The preachers proclamation Discoursing the vanity of all earthly things, and proving that there…The preachers proclamacion Discoursing the vanity of all earthly things, and proouing that there…

Thus having found as it were the mine, now let us dig for the treasure. Vanity of vanities, &c. This is Solomons ⟨image 5⟩conclusion when he had given over the world, and tried all things like a spy sent into a strange Country, as if he were now come home from his pilgrimage; they gather about him to enquire, what he hath heard, and seen abroad, & what he thinks of the world, and those things which are so loved amongst men: like a man in admiration of that which he had seen, and not able to express particularly one after another, he contracts his news into a word, you ask me what I have seen, and what I have heard, Vanity saith Solomon, and what else, Vanity of vanities, and what else, all is vanity: this is the history of my voyage, I have seen nothing but vanity over the world, carry this for the news from the Preacher, Vanity of vanities, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity, and more then vanity. So the further he did go, the more vanity he did see? & the nearer he looked, the greater it seemed, till at the last he could see nothing but vanity: ⟨image 6⟩when he was come to this that he did see all things vain, upon which men set their hearts, he was moved with compassion and could be silent no longer, but needs he must write to them which seek felicity (as he did) in transitory things, to warn them that they seek not any longer in these foolish things which have no stability nor contentation, but fly from them to the fear of God which hath the promises of this life and the life to come. Therefore he begins with all is vanity; as if he should say, love not the world nor the the things of the world, for I have tried that there is no certainty nor contentation in them.¹ Thus he draws them first from the wrong way, and then sets them in the right way to happiness, which he defineth at last to be, fear God & keep his commandments. When he had gone through a thousand vanities, then that comes in at the end: even like our repentance which stays till death. So his drift is ⟨image 6⟩to show that mans happiness is not in these things which we count of: but in those things which we defer. His reason is, they are all vanity; his proof is because there is no stability in them, nor contentation of mind, his conclusion is, therefore contemn the world, and look up to heaven from whence ye came and whether ye go.