The Vanity of the Creature. joyned unto God,and God with the Creature carne along unto theminde of man. So that till we can recover this Union, and make up this breach againe, it is impof1ible for the Soule of man to receive any fatisfaaion from the Creature alone. Though a man may have the poffefion of it, as a Naled Creature, yet not the fruition of it, as a CJ'Cood Creature. For Good the Creature is not unto any but by vertue of the blefling and Word accompanying it. And man naturally bath no right unto the bleffng of the Creature ; for it is Godlinefìe which hath the Promifes, and by confecluence the Blefling as well of this as of the other life. And God is not in his favour reconciled unto us, nor reunited by his Blefling unto the Creature, but onely in and through Chriíl. So then the minde of a man is fully and only fatisfied with the Creature, when itfinds Clod and Chrif2 together in it : God making the Creature futableto our inferiour delires, and Chrifl making both God and the Creature ours ; cod giving Proportion, and Chriff giving Proprietie. Thcfe things thus explained, Iet us now confider the !In(ufficiencieof the Creature to conferre, and the Vnfatif rab/eneffe of the Flefli to receive, any folid or reali fa- tisfa6tion from any of the worker which are done under the Sunne. Man is naturally a proud Creature, of high projects, of unbounded defires, ever framing to himfelfe I know not what imaginary and phantaflicall felicities, which have no more proportion unto reali and true con- tentment than a king on a ilage to a King on a Throne, I than the houfes which children make of cards, unto a Princes Palace. Ever fince the fall of Adam, he bath an itch in him to be a god within himfelfe, the fountaine of his owne goodneflë, the contriver of his owne fiiffìcien- cie ; loth lice is to goe beyond himfelfe, or what hee thinkes properly his owne, for that in which hee refol- veth to place his refl. But alas, after he had toykd out his heart, and walled his fpirïts, in the molt exa& invcn- tions
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=