OftheJhortneffeandfrailtyofmanslife. 547 `r fottifh loue ofthere earthly vanities : for though we maypro- vide lafling lands,yet not enduring lines; though our poflc(lï- ons would remaine for euer,yet our feluesarebut ofmomenta- nie and (boa continuance, curry day ready to beetaken from them; and though theworld would make vs beleeue, and our owne deceiuinghearts are apt to perfuade vs, that our poffetli- onsare fee-fimples,andour lands and houles inheritances for e- uer, yet thetruth is we are but tenants at will, holdingall %\'ee enjoy at ourgreat Landlords pleafure:and ' when we haue got- ten the bell affurance that we can,yet we are more fitre,that we (hall hold nothing longe: then onely for rearme oflife ; for as webrought none ofthefe thingswithvs whenwewereborne, fowe(hall takenothing 4thvs at our burial],but as we found them all in the world,fo when we depart, to the world we muff leave them. And this holy lob coufeffcth; Naked(faithhe)came lob /out ofmy mothers wombe, andnaked(ball I returneagasne: to which theApoflle alluding faith, that weebrought nothing into r.Titn.6.7. the rvorld,andit iscertaine that we cancarrie nothingout: and the Preacher ifpeaking indefinitely of all men, faith, that as man EccicI..r4. cameforthofhis mothersbellte,he!ballretnrne naked to roe as bee came,andlhallBeareaway nothing ofhis Iabour,whichhe harpcast - fed topaffe byhishand. And howfoeuer there is great difference inmens elates whildlthey continue here,fome lining in prof_ perity,and fomeinaduerfitie;fotne inplenty,and fome in want; yet(as the authourofthebooke ofWifedomeaffirmeth,allmen Wifd.7:E. haueone entrance vntolife,andalikegoing our. And this wee may cleerely perceivein the looking glaflé ofcommon experience: for howmany houfes and lordfhips do we fee, that haue(them_ felues remaining) turned their owners out ofdoores,and chan- ged themfor others,not onelyofthe famekindred andpofieri. ty, but for firangers to the formerfamily? Howmany hauewe (with the Pfalmifl)obferuedwho haue beene flrongin their Plal.37.35.36° profperity, fpreading themfelues like a greenebay tree, who are nowgone, and thoughwe fhould feeke them, yet we can- not find them ? How many haue wee feene honoured, and in high places, who arenow laid low in the graue,and troden vn- der their feet,whonot long lince bowedvnto them, yeelding them at the6rí1 fightthe reuerence ofcap and knee ?Howma- nywho haue before time abounded in gold and filuer, houfes T t 4 and
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