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XonxknJh-ijitzd^fvrlDhnKicLfcU at-ii. {Tclde.riB^]ln£ar6fmfslnfi&Lit£^'triBilhorri 
 
THE 
 
 VANITY 
 
 O F T H E 
 
 CREATURE. 
 
 Bj the A U T H O Pv 
 OF THE 
 
 Whole Duty of Man, crc. 
 
 Together with a 
 
 LETTER 
 
 Prefix d/cnt to the Bookfeller^rclating 
 to the AUTHOR.. 
 
 E CCLES. -. Q. 
 
 Va^iity of Vanities^ all is Vamty, 
 
 L N D N : Printed for Jolm K'Jgell at 
 the Qohlen-Rall near Grays'Inn-Givc 
 
 in Holtorn. i 6 S .j. 
 
J\H 
 
 TO THE 
 
 Bookfeller. 
 
 Mr.Kidgcll, 
 
 ^ir ^y^Ou halving Printed that moji 
 ^^/ Excellent piece ^Efit it nledyThc 
 , ■ Whole Duty of Man, Part 
 II. Wherein the Author of 
 that Beoh^ hath difcoi/ered much Judg- 
 ment^ together with a compofure of Ele- 
 gancy of Style and Exprejfion , I hailing 
 a good opinion of your Con^verjation by a 
 little acquaintance rvith yon , at the re- 
 queft of my Kinfman Mr. G. L. I. fend 
 you an account of the little TraSi you are 
 PrintingyCalled The Vanity of the Crea- 
 ture i tphich was , (^ if my word may 
 pafs for it) written by the frji Author of 
 The Whole Duty of Man. That he 
 A 3 was 
 
To the Bbokfciler. 
 
 i^as a perfon of great Learning and Piety ^ 
 I think no man will gain-fay , which if he 
 didy he woM be fufficiently confuted by 
 that his mojl Excelle?2t and Divine Trea- 
 tife. He was alfo of that Chriflian-lih^ 
 temper of meehpefs and modejiy^ rahly to 
 be foHJid in the beji of men of thefe fla- 
 gitioHs times , that out of a perfcSl enmi- 
 ty and averfton to Zfahr-glory , he purpofe- 
 ly concealed his name , which hdth been 
 the occafion of as many conjeSinres ^aU 
 mofi) to hpow who he was^ as there haz^e 
 been fcrutinies to fnd out the head-fpring 
 and original fotirce of the Kiver Nile. 
 For my party I fh all not (^though I could) 
 breahjhe rules of Decency and good Man- 
 ners ^ to fat is fe the itching de fire of the 
 ozfer-cnriou^Sy in di'vulging that which the 
 Author himfelf was fo careful to conceal. 
 
 Cum vides velatani, quid inquirisin 
 
 rem ablconditam ?' This is certain^ and 
 I will ad'ventttre at the , holdnefs to fay^ 
 that all thofe fe'ueral Difcourfes which 
 have appealed abroad in the M'^orld un- 
 der 
 
To the Bookfeller. 
 der our Authors name , were not wrihm 
 by him , but whoever rvere the Authors^ 
 it canmt be denyed , but that they ha^e 
 TPritten them n?ith the great eji Judgment^ 
 Learnings and Piety imaginable^ and that 
 they are only worthy of imitating fo great 
 a Di'vine as our Author . 
 
 Yours in all Civil Offices, 
 
 J. L 
 
 THE 
 
THE 
 
 Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 H E Creatures V^aniry and 
 Mutability is fo great, that 
 iclhoiild be the greateft 
 incentive to us to look to 
 the Supreaiil good, as the only Center 
 of ourHappinefs and Felicity. vSince 
 the Summnw boiium ot Man lies in fonic- 
 thing more fublime and excellent than 
 any Created Being , it's not in vain for 
 him, in order to attaining the true ob- 
 jcft of his real Happinefs , to take i 
 Contemplative view of the Creatures 
 Vanity, which is moft perfpicuouily de- 
 monftrable even in Monarchies, wluch 
 Bodin tells us , are more durable than 
 Popular States, btcaufe lefs fubjeft i6 
 be divided , (Unity being the great 
 Preferver of all things :) and yet have 
 thefe hadj as the Moon, not onlytheif 
 
a The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 increafe and full light , but alfb their 
 A/vain and changes , and this fometimes 
 in a moment. Thaf as in Mufick you 
 ihall hear fometimes a firing tund up "^ 
 to its ithimnm poter7tic:e^ as high as it will 
 bear, and prefently depreOed again to 
 the loweft Key, and another elevated^ 
 yet both of them breathing but light 
 Airs 5 and of fhort continuance : Sa 
 may you fee aMonarchy now wound up 
 to thehigheft pitch of Happinefs, and 
 by and by let down again into the low- 
 eft depths of mifery. This is Gods 
 doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. 
 
 And here I fhall begin with thofe 
 Empires and Monarchies that were moft 
 famous among the reft. 
 
 For how foon was the Ajfyrian or 
 Babylonian Monarchy fwallow'd up by 
 the Perfian^ the Perfian by the Greeh^ or 
 Macedonian Empire , and the Greeh^ by 
 the Roman ? which the Prophet Daniel 
 prefents unto us, by the Gold , Silver, 
 Brafs, and Iron, whereof Nebuchadne^' 
 %ars Image confifted, Dan. 2. 22. The 
 
 diffo- 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. 5 
 
 tliflblution of one, as in natural things, 
 
 fo here, being flill the generation of a- 
 
 nother ^ and again, the erection ot the 
 
 later being the deftruftion of the former. 
 
 And as for the Roman Monarchy, 
 
 their own Hiftorian can tell us of that, 
 
 how it had both its Infancy , Youth, 
 
 Manhood, and Old age, as it were by 
 
 turns : As its Infancy under Kings , 
 
 its Youth under Confuls, its Manhood 
 
 from the ftrft Ptwich^ War unto the 
 
 time of Atigujim C^far^ and from that 
 
 time its Old age under the fucceeding 
 
 Emperours ; until at length that folid 
 
 Body was torn afunder by the ftrug- 
 
 lings of her own Children , into the 
 
 Eaftern and Weftern Empires, whereof 
 
 the former was foon earen out by the 
 
 Tnrkj' and Saracens^ and the later alfo 
 
 fell away much, after a little revolution 
 
 of time , by the falling off of divers 
 
 Nations from her, each of which after 
 
 they had pluck'd off their own feathers 
 
 from the K(?w^/z Eagle, left her almoft 
 
 ti^kQd 5 H$ the Franks and Bnrgnndians 
 
 B 2 inf 
 
4- The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 in France^ the Goths in Spain^ the Nor^ 
 wans and Lombards in /^^/y, together 
 with the Englif) and iS^c*?^/ in Br it ah? : 
 until at the lafi: caft the Roman Monar- 
 chy began a little to recal her felf into 
 Germany ^ where flie hath held up fince 
 little more than the bare name of the 
 Empire. So that Viciflitude you fee is 
 the great Emprefs of the world , unto 
 ivhofe unftay'd Dominion all earthly 
 Powers and Principalities muft be fub- 
 leci 5 even thofe that are of the iirfl: 
 Magnitude^much more others that move 
 in a lower Orb. 
 
 And of thefe I ihall fingle out only 
 three, which I conceive mod: eminent^ 
 to be inftanced in for this point. 
 
 The firft is Judea , whofe Govern- 
 ment was Monarchically fecled by God 
 himfelf 5 yet how oft did (he change her 
 Lords and Maflers, yielding her felf as 
 it were fucceflively firft to the Babylo- 
 rnan^ and after that to the Roman^ Fer- 
 fian^ Saracen^ Chrijiian^ Mgyftian^ and 
 now to the TurhijJj power ? That as 
 
The ViWity of the Creafiire. 5 
 
 tiie Poet fpake of Troy^ Fnit Ilium ; fo 
 may wc of Jcmfalem , her Metropolis^ 
 Fnit Hicrofolymayth^it Jernfalcm wasjShe 
 TV as great amovg the hi at ion s^ or Do/i/ina 
 GehtiHm^ the Lady of the Nations , but 
 now, Non fic ut olim^ it hath not been 
 with her for thefe many Generations 
 \^^^^ cto in former days , (ro life Joh*^ 
 words in his twenty ninth Chapter, fe- 
 cond and third verfes) rvhen Cod f re- 
 ferred her J when hi<s Candle fJ:i?7ed upon 
 her headland ndjenhy that light fhe ivalh^ 
 cd through darhnefs \ but Scrz^ants hazfc 
 ruled oz^er hcr^ and there rvas none to de- 
 li^ver her out of their hands. Which is 
 a good LeL^iire of MiitabHity to other 
 Kingdoms and their Mother-cities. For 
 Jerufileni wCiS once a holy and happy 
 City, and had been happy (iL had (lie 
 but continued holy ; but th.u f;^ifing, 
 Hotp is her Gold become dim , horp is 
 her ji?7e Cold changd into Drofs ! as fhc 
 complains her felf 
 
 The fecond Example I produce here 
 is Naples , which we miiv w-ell call tho 
 
 n 2 ' Call 
 
6 The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 Ball of Providence : And indeed fo it 
 was , being bandied from one Lord to 
 another ten feveral times^before it came 
 to lie (as now it doth) at the foot of 
 Spain. For being a Countrey at firft 
 diverfly peopled , it was upon the di- 
 yifion allotted to the Eaftern Empe- 
 rours, but from them forc'd by the Al- 
 mains ^ and fo to the Greeh^ andvJ^r^- 
 cens , and then fucceflively hurried a- 
 bout to the Normans^ Germans^ French^ 
 Hungarians^ Arragonoys^ and from theni 
 to the French again ; till in the end the 
 Spaniard feixed upon it : and whether 
 it will continue long with him or no, 
 is very uncertain ; efpecially if we re- 
 member how of late years a poor Fifli- 
 erman (Majpnello by name) fnatch'd up 
 the Reins of Government from him, 
 and (had not God otherwife determi- 
 ned of that Kingdom , by infatuating 
 that Mufhrome-^King } for ought we 
 know , he niight have run quite away 
 with them j fo flippery are all earthly 
 Kingdoms ! 
 
 3- Bui 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. 7 
 
 5. But not to look out any longer 
 to other Nations of Chrijiendom , (me- 
 thinks) we may inftance this beft by 
 refle(fting upon our felves. For you 
 ail know (I iuppofe) how the Romans^ 
 Saxons^ Danes^ and Normans^ had each 
 of them their fcveral and alternate 
 days of LordlJiip over this Nation ; 
 but yet becaufr they did not know in 
 rhofe their days the things that belong- 
 ed unto their Peace , how do we fee 
 the fliadows of the ni^ht fcretched out 
 upon them, their Suns fct with us, and 
 their days Hiut in ! 
 
 The longefi: day we read of^was that 
 in Jo/JjHah's time, wherein though the 
 Sun flood ftill in Gibcon for the fpace 
 of a whole day, yet ^Qt it did atlaft. 
 
 The day of the Romans was long up- 
 on our Horizon , for the Sun of their 
 profperity Oione here for the fpace of 
 four hundred years and more *, yet did 
 it then go down as to us in this Nation^ 
 and Darknefs here now doth lie upon 
 
 B 4 Agaiuj 
 
8 The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 Again, the day of the Saxons conti- 
 nued five hundred years and upwards i 
 That of the Danes two hundred fifty 
 five years, or thereabouts. 
 
 And how long the day of the Nor^ 
 mans hath lafted , every petty Ahna- 
 nack can tell us. I, and if none of 
 thofe Suns come to rife again within our 
 Hemifphere, (when the fins of this Na- 
 tion are ripe , and call for Gods fickle 
 to cut them down) its befide his ordi- 
 nary rule , which ufually runs out all 
 Humane things by a changeable circum- 
 ference \ for fo Selomon tells us in hi^ 
 Book of EcclefiaJieSj That the Sun rifeSy 
 and the Sun goes down ^ and hajieth to 
 the place where he arofe. 
 
 Neither is this all , that the Powers 
 and Principalities on earth are upon a 
 daily turn , but as the Frimum Mobile 
 (you know) carries about the other 
 Spheres ; fo do thefc carry about ma- 
 ny other changes and alterations with 
 them : As that of Religion, Law^s, Li- 
 berties, vSciences^Cufl;oms,and fuch like,* 
 
 Nay, 
 
T^he Vanity of the Creature. p 
 
 Nay> even the Houfes of God, whieh 
 before to violate, was held a Crime in- 
 expiable , yet are they now upon fuch 
 removes broken down without fcruplc ^ 
 and the very Urns of the Dead, which 
 have been always look'd upon as Sacred 
 Cabinets to preferve the Bodies of Gods 
 Saints in for Eternity, yet are they now 
 broken up , and their Alhcs thrown a- 
 bout , (fuch is the unfctlednefs of all 
 things here below) even as the vileft 
 Dufi: upon the face of the earth. 
 
 Beloved, it hath been ever thus upon 
 the converfion of fuch great Bodies, 
 and it is fo ftill : for never was there 
 any converfion in this Land like to that 
 our eyes have feen of late ; That if any 
 one ihould have flept but fonie few 
 years laft pafl: (as the Ancients fain of 
 Epimemdes) and fliould have awaked 
 again in thefe times , how would he 
 wonder at thofe ftrange Metamarphofes 
 that are now among us , there being 
 .^warerumfacieSy A new^ face of things 
 both in Church and State ! Infomuch, 
 
 (as 
 
i o The Vanity of the Creature . 
 
 (2i$ Mr. Harding fpake fometimes of 
 Rome 5 That he did qu^crere Komam m 
 Koma^ That he did feek Rome in Konte^ 
 and could not find it,) fo may we fay 
 now, That we may quderere Angliam in 
 Anglta^ That we may now feek for old 
 "England in our new England , and yee 
 go without it , it is fo much changed 
 from what it was before. 
 
 And as we have feen much of this 
 already , fo who knows but we may 
 come to fee a great dea! more hereaf* 
 ter ? Since we know not what a Day 
 may bring forth. ^ 
 
 Secondly , Neither is this true only 
 in Empires and Monarchies , but alfo 
 in Cities and their popularGovernmcnts* 
 Etiam fummis jtegatum eji urbibus flare 
 din 5 fays the Moralift. And to this 
 purpofe tends that of the Author to 
 the Hebrews ^Wth. 13.14. f^^ ha^ve hero 
 no abiding City , but xve looh^for one to 
 come^ rvhofe foundation is in the heavens. 
 
 There is then no City on earth, nor. 
 any kind of Government in it that e- 
 
T^he Vanity of the Creature. 1 1 
 
 ver ftood up long in one pofture, none 
 that ever was, or fliallbe abiding. Fafs 
 ye up to Calneh and fee , fays the Pro- 
 phet, Amos 6. 2. and from hence goto 
 Hcmath the Great , and fo to Gath of 
 the Philiftins. So, pafs ye up to Athens 
 the eye of Greece for Knowledge and 
 humane Literature, and fee ; and from 
 thence go to Kome , the Head of the 
 Weftcrn Empire, and fo come to Flo- 
 rence^ the Beauty of Italy ^ (for I for- 
 bear to name more , Examples in this 
 kind being almoft infinire) in all which 
 you may read this truth at large. 
 
 And firft for Athens : How many 
 changes of Governours and Govern- 
 ments did fhe endure? putting her felf 
 off from Hereditary Kings to Archons, 
 or Ariftocra^ical Lords , who governed 
 firft for term of Hfe, then decennially ; 
 and after thefe, to Dcmocratical Ru- 
 lers. 
 
 Next for Kome ; how oft hath that 
 City been alter'd by Gaids , HunneSy 
 Goths and Vandals ? 
 
 Yea 
 
1 2 yhe Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 Yea , how oft hath the Government 
 of it been pafs'd away from one hand 
 to another ? 
 
 It is myftically reprefented to u?, 
 Kez\ I 7.9. by the bead: of fetren heads, 
 which is there interpreted by the feven 
 Hills it is built upon, to be Home : And I 
 according to the number of thofe Hills, It 
 to fo many Mafters did it fubmit it felf, I 
 who had their feveral turns of fupreme I 
 power and regiment over her;as KingSy 
 Confuls^ DiEiators^ Decemviri^ fr/biwes., 
 Emperonrs^ and Popes : under the lafi 
 of which, I do not find that it was ever 
 Belieged by any that took it not : fiich 
 ftrange ebbings hath that Sea had expc-i 
 rience of ! i 
 
 Laft of all for Florence. It is ftrange 
 to tell what various whirhngs about 
 that hath had in point of Supreme Rule 
 and power. Foratfirft the Nobility 
 ruled it in an Ariftocratical way. But 
 a little after, fome Grandees among the 
 people wrefted it to themfelves^ who 
 being tired out with continual quarreli 
 
Ihe Vanity of tht Great urv. 1 3 
 
 lings one with another, (for the people 
 were divided into three ranks) the mid- 
 dle fort of them took upon them the 
 management of the State. And thefe 
 alfo falling quickly together by the 
 ears , the third and loweil: fort became 
 Mafters of it. Which holding not 
 long , by rcafon of their mutual dif* 
 cords 5 they yield thenifelvcs and the 
 Government of their City unto Charier 
 of Fr^;/f^,Brorher to Lexpi^ the Ninth ^ 
 who within a fiiort rime being invited 
 to the Kingdom of 'Naples^ and leaving 
 only Deputies at Florence , the Floren- 
 tines return to their Popular Govern- 
 ment , and renew their Civil Wars a- 
 mong themfelves For redrefs where- 
 of, they fend for the Duke of Athens^ 
 and give up all to him. But (hortly 
 they fuppofing themfelves to be brought 
 in bondage , and to be defpoiled of 
 their Liberty by the fear of his Guard, 
 banifli him the City , and within lefs 
 than one years fpace (hake off his Go- 
 vernment over them. After which 
 
 thejt 
 
1 4 The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 they come to an Ariftocracie again, AS 
 vifing new Names and Officers for theiti 
 Magiftrates, and changing and rechan- 
 ging them fo oft , that fomctimes their 
 State was no better ordered, than if it 
 had been committed to Mad men, or 
 Children without difcrction , the City 
 fcarce twenty years together keeping 
 the fame form of State : but as fick 
 men in Feavers (fays Bodinm ) defire 
 to be removed now hither, and by and 
 by thither, or from one bed to another, 
 as if theDifeafe were in the places where 
 they lay, and not in the intrals of their 
 own Bodies ; fo were the Florentines 
 ftill turning their State, till they turn'd 
 it into the hands of the Medices^ who 
 now hold it. A thing almoft incredi- 
 ble, (fays he) did not their own Recor- I 
 der leave it recorded to pofterity. ^ 
 
 But in the fecond place let us def^ 
 cend to Families or Races of men that 
 are lineally fuceeffive for Name anrf 
 Greatnefs. 
 
 Ani 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. % 5 
 
 And here let me ask,whcre are thofe 
 lUuftrious Families cried up fo much 
 in former times , and famous in their 
 Generations ? 
 
 As the Couragious Family of the 
 Maccabees in Jewry , and of the Ptde- 
 mies in ^gypt. 
 
 Again, where is the Zehuccia^ Fami- 
 ly in the lefs Afia^ and the Imperial Fa- 
 mily of the PaUologi in Greece ? 
 
 That of the Merovignians in France ? 
 
 Of the Flantagenets in England^ with 
 many more of this rank I might name, 
 did not the narrow compafs of fo fmall 
 a Treatife bound me ? 
 
 Tell me^is not the Name and Great- 
 nefs of thefe Families long fince expi^ 
 red, the Roots and Branches of them 
 quite remov'd , and others planted in 
 their rooms ? Examples of this fort are 
 innumerable, as Elibn fays in Job : He 
 breads in pieces mighty men without mmi* 
 ber i (fo mighty Families without num- 
 ber) and fets up others in their fie ad. 
 
 And 
 
1 6 The Vanity of the Creaturt. 
 
 And as for fuch Families as are 6f a 
 lower form , we need not go far , 
 fince our own knowledge here will 
 lead us to continual changes and alte^ 
 rations. 
 
 For thou haft fcen it may be ma- 
 ny Families heretofore in this Nation^ 
 brim-full of earthly happinefs, and run- 
 ning over ; and now upon thy fecond 
 view of them, behold there is no fuch 
 thing, but they are much alter'd , and 
 running very low in the world, if not 
 clean run out. 
 
 So that profpcrity (you fee) was 
 never yet fo entail'd upon any Family^ 
 and the Heirs thereof, but within a 
 little time fome one or other hath cue 
 it off. 1 
 
 But laftof allj if we look upon par-i 
 ticular perfons, this will appear moft 
 evident ; but efpecially if we conffder 
 them three ways. In refpe£l of theii* 
 Bodies, Minds, and Eftates. 
 
 Gregory Na^x^ianT^en hath an excellent 
 faying of the two former joyntly con^ 
 
 fider'd^ 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. i y 
 fidcr'd, which is this j 'n/j^m-n ^s^ « (r^o3«7c.^w 
 
 yjid^pci'f fAvovTiC) eiy/.x Kj trvfyctrty yjt] "^JX*^^ « " ftcvrsf n Kj fjHTztTnTnurrec. 
 
 i. e. Wc are not mixt Creatures only, 
 but alfo contrary both to others and 
 ourfelves: not continuing truly the 
 fame, no not fo much as one day ; but 
 both in regard of our Bodies and Minds, 
 perpetually flowing and perpetually 
 changing. 
 
 And we can inftance this in all the 
 ftages of our life , wherein by the or- 
 dinary courfe of Nature , we are firft 
 weak, and then ftrong, and after weak 
 again. As in our Childhood, we are 
 then weak both in Body and Mind : in 
 our Youth, ftrong in Body and weak in 
 Mind \ and in our Manhood^ftrong in 
 both j but in our Old age,ftrong in 
 Mind and weak in Body ; and in our 
 Decrepit , weak again in both, as we 
 were in our Childhood at the firjR:. 
 
 But to leave this general conlldera* 
 
 tion of them , and to look upon them 
 
 now more diftinclly and feverally by 
 
 C them- 
 
1 8 T^he Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 themfclves. And firft for the change 
 of particular Pcrfons in regard of their 
 Bodies. 
 
 An4 here it is true of them , what 
 Seneca affirms, ^/'x,. That no man k the 
 fame to day , he was yejierday : Ego ipfe 
 (^fays he) dum h^c loquor mntariy mnta- 
 t7i^ fum. Our Bodies (fays he) are like ' 
 a River , which keeps nothing but the 
 bare name that was firft given it ^ for 
 as touching the prefent individual mat- 
 ter, which is the watry fubftance of it, 
 this is always tranfient^and other comes 
 into its room : And fo it is with the 
 Body of Man , which is always recei- 
 ving in new Air and Life, and venting 
 the former. Which makes Da^id pro- 
 fe{s of himfelf , that he was tofs'd up 
 and down like the Locuft ; and. Jot? 
 compares Man for his bodily fubftance 
 to a flower that never continues in onC 
 fc^y^Job 14. a. For now we are ftrong, 
 and by and by weak ; now beautiful, 
 and prefently deformed. A little Fit 
 of the Feaver, Small Pox, or the likd, 
 
 alters 
 
The Vanity vf the Cteatitre, i p 
 
 alters us fo, as if we were not the fanle 
 men we were before ^ infomuch that 
 we hear fome fpeaking thus unto us, — 
 tieu Quantum mutatn^ abillo! Alas, how 
 hath this fit alter'd you from what yoii 
 were in your health ! for how are your 
 lips grown pallid , your cheeks difco- 
 lour'd, your eyes funk into their holes^ 
 and your face quite disfigur'd ! And o- 
 thers there be of our acquaintance 
 that like Jobs three friends do lift up 
 their eyes afar off, and know us not 5 
 fo much are we chang'd in refpeft of our 
 Bodies ! 
 
 But Secondly, Let us confidcrit alfo 
 in refpe^l: of mens Minds. 
 
 And here (to fay nothing of a moral 
 change, which is obvious eVery where) 
 as on the one fide we find nothing more 
 notable Qtiinquenrjio Neronis , than the 
 firft five years of Nero's Reign, and 
 more excellent than his Youth: Yet 
 afterwards,having well taflcd the fvvecc 
 morfel of Soveraignty, he becaute (fays 
 one) the mofl detefiabic Tyrant that 
 1 C 2 ever 
 
ao The^Vamty of the Creature. 
 
 ever was : And fo alfo of Herod the 
 Great^ Philo fays y that he Reign'd fixi 
 years as a good and ;ufi: Prince , pre- 
 fenting the Protafis of his Reign with 
 a large Fringe of Goodnefs about it j 
 (zsjoani^^ Amara^ias^ and O'Xjias did} but 
 as for the Catajirophe of it , that was 
 very lad and fearful. So on the other 
 fide , we find Manajfeh and Paul foak- 
 ing the forepart of their Lives in Blood, 
 being no better at firft then "Nero was 
 at the laft^even a piece of clay tempered 
 with blood 5 yet was their end like the 
 end of Da'vids good man , The end of 
 that man vs peace^PfA.^j. 37. 
 
 But to wave thefe, (^whereof much 
 might be faid , did it not quite lie out 
 of my road I am now in) and to in- 
 fifi; only upon the changeablenefs that 
 doth naturally adhere to the mind o^ 
 man. 
 
 Now tell me , if any thing in the 
 world may be faid to be more movea 
 ble than the mind of man. 
 
 It 
 
The Vanity of the Creature^ 2 1 
 
 It is a Spiritual fubftance , and fb is 
 'always moving, (though infenfibly} 
 from one thing unto another 5 never 
 refting, until at laft like Nojb*s dove it 
 be taken into the Heavenly Ark. S.Chry- 
 foflome therefore compares it to a Biro, 
 which flies in a moment of time over 
 Mountains and Hills , over Seas and 
 Rocks, without any hinderance : for 
 now it is upon the loweft Shrub, and 
 prefently upon the higheft branch of 
 the talleft Cedar j now upon heavenly, 
 and within the twinkling of an eye 
 upon earthly things; now zt Dan^ and 
 in a trice at BeerJJjeba ^ now at one 
 part of the earth, and then at another : 
 for fometimes it is foaring after Frinci^ 
 pa li ties and Powers ^and fpiritnal Wich^d- 
 7iejfes in high places , as the Apoftle 
 fpeaks ; then after Riches, and by and 
 by after pleafures ^ now rejoycing, and 
 then forrowing ^ now quieted, and im- 
 mediately troubled , and as foon paci- 
 fied again ^ now hoping, and ftraight- 
 way fearing thofe hopes *, now loving, 
 C 3 and 
 
-0, TheVamty of the Creature. j 
 
 ^ndthen hating what it loved before, 
 $ic omnia mii^ahilitati fuhjacent (fays St. 
 JHguJiine ) ' Thu5i do all things lie 
 down under mutability ! And itamaz'd 
 Saint Bernard much, to cpjifider how in 
 the fame moment of time his mind w^s 
 not only diverily, but likewife contra^r 
 rily affeded ,, and as it were pull'd^ 
 pieces betwixt Jove and hatred, joy and 
 forrow/ear and hope ; having as many^ 
 varieties of affeaions within him , as 
 theie were diverilties of things in the 
 woild for them to light upon. 
 
 So. that you fee how the feyer^ 
 Paffions of our Minds do in a breatl^j 
 and with the turning of a hand, ftce^ 
 divers ways, firfi looking one way^and 
 then another , according as they are 
 wheeled about with the motions of out- 
 ward Contingencies, 
 
 But in the laft place^we fhaJI add un-r 
 to the former , the great changes that 
 particular men are fubjedto in regard 
 of thefr outward Eftatcs and Fortunes^ 
 For the condition of Mortals (fays 4 
 
 H@a- 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. a 3 
 
 Heathen man)hath its turns and returns, 
 both of Profperity and Adverfity. 
 
 That as in a Mihtary skirmifli there 
 be fome come up to difcharge , while 
 others fall off: So is it in the World's 
 Militia. 
 
 One there is that is rais'd out of the 
 
 Dufi: to fit among Princes : whereas 
 
 there is another that is flung down from 
 
 the pinnacle of worldly joy and profpe- 
 
 rity^ and ftated , as Job was, upon the 
 
 Dunghil. And this doth the Preacher 
 
 ! tell us, among the reft of thofe chanj^es 
 
 that fell under his obfervation , That 
 
 j OKe comes out of Prifon to Keig7t , (jas 
 
 . Queen Elizabeth did out of the Tower 
 
 to the Throne) whereas alfo there is he 
 
 that is born in his Kingdom ^2iV\i\ becomes 
 
 very poor , (as our Heftry the Third 
 
 was , while he lived fometimes on the 
 
 Churehes Alms.) 
 
 God hath appointed us (faith one 
 
 well) ail our parts to play , and hath 
 
 I not in their diftribution been either 
 
 fpare-handed to the meaneft , nor yet 
 
 , partial to the greatefl. C 4 He 
 
24 ^^^ Vanity of the Great tire. 
 
 He gave Cairn Marines at firft the 
 part of a Carpenters Spn^but afterwards 
 the part of one that was fevcn times 
 Conlul. So alio Agathocles the part of a 
 Potters Son at the firfr^ but afterwards 
 of the King of Sicily. 
 
 So alfo on the other fide , Darius 
 play'd the part one while of the great- 
 eft Emperour, and another time of the 
 moft miferable Beggar , begging but a 
 little w^atcr to quench the drought of 
 Death. And Baja^et play'd the Grand 
 Signior in the morning^but in the even- 
 ing ftood for Tamerlains footftool. 
 
 And Jane Shore^ Bdward the Fourths 
 Minion , afts now as Miflrefs of a 
 ftately Palace, and a little after dies in 
 a Ditch for want of a Houfe , and (as 
 he faid of Icarus) fomay we of her, 
 That — Nomina fecit aquis^ihe gavcNarne i 
 to the place where fhe died , it being 
 calFd from her Shore-ditch to this day. 
 
 But I forbear, fince there is enough 
 recorded for our ufe in the Sacred Scri- 
 ptures to this purpofe; where we find 
 
T'he Vanity of the Creature. 25 
 
 an example of the one in Dawd^ who 
 fays, that GoA taohjjtm from foUon^ing 
 the Ewes with youngs and fethim upon 
 the Throne 5 there to feed (as he fays) 
 ^zcoh his people ^ and Ifrael his Inheri- 
 tance. And to go lower yet, not only 
 from the flieepfold, fo he fays^f/i/. 113. 
 J. and 8 verfes j God tah^s the poor otit 
 of the Dnji , and the needy out of the 
 Dunghill 5 that he may fet him among 
 Princes , e'z/en with the Princes of his 
 people. No A" more vile and contempti- 
 ble than the Daft we tread upon^which 
 the leaft breath of wind commands any 
 way ; or than theworft of duft, whicli 
 is that of the Dunghil, we cannot be; 
 yet thefe are they (fays the PfalmiftJ 
 whom he fets among Princes^ even with 
 the Princes of his people. 
 
 An example of the other w^e have 
 in Antiochm , 2 Mac. 9. 9. who was fo 
 hird with Pride through the ranknefs of 
 his Profperity, that he thought he might 
 command the Sea , (fo proud was he, 
 fays the Text, beyond the condition of 
 
 man) 
 
c? 6 The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 «ian) and further, that he could weigh 
 the Mountains in a ballance, and reach 
 up to the Stars of Heaven : yet by and 
 by is his Comb cut, all his Glory worm- 
 eaten, and none able to endure him for 
 the filthinefs of his fmell. 
 
 Adde to this the example of Babha?r 
 %ar y Dan. 5. 5. who was nowcarour 
 frog in the Confecrated Veffels that Ne- 
 buchadne'x.'Zyar his Grandfather had plunr 
 drcd the Temple of^ and Houfe of God 
 at Jerufalcmy as you may fee, a Kins^s 
 chap, laft- But in the fame hour (fays 
 the Text) came out the hand-writing V 
 of the wall againft himj and then was 
 the Kings countenance chang'd , bis 
 thoughts troubled , the joynts of his 
 ILoyns loofed , and his Kin-gdom giver^ 
 away to the Msdes and Ferfjans. 
 
 Thus are we for outward things like j 
 fb many Counters , which ftand one 
 while for a pound ^ and another for a 
 penny. 
 
 That as we fee commonly in High- 
 ways, where one man hath fet his foot, 
 
 ano- 
 
T'he Vanity of the Creature. 27 
 
 another prefently follows him and treads 
 it out again ^ fo is it ufually ^ That if 
 one man beat out an Honour or Eftate 
 to himfelf , another comes after awl 
 treads out that imprefllon ; and whofc 
 it fliall be next^there is no man kno\vs«? 
 I^Jay, Lucan^ Ipfa ^ices natnra fnhit — n 
 Even the whole courfe of Nature mi^ 
 about in a circular motion. Our Bo- 
 dies, Minds 5 and outward fehckies^ 
 whatfoever we are , or whatfoever we 
 have, ar . all fubjeft to change in fuch 
 vvi^e,, that we can have no aflurance of 
 ^hem 5 no not for a day. We know 
 ilOit what a day may bring forth. 
 
 And fo mu^h for the, demonftration 
 of this truth, "vi^. That there is fueh a 
 Viciffitude* 
 
 The next thing is the Efficient Cau- 
 fes of it. For wc never know any 
 thing throughly, (fays the Philofopher) 
 until we know the Caufes of it. 
 
 Now in fpeaking to this, I fliall pro^ 
 ct^dj I. Negatively, 2. Affirmatively* 
 
 I. Nega- 
 
2 8 The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 I . Negatively,!!! {hewing what have 
 been thought to be the caufes of all 
 Changes and Alterations, yet are not fo 
 indeed. And here the Epicures and 
 vulgar Heathen have thought Fortune 
 to be the caufe of them : And they 
 define it thus to be, An E'vent of things 
 without Keafon, 
 
 But how unreafonable it is to fay, 
 That an Event of Things without a 
 Caufe , fliould be the Caufe of all E- 
 ven ts, judge ye. 
 
 For it was only the ignorance of the 
 true Caufes , that made the name of 
 Fortune \ there being nothing fortui- 
 tous in it (elf , but only to us and our 
 ignorance*, ilnce the power and provi- 
 dence of God hath the ordering and 
 difpofing of all things here below. And 
 this did the wifer fort among them con- 
 fefs, as the Saty rift tells us. 
 
 'Nullum numen aheft ftftt prudentia/edte 
 Nos facimm Fortuna Deam—— 
 
 Others 
 
 I 
 
'The Vanity of the Creature. Qp 
 
 Others again , as the Stoichf , make 
 Fate or Defiwy the caufe of all Altera* 
 tions, which they fay is an Event that 
 neceffarily falls out, from a certain ine- 
 vitable order and connexion of Natu- 
 ral Caufes , working without the will 
 of God , as the Supreme Orderer and 
 Difpofcr of them , he being fubje^ted 
 to them, and not they to him : where- 
 by they take away the very Nature of 
 the Godhead , which is to be a moft 
 powerful and free Agent , that works 
 what 5 and by what means it pleafes i 
 all fecondary caufes depending upon 
 that, and that upon none. 
 
 But enough of thefe : For I mufl: 
 remember myfelf^that I amnowfpeak- 
 ing to Chrijitans , who acknowledge 
 the Dfvine Providence in all things ; 
 and therefore (hall fpeak no more of 
 thefe Negative and fuppofed Caufes, 
 but fliall now give you the true Effici- 
 cent Caufes of them, by way of Affir- 
 mation. 
 
 And 
 
<t 
 
 g o The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 And here know, that Logicians tell 1^ 
 us of two Efficient Caufes^ Principal, %^ 
 and lefs Principal : And this is twofold, 
 Impulfive, and Inftrumcntal. 
 
 Firft then, the Principal Caufe of all 
 Changes and Alterations is God i for 
 fo faid the Heathen man, 
 
 ... "Valet tmd fummit 
 
 Mntare^ ^ infignem attenuat Deus^ 
 Obfcnra promens--^ — --- 
 
 But why borro\V 1 weapons from tht 
 Fhilijiins forge , when zs there is e-^ 
 Hough for this, that may be drawn out 
 of Gods Armory of the Scriptures ? as 
 PfaL 75- ^, 7* Promotion^ fays the Pro- 
 phet , comes neither from the Eaji , nor 
 from the Weft^ nor from the South j but 
 God i^ the fudge ^ he puts down one^ atid < 
 feis up another. So alfo Job 54. 2 p. 
 When he gizfes Quiet nefs , mho can make 
 Trouble ? and when he hides his face^ 
 who can behold him ; whethet^ it be done 
 ({ays Eiihu) againjl a 'Nation^ or againji 
 
 a 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. 3 1 
 
 a f articular man only ? Kg^m^Amos 5. 8* 
 lie wal^s the Se^ven Stars and Orion, 
 and turns the fljadorp of Death into the 
 morning : The Lord is his Name. 
 
 The Oi atour exprefleth this well, by 
 comparing Gods Omnipotency ta the 
 power of the Soul over the Members 
 of the Body, which upon the leaft in* 
 timation of the Mind do turn and move 
 about with all facility. Now God 
 (fays he) is the fole Mind of the Uni- 
 verfe , and hath all parts and parcels 
 thereof at his beck and pleafure y to 
 be turn'd into any fhape or form at his 
 difpofah 
 
 Nay , it is no difhonour for God to 
 cafl: the eye of his Providence upon 
 the alteration even of the meaneft 
 things : for rvho is lik^ , fays the Pfal- 
 mift, to the Lord our God^ who hath his 
 dtpelling on highy and yet humbles himfelf 
 to behold the things in Heazfen and Earth ? 
 Not only to behold the things in Hea- 
 ven, which is a great condefcention to 
 him y whom the Heaven and the Heaven 
 
5 2 the Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 of Heavthi cannot contain , but alfo the 
 things in Earth. Now how unworthy 
 thefe are of hi^ taking notice of , you. 
 may fee by thofe diminutive expredi- 
 ons of rhem^compared with Gods grcar- 
 nefs , Ifa. 40. 15. where the Prophet 
 fays. Behold^ the Nations are but a^ the 
 drop of a Bucket ^ and are counted as the 
 [mall diiji of the BaUance ^ Behold , he 
 takes up the Ifles as a ^ery little thing* 
 And if this be not low enough for 
 them 5 he fays further, ^. 1 7. That all 
 "Nations before him are as nothing , and 
 are counted to him as lefs than nothings 
 Now look what a wide difference there 
 is betwixt the Sea and a Bucket of wa- 
 ter, yea the drop of a Bucket ; or be- 
 twixt a heap of duft , and the fmall 
 duft of the ballance ; betwixt very 
 great and very little ; betwixt all things 
 and nothing at all, yea lefs then no^ 
 thing, (if lefs could be :) fo vaft is the 
 difproportion betwixt God and all Na- 
 tions, which are the greateft among all 
 earthly things. And yet for all this, is 
 
 God 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. n^ 
 
 iGod pleafed fo far to extenuate his 
 own greatnefs , and to take off from 
 it, as lo look after them, and run 
 them about in their feveral flages from 
 one point unto another. 
 
 And if you would have this truth to 
 be made out further unto you, our Sa- 
 viour doth it, }rUt. 1 0. 2 ^. by two feve- 
 hil inftances. 
 
 The one is of two Sparrows, which 
 are little birds and of fmall value ^' 
 but the Grech^yct runs it more diminu- 
 tively, '^.^-'^ s^«^'* two little fparrciws 5' and 
 fo they muft needs be , for they were 
 fold both even for a farthing , and this 
 \s price little enough. Yet thb Arabich^ 
 makes it Icfs , and hath for it Phdls , 
 which is the leaft piece of morTey that 
 can be ^ and accordingly exprelfes the 
 two Mites fpoken of, Marh^ii. ^2. 
 (which makes but one Farthing) by 
 Phalfain in the dual number , as a late 
 and learned Expofitor notes, 
 j The other is of the Hairs upon our 
 Headsp* bc^^ ^ J^^pd of fexcre&jent be- 
 longing; 
 
54 ^^^ Vanity. of the Creature. 
 
 longing to our Bodies^ and no integral 
 or ncceflitoiis part of them, (as the 
 Hcait, Hands, and Feet are ,) and yet 
 he tells us , that God numbers thefe, 
 and takes fuch a particular account of 
 them, that not one of them falls to the 
 ground without his difpofal. 
 
 In the vifion of the Wheels we read 
 of a w heel within a wheel. Now the 
 wheel within is the wheel of Gods Pro- 
 vidence, that turns about the wheels of 
 all outw^ard things^ be they never fo 
 low and mean. For as God doth not 
 labour in doing the greateft things , fo 
 neither doth he difdain , either to do 
 or undo the leafl: ; but as he made the 
 fmall and great J (fays the book of JVif" 
 dom)(o alfo doth he care for both alih^. 
 The Potter having power over his Clay, 
 either to make of it a veffel of honour 
 or diihonour, and being made , either 
 to preferve it in that form and being he 
 hath bellowed upon it , or elfe to de- 
 form and deftroy k , fince it is equita- 
 ble that every one fhould do with his 
 
 own 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. 5 5 
 
 own as he pleafes. Nay, as he fays of 
 the gnat, that Nufquam potentior natnra 
 quam in minimis , So may we fay, that 
 God doth no ways advance his Power 
 and Wifdoni more , than in ordering 
 of the lead: accidents to be difpofed of 
 to his Glory, and the good of his Chil-. 
 dren. And fo much for the Princ/pat 
 Efficient caufe. 
 
 The lefs Principal follows ; which 
 ^as I faid} is either Impulfizfe or InjirH-- 
 }nentaL 
 
 Now the Impuljiz/e caufe of all Chan- 
 ges and Alterations is the fin of man. 
 This uflier'd them in at the firfl: , and 
 fo it doth ftill. For before Adam fin- 
 ned, he enjoyed a Paradife of conftanc 
 and uninterrupted happinefs : but fo 
 foon as he fins againft God , then fol- 
 lows a great change prefently : For the 
 Earth all fruitful before, now becomes 
 barren, himfelf fubjcft to labour , his 
 Wife to Travail and Sorrow, and both 
 to cares and troubles, toweaknefs and 
 diflblutibn. And fo it is alfo withNa- 
 D 2 tion^ 
 
^6 'Yhe Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 tions and Kingdoms. If they be changed 
 at any time, fin is the caufe of it j and 
 the greater their fin is, the greater ufu- 
 fually is their change. Great finnings 
 are the floud-gates to let in great Alte- 
 rations upon them. For it is not a 
 bare finning in a Nation, (from which 
 there is none that could ever plead ex- 
 emption) but a finning in fome high 
 mcafure, that is an in-let to Changes 
 in the highefi: kind. Which made Da^ 
 *z//W fay 5 Ffdl. 107. 34. That afr^tit^ 
 fnl land h tnrnd into barrennefs for the 
 Tvich^dnefs of thofe ihat dvpeU therein ^\ 
 which the vulgar Latine reads, Propter 
 malitiam^ i. e. for the malkiom mck^d-' 
 ^^y} of thofe that dwell therein , which 
 notes a fin of a high nature^ w-^. fuch a I 
 one as is perfifted in both againft Know- 
 ledge and Confcience, And therefore 
 it is a ^od obfervation which Mnfcti- 
 Im hath upon the words : Tthefe firange 
 Alterations , fays he , of Nations and 
 Kingdoms^ are not for the fwm7:g ofthem^ 
 (from Tfhich no "Nation can he free) but 
 
 for 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. 5 7 
 
 for their malicicH^s finning. And this 
 you may {cq farther in JertifalentyE'x.el^ 
 21. where we read ot a very great 
 Judgment that fhould befal her from 
 the Babylonian^ 'ui'z,. Utter Deftruftion, 
 expreiled by the threefold Overturn 
 wherewith God threatens her, ^. 27. 
 And ^. 24 he laies down the Impul^ 
 five caufe that mov'd him to it ; and 
 this is an impudent and fliamelefs lin- 
 jiing againO: God : for they did not 
 commit their Im in a corner , as thofe 
 that were adiam'd of it , but (brazen- 
 faced Wretches as th.ey were) theyde^ 
 clar'd their Cm a.^ Sodom ^ and difcover*d 
 it openly in the fice of the Sun : and 
 this they did too , not only in one or 
 two particular afts, but generally, fay:^ 
 the Text, in all their doings. 
 
 Now there is fome hope of a modefl' 
 and baOiful^but none at all of a Hiamc- 
 lefs and obdurate finner. Thus the 
 father, when his Son bath done ami fs^ 
 yet is he well perfwaded of his amend- 
 mentj if he but fee him blufli upon Kis 
 
58 T^be Vanity of the Cre attire. 
 
 reproving of him. But when like Jit- 
 dah^ he hath once a Whores forehead, 
 and refiifes to be adiamed , then doth 
 he give him over as a loft Child , and 
 not to be recover'd. 
 
 So that from hence we fee, that in 
 what place foever we find fuch a Turn, 
 fuch an Everfion as this , where all is 
 turn'd upfide down) there hath been 
 without queflion fome great A'verfio a 
 Creatore ad Creatitram , fome great fin- 
 iiing againft God (as the Schoolmen 
 call it.) Which was the reafon that 
 when the Englijh were (now upon their 
 quitting of France^ in Hsmy the Sixth s 
 days) demanded of the French by way 
 ot dcrifion /When they w^ould make 
 their return thither ; it w^as feelingly 
 anfwered by one of our Nation thus, 
 IP hen your fens are greater than ours. 
 
 It is fin then that mines particular 
 perfons . that fubverts Families , that 
 periods Kingdoms , that wheels about 
 GovernmentSjthat overturns States^that 
 disjoynts Common- wTals, a;id fays un- 
 to 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. op 
 
 to them as to the proud waves^ Thu^s far 
 yef^allgo^ and ?70 farther. 
 
 And fo I have done with the Impul- 
 {\vc Caufe , and come next to the Fn- 
 ftrumental caufes or means which God 
 ufes in effecting his Changes here , and 
 they are tw^o. 
 
 The fi^ft is the Motion and Influen- 
 ces of the Celeftial Bodies. 
 
 And this will the better appcar,if we 
 confider their forcible workings upon 
 the Mind of man. For thouo;h thcv 
 cannot work immediately upon it, be- 
 caufe it is immaterial ; yet may they, 
 and do work mediately upon it , as 
 by the Body,which is the Inftrumcnt of 
 the Soul to work by , and the Cafe 
 w^herein it is put up here for a time ^ 
 and fo make it either wxll or ill affc6}- 
 ed.according to the Bodies prefcnt tem- 
 per. By which means it comes ro pafs 
 many times, that not only the difpofi- 
 tions of particular men , but ailo of 
 whole multitudes collected together in 
 ^ Politick Body , are much alter'd and 
 P 4 chang;4 
 
Ao The Vanity of the Creature. i 
 
 chang'd , either to labour or Sloth ^^ 
 to Peace or Difquiet , to good or evil 
 ^dings , according as they are inclined 
 by the Motions of the Heavenly Bo-» 
 dies. 
 
 ^ And that thefe Celeftial Bodies have 
 their energy upon all Sub'unary things , 
 IS plain, 
 
 Firft, by Scripture ^ as Job 38. 33. 
 where the Lord fpeaks thus to Job^ 
 Kfjow'jl thou the Ordhiajices of Heaven ?, 
 and can ft thou fet the dominion thereof in 
 the Earth ? which implies, 
 
 r. That the Heavens have powej;* 
 and dominion in the Earth,. 
 
 -2. That this power of theirs is fet 
 them from Gods ordinance and appoint-^ 
 menr. ' 
 
 Secondly , by the conftant Obferva- 
 tion and Experience of all Ages. Bo^ 
 din^s the French Lawyer fpeaks well 
 to this point , Many erre (fays he^ greats 
 h\ n'ho thinh^the influence of the Celejii^ 
 al Spheres to be nothing , wh^nas their 
 firengih hath ez^er been moji effeBual^as iiz 
 
 ;. .' " Sacred' 
 
the Vanity of the Creature. 41 
 
 ^ acred Writ is to be fee?? : and he cites 
 the 38. chap, of Job before-mentioned 
 \o prove the fame. Adding further, 
 That many ancient Writers haz^e noted 
 the great Changes in Cities and Kingdoms 
 upon the conptnSiion of the Superiortr Pla- 
 nets 5 but to them only where they ha've 
 been deputed of God to that end and pur-^ 
 pofe. And that they have been inftru- 
 mental towards the workins; of fuch 
 effe(3-s 5 he fhews by an indu^lion of 
 fome particular inftances : As, that be- 
 fore the tranflation of the Roman So- 
 veraignty unto C^far^ there was a great 
 Conjunction of the Superiour Planets 
 met together in Scorpio : which fell out 
 again feven hundred years after, w^hen 
 the Arabian Legions received the Law 
 of Mahomet^ rebelled againfl: theGrct'^ 
 jEmperours , and fubdued the Eaftcrn 
 Afia frqm the Chrijlians. 
 
 The fame alfo came about agai^, 
 Anno Chrifti 14(^4. after which Lada- 
 ptachus^ King of the Tartars ^ was by 
 ^is Subjeds thruft out q( the Chair of 
 
 ' 9 
 
 ovc.« 
 
^2 T^he Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 Sovcraignty ; and Frederick^ the Third 
 driven out of Hjwgary by Matthias Cor-- 
 ^imis^ who from a Prifoner ftept up to 
 the Royal Tlirone, e^c. 
 
 And Aljiedim tells us, that the Con^ 
 junftion of Saturn and Jupiter in Fe- 
 brtiary^ 164^. did foretell and portend 
 the revolution of fome new Empire 
 and Government to fall out after it in 
 Europe. The cffcd: whereof in part 
 (it's like) we have feen in this Nation 
 already, and may live (if God fo dif- 
 pofe of us) to fee further of it yet in 
 time to come. 
 
 But to pafs this, and to come to that 
 daily and ufual courfe of Gods proceed- 
 ings with us in the world. Here me-, 
 thinks there fliould be few, (though of 
 ordinary capacities among us) but (if 
 we be a little obferving) may fee this 
 truth made good by the eye of our own 
 experience , which tells us , that the 
 Earth is either Fruitful or Barren , and 
 the Air either Wholfome or Infe^lious, 
 futably to that meafure and manner of 
 influence they receive from themi. And 
 
T^be Vanity of the Creature. 45 
 
 And therefore when God will at any 
 time bring about fome great change in 
 the world 5 it is then eafie to fee how 
 ufiially he fits his inferiour means , ac- 
 cording to their fevera! natures, for the 
 orderly tranfafting of it in thofe Nati- 
 ons wherein he hath fet them. As, when 
 he will turn a fruitful Land into bar- 
 rennels, and again, a barren Land into 
 fruitfulnefs5(which he promised his own 
 people, Uof 1. i\.) there he tells them 
 in what order he will work it : J mil 
 hear (fays he) the Ueazfejis , and they 
 Jhall hear the Earth , and they ^jall hear 
 Jezreel. For this is a fure rule , That 
 the Supreme Caufe of all doth not 
 take away the natures and workings of 
 Secondary Caufes , but rather efrablidi 
 them : w^hich is the reafon of that 
 Speech of God to Job^ in the ordinary 
 revolution of the times and fcafons of 
 the year, Job 58. 3 i. Canft thou h///4 
 the fweet hijluences of the Pleindcs, aud 
 loofe the bonds of Orion ? 
 
 Now 
 
44 ^f-^^ Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 Now the Pleiades are thofe we com- 
 monly call the Seven Stars , that have 
 their influence on the earth , by produ^ i 
 cing {wc€t (howres to the opening and 
 refrelliing of it, about the Spring of the 
 year ; and Orion is a Conftellation mofl: 
 confpicuous in the Winter-feafon , as 
 having a commiflionary power to bind 
 up the earth with Frofls. Again, canji 
 thoH bring forth Mazzaroth in hi^ feafon^ 
 (^i.e. the twelve Signes fucceffively after 
 one another) or guide Ar^-urus with his 
 Sons ? (i, e. the Polar Star , as fome 
 will have it , with thofe ignes nmiores; 
 that wait upon him ; or Bootes , as o- 
 thers.) It is not then fo much the 
 Earth.as the Heavens that S[ive us either 
 fruit, or withhold it ; they being the 
 firft ordinary means, whereby God ufes 
 to work out alterations ii^ fublunary 
 things. 
 
 The fecond Inftrumental caufe of 
 thefe ftrange Viciflltudes here below, is 
 the Will of Man : for though it havq 
 noj a liberty to Spiritual, yet all grant 
 
TChe Vamty of the Creature. 4^ 
 
 It a liberty to external afts, and moral 
 goodnefs. And this Liberty , of Mans^ 
 Will, doth God ufe as an under-wheel 
 to turn about moft of thofe Alterations 
 that are in the world. 
 
 It is true , that Health and Sicknefs, 
 Peace and War , Plenty and Scarcity^ 
 Riches and Poverty, proceed from God 
 as the principal Efficient caufe ; but yet 
 for all this we deny not but that God 
 makes ufe both of our felves and others, 
 as to the means of bringing them about. 
 The life of Jofeph was checquer*d with 
 variety of accidents : for he is now a 
 Slave to the Ifif^acIHes^ and by and by 
 a Prince in JEgyp. Now thefe al-^ 
 though they proceeded from God as the 
 Author 5 yet was the will of his Bre- 
 thren 5 as the will of Reuben and Ju- 
 dah^ the inftruments of preferving his 
 life, and the wills of his other Brethren 
 the means of felling him into ^gyft. 
 
 Now becaufe it is the Nature of In- 
 ftruments to be fubfervient to the prin- 
 cipal Agent, and to be determin'd by 
 
 it; 
 
4^ Tfje Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 it *5 therefore give me leave here by the 
 way to faften this exhortation uport 
 you 5 That in all Changes whatfoevcr 
 you w^ill look beyond the Inftruments 
 of them.unto God the Principal Agent. 
 For fo did Job in his lofTes^ beyond the 
 plundring Chaldeans and Sahcans^ unto 
 Dominm abjinlitj The Lord hath gi^ven^ 
 and the Lord hath tah^n away , looking 
 upon them as v^e ufe to do upon an 
 IndeXj tantum in ordine ad Lihriim^ only 
 in order to the Book it felf, £f in tran- 
 fitu ad Deum^ in his paiiage unto God, 
 who fets them awork , as to their natu- 
 ral powers and faculties , though to the 
 evil of them no otherwife, than by or- 
 dering and over-ruling it to the good 
 of his Children. And hence it is, that 
 the wicked are called Gods Sword, as in 
 the 1 7 Pfalm^ ^. i ^. Deli<ver my Soul 
 (fays Dazfid) from the wich^d tphich is 
 thy Sword. And fo muft: we in all thofe 
 Loffes that befal us here , have in our 
 eye not fo much the Sword^as the Hand 
 that holds it : which will be one means, 
 
 and' 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. 47 
 
 and a good one too, to bring us to Da- 
 ^ids calm temper in the 3^ ffal 19. 
 who fays in the like condition. That he 
 was dumb , and did not open his mouthy 
 nor let fall an impatient word in it^be- 
 caufe it was Gods doing : And there- 
 fore when Abijhai would have taken 
 away Shimeis life for curfing of Da^uid^ 
 N05 (fays he) Let him alone^ J^fffi^ ^^i^^ 
 Vominus^ for the Lord hath bidden him 
 atrfe , who then JImU fay ^ Wherefore hajl 
 thou done fo ? q. d. Who then dare ex- 
 poftulate with God , or call him to ac- 
 count about it^as if he were unrighteous 
 in it i fince evil men are but Swords 
 in Gods hand, who, when he hath once 
 done his work by them, will either put 
 them up again into his Scabbard , and 
 lay them by , or elfe fo blunt the edge 
 of their power, that it fliall not cut, or 
 elfe break them apieces, and throw 
 them quite away ? And fo much for the 
 Efficient Caufes of Viciffitui^cs. 
 
 Next 
 
^8 The Vanity of the Creatn^rL 
 
 Next I fhall fpcak to the Ends , dr 
 Final Caufcs of them. 
 
 And thefe are either Ex parte Dei^dr 
 Nojiri ; in rcfpccl of God , or our 
 felves. 
 
 Firft, in refpe£l of God ; and fo the 
 Principal End why God rings fuch 
 Changes upon all earthly things , and 
 will have themdirpdfcd of after fo va- 
 rious a manner ^ is to make them by it 
 the more tunable to his own Glory^ 
 which by this means is exceedingly 
 magnifyed and advanced : but efpeci- 
 ally in the Attributes of his Power, 
 Truth, Wifdom^ and Goodnef^. 
 
 I. In his Power and Omnipotency : 
 that fo he may let the world know^ 
 that the Finger of his Power is in all 
 Tranfadions ; and that he can do what-^ 
 fbever he will^both in Heaven and Earthy 
 and yet changes not. , . 
 
 For why elfe did God work fo ma- 
 ny miraculous Changes in ^gyft by the 
 hand of Mofes P 
 
 "Why 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. ^^ 
 
 Why turned he Mofes Rod into a 
 perpent, and the Mgypian waters into 
 -Blood? 
 
 ' Why their Diift into Lice and Fh'es, 
 and their Light into Darknefs for the 
 fpace of three days together ? 
 
 Why elfe Created he a new genera- 
 tion of Frogs and Locufts among them ? 
 Why unheard-of Difeafcs upon them- 
 ielves, and upon their Cattcl ? 
 
 Why deftroyed he their Herhs and 
 Fruit-trees with Hail , and their firft- 
 born with untimely dc:irh? 
 
 In a word, Why caufed lie the Red- 
 
 fea to go out of its natural courfe ana 
 
 chanel , whereby it became a wmII to 
 
 the Ijraelites , ^nd a grave to the y£-» 
 
 gyptians P 
 
 Did not God all this to make known 
 the glory of his power, in the prefer-. 
 Nation of the one and deftrUi3:ion of 
 the other? Yes ; For this caufe ( fays 
 God to Mofes) Iha^e raifed thee up^to 
 fhetP in thee my power ^and that my Name 
 fiidy he declared in dll^ the earths 
 
^ The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 2. He advances alfo his Glory this 
 Avay, by manifefting his Truth and 
 Faithfulnefs : in that thofe things which 
 are accidental in regard of us, andfcem 
 as impoflible , yet are they exa61:ly 
 brought to pafs in their due times arid 
 feafons. As in the bringing of the If- 
 raelites out of Mgypt , wherein God 
 was full as good as his word, and kept 
 touch with them to a day in their De-* 
 liverance^ as you may fee^ 'Exod. i 2.41. 
 where we read, Ithat it came to pafs in 
 the end of four hundred and thirty years ^ 
 even the felffame day it came to pafsy 
 that all the hofls of the Lord went out of 
 the land of T^gypr. All Pharaoh's op- 
 pofitions and tergiverfations could not 
 prorogue their Bondage fo much as one 
 day beyond the time prefixed of God, 
 but ferv'd only to fill up that hiterimy^ 
 or void fpace of time betwixt Gods 
 Promife m.ade to Abraham and his per-^i 
 formance of it. 
 
 And if you ask by what intervals of 
 time the truth of this promife came a- 
 
 bout 
 
The Famty of the Creaturr, ^1 
 
 fcout Co punftually , Divines will tell 
 you, That from Abraham" s receiving of 
 i:he promifc , unto the birth of Jfaac^ 
 were five and twenty years ; fixty from 
 thence to Jarohp birth ; and to his 
 death (^which fell out prefently upon 
 their entrance \v\to /E^)pr) z hundred 
 and thirty years. After which unto 
 the death of Lew , who was UltimM' 
 Patriarcharitm. the la ft of the Patriarchs 
 that furvived , and in which fpace the 
 Ifraelitcs were lundly entreated for Jo^ 
 feph's fake ^ were ninety four years ; 
 and a hundred and one and twenty 
 more of cruel Bondage , until Mofes 
 came to deliver them from it In the 
 Reign of Pharaoh Cencrcf. 
 
 All which particulars being gathered 
 iip together, do make up the compleat 
 fum of four hundred and thirty years, 
 and may ferve to juftifie God in all his 
 fayings , and to clear his Truth in the 
 leafl: circumftance and punftilio of time, 
 "When it {hall come to be judged; * 
 
 E 2 For 
 
t' 2 The Vanity of the Crentnire. 
 
 For when once Gods appointed timfe 
 is come to introduce a change , either 
 for better or worfe, among any people^ 
 then fliall every breath of wind , how 
 crofs foever it feems to blow at the pre* 
 fent , yet be fo far from hindring Goda 
 work in it , as that one way or other 
 you fhall find it in the fequel , to eon- 
 tribute its help and affiftance to ic. 
 
 5. God advances alfo his Glory thi^ 
 way y in the manifefiation of his VVif- 
 dom and Goodnefs , in that he makes a 
 fweet harmony of fo many different 
 cords and changes , and frames a moft 
 admirable Order oat of a feeming Dis- 
 order and Confufion. 
 
 Many and divers are the qualities of 
 Herbs ^ yet if a skilful Simpler hath the 
 mixing of them , he knows how to 
 make of them a well-reJifli'd and whol- 
 fome Sallade : So, many were the in- 
 terchangeable paffages that happen d to 
 Jofeph y and had we the fame, it may 
 be wefhould think them very confufed 
 ones ; but yet let the Wifdom and 
 
 Good-* 
 
The Va??ity of the Creature, ^ 2 
 
 Goodncfs of God but lay them toge- 
 ther , and wc ihall prelentJy find, as 
 Jofcph did , the clofc of them all in a 
 fweet Diapafofu 
 
 For though all things , as to us ^ 
 are floating up and down , to and 
 again,by chance as it were and accident ; 
 
 fays Gregory NaT^ia/i^^c/j ^ yet if we look 
 to the order and appointment of Gods 
 Providence, (which doth always moft 
 wifely contrive all events for the good 
 qf his Children) they are fixt and fta- 
 ble^ howbeit they may feem to go con- 
 trary at the prefcnt. 
 
 And of Gods dealing in this kind we 
 have Job an eminent example ; who 
 is to day the greatefl: man tor Wealth 
 and Honour in all the? E^fr, (and a Ta- 
 blet of this his Greatncfs you may fee 
 in his 29 Chapter, which I defire you 
 to read over at your kifure) wherein 
 you fhall find a whole /crie-r oi worldly 
 profperity to w^ait upon him ;) yet to 
 mprrow he is poo,r, even to a by-word 
 E 3 ar.^ 
 
1^4 ^^^ Vamiy^of the Creature. 
 ^nd proverb^y^J- poor as Job : infomuch 
 as he fpends all the next Chapter in 
 bemoaning his luddaiRcJiange , begin- 
 ning it with a But , Vv'hich though a 
 fniall Monofyilable , yet as the Hehn 
 of a Ship turns about the Veffel any 
 \vay , fo doth this But turn about Job^ 
 and all his former Honour and Profpe- 
 rity 5 into the extremefi: contempt and 
 adverllry. But votp^ fays he, they that 
 are yoH?7ger tha?i I haz'e me in derifion^ 
 whofe fathers I rrould harue dijclairied ta 
 haz^e fet with the dogs of wy Floch^\ 
 and eliding it with this doleful accent, 
 vei fe laft , zjcrfa eji cithara inea in In- 
 Bum , G>^ orgamtm in zjocem fientimn \ 
 Isiy harp is tnried into mourning , and 
 ny organ into the <voice of thofe that 
 rpcep. 
 
 Yet all is well (we fay) that ends 
 wt 11 5 and fo it was w^ith Job , which/ 
 makes Saint James fay, by way of fup- ^ 
 port unto Gods people in their afflifti-' 
 orSjTV hazjc heard of the patience of ^ohy\ 
 and hazjefeenth^ end of the Lard 5 /. ^. ' 
 
 - ' ' wha? 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. ^ ^ 
 
 what |n[ood end God gave him in it 5 
 for the next day God brings a grpat 
 deal of Light out of this Darknefs^by 
 a wife and gracious difpoiing of all 
 that evil to him for the beft, in giving 
 him twice as much as he had at the firft, 
 and blefiing his later end more than his 
 beG;inning , 
 
 So that although for a time all thofe 
 fad Changes that befell Job , feem'd 
 even to crofs the ordinary courfe of 
 Gods care and Providence to him \ yet 
 in theconclufion you fee how his Wif- 
 dom and Goodncfs cut them all out, 
 and made them fervc to his greater 
 Honour and Abundance. 
 
 And fo much for the Ends or Final 
 Caulcs in rcfpc^l of God. 
 
 They follow now in refpe^l: of our 
 felves. 
 
 And thefe are two : firft to confirm 
 our Faith; fecondly to reform our 
 Lives, and to work out by them good 
 ^fa his fervants. 
 
tf^ The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 Firfl, to confirm our Faith. 
 
 And fo God brings niany tjmcs gi j^at 
 Changes into the worlds to try, if amidft 
 thofe fliakings of qutward things a-- 
 niong us , we will be fnaken in our 
 Faith , or not. That as the Apoftle 
 fpeaks ot Hcrcfies, \ Cor. w.i (p. Opor^ 
 tet effe H^refes , There vmjl be ^erefies 
 amOAJg y,07i^ that they nhich are approz^ed 
 VI ay be made mampji ^ fo fay 1, Oportet 
 effe mntationes^\\Qvc mud: be Changes: 
 and thefe pot fo ipuch in refpe^ of the 
 things thcmfclves , which are ip their 
 own xiaturcs liable to alteration and 
 diflblutioo 5 as in refpe^i: of Gods end 
 in it, that they which are approvc^l 
 and fincer^ in the Faith , niay be ma- 
 nifcfted to be fo , by their conftanqy 
 and perfcverance in it. That as there 
 is a neceffity of Fire to try Gold^whe- 
 ther it be true or elfe counterfeit ; fp al- 
 fo is there a neceffity of Changes s for 
 by thefe it will appear, whether we wiJI 
 meafure oiitReligion by outward things, 
 and in the lofs ox enjpypicnt of them. 
 
 V. 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. 57 
 
 be loft in Qur Prqteftant Faith , yea or 
 110. 
 
 There is nothing , Beloved, more 
 difcQvers the Hypocrite than his hgem- 
 um ^erfatile , (as Li^y laid of Cato^ 
 than his turning humour in Religion : 
 for which I do not fay he Hiall be pla- 
 gued in Hell 5 by being wheeFd about 
 there continually without any relaxati- 
 on, (though th^t may fcem a puniih- 
 ment fomewhat fuitable to his Wea- 
 thercQck-difpofition here upon earth ,) 
 no, Hocmmis Ethmatm^T\\\si is too hea- 
 thenidi : but rather with the Prophet 
 iDa'vid^ Th^t he p^all tuni into Hell with 
 all thofe that forget God ^ which is that 
 jportiqn of Hypocrites mentioned hy 
 our Sayiour, Matth. 24. lafr. 
 
 For if an Apple be rotten at the 
 coare , \t will not hold long upon the 
 Tree, but ^Jpon the leaft Wind will f^ll 
 from it. And fo it is with the rottep- 
 liearted Hypocrite i if a little crofs 
 wind do but blow upon h.infi , oh hpw 
 foftn doth he fall off from the Tree pf 
 
I5B The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 Life , and become a wind-fall in his 
 Religion , for the Devil that old Ser- 
 pent to prey upon ! 
 
 Every Cock-boat (you know) will 
 •bear up well enough in a calm fea : but 
 that is a ftouc Veilel that can live in the 
 moft troubled w^ater. And too too 
 many there were in the Primitive times, 
 that like Dr. Pendleton in Queen Maries 
 days, boafted much of their Conftancy 
 in the Orthodox Faith during Conjian- 
 tines days, fo long as God hedg'd aboiit 
 his Vineyard with Peace and Profperity; 
 but fo foon as that Hedge was broken 
 down , and erroneous , yea Heretical 
 Doftrines were let in like fo many 
 Beafts of prey to devour , then how 
 quickly did thefe prove Turncoats, and 
 Apoftates from the Faith ! 
 
 But as for the true Chriftian , he is 
 
 like a Rock, Mediis immotm in uH- 
 
 dps ; That although the waves are al- 
 ways fwelling againft him, yet is he the 
 fame man ftill in his Reformed Religion, 
 and wavers not : or elfe like that Houfe 
 
 builj; 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. ^9 
 
 built upon the Roi^k, againft which the 
 Floods came, and the Winds blew, but 
 it fell not, becaufe it was built upon a 
 Rock. 
 
 And fuch a well-built houfe was St. 
 Bafil^ who being threatned with death 
 by Valens^ if he would not advife fur- 
 ther and turn Arrian , anfwer'd with 
 this brave refolution, / need not any fur" 
 ther ad'vice than I ha^ve taL^7t already a- 
 pout this matter ^ for to morrorv I pj all be 
 the fame man that I am to day therein y 
 and no other. 
 
 And here know that fome things are 
 pf Neceflity , wherein we cannot but 
 change, as in natural, civil, and moral 
 things ; and to change in thefe is only 
 humane. 
 
 Others again are of Duty : and 
 thefe either prohibited,or enjoyn'd. 
 
 I. Prohibited, as in evil and errone- 
 ous things : and to change here is pious 
 and divine ; and not to change, either 
 Wcaknefs or Obftinacy* 
 '' ^ • a. En- 
 
6q The Vanity of ffje Creature. 
 
 2. Enjoyn'd, as in facred and religi^ 
 ous : and to change here . is impious 
 and Diabolical ; and not to change , 
 true Chriftian Fortitude and Conftan-r 
 cy. 
 
 Whatfoever things we fee then 
 wheeling about in the world , as Go- 
 vernments. Families and the like ^ nay, 
 howfoever we may change our felves or 
 be chang'd in fome things of an indiflV 
 rent nature, by thofe that have dominie 
 on over our Bodies and Eftates , yet is 
 there no man that hath dominion over 
 our Faith : But this is Gods peculiar, and 
 therefore in this we muft not change. 
 
 It is nqt with faving Truths as it is 
 with Clothes, which alter every year as 
 the faOiion doth : for the fa/hion of the 
 tporldpajfes away ( fays St. John ; J but 
 true Religion is ever in fafliiqn with 
 good men, and alters not. 
 
 And herein we may juftly take occa^ 
 fion to bewail the unfteadinefs of fome 
 in thefe times, who are mere Scepticks 
 \n l^eligion, always cojncciving fome 
 
 4V 
 
^he Vahity of the Creature. 6 1 
 
 new Opinions in it, and always in pain 
 till they be deliver'd of their new con- 
 ceptions^ though never fo monjlrou^ and 
 deformed. 
 
 That which was truth with them ye- 
 fterday, is no fueh thing to day ; and 
 what is fo to day, is other wife to mor- 
 row ; fuch Changelings there be in 
 this laft Age, who like the Moon do 
 never appear the fame two days toge- 
 ther ! And I would to God , ( fays St. 
 Ambrofe^) that their change were no 
 worfe than that of the Moon ;, for p^e re- 
 turns again within a little time to her full 
 light ^ but thefe nezfcr. 
 
 And he is blind that {^^^ not this a- 
 mong us, ( namely ) how fome turn e- 
 very day to Fopifk Superftition , but 
 more to Anabaptijiical Fancies , Jome 
 unto Socinian Blafphemies, but mofi: un- 
 to Atheijiical Notions, and all into Sen- 
 fuality i this being the common Sewer 
 into which all the former run, and are 
 ultimately refolved. 
 
 But as St. Paul faid to hhCdlathians^ 
 
 f<y 
 
^2 The Vanity af^ the Creature. 
 
 fo do I to fuch , foolijh Galathians \ 
 ^ho hath hewitcyd yoiu that you Jhould 
 mt obey the Cofpel? And it is a ihcta 
 phor 5 fays one , from Sorcerers , who 
 life to cail: a inift before the peoples 
 eyesj that fo they may not take a right 
 view of what is prefentcd to them : As 
 if he had faid , Who hath cafl: a mift 
 before the eyes of your imderftanding*?, 
 to make that appear liiito you for trath 
 which indeed is not ? What? Are ye 
 fo fooliJJj , that halving hegim in the Spi- 
 rit^ ye mill be perfected in the Fkpj P So,^ 
 Are y^ fo foolifh, that having bcgiin in 
 truth, ye will end in faliliood ? or can 
 ye beforfimple, as to exchange Gold 
 for Dirt, Wheat for Chaff, and your 
 pretious Faith , as St. Peter calls it ,, 
 which is the fubftance of things hoped 
 for, for Errours of all forts^ and rnere 
 fhadows of Truth ? I trow not. • For 
 if Errour ( as ont Kingly Di^vine faid 
 well ) have any advantage, it confifts 
 in Novelty : or if Truth any, it confifts 
 inConftancy** 
 
the Vanity of the Creature. S2 
 
 Was thcDodrine then of the Jlc- 
 I formed Chuichesj and the Harmony of 
 our Confeflions grounded upon evident 
 and pregnant Scriptures, maintained by 
 the Orthodox and Primitive Fathers , 
 and conveyed to us by the conftant tra- 
 dfition of the Univerfal Churchy the 
 Faith of Chrift once delivered to the 
 Saints, and the Truth of God yefter- 
 day ? why, fo it is to day, and will be 
 to morrow alfo. And therefore to day 
 in our profeflion of it we muft be as 
 Vefterday, and to morrow as this day : 
 becaafe as God is the fame yeilerday , 
 today, and for ever , fo alfo is the 
 sTruth of God, That which was once 
 fo, will be fo always^ and canpotbeo*- 
 therwife. ^ricvro! \ r.r ^ ; /* 
 
 Oh that we would then be exhorted 
 in the Apo files words. To Jl and faH in 
 the Faith ^ to quit ojir fet^^es lik^ men , 
 and be Jirong: and not to be as children^ 
 ^ioffd to and fro , and carried abeut .with 
 '€<very wind of DoSirine j hut to be as 
 kten in underftanding , Jhdfaji and im-^ 
 
 move-^ 
 
1^4 ^^^ Vanity vfthe CreatHre. 
 
 mo'veable ; that fo God may have daule 
 to glory on our behalf f as he did on 
 Jobs^ Haji thoU covfider'd (fays God to 
 Satan} my fer<vant Job } So^ haft thou 
 confider'd fuch a fcrvant bf inine ? 
 Seeft thou to how hiany changes I have 
 fubjeded him ? to changes in his Chil- 
 dren, to changes in his Eftate, to chan- 
 ges in his Liberty , to changes in his 
 Friends and Acquaintance ? Nay, feeft 
 thou how many of his Brethren are 
 changed of late, from a febrifii diftem- 
 per before , now Intd a fleepy Lethar-- 
 gy ? Seeft thou how indifferent they 
 are for their Religion round about him, 
 and how many (haken reeds there are^ 
 on every fide of him ? And yet for all 
 this, as my fcvvsint job did, fo doth he 
 ftill hold his integrity. But enough of 
 this. 
 
 Secondly, Gbds end alfo in it is. To 
 reform our Lives, and do us good by his 
 fo various difpenfations towards us 
 Hence we read, Ifa. 36. 28. of a fievc 
 of vanity , wherein God feys, he will 
 
 fift 
 
The Vanity. of the Creature. ^5 
 
 /ift the Nations, and fliake them to and 
 fro one after another , that fo he may 
 winnow them from that chaff of fin 
 that 13 within them. For why was 
 Moah at eafe from his youth ? why fef" 
 led he upon his lees ^ and held ftill his 
 corrupt tajl ? but becaufe he was never 
 difquieted , nor emptied from i/ejfel to 
 'z/effel^ Jer. 48. i i. Thus a fedentary 
 life wc find very fubjeft to Difcafes j 
 and a long ftanding Profperity to a Na- 
 tion, is like a fl:anding Pool, whofe wa- 
 ter doth foon puddle and putrifie* And 
 this is the reafon of that fpecch of Da- 
 *z/idj PfaL 55. I p. Becaufe they haz^e no 
 Changes therefore they fear not God ; ma- 
 king by it the uncheckt profperity of 
 worldly men, a great occafion of their 
 continuance in fin, and fo an Index of 
 I Gods Wrath upon them ^ rather than 
 of his fpecial Favour to them. 
 
 And therefore now we have feen the 
 Angel of God moving the waters of 
 this Church and State by Intefline War, 
 new Opinions in Religion, by Sefl:s,di- 
 
 F vifions, 
 
66 The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 vifionSj and the like j it will be good 
 for us to meditate ^ ho^v God hereby 
 intends ro purge us from rh; t (inful filth 
 that adheres to us^ as oui difrefpeft to 
 Gods Minifters , and contempt of his 
 Word , our Cruelty and Oppreflion, 
 our P.ide and Securityj oi r Worldly- : 
 miiidednefs, ^nd H^^pocrifie^ 
 
 Indeed men,whoare the inftruments 
 of th^ IB , may have other ^nds in fuch 
 Alterations , as to wreak their own 
 fpleen upon thei*- Adverfaries , to un* 
 horfe others , and get themfelves into 
 the Saddle either of Profit or Prefer- 
 ment 5 (That as Demetrius the Silver- 
 fmith faid^^e get our gains by this means \ 
 fo fay they , We get our Honours and 
 Eftates by thefe means , for if the wa- 
 ters had not been troubled , we had 
 catch'd nothing :) or elfe to fatisfie their 
 own corrupt wills and pleafures \ as the 
 Author to the Hebrews fays of earthly 
 parents , That they chaften their chil- 
 dren after their own pleafure, but God 
 who is the Supreme Agent , he doth it 
 
 for 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. 6j 
 
 for our profit , and not his own 5 
 there being no ends of gold and filver, 
 no mere will or revenge in his end, but 
 only our profit , and to take away the 
 drofs from the filver , that fo he may 
 bring forth (to ufe Solomons exprcfli-, 
 on) a Vas e/ecimn a chofen VefTel, as Sr. 
 Paul was, and fit for the Finer. 
 
 Thus the Scripture tells us of Jo- 
 fepb^ how he was pafs*d over from his 
 brethren to the Ifmaelites , and from 
 them to Potipbar i and his Brethren had 
 one end in it , but God another : for 
 they did it for evil againft him, (as he 
 tells them himfelf) and to get twenty 
 Pieces by the fale of him ; but as for 
 God, he meant it to him for good , and 
 to fave much people alive. 
 
 And fo alfo was Chrift the Antitype 
 of Jofeph^ thrufi: (as we fay) from poft 
 to pillar, 'Z^i'Zj. from Judas to CaiaphaSj 
 from him to Pilate , from Pilate to He- 
 rod , from Herod back again to Pilate^ 
 and then into the hands of the clamo- 
 rous and unreafonable multitude to be 
 F 2 cruci- 
 
68 The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 fied 5 and Judas had one end in Chrifti 
 death, but God another. The end of 
 Judas in it was to filver his bag with 
 thirty pieces, but Gods end was to fa- 
 tisfie his own Juftice, and to fave Man* 
 kind by it. 
 
 So that let mens finful ends in thefe 
 Changes and Alterations be what they 
 will , yet 15 Gods end in it the gaining 
 of glory to himfelf, by his taking away 
 that iin and corruption which he fees 
 contraded in us by a long ftanding fe* 
 curity. And if thefe changes of his be 
 not as a gentle fire to purifie us , they 
 fhall be as a confuming fire to deftoy 
 us. 
 
 And (bmuch for the Efficient and Fi- 
 nal caufes of Viciflltudes. 
 
 The Z)fes follow , and they are three. 
 
 Firft, To take us off from our greedy 
 defire of worldly things. 
 
 Secondly, To unprideus ina profpc- 
 rous coiijition. 
 
 Thirdly, 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. 6^ 
 
 Thirdly, To comfort and fupport us 
 in an afflided one. 
 
 ♦ And to this purpofe there is a good 
 faying oiMarcns Aurelim Antonvih^s-ihc 
 beft of all the Heathen Eniperoiirs, 
 which is this : 
 
 Meditate (fays he) tvith thy felf hon? 
 fa^iftly all things that fnbfiji are ca ried 
 atpay : for both the fuhflances themfehes 
 are in a continual flnx^ and all a&' ions in 
 a perpetual change^ yea the caufes of thcfit 
 aljo^ fubjeSi to a thoufand alterations^ nei- 
 ther is there any thing that can be faid to 
 be fetled or at a Jiand. 
 
 And from hence he draws this infe- 
 rence : Art thou not then unrvife , who 
 for thefe things art either dijiraSied with 
 cares ^ puff'ed up too ?mich with pride ^ or 
 deje^ed with troubles ? 
 
 And it may put many of us Chri- 
 ftians to the blufh^who feldom make fo 
 good ufe of it as this Heathen did, 
 though we have a far clearer light than 
 he had to guide us to it. 
 
 F 3 Firft 
 
70 T^he Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 Firft then, the confideration of this 
 point, c/i%. The great Viciffitudc and 
 Inconftancy of all earthly things , may 
 ferve ro wean our hearts from the plea- 
 ling teat of this world , and to raife 
 them up to that place where only fixed 
 good is found. 
 
 Here we are all too apt with the rich 
 fool to fet down our refts, when (God 
 knows) we have little or no caufe fo to 
 do. Nejck enim , ah ncfck Jcrjis quid 
 "z/efper ferat ; Since we do not kno\A^ 
 what the midwifery of this evening, 
 nay lefs, of this hour or moment may 
 help to bring forth. 
 
 It may be a change of oUr Eftates 
 into Beggery,by Fire, Thieves, and the 
 like ; or elfe of our Liberty into Thral- 
 dome, or of our Health into Sicknefs ; 
 all thefe fucceflively wheeling about,un- 
 til at lafl: our great change come fronfl 
 Life to Death, and fwallow up the reft, 
 as the fea doth the waters that fall into 
 it. 
 
 Alas ! 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. 7 1 
 
 Alas ! here we are (u'^jed to a tboi- 
 (and carualciib . but in Heaven, there^ 
 there we fliall meet with no u:ch altera- 
 tions ; for that is a Kingdom that can- 
 not be lihaken as eaiih'y Kingdoms are, 
 either by War^Faftiops, ail-earing time, 
 or the like. No , bac rb^ re is Peace 
 without War, Qjiiet. wifhout Trouble, 
 Freedom without Thraldome , Day 
 without Night , Health without Sick- 
 nefsj andLiic wi:hoat Death : whereas 
 here it is farotherwifp ; for God takes 
 away one it may be, with a Feaver^ ano- 
 ther with the Sword, as Saint Auptfiine 
 reckons them up^ Nay, he cuts off the 
 fptrits of Princes (fays the Pfalmifi :) 
 which Junius and Tremeliu^ Tranflate 
 by Vindemidt^ i.e. he flips them off as a 
 Vintager doth a Bunch of Grapes f om 
 a Tree , it is fo quickly done. Even 
 .thehigheft enterprizcs that the greateft 
 Magnificos of the earth undertake, 
 .God doth but blow upon them a little 
 J^with the breath of his difpleaiure, and 
 ,how foon are they blafted and flirink 
 ,,away to nothing ! F 4. An 
 
72 The Vafi'tty of the Creature. 
 
 An example of this we have in 
 'Kerxes , who went againft Greece with 
 a Million of men, and as many Ships as 
 covered the Hellefpont ; as if he would 
 have fiibdued the Sea, have put a hook 
 into her jaws , and have led her away 
 in triumph : yet how foon was his over- 
 bold pride dafhed in pieces by a hand- 
 ful of Greeks ! One and the fame day 
 faw him both happy andmiferable ; u- 
 fing him as a tender and indulgent Mo- 
 ther in the morning, but in the evening 
 as a cruel and hard Stepdame. 
 
 Oh the folly then of thofe that lye 
 always fucking at thefe earthly flowers, 
 which* are as various in their {hapes , as 
 ever Proteus was , and conftant in no- 
 thing fave in their inconftancy ! 
 
 It was the faying of Maximilian the ! 
 Second,Tliat every year of our life wa^ 
 a Climaderical year, and brought with 
 it fome great change or other. 
 
 And if every year be fo changeable, 
 what fools then are they that joyn land 
 to land, and houfe to houfe, that they 
 
 may 
 
the Vanity of the Creature. 7 5 
 
 may dwell alone in the earth ! yea what 
 riiean great men to pride it fo much in 
 their Babels here below , and out of a 
 greedy defire of gain to run out of their 
 own Chanels , and to call their Lands 
 by their own names ? For they that do 
 thus 5 declare plainly that they think 
 thenifelves to enjoy a fetled eftate here 
 on earth , as if they fliould never fee a 
 change , or at leaft did not for the pre- 
 fent look for in Heaven a better and 
 more enduring fubftance, as the Author 
 to t\i^ Hebrervs fpeaks, HeZ^. 12.34. 
 
 And yet as the Prophet Ifaiah com- 
 plains, fo may we , Qms credidit auditui 
 nojlro ? ' who hath helie'ved our report ? 
 or to whom is this truth of God revea- 
 led ? For it is Arangc to fee how few 
 among us do believe this , that both in 
 bur perfons and eftates we are fo 
 changeable. 
 
 But this is their way^ fays Damd^this 
 is their foolijhneff. 
 
 For how foon did Galba ftart afide 
 from the Empire, Deguflans Iwperium^ 
 
 tail- 
 
74 Tf^^ Vanity of the Creature. 
 tafting it only, as Jonathan did the Ho-* 
 ney with the end of his Spear ! How 
 foon was Haman chang'd from the Mi- 
 nion of the Court , to be the hang-by 
 of the world 1 
 
 Again^ how foon was Nehnchadne%^ 
 %ar chang'd , even from a Man to a 
 Beaft : and Herod from the higheft of 
 Men 5 to be Meat even for the loweft 
 of: Reptiles ? 
 
 And the profperity of Richard the 
 Third was fo fliort (fays our incompa- 
 rable Hiftorian) that it took ead ^e 
 ^mfclf could well look over it. a 
 
 There is not any thing then that we 
 can call conftant here on earth , which 
 makes the Auchour to the HehrerPs^ 
 fpeaking of Abraham^ fay. That he looJ^ 
 edforia City halving fomdaf ions : Upon 
 w^kh one gives us this Note ^ That 
 the Keavenly City can only be faid to 
 ha vt properly a Foundation , whereas 
 thol^ Crrics that are on earth, do fhew 
 jblainly b) their daily ruines, that they 
 have no fure foundation to reft upon. 
 
 Oh 
 
T'he Vanity of the CreMurc. j 5 
 
 Oh let this be a means to take off the 
 wheels of our Affedions from their 
 eager purfuit after earthly things , and 
 fet them upon things above , where the 
 moth cannot comt at them ^ itor thk'ves 
 breakjhrongh to Jleal. And let us look 
 to that charge of the Apoftle, t Tim. 
 6 ^ 7. Charge thofe that are rich in the 
 world , thai they trufl not in uncertain 
 Riches ; or' rather in Riches which are 
 Uncertainty it felf in the abftra^t, (for 
 fo the Greek^runs it ^ '^ ^rx/?* <i4»\oTr:ic i,e. in 
 the uncertainty of Riches.) And that 
 we may in no wife doubt of this their 
 uncertainty, the Wife man prefixes a 
 note of certainty before this uncertain- 
 ty, Certainly (fays he) Riches mak^ them- 
 fel'z/es wings , and fly atpay as an Eagle 
 towards Heaven : as if he fliould have 
 faidj Certainly Riches and all worldly 
 things are as uncertain as a Bird that is 
 upon the wing : and therefore we muft 
 not fet our hearts upon them ; but our 
 daily prayer and pra£lice mufl: be , So 
 to pafs through thi?7gs temporal^ that fo we 
 
 do 
 
7^ The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 do not loofe thofe things that are eternal : 
 or clfe with Da^vid let us befecch God 
 to incline our hearts unto his tejlimonies^ 
 and not to Co^vetonfmjs. Now this in- 
 cUniiig our hearts rnto Gods Teftimo- 
 Dies, is nothing elfebut that holy and 
 penitential change of Heart and Life, 
 or elfe that turning unto G'>d with all 
 our hearts , which God calls for at our 
 hands , and expcfts from us in all his 
 changes^ whether pcrfbnal or the Na- 
 tional i which if he find in us then let 
 what changes foever fall, th^y {hall all 
 work together for our good : but f not, 
 \ve muft then look to be as a rowJing 
 ftone, and to have our daily turm and 
 changes in this life from one degree of 
 mifery to another, until st laft we turn 
 into Hell^as Da<vid fpeaks, with ah thofe 
 ihatfpr^^t God, 
 
 Secondly, The confideration of this' 
 point may l^e a good antidote againft 
 Pride in a prosperous Condition , fuice 
 God hath fo ordered the Web of our 
 
 Lives, 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. 77 
 
 Lives, as that Advcrfity as Wf-11 as Pro{^ 
 perity is interwoven in it : For there 
 is nothing that fwells us up fo much, as 
 profpering here in worldly things h *ind 
 nothing again that is more effeftual to 
 aflwage this fwelling in us ^ than to 
 confider the brevity and mutability it is 
 fubjeft to. 
 
 Now it fwcl's u*^ up with a high o- 
 pinion either of our own Goodnefs a- 
 bove others, or elfe of our own Great- 
 nefs. 
 
 I. Our profpering in worldly things 
 fwells us up with a high opinion of our 
 own Goodnefs above others 5 as 
 
 I. It makes us think our felves the 
 only good men in Gods eye , becau{e 
 we are profperous in the worlds^where- 
 as indeed, this can be no certain rule to 
 meafure out any fuch thing by, fince the 
 world and the profperity of it is fo va- 
 riable and uncertain. 
 
 And therefore , when at any time 
 God fliall water us more than others 
 with the lower fprings of his earthly 
 
 Blefllngs, 
 
rf 8 The Vanity of the Creatnr e. 
 
 Blefllngs, we are not therefore to have 
 an overweening conceit of our felves, 
 and our own caufes, above others, (as 
 if God upon this ground had tyed his 
 fpecial love either to us or them : ) 
 For you know that when God would 
 chufe a King for Ifrael , he chofe him 
 not by outward and perifhing excellen- 
 cies, for then he would have chofen in 
 the room of Saul^ Eliab^ Aminadab^ or 
 Shammah , who were the three elder 
 brothers of Da^vid^ and men of goodly 
 perfonages to look upon 5 yet God 
 chofe none of thefe , (fays the Text) 
 but Da^id the youngeft of them, 
 though not fo outwardly, yet inwardly 
 glorious 5 being a man after his own 
 heart. 
 
 It is the chief Argument the Turks 
 ufe at this day, to prove themfelves the 
 only Muffclmen^ or true believers 5 We 
 thrive (fay they) and profper in the 
 world : for how hath our Mahometan 
 nifm over-run all Afia^ Afric\^ and the 
 greater part of Europe too ! And do 
 
 not 
 
TiheVafjity of the Creature. jp 
 
 not they, among us then reafon more 
 like Turh^ than Chriflians , who fpeak 
 after this manner. Come, fee how we 
 bear down all before us, and ride upon 
 the backs of the poor in triumph ! Thus 
 and thus do we profper m the world, 
 and do even what we hft ; and is not 
 this an evident fign we are Gods Chil- 
 dren, and that the right erd of the ftaff 
 is ours ? Sure, if we wer^ other than 
 ! Gods pccuhar people , he would not 
 blefs us fo much as he doth. 
 
 But to thefe laiifwer,That thcfe and 
 fuch like are only Bona Scabelli^ (as Di- 
 vines diftinguiih well out of that place 
 of Ifaiah) and not Bona Throni , the 
 Goods of Gods Footftool,(but earthen 
 ware) and not the good things of his 
 Throne,which are Grace and Glory i & 
 therefore can fet upon us only an earth- 
 ly mark for men here to take notice bf 
 us, but not any heavenly cognizance for 
 God to look upon us, as upon his dear 
 and eleiS: Children, For elfe it would 
 eafily follow ^ That the Alchoran were 
 
 bet- 
 
8o The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 better than the Bible , and the Turh^ 
 fancie better than our Faith ofChriJiia* 
 nity. 
 
 And were there no other fignal place 
 of Scripture for this , than that of the 
 Prop^et Damd in his 73. Pfalm^ (as in- 
 deed there are very many) this alond 
 (methinks) were enough toimprefs this 
 as a truth upon us, where he fpeaks of 
 fome that are not in trouble like other 
 men, but ^ride compafleth them about 
 as a chain , violence covers them as a 
 garment, their eyes ftand out with fat- 
 nefs 5 and they have more than their 
 heart can wifli , yet thefe ({ays he)^. 1 2. 
 are the ungodly who profper in the 
 world. And the Prophet Jeremy makes 
 bold to queftion with God about it, in 
 thefe words, Jer.t 2.1,2. Wherefore^ (ays 
 he , doth the wicked profper ? and why 
 are all they in wealth that rebellionfly 
 tranfgrefs ? and he refts fatisfied v^^irh 
 this, verfe 3. That God did by that 
 profperity of theirs fatten them as Hieep 
 to the flaughter, and prepare them for 
 
 the 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. 8 1 
 
 the day of deftruftion. And this is that 
 profperity of fools that the Wife man 
 Ipeaks of 5 which will deftroy them, 
 Prozf.i.'^^. 
 
 It is not then our thriving in Tem- 
 porals, but in Spirituals, that fpeaks us 
 and our Faith to be accepted of God. 
 
 For the truth of Grace or Religion, 
 and the goodnefs of a mans Caufe , is 
 not meafured by the Souldiers Sword, 
 but by the Word of God, which is the 
 Sword of the Spirit. 
 
 God Saints no man for his goodly 
 Perfonage , for his Riches, for his poli- 
 tick head-piece of contriving,and bring- 
 ing about his own worldly and finifter 
 ends, or for his Arms and Conquefts i 
 for then Saul zndCroefm^ Ahitopbel znd 
 Alexander the Great had been high in 
 Gods book : but he values Men only 
 I by their Spirituals , as their graces of 
 Faith, Humility, Patience, Meekneis, 
 Obedience , and the like : and where 
 he finds thefe, (how unfurnifhed foever 
 they are otherwife) yet^/;e/e are m'me^ 
 
 G faitb 
 
8 2 The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 faith the Lord ; and in that day when I 
 fhall wah^ up my 'Jewels , / wiU Jpare 
 them , e^en as a Father doth hi^ Son ; 
 and then Jhall ye difcern between therigh- 
 teoHS and the wichgd , betwixt him that 
 feareth God , and him that feareth him 
 not. 
 
 Indeed God may fometimes permit 
 evil to profper in the world, but never 
 approve of it : for fo acknowledges the 
 Jewijh Church, Lament. 3.95. To turn a- 
 fide the right of a man before the face of 
 the moji Highy or to fub'vert a man in his 
 caufe 5 the Lord appro'z/es it not. And 
 therefore to argue from Gods permiffi- 
 on to his approbation, is a grofs Nonfe^ 
 qnitur^ nay more, a laying our iniquity 
 on Gods back, as if he would take ft 
 well at our hands to be made a Pack- 
 horfe at every turn to bear all our ex- 
 ecrable burdens, and were (as Da^id 
 fpeaks) fuch a one as our fel ves , to fa* 
 vour evil courfes, or elfe to own them 
 as his ofF-fpring. 
 
 Which 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. 8 3 
 
 Which made DiojtyfiHs the elder 
 conclude Sacriledjje to be noiin, when 
 hz had rob'd the Temple at Locri , be- 
 caufe the Gods feem'd (as it were) to. 
 fmile upon the adion , in giving them 
 fair Winds and Weather, both in their 
 voyage thither and return back again. 
 
 Butj as it was a great BlafpSemy 
 (fays one) for the Devil to perfonare 
 God, when he would be fimlis Altijfi- 
 mo'-i fo is it greater to make God per- 
 fonate the Devil. And yet this he 
 doth, that makes God patronize his e- 
 vil, becaufe he profpers in it \ for this 
 brings in God faying, That he will be 
 like the Prince of Darknefs, and makes 
 the Holy Ghoft to leave his Dove-like 
 Ihape, and come only to us in the form 
 of a greedy Raven or Vulcur. 
 
 •2. As our profpering in worldly 
 things fwells us up too high with an 
 opinion of our own Goodnefs , ^nd 
 makes us think better of our fclves than 
 is meet 3 fo alfo doth it on the other 
 G 2 llde 
 
84 The Vanity ofthi Creature. 
 
 fide lift us up too far with thoughts of 
 evil towards our brethren y and make 
 us think worfe of them, and the ways 
 pf God they walk in, than we fnould, 
 by charging them as utterly deferted of 
 God, becaufe we fee not now the fame 
 hedge of Gods favour about them as 
 heretofore we did , but the ftakes that 
 then prop'd them up, are now thrown 
 away as ufelefs and unferviceable. 
 Whereas Affli£lions on this hand are e- 
 very way as temporary and tranfient, as 
 Profperity was on the other , and being 
 fo, muft needs be as a broken reed,or a 
 reed of Egypt , wherewith we cannot 
 exadly meafure Gods Temple^ nor the 
 Spiritual eftate of his Children- 
 
 It was a hard ftumbling-block to the 
 Prophet Dazfid for a time , when he 
 fays that his feet were almoji gone^andhk 
 footfleps had weU-ni^h jlipt , upon his 
 light of the wickeds profperity 5 until 
 he went into the Sanduary of Gods 
 Word 5 where he learnt to fettle his 
 wavering and diftruflful thoughts : for 
 
 there 
 
7he Vanity of the Creature. 85 
 
 there he faw, that notwithftanding his 
 •outward affliSiions, that God held him 
 up under that fore temptation with his 
 right hand , and would (in oppofi tion 
 ro tranfitory goods , which are the pro- 
 per bleilings of the wicked , becaufe 
 they have no others but thefe to trufi: 
 unto) guide him with that which fliould 
 infinitely exceed them, to wit, his Coun- 
 iel here, and his Glory hereafter. 
 
 And it was the great queftion fo 
 much agitated betwixt Job and his 
 Friends , Whether thofe doleful chan- 
 ges that befel him were the cognizance 
 of his infincerity to God, and of Gods 
 disfavour to him upon it , yea or no. 
 His Friends taking advantage upon his 
 prefent weaknefs and diftemper, main- 
 tain it ftrongly againft him in the affir- 
 mative, that they were: until at length 
 God himfelf fteps in to the refcue of 
 the weaker fide , and makes the con- 
 clufion (as all Logical conclufions do) 
 to follow the weaker parr, determining 
 it for Job againft his Opponents in the 
 
 G 3 Nc^ 
 
8^ The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 Negative, and telling them^ that thcy> 
 fpake not of Joh^ nor of his proceed- 
 ings towards him that whieh was right,; 
 Jobhix^ verfe 7. 
 
 .Se//^^:^ a 6'/(?ir^Philofopher 5 hath a 
 fet difcourfe to this purpofe , Ctir bonis^ 
 ^iris mala e'veniant^ why the evils of this 
 life moft commonly fall out to good 
 men: and he concludes It thus , That 
 temporal evik are no (Ign of Gods ha- 
 tred to them. For, doft thou think 
 (fays he} that the Lacedemonians hated ! 
 their Children , when as they experi- 
 mented their difpofition to virtue by 
 ftripes in publick ? No. So, do we 
 think Gods Children in disfavour with> 
 him , becaufe he lays })ere fore blow$ 
 upon their Bodies and Eftates by evil 
 men , as his rods and fcourges in it .^ 
 No 5 for we fee and feel many times^ 
 (fays an experimental patient of our 
 own well) the deep lines and ftrokca 
 of Gods hand upon us, when as we can- 
 not by our skill in Palmeftry decipher 
 his meaning in it , no more than the 
 
 Mai- 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. 87 
 
 Maltefes could by the viper upon Saint 
 Pauls hand judge of his condition to 
 God-ward. 
 
 For God fometimes (that we may 
 not thus judge) inverts humane order, 
 and runs out his dealings towards us in 
 the ordmary chanel of his univerfal Pro- 
 vidence, Juftice and Equity, by which 
 he waters here all alike. 
 
 Indeed they may feem (f grant) to 
 go counter to our apprehended rules of 
 common right : yet are they always a- 
 greeing both with Gods fecret and re- 
 vealed will, though (like the Sun in its 
 fphere) not perceptible to us, becaufe 
 toomyfterious and dazzling : however^ 
 many pretend to interpret them by a 
 blaze of fire lighted at the natural pride 
 of Bheir own private fpirits , and that 
 dimme twilight of knowledge which is 
 in them ^ whenas they are altogether in 
 the dark to the true lio;ht of Gods word 
 and works herein. 
 
 And here take in the opinion alfoof 
 EpiSietus another Stoich^ and Heathcia 
 
 p 4 man. 
 
88 The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 man, which fpcaks moft Chriftianly tOjj 
 this point, namely, That all are not ha^^ 
 ted of God, v^ho do wraftle here with 
 variety of Miferies : but that there are 
 with God good caufes of it, though fo 
 fecret that few can reach them. 
 
 And therefore, albeit we cannot fee' 
 bow thefe adings of God may ftand 
 with his tender love to his children,and 
 fo may conceive an ill opinion of them j 
 yet when we {hall think ferioufly, that 
 Gods thoughts and ways are not as ours, 
 it will teach us to give them a more fa? 
 vourable interpretation. 
 
 For bow dare humane raflinefi (fays 
 Saint Bernard) reprehend that which it 
 cannot comprehend ^ in giving demon-? 
 ftrative reafon why worldly profperity 
 fhould be Virtues ftepdame , and not 
 her natural mother ! 
 
 But (to clofe up this Difcourfe) you 
 fee here by what hath been faid , that 
 it is a great errour(howbeit now grown 
 more than popular) to judge of perr 
 
 fons 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. S^ 
 
 fons and caufes by the events , whenas 
 all outward things (fays Solomon) fall 
 alike to all^ neither can any judge of love 
 or hatred by what is before him : Prof- 
 perity and Adverfity being but fepara- 
 ble accidents to them ^ and no eflential 
 properties of them , becaufe they are 
 grounded upon worldly things, that 
 have fo loofe and mouldring a founda- 
 tion, as that a man cannot tell concern- 
 ing them what a day may bring forth. 
 Again, 
 
 n. As worldly profperity fwells us 
 up with a high opinion of our own 
 Goodnefs above others, fo likewife of 
 our own Greatnefs. And this makes us 
 flight thofe that are under us, and deal 
 hardly with them , ( as to temporal 
 things) which we would not do, if we 
 once coniider*d the mutability of it. 
 
 And therefore if at any time God 
 fliall give up unto us thofe we conceit 
 our enemies , to be dealt with (if we 
 will) by all harflinefs and extremity j 
 yet are not we then to trample upon 
 
 them 
 
 A 
 
90 "the Vanity of the Creature . 
 
 them in the pride of our hearts, nor to 
 adde more load to that which God hath 
 already laid upon them ; but rather to 
 take off from it what we can , and to 
 ufe them with all gentlenefs and com- 
 paflion, with all mildneis and moderati- 
 on, as confidering our felves , that wc 
 are not here to live always as Gods up* 
 on earth , the fame yefterday, to day 
 and for ever : but what is the bitter 
 cup of their portion to day , may be 
 ours to morrow. 
 
 It fpeaks out but a coarfe and* igno- 
 ble fpirit, to crow and infult over thofe \ 
 that are down^ The very Heathen 
 thought it fo ^ who had only the glim- 
 mering of Nature to guide them 5 much 
 more ought we Chriftians , whom the 
 Apoftle exhorts , that our moderation 
 may he h^town to all men. That as the 
 Apoftle will have his Corinthians to ufe 
 the world with a tanquam , as if they 
 nfed it not ^ fo muft they among us^that 
 have wealth, power and authority, fo 
 uie them , as if they ufed them not : 
 
 that 
 
 al 
 
The Vanity of the Creattirc p i 
 
 that fo when they fliall fail us, (as they 
 will ere long, fince the wind blows not 
 always out of one and the fame favou- 
 rable quarter) we may then be able to 
 fay with comfort , That we never mif 
 employed thofe talents of Gods out- 
 ward favoar to us unto the preflure and 
 deftruftion of our Brethren, but only 
 to their relief and prefervation. 
 
 The Prophet Dazfid in his Tenth 
 Ffdm , fpeaks of fome , who through 
 the pride of their countenance do not feeh^ 
 after God , neither is God in all their 
 thoughts. But their ways are always 
 grie^vom ; they puf at their enemies ^and 
 fay in their hearts , they pj all ne^ver he 
 mo'ved^ nor he in ad'verftty. 
 
 And fuch were the Babylonians^ who 
 (beljdes their barbarous cruelty to the 
 Ifraclites under captivity) added this a- 
 bove all , that they fcoffed and jeered 
 at them in their miferies , with Sing us' 
 now one of the Songs of Sion. So alfo 
 were the Edomites^ ^. 7. who cryed o- 
 ver Jerufalem in the day of her vifi- 
 
 tation. 
 
9 2 The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 tation 5 Kafe it^ rafe it even tothefoun^ ^ 
 dations. ' 
 
 And were we fure that the fun of 
 our earthly Happinefs would always 
 ft^nd ftill in this our Gibeon^ it may be 
 we might take liberty to do the like, 1 
 and think we did well in it too. But i 
 when as we come to confider ferioufly, 
 that there is no Solftice here upon earth, 
 but fo foon as the Sun is come to his fur- 
 theft Summer-point in our Horizon^it is 
 then prefently vertical , and turning a- 
 gain to make winter-weather with us, 
 how will this affwage that fwelling of | 
 pride that is within us , and make us 
 humble ? 
 
 To this purpofe there is a memorable 
 Hiftory of Caganns King of the Huns^y 
 unto whom Theodorus Medicus being 
 fent in an Embaflv from Mauritius the 
 Emperour , to divert thofe fwarms of 
 people wherewith Caganus at that time 
 threatned to ftorm the Empire , he ap- 
 ply'd himfelf to him in thcfe words ; 
 Audi Cagane , utilem narratiomm Sefo- 
 
 ftris. 
 
T^he Vanity of the Creature. 95 
 
 flris, C^r. Hear, fays he to Caganus^ a 
 profitable Narrative of Sejofiris King of 
 Mgypt , who being lifted up too high 
 with his great fuccefles againft his ene- 
 mies, caufed four Kings taken prifoners 
 to draw his Triumphal Chariot, where- 
 in one of them looked back with fmiles 
 to the wheel of the Chariot, and being 
 demanded his reafon for it, anfwered , 
 That he fmiled to fee the fpoah^ of the 
 wheel norp at the top^ to be prefently at 
 the bottom i and again ^th at which is now 
 at the bottom^ to be by and by at the top. 
 The very hearing whereof did fo mol- 
 lifie, and keep down the haughty Prin- 
 ces fpirit , that it drew him a little to 
 forbear his ads of hoftility againft the 
 Emperour. 
 
 And from this Topick alfo of volu- 
 bility, did Crcefffs draw an argument to 
 diffwade Cyrus from his intended inrode 
 into Scythia: for if thou didft lead 
 (fays he) an immortal Army , then is 
 there no need for thee to ask my ad- 
 vice in it i but if thou doft acknowledge 
 
 thy 
 
p^ The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 thy felf a man , and a leader of mor- 
 tals , then think that there is a wheel 
 of humane affairs that turns about con- 
 tinually 5 and fuffers nothing here be- 
 low to ftand long upon the fame bot- 
 tom. 
 
 But this advice of Croefus took no 
 place with Cyrus ; If it had, he would 
 have kept himfelf (as the Tortoife doth) 
 intra teftudinem , within his own (hell, 
 within his own dominions, and not have 
 caufelefly ufurped upon the rightful 
 poffeffions of others to his own deftru- 
 dion : for fee the ifliie and event of 
 it! 
 
 Even that God who is infinite in his 
 Wifdom, and terrible in his Power and , 
 Juftice, he that refifts the proud , and ' 
 looks upon them afar off ^ He (I (ay) j 
 made the pride oi Cyrus ferve as a fnare 
 to take himfelf in , and to work his 
 ruine : for he was no fc>oner entred 
 Scythia , but he found by fad experi- 
 ence how unconflant the World was, 
 not looking now upoR him with that 
 
 fmiling | 
 
T^he Vanity of the Creature. ptf 
 
 fmiling afpcft it did before ; but the 
 wind was now in another quarter , and 
 (as the Wife man fays of Riches, that 
 they mah^ themfeli/es rvings and fly art? ay) 
 fo did his former profperity betake her 
 felf now to her wings, and flew away, 
 his whole Army being quite defeated, 
 and himfelf flain by Tomyris Queen of 
 Scythia. 
 
 A good example to make the fecure 
 wretch look about him , and to pull 
 down the high looks of the proud. 
 
 And therefore when ever any flufh- 
 ing of pride begins to rife within thee, 
 and to bud forth, as it is in E%el^el^ in- 
 to violence , and oppreffion of others, 
 then think thou heareft fome Monitor 
 calling unto thee, as King Philips Page 
 did to him , Memento te ejje mortalem^ 
 remember that thou art Mortal : fo, re- 
 member that thou art changeable as 
 well as others, and this will be an excel- 
 lent means to keep it in. 
 
 For tell me, would Cyms^ think you, 
 Kave invaded Scythia , had he thought 
 
 fo 
 
p6 The Famty of the Creature* | 
 
 fo fad a fate woiild have attended him 
 in it ? 
 
 Or would Pharaoh have opprefs'd the 
 Ifraelites fo much, had he thought that 
 God would have tumbled him up and 
 down fo much as he did , from one 
 plague to another, and at laft made the 
 fea his champion to revenge their inju- 
 ries upon him ? 
 
 Or would Jofeph's brethren have per- 
 fecuted him as they did , if they had 
 thought he fhould afterwards have been 
 lord over them ? 
 
 Or the Gileadites have expelled Jeph-^ 
 tha 5 had they known he would have 
 been fuch a Ihelter againft a ftorm, and 
 of fuch ufe unto them againft the Jm^ 
 monites ? 
 
 Or (to fay no more) would Darius 
 have caird Alexander Philifs boy in de- 
 rifion of him , had he known that he 
 fhould have been conquered by him ? 
 
 No, little do proud men think that 
 the waiter which is now in the float, 
 will prefently be in the ebbe j and that 
 
 the 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. ^7 
 
 the fpoak of the wheel which is now 
 at the top, may quickly be at the bot- 
 tome : and then he that is the grcatcft 
 now among us , may come (how foon 
 he knows not) to ftand in need of the 
 meaneft creature whom he now defpi- 
 
 It is wifdome then for every Chrifti- 
 anjwhenas he is at the top of the wheel, 
 and may lord it over thofe that are be- 
 neath 5 yet not to overlook them with 
 a icornful eye , but to let down his fpi- 
 ritj and (as the Apoftle exhorts us) to 
 condefcend to men of low degree : For 
 one fcale is not always in depreflion. 
 N05 This were dura infctlicitcis , a very 
 hard and high meafure of infelicity. 
 Neither is the other always in elevati- 
 on : This were foelicitas viijeraucU , a 
 happinefs to be pitied. But the alter- 
 nate wave of the beam keeps them both 
 in awe , and efpecially the proud per- 
 fon, who feems unto me as a bird tied 
 to a firing, which if it fly too high.the 
 hand draws in the firing and pulls it 
 
 H downf 
 
p8 T^he Vanity of the Creatttre. 
 
 down again. And fo if we flialiret 811t 
 our fpirits too high with pride , God 
 hath then a ]ine of vici^Jitnde in his 
 hand to pull us in at his pleafure. 
 
 The Prophet David faid in his prb- 
 fperity, that he fhould never be moved, 
 his mountain was made fo ftrons; 5 yet 
 God did but hide his face from him a 
 little, and he was troubled. 
 
 Naturally then we are too apt to 
 know no meafure in a high fortune ; 
 but (as a perfon of Honour and Piety 
 in this Nation faid)although in the heat 
 of fummer we eafily believe there will 
 come after it a cold feafon of frofl: and 
 fnow , yet are we fo ftupid as in Pro- 
 fperity not to confider of Adverfity*, 
 though the one be as fuccefllve as the 
 other. And this makes us to exalt otfr 
 felves fo much above all that is Called 
 God. That as it is obfervable touching 
 the Book of Ejiher (which is nothing 
 elfe but a Declaration of afts done in 
 reference to the Greatnefs, Power and 
 Glory of Ahafuerm the Perfian Mo- 
 narch, 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. pp 
 
 narch , as to the principal iiiftrumcnt of 
 thcm)that in that whole Book the Name 
 of God is not fo much as mentioned 
 at all : So doth it alfo commonly fall 
 out, that while we are here in the ruff 
 of our worldly Glory and Profperity, 
 we feldom or never fpeak of God^and 
 as feldomc think of him , but fet our 
 felves up in his room , as 'Nebuchadtiex,- 
 *i»ar did , w^ho fpake too big, and too 
 much of himfelf , faying , Is not this 
 great Bahel that I have built for the honfe 
 of my Kingdom^ by the wight ofmyporp- 
 er, and for the hojiour of my majejiy ? As 
 the fly faid in the Apologue when it was 
 got up to the top of the wheel , See 
 what a duft I make ! So, fee what a 
 duft makes this poor Worm, what a 
 Mying there is with him in the height 
 of his pride ! nothing but my Kingdom, 
 my Power, and my Majefty : but as for 
 God, Ne gry qnidem , There is not a 
 word of him ; He is not in all his 
 thoughti. 
 
 H 2 And 
 
I o o T/?^ Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 And therefore how foon the houfc 
 of his Kingdom fell upon his head^yea i 
 how (hort-Iiv'd the might of his power 
 was , and the honour of his Majefty, 
 you may fee by the next verfe , where 
 it is faid, That while the word was in 
 the Kings mouthy there fell a voice from 
 Heaven, faying, Nebuchadnezzar , to 
 thee he it fpoh^n^ Thy Kingdom ts depart 
 ted from thee. 
 
 The world then may well be com- 
 pared to the Sea of glafs which Saint 
 .John faw in his vifion, Ke<z/etat,^,6. and 
 there bealfo, that from the refemblance 
 of the one to the other , interpret it 
 thus. For 
 
 Firft, It refembles the Sea either for 
 its ebbing and flowing ^ orelfe for the 
 fuddain change of it : for how foon is 
 the face of the Sea altered ? in one and 
 the fame hour (it may be) thou mayft 
 fee her fmiling upon thy veflcl , and 
 frowning too j playing with it , and 
 fvval lowing it up. . Noli igitur (fays the 
 Moralift) tranqnillitati eju^ credere^ i.e. 
 
 Do 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. i o i 
 
 Do not therefore truft: too much to her 
 fmooth and calm looks ; in hoc enim mo- 
 mentomare ez^ertitur^ for in one moment 
 doth fhe appear wrinkled with bil- 
 lows 5 and turns about from a cahn 
 unto a florm. 
 
 Secondly, It refemblesalfo glafs, and 
 that either for its brittlenefs , becaufe 
 nothing is fooner broken : or elfe for 
 its flipperinefs , becaufe he that walks 
 upon glafs can have no fure footing ^ 
 and therefore for any man to prefume 
 upon the fteadinefs of it^ niufi: needs be 
 very dangerous. 
 
 That as the ancient Romans ufed to 
 idiftinguiOi their days into Dies alhi.^ind 
 Dies atri , white and black days : fo 
 <doth God, and there is no man but hath 
 the later of thefe as well as the former, 
 !his black as well as his white days. 
 
 Oh the madnefs then of wicked men, 
 who are always plotting againft the 
 righteous^and gnafliing upon them with 
 their teeth ! At ridebit Dem^ lays Da- 
 vid^ But God Jh all laugh at them tor ic: 
 
 H 3 and 
 
I o^ The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 and he gives this reafon, 'z^. i 3. hecaufe 
 he fees that their day i^ comings i.e. he 
 fees clearly that their black and difmal 
 day is coming upcm them^though them- 
 fclves will not fee it through the pride 
 and fecurity of their fpirits 5 yea , and \ 
 he knows alfo punctually when it will i 
 be^though we know it not : for though 
 today may be fair and (liining, yet may 
 to morrow be dark and tempeftuous 
 with them i fince we know not what a 
 day may bring forth. 
 
 Lafl: of all, (becaufe I am loath that 
 my Sun fhould fet in a cloud) The con- 
 fideration of this point may ferve as a 
 good antidote againft defpair in an af* 
 flirted condition ; or as a cordial to ftay 
 up our fpirics in the faddeft and mo'ft 
 diflrefled times, and to teach us pati- 
 ence and contentednefs in them : that 
 fo 2iS in profperity we fliould not fay, 
 we (hall never be moved , fo neither in 
 adverllty , that we iliall never be deli- 
 vered ; when we fiiall con/ider , that 
 what v/eight of affliftion foever we lye 
 
 under, 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. 105 
 
 under, is not of a continuant, but of a 
 changeable nature. And to this end 
 we have the fure ftaff of Gods pro- 
 mife unto his children to lean upon, as 
 in the tenth Chapter to the Hebrerps^ 
 where he fays thus, Tet a little while^ or 
 rather as it runs in the Grech^ , yet how 
 very very little while, (with a double 
 diminutive) ajtd he that JJjall come^ will 
 come^ avd will rot tarry. And in the 
 precedent verfe he tells them, they have 
 need of patience , that they may re- 
 ceive this promifc. And in the twelfth 
 Chapter to the Hebrews , the Apoftle 
 takes up an exhortation to it from the 
 Wife man , and njakcs a ccnfolatory 
 ufe of it to his Hebrews , wichal taking 
 them to task for their forgetfulnefs ot 
 it '•) And ye ha've forgotten the exhortati- 
 on which fpeak^ itntoyon^as H?7to rhUdren : 
 My So?j^ defpife not thou the chajinwg of 
 theLord^ nor faint. ^ or be not broken in 
 mind (as others tranilate it) when thou 
 art rebuked of h/m For we had (fays 
 he) the fatbers of theflejh , who eerily 
 H 4 chajiened 
 
1 04 T^he ViVitty of the Creature. 
 
 chajiencd u<s a ferv days after their own * 
 pleafnre ^ and we were patient under 
 their rod, and ga^z^e them re'verence^ but 
 God a few days only , for our profit. 
 Shall we not then be much rather in fub- 
 jecrion to him who is the father of fpirits^ 
 and li've ? 
 
 Thus when Boetius , that Chriftian 
 Confcl and Martyr at Rome^W2iS wrong- 
 fully deprived by Theodoricus of his 
 Hocours, Eftate and Liberty, Philofo- 
 phy brings in what we call Gods Provi- 
 dence, comforting him in thefe words : 
 
 I turn about my wheel continually, 
 and delight to tumble things upfide 
 down ; why then doth thy heart (hrink 
 within thee, when as this changeable- 
 ncl:; of mine is caufe enough for thee to 
 hope lor better things ? 
 
 And fo alfo, when many of our Bre- 
 thnn were heretofore in Exile for their 
 r^eligion in Qiieen Maries days, what 
 ( ' P'"*^y) ^'^ ^^^^ Jewel of our Church 
 cotiiiorr thetn widi, but onely this, H^r 
 fjon darabunt^ cetatem j Thefe will not 
 
 endure 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. 105 
 
 endure an Age ? as indeed you know 
 they did not^ her Rdign being not full 
 out fix years time. 
 
 And with the fame confideration alfo 
 fliould we chear up our felves now un- 
 der that Hack cloud that hangs over 
 the Church, that it will not endure an 
 A^e, but be as Ephrams rightcoufneis 
 was, even as the morning cloud, or as 
 the early dew that paiTes away. 
 
 To this end, it will not be amifs to 
 note, how the affli61:ions of Gods people 
 in the Scripture, are run out not by a- 
 ny long traS of time , as by an Age , 
 Year, Month, Week, or the like ; but 
 by the fliortf^ft meafurcs that can be, as 
 by a Day : now a Day ( you know ) 
 holds not long, but is quickly gone, e- 
 ven as a flying Bird, or a PoalT: that run- 
 neth by. And thus good Hez,ektah cal Is 
 the time of Sennacheribs rao^e aeainft 
 Jtidah^ a Day of trouble, Ifa, 37. 'v. 3. 
 
 Or if this be not enouc{h, you have 
 them then contrafted wichin a Idler 
 room, and meafur'd onely by a Night , 
 
 which 
 
1 06 The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 which is no more but the dark fide of 
 a natural Day, arid therefore is a great 
 deal fhorter. And this made the Pro- 
 phet D^wW fay, Tfal 30. <if. 5. That 
 hea'uinej? may endure for a Nighty but joy 
 Cometh in the Morning. The time then 
 that heavinefs (liall endure to the God- 
 ly can be but a Night at the longeft , 
 but whether it {hall be fo long or no , 
 the Prophet is very uncertain and unfa- 
 tisfied, for which caufe he expreffes it 
 here with a May be^ Heazfinefi may en- 
 dure for a Night. 
 
 But if this expreflion be not full e-^^ 
 nough to fet forth the brevity of them, 
 our Sa'viour doth it then by an Hour , 
 which is fhorter yet, and but the four 
 and twentieth part of a natural Day ; 
 for fo he calls the time of his perfecu- 
 tion by the High Priefts and Elders of 
 the people , Their honr^ and the ponder 
 of DarI{?7eJ?^ Luk^ 22.53. 
 
 Or, if this be yet too long a fpace to 
 fet forth the brevity of their affli^ions , 
 and to give a through Comfort to Gods 
 
 people. 
 
The Vanity of the Creature. i oy 
 
 people, their little continuance is then 
 exprefs'd by a Moment , which I am 
 fure is fliort enough ; fo you have it 
 Ifa. ^4.^. 7. For a fmall moment (fays 
 God to his Church ) ha^ve I forfak^n 
 thee J but with great mercy will I gather 
 thee : And again, v. 8. /// a little wrath 
 I hid my Face from thee for a moment , 
 hut with ez^erhfting kindncj^ will I hazfe 
 mercy upon thee. 
 
 Or lafi: of all , if any rime can be 
 fliorter than this , it mufl: then be the 
 prefent time , yet fuch are the fuffer- 
 ings of Gods children, in St. Fauls ac- 
 count, but the fufferings of the prefent 
 time^ Kom. 8. 18. and a fiiorter time 
 than this there cannot be. For as the 
 French our Neighbours are faid to be 
 for their inconfideratenefs , Animalia 
 fine pr^terito i^ futuro^ Creatures that 
 have refpeft neither to time paft nor 
 time to come ; fo may we fay of the 
 prefent time, That it is as fhort a 
 mcafure as can poflibly be imagined , 
 having in it nothing either of time paft 
 
 or 
 
I o8 The Vanity of the Creature. 
 
 or future, the firft of the two being dead 
 already, and the later of them being 
 not yet born unto us. And yet we fee 
 here for all this, that St. Fanl^ when he 
 had caft up the account of all which 
 he fuffered in the caufe of Chrift, how 
 he reckons and concludes it to be one- 
 ly the fuffering of the prefent time , 
 and not worthy to be compared with 
 the glory that fhall be revealed. 
 
 A 
 
I op 
 
 'a Prayer. 
 
 ALmighty God^ who rttkU the Sea of 
 this World by thy power , a}7d 
 whofe paths are in the roughed Waters ; 
 JFe the unworthieU of all thy Servants 
 commit our frail Barks, with all that we 
 have^ to the Steerage of thee our great 
 Pilot , and faithful Preferz^er : hejeech- 
 ing thee fo to order by thy good hand of 
 Pro'vidence all outward contingencies to 
 us , that we may be able to bear up 
 through them with a Jieady and e'ven 
 Courfe 5 againU the federal Storms we 
 fhall meet with in this pafTage to our 
 blejfed Harbour of Eternity. And how- 
 e*ver earthly things may lih^ Watery 
 Billows be ezfery day rowliiig up afid 
 down in their <vicijjitudes about us '^ 
 yet fuffer^ eh fuffcr not the Uea'venly 
 truth of our Reformed Religion to flote 
 about any longer fo nv certainly among us^ 
 
 nor 
 
no 
 
 nor onr fehes to be 0S Children tofsd to 
 and fro with e^very Wind of DoSirine. 
 But let us be conjlant and wjrva^uering in 
 the profejpon of that Holy Faith we haz^e 
 received 5 and (^Thou that art the God of 
 Truth ^ be gracioufy pie a fed to ftay us up 
 firmly in it by the f acred Scriptures y 
 which are thy Word of Truth , and the 
 fole Anchor of our Faith to reH upon. 
 Lordy pull in the Sails of our de fires tO'- 
 wards fleeting andtran^tory fub fiances : 
 for who will cast his eyes upon that which 
 hath wings to flee away as an Eagle tO" 
 wards Heaz^en ! Ballaft our Spirits with 
 Humility in a projj>eroHS condition ; and 
 when we ha*ve the highe^ and moH plea'- 
 fing Gale tTjf the worlds faz^our for us , 
 giz^e us to {^nkc our fpreading Sails &f 
 Pridey and to mal^ our Lenity and Mode- 
 ration to be h^wwn to all men , for the" 
 Lord is nigh at hand. But if thou in 
 thy juU judgment againU us for our mani- 
 fold and hainous fins , fljalt caufe fome 
 crofs wind or other to blow upon us ^ and 
 gvvc Hs over to Shipvvrack in our tempo* 
 
 rals y 
 
Ill 
 
 rals J Supply then^ we entreat thee^ their 
 want with thyjpirituals ofPatience^Faithy 
 and other fuffering graces ; That although 
 the tempefl: be ne'ver fo boiftcrous with-' 
 out 5 yet we may enjoy within a Chriflian 
 calmnefs of Spirit^ in a happy quietude 
 and contentednejl of mind with all thy 
 dealings towards us , and not fet down 
 our reH upon the Creature , which is fo 
 rejileji with us^ but amidU the fundry 
 and 'various changes of the worldy may 
 there jix our Hearts^ where onely true and 
 unchangeable joys are to be found^ through 
 Jefus Chrift our Lord. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
If 
 
I 
 

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K "^ • 
 
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