The Last Battle of the Soul, Religious tract 1 · Part 4 · Section 3 – Section 7
3. RICHES.
Now let vsus come to Riches▪ what are they? a swift vanitie, which with winges flie away like an Eagle.Prou. 25. 5
I compare the most parte of rich men vntounto Spiders, which spend their verie bowels in weeuing a web wherewith they may catch a flee.
*NoteWhat is all the glorie of Riches, but like a feast in print? all sortes of meat are there, all sorts of wine are also there but onelie words & lines: There is nothing there indeede that can either flake the hunger o… quench the thi…st of the wearied man, no not after that hee hath laboured night and day, might and maine, to attaine contentment.
*NoteThis world is rich in pr…ffers, but of petit performance: Man for a space like a Shippe before the wind are rich laden, may glide gladlie ouer the sea of this world▪with a full saile: Hee may get Ladies sailing, as wee say, and that in a wonderfull quietnesse, but a little after such calme, Alcedonian dayes are past, euen while he is swimming in his wealth, blessing himselfe, as who but hee, vp getteth a tempest, and downe commeth a blast, beholde, a little from the Shore in sight of the Hauen, in the hight of his hopes, and hee is tumbled head-long downe to the bottome of the Gulfe. Let this bee a lesson vntounto all, not to say with Dauid in his prosperitie I shall neuer bee moued: Psal. …0. 6.Shall this bee mans felicitie, which daylie is in reuerence of Winde, and Waue, Pyrats, and Perrels.
Certainlie it is none happinesse for man heere to hauehave this wicked world at will: It is Gods customeGen 17 39 to giuegive the fatnesse of the Earth to the men of this World▪ *NoteThese onlie be ye things whereof they hauehave an assigned liferent vvith that rich man in the Gospel, to whom Abraham afterLuk. 16. 25 his death cryed downe, Remember that in thy life-time thou receiuedst thy good things: *NoteAt Abrahams requeast GOD refused not to make Ismael vvealthie in this world: Concerning Gen▪ 17. 20Ismael, said the Lord, I hauehave heard thee: Loe, I hauehave blessed him▪ and will make him fruitfull, and will multiplie him exceedinglie: Twelue Princes shall hee beget. The bitter teates of prophane Esau were comforted with the fatnesse of the Earth; Gen. 27. 39& with the dew of heauen from aboue. Christ cast first the bagge vntounto Iudas▪ Ioh. 12. 6.and after gaue him a sop, for to lette the world know that neither money Ioh. 13. 26nor meate, are sure tokens of Gods fauour.
The wicked men of this vvorld are content with such thinges, because their heauen is vponupon earth, they hauehave their portion in this life.
As for the Godlie though with Iacob they hauehave but a staffe in theirGen 32. 10 hand for to goe out the vvay▪ they will bee content if so bee that GOD will giuegive them bread to eate and clothes Gen. 28▪ 20to put on.
* Alas, that vvee cannot consider that by such heaped vp treasures Rom. 2. 5.men often heape vp to themselues treasures of wrath against the day of 1 Tim. 16 19wrath: Happie they vvho lay vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come, that they may obtaine eternall life.
If vvee could with a fixed and sanctified eye behold all these things for which men doe vnderunder goe such paines by afflicting their Soules, wee should easilie perceiue our earthlinesse, vvhen vvee losse such things, which we louelove (and who can keepe them?) it breaketh the verie heart of all our contentments.
What are all such thinges I pray you, euen while most pleasinglie and plausiblie they are enjoyed to the full in the most fertile plaines of plentie & pleasures of this vvorld▪
These vvhose cuppe doeth ouerflow, in vvhose coffers are wadges of Gold, can best, if they vvould, declare the vanitie of such transitorie things, they know vvith vvhat cumber they are conquered, and vvith vvhat care they are kept: *NoteNay, man keepeth not them, but they keepe the minde of man in care.
Cura facit canos. Care changeth haire.
*NoteA peeuish worldling is a warded Wretch, entangled with golden fetters, his Palace is but a prison of carking cares, in scraping together hee taketh pleasure into paine▪ before his end hee cannot perceiue his follie▪ *NoteBut still he gads by Sea, & by Land, seeking vponupon the Sea and vponupon the Earth an heauenlie felicitie, till at last frustrate of all his hopes, hee falleth downe into the Graue with a jumppe.
*NoteThus as yee see such is the treason of our Treasures: They come like deceitfull dreames, and passe avvay like vanishing shadowes: One lie things Spirituall hauehave a sure and lasting roote.
*NoteAlas, in that our heart is least wherein it should be most, and most in that wherin it should bee least: Fooles that vvee are, vvee all earne vvages to put into a bottomelesse bag▪ Hag. 1. 6.Such vvages are often giuen in keeping to most vvorthlesse men, as Iudas got the bagge to keepe.Ioh, 12. 6.
Oh, that mens hearts vvere fixed on the lasting Treasu…es of immortalitie: Oh, that vvee could learne in time this sound Diuinitie, that all that is vnderunder the circle of the Moone is but flatte vanitie and vexation of the Spirit of man, vvhichwhich continuallie vvanders vp and downe at randome, seeking its felicitie in that where it is not to bee found.
*NoteWell is the man vvhose hearts desires are bounded and confined vvithin the secret compasse of contentment.
4. BEAVTIE.
What is Beautie, but as one faith vvell, a colour and a temptation? The colour fadeth, & the temptation …nareth: *NoteBehold, her who within these fourtie yeares seemed a perfection of Beautie, a rauisher of eyes; behold … now in her fourescore, vvith her vvrinkled cheekes, and her glasse… eyes, and her rotten teeth, and her stinking breath: *NoteBehold, and say with a sigh, Fauour is deceitfull, and prou. 31. 30Beautie is vanitie: But she that feareth the Lord shall bee praised.
*NoteThere is nothing more fadding than flesh; and yet man will not consider; vvhile his eye is quicke, & his lips rudie, and his colour liuelie▪ hee cannot think of changes, neither by age nor sicknesse, such a foolish conceite is bredde in the heart: Out of such a Beautifull sleepe hee cannot be vvakned, til God vvith a shout cause preach him to bee Grasse: The voyce Isa. 40. 6.said cry: The Prophet saide, What shall I cry? All flesh is grasse, and the goodnesse thereof as the flower of the fielde: The grasse withereth, the flower faddeth, because the Spirit of the Lord blaweth vponupon it: Surelie the people is grasse: By this the Lords publicke Oyas, all fleshlie beautie is cryed downe, as beeing but a beguiling colour, and a snairing temptation: Fye on men and vvomens follie▪ care for colour is but vanitie: Heere is beautiePsal. 90. 17 vvithout fard: Let the beautie of the Lord our God bee vponupon vsus: *NoteAll other beauty is lik an Almanack whose vse is but for a yeare: It is but a baite for catching of vnstable Soules.
5. PLEASVRE.
As for all the Pleasures, vve reape in earthly things, I compare them to fruites eaten before they bee ripe, vvhichwhich fi…st set the teeth on edge, and thereafter cause diuerse and deadlie diseases.
*NoteThere is no pleasure heere without a Page of paine▪ at its backe: Our vveedes and our flowers growe vp together, the best often is borne downe by the vvorst.
*NoteWhat I pray you are all the foolish pleasures of this world, but as wee ordinarlie call them passe times? Hath man so long a time to liue? Or is his journey from Earth to Heauen so easie or so short that hee may hauehave leasure for pleasures and passe times? Is mans short life so wealthie of time that it must be passed into passe-times? Must wee not in end come to count & reckoning for our euill and well spent houres▪
Moreouer, what are the most parte of all earthlie delights? The most excellent are but noble miseries, the fairest are but farded lik the face2 King. 6. 30 of Iezebel, onelyonly an out-side or outward scroofe of pleasure? What I pray you are all carnall delights, but the lymetwiges of the Deuill, wherewith the sillie Soules of sinners are ensnared and entangled?
What shall I say more? *NoteAll the pleasures that are below may well be compared to a smokie fire in a f…ostie day whereof the smoke is more hurtfull than the fire is helpefull: All the joys which are heere, are but reekie pleasures purchased with teares, wher with the eyes of men are made bleared:Prou. 14. 13 In laughing the heart will bee sorrowfull; and the end of that mirth is heauinesse: Worldlie pleasures but darkeneth the Reason, & deceiue the Senses: Voluptates carnales sunt putida & putrida, both stinking and rotten: Onelie the pleasures of Heauen are pure, perfect, and perpetuall: All other thinges slide away like water.
6. WISEDOME.
What is all the Wisedome of this World? Scripture saith, that it is but follie before God: *NoteIt may well1 Cor. 3. 19 bee compared to the Letters which Vriah carried against himselfe: If it bee not sanctified, it is in the bosome1 Sam. 11 14. … message against the messenger.
*NoteKnowledge and pregnancie of Wit stored with all morall vertues, without Gods feare are witnesse against the man himselfe, in whom they are: They will stand vp and testifie against him▪ that hee vnderstood his Masters will, and yet would not doe it: *NoteWoe to that backe in hell whose heart on earth was full engrossed of worldlie witte: Hee that knoweth his Masters will and doeth it not, shall bee beaten with manie strips: Away with that Soule whose vnderstanding is great swelled with knowledge, but lamed in its practicall powers, wherein is the working of the life of true Christianitie. Many in this world are much counted of their naturall …it, but wherin I pray you doe most men spend their wits and breake their braines? Is it not to be great in this world? In the meane time they are so spirituallie brutish, that they care not what they bee, o… where they be in the world to come▪
*NoteSuch fooles are like Fishers that leaue mayne seas for to fish in shallow puddle▪ As I beganne this point so I end it, all naturall witte▪ is branded with this, that it is but follie before 1 Cor. 3. 19.God: Let your Soule disavow and disclaime it, that yee may bee wise in God: Gods wise man to worldlie wise, is but a sillie Gods Foole.
7. CHILDREN.
*NoteAs for Children, their conception is with sicknesse & ouer▪ casting of heart: Their birth is with paines like the paines of hell: Their bu…iall is with teares, after many a wearisome night: Such pleasures are painefull pleasures: Apples of So dome are rotten vvithin.
*NoteBut let vsus suppone that, lik noble branches they liue and come to men, yea, to gray haires: They are our Heires, the end of all our painefull drudgery & carefull conquests▪ *NoteThough a man had conquered vntounto them the whole vvorld, hee must looke vponupon his conquest with a sigh, and say with the vvife Man▪ As for him that commeth after mee Eccles. 2. 19who knoweth whether hee shall bee a wise man or a foole, and yet he must bee master of all my labours: Man may conquise Lands to his Children, but Thrift, and Wisedome cannot bee bought: The most thriftie is often the father of the most for lorne.
What a vanitie is this? *NoteCertainlie who vvould weigh well all the pleasures of Children with the paines past, and the feares for time to come, should find all the pleasures light like wole, light like Belshazzar: Dan. 5. 27But his paines should be foūd to be like Pharaoh & his Armie, that sank Exod. 15. 10downe like Leads in to the might it waters: *NoteSuch light pleasures are soone ouerswayed with leadē paines: *NoteToo great pleasure in Children, is but a childish pleasure: The best of it is of ten laden shortly after with a lumpish crosse, vvhichwhich hath neede of a Simon for to beare vp the end of it forLuk. 23. 26 the helpe of the bearer.
Alas, the hearts of most men are too too much taken vp vvith that which may bee termed the sicknesse of Eli, or fathers follie, vvhichwhich hardlie1 Sam. 3. 13. can suffer controlement, or contradiction: They are so in louelove with their Children, that though they by a leud life mak themselues vile, they vvil not restraine them▪ Their minds are so giuen to them, that they are grieued to grieue them with fathers reproofes: But at last out-commeth the voyce of judgement, When I beginne 1 Sam. 3. 12.I will also make amend.