vanity THe apt coherence of these three verses following with the former intimate that the last interpretation is the most proper For they are a reason prouing the corruption vanity vilenesse and misery of proud man by comparing him to beasts whose frailety corruption or vanity is Gods iudgement vpon man In them may hee behold his sinne and his corporall punishments for sinne before his eyes if otherwise he be insensible which are the fore-runners and beginning of eternal torments and sencelesnesse is a iudgement of God vpon the reprobate This like condition of man and beast to carnall iudgement is set downe in these three verses which similitude or likenesse made the Epicures to thinke that the estate and condition of them both was all one and consequently that to eate drinke and play was the chiefe good or onely felicity of man For wee see by daily experience that man and beast are subiect to the like casualties and misfortunes how men vexe deuoure lye in waite insnare kill c. one another as beasts doe how they die as beasts doe hauing the same causes of corruption in them with beasts They haue the same breath whereby they liue the same spirit whereby they moue the same senses the same inward and outward members and in bodily shape many beasts come neere vnto him and he is subiect to deformities and all infirmities in his kinde as much and more then they So that in outward state hee hath no preheminence aboue the beast For he cannot longer vse the things of this World nor carry any thing away with him more then the beast doth The reason is because all is vanity Therefore there is no difference Verse 20. All goe vnto one place all are of the dust and all turne to dust againe A Commoration All goe to one place that is both men and beast are dissolued againe into their elements For God created all things of the dust and all turne to dust againe There is the same matter of man and beast Some thinke that beast was made of the earth and man of the dust of the earth to wit either of mire or else of the dust that lyeth on the sur-face of the earth But that is an idle contention For mire and dust and earth are all one and the same in essence or substance When the raine falleth on the earth it is mire when the Sunne extracteth the moisture out of it it is dust So that the whole earth is nothing but dust or mire whether you will Therefore man was not made of baser matter then beast as some say but rather of better For Adam signifieth red earth or red dust or red mire All is one without any difference And Solomon saith here all are of the dust or earth which by the figure Synecdoche signifieth all the elements whereof earth in earthly things is predominant and water in the creatures thereof No element is simple or pure but it hath a mixture of other elements also to be the Chaos or nurse of their sundry creatures which in their purity they could not be So that earthly things are most earth especially the more particular or simpler creatures as mettals stones trees c. Yet water ayre and fire also with which the element of earth is mixed By vertue of which mixture man and beast are made of the other elements as well as of the earth Verse 21. Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth vpward and the spirit of a beast that goeth downe-ward to the earth A Continuance of the commoration figured by the preuention of an obiection thus There is great difference betweene man and beast For mans brutall nature and spirit is but the plasme or vessell of his soule which is not compound or mixed with it but onely vnited to it Therefore when this fraile vessell is broken or dissolued the immortall spirit or soule ascendeth to God that gaue it and the vessell againe is absumed into the elements whereof it was formed But the spirit of a beast is nothing but the quintessence the purest and prime of his body or his life which consisteth in the harmony or vnion of the elements and so not being another essence separable from the body it dyeth with the body Ans This is indeed the holy and diuine truth but now speaking of the worldly outward and miserable state of man as it appeareth to humaine senses and reason who can by any signe or token or skill of Anatomy find out any differing wayes of these spirits What man can shew me the ascending of mans spirit into heauen or the descending of the beasts spirit into the earth namely the dispersing thereof into the elements If a man say that the spirit of man ascends vpwards into the firmament how can he let me see that but if it doe then doth the beasts so also For the firmament is but the quintessence or prime of the elements as the spirit is of the body according to Plato And be it that by humaine reason a man may easily demonstrate the immortality of the soule as the learned heathen haue all done yet what is that to the outward worldly state of man liuing Man whiles hee is man and of man we onely speake not of spirits is no better then beast So that to conclude Seeing that it is with man as with beast there is no profit no contentment no rest no durable prosperity no happinesse at all in this cursed confused brutall world but all is vanity Verse 22. Wherefore I perceiue that there is nothing better then that a man should reioyce in his owne workes for that is his portion for who shall bring him
to see what shall be after him A Conclusion of the right consideration regard and vse of worldly things inferred as before ver 12. And Chap. 2. 24. Seeing that there is nothing but vanity and miserie I perceiued that it was but vanity and folly to seeke for any happinesse in any worldly state And that it was the point of true and solide wisdome for a man to reioyce his heart in the honest getting comfortable vsing and prudent disposing of things put into his hand by the prouidence of God while it is his euen in his hands For this is a mans portion yea all the good that can be found in them and by them For who can bring a man to see what shall be after him Chap. 2. 18. 19. The knowledge of after-times belongeth to God onely and when we are gone then is all out of our hands and none of ours but left to Gods disposing which how God vseth and bestoweth or what good is done therewith is no thankes no reward to vs. Therefore it is but folly for a man to depriue himselfe of the benefit of his workes and to disquiet his heart and minde in vaine with prouiding and plotting for after-times namely for his posterity whereof hee hath no certainty What greater folly is there then for a man to torment his body vexe his spirit torture his conscience lose his soule for those that come after him which either shall be wrested from their goods or die presently after him or wastfully spend them working out their damnation in the prodigall spending as he did in the couetous getting But if they doe enioy them and doe good with them yet is that nothing to him that is now in torment For it is not by vertue of the goods gotten and left by him but of Gods grace and that doth good as well without those goods as with them For it is not how much we doe but how well not what but what God accepteth For all is his owne wee can doe nothing for him nor giue any thing to him CHAPTER IIII. Verse 1. So I returned and considered all the oppressions that are done vnder the Sunne and behold the teares of such as were oppressed and they had no Comforter and on the side of their oppressours there was power but they had no Comforter A Second example of corruption in ciuill state is of the oppressed This is the second example of vanities obserued in outward things such things as outwardly come to a man These words haue dependance on verse 16. chap. 3. There he shewed how vanity was increased by corruption in place of Iudgement and Iustice here hee sheweth how vanity is increased by manifold oppressions euery where whereby almost euery man of wit and wealth oppresseth treadeth on insnareth and vexeth the inferiour and weaker after the manner of beasts And behold A graphicall or liuely description of oppressions in all ages and among all sorts of men continuall and common They are described First by the greatnesse thereof They are such as caused not onely griefe and complaining but also teares Secondly they are amplyfied by their want of remedy the incompassionatenesse of people which is the sinne of Sodome They had no Comforter There was none to deliuer them none to take their parts none to counsell them but euery one rather treading on him that falleth after the manner of brute beasts Thirdly by the persons oppressing which were men of authority and power that had the law in their owne hands Fourthly by the incompassionatenes of other great men which were mercilesse cruell and hard-hearted aboue the common sort of rude people as Ierem. 5. 26. 27. 28. complaineth Which persons though they were able to remedy wrongs yet they rather approued the same as Herod did Pilates and Pilate in some sort did the Priests and Pharises So farre were they from affording any comfort to the distressed The whole verse laboureth of a gradation Verse 2. Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more then the liuing which are yet aliue Verse 3. Yea better is be then both they which hath not yet been who hath not seene the euill worke that is done vnder the Sun AN amplification He amplifieth these grieuous euils both of the oppressours and the oppressed by a comparison from the Lesse to the Greater They that are dead hauing left their wiues and children lands and goods behind them which is a great cause of mourning and teares as contrarily life is ioy are notwithstanding more happy then these that are liuing and inioy the priuiledges of life This comparison is figured by a Râ—uâ—cation whereby he recalleth backe the former comparison as not sufficient to illustrate the vanities and miseries of life and bringeth in another more fit to expresse the greatnesse thereof Yea rather the condition of him that is not yet borne is better then they both because he hath not felt nor seene the calamities of the world Better it is not to be at all then to be in misery What profit then hath a man of all the labour that he taketh vnder the Sunne Mundus est inuolucrum â—iue Chaos miseriarum Verse 4. Againe I considered all trauell and euery right worke that for this a man is enuyed of his neighbour this is also vanity and vexation of spirit A Third example of vanities outwardly incident to man is enuy not actiue but passiue By enuy also is vanity greatly increased I considered all the honest and moderate labour of him that rightly earned his liuing without couetousnesse and wrong who depriued not his soule of comfort by hoarding them vp but reioyced in the work of his hands and extended the fruits of his labours to others also But euen this man was enuyed of his neighbour because he was good and did good Yea euen they that were pertakers of the benefit of his labours with him reioyced at his fall Wherefore did Cain hate his brother euen because his brothers deeds were good and his owne euill Wherefore should Labans house enuy Iacob through whose faithfulnes all things prospered well with them yet so it was and is Wherfore doth the righteous man make himselfe a prey Isa 59. 15. Because he speaketh the truth and departeth from euill Why did the sonnes of Iacob enuy their brother Ioseph because their father loued him What occasioned Ismael to mocke Isaac Gen. 21. 9. Euen because God had blessed him And Amos saith Chap. 5. 10. Hee that rebuketh in the gate is hated and he is abhorred that speaketh vprightly Why was our Sauiour Christ hated persecuted crucified because he was true holy righteous the holy one and the iust Because hee was good and his goodnesse extended wholly to others For in the world he had no prerogatiues of the world all was theirs and their childrens he tooke nothing but gaue himselfe for them he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full of loue and fauour to man whatsoeuer he was it was for mans
euen their owne preferment gaine c. or itching after nouelties and changes They also that come after shall not reioyce in him And when he is old also the people then shall no more reioyce in him then the former did in his aged Father For the common people are like to children that rest not contented with any Schoole-master and like to seruants that loue to change euery yeere their Masters euen as againe Parents and Masters are affected to new Ministers People are desirous to heare new Preachers as Feasters to heare new songs and new instruments Ezech. 33. 32. CHAPTER V. Verse 1. Keepe thy foot when thou goest to the house of God and be more ready to heare then to giue the sacrifice of fooles for they consider not that they doe euill IN this Chapter Solomon prosecuteth still the same argument of vanities But from the first verse to the ninth he maketh a digression from vanities in temporall things and sheweth the vanities that are rife in the Word in the seruice of God As before hee declared the vanities of all humane things both inward and outward and withall shewed the good that was to be found in them euen the comfort of the body so here hee setteth downe the true felicity and happinesse of man and where it is to be found to wit not in worldly wisedome worldly wealth worldly pompe but in the reuerend feare and true seruice of God It was not to be found in the Schooles of humaine learning but in the house of God And withall he sheweth the vanities and hypocrisies of men corrupting themselues in this his seruice to the verse 8. and the occasions of their hypocrisies and fainting in his seruice verse 8. as doubtings of Gods prouidence and administration through oppressions which still increaseth vanity And this he doth by way of exhortations dehortations or admonitions That so by shewing on the one side the vanities of humaine things with the good of them for the body and on the other side the good of spirituall things for the soule with the vanities therein he might plainely set before our eyes the most absolute and perfect felicity of both body and soule euen of the whole man here in this World yea that in seeing the good of all things and the vanities of all things we might be mortified to this and quickened or renewed to that Keepe thy foote when thou goest to the house of God Come not to the house of God as to an ordinary house but consider whether thou goest into whose presence to what end In Prou. 4. 23. he saith Keepe thy heart with all diligence Here he biddeth Keepe thy foote By heart hee meaneth the soule by foote the affections The soule is carried vpon the affections as the body is vpon the feete Therefore the meaning is take heede to thy soule to thy selfe to thy spirit to thy affections Consider well how thou art in spirit affected in affections disposed when thou goest to the Temple of God to performe the workes of diuine seruice And be more ready to heare When thou commest to the Temple of God put thy shooes off thy feete thy carnall affections Exod. 3. 5. For the place where thou standest is holy that thou mayest resigne thy selfe wholly to the Lord Ruth 4. 7. Come in reuerence humility sincerity to heare the Law and the Prophets to vnderstand to beleeue to yeeld thy selfe to the Lord in absolute obedience to his Word Know wherefore thou commest into whose presence what thou intendest by thy offerings so shalt thou come in reuerence and dread in faith in thankfulnesse Then to offer the sacrifice of fooles That is fooles come cloathed with the ragges of vanity ignorance pride presumption and other lusts they come without a wedding garment They come with a multitude of sacrifices and to burthen the Altar of God as though God regarded their outward workes and needed their gifts that hee should be pleased with them reconciled to them and reward them for their workes and gifts sake as great men vse to doe when costly presents are sent vnto them But these fooles know not that the true intent of sacrifices is not to giue to God but rather receiuing of God as forgiuenesse of sinnes deliuerance from euerlasting death saluation and life the right of this World and the glory to come by the death and merits of the Sonne of God whom those sacrifices and offerings did shadow forth represent and signifie vnto them They know not that they should come to learne vnderstand see beleeue and receiue the endlâ—â—se mercy and grace of God towards them in these sacrificâ—s and withall to testifie their thankefull obedience to him euen the deniall of themselues and all fleshly lusts to resigne themselues wholly to him who in the appointment of God had euen already giuen himselfe for them This true faith and obedience is far from those ignorant fooles who thinke to appease the anger of God and to please him with their outward workes and gifts lip-prayers and fastings Math. 6. Yea to merit at his hands hereby as euidently appeareth Mal. 3. 14. It is in vaine to serue God and what profit is it that we haue kept his Commandements and that we haue walked humbly before the Lord of Hosts Here they looke to be rewarded of the Lord for their workes and fastings according to their lusts as they that honour and flatter Princes for their owne benefit and preferment They did all for their owne profit as the multitude that followed Christ so earnestly Iohn 6. 26. Suauis odor lucri ex re qualibet Gaine is sweete out of euery thing In Zach. 7. 4. 5. They fasted the fifth and seauenth moneth a Law of their owne making else it should not haue beene kept so long seauenty yeeres together verse 5. to obtaine temporall benefits for their bodies of him but they stopped their eares at the voyces of the Prophets verse 7. they refused to heare they pulled away the shoulder and made their hearts as an adamant verse 11. 12. God a giuer was theirs but not God a receiuer For they consider not that they doe euill They vnderstand not that these workes prayers sacrifices vowes fastings are an abomination to the Lord where faith reuerence humble confession loue obedience are wanting Esai 1. Psal 50. 8. to the end 1 Sam. 15. 22. Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voyce of the Lord Behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of Rammes Prou. 15. 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the vpright is his delight These outward exercises of Religion performed by fooles are euill and therefore an abomination procuring wrath and destruction from the Lord. First when they are done in ignorance and disobedience as appeareth by the Texts aforesaid the Iewes did and most people now adayes doe and alwayes haue done Secondly
out of euery place in the hearts of men as Iason 2 Macc. 5. 8. He dyeth in ignominy he is burled in forgetfulnesse his name is rotten before his body he hath neither done good nor enioyed good and how long soeuer he liued Doe not all goe to one place After that he hath had the experience of two thousand yeeres vanities he must descend into the graue of the abortiue and returne againe into dust with him Now when they are both dust whether dust is the better the former or later The dust of him that had the experience of common and personall vanities without number many yeeres and ended his dayes in shame and dishonour or of him that neuer knew any thing Verse 7. All the labour of man is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not filled THe second part of the Chapter which is a conclusion of the weakenesse and insufficiency of riches to satisfie the desire of man to the end of the Chapter Man consisteth of an immortall soule and corruptible body that is spirituall this is earthly yea that is a spirit and the body is but a vessell or instrument vnited to it without composition or mixture This vessell is the sperme of the World the dust of the earth that is to say an elementary matter or substance consisting of a mixture of the elements and therefore it is sustained and maintained by elementary foode So that the appetite to wit hunger and thirst is earthly also Now what is the end of all the labour of man wherein doth he labour what is the obiect or subiect whereon he worketh Is it not all to satisfie the bodily appetite Whence proceedeth and whether tendeth this appetite Nature it selfe declareth the matter The appetite of the Tree is the more simple moisture or rather iuyce of the earth and it cannot neither willeth to goe beyond his kinde For the appetite is limited to the kinde which onely desireth the perfection and propagation thereof And so of all creatures liuing and sensible according to their kindes But mans vessell being the most compound not that it hath more elements then other creatures but the most vniuersall nature hath an vniuersall appetite And the whole World with all the creatures therein serue onely for meate drinke and cloathing The whole Armies of heauen and earth are onely for these three seruices of mans body either immediately or mediately that is to say either foode or else preparatory vessels Ministers Officers or Trades men subordinate one to another for man who is the centre of them all Sheepe and Oxen eate the iuyce of the earth not immediately but by the preparatory vessell the greene hearbe by which it is transformed into foode agreeable to the nature of â—eaâ—ts and fowles So man eaâ—eth grasse and fodder prepared by the bodies of cattle also flies and wormes and vilest things are by subordinate vessels from one to another prepared to his mouth and for his mouth The most vniuersall instrument by whose foture the life of the World and of all his furniture is maintained is the light in the Sunne which God therefore created before any other creature Then the Starres nextly the matter of the firmament whereof the starres were formed These are subordinate So that the heauens are an vniuersall cause or vessell by whose foture the elements are sustained Againe the elements are an vniuersall cause of sustenance of their creatures produced out of their wombes and formed of them Lastly the mixt creatures are preparatory vessels one for another till at length all come to the belly and backe of man euen his body the centre of them all For all is meate and meate includeth medicine also Now euery man hath in him the nature of all men so that all men are but as one man this one man is the sperme or seede of the whole World superiour and inferiour nature as the kernell containes the tree with all his branches leaues colours vermiculations fruits c. as the sperme of the liuing creature containeth the members faculties qualities operations c. of the creature from whose body it is propagated and is by the vniuersall fotures of the light starres firmament elements c. produced into growth and perfection which are but the vniuersall preparatory instruments which this sperme vseth and applyeth for the building vp of it selfe with the next foode or matter which is apt to be adapted and incorporated into the nature of it selfe This matter or foode it onely desireth And so doth man also in his kinde Of the animall and spirituall foode and appetite it is impertinent here to speake Therefore all the labour of man is for his mouth The heauens the elements the creatures worke and prepare for him by their influences inclinations appetites for to satisfie and fill his appetite Their mouthes are made for his mouth their skinnes for his clothing and building also is but a cloathing or couering All things are for the necessities and delights of the body In this respect also is he the Image of God in that all things are for him and he is for himselfe as concerning the creatures For all are seruants to him but he is seruant to none If he be that is his degenerating his curse his fall his brutishnesse for he that serueth any thing body or bodily things is a beast in that respect But who almost now a dayes maketh not an Idoll of his body therefore when we would be as gods then are we euill beasts filthy beasts But bodily things are for the seruice of the body the body for the spirit and that for the Lord. Otherwise as Ieremy saith Euery man is a beast by his owne knowledge And yet the appetite is not filled Or as the Hebrew signifieth The soule is not filled What the extent of mans appetite is both personall and bodily may well appeare by that which is already spoken and also by the two examples following The first is sufficiently testified by the example of Alexander the Great who was not contented with the possession of the continent or Land nor yet of the Sea when he had heard Anaxagoras disputing of the plurality of Worlds and when he had conquered all hee must needs be a god pretending a title to heauen also The appetite of man is not limitted to the materiall World till he be transformed or degenerated into the nature of a beast which is when his light is fallen downe into the confused Chaos againe the lees of his concupiscence which is vtter darkenesse The second is testified by the example of Heliogabalus the monstrous glutton who was serued at one supper with seauen thousand fishes and fiue thousand fowles and had sixe hundred bawdes and harlots following him in chariots and gaue great rewards to him that could inuent any new pleasure Who is not an Alexander and an Heliogabalus if God suffer him to range God hath alwayes permitted some to runne out into extremities of vice as the
in the graue whither thou goest A Fourth particular of reioycing is sedulitie or diligence in a mans vocation both in the workes of our Christian calling and of our particular calling Whatsoeuer thine hand findeth to do c. God hath giuen a gift or talent to euery man to be exercised therein God layeth some work or businesse before euery one worke is prouided for him against his comming into the world Ars long a vita breuis Skill knowledge or art is long or difficult businesse is great but life is short and sickly time hasteth and is irreuocable Therefore performe thy dutie towards God towards thy neighbours towards thy selfe without delay while time and opportunitie lasteth for God hath appointed a conuenient season for euery thing euen the least thing Thou hast the gift the worke the time the opportunitie and season from him obserue and do thereafter Then shall euery thing go well with thee thou shalt preuent manifold crosses and hinderances thou shalt haue a quiet and peaceable conscience and auoide this vanitie euen the penaltie of idlenesse which is pouertie and sorrow and many euills For whereinsoeuer we sinne therein shall we be punished That is Gods vnchangeable decree Therefore sayth Salomon the strong man attayneth to riches and so to what comforts riches may bring Surely whatsoeuer befalleth a man if it be not through his owne idlenesse and follie it is not grieuous but he taketh it as from the hand of God and is well contented being for his good some way and for Gods glory as the example of Iob testifieth Doubtlesse this was a great comfort to Iob in his extreamitie euen the conscience of his innocencie sinceritie and godly indeuors at all times This sustained him against the temptations of Satan of his kinsfolkes and his wife for at this time he was throughly tried his comfort was onely in God and his good conscience For there is no worke nor deuice c. A confirmation The time of working is in this life it ceaseth in the graue Heere may a man reioyce in his worke but when the night cometh a man leaueth working and receiueth his wages no man shall be benefited by thy workes wisedome skill or counsell when thou art dead neyther canst thou praise God nor glorifie him in the graue For here is the time of vsing and bestowing those gifts that God hath giuen for his glorie in this life The soule must be rewarded according to her workes done in the body and by the body but when the body is dead the soule can worke no more for a reward For her instrument wherewith she worketh is taken away for euer If the soule glorifie not God with the body and bodily things heare this yee Church-robbers Bels Iezebelsâ— iâ— shall neuer glorifie him in heauens but descend to him that is Lord of the flesh and death For the prophane and vncleane can haue no fellowship with the Saints in glorie because they are no members of Christ his mysticall body they are in their menstruous cloth in their bloud Ezeoh 16. Verse 11. I returned and sawe vnder the Sunne that the race is not to the swift nor the battell to the strong neither yet bread to the wise nor yet riches to men of vnderstanding nor yet fauour to men of skill but time and chance happeneth to them all THE second example of induction of the euent of the deedes and indeuours of men euincing that nothing is in our power but all is in the hand of God Verse 11. 1â— I returned whereas I said before that sedulitie and diligence is a meanes to auoyde or mitigate many vanities and euills whereby to obtaine some contentation of minde in this vaine life it is not so to be vnderstood as that a man can by his owne indeuour obtaine it neyther yet is hee to place any confidence in his gift or diligence for they shall be either fruitfull or fruitlesse to him as pleaseth God For this is certaine that there is no certainetie in any thing that man might feare God and onely depend on him and know that whatsoeuer he is or hath it is Gods and in Gods disposing to his owne glorie who will do with his vessells what pleaseth him he formeth thee and vseth thee in his wisedome according to his owne will but the vaine imaginations of man are infinite I returned and saw vnder the Sunne A confirmation of that which followeth by the testimony of his owne obseruation That the race is not to the swift c. This haue I considered that the vse of those faculties of body and minde which God hath bestowed on man eyther in his birth or by his industry is not in mans power For the race is not to the swift nor battell to the strong Againe if a man being indued with these faculties doth also vse them and vse them well yet the profite and fruit thereof is not in the power of him that vseth them rightly For doe we not see that bread is sometimes wanting to the wise money meate drinke and apparrell to the learned wealth to the prudent and men of vnderstanding fauour and grace to men of learning and skill Therfore both the facultie and gift it selfe the exercise of the gift and the benefit of the exercise is to be referred to God who is the author and disposer of all gifts and euents Surely this seemeth to be a great vanitie and grieuous to carnall reason that the swift should loose the benefit of the race and another that sitteth still receiue it that the strong man should loose the reward of the battel and the wise man who procureth much good vnto others should want necessary foode and payment that the prudent and man of counsell by whom publique and priuate states are settled vpheld and maintained should want riches and that men of skill should want good will and fauour Againe the swiftest man sometimes in running looseth the race the strong armie looseth the battell So Abraham with his three hundred seruants put foure Kings to flight Genes 14. Gedeon with the found of Trumpets murdered the hoste of the Madianites Iudges 7. Dauid slew the Grant Goliah 1. King 17. Leonidas with sixe hundred men massacred fiue hundred thousand of Xerxes hoste Tomyris Queene of Scythia deuouted vp the whole hoste of Cyrus whose force Babylon could not resist So Iudas Maccabeus cut downe his strong enemies on euery side What should I speake of the Prophets of Christ and the Apostles the lights and life of the world What was the reward of their wisedome their gifts and labours And why Because dogges must haue meate howsoeuer gluttons must surcharge their stomacks whores must â—ide in coaches and fare deliciously and goe sumptuously scuballs that doe nothing but deuise how to grace a lustfull corps are thought worthy of any thing of all they haue be it neuer so much But Christ in his Ministers as he was in his owne person must be exposed to derision and
the fountaine or the wheele broken at the Cisterne BY siluer coard is meant the marrow in the backe which is inclosed in a bright smoothe skinne like to siluer it is more properly called of the Arabians the Nuche of the backe whereof this word Eunuch is compounded For marrow is but the superfluity of nutriment arising from the bloud for the moistening and nourishment of the bones But the Nuche is of the nature of the braine engendred of seede created for sence and motion to wit to procreate the sinewes For from the braine and the Nuche proceed diuers combinations or couples of sinewes seruing for the sences as hearing seeing feeling and motion of the members For many sinewes are deriued thirty couples as the Anitomists write are sprung of this cord and deriued from the knuckles or turning-joynts of the chine or backe bone into all the body seruing for bodily motion from which againe small haires or threeds like those of the rootes of trees and leaues are dispersed When this cord is loosed the backe bendeth motion is slowe and feeling faileth Or the golden bowle be broken This golden bowle is the thinne membrane or sinewie skinne of yellow colour called Pia mater compassing the braine like a swathing cloth or inner thinde of a tree and entring within the diuers infoldings of the braine and as it were cloathing the sides of the three ventricles or hollowes wherein the imagination reason memory are formed It serues not only to inuolue and keep the braine whole and solide in his place as the shel or skin next the shell doth the egges but also to containe to gather together and sustaine the veins and arteries which are deriued from thence like small ramified channells or pipes or like a net All the braine within and without is enwrapped and incompassed with this veiny and arteriall or sinewy net The veines feede and nourish the braine with bloud the arteries bring heate and spirit to it from the heart to giue the sence of feeling vnto it For though it impart sence to all other parts yet it hath none of it selfe namely the narrowie white substance but conuerteth or digesteth the vitall spirits of the heart attracted by this sinewie pia mater or golden bowle into animall or sensible spirits In like case the sperme hath foture and sustenance in the matriâ—e by and from the chorion or secundine Or the pitcher be broken at the fountaine By the pitcher he meaneth the veines by the fountaine the liuer For the liuer is the shop of bloud conuerting the white chile which commeth of the meate digested in the stomacke into bloud The substance thereof is red and like clottered or curded bloud assimulating the chile to the qualitie of it selfe In the neather hollow part thereof is the portall veine called the great carrying veine which hath many branches venae mesaraicae like the small and threddie rootes of a tree by which the chile or iuyce of meaâ— concocted in the stomach is transported froÌ„ the stomach to the liuer And the portal vein hath issuing from it many small veines like a net throughout the whole body of the liuer that the chile being distributed into small parcels might be more perfectly concocted and conuerted into bloud And the bloud is ingendered and purified in the middle of the liuer which containeth the masse of the foure humours Now it being here purified and boyled the more heauie superfluitie which is seculent or dreggie settleth to the bottome and is carried by a veine into the spleene It is the earthly sowre or tart part of the chile and is called blacke choler or melancholy Againe the lighter superfluitie boyleth vpward which is the fiery bitter or sharpe part of the chile called yellow choler which is caried by a veine into the gall Vnderstand by melancholy and yellow choler not the purest thereof which is mixed with the bloud but the separate superfluitie or impuritie thereof Thirdly the waterish superfluitie is caried to the kidneys and passages of the vrine In the convexitie or vpper bowing part of the liuer is the hollow veine or bloudgate whose branches receiue the bloud purified in the middle of the liuer from the branches of the portall-veine From the bloudgate are innumerable veines ramified throughout all the body For as the bulke of a tree receiuing sap from the roote as that againe doth from the small spires is ramified into all the branches so doth the hollow veine being the greatest in all the body vehiculum alimenti distribute the bloud throughout the body by his other veines and first into the right ventricle of the heart to receiue his vital heate for the nutrition of the whole body Or the wheele be broken at the cisterre By wheele is meant the head by cisterne the heart from whence the vitall spirits are conueyed to the braine and there conuerted into animall to giue sence and motion to the body When the braine is weake the sinewes loosed and the head hanging downe the wheele beginneth to breake Verse 7. Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne to God who gaue it AS before he hath shewed the vnaptnesse and disabilitie of old age to performe such seruice as the Lord requireh to be performed of man hauing liuelily depainted it sorth before his eyes to the end that euery one may be stirred vp in youth and middle age to doe good workes euen with all diligence to practise the duties of pietie and charitie so here he putteth them in minde also of death and their account that they must make before their Iudge And the dust returne to the earth as it was By dust he meaneth the corpse made of the dust by a metonymie of the matter By earth he meaneth the elements whereof the body is compounded As the body was created of the earth so shall it returne thither againe euen into the first and simplest matter And the spirit shall returne to God that gaue it By spirit he meaneth the soule which is compared to winde or aire as the body is to dust or earth Because winde or aire being an inuisible substance is the fittest thing in nature to vnderstand the nature of the soule by For whiles we are in the flesh we vnderstand and conceiue of inuisible spiritual eternall things humano more by the phantasie per similitudines locos as Tully saith and that either affirmatiuely or negatilely To God that gaue it Hee doth not here define whither the spirit shall go but to whom namely to his Iudge who shall require a iust account of all the workes done in the flesh good or euill and shall accordingly giue sentence vpon it 2. Cor. 5. 10. Verse 8. Vanitie of vanities saith the Preacher all is vanitie A Conclusion which is twofold particular of this treatise of mortification to the 13. verse Generall of all Christian doctrine from thence to the end Vanitie of vanities He concludeth
that I might exhibite it to you as a New yeares gift the best that I haue in token of my sincere loue and duty and earnest desire of your prosperous and happie welfare who as you were studious your selfe when once you were Fellow of Queenes Colledge in Cambridge so were you a speciall fauourer and furtherer of the Studious whereby you purchased speciall loue both in your owne Colledge and abroad also and the same through your perseuerance and prudent gouernement is still continued amongst vs that liue vnder your Iurisdiction Another cause is that it might finde the better passage vnder your patronage and kinder entertainement vnder your name that though it be defectiue in selfe-desert yet for your sake the indifferent beneuolous and generous eye respecting the strong might ingenuously passe by the weâ—ke Moreouer being desirous to shew forth some testimony of my thankefull minde for your Lordships great fauour towards me I thought good to offer that which onely I am able to giue and which I know you are most ready and willing to receiue euen the fruits of my Ministeriall labours to you a speciall fauourer of faithfull Ministers Lastly as tokens of small weight but of great value are more acceptable then great Summes I trust that this small gaine of my one Talent which I present to your Lordship as a token of my sincere affection obedience and seruice shall counteruaile a ponderous volume And what I am lesse able this way to performe I shall recompence with my continuall and hearty prayers for your temporall and eternall happinesse London 1. Ian. 1621. Your Lordships in all humble obseruance TH. GR. TO THE RIGHT VVorshipfull and worthy-minded Gentlemen Sir Iames Fowlerton Sir Dauid Murray Sir Peter Osburne Knights Mr. Iohn Murray Mr. William Carâ—e Mr. Henry Gibbe of his Maiesties Bed-Chamber Mr. Emmanuel Giffard one of the Gentlemen of his Maiesties Priuy-chamber Esq Mr. James Douglasse Mr. Richard Jones Mr. Endymion Porter Mr. John Heron and Mr. John Parker Esquires Grace and Peace be multiplyed RIGHT WORSIPFVLL and worthy minded Gentlemen Hauing in the first place elected the diuine learned iudicious enriched with wisedome and piety for the patronage of this worke I haue also further bestowed the same on you nil minuit de lumine lumen to the end that being shielded with reuerend and pious grauity in the Van and guarded by generous and vnblemishable vertue in the Rere I may be safely protected from the snarling detraction of enuie on the one side and receiue a fauourable construction of what may be amisse on the other The vniuersality and excellency of the subiect hath enlarged my dedication It is Solomons Ethiks his tractate de summo bono of the chiefe and compleat felicity and the worlds vanity and therefore the very roote seede or kernell of all happy knowledge both of good and euill in all things naturall politicall ecclesiasticall Contraria iuxta se posita magis illucescunt say the Phylosophers and saith a Father Qui malum non nouit perfecte bonum non intelligit He that hath not knowne euill doth not perfectly vnderstand good As the earth so the Arts haue their weeds from which they are purged by their Physicion Truth is like Gold in the Mine Vprightnesse is sur rounded and clouded with calumnies Wisedome is darkened with sophistry Impurus spiritus se immiscit in omnibus The vncleane spirit intrudes himselfe into euery thing Solomon therefore doth not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est astruere positiuely auouch and lay downe the grounds of true felicitie but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est destruere destroy the false and counterfeit felicities of mans darke heart and that by euident arguments drawne from such grounds as the wise-men of the world could not finde groping like the Sodomites for Lots doore but could not finde it not so quicke-sighted as hee that saw men walking like trees For as they say Nullum elementum ponderat suo loco No element is ponderous in his place so they being in corruption felt no weight of corruption no more then the Fishes in the Sea and wormes of the Earth feele the weight of either Worldly wisedome is wearinesse both to the body and minde and a vexation of spirit For being it selfe crooked it cannot rectifie things crooked Mirth is madnesse Royall magnificence is transitorie and mâ—table The sagest aduisements depend on vncertaine issues Prosperitie and aduersitie are set one against another as hill against dale The restlesse Pole is immoueably fixed in his place as the grinding milstone so is the earth in her centre a masse of mutabilities Of the heauens there is a constant reuolution vp and downe to and fro they neuer haue the same face neuer hold the same countenance at least from the first motion till the end of times Here is the difficulty of prognostication Omnia versantur in perpetuo ascensu descensu There is a perpetuall ascending and descending of life and state Euery man euery state euery thing is a Planet whose sphericall reuolutions are some of longer some of shorter continuance Vulgar iudgements are variable their counsels groundlesse Scinditur incertum studia in contraria vulgus but the prudent designes of sage States are firme euen so are the imaginations of the wisest worldlings in all their wayes and enterprizes but the foundation of God remaineth sure Their wise sayings are applauded when they doe but dreame waking and raue like men in sicknesse thinking themselues to be in Dothan when they are in the middest of Samaria 2 Kings 6. When they are on the surest ground they walke on pinnacles againe when they are naked in the middest of their enemies Campâ— they are armed in the strongest fort For the hand of God doth all that men might feare before him and not leane to their owne wisedome Yet vaine man would be wise seeing he is but a wild Asses Colt saith Iob. He would be happy being but a masse of mortalities For being the most compound and vniuersall nature as concerning his plasme and so the most excellent by creation he is the most miserable by degeneration Nam bonum optimum corruptum fit pessimum And how much greater then is the corruption of his spirit That is to be seene by the corruption of the most excellent spirit Both haue their restraints and limitations yet hath not God left man in desperation but in his eternall wisedome prouided meanes of restauration which here is begun and there finished whence the Authour of corruption fell This restauration is first the renouation or change of the centre the roote of man I meane his heart or spirit of his minde then of his spirits vessell I meane the brutall nature or inferiour part which I take to be the sperme or quintessence of the vniuerse and then are all things renued with him 2 Cor. 5. 17. Felicity therefore is here to be had and by the holy endeauours of renewed wisedome to be obtained But this
both by his diurnall and annuall reuolution to wit from East to West from South to North causing Day and Night Summer and Winter with other seasons of the day and yeare To conclude The life of man as concerning his bodily state is a continuall passage from the wombe whence it issueth to the graue into which it falleth as the Sunne seemeth to rise out of the earth and to descend into the earth and man in his issue or progenie may be said to returne circularly againe with the Sunne out of the earth out of the wombe into the horizon into the world Againe concerning his outward state he hath his ascending descending birth and buriall with the Sunne For there is no constancie of any state or kindred though one continue longer than another as the Oake out-liueth the Ashe and the Ashe the Willow yet all dye and vanish in their time For the Lord raiseth vp the poore out of the dust and the needy out of the dunghill that hee may set him with Princes Psal 113. Againe Psal 107. 40. He poureth contempt vpon Princes and causeth them to wander in the wildernesse where there is no way 1 Sam. 2. 7. He maketh poore and maketh rich hee bringeth lowe and lifteth vp So that with the Sunne there is a double motion of mankinde one of life which is diurnall and another of state which is annuall I meane the house or kingdome of longest continuance Lastly in this certaine and stedfast motion there is nothing but vncertaintie and vnstedfastnesse therefore no felicitie but vanitie Verse 6. The winde goeth toward the South and turneth about vnto the North it whirleth about continually and the winde returneth againe according to his circuits THe third particular As the Sunne is wheeled about with restlesse motion so are the windes also whirled about according to their manifold circuits The former wee see this we heare and feele which teach vs to see heare and feele our vanity vnlesse we be sencelesse The wind is a neerer instructer beating on our faces and sounding in our eares yea piercing into our eares and heads to awake our dull spirits to cause vs remember what we are what our workes are and what our end and their end is So that vnlesse we be in a dead sleepe drunke with sencelesse carnality we cannot but remember the brittlenesse of our bodies the incertainty of our liues the instability of our states and all things with vs running in their circuits as the windy exhalations ascending out of the earth to the region of the cloudes are from thence flung backe by contrary and discordant qualities and so run circularly in the aire from South to North or from what places soeuer they arise towards the same places againe Vaine therefore are earthly wise men that thinke their houses shall continue for euer and call their lands by their owne names as Dauid saith But why doe they so labour in the winde Because a brutish man knoweth not neither doth a foole vnderstand that God hath subdued all things to mutability and vanity that in him onely wee might seeke for durable riches and the true and euerlasting felicity Verse 7. All the Riuers runne into the Sea yet the Sea is not full vnto the place from whence the Riuers come thither they returne againe THe fourth particular Not onely the winds arise make a noyse for a little season and then die after which others arise againe in like sort but the waters also are circularly carried by perpetuall ingresse and regresse into the seate and from the seate of waters the Sea As the Sea is the receptacle of fresh waters so doe her salt waters re passe through the veines and conduit pipes of the earth strained and qualified by diuers Mines and tempers of mould of magneticall nature which appeareth in this that the Sea is not filled For the earth thirsteth for moisture and attracteth from the Sea as the hand fingers toes and all members doe blood from the liuer by many net-like veines ramified all ouer which breake through the breasts of porose and rocky hilles through clefts of quarries and so runne downe into the Sea from whence they came Whereof arose that speech He that knoweth not the way to the Sea let him seeke for a Riuer to be his guide As it is no maruell that the bloud should ascend out of the liuer to the higher parts of the body no more wonder is it that the waters should spring out of the high mountaines as milke doth out of womens breasts seeing that the earth nay whole nature is magneticall or alchymisticall Wee maruell not that bloud and milke should be sweete though we eate salt meats and as little cause haue we to maruell at the other The Fishes of the Sea are fresh not salt for the Sea is their element as the earth is to her creatures And when a creature beginneth to resemble his element it is a token of dissolution as when blew greene yellow colours c. beginne to appeare in the flesh which we call earthly and dead colours So springs and torrents are the fruits of the Sea or rather the Sea is the aliment of the earths body which conuerteth her salt waters into milke for the nourishing of all that spring out of her wombe Or whether it be as Aristotle thinketh that the waters are conuerted into liquid or rorid ayre which is suckt in of the earth by her magneticall thirst and congealed into many dispersed small droppes as moisture attracted through the porose and supple bladder becommeth a torrent of vrine which vapours gathering together in the veines of the earth for that purpose ordained of God breake forth of the hilles But according to the former doctrine these drops are rather euaporated and sweat out from those veines to sustaine and moisten the rootes of vegetables in the vpper parts of the earth As for the attraction of liquid ayre dewes and raines the earth hath her Systolen Diastolen her dilatation and constriction which wee call the breath in liuing creatures shee continually draweth in and sendeth out Liuing creatures also are not onely fedde by the roote of the stomach but by the ayre drawne in and sent forth by the breath which is temperature of the hearts heate nutritiue of the animall and vitall spirits and purgatiue of vnnaturall vapours As the humours haue their purgatiue passages so haue the spirits The eare is a purgatiue vessell as well as the instrument of hearing and so of the other senses To conclude which way soeuer this passage of Riuers is they returne from whence they came and such a circular motion is there of man and all humane things Therefore in this world there is no firme ground for man to build vpon But the securest man and the surest state shall be dissolued dispersed and brought to naught Wherefore let euery wise man build vpon the Rocke Iesus Christ and his worke shall remaine for euer Verse 8. All things
are full of labour man cannot vtter it the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare with hearing A Generall conclusion of all the particulars As the generations of men the heauens the windes the waters are restlesse so are all things in their kindes inconstant transitory fleeting They trauaile in paine with man they groane vnder the burden of corruption with him and their disorder enmity infirmity misery corruption vanity sheweth forth to man that he is euen such like yea his condition is worse then theirs For whatsoeuer is within man is without him and whatsoeuer is without him is within him So that wheresoeuer he turneth his eyes he may behold his vanity The plasme or vessell of mans soule is his brutall nature which we call the body which is the centre of the world or vnion of the whole or an vniuersall nature wherein all particulars are vnited For doe we not see how euery creature is the Chaos to his seede as the matter whence it first ariseth and issueth and the seede againe is the Chaos of the creature that ariseth and issueth thereout whose members as Dauid saith are fashioned day by day when as yet there was none of them Psal 139. 16. Therefore of man there is a twofold Anatomy one of his body into members another of his bodily nature into cosmicall parts or natures whereof he is termed the little world As man hath a similitude and proportion of members with all liuing creatures so hath he also of their natures and is an vnion or mixture of their natures So that man is the text and euery word in this text hath his Glosse or Common-Place to wit some creature to explicate manifest it He that would know the worke of the Spirit in the simples the heauens and elements might know it in the compounds and how one compound is of like or vnlike conditure affected and disaffected to another kinde vnto kinde and kindes among themselues All things in their creation were placed in subordinate order both in themselues and in respect of others but by the curse was that dissolued and contrary ataxie or disorder and confusion brought vpon them To proceede the creatures of one element haue the proportion and similitude of the creatures of another element and is the same as neere as the matter and condition of the element will affoord And euery element hath his degrees of creatures whereof one commeth neerer to mans nature than another and one is more particular and vniuersall than another but all are full of enmity impotency misery vanity Therefore in the creatures a man may behold his condition his qualities his shame his brutishnesse his misery his vanity For being the most compound and vniuersall nature he is subiect to most corruptions infirmities diseases paines aches yea to all the vanities and miseries of all the creatures but yet according to the manner of his vnion or mixture whereby he is indiuiduated and differenced from all Hence it is that naturall men in the Scriptures are compared to beasts For this brutality is mans nakednesse Gen. 3. 7. shewing forth it selfe most in those parts When a man keepeth himselfe in his spirit his nakednesse is couered when he breaketh forth into passions yeelding to his brutall plasme id est vessell or body his shame is discouered but when his spirit seeketh to satisfie it in the lusts thereof as Epicures doe he is a very beast and worse than a beast For a beast is but his plasme his vessell is himselfe but man hath a spirit to gouerne his vessell to couer his shame of which he is termed a man But mans naturall spirit is false a dissembler an ignorant impotent vaine It couereth shame indeed but with a net nay with a menstrous cloth For as he cannot abide to be likened to a beast so he striueth to make himselfe glorious and by dignifying his person and beautifying his body and by disguising and masking his bestiality to beget and maintaine in the minds of men a reuerend and diuine estimation of him This is indeede necessary for all men to doe as the light of nature teacheth and for Princes and Gouernours especially yet cannot the Blackmoore change his skinne nor the Leopard his spots Yea in seeking to couer shame he most of all layeth it open not knowing so much as our apparell now adayes and the putting on thereof doth testifie and in seeking to auoide brutality and to be as a God in the eyes and mindes of men hee most of a l runneth into brutalitie and becommeth a Leuiathan Behemoth the most beastlie of all men It is the spirit of God that renueth not couering but taking away shame not disguising masking and colouring but transforming Christ was not naked nor ashamed In him are we built vp new againe our leprosie cleansed and the workes of the Deuill are dissolued He that is in him neede not be ashamed of any thing though the world count it shame to be in him Rom. 1. 16. Shamelesse carnals know not their shame namely that their glorie and boasting is bruitishnesse and deuillishnesse All things are full of labour By things hee meaneth 1. All Creatures 2. All Actions and humaine affaires whereby hee striueth for this imaginary happinesse like a foole a madde man a wilde Asses colt By Labour he meaneth the sphericall motion the instability of things rising decaying fading fainting falling fraile and impotent vncertaine and corruptible inordinate and full of enuy one against another and all against man and those that are in some sort obedient and seruiceable to man are full of crossenes auknes and vncertainty and so are men among themselues in all their courses and actions As there is no bond of loue so there can be no coordination or co-working of things together for mans good nor of men among themselues for their owne good All is rents ragges and distractions Euery thing is for it selfe and euery man is for himselfe as a ragge or peece rent out of a garment or limbe cut off imagining a felicitie to himselfe but by this meanes running into Gods curse and mans hatred Euery man striueth to make a concurrence or to bring in a confluence of all things quâ— potest to the extent of his power yea to turne the world about to his priuate intended proiect of happie contentation with remouing all obstacles out of his way But it is too heauy a masse for the wilde Asse too difficult a matter for the ouer-reaching foole that by violence and subtiltie striueth to rush or steale into Paradise againe But against euery hill there is a dale God hath set aduersitie ouer-against prosperitie euery thing is crosse and peruerse and runneth out into extremities quite out of created harmonie and concord There can no happie contentation be at all obtained indeed but by their reconciliation soliditie and constancie But that can neuer be in state of corruption all things are so vnconstant crosse and fraile yea so rotten like an
the body of a common wealth is as it were a mixture of all kindes or a Choas from whence euery spirit may gather matter of edification and corruption As the frame of his heart is so may he adapt matter of perfection or destruction But the wise heart vseth all things and turneth all things to the best But the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth An illustration of the former by the contrarie This heart is of a contrarie sappe of contrarie affection and disposition and as inwardly so outwardly contrarie Such soyles it loueth and such fotures as are agreeable to his kinde so doth euery beast euery weed euery plant Such lips such lettuce And wilde things accord not well with the tame And though they be tamed yet are they troublesome The spirit of policie curbeth and driueth the snaile into her shell but the spirit of God renueth The foole seeketh for nourishments of his follie such counsels such bookes such hearing examples and companies and ripeneth his follie The foole is but a body and his soule is but as saâ—t to keepe it aliue His sappe is bitter his fruits are no better If he be among the wise and heare the words of the wise the best things he reiecteth light is not comprehended of darkenesse other things he misconstrueth and conuerts into follie If hee heare or see infirmitie or vaniâ—ie that he browzeth on and catcheth vp as a sweet bit Pro. 15. 24. The mouth of the foolish is fed with foolishnesse and so is his eare The dainty tooth desireth delicates so doth the foole all things that may feed his beastly lusts Therefore let the wise be wary for giuing offence and abstaine from appearances of euill else will the foole by occasion of his follie runne mad Therefore saith Solomon answere a foole according to his foolishnesse and answere not a foole according to his foolishnesse Let thine answere curbe not cherish his follie Verse 5. It is better to heare the rebuke of the wise than for a man to heare the song of fooles THe fourth meanes of mortification which is the way to true felicity is the rebuke of the wise that is to say it is better for a man to submit himselfe to the admonitions and wholsome reproofes of the wise then to be praised and flattered of fooles Wisedome saith to the simple Pro. 1. 23. Turne you at my correction you that haue erred from the way of truth and prodigally wasted your selues But the foolish despise her counsels her admonitions her corrections the stubborne foole will abide no touch verse 25. The wise man will loue him that reproueth him but the foole is prouoked to wrath The wise childe is better than the old King that will not be admonished Dauid desired rather to be smitten of the righteous than to eate such things as please the wicked because the rebukes of the wise are as pretious balmes Better it is to be rebuked of the wise for a mans errors than to be praised of the wicked for pleasing their humours Than for a man to heare the song of fooles An illustration of the former by the contrarie The ieasting merrie conceits and flesh-pleasing talke of the vngodly corrupteth the mindes of the hearers and stealeth sober thoughts out of their hearts to settle them on their dregges at least for the present and is a meanes to quicken and reuiue those head-supprest reliques of concupiscence that are mortified in them as the fire reuiueth the snake that is almost dead with cold The foole footheth and flattereth a man in euill and to euill He extenuateth and vilifieth euery grace of God he excuseth madnesse and imbraceth follie which is ciuill wickednesse Yet he hath many good words and sheweth wit but all is to clothe vertue with the contemptible rags of vice and to clothe vice with the robes of vertue His good words are but as the scripture in the Deuils mouth Mat. 4. 6. he defileth them but they purifie not him Therefore whether a foole be merrie or sober angry or pleased hee is grieuous to the wise but the wise sheweth wisedome in both His words are seasoned with salt Hee is gracious and louely Verse 6. For as the crackling of thornes vnder a pet so is the laughter of the foole this also is vanitie A Reason of the comparison why that the rebuke of the wise is better than the song of fooles It is illustrated by a similitude of thornes crackling vnder a pot Euen as thornes vnder a pot make a loud noise and flash forth into a great flame but the noise suddenly ceaseth and the flame is presently quenched so vaine-glorious fooles and epicurish fooles enemies to sober wisedome and grace make a pompous shew for the time drawing all mouthes and eares and eyes after them as though they were the onely happie ones but it is but a noise and flash of vanitie Moreouer as the crackling of thornes is a vaine sound offensiue and harsh to the eare and of no regard so is the laughter of a foole laughing at his owne wicked fantasies grieuing the wise with his turbulent noise The sequele or collection concerning vanitie is this if rebukes and checks be better than mirth and pleasant companions and delicious and voluptuous life then is that pleasurable kinde of life but vaine c Verse 7. Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad and a gift destroyeth the heart A Third rule or remedy whereby a man is armed against the miseries or vanities of this life is patience Patience is a voluntary continuall sustaining bearing of euils and euill men the more freely to shew bring forth the fruits of the spirit for the comfort of our owne hearts and the increase of our assurance and for the conuersion of the wicked our enemies For in contending with the wicked in their kinde otherwise the righteous contendeth with them and reuenging of our wrongs wee shall obscure the graces of God and fall into the same mischiefe and condemnation with them which thing the enemies of grace desire This remedy is set downe in the foure next verses The Analysis whereof I take to be this Patience is first illustrated by a comparison of the contrary to wit impatience expressed by the fountaine or cause thereof pride of heart verse 8. Impatience is described first by the effects verse 7. Secondly by the euent verse 8. Moreouer patience is amplified by a dehortation verse 9. and figured by a prolâ—psis verse 10. This verse then is a description of impatience or the proud spirit by the effects thereof oppression and peruerting of the Law Oppression standeth in racking wronging reuenging Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad As a mad man is without the vse of reason being violently carried with a corrupt humour saying and doing nothing from any ground of good vnderstanding but according to the multitude of broken and confused phantasmes caused by the distemper of blood euen so the wise being carried with
is left naked and exposed to many dangers and euils But as I said before it cannot hold out in comparison with wisedome For it is more excellent in that it giueth life to the owners thereof Money is but as drugges and lenitiue oyntments to mitigate the swellings and diseases of the body whose root remaineth still within and pullulateth againe after the same or some other manner but wisedome is a spirit incorporated into the radicall humour giuing health strength and life to the body to extirpate the rootes of all diseases The life of a man standeth not in his riches but wisedome giueth life By wisedome is not meant worldly craftinesse and the deepe counsels of sinners which is nothing but execrable malice and follie Ecclâ—s 19. 22. but that which is ioyned with the feare of God It is the knowledge of the law and works of God and the practise of his wisedome is prudence by which a man is directed alwaies in the best safest and neerest way to happinesse Monie is ordered by wisedome For without wisedome it is but a knife in a childes hand For the prosperitie of fooles shall destroy them Prou. 1. 23. The rich man trusted to riches Luk. 12. 19. Diues trusted to riches Luk. 16. The king of Tyrs trusted to riches Ezech. 28. Haman trusted to his wealth so did Craesus King of Lydia Nabuchadnezzar trusted to the strength of Babilon and Xerxes to the multitude of his souldâ—ers as did Senacherib also But these defences were nothing For riches auaileth not in the day of wrath but righteousnesse deliuereth from death The wicked in hell confesse too late Wisd 5. 8. What hath pride profited vs or the pompe of riches brought vs If a man hath tooles and want wisedome to vse them what is he the better Nabal was a rich foole and his riches for want of wisedome destroyed him But thou wilt say what can a wise man doe without riches But wisedome is good with an inheritance Yea and without an inheritance For if a wise man desire riches he can by wisedome obtaine riches and honour for out of the prison-house commeth he to raigne as Solomon said before If he desire not temporall goods he is rich already For no man wanteth that which he desireth not nor yet desireth that which hee needeth not The wise man is rich in God he hath therefore whatsoeuer is for his good and more is but a superfluity If pouerty be the way to life and riches the way to death whether is the better way Whether is the better defence or shadow Whether is the better that is brought lowe to rise higher as Iob was or that riseth high to fall as Haman did Wisedome is a strong Tower to the wise but a rich man is a shippe tossed on the waues But a wise man with riches is better then a wise man without monie I but tiches infatuate the heart of the wise and are often a snare to him For he that hath riches commonly wanteth himselfe they are strong tempters and therefore wicked Mammon Howsoeuer a man is more troubled to keepe a good conscience with riches then he that wanteth them Neither indeede can a wise man want seeing that there is as much vse of wisedome and the wise as of wealth and the rich For the world is gouerned by wisedome not by riches Therefore wisedome shall alwaies haue the preheminence and riches attending on it Verse 13. Consider the worke of God for who can make that straight which he hath made crooked AS before he propounded in generall the profit and excellencie of wisedome to arme a man against impatience and all other vanities so here he beginneth to expresse the benefit and vse thereof more particularly shewing what the practise of wisedome is and how it is a defence comfort and life to a man in this vale of misery First the practise of wisdome standeth in a right consideration of the workes of God verse 13. The right consideration of the workes of God is not to search into the depth of his vnsearchable wisedome but to rest contented in the worke of his ordinance He doth all things after the counsell of his owne will No man is his counsellour his owne counsel must stand Therfore consider the worke of God All things are ordered by the wisedome of God and it is thy wisdome not to coyne worlds and policies at thy pleasure and will by violence and turnings of deuices but thou must rest and relie on God and let him worke his owne worke otherwise impatience shall carry thee headlong into sinne against God and against thy selfe The reason of this practise is in the next words figured by a communication For who can make that straight which he hath made crooked If thou seest oppression and wrong and peruerting of iustice which may mooue thee to impatience anger reuenge insurrection c. oppose not sinne against sinne but feare God and know that God is euen now in doing a worke of iustice on some by these and afterward will doe a worke of iustice on these If Iosiah the best King that euer raigned will needes goe out to fight against Pharaoh whom the Lord had sent out for an executioner of iustice he shall be slaine The Lord maketh vse of crooked things for his glorie which thou canst neuer make straight Walke thou vprightly and speake thou vprightly that they may know their crookednesse if so be that God will reueale it to them and returne to thy vprightnesse if God giue them power to lay it to heart but let their crookednesse be their owne and fall vpon their owne heads Rest thou on God tarrie his leisure all times and workes are in his hands They cannot be hastened nor slackned by the wit or strength of man Verse 14. In the day of prosperity be ioyfull but in the day of aduersitie consider God also hath set the one ouer against the other to the end that man should finde nothing after him SEcondly the practise of wisedome stands in the right vse of the times and seasons which are in Gods owne hands These seasons are either of prosperity or aduersity of wealth or want of peace or troubles In the day of prosperity be ioyfull when God giueth thee thy hearts desire for the necessitie and comfort of thy body receiue it thankefully vse it ioyfully cheere thine heart therewith and let others be partakers of thy ioy For to what other purpose hath God sent it Make not a curse of his blessing nor his goodnesse an occasion of sinne either by depriuing thy selfe or others of the vse thereof or by abusing the same to the hurt of thy body or mischieuing of others Glorifie God in peace and plenty comfort thy selfe glad the heart of thy neighbour let him praise God in the feeling of his blessings with thee and not enuy thy wicked prosperity But in the day of aduersity consider Fall not to vnprofitable murmuring grudging complaining cursing c. It is
times a small errour at the first occasioneth great euils and who is he that saith or doth not sometimes that whereof he repenteth him not Therefore may too quicke obedience displease afterwards as well as present slacknesse Againe a Prince is not himselfe but all his subiects inclusiuely euen the whole body or state of the Kingdome So that in a King there is not onely an vnion of body and spirit as in all men but also of his person and the politike body or state Now if in commanding he swerue from this vnion here is the difficulty of wisedome Answer All this is true But the wise man in obeying obserueth time and iudgement and so in slacknesse also Opportunity calleth him forth iudgement biddeth him speake and hold his peace Doeg was destitute of vnderstanding both in his words and deedes 1 Sam. 22. 9 10. But the Kings Sergeants shewed wisedome verse 17. Ioab answered wisely 1 Chro. 21. 3. but too harshly 2 Sam. 19. 5. 6. Verse 6. Because to euery purpose there is a time and iudgement therefore the misery of man is great vpon him AN explication of the answereshewing a reason why that a wise man obseruing time and iudgement shall feele none euill at least so farre forth as by mans wisedome can be auoyded Because to euery purpose c. All things are in the hands of God and the hearts of Kings also and his purpose in the least thing is vnchangeable So that for euery thing there is a time prefined of God together with a most wise and right meanes and manner wherevpon euery euent necessarily dependeth Now he that obserueth this worke of God shall auoide all euils A thing in his kinde good may by euill vsage be made naught and a good deede must be ordered by time and iudgement If time be preuented it shall be frustrate yet afterwards though otherwise effected For God doth all in time and season and will haue them cloathed with his owne circumstances also but the vaine imaginations of man are innumerable and hee is giuen to take too much vpon him as though all things were in his hand But God will make him know that hee is but vaine man Therefore is the misery of man great vpon him A consequence or collection of the manifold and great miseries of man applyed to the disobedient and ouer-wise Because there is a due time and right meanes and manner in the prouidence of God for euery thing to his owne glory which is the ground and guide of good wisedome therefore is there so much vanity in all counsels wordes and workes and the endlesse troubles and miseries of presumptuous man are occasioned from hence Verse 7. For he knoweth not that which shall be for who can tell him when it shall be A Reason why that the vanitie and miserie of man should be increased by the most wise and good prouidence of God For he knoweth not what shall be The good wisedome of God is not the cause of vanities in politicke state but an occasion and mans ignorance and malice is the cause For being depriued of wisedome and iustice through his owne malice his imaginations are all foolish and vaine and his follie is vpon him The deliberation of the wise standeth in comparing things past and to come but the one is farre off and the other is deepe as was said in the former chapter But foolish men impatient and ouer-wise are altogether ignorant of that which shall be neither doe they regard whether it shall be or no in the prouidence of God but they haue a prouidence of their owne a false coyned or apish world to which by their subtilty and violence they thinke to cause all things to incline and to make Gods prouidence and wisedome to stoupe downe to theirs perswading themselues that that shall be which they haue purposed and closely plotted and deuised the meanes and manner how it shall be effected Here is vanity and misery enough If a man stand in opposition for a good thing he cannot tell whether that good thing shall be or no. For there are many things good in our vnderstanding which are not so in the wise prouidence of God But as it is good so must it be well and it cannot be well but in Gods appointed time with all circumstances fitting Who can tell when it shall be Although this good to be effected or euill to be reformed is to be taken in hand because it shall be done in the common iudgement and desire of men yet who can tell a man when it shall be done and how it shall be done If a King himselfe would doe a thing he must depend on Gods prouidence and tarry till the appointed season For God is the chiefe Pilate of the ship and the Watch-man of the city And if a thing shall be done by him yet the time and manner is vncertaine Hee must not striue against God neither must thou being a particular branch of particular capacitie striue against the root that beareth thee and all the branches whose generall good first and consequently particulars in their kindes it respecteth as thou doest thine owne Well seeing that a man either knoweth not what shall be or else knoweth not how and when it shall be his contention intangleth himselfe in great errours troubles and dangers and his disobedience and contention shall be punished he shall not escape He must depend vpon the prouidence of God and opportunitie offered of God and not stand in an euill thing nor euilly in a good thing before the higher power Verse 8. There is no man that hath power ouer the spirit to receiue the spirit neither hath he power in the day of death and there is no discharge in that warre neither shall wickednesse deliuer those that are giuen to it AN exposition of the miseries that the foolish and rebellious runne into There is no man hath power ouer the spirit to preserue the spirit c. Although that the man of strength and subtiltie verily thinketh through his power wealth and subtle plots to effect his wicked designes and to escape punishment yet is this but foolishnesse and imprudence caused of hautinesse of stomacke For his life is not in his owne hands neither hath he power to liue or free himselfe from death by any meanes or deuice when the king requireth it as a iust reward of his wickednesse There is no discharge in that warre There is no casting of weapons then to ouer-power the kings power which is to alter and change the state of a kingdome a great worke of Gods prouidence For when the king in iustice exacteth his life the whole burthen of the kingdome presseth him to death But if there be iniustice or rigorous extremitie in the matter who shall stand vp in defence for him against the king Who shall take vp armes with him Neither shall wickednesse deliuer those that are giuen to it It is the custome of the wicked to seek to auoid imminent
which thou takest vnder the Sunne A Third particular is of wedlocke or house-keeping Liue ioyfully c. As heretofore he hath shewed that wisedome in respect of worldly goods is the gift of God to extenuate the miseries of this vaine life and that both in their getting and spending and also that fellowship and community of life in mutuall duties is a great meanes also so heere he sheweth that in aeconomie or wedlocke coniugall loue and societie is a means also and the gift of God Prouerbs 18. 22. whereby many miseries in house-keeping and vexations from without also are auoyded or mittigated Liue ioyfully c. This he speaketh not as though euery thing in wedlocke were lawfull seeing that it serueth specialy for the procreation of children for the supply of Gods Church and accomplishment of the number of the Elect and also to auoyd fornication not for brutishnesse and lasciuiousnesse after the manner of the heathen and Epicures who pamper their bodies by all meanes and deuices for none other ends To this end the Apostle Rom. 13. 13. exhorts Christians to liue honestly as in the day not in gluttony and drunkennesse nor yet in chambering and wantonnesse for marriage is honourable Hebr. 13. 4. and the lawfull vse of Matrimony in these words and the bed vndefiled Which words are opposed to whooredome and adulterie whether it be with another or a mans owne wife the affections imagination being fixed on anothers To bee briefe his meaning is that the continuance of coniugall amity or first vnion of affections which is the inward bond of matrimony is a great meanes to auoyde much vanity which ariseth of the violating of this vnion This ioyfull liuing is maintained by giuing due beneuolence 1 Corinth 7. 3. and Gen. 26. 8. which text let a man interprete as he pleaseth I thinke that in all things for mans vse there is not onely a meere necessitie giuen of God but also a satietie permitted not saturitie which in this kind is salacitie and proteruious behauionr For if we must marrie in the Lord as the Apostle there teacheth then we must liue in the Lord euen keepe our bodies vndefiled members of Christs bodie else we cannot glorifie him in bodie and spirit 1. Cor. 6. 20. To conclude to weigh this and all things moderately and indifferently by wisedome let vs note what the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 10. 13. There hath no tentation taken you but such as appertaineth to man Yet his meaning is withall that we should aime at perfection in all things Though God beare with our frailties and impersections yet we must not make a stand for all that much lesse grow remisse but rather receiue comfort thereby and thereupon encouragement in the way to perfection Whom thou louest Whom thou hast and doest sympathize and affect aboue all other women Loue is the procreant and conseruant cause of this comfortable liuing What this loue is the Apostle setteth forth by a comparison of Christs loue towards his Church which is also illustrated by the Equall he loued his Church as himselfe euen so must men loue their wiues viz. as their owne bodies Eph. 5. 25. c. And this shalt thou doe if thou delightest in her loue in the Lord Prou. 5. 19. as the louing Hind and pleasant Roe loue their mates if thou beest faithfull in regard of bodie and goods that is if thou liuest onely to her and for her in the Lord if thou prouidest for her and maintainest her without fraud according to thy estate if thou passest by her infirmities honouring her as the weaker vessell and kindly entertainest her friends for her sake All the dayes q. d. Loue one another and liue comfortably together as long as ye liue together as well in old age as in the flower of youth as well in the fading as freshnesse of beautie In that he saith All the dayes it is euident that he meanes not Epicurish loue as some thinke he speakes all here in the person of the Epicure which proceedeth from lust onely and is grounded on outward beautie and meere fleshly allurements and vanish away with beautie and that with youth Of thy most vaine life This he often repeateth to curbe and draw backe roauing fancies and groundlesse imaginations of I know not what happie contentation in this life which withhold a man from present duties and present comfortable vse of things and constancie tormenting himselfe with discontentment and vnsetlednesse and so wants or fully enioyes not such comforts or mitigations of vanitie as here by sobrietie of wisedome may be had Which he hath giuen thee vnder the Sunne That is which wife God hath giuen thee A good wife is the gift of God and of worldly comforts the chiefest Prou. 18. â—2 An euill wife is a plague and scourge giuen of God to the wicked All the dayes that thou shouldst liue with her in godly loue and honestie in comfortable societie as long as thou liuest Of thy vanitie of this miserable life which to mitigate God hath ordained this coniugall societie as a chiefe remedie among others For that is thy portion An argument of confirmation As he said before that the comfortable vse of worldly goods gotten with great labour was the gift of God or remedie to cheere the bodie in the vanitie thereof Chap. 3. 13 and 5. 18. so here he saith that the ioyfull cheerfull and comfortable vse of wedlocke in the feare of God is a mans portion euen the chiefest and best good of outward goods which who so wants he can haue no ioy in any thing For if in ripenesse of age he want this coniugall comfort he is but halfe himselfe solitarie and mournefull But if he be fellowed with a wicked woman then he is euen no man and wearie of life In this life Many men imagine to themselues a more complete and full portion then this whereof they make this to be but a part but yet it is the principall part and remaineth to man when other faile For whether a man be in prosperitie or aduersitie in sicknesse or health this is a liuing comfort euen a speciall remedie and vniuersall remedie appliable to him in euery state The faithfulnesse of Ouids wife was an onely and speciall comfort to him in his banishment though she was at Rome and he in Pontus as diuers of his Epistles make manifest And in thy labour which thou takest vnder the Sunne He saith not this is the fruite or end of thy labour which is the practise or life of swinish Epicures whose labours are onely for bodily pleasures and pleasure their whole felicitie but in thy labour in all thy trauels troubles sorrowes sufferings this is a remedie reliefe succour when a man hath a prudent faithfull and louing fellow to compassionate and communicate with him in euery state and condition of life Verse 10. Whatsoeuer thine hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no worke nor deuice nor knowledge nor wisedome
not captiuated to his owne will is truly royall And thy Princes eate in due season c. That is when thy Magistrates Counsellers and officers are moderate and modest not giuen to feasting banketting prodigalitie pride glorifying one another in the flesh not to proud apparell proud buildings not to sports and pleasures drunkennesse and venery Prou. 31. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. For who is then graced preferred rewarded but the vassals of their lusts The Church and Churchmen go to wracke wanting necessary meate drinke apparell lodging c. but rather to sobrietie and parsimony not to oppression and robbery but to liberalitie and bountifulnesse not to carelesse wasting of the wealth of the land but to preserue and increase the same not to rob and spoyle but to enrich the Church and commonaltie lastly so to serue the body that the body of the Church and commonwealth may be serued by it and the Lord by both Verse 18. By much slouthfulnesse the building decayeth and through idlenesse of the hands the house droppeth through AN exposition or explication of the woe or miserie especially of the former part thereof vers 16. illustrated and inforced by a comparison drawne from the euill and disorderly oeconomie or gouernement of a priuate house or family which sheweth forth it selfe in the euill vsage of the outward building These euils are slouthfulnesse and carelesnesse or idlenesse The former is a vice of the minde the latter of the body A carelesse minde an idle hand Where those vices reigne the house not onely decayeth but rotteth and droppeth vpon the head of the improuident slouthfull vnthristie housholder A man in respect of his person is knowne by his apparell countenance and gate what manner of one he is as touching his ethicks or morality saith the sonne of Sirach Againe he is knowne by his house yard grounds cattell seruants and children what manner of man he is as touching his economie or husbandry Prou. 24. 30. 31. The house of the slouthfull man is ruinous and droppeth through his yard is like a vaste desert the fences and walls broken downe as a vineyard layd waste his fields are ouergrowne with thistles and briers his family is disordered and idle one contending and quarelling with another girning one at another all maisters and vnruly Thus it is in the house of prodigals drinking slipthrifts and Belials do naughts Thirdly in respect of his politicks or magistracie he is knowne by his subiects For as the housholder is in his house or family so is the magistrate in the citie and the king in his dominions An house is a part of a streete a streete is a part of a citie the citie is a part of the kindome The king is the head the kingdome is his body consisting of members whereof some are superiour as those that are placed in gouernment vnder him and are subordinate one to another others are inferiour Whereas the Prince feareth not God but is either couetous or wastfull carelesse and dissolute then the Church and common wealth go to wracke The gouernours are rauening Harpies and riotous deuouring the commons and feeding themselues of the flocke yea euery one after their examples preying one on another The vngodly flatterers lust-seruers are aduanced and placed in offices for money or fauour for there is no care nor feare of God in the superiours but euery one that feareth God is dishearted and he that speaketh vprightly is hated in the gate and he that rebuketh is abhorred Amos 5. And amongst those wicked ones there is nothing but enuie and contentions euery one being giuen to oppression pride and ambition and all enemies to God and godlinesse Whereupon it commeth in the end to be a vast desert of wilde beasts and as a vineyard lying waste spoyled with foxes and wilde boares like a field ouerrunne and cropt vp with cattell and pastures rooted vp with swine and ouergrowne with thistles and briers Such desolations doth the Lord threat vpon carnalitie and contempt of his word All these things declare what the Prince is and by what manner of spirit the commonwealth is inliued and moued For as the spirit of a thing is such is the thing If the spirit be weake the body is ouergrowne and ouercome with diseases as we see in plants in beasts in men Now the spirit of houshold gouernment is pater familias the good man of the house The spirit of polity or commonwealths gouernment is the king A prudent and valiant Prince hath a strong constitution and sound body his spirit worketh effectually in the finger and all vtmost parts as well as at the heart and inward parts that there may be soundnesse and ioy in all the body Verse 19. A feast is made for laughter and wine maketh merrie but money answereth all things AN explication of the complaint or woe especially of the latter part thereof vers 16. which was this Thy Princes eate in the morning that is spend their whole time euen the morning it selfe wherein nature it selfe bindeth vs to sobrietie and solitary study in eating drinking pleasures like to the Sodomites and beastiall Princes of Israel It is illustrated by the contrary and right vse of eating drinking and other expence A feast is made for laughter The vse of meate is the reparation and conseruation of the body in health and strength that a man may be enambled to discharge the duties of his calling wherein God hath placed him He must keepe his body in temperance sobriety and chastity that the minde may be more cleare and free of greater strength and vigour in the functions thereof both for deliberation and execution As for a feast that is made for laughter for a recreation of the minde and body at certaine conuenient times and to preserue common societie and neighbourhood or rather to testifie friendship and loue one towards another though particular businesses and necessities haue distracted them and drawne euery man ad sua curanda to care for his owne things of the vse whereof feasting and co mmon meetings testifie a certaine communitie such as in this disordered world and miserable condition of man can be had But to be addicted to feasting to make a trade of pampering the body as epicurishnesse and beastlinesse For beasts regard nothing but the belly they are all body and to feede well is their perfection And wine maketh merrie Wine also hath the same vse that is of meates He that giueth himselfe to drinking and companiship is a drunkard although he neuer be drunke Therefore the Prophet Esay denounceth a woe against them that are able to drinke strong drinke Woe be to them for they spend not onely the time of life idlely and wastefully but also make others drunke and glorie in euill But wine is not for Kings nor strong drinke for Princes Prou. 31. 4. but for the sicke to recouer health as Saint Paul said vnto Timothie Drinke a little wine for thy stomackes sake and often infirmities and wine
wealthy remember the rich foole Luk. 12. Will you needs liue in pleasure on earth with contempt of all that feare God remember the Sodomites Will you be glorious and pompous spectacles remember Diues Do you approue of any thing except Religion and the feare of God Heare what your brethren and companions say that are gone to yours and their home before you heare what they said when they were aliue as you are now Wild. 2. throughout And againe heare what they say now being dead as you shall be Chap. 5. 4. 5. 6. c. And you proud oppressing pompous mockers what aduantage is your wit your wealth your pride and pompe to you when your riches are vanished when your idols your bodies are rotten when your children are begging and come to fearfull ends and when your soules are in hell Remember this thou yong man to moderate thy fleshly ioy pleasures delights to pacifie thy wrath to mollifie thy rigor to teach thee wisedome and humilitie and aboue all things to seeke the kingdome of God Verse 10. Therefore remoue sorrow from thine heart and put away euill from thy flesh for childhood and youth are vanitie A Conclusion with an exhortation which is twofold The first is destructiue or negatiue teaching mortification in this verse The other is astructiue or affirmatiue teaching viuification Chap. 12. by which meanes the heauie iudgements of God are auoided and true happinesse is attained Therefore put sorrow from thy heart and put away euill from thy flesh to wit inordinate affections and lusts Put away moodinesse anger impatience carnall loue worldly zeale hatred enuie griefe sorrow c. And put away all inordinate and insatiable desires and lusting after worldly things riches honours pleasures vainglorie pompe gluttonie voluptuous liuing pride venerie epicurisme euen all disordered affections and lusts For childhood and youth are vanitie A reason to enforce the exhortation As childhood soone vanisheth away so doth youth or middle age as morning is soone spent so is the mid day and old age hasteneth as the Sunne to his going downe The pleasure of youth is vaine and momentanie it is like the fading flower in the Spring whose verdure and beautie soone vanisheth the blast of the East winde and the scorching beames of the Westerne Sunne cause it to wither in a moment As the time of youth is fleeting and transitorie so is the state thereof sinfull and dangerous Sinfull because the plasme or vessell of the soule is now strongest in her temptatious dangerous because the diuell and the world are now most busie to imprint folly in the hearr of the yong man He is now in winning or losing The way of a yong man is like a serpent vpon a stone a bird in the aire a ship on the sea which way these will turne no man certainly knoweth CHAPTER XII Verse 1. Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth while the euill dayes come not nor the yeares draw nigh when thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them THis Chapter hath two parts an exhortation and a conclusion The exhortation is contained in the first seuen verses It is the astructiue or affirmatiue part of the conclusion Chap. 11. 10. exhorting to Christian or godly life specially duties of pietie consisting in faith and obedience as in the former Chapter he exhorted to duties of charitie Remember This word is opposed to forgetfulnesse the common corruption and vanitie of youth For youth being violently carried with headstrong passions and vnbridled lusts is most apt to forget God to despise instruction and hate correction Remembrance is historicall or practicke and effectuall The former is the bare vnderstanding and bearing in mind of a thing past as not pertaining to vs but the wise man maketh vse of euery thing The latter is the vnderstanding remembrance of that which pertaineth to vs to do or a dutie to be performed It is particular or generall Particular is of euery mans dutie in that calling wherein God hath placed him Generall is of Christian duties to be performed of all Particular callings and duties are sanctified by the generall and comprehended vnder it Therefore this remembrance is holy and generall holy because it is a remembrance of God and his glorie generall because it extendeth to the whole man inward and outward Therefore he saith Remember thy Creator that made thee in his image and all things for thee Remembrance therefore is to direct all faith hope loue feare obedience euery action of life and cogitation of the mind to God onely euen to his praise and glorie Contrarily to forget is to be vnthankefull and disobedient Deuteron 8. 11. Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God not keeping his commandements and his lawes and his ordinances c. 14. Then thine heart be lifted vp and thou forget the Lord thy God c Therefore this word Remember implieth continuall obedience in euery thing or perpetuall thankefulnesse Thy Creatour This is not an ampl fication but an argument of confirmation Remember God fâ—r hee hath made thee anâ— that in his owne image therefore art thou bound to him in pe petuall duety and seruice Now. Hee speak in of the time present as the Apostle doth Hebr. 3. 13. Exhort one another daily while it is called to day A d what is this but to remember God while we haue our being as Dauid sayth Let euery thing that hath breath praise the Lord euen whiles it hath breath Then must we needs remember him from the comming in tiâ—l the going forth of the breath And so often as we drawe our breath lâ—t vs remember that wee drawe life and all things for life from him And as we send forth our breath so must we returne all in thankefull obedience to him We draw the all-nourishing ayre into our bodies and send it out of our bodies euen so what we haue receiued from God let vs returne it againe to God with aduantage This is the practike or effectuall remembrance here spoken of In the dayes of thy youth Hee sayth not whiles thou arte young or in time of youth but maketh mention of dayes to intimate that euery particular day of this life is to bee consecrated to the Lord that is not the bare time as some giue the Sabaoth to God but all our thoughts words and workes in the day and not some but all For wee are not our owne but the Lords as Saint Paul sayth to Seruants Serue the Lord not men And to speake as the thing is the whole time of life is a Sabbath The Sabbath was ordained for the reliefe and helpe of our infirmitie and also to shew forth our consociation and fellowshippe with our fellow-members and fellow-seruants in the Church triumphant as farre foorth as the necessities of our bodies heere below will permit For eternall life is heere begunne Therefore wee owe nothing to the flesh not one minute of time nor one thought of the heart We are the