natura nobis diverforium 1 Pet. 2. 11. I. 11. 15. 1 Chron. 29. Commorandi fuch unsteady fands? Why dress we up these our Inns, as if they were dedit, non ha our homes, and are as carefull about bitandi locum. a few nights lodging here, as if we Cic. de Sen. defigned an everlasting aboad (we Heb. 13. 11. that are but fojourners and pilgrims here, and have no fixed habitation upon earth; who come forth like a flower, and are foon cut down; flee like a fhadow, and continue not; are winds paffing away, and coming not again; who fade all like a leaf, whose 103.15. 39. life is a vapour appearing for a little 5.144.4. time, and then vanishing away; whose Pfal. 103.15 days are a handbreadth, and age as 15. Job 14. 1. Pfal. 78. 39. Jam. 4. 14. Pfal. 102.3. 90. 5. 9. 119. 19. Ifa. 40. 6. nothing; whofe days are confumed like Smoak, and years are spent as a tale. Who wither like the grafs, upon which we feed; and crumble as the dust, of which we are compacted; for thus the Scripture by appofite comparifons represents our condition) yet we build like the Men of Agrigentum) as if we were to dwell here for ever; and hoard up, as if we were to enjoy after many ages; and inquire, as if we would never have done knowing? The Citizens of Croton (a Town in Italy) had a manner (it is faid) of inviting to Feasts a Year before the time, that the Guests in appetite and garb might come well prepared to them; do we not ufually refemble them in this ridiculous folicitude and curiofity; fpes inchoando longas, commencing defigns, driving on projects, which a longer time than our life would not fuffice to accomplish? How deeply do we concern our felves in all that is faid or done; when the morrow all will be done away and forgotten? when (excepting what our duty to God, and charity towards men requires of us, and that which concerns our future eternal state) what is done in the World, who gets or lofes, which of the fpokes in fortune's wheel is up, and which down, is of very little confequence to us. But the more to abstract our minds from, and temper our affections about these fecular matters, let us examine particuC larly larly by this standard, whether the most valued things in this World deferve that estimate which they bear in the common Market, or which popular opinion affigns them. 1. To begin then with that which takes chief place, which the World most dotes on, which feems most great and eminent among men ; fecular state and grandeur, might and prowess, honour and reputation, favour and applause of men, all the objefts of humane pride and 1 Pet. 2. 24. ambition; of this kind, St. Peter thus pronounces ; πᾶσα δόξα ἀνθρώπ T8, All the glory of the men is as the flower of the grass; the grafs is dried up, and the flower thereof doth fall off; 'tis as the flower of the grafs, how fpecious fo ever, yet the most fading and failing part thereof; the grafs it felf will foon wither, and the flower doth commonly fall off before that. We cannot hold this flower of worldly glory beyond our fhort time of life; and we may eafi ly ly much fooner be deprived of it Many tempefts of fortune may beat it down, many violent hands may crop it, 'tis apt of its felf to fade upon the stalk; how-ever the Sun (the influence of age and time) will affuredly burn and dry it up, with our life that upholds it. Sure- Pfal. 62.9. ly (faith the Pfalmift) men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lye: Men of high degree; the mighty Princes, the famous Captains, the fubtile Statefmen, the grave Senatours; they who turn and tofs about the World at their pleasure; who, (in the Pro- Ifa. 14. 17. phet's language) make the Earth tremble, and bake Kingdoms: Even thefe, they are a lie; (faid he, who himself was none of the least confiderable among them, and by experience well knew their condition, the greatest and most glorious Man of his time King David.) They are a lie; that is, their state prefents fomething of brave and admirable to the eye of Men; but 'tis onely deceptio C 2 vifus ; vifus; a fhew without a substance; it doth but delude the careless fpectatours with false appearance; it hath nothing under it folid or ftable; being laid in the balance (the royal Prophet there fubjoins; that is, being weighed in the fcales of right judgment, being thoroughly confidered) it will prove lighter than vanity it felf; it is less valuable than mere emptiness, and nothing it felf; that faying founds like an hyperbole, but it may be true in a strict sense: Seeing, that the care and pains in maintaining it, the fear and jealoufie of lofing it, the envy, obloquy and danger that furround it, the fnares it hath in it, and temptations inclining men to be pufft up with Pride, to be infolent and injurious, to be corrupt with pleasure (with other bad concomitants thereof) do more than countervail what-ever either of imaginary worth or real convenience may be in it. Perhaps could it without much care, trouble and hazard continue for ever, or for a long |