She was but an Imp then, but now she is a mother, and who can number her sons and daughters: the child is vain in playing the mother vain in dandling, the father vain in giving, the Courtier vain in spending, the soldier vain in boasting, the suitor vain in striving, the traveller vain in talking, the merchant vain in swearing, the gentleman vain in building, the husbandman vain in carking, the old man vain in coveting, the Servingman vain in soothing, the young man vain in sporting, the Papist vain in superstition, the protestant vain in ⟨p. 840⟩conversation. Every vanity is so pleasant to one or other, that they cannot miss one. So she gads by Sea & by land, and still mo disciples flock unto her of gamesters & swearers and players, and tipplers, and hucksters, and Courtiers, as thick as the flies of Egypt, which buzzed in their ears, and their eyes, and their necks before,1 and behind, that a man cannot set his foot but upon Vanity. As the waters covered the earth, when but eight persons were saved:2 so vanity hath covered it again, a worse deluge than the first, because it hath not suffered eight persons to escape, but every man is tainted with some vanity or other, which God seeing in that place and City which should be best in the world,3 (that all men in the city were vain) calls it the City of vanity: So we may say the world of vanity, because she hath an interest in every person of it, she sits upon the earth like a Serpent, and hatcheth all the sins which you see amongst men. As full as Heaven is of bliss, so the world is fraught with vanity, Court, City & country, whither doth not vanity go, but to Heaven? Seeing then that vanity is so extolled amongest men,4 Solomon gives his sentence, that all is vanity. Christ like a Mediator concludes upon it that there is but one thing necessary: therefore let our sentence be like ⟨p. 841⟩theirs: For sure, if we had Solomons repentance, we should see such an image of vanity before us, as would make us cry again and again as often as Solomon: Vanity of vanities, vanity of vanities, and all is vanity. What a sweet sentence is this from a King, who may live as they list by authority, to say, that all is vanity? Oh, that we might hear Kings speak so again:
She was but an Impe then, but now she is a mother, and who can number her sonnes and daughters: the child is vaine in playing the mother vaine in dandling, the father vaine in giuing, the Courtier vaine in spending, the souldier vaine in boasting, the suter vaine in striuing, the trauailer vaine in talking, the merchant vaine in swearing, the gentleman vaine in building, the husbandman vaine in carking, the olde man vaine in coueting, the Seruingman vaine in soothing, the young man vaine in sporting, the Papist vaine in superstition, the protestant vaine in ⟨p. 840⟩conuersation. Euery vanitie is so pleasant to one or other, that they cannot misse one. So she gads by Sea & by land, and still mo disciples flock vnto her of gamsters & swearers and players, and tiplers, and haksters, and Courtiers, as thicke as the flies of Aegipt, which buzzed in their eares, and their eies, and their necks before,1 and behind, that a man cannot set his foot but vpon Vanitie. As the waters couered the earth, when but eight persons were saued:2 so vanitie hath couered it again, a worse deluge than the first, because it hath not suffered eight persons to escape, but euery man is tainted with some vanitie or other, which God seeing in that place and Citie which should be best in the world,3 (that all men in the citie were vaine) cals it the Citie of vanitie: So wee may say the world of vanitie, because she hath an interest in euery person of it, shee sits vpon the earth like a Serpent, and hatcheth all the sinnes which you see amongst men. As ful as Heauen is of blisse, so the world is fraught with vanitie, Court, Citie & countrey, whither doth not vanitie goe, but to Heauen? Seeing then that vanitie is so extolled amongest men,4 Salomon giues his sentence, that all is vanitie. Christ like a Mediatour concludes vpon it that there is but one thing necessarie: therefore let our sentence be like ⟨p. 841⟩theirs: For sure, if wee had Salomons repentance, we should see such an image of vanity before vs, as would make vs crie againe and againe as often as Salomon: Vanitie of vanities, vanitie of vanities, and all is vanitie. What a sweet sentence is this from a King, who may liue as they list by authority, to say, that all is vanitie? Oh, that we might heare Kinges speake so againe:
- 1Gen. 8. 30.
- 2Gen. 7. 27.
- 3Esa. 24. 10.
- 4Luk. 10. 40
