36z Of thevaoitie oflankaad lordjhips,gold andper. uerlalling inberitance,whenthey fet their hearts vpon them: efpecially if(as the Prophet fpeaketh)theyhave vied oppref- (ion to inlarge their lordlhips, ioyning boule to houfe, and Efay 5.8. field to field, inclofingcommons and ditpeopling townes, that thepoore being rooted our, theymay place themfelues alone in the middefl of thecarth:by which cruelty inlarging their poffelfions which are but momentany, they make themfelues fubieól to an eternal! woe, and molt fearefull maledi&ion. 4.Sec1,3. Neitheris there more excellencie or worth in gold and ofthe vauityo f fluer, which by the wife Salmon are reckoned arid ranged goldaddfih er. among thofevanities, which bring no good to the owners, Eccle1zsir, but vexation offpirit, and by the Prophet dtrc led by Gods Habac,z.6, Spirit,theyare called thicke clay,which htue their vahie and preheminence aboue other earth, becaufe they are a little more (hiring andref ned;neitherhaue they their worth and Chryloft. in value from nature, but frommens opinions. For (as one no- a.Tim,6. Hom. tech) thole things which are naturally excellent, do Phew their owne excellenciewithout anymount- bancke to corn- mend them, or to fet them out to the Phew, as the fugar his fweetnes, the Sunnehis brightnes, and the earthhis fruitful- nes : but thefe wares whichare ofimaginary worth, need a monitour to tell vs oftheir excellencie, or otherwife we Ihould not know,much lelfeadmire them. Forifwe do fee copper gilt, weare delighted with the beauty ofthe mettall, and wecall it gold; but whentholewhich are more skilfull come and admonifhvs thatwe are deceived, our errour and Senec.epill.94, admiring wonderleauevs both together. Moreouer, we fee that God in the veryplacing ofthefe mettais, would takea- way fromvs all opinionof their worthand excellencie : for whereas the Lord hath placed his creatures according to their dignity (man only excepted, who is in the place ofhis exile and banifhmcnt)as the holyAngels in the higheflhea- uen, the Sunne, Moore and Starres in the firmament, the elements as they arcmore pure, fo inplace one fuperiour ve- to another : hehath feated there fo muchadmired mettals,in the intralsofthe ma! grolfeelement, as though he would hauevs fo farce from letting them vpon our heads, or our hearts
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