But does He, moreover and above, give us an Hundred fold in too? Yes, that he does, and more. For, we must know, that though we seek for Happiness by such Means yet, they are not the true Means to obtain it: for then some time or other, in them we should find it. But that no man ever yet could do: but still, having enjoyed any or all of them, they were fain to complain with St. Augustine, Cor irrequietum est, donec veniat ad Te, That Mans desire cannot be satisfied in any Creature; not, till it come at God. And so much we find wittily insinuated ⟨p. 54⟩by a Spanish Author, 1in his Fable of Jupiter, who being offended with Men for worshipping their Petty God, Content, to a neglect of himself, took Content away from them unto himself, and clapped his Brother Discontent into his clothes, that so men finding no Content on Earth, might seek for it only with him in Heaven. The Fable does Moralize it self, and signifies nor more nor less unto us, then what is the Subject of Solomon's Ecclesiastes, 2Vanity of Vanities, all is but Vanity: that therefore here we must not set down our staff, but seek further to that City in the Heavens, whose Maker and Builder is God. But now thither those Means we spake of would never lead us, for then our Saviour would never have bidden us forsake them, to follow Him: A plain Argument, they are, not Means and Helps but, Remoras and Hindrances, rather from Following Him and obtaining Happiness. And then, I hope, it cannot be, but Christ, in bestowing on us that Happiness we seek after, but being blind and erring cannot arrive unto: and this too by making us forsake what, we mistake for Happiness but, is indeed our Shame and Misery, does bestow on us the full worth of those Means and an Hundred fold to boot.
But does He, moreover and above, give us an Hundred fold in too? Yes, that he does, and more. For, we must know, that though we seek for Happinesse by such Meanes yet, they are not the true Meanes to obtaine it: for then some time or other, in them we should finde it. But that no man ever yet could doe: but still, having enjoy'd any or all of them, they were faine to complaine with St. Augustine, Cor irrequietum est, donec veniat ad Te, That Mans desire cannot be satisfi'd in any Creature; not, till it come at God. And so much we find wittily insinuated ⟨p. 54⟩by a Spanish Author, 1in his Fable of Jupiter, who being offended with Men for worshipping their Petty God, Content, to a neglect of himselfe, took Content away from them unto himselfe, and clapt his Brother Discontent into his clothes, that so men finding no Content on Earth, might seek for it onely with him in Heaven. The Fable does Moralize it selfe, and signifies nor more nor lesse unto us, then what is the Subject of Solomon's Ecclesiastes, 2Vanity of Vanities, all is but Vanity: that therefore here we must not set down our staffe, but seek further to that City in the Heavens, whose Maker and Builder is God. But now thither those Meanes wee spake of would never lead us, for then our Saviour would never have bidden us forsake them, to follow Him: A plaine Argument, they are, not Meanes and Helpes but, Remoraes and Hindrances, rather from Following Him and obtaining Happinesse. And then, I hope, it cannot bee, but Christ, in bestowing on us that Happinesse we seek after, but being blinde and erring cannot arrive unto: and this too by making us forsake what, we mistake for Happinesse but, is indeed our Shame and Misery, does bestow on us the full worth of those Meanes and an Hundred fold to boot.
- 1Mat. Aleman. 1 Book. ch. 7.
- 2Eccles. 1.1.
