The fading of the flesh and flourishing of faith, or, One cast for eternity…

Reader, thou longest for the things of this world, and thinkest, couldst thou have but a table full of such dishes, thou shouldst feed heartily, and fill thy self: but dost thou not know they are like the meat which sick men cry so much for, that when brought to them, they can taste of (possibly) but not at all fill themselves with. The pond of the creature hath so much mud at the bottom, that none can have a full draught. The Sun and Moon seem bigger at first rising, then when they come to be over our heads. All outward things are great in expectation, but nothing in fruition. The world promiseth as much, and performeth as little as the Tomb of Semiramis: When she had built a stately Tomb, she caused this Inscription to be engraven on it; Whatsoever King shall succeed here and want money, let him open this Tomb, and he shall have enough to serve his turn: which Darius afterwards (wanting money) opened, and instead of riches found this sharp reproof, Unless thou hadst been extremely covetous and greedy of filthy lucre, thou wouldst not have opened the grave of the dead to seek for money. Thus many run to the world with high hopes, and return with nothing but blanks: hence it is, that worldlings are said to feed on lies, and to suck wind from this Strumpets breasts, both which are far from filling, Hosea 10.13. Hosea. 12.1.

Reader, thou longest for the things of this world, and thinkest, couldst thou have but a table full of such dishes, thou shouldst feed heartily, and fill thy self: but dost thou not know they are like the meat which sick men cry so much for, that when brought to them, they can taste of (possibly) but not at all fill themselves with. The pond of the creature hath so much mud at the bottome, that none can have a full draught. The Sun and Moon seem bigger at first rising, then when they come to be over our heads. All outward things are great in expectation, but nothing in fruition. The world promiseth as much, and performeth as little as the Tomb of Semiramis: When she had built a stately Tomb, she caused this Inscription to be engraven on it; Whatsoever King shall succeed here and want money, let him open this Tomb, and he shall have enough to serve his turn: which Darius afterwards (wanting money) opened, and instead of riches found this sharp reproof, Ʋnless thou hadst been extreamly covetous and greedy of filthy lucre, thou wouldst not have opened the grave of the dead to seek for money. Thus many run to the world with high hopes, and return with nothing but blanks: hence it is, that worldlings are said to feed on lies, and to suck wind from this Strumpets breasts, both which are far from filling,