Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

e 592 Thevncermintie of obtaining oorldly tbingt. prefently they are againe obfcured; like vnto falling flarres; which in the fame infant appeare and vanifh.And that either becaufe they ambitiouflyha llen, and vnfeafonablie afpire to thefe honors before their time,deuring to reape the fruit of glory & preferment,before they haue fownc the feeds of ver tue & true defert;wherby they expofethemfelues to the dan- ger of many oppofitions, euery one being ready to hatetheir pride and co enuie their preferment, and to vie all meanes to flop theircourfein this ouer great haft :iqohich they fitly refemblehallie fruits,which blooming bcffssrethe ordinarie time, doe feldome come to maturitic and ripeneffe,becaufe either they are nipped with the frofs,or blowne off with the tempefs.Or elfe becaufe they aspire to greater preferments then is befitting their gifts, whereby they fuddenly buril, becaufe they fancii thcmfclues bigger then their skins will hold ; and wanting true worth and good parts to fupport their greatneffe, they fuddenly fall and come to ruine:like vnto thofewho will climbe higher then the bowel w ill hold them ;orvnto fuchas being weake and feeble,doe take vp- on them heauie burthens. Others delire honour and glory in the world, but yet neuer attain vnto it sshilef they line, becaufe prefence is an enemie to fame; and therefore many rrafentia ini whom the world fcarcc tooke notice of whilell: it had them, mica fame. are magnified and extolled when it bath lof them. Inwhich refpe& honour is fitly called the fhadow of vernie; for as the Ihadow fometime goethbefore a man, fometime fide by fide, fometime followeth after him, and fometime doth not appeare at all, as when the funne is fet, or obfcuredwith the -clouds : fo fometime a man is honourable and not vertuous, his glory and fame running before true defert; fometime it accompaniethvertue , and euenwhileflaman liueth he bath deferued praife; fometime bee neuer heareth in the whole courfeof hislife,that he bath done any thing worchie fame, and yet after his death he hath the praife of all; and fome- time the bell deferts do neuer in this world come to light,but eitherbeing donc in obfcurity, or obfcured through others enuie, or the meanneffe of the agent; they for euerliehid, till at the day of judgement the God of light dothopen and difcouer