Bolton - Houston-Packer Collection BX9339.B65 A2 1641

A Difcourre of true Alpine/a. the wickedu J ort , and the joy of hypocrites is but a moment. Though his excellency mount up to the heaven, and his head reachunto theclouts : yet 'hallhe perifb for ever, like hisdungy ; and they which havefiene him, fhallfay , where it he ? Hee'hall flee away as adreame, and they(hallnotfindhim, and(ballpaffe away as avifion of thenight. So that the eye which hadfeene him,fball doefo nomore,and his place'hallfee himno more. And in this refpea, mans condition is far inferiour to other crea- tures.One generationpaffeth,and another generation fuccee- deth : but the earth remaineth for ever.The Sun feemes every night to lyedown ina bedofdarkeneffe; but he rifes in the morning clothed with the fame gloryandbrightihefhe; and rejoyceth asa Giant to runnehis courfe : But man(faith Iob) -111%14. is f cke, anddieth,andmanperifheth,andwhere is he ? As thewa- to, i i, a 3. ter:parefrom thefea,andas theflood decayeth, and dryethup ; fo manfleepeth,andrifethnot :for he ¡ball not walk,: againe, nor bee raifed fromhiefleepe,till the heaven be nomore. To let therefore thefe wretched vanities paffe; asunwor- thy tobe mulled on thus long. Forhowfoever, the worldly- minded man, wanting utterly the eye of faith, and having his eie ofreafon dimmed withmilts, that rife frö his tumul- tuousand fiery pafflons,groíle ignorance,and wilful'. mialice, (fo that heonly looks upon the honours,riches,and pleafures ofthis life, with acarnali and fenfuall eie) may feeme to fee in them force glimmeringsof happineffe,and thereaftercon- forme and proportion his defires, endeavours, andproje6}s; becaufe he hathhis portion only in this life:yet certainly,the trulygenerous mind may cleerely,out of the very apprehen- lion ofnature and light ofreafon,difcerne themall tobee no better then a broken liaffe ofreed; whereupon ifa man leane it willgo into his hand,and pierce it, yea,and !hike his heart too thorowwith many forrowes; and that in the time of trouble,theywill all prove but as a broken tooth,and sliding foot. To let them therefore paffe, and die andperi(h, I come to twoother branches of thenegative part: civill honefly, and formall hypocrifie: Thefe indeed are the two great engines, by whichin this C z full ,

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