But now all worldly portions are mixed with many troubles, sorrows, cares, fears, hazards, dangers, vexations, oppositions, crosses, losses, and often times with many gripes of conscience too. ⟨p. 39⟩All earthly portions are mixed portions, 1the goodness of all creatures is a mixed goodness, our wine is mixed with water, our silver with tin, our gold with dross, our wheat with chaff, and our honey with gall, &c. every Be hath his sting, and every rose hath his prickles; and this mixture speaks out all earthly portions to be vanity and vexation of spirit, 1 Eccles. 1.13. That great Prince Exerxes was wont to say, You look upon my Crown, and my purple robes; but did you know how they were lined with thorns, you would not stoop to take them up. And who is there in this our English Israel, that cannot with both hands subscribe to this? The Emblem of King Henry the seventh in all his buildings (in the windows) was still a Crown in a bush of thorns; 2wherefore, or with what historical allusion he did so is uncertain; but surely it was to imply thus much, that great places are not free from great cares, that no man ⟨p. 40⟩knows the weight of a Sceptre, but he that sways it: This made Saul to hide himself amongst the stuff, when he should have been made King; many a sleepless night, many a restless day, many a sad temptation, and many a busy shift will their ambition cost them that affect such places of eminency. Besides, high places are commonly very slippery, he that stands in them may suddenly fall, and wound his conscience, or easily fall and break his neck. But
But now all worldly portions are mixt with many troubles, sorrows, cares, fears, hazards, dangers, vexations, oppositions, crosses, losses, and often times with many gripes of conscience too. ⟨p. 39⟩All earthly portions are mixt portions, 1the goodnesse of all creatures is a mixt goodness, our wine is mixt with water, our silver with tin, our gold with dross, our wheat with chaffe, and our honey with gall, &c. every Bee hath his sting, and every rose hath his prickles; and this mixture speaks out all earthly portions to be vanity and vexation of spirit, 1 Eccles. 1.13. That great Prince Exerxes was wont to say, You look upon my Crown, and my purple robes; but did you know how they were lin'd with thorns, you would not stoop to take them up. And who is there in this our English Israel, that cannot with both hands subscribe to this? The Emblem of King Henry the seventh in all his buildings (in the windows) was still a Crown in a bush of thorns; 2wherefore, or with what historical allusion he did so is uncertain; but surely it was to imply thus much, that great places are not free from great cares, that no man ⟨p. 40⟩knows the weight of a Scepter, but he that swayes it: This made Saul to hide himself amongst the stuff, when he should have been made King; many a sleeplesse night, many a restlesse day, many a sad temptation, and many a busie shift will their ambition cost them that affect such places of eminency. Besides, high places are commonly very slippery, he that stands in them may suddenly fall, and wound his conscience, or easily fall and break his neck. But
- 1All earthly riches are true gardens of Adonis, where we can gather nothing but trivial flowers surrounded with many briars and thorns.All earthly riches are true gardens of Adonis, where we can gather nothing but trivial flowers surrounded with many briars and thornes.
- 2B. Hall.
