A Commentary on 1 Peter 1-3, Exposition of chapter 1 · Exposition of verse 22

A Commentary on 1 Peter 1-3 · Exposition of chapter 1 · Exposition of verse 22

p. 193VERSE 24, 25.

24. For all flesh is as grasse, and all the glory of man is as the flower of grasse: the grasse withereth, and the flower falleth away:

25. But the word of the Lord endureth for ever, and this is the word which is preached among you.

THese words containe the sixt and last reason for the inforcing of the exhortation in the 13. verse, and it is taken cheefly from the mortality of the body; where his drift is to set before us the marvelous vanity and brevity, and transitorinesse of the naturall life and condition of all men: amplified by the eternity of those spirituall effects, which are wrought by the word of God preached, that so wee might be induced with the more sincerity and earnestnes to deny the world, and to provide an infallible assurance of hope, in the grace to be brought in the day of Christ; and so it impliedly shewes, that the reason why the most men are so intangled with all sorts of impediments, and why men so greedily, and excessively seeke the profits and pleasures of this world, and why men are so slenderly furnished with arguments of sound hope of a better life: I say the reason of all this is, the forgetfulnesse of our mortality, and our transitory estate in this world.

The words in themselves containe a lively description of our transitory and mortall condition in this world, amplified by the commendation of the word of God, by which we are borne againe, and fitted for a better world: The vanity of man is set downe verse 24. the eternity of the word verse 25.

The vanity of man is both propounded, and repeated: propounded in these words, All flesh is grasse, and all the glory of man as the flower of grasse: repeated in these words, the grasse withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.

The proposition concernes either the persons of men, or the condition of men. For their persons, all flesh is grasse. For their condition, the glory of man is as the flower of grasse; and so the proposition shewes, that he is mortall. The repetition shewes, how he is so: His body withereth as grasse, and his glory falleth away as the flower.

From the coherence with the former verse I might note two things.

1. That man is a creature both mortall, and immortall: mortall, as he is borne of his Parents: immortall, as he is borne of God: mortall, in respect of his naturall life, and immortall in respect of his spirituall life: mortall in repect of his flesh, and spirituall in respect of his soule.

2. That the consideration of the mortality of our bodies will quicken man unto a care of the immortality of his soule. But I passe from these.

All flesh is grasse.

The words of the proposition are all plaine,Doct. taken in their proper signification, save that by flesh is ment the nature of man in respect especially of his body: but for the doctrine of these words three things would be weighed.

1. The affirmation concerning the body of man, that it is like grasse.

2. The extent of the affirmation, when he saith all flesh is grasse.

3. The consideration of the time, when he saith in the present time, It is grasse, not it shall be.

For the first: the word rendred grasse is translated sometimes the blade of wheate, as Mat. 13.26. sometimes hey, as 1 Cor. 3.12. but most usually grasse, and so the sense gives it here. Now for the phrase of speech: It is true that sometimes it is spoken in the praise of Gods Elect, that they are like grasse, viz. for their growing, and flourishing in grace and happinesse, as Esay 44 4. Psal. 72.16. Rev. 9.4. but usually in scripture it is taken to signifie the misery of all men by nature: And so it notes especially the fraile condition p. 194of man in this life, he is like grasse, because as the grasse is to day, and to morrow is cast into the oven: so is man to day, and to morrow is cast into the grave: he is suddenly gone, and in short time spoiled of all his earthly glory. The world of men might be resembled to a field of grasse in many respects, but this is that the Holy Ghost cheefely aimes at.

So then the first doctrine is, that a man by nature is like grasse for the brevity of his life, and the suddennesse many times of his death.

Vse.The Uses are divers.

First, for reproofe of three sorts of men. 1. Of all those that minde onelyonly the things of the flesh; why do men so studie for the provision of the flesh? can men remember that their flesh is as grasse, and yet seeke great things for this life onelyonly? let all men know, that they that sow to the flesh, shall certainly of the flesh reape corruption. 2. Of such as place their trust and hopes in man: for this reason, he is cursed, that maketh flesh his arme, seeing all flesh is grasse. 3. It reprooves divers of Gods children too for their too much feare of the rage of wicked men. The Apostle, when he said, we wrastle not with flesh and blood, meant to shew, that we should not be so much distressed for that kinde of combat, as teaching, that it were better to wrastle with ten adversaries, than with one temptation, but most plainely, Esay 51.12.

Secondly, there is matter of consolation too, and that divers waies. For first, though our flesh be as grasse, yet that hinders not Gods love to us: for he cl…theth the very grasse of the field, Mat. 6.Matt 6and shall he not provide for us also? Secondly, the Lord is pleased to use the consideration of this doctrine, as an argument to move him to pitty us; he knowes our frailty, and therefore will not deale rigorously with us, as these places shew, Ps. 103.13. & 90.6. & 78.39. Esay 40. &c. Thirdly, the mortality of the flesh should occasion us to rejoyce… in the immortality of our spirit, and to bee glad at heart, that we are borne againe, not of the bloods of mortall men, but by the will and word of the immortall God,Ioh. 1.12.John 1:12 that so we may be comforted against the sense of the decaies of our bodies by remembring that we have a building made of God without hands, 2 Cor. 5.1.2 Cor 5:1e ternall in the heavens, though the earthly house of our Tabernacle be dissolved. Lastly, it may comfort us, if we consider, that the Lord hath beene pleased to resolve with himselfe to take the care of us, and our posterity after us, because he knowes we cannot continue alwaies with our children: for so the Prophet David assures the godly, that though their flesh be but as the grasse, yet God will establish his mercy to them, that are left behinde them; the Lord will deale righteously with their childrens children, Ps. 10….15, 18.

Thirdly, wee should all therefore learne to crucifie the bootlesse lusts of the flesh, and to compell our selves so to thinke of saving our spirits in the day of Christ,Gal. 5.24.Gal 5:24 as to forbeare to entangle our selves with the cares of life; seeing it is all in vaine, we must dye, and goe hence, and that suddenly, and shortly …especially we should provide that Christ may live in us by faith,Gal. 1.10.Gal 1:10 that so we may be provided to continue when our flesh will faile us: yea thirdly, seeing in this world it will never be better with our bodies, therefore wee should reach our flesh, Psal. 16▪10.Ps 16:10that great lesson of resting in hope: even wee should learne to wa… for the resurrection, when even our flesh shall be made spirituall, and this corruption shall put on incorruption.

Thus of the affirmation it selfe: Now the extent of i… is in the second place to be considered▪ viz. that all flesh is grasse.

All flesh.

Not onelyonly the flesh of beasts of the field, and sowles of the ayre, but even the flesh of man is grasse, and amongst men there is no difference: The flesh p. 195of Princes is as mortall, as well as the flesh of peasants: the most mighty helpers must stoope to the power of death. There is a great deale of difference in grasse, a thousand formes in one medow, or pasture; yet all alike in this, that they must wither. The outward difference of mens places in the world makes no difference in death:Prov. Psal. 49.Ps 49 The rich and the poore both meet together in the grave, as dies the begger, so dies the King: Riches will not ransome from death, no price can be a redemption from the grave: Healthfull bodies are as grasse as well as sickly bodies: such as abound in the helps of physick must dye, as well as they that are destitute of all meanes to preserve life: The strongest must stoope to death, as well as the weakest; the longest livers must dye at last, as well as the creature but of a dayes continuance. If men then should live 900. yeeres and more, yet at length it must be said of them, they died: yea godly men must die, as well as wicked, Psal. 102.12. The people are but grasse, Esay 40.7. yea the flesh of the son of God had no priviledge from death, he was put to death in respect of the flesh, 1 Pet. 3.21.

Therefore this may serve first for singular reproofe of that unspeakable beastlinesse that is in wicked men, that will not be moved with the contemplation of the ruine of the whole world: oh the unutterable Lethargy of these mens hearts, that will not consider their latter end, when so unchangeable a decree is prest upon all men, that at their appointed time, they must once die! This very doctrine may shew the horrible effect of sinne in the hearts of men, that can extinguish a consideration so universally obvious to every mans sense; oh yee brutish amongst the people, when will yee understand?Ps. 92.6, 7.Ps 92:6Ps 92:7

Secondly, this may informe us that multitude is no prerogative: multitude cannot protect men against the stroke of God and death; Though hand joyne in hand, yet sinne cannot be unpunished: It is as easie for God to smite all flesh, as any flesh: It is as easie for him to destroy the whole world, as to destroy one man. All flesh is grasse: If the sithe can with few strokes move downe thousands of formes of grasse; how much more easie is it for God with the sithe of his judgements to cut downe multitudes of men? And besides, that may informe us, that the doctrine of death must be sounded in the eares of all men; there is no man but this doctrine belongs to him, and therefore woe unto him, if he make no good use of it: yea so necessary is this doctrine, that the Ministers of the Gospell are commanded not to write it onelyonly, but to speake it; nor that onelyonly, but to cry it out with all possible both affection, and power of inforcement, Cry, all flesh is grass…, Esay 40.6.

Thirdly, this may teach.

1. Rich men in speciall to lay this to heart: For God hath given them this doctrine to humble them, and to teach them not to glory in their wealth, but if they have gotten grace let them rejoyce, that God hath provided better things than the things of this life for them: They are more happy, that God hath made them low by giving them a sight of their sins, and so to be humbled for them, then that he made them great in the world: for their flesh is but grasse, and all that glory must vanish, as will be shewed afterwards. The Use is urged, Iam. 1.10, 11. Ps. 49.

2. Strong men, to whom God hath given helps of nature, or arte: Use thy strength, but rejoyce not in it: Use thy Physicke, but trust not upon it: For, for all that thou must dye; there is no arte nor remedy, against death.

3. All men, and so we should all learne two things especially. 1. To put our trust in God, which liveth for ever, since all men must perish, and wee cannot continue here, it is the best relying upon God, and his favour, and helpe, who liveth ever to performe his promise, and to provide for his servants: thus David useth this consideration, Ps. 102.12, 13. 2. To be patient, p. 196when we feele the walls of our earthly house begin to moulder down, when we feele death beginning like a moth to feed upon us, we should be patient, seeing it is not onelyonly unavoidable, but that it is the case of all men, as well as ours. Thus of the extent of the affirmation. The time followes.

Is grasse.

This mortality may be said to be so presently. It is so in divers respects: 1. It is so …n the cause, which is sin; the cause of death is in us already, it hath infected our very bones. 2. It is so in the sentence; the doome is already gone out upon all flesh: It is appointed, that all men shall once die. The very sentence uttered in Paradise of dying the death, stands still unrevoked in respect of our flesh. 3. It is so in experience: all flesh is dead, never any scaped. 4. It is so in respect of d…sposition to death; we are all but dying men, death hath taken hold of us, and doth every day feed upon us insensibly: To live, is but to lie a dying. The disposition to death is inflicted upon all men; for all tend to death. 5. Lastly, it may be said all flesh is grasse for certainty, that is, we shall as certainely vanish hereafter, as if it were now presently done.

Vse.The use should be the more to inforce upon us the care of providing for a change, since death is so many waies made fast unto us; and withall it may serve to confute the vaine hope of long life here, seeing we are all but as so many dead men; here to day, and to morrow cast into the grave: and wee should also learne hence to be continually thinking of death: must we not do the worke that is present to us? why death is before thine eyes, why then dost thou not the thing of the day in the day? It is thy every dayes worke to die, to learne to die, seeing we die daily.

Hitherto of that branch of the proposition that concerns the body of man…no… followeth the vanity of mans condition in this world.

The glory of man is as the flower of grasse.

Ier. 9.24. P…al. 49. Dan. 2.37. Phil. 2.3. 1 Thes. 2.6. … Cor. 11 18. Esay 8.7.Jer 9:24Dan 2:37Phil 2:31 Thess 2:6Isa 8:7Here first the s…se of the words is to be considered: By the glory of man he meaneth whatsoever it is in outward things which man glorieth in; any thing that man rejoyceth in, admireth, praiseth, seeketh as an ornament, or happinesse to himselfe, such as are riches, strength, honour, high places, and command over others, beauty, praise of men, excellency of naturall gifts, noble birth, calling, multitude of attendants, and such like.

By man he meaneth here the naturall man, or the outward man, for of the spirituall man it is not true, because he glorieth in that shall never fade, nor be taken away from him.

Now this glory is compared to the flower of grasse for transitorinesse, because it will fade and fall away, as the repetition sheweth, and that speedily too, as the uses of this similitude in divers scriptures shew, as will afterwards more appeare.

Doct.The doctrine then is, that all the outward glory of man in this world is exceeding vaine, and so it may appeare for six causes, or considerations, for I omit many other reasons.

Mans glory vaine for six reasons.First, for the most part these things so much desired, cannot be had, or not as they are desired, and therefore their glory is vaine, because they are sought in vaine.

Eccles. 5.Eccl 52. If they be obtained, yet the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the eare with bearing of them, they cannot fill the heart of man.

3. Many times it fals alike in these things to the foole and to the wise, both in having them, and in losing them, and this is a miserable vanity and vexation of spirit.

4. The glory that is placed in these things, is liable to be interrupted with a thousand crosses: either they expire the vanity, or are taken away by violence.

5. If they could make us happy, yet death will not let us enjoy them: p. 197many men spend their daies in getting these things, and then in learning how to put them to their delightfullest use, and then (when to possesse them might seeme a happinesse) they die.

6. Lastly, that which is now our glory, will not be remembred when we are gone, as we care not for the glory of those that are past: It is a poore praise to say of a man when he is gone, he was a rich man, a strong man, a noble man, &c. and yet even this also will be forgotten.

The holy Ghost in divers Scriptures points at divers uses of this doctrine, and first for instruction it should teach us divers duties:

1. Not to trust upon these outward things, if God give them, not glory in them, nor boast of them, Psal. 49.4. to 15. Ier. 9.24. yea if God give us to taste some sweetnesse in them, yet be not too confident, for the comforts of mans heart wither like grasse, Psal. 102.5.4. Iam. 1.10, 11.

2. Not to contend for precedency in these things, nor to strive that our glory should exceed the glory of others; for God many times ends the quarrel with his judgments, and staines their glory on al sides, as Zach. 12.7.

3. Not to feare wicked men, when they are made rich, or grow great, and when their glory is increased. For their glory will not last, when they dye, they carry nothing with them: their glory cannot descend after them, Psal. 49.15, 16, 18. and therefore we should never envy their prosperity, for the same reason, as Psal. 37.1, 2.

4. Not to know any man after the flesh, nor to measure mans happinesse by the possession, or want of this glory, 2. Cor. 5.

5. If thou possesse these outward things, doe good to thy selfe, eate, and drinke, and let thy heart rejoyce, and deny not contentment to thy heart through vaine care, or bootlesse feares, Psal. 49.18. Eccles. 8.

6. It should teach men faithfulnesse in their particular calling. For seeing these things last but a while wee should take heed to our charge, whilst God leaves them to our disposing or using, so Pro. 27.23, 25, 26. Heb. 13.5, 6.

7. If God give thee but a little, yet be content, it is no great restraint to have the abundance of such transitory things withheld, see Pro. 27.23, 25. Heb. 13.5, 6.

8. It should teach us then to enquire after true glory, that may enrich the spirituall man, seeing this glory of the outward man is so transitory: now here is a great and profitable question to be propounded, and resolved, and seriously to be received, and practised.

Quest. What are those things, wherein true glory lyeth, and in the profession of which, we possesse true glory, seeing all those things be not worth the seeking after?

Answ. For answer hereunto, if wee follow this word glory through the scriptures, we shall find it lighting downe, and setting upon divers particular distinct excellencies worthy the utmost labour of all men to studie them,What is mans true glory. and seeke after the fruition of them. This glory is either in this world, or the world to come: In this world, if we marke the scriptures quoted, we shall find divers things to be mans true glory, as 1. Christ is the King of glory, the fountaine of all true glory, Ps. 24. and he is unto us the foundation of all our hope of glory, Col. 1.27. 2. The spirit of adoption is the spirit of glory, and of God, and if this rest upon us we cannot be miserable, 1. Pet. 4.14. 3. Our soules are our glory, and if we provide for them, we provide richly for our selves; so are our soules called, Ps. 16.8. & 30.13. Gen. 49.6. Esay 5.14. 4. The meanes, and signes, and pledges of Gods presence, and our communion with him are our glory: Thus the Arke was called the glory, Rom. 9.5. and thus plaine and powerfull preaching is accounted glory, 1 Cor. 2.7. & 2 Cor. 3.9, 10: and thus our godly teachers are the glory of our lives, 2 Cor. 2.14. 5. The favour of God and the assurance of his mercy is our glory, an incomparable treasure, Psal. 90.14, 16, 17. 6. Faith is a mans glory, and will be so acknowledged in the day of Christ, Iam. 2.1. 1 Pet. 1.7. 7. True grace and the gifts that resemble Christ, the vertues of Jesus Christ, even these are our glory, 2 Pet. 1.3. Esay 1.5. and thus wisdome is durable riches, Prov. 8.18. 8. A free estate in the profession of the Gospell, and serving of God, 1 Cor. 9.15. 9. The testimony of a good conscience, 2 Cor. 1.12. In one word, God is our glory, Esay 6.19. Ps. 3.4.

Thus we see what is our glory in this life, and unto those things we must aspire: The Lord give us understanding to lay these things to our hearts. Now because these things are not fully possessed in this life, therefore our greatest glory is in the world to come, Rom. 5.2. Col. 3.4.

9. Seeing all the glory of man is as the flower of grasse in this world; therefore we should thinke the oftner of death, and pray to God to teach us to number our dayes, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome, Ps. 90.6, 12. Io… 14.1, 2.

10. Lastly, we should all be perswaded to subscribe easily and willingly to the tried doctrine of Salomon, that hath written a booke of purpose to record his experiences concerning the vanity of all those earthly things; such was his Ecclesiastes. Oh that we could beleeve it without trying conclusions, and further engaging our selves to these base and fading things! And thus of the Uses for instruction.

Secondly, wee may hence be informed, concerning the misery of wicked men. For since they have no glory in another world, and their glory in this world is so transitory and vaine, it may evidently prove, that their distresse is extreamely great, and their misery the more, that they cannot understand the basenesse of their owne condition: This very similitude of grasse, and the flower of grasse is used in divers scriptures to this end: as Psal. 91.7, 8. & 49.20. Ioh 8.12, 13. Ps. 129.6. & 37.36. Especially, how wofull is the estate of those men, that glory in their sinnes, that have no better felicity in their desires, but that which is properly their shame. For if their estate be vaine, that have no other happinesse, then in the riches, and honors, and pleasures of life: oh how wofull is the case of these men, that glory in their shame, their end is damnation, as their God is their belly? oh woe unto them, they have rewarded evill unto their owne soules, Phil. 3.18, 19. Esay 28.1, 4.

Thus of the proposition: The repetition or exposition of it followes.

The grasse withereth.

The repetition importeth generally three things.

First, the certainty of our vanity, and mortality, we must flee away hence: all outward glosse and glory will decay: what man liveth, and shall not see death? It is appointed by a decree irrevocable, that all men shall once dye; there can be no redemption for our lives, death passeth upon all men.

Secondly, the necessity of the doctrine, when God saith a thing over againe, it shewes us, that that point must be knowne, we must take notice of it: it is a doctrine cannot be missed in the Church: no worke of God will well go forward without it. He must cry aloud, that all flesh is grasse: God lo…g… … it were to have this doctrine take in our hearts: He knowes a great part of the hardship of godlinesse were over, if this were soundly digested: oh that they were wise, and would consider their latter end: men would apply their hearts to wisdome, if they had once learned to number their daies.

Thirdly, it imports, that God finds us wonderfull dull of hearing▪ and forgetfull, and carelesse of this doctrine, and that naturally we are wonderfull impo…nt in these considerations: The Lord doth reproach us as it were for negligence, that a plaine point should need to be repeated: And therefore p. 198we should examine our selves seriously herein, and not vexe God with our unteachablenesse in this point. Oh how might God be displeased with us, if he should call us to account herein! have we not heard, have we not seene from the beginning, that all flesh is grasse? yea hath not God heard our attestations? we shake our heads, we confesse it is true: we are sometimes comforted, and conceive some weake resolutions to thinke better of it, and provide for death: when God hath us here in the Church, as it were in his schoole, wee seeme as if wee had learn'd this lesson perfectly, and yet miserable wretches, (that the most of us are) we go home and forget all, as if wee had never bin taught it: nay is it not needfull for the most of us to be taught againe the same doctrine, which the very last Sabboth we heard of this argument? oh who is effectually perswaded amongst us indeed to lay it to his heart? doth not this repetion smite us all? certainly, if we be not warned, death may come before wee are aware, and surprise us, when wee shall not have time to learne to die.

There are many incoveniences come from this forgetting of the doctrine of our latter end, and suffering it to runne out.

1. Mens sins cleave fast unto them, their filthinesse is in their skirts, The inconveniences men bring upon themselves by forgetting death.because they remember not their latter end, Lam. 1.9. men live securely, while they keepe out the thought of death. 2. This brings many miseries upon men. For when God cannot prevaile by doctrine, he wil set upon us by judgment, and then we may come downe wonderfully, Deut. 32.29, 30. where…s we might avoid our distresses by thinking of death voluntarily. 3. We keep our spirits void of true magnanimity, we can never tell our strength, till we know, whether we can die, or no: one would chase a thousand, one I say of these, that will consider of their latter end, Deut. 32.30. 4. We can never tell whether our knowledge bee right or no, till wee have tryed it with thoughts of death: they are a people without understanding, that consider not their latter end, Deut. 32.28, 29. 5. Our hearts will grow harder and harder, if we put out these remorses wrought in us concerning death: as …ron is harder, the oftner it is heated and cooled. 6. We keepe our selves without those joyes would come of the frequent contemplation of the glory of heaven: we dare not thinke of heaven, because we would avoid the thought of death. 7. We give wonderfull advantage to the temptations of life. 8. We keepe our selves without the comfort of one excellent signe of our salvation, viz: the love of the appearance of Christ; we pray not that Gods kingdome may come, wee desire not to be dissolved; we dare not say with the Church, Come Lord Iesus, come quickly: wee are loth to pray God to teach us to number our dayes: for these things which have beene the excellent praises of the Saints, we suffer not to be found in us. 9. Lastly, (as I touched it before) death may come suddenly, and then what case are we in, that suffer the thoughts of death thus to go out, and be lost in us, so as they produce no sound effect of preparation in us?

But what must we doe that wee might bring our selves to a more serious consideration of our mortality & vanity, how may this fault in us be helped?Quest.

Goe to God by prayer to forme this in thee,Answ. strive with God by importuning his assistance in teaching thee to number thy dayes: it is Gods worke, we see the Israelites sentenced to death, yet could not mind it, and therefore Moses makes that prayer, Ps. 90.12. 2. It is an excellent helpe to inure our selves to die dayly, to trie how wee could die by the most effectuall supposition of our present death compelling our selves to put the case, what if I should now die? 3. The thought of death would not be so put off, if we had got a sound assurance of our salvation, and of the remission of our sins: it is want of assurance that makes many so afraid of dying. And thus in generall.

In particular, these words of the repetition afford us some observations, that are common to both: some speciall to each, in which they differ one from another. The observations that are common to both are these:

1. That men both in their bodies and glory will decay, man continueth not in one stay, if you looke either upon his person, or his estate. 2. That man in both decaieth speedily, he is of few daies in his body, and full of trouble in his estate, he commeth up like a flower, and fleeth away as a shadow, Ioh 14. 1, 2. it shall be accomplished before his time, that is, before the time he fancieth to himselfe, Ioh 15.33. The glory of may shall flee away as a bird; from the birth, and from the wombe, and from the conception, Hosh. 9.11. 3. That man decaies insensibly, he goes away by degrees, both in his body and honor, he declineth like a shadow, and is consumed as it were by the moth. 4. That man would come to this decay even without violence, as the grasse and flowers perish, though they were never cut downe. 5. That when man is decaied either in body or estate, he growes extreamely base & vile, he is but as a little stubble, or as a rotten leafe or flower. And all this should the more force upon man the care to provide for immortality, and not to glory in or trust upon his outward condition; especially it should make every one of us affraid of procrastination, death doth not alwaies give warning, nor can we alwaies foresee our ruine, or losse of outward things. And thus of what is common to both.

Now in speciall we may note:

1. That the text acknowledgeth more stability in the body of man, than in his glory. For the flower falleth off, or fadeth immediately after the spring usually, whereas the stalke is greene long after, and therefore it shews the vanity of such men, as so greedily pursue the getting of outward things, that they have not their owne bodies in estimation, nor allow themselves the fit use of the things they possesse, Eccl. 6.2. 2. That the bodies of men doe not utterly perish, as doth the glory of men. For the flower falleth off, whereas the grasse onelyonly withereth, the roote is alive within the earth: when a man dieth, he shall never see his riches or pleasures of this life any more; but yet his body hath a roote, and when the spring of the last resurrection comes, it will revive againe, which should in force upon us a more through contempt of all these earthly things, and the rather, if we consider further, what may be added concerning the glory of men. For besides that once it must faile, and that speedily: First, it is all stained and durtied already with mans sins;Esay 21.9.Isa 21:9 and also the Lord usually sets himselfe so to staine the pride of all glory, that it is scorned and despised even in the prime of it, but especially when it begins a little to decay. Besides, who knowes how sudenly all may be gone: the glory of many men we see is but as the hasty fruit before summer, which while he that looketh upon it seeth it, whilst it is yet in his hand, he eateth it up, Esay 28.4. Further, we may observe the manner, how the Lord doth bring downe the glorious beauty of many great men, as it were with a temp… of …aile (their afflictions comming in as thick as haile) and a destroying …orms as a flood of mighty & unresistable waters overflowing, so doth the Lord cast them downe to the earth, and tread their glory in the dust: yea and many times turne their great glory into surpassing shame, Esay 28.2. Ps. 7.5. Hos. 4.7.