So it is no matter what a man acts, if he do it well, he is for ever happy. If he do it ill, he is forever miserable: all here is but a Pageant. If you talk of realty,1 it is in the things of Religion. If you talk of true Nobility, it is to be the Child of God. If you talk of true Riches, they are those that we carry to our deathbed, those that we carry to Heaven; those that comfort the soul; those that enrich the soul with Grace, and Comfort, and Peace, that is true Riches. If you talk of ⟨p. 57⟩true Beauty, it is to have the Image of God stamped upon our souls, to be like Christ, to be new Creatures. If we talk of true Strength, it is to stand against Temptations, to be able to serve God, and to go through the world without polluting our souls, to bear Crosses as we should, that is the true realty. The things of this life are all but Apparitions and Pageants. The greatest man in the world will say so when he lies a dying, as that great Emperor said, I have run through all things, and now nothing doth me good. The realty was gone that he thought of, and now there was nothing but a show and Apparition; when the realty was gone, nothing doth me good. Come to a man that is gasping out his life, and ask him, what doth honours do ⟨p. 58⟩you good? What doth riches do you good? what doth possessions do you good? Solomon a wise man, wise by the Spirit of God, wise by experience, because he was a King: wise by a special gift of God, and the spirit of God, and experience together with the spirit of God and a gift of Wisdom, he had all to enable him to give a true sentence; he that had run through the variety of all good things, what doth he pronounce, but Vanity of Vanities? he cannot express himself, Vanity of vanities saith Wise, Holy, experienced Solomon, he that had all abilities that no man was able to say it so well as he, yet he saith Vanity of Vanities, and that which is worse Vexation of Spirit, if a man have not especial grace to manage them a right. And therefore I beseech you Brethren, ⟨p. 59⟩do but represent the things of this life, even under the notion here, they are but Apparitions, they are but Pageants. If we be to buy any thing in this world: we pull off the trappings, we pull off the Masque, or else we may be cozened in the thing: So if we would judge of the things of this world as they are;
So it is no matter what a man acts, if hee doe it well, hee is for ever happie. If hee doe it ill, hee is forever miserable: all here is but a Pageant. If you talke of realtie,1 it is in the things of Religion. If you talke of true Nobilitie, it is to bee the Childe of God. If you talke of true Riches, they are those that wee carrie to our deathbed, those that wee carrie to Heaven; those that comfort the soule; those that inrich the soule with Grace, and Comfort, and Peace, that is true Riches. If you talke of ⟨p. 57⟩true Beautie, it is to have the Image of God stamped upon our soules, to bee like Christ, to be new Creatures. If wee talke of true Strength, it is to stand against Temptations, to be able to serve God, and to goe through the world without polluting our soules, to beare Crosses as wee should, that is the true realtie. The things of this life are all but Apparitions and Pageants. The greatest man in the world will say so when he lyes a dying, as that great Emperour said, I have runne through all things, and now nothing doth mee good. The realtie was gone that hee thought of, and now there was nothing but a shew and Apparition; when the realtie was gone, nothing doth mee good. Come to a man that is gasping out his life, and aske him, what doth honours doe ⟨p. 58⟩you good? What doth riches doe you good? what doth possessions doe you good? Solomon a wise man, wise by the Spirit of God, wise by experience, because hee was a King: wise by a speciall gift of God, and the spirit of God, and experience together with the spirit of God and a gift of Wisedome, hee had all to inable him to give a true sentence; hee that had runne through the varietie of all good things, what doth hee pronounce, but Vanity of Vanities? he cannot expresse himselfe, Vanity of vanities sayth Wise, Holy, experienced Solomon, he that had all abilities that no man was able to say it so well as hee, yet hee saith Vanitie of Vanities, and that which is worse Vexation of Spirit, if a man have not especiall grace to mannage them a right. And therefore I beseech you Brethren, ⟨p. 59⟩doe but represent the things of this life, even under the notion here, they are but Apparitions, they are but Pageants. If wee be to buy any thing in this world: wee pull off the trappings, wee pull off the Masque, or else wee may bee couzened in the thing: So if we would iudge of the things of this world as they are;
- 1Things in religion, real.Things in religion, reall.
