Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Of the "hortne5 and frailtieofmanslife. 655 ti he) laboureth for God,and couetoufneffe for the tempter; that A,nbrof. in oathereth fuch things as profit a mans felfe, this heapeth vp Pfal.38.enar. thofe whichprofit others. And what more vaine, then to labor rattom.4. for other men, and not know who (hall be hisheire ? For who can tell whether his owne fonne, or nephew (hall furuiue him ? feeing the heire oftentimes goeth before the teftator to the bu. real; ; or outliuing him,riotoufly deuoureth the inheritance,or luxurioufly fcattereth it; or being fooli(h cannot defend it; or lofeth it by confifcation, yea oftentimes their enemie is their heire, and the fucceffour infulteth oiler the deceafed, perfecu- ring thofe whom he loued, and felling for flaues thofewhom lie tenderly loued. But though he knew who fhould inherit his labours, and be lure to haue an heire of his owne chufing; yet how can he tell what he will prone ? whether a wife man,or a foule; a frugall fauer,or a wailfull fpender; one who wit thank- fully remember his predecefforand benefa&or, or one that will forget him,vnleffe it be to cenfare his infirmities? Finally,whe- Pietas beredis then fuch an one as will fhed gratefull teares at his funerals, or fobperlera fmile vnder his dole hood? And this the Wife man noted as rift" ell* . great vanity, which made cuen his life bitter vnto him. I hated Ecclef,1.17, (faith he) my life, end alfo my labour ?therein I had trundledvnder 18.0 g. the fanne, which I fballleaue to the man that "hall be after me. And who ltnoneth?bhether he fhall bee wife or fooli jh ? yet fhall hee haue rule suerall my labour,wherein I hatee trauelled,and wherein I haue "hewed myfelfe wife wider the fanne, this italfa vanity, &c. But if thefe momentanie riches, which are thus bequeathed to pofte- rity, haue been defiled with finne, either becaufe they haue bin vnlawfully gotten, as by greedie couetoufneffe,fraud,deceit, cruelty and oppref ion; they will not proue greatly beneficiall, either to heire or predeceffor : for as hee leaueth vnto his child his wealth, fo alto enuie, becaufe he is the ofspring of fuch a fa- Cher, &(as it were)a yong one of the old ferpent,which though Plutarch de he haue done no hurt hitherto by reafon that he is yong, yet it cupidit. diuá.; is feared he will doe, when he commeth to age, not onely be- tiarum. caufe he is likely to refemble his fathers nature, but alfo hath been poyfoned with his precepts of couetoufneffe in his very youth. For as one obferueth, when rich mifers fee that theycan keepe their goods no longer then for tearme oflife, they con- firme & lrengthen theirheires,by reading vnto them ledtures of a