Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

That worldly things are vnpretable. 51/ him ? How much now doth he preferre a dram ofgrace be- fore an earthly kingdome,and a few good workes, before a world ofriches ?Finally,wilingl'y.now would he,ifhe might, exchange all his glory, wealth and carnal! delights, with the skorne,pouerty,and affluions ofthc moll contemned chri- flian, fo that alto he might (hare with him in his hopes, and partake with him in thofeheaucnly ioyes. But though thofe earthly vanities could profit vs at our laa departure, byfweetening death, and making his fling 4.Seli:./2 !rifegrieuous,yet what good will they doe vs after our fe- thatmertaty paration ? Seeing now there is no difference betweene the things profit not rich and thepoore, the king and the begger; betweene him after ou fe_ wholauguifhed in miferie and trouble, and another which paratien. bath fpenthis life in pleafures and paflimes ? For as nature putteth no difference.between the one and the other in their birth; fo neither doth it diflinguifh betweene them after Ambroflib. their death : all haue the like ingreffe and egreffe,whenthey de Nabuth. enter into, and leaue the world; alike in the wombe, and a cap.r.tom.g. like in the graue. For open the earth,and fee ifthou cant dif- cerne the rich from the poore, or the noble from the bale; fauing that only there is this difference, that more perifheth with the one then with the other; the rich hauing afairer tombe andfiner fheet,or more -fweet odours wherewith hee is embalmed; all which are loffest to the lining, and not helps to the dead,feeing thefe good things are bereaucd oftheir grace and fweetneffe,but doe not inrich the dead corps with their vertue and excellencie. Yea if in this life wee bane let our hearts vpon thefe vanities, efleeming and louing them better then God himfelfe, his fpirituall graces and heavenly ioyes; ifvnrepented l nne haue accompanied them either in their getting or fruition, then how vnprofitable (hall wee . find them after death, yea how hurtfull and pernicious to our wretched foules ?For what will it auailevs to bee extol led where we are not,and to be condemned where we arch() haue with Dines rich friends on earth;which haue the corn- mand ofwhole rivers; and to beour felues in hell fire,not be- ing able to obtaine a fmall drop of water with carneftintrea- tie? to haue left many delights behind vs, and to haue no- thing