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…

First in using the Creature, be sure thou keep thine intellectuals untainted; for earthly things are apt to cast a film over mens eyes, and to misguide them into corrupt apprehensions and presumptions of them. We find nothing more frequent in the Prophets then to upbraid the people with their strange confidences which they were wont to rest upon against all the judgements which were denounced against them, by objecting their wealth, greatness, strong confederacies, inexpugnable munitions, their nests in the clouds, and their houses amongst the stars: they could never be brought to repent for sin, or to tremble at Gods voice, till they were driven off from these holds. A man can never be brought to God till he forsake the Creature, a man will never forsake the Creature till he see vanity in the Creature. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. David intimates that a man can never heartily pray against fixing his affections on earthly things, till he be really and experimentally convinced of the vanity of them. This rule Solomon observes to withdraw the desires of young men, who have strongest affections and smallest experience of the deceit of worldly things, Though thou rejoice and cheer up thy self, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes, yet Know thou that for all these ¹things God will bring thee to judgement, a time will come when thou shalt be stripped of all these, when they shall play the fugitives, and the years of darkness shall draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in ⟨p. 53⟩them: and then the Lord will revenge thy great ingratitude in forgetting and despising him amidst all his blessings, in idolizing his gifts, and bestowing the attributions of his glory, and the affections due unto him upon a corruptible Creature. In the Roman Triumphs² the General or Emperor, that rode in honour through the city with the principal of his enemies bound in chains behind his chariot, had always a servant running along by him with this Corrective of his glory, Resp•ce post te, hominem memento te. Look behind thee, and in the persons of thine enemies learn that thou thy self art a man subject to the same Casualties and dishonours with others.

First in using the Creature, be sure thou keepe thine intellectuals untainted; for earthly things are apt to cast a filme over mens eyes, and to misguide them into corrupt apprehensions and presumptions of them. We find nothing more frequent in the Prophets then to upbraid the people with their strange cōfidences which they were wont to rest upon against all the judgements which were denounced against them, by objecting their wealth, greatnesse, strong confederacies, inexpugnable munitions, their nests in the clouds, and their houses amongst the starres: they could never be brought to repent for sinne, or to tremble at Gods voyce, till they were driven off from these holds. A man can never be brought to God till he forsake the Creature, a man will never forsake the Creature till he see vanitie in the Creature. Turne away mine eyes from beholding vanitie. David intimates that a man can never heartily pray against fixing his affections on earthly things, till he be really and experimentally convinc'd of the vanity of them. This rule Salomon obserues to withdraw the desires of yong men, who have strongest affections and smallest experience of the deceit of worldly things, Though thou rejoyce and cheere up thy selfe, and walke in the waies of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes, yet Know thou that for all these