Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

544 Of themiferies which are incident re defteter. greatncffe of his care and pairies; encreafeth his feeres, and expofes him to greater dangers, not onely of Torraine force, but an of fecrec confpiracies, and hidden treacherie. Doth a man liue as a merchant ? hee liueth (as one faith) .neither among the lining nor the dead, there being in hisbell health butaninch ietweenehim and death; his per- fon and goods are often at the mercie of the vnmcrciful! feas,andmore mercileffe pyrats; and llandeth at the deuo- tion offorraine potentates, and barbarous people. Is bee a tradefinan? his honeflydependethvponthe credit of other men, failing when it falles; his f }ate is continually endange- red withbad debters,who dccayin ,bring bins an confine, and vfually he is fo prodigal! in ging creditto others, that in the endheleaueth not any for himfelfe. Is bee a lawyer? he fclleth his breath, if not his honefly and truth; hee lofetk his pcace,in finding his profit, and fpendeth a great part of his time in wrangling and contending, whilefi bee preten- deth to accord differences, and decide cotrtrouerfies. Is he a husbandman? his life is a continual! toile,and after all his labour he is flill in leave of lof,ng all by vnfcafonable wea- ther,one while complaining ofrain,and another of drought, now oftoo much heave, and Toone after of frofls and cold; one yeere of mildewes and blafling,and another ofwormes, cankers and caterpillers. Ina word, there is in this world no mans ellatefohappie,but betides the innumerablemiferies which are incident to all mankind, he bath many cuils pro- per and peculiar to his particular calling and condition. ii.Se1.3. Now ifany think that chriflianity, & the true teere ofGod offome fpecialI will exempt men from this miferie, and aduance vntohappi- worldly mile- neffe ; let him know, that howfocuer this eflate doth bring vie speesliar with it filch inward comforts, as will notfuffr thena by mi ro true chri- ferie ,itfelfetobemademifcrable,yet in refpe&offree'dome Pans. from themifcrics ofthis life, they bane but little priuiledge aboue others,and aslittle prefe rmentinworldlyh3ppincfle; fo as they may truely lay of their f_licitic, as Chrifl of his kingdome, that it is not of this world, but referued in the heauens. Yea rather(ferting afide our fpiriruall comforts, 1.Cor.15. rg, and future hopes) that they ofall men arc moll tciferable, as the