Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

MEW That worldly things are mutable and vnconffant. day narchies and cities,where we inhabit, but wee likewife haue a (hare in their alterations, laughing in their mirth,andwee- pingitrthcir mourning. No maruell therefore if the efiate of man be changeable, feeing he hath a great part in the alte- ration ofall other creatures, and befides hath in himfelfe in- numerable internal! caufes of variable mutation. In regard Scnec.epifk.çp whereof one faith,that none of vs are the fame in our age that we were in our youth; no man is the fame to day that he was yefierday; but ourbodies arecaried in a continual) mo- tion, like vnto riuers, and all we looke vpon doth run away with time nothing remaining the fame to morrow as wee now fee ir; yea euen I ( faith hcc) while{} I fpeake of chan- ging,ammy (elfe changed. Neither are ourbodies more mu- table then our efiates, which through the whole courfe of our hues are daily fubieEt to alterations, and nothing conti- nueth firme and permanent in them, but as the traueller is fometimes on the high hils, and fometime in the low val- leies, and fometime walking on euen ground : fo wee in our pilgrimage are one while aloft in the mountaines ofprofpe- ritie, and foone after in the low dales ofaduerfity,and fome- times in ameane and euen condition betweene both; or like vnto thofe that are failing on the fea, who are one while lif- ted as it were to the clouds, and in an infiant buried in the deepe ; one while becalmed fo as they cannot goe for - ward,and by andby hurried with a boifterous tempefi; now in danger ofru(hing one againftanother, and Toone after of dafhing againfr a rocke; fometimes fuffring fhipwracke,and alwaïes fearing it; neither are they euer fecure,and at refi,till they be arriued in the hauen :for fo in this life wee are fome- time aduanced, and fometime abafed, one while fluggifh with too much profperity,fo as we cannot moue in any good and chriflian courfes,and another while toffed andturmoi- led with the blufiring fl:ormes of aduerfity,whereby though we make more fpeedy progreffe, yet not without many troubles,and much danger.In regard whereof the faying of the fonne ofSyrach is verified, that no men isto be Wicked hap- Eccle(ialtieua pie beforehis death,becaufe a pleafant beginning, hath often t' 28. aforrowfullprogrefíe,anda work ending; yea fometime he S f who