Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

296 Ofrhevanitie of worldly glorie. the world,but a fmoake or vapour, which is totted to and fro with the breach ofeuery ones mouth? What is it but a cloud or fhadow, which whilefl a man thinketh to catch and hold fall, it vanifheth away and commeth to nothing? And what do worldly men doting vpon this vanitie,and feeking to im. brace ir, that they may.commitfpirituall whoredotnewith it,butlxie -like in !lead of their goddeffe catch a cloud, on which they beget the monfIrous Centaures ofmany miffha- pen andvgly finnes? What do they but like wanton and foo. lifhboyes run after a fopie bubble, rayfed with the breath of their companions mouches, becaufe it feemeth beautiful! through varieti'e ofcolours,although it commonly vanifh in the purfuing, or at leaf} breake as Toone as it is but touched ? And yet though this gloríe be neuer fo vaine, and theppur- fuite thereofmofl childifh and ridiculous, notwichl{anding the wife men ofthe world fall into this abfurd dotage, Cha- meleon-like gaping after this common aire, and feeding themfelues fat onely with the conceit ofthis vulgar breath. And as they kettle to haue their life, or that which is the life of their life,alltheir ioy and comfort, from the breathing in of this ayre; fo alto it is the fleme which ruleth them in all their courfes, turning them to and fro at the prayfers plea- Pure: neither is there any meanes whereby a man may better carrie there earthly and brittle pitchers, then by holding them by the cares, and tying them faffvnto him by this gol. den firing ofpraife and commendations: for if they be extol- ledand magnified, what defperate difficulties will they not undertake ? What dangerous enterprifes will they not at- tempt ? What toilefome labour will they refufe to take? or what excefliue coil will they not beflow,that they may con- tinue or encreafe their fame and vaine glorie?Againe,ifthere bee no man that feeth them, or thatfeeiag will commend them, how fluggifh and flothfull are they in attempting any vertuous a1ions, where the leafl difficultie or danger doch appeare?Herein not vnfitly to be compared voto fhips,which falle merrily forward whilefl they haue a good gale ofwind, Rand f4í11 when they are becalmed, and turne backe againe when the gull bloweth hard againfl thcm:fo theft go cheer- fully