Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

Thirdly, in much wisdom is much grief, and he that ⟨p. 70⟩increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. In civill wisdom, the more able a man is the more service is cast upon him, the more businesses run through him, the less can he enjoy his time or liberty. His Eminence lodes him with envy, jealousies, observation, suspicions, forceth him oftentimes upon unwelcome compliancies, upon colours and inventions to palliate unjust counsels, and stop the clamours of a gainsaying Conscience, fills him with fears of miscarriage and disgrace, with projects of honour and plausibility, with restless thoughts touching discoveries, preventions, concealments, accommodations, and the like, in one word is very apt to make him a stranger to God and his own soul. In other learning, let a man but consider, First, The confusion, uncertainty, involvednesse, perplexities of causes and effects by mans sin; Secondly, The pains of the body, the travel of the mind, the sweat of the brain, the tugging and plucking of the understanding, the very drudgery of the soul to break through that confusion, and her own difficulties; Thirdly, the many invincible doubts and errors which will still blemish our brightest notions; Fourthly, the great charges which the very instruments and furniture of learning will put men to; Fifthly, the general disrespect which, when all is done, it finds in the world, great men scorning it as pedantry, ordinary men unable to take notice of it, and great scholars fain to make up a theatre amongst themselves; Sixthly, the Insufficiency thereof to perfect that which is amiss in our nature, the malignant property thereof to put sin into armour, to contemn the simplicity and purity of Gods Word; And lastly, the near approach thereof to its own period, the same death that attendeth us being ready also to bury all our learning in the grave with us: these and infinite▪ the like considerations must needs mingle much sorrow with the choicest Learning.

Thirdly, in much wisdome is much griefe, and he that ⟨p. 70⟩increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. In civill wisdome, the more able a man is the more service is cast upon him, the more businesses runne through him, the lesse can hee enjoy his time or liberty. His Eminence lodes him with envy, jealousies, observation, suspicions, forceth him oftentimes upon unwelcom compliancies, upon colours and inventions to palliate unjust counsels, and stop the clamors of a gainsaying Conscience, fills him with feares of miscarriage and disgrace, with projects of honour and plausibility, with restlesse thoughts touching discoveries, preventions, concealements, accommodations, and the like, in one word is very apt to make him a stranger to God and his owne soule. In other learning, let a man but consider, First, The confusion, uncertainty, involvednesse, perplexities of causes and effects by mans sinne; Secondly, The paines of the body, the travell of the minde, the sweate of the braine, the tugging and plucking of the understanding, the very drudgery of the soule to breake through that confusion, and her owne difficulties; Thirdly, the many invincible doubts and errors which wil stil blemish our brightest notions; Fourthly, the great charges which the very instruments and furniture of learning wil put men to; Fifthly, the general disrespect which, when all is done, it findes in the world, great men scorning it as pedantry, ordinary men unable to take notice of it, and great schollers faine to make up a theater amongst themselves; Sixthly, the Insufficiency thereof to perfect that which is amisse in our nature, the malignant property thereof to put sinne into armour, to contemne the simplicity and purity of Gods Word; And lastly, the neere approach thereof to its owne period, the same death that attendeth us being ready also to bury all our learning in the grave with us: these and infinite the like considerations must needs mingle much sorrow with the choisest Learning.