The Marrow of the Oracles of God, Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
The vanities of the seeming felicities of the world.
NOw it followeth, that I should intreat of the vanities that cleaue to the seeming felicities of the world, and proue that there is no reason to bee in louelove with life for any respect of them.
The best thing the world can What th… seeming feli…ties of the world are.make shew of▪ are Honours, Credit, Lands, Houses, Riches, Pleasures, Birth, Beauty, Friends, Wit, Children, Acquaintance, and the like. Now there be manythings which apparently proue, th…re can be no sound contentment, or felicity in these: For,
1. All things bee full of labour, who can vtter it? Ecclesiasticus 18. Men must gaine the Fifteene arguments to proue the vanity of the best worldly things. 1 All full of labour.blessings of the earth with the sweate of their browes: there is seldome any outward blessing, but it is attained with much difficultie, paines, or danger, or care, or grieuance some way.
2. How small a portion in these things can the most men 2. A small portion that is attained.attaine? If the whole world were possessed, it should not make a man happy; much lesse those small parcels of the world, which the most men can attaine, Eccles. 1. 3.
3. It is manifest, men cannot 3. Men cannot agree about the good …hat i… i… them, which should be best.agree about the chiefe good in these things. Life is therefore apparently vaine in respect of these things, because there are almost infinite proiects, and variety of opinions: and in all these successions of ages, no experience can make men agree to resolue which of these things hauehave felicity in them. Who knows what is good for a man in this life, all the daies of his vaine life, which he spendeth as a shadow? Eccles. 6. 12.
4. In all these things here is nothing now, but it hath beene; 4. Nothing.the same or the like to it. Now things that are common, are out of request, Eccles. 1. 9, 10. and 3. 15.
5. The world passeth away, and 1. The desire after these things will not last.the lusts thereof: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the care with hearing. If a man liue many dayes, his soule is not filled with good; the desire after these things will vanish; men cannot louelove them still: Our life is spent in wishing for the future, and bewailing of the past; a loathing of what wee hauehave tasted, and a longing for what wee hauehave not tasted: which, were it had, would neuer more satisfie vsus then that wee hauehave had. Hence it is that men wearying themselues in seeking of variety of earthly things and yet cannot be contented. The vexation that cleaues vntounto them still, breeds loathing. We are like men that are Seasicke, that shift from roome to roome and from place to place, thinking to find ease; neuer considering, that so long as the same Seas swell, and winds blow, and humors are stirred, alteration of place will not profit. So it is with vsus; so long as wee carry with vsus a nature so full of ill humours, and that the pleasures of the world hauehave so much vanity in them, no change of place, or delights can satisfie vsus: Seeing there are many things that increase vanity, what is man the better? Eccles. 6. 13.
6. How can these earthly things satisfie, when the nature 6 Their …re is va…e.of them is so vile and vaine? They are but blasts; a very shadow, which is something in appearance, but offer to lay hold vponupon it, thou graspest nothing. Man walketh in a vaine shadow, and disquieteth himselfe in vaine. He that …ueth siluer, shall not bee sati…fied with siluer, Eccles. 1. 9. Psal. 39.
7. Besides, there is a snare in all these earthly things; they are 7. Th… am…y of the world is …he enm…ty with God.like pitch to defile a man; there is euer one temptation or other lodged vnderunder them; and the fruition of them, and desire after them, breed may nolsome lusts in the soule, 1. Tim. 6. 6.
8. These outward things are 8. All sub…ect to van…ty or violence. Ma. 6. 19, 1…. They may be lost at t…e very seate of i… …gement. … …6 1…. & 4 1, 2also all vncertaine, & transitory: Riches hauehave wings, & will suddenly fly away: and Fame is but a blast: and the glory of man is but as the …wer of the field, which is to day, and tomorrow withered. The fashion of this world passeth away: and at the l…st day they shall all be burnt … consumed in in the fire: I meane 9 T…y w… …ot helpe v… …n the … day.these senslesse things, we now set our hearts vponupon, Esa. 40. 6. 1. Cor. 7. 31.
9. There is no support in these things, in the euil day they cannot helpe vsus, when the houre of temptation comes vponupon vsus.
10. A man may damne his 10. The louelove of them is …amnable.owne soule by two much liking of these things: the abuse of them may witnesse against men in the day of Christ: Iam. 5. 1. and Phil. 3. 19.
11. In these things there is 11. One condition to all.one condition to all; as it falleth to the wise man, so it doth to the foole, Eccles. 2. 14.
12. All things are subiect to 12 God wi… disposeGods vnauoidable disposing. Let man get what hee can, yet God will hauehave the disposing of it; and whatsoeuer God shall doe, it shall abide; to it can no man adde, and from it can no man diminish, Eccles. 3. 1.
13. A man may hauehave all abundance 13. A man may want an heart to vse them.of these things, and yet not hauehave a heart to vse them. Euill is so set in the hearts of the sonnes of men, and such madnesse cleaues vntounto them, that they cannot take the contentment of the things they hauehave; and so they bee worse then an vntimely fruite, Eccles. 6. 1, 7. and 9. 3.
14. EueryEvery day hath his euill; and 14. The euils of life euer …ingled with them.afflictions are so mingled with these outward things, that their tast is daily marred with bitternesse which is cast into them; no day without his griefe: and vsually the crosses of life are more, then the pleasures of liuing; so as they that reioyced, ought to bee as though they reioyced not.
15. Lastly, if all these considerations 15. Thou art mortallmay not suffice, then remember that thou art mortall; thy life is short, it passeth as a dreame, it is but as a span long, thy dayes are few and euill; all these things are clogged with a necessity of dying. Life was giuen thee with a condition of dying, Gen. 47. 9. Iob 14. 1. Thy life passeth like the winde, Iob▪ 7. 7. Yea, our dayes consume like smoake, Psal. 102. 3. All flesh is grasse, Esa. 40. 6. And hence arise many considerations deduced Our mor tality aggrauated by 4 considerations.from the head of our mortalitie: For,
1. All these things are but the 1 All …hou ha…t … but the prouision of a Pilgrim.necessaries of thy Inne: Thou art a stranger and a pilgrim, and canst enioy them but as a passenger; thou canst carry nothing out of this world but in all points as thou cammest into the world so must thou goe hence, Eccles. 5. 13, 14, 15.
2. The time, place, and manner 2 Thy death is vncertaine.of thy death is vncertaine: there is no time nor place, but man may dye in it; the Court, the Church, the Campe: yea the very wombe is not excepted. There is but one way to come into the world, but there are a thousand wayes to goe out; and therefore the possession of all things is wonderfull vncertaine.
3. When thou diest, all will be forgotten, there is no more remembrance 3. When thou diest, all will bee forgotten.of former things, nor shall there bee any remembrance of things which are to come, with those that …, Eccles. 1. 11. …, in the daies to … …gotten. Yea, … forgotten in the … hee hath done right; Eccles. 8. 10. For this very reason Salomon hated life, Eccles. 2. 17.
4. Wh…n thou diest, thou shalt 4 Thy case in death, whether thou die with, or without issue.die either without issue, or leaue children behind thee. If thou dye without issue, how hast thou beene▪ infatuated in seeking these outward things with so much care and toile, and couldest neuer say to thine owne soule, For whom doe I…rauell, and defraud my selfe of pleasure? Thou gatherest these things, and know…st not who shall inioy them. Eccles. 4. 8. If thou die and leaue issue; thou mayest be frighted and amazed with one of these things. For either thou mayest be d…spisest while thou liuest, of those for wh…m thou endurest …ore trauell, so as they that shall come after thee, doe not reioyce in thee, Eccles. 4. 15, 16. Or else thou mayest leaue the fruite of thy labours to a foole, or a wicked wretch. For who knoweth whether hee that shall rule ouer thy labours, shall be a wise man or a foole? This very consideration made Salomon hate all his labour which hee had taken vnderunder the Sunne; and he went about to make his heart despaire of all his labours, that he should vse all his wisedome and knowledge for attaining of great things, and yet might bee in danger to leau… all for a portion to him that hath not laboured in wisedome: and all this is vexation of spirit, Eccles. 2. 18. to 24. Or else thou mayest beget children, and thy riches perish before thy death, and then there is nothing in thine hand to leaue them, Eccles. 5. 14.