1¢0 1. The Apo atesMotive of !patte. Obier. r. The things of the world but a Thewwithout a lubitance. Obit. z. The thew of the world is fuddenly gone. The Improvement ofTime, or, to be the companions of Angels. Weigh thefe things daily, and thenyouwill be,' as if not, in all thefe outward and worldly things. Anduntil thou doll this e' and thinkeft withal of that I have formerly faid, that thou art ready to Itrike fayle, I will never believe that thou wilt be, as ifnot. This is the fecond thing. A word ortwo of the Third, and fo I have done. And that is the Spur that the Apoftle Saint Paul ufeth. And it is neceffary heShould ufe fuck a Spur, for it is a very hard leffgn. If you would be, as ifs. ou were not, confider this ; The fafhionof the world paffeth away. That is, it lignifieth ( I touched it before ) fucha fathionas is on a Stage: All thefe things below, they are but as the A&ingofaComedy, as a Scene, it may be it isdone in halfan hour,and though it makea fine thew,yet in truth there isno fubltance in it. There is one, it itafafhion : betides, it paffethaway, So then in thisfpur,thereare two things. I will but name the heads. Firft, That the thingsofthe world, (all that I named before) are but Phew with- out afubfiance ; Even as a Scene or Comedy, things that have a glorious glittering Phew to the eye, but ifyou look indeed and in truth upon them, there isno fuch matter. That isone thing that I note, that our life is but as the afting of a part in a Comedy : and fo by confequence, in all thefe outward things, thy contentment in wife, or children, orcredit, or pleafures, thou doff but a& a glorious part, it may be thou haft a goodly outftde, fineclothes, rich apparel, anoutward reprefentation of comfort, butlookthorow them, and there is no fuch matter. Bat ttre fecond thing which I rather would preis, is, that it is fuddenlygone ; it paffeth away,faith the Apoftle. As a man bathbut a little time to tarry in the world, fo all the things he enjoyeth in the world, are wondrous inconítant. That look as it is in a Ptay,he that now alts the part ofa King,it may be next,hemay a& thepart of a Begger : or as it iswith fome ofyour delicatefafhions,that while youare fpeak- ing of them, the fafhion is fpoiled. Even fo, the fafhion of this world it will not continue. That is the rum of that I defire you to take notice of : that ifyou will not be perfwaded by me, or by the Spirit of God in his unworthy miniter, to ufe the things of this world moderately, and carry your felves as you ought in antes and afffi&ions : yet know this , that the fafliion of tbere things will Shortly be fpoil. ed. And if they be all fo unconftant, what a fool art thou to let thy heart upon them? We may learn this wifdome from the foolery ofour Engtith Nation, efteemed now the idleft people of the world for changing their fathion. They will never make clothes twice ofone fafhion, butone gown of this fafhion, and anotherof that, and though he be never fo good a Taylor that makes it, yet hemuftmake no moreofthe fame fathion, but the next Term, theywill cometo another. Learn, Ifay, this wifdome from thatfoolery : Now, the Lord giveth thee comfort in thy wife, fet not thy heart too much upon her, the next Term the fafhionmay change : Now, thou art rich, let not thy heart dote upon thy riches, it is but a fathion, a thew, it paffeth away, to morrow thoumaift be a beggar: to day a man,to mor- row none. But if thou wouldeft keep the fathion, get the fafhionofgrace, get a right to heaven, an intereft in God, and be content (in Gods name) to follow his fafhion. If the fathion that Godwill have thee"be in, be to bean humble dejefted man, be content with that fafhion: if anon he will have thee on the top of the wheel of profperity, thank God for it, takeheed ofabuing the things thou enjoyet. Re- member the thingsof this life are inconfiant things ; as a flower, as a nofegay, that feemeth as a dainty finething, butwhile we are finellingat it, and praifrngit, it withereth away : fo is it with all thefe things. I would I could tell how to fpeak home to your fouls : andyet I know that little I have fpoken, if it be entertainedwith faith, if you believe this tobe the truth of God, not as the fpeech that a man makes to you, but as the fpeech ofSaint Paul,
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