Oftheeinilendswhich worldly things bring to their owners.739 worldly pleafures were fo bale and contemptible, that they were beneath the reach of enuiewhich looketh vpward, and hath it fight alwaies fixed on high obie&s; yet when thefe camail delights, which are in their owne nature low, are advanced andextolledby mensouer partial! iudgements and opinions, they altoprefently become the marke ofen- uie; euery one being readie to fpite at their neighbours, when they fee themwallowing in thefe earthly pleafures; efpecially if themfelues want neceflaries, notwithltanding they tire bothbodie andminde with painful! labour. Now the reafon why the abundance ofworldly benefits is thus accompaniedwith enuieand hatred,is,becaufebeing finite, there is but a certaine meafure ofthem; fo that the more fomeabound,the more ofneceflïtie null others want : and into the more parts thefe earthly things are diuided, the finaller (hare mull eueryone haue, towhom theyare thus diflributed. And therefore then louing and Petting their hearts vponthefe vanities, do enuie and grudge that others fhouldenioy that which theydelire; becaufe their hauing it,is the caufewhy theywant it,or at leaft why theirportion isthe lefhe,fo as they cannot haue it in that quantitie which they couldwifh; Peeing a finite and limited proportion or quantitie, muffofnecefiïtie becomefo much the leihe in the feueral parts,by howmuch the whole ismore often diuided. And therfore feeingworldly profperitie and the abundance ofthefcearthly things,doe bring as much enuiewhen wee baue them, as miferie when weewant them ; and will fcarce counteruaile with their profit and benefit, the difcontent which theybring with them through this malignitie and fpite, efpeciallywhen this malice and enuie, being armed withpower, isreadie continually to make anothers happi- nefhe afufficient caufe ofquarrel!, & to takefharpe reuenge, becaufe they prefumed to receiue the worlds proffered fa-. uours; let vs not too muchaffe& thefe maligned vanities, but wholly Pet our hearts vpon thofe heauenly honours, ioyes,and treafures, which being infinite,arenot diminifh- ed when they arecommunicated tomany; but are rather in- finitelymultipliedand increafed by this communion, euerie Bbb z one
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