Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

668 'nut the world and worldly lTiiii s are momentary; §,Seta.;. And as the world s momentany and corruptible; Co much That all wer1Aly more are al thethings therin contained, efpecially if we con- things areme- fider them in our vfe and fruition ; for whereas all things in wrrw abietd the world are paft,prefent,orto come; that which is pall is P perithed, and as though it were not; that which is to come, is vncertaine, hauing not yet his being; and therefore we can truelybe Paid onely to enioy theprefent, which is momenta - ny and ready to vanifh.In refpeet ofwhich momentany con. tinuance of worldly things, they may fitly bee compared to fieriemeteors,which make for the inftant a glorious thew, but are inflamed and extinguithedin the fame moment; to the vncertaine winds,which.ftddenly blow, and fuddenly ceafe ; to deceitfull dreames, which bring a feewing fhort pleafure , but vanilla whenone awaketh;and to the houles, eaflles,and chara6ters which children in their play doe make in the fands,which either are ouerthrownc and defaced with Nazianz.de eueryblaft of wind, or wathed away with the next tide. The pauperum author of the booke of Wifedome hkeneth the riches, smote. pompe and glory ofthe world, to the palling away ofa fha- dow, or poft, and to the paffage of a fhip which glideth ouer the waucs,and being gone by, leaueth no trace or path be.. hind it in the flouds, orto a bird that flieth in the aire,andno Wifd4.8,9,to. man feeth any token of her paffage, or finally to an arrow t t.ts. (hot at a marke, and parting the aire, which immediately commeth together againe, fo that no man can know where ChryfolLin it went thorow. Another demanding what humane things Hebrzos 6. are ; anfwereth,that they are as duff and afhes before the face üomtl.p. of the wind, a fnoke and a lhadow, flowers and falling leaues, a dreame,and tale told, a wind and loft aire fiuidenly vanifhi ng, flying wings, and running water, or fo neother thing yet more momentany and vncertaine. And in truth who Teeth not that thefe worldly things do flow and reflow like the fea,there following prefently after a full tide of prof= peritie, a low ebbe ofaduerfitie ; after a bright day ofioy, a darke night of forrow; after faire weather, and apleafmg calme of comfort,a bluflering florme,and turbulent tempeft ofcroffes and afili &ions, after abright full of mirthand de- light, the darke waine offorrow and difcontentment ; in re- gard