Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

1,86 That all worldly things are 6,tt meere vanities. laue;yet they will feetne highly to value and age& them ilill,lefi the weakenes oftheir iudgemcnts, which fo much valued them before they had them, might bee difcouered, and make account of them, now they haue them in their poffeffion,lefl theymight fecme to haue (pent all their la- .hourand fircngth in vaine, which they haue taken and im- ployed in the procuring of them.Like veto a Merchant,who liauing trauelled farce and made an hard aduenture to fetch fome fones,which report made himbeleeue were precious and ofgreat efieeme,after he hath brought them home doth highly value them fill, although the cunning Lapidarie haue told him that they are but counterfeit, either that bee may put them offto others at his owne prizes,or at leaf may not itatpaire his credir,when as it should be knowne that bee hathloi all his charges, and rcceiued no finite by all his la- bours : or like vnto chofe whohauiog vainely fpent much paines in the purftite of Come trifle, doe afterwards when they haue found their errour fillmagnifie and extoll ir, not becaufe they thinke it ofanv worth, but fearing fell they should be laughed to fcorne for their follie and loll labour, theywould by their praifes incourage others to follow their cxample,that fo they may be excused by the common error, and not be ridiculous Peeing they haue to many fdlowes. 1.Sec7.6. But let vs confider this in the generali intlances of ho- Honours bouts nours,riches and pleafitres. And firfi ifwc examine honours, greatpartof we shall finde that they haue a great part oftheir worth and theirefieeme efsemefrom competition, and the contending heate,and aa fomcomd /peri- also emulating defires, ofthofe whoaffc &i and feeke after them. t:on,o richer,andpica -For what excellencie is in a long fetcht pedegree, fauing Darer. that men contend one with another who shall more enoble themfelues by fetching it furthcf, or in fame and vaineglo- rie,fauing that they llriue who fhall be moifamousand bei efleemed of? orwhat priuilcdge loth the vpper place bring with it,more then the.lower,the right hand then the left, or the wall then the channell fide, fauing that men emulating one another, doe friue and contend about themwho flail haue preheminence? Finally, what worth and excellencie hath high preferment ;which comtíonly is accompanied with