The Vanity of the World. 1"7 I to catch a Fly. And poffibly before it be caught, the rude hand of Death wraps ns about in our Cobweb, and fwceps us down into the Grave, *and in that very m(}mtnt, pr.,J. r <t ~' ~rr, t!nd all our we/1-lnid Projects prrifb together. -t· Third~· If the World be thus vain, What extream and prodigious Folly is it to 3· take as m~tch pains to fccure the poor and perifhing ConcernmCnts ~f it, as wo-a\d fi1ffice to fecttreHeavcn and Eternal Glory, were they bid out that way? VVc labour for the Bread that perifhcth, and we,perilh with it in our very Months. About this. arc our Hearts, our Hands, our Strcn~th, our T ime employed: whereas the great things of Eternity arc fo utterly negleCted by us, as i,f they we~c _none o~ our Concernments to look after. Were we but as labourers m our Clmfban C'..allmg, as we commonly <Ire in our worldly Callings, Salyation would not lie upon our Hands.unwrought; Go<;! and Chri.ft, and fl} l H~avcn were our~·· . .Who. would ~oubt, whc-n they fee Men fo bufy about Impertinencies, and the tnVIal Affiursof th1s \Vorld, bnt that they were much more anxious about their Souls? \rVhoVJould nor conclude, th:1 t cert.tinly their great Work is already done, tint fhall fee them f0 carnefr and folidtons :1bout petty Ma~tcrs? But alas; Itmayafronifh Men and A~~cls, that r:1_tion~l Creatures, who have Immortal Souls, Souls whofe endlcfs duranon, muft :1b1de either in inconceiv:Iblc i\-lifery or Blifs, Jhould trifle away that time andftrene;thwhich might fecurc their everlafring Happincfs, about thofe vain Nothings, th:It have neither Happincfs in them, nor Continmncc. Certa inly, the fervicc of God is nor more painful, than the drudgery of thc\Vorld: And furc I am, it is fJr more cleanly·. Thou lhalt not in his Service fer thi ne Hand to any foul Office : \Vhereas the \Vorld employs thee hafcly to rake together thick Clay, and loJd thy felf with it; and the Devil, yet worfe, to rake i11 the mire and filth of all m;Jnner of De fi lements, which now pollute th.c Soul, and will herc:~fter damn it. Both thefc are rnoft gr ievous Task-:vtaftcrs. Some draro Iniquity with Grds ~( Vaniry, an~ fin .u it 111erc 1Pith a Gm - rope,. I fit. S· r8. They are fo cnOaved to the ~vork of tl_1c D~v1~,. that he puts them into h1s Team, makes 'them draw and ftram for the1r Imqtntlcs, and cloth them a Courtcfie when their Sins come calily. He makes them toil and fweat in carrying E:aggots to their own F ire, and blowing up thOfe Flames, which mnft for ever burn them. Others (as the Prophet exprelfeth it, ljab: 2. 13.) labour t'n the Fire, ~nd weary rhcmfelves for very V4nity. They take great paJHs m the \¥ or!d, and meet Wtth grC"dt Difitppointments; for both arc lignified by labour in~ in the Fire, where what they produce, cannot be enjoyed, but is confumed betwecii their hands. ' Since then you muft take fo much pains, either for Sin or Vanity, why will you ·not be perfi1:-~ded rather to lay it out upon that which is fnbfbntially good, and eternally .fo? God requires not more, but only other work from you : And the mtwy things that Martha was careful about, Religion and Holiuefs rcduccth to the o 11 e Thin'! 1!tcr/}4ry; which tho' it conta ins many particularDnties under it, yet by rcafon of i i~ uniformity and fubferviency to it felf, is lefs diftralting and cumberfome. Tl1e Wheels of a \V arch move and click as f.:tfr \'V hen it goes f.:l:lfc as when it goes true: and if it be but fct right at firft, the fame ac1:hrity of the fpring wiH fo continue it , which before made its Motion irregular. So it is here: The fame ACtivity and Indull:ry which you irregularly ufe in purfuit of the World , would procure Heaven and Glory for yon, were it that way direB:ed. Your C1res, yonr Contrivances, your ~ndeavours, need be no more than now they are; only what before you l:lid out upon the \rVorld, refervc now for Heaven. And hnw in finite ly r eafoJlable is this! Certainly they arc moft ll:upidly foolifh, that will take up Vanity at as dear :1 rate as Happinefs, and give as" much for Vexation as for. ~cmllefs joy. Fourthly; If the things of th is World be fo'v:aJJ;t,~ what inexcufable Folly is it to 4 . part with the Peace, or the Purity of our Confciences for them! And yet wf1a't more common? IfMen can get any thing of the World at the price of a Sin, they thin!<.. M t~ey have mad~_a ga i ~t fu l Bar_gain. And therefore the Devil h~th recou ~·fe to this, as 9 ac. i · h1s moft prevatlmg 1 emptatlon. When he fet on our Sav;our m the \V 1ldernefs, the t Ma t. :6. lalt A !fault ,.,._as, * All thefe things rvi/1 I give thee, if thou w;/t,. (all down and worfoip_ m:: :, ; {- And when this Battery could not make a Breach, he raifeth his Siege, as defj)Jiring Exod.H, o~ fi1cc~fs. And this is the ufual temptation by which he alf:wlts others. Jud.ucomcs f1~m:m: w!thhis·t· QuiddabitU,_ what vdll you give !TIC? and fetsChrifr, and hiso•·:e Con- i1rg t.l:t '<Ja· fc1ence to fale, for the t~confidcrable fi1m ot thirty pieces. He demands no more than lue Df tht th~ ~ommon Market pncc of a Slave (not amounting to above ·f· eight and thirty'~;n 6 Shdhngs) for the Lord of Life and Glory: And thinks his Bargai11 fo good, tha t he; ; pm: ,j G gi\'CSD~r konJ.
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