r 4 be I/anity of the Creature. Creatures. Firft, in regard of their nwaare and worth, they are bale in comparifon of the Soule of man: When Da- vid would thew the infinite diflance between God and man in power and flrength , hee expreffeth the bafcneffe of man by his vanitie, To be laid in the ballance, they are altogether lighter than vanitie, Pfal. 6z. 9. And furely, if wee weigh the Senile of man and all the Creatures under the funne together , wee fhall find them lighter than Va- nitie it felfe. All the Goodneffe and honour of the Crea- ture arifeth from one of thefe Two grounds : Either from mans coining or from cods: either from Opinion impofed upon them by men , or from fome Read qualities, which they have in their nature. Many things there are which have all that worth and eftimation which they carry amongft men , not from their owne qualities , but from humane lnflitution, or from Torre difficulties that attend them, or from fome other outward Impofition. When a man gives money for meat , wee muff not think there is any naturali proportion of worth betweene a pecce of fiver and a pecce of flcfh ; for that worth which is in the meat is its owne , whereas that which is in the may is by humane appointment. The like we may fay for great titles of honour , and fccular degrees , though they bring autboritie , diftance, reverence with them from other men, yet notwithftanding they doe not themfelves, by any proper vertue of their owne, put any folid and funda- mentall merit into the man himfelfe. Ronour is but the railing of the rate and value of a man; it carries nothing: offubftance neceffarily along with it : as in railing the valuations of gold from twenty shillings to twenty tvvo, the matter is the fame, onely the eflimation different. It is in the power of the King to raife a man out of prifon like Iafeph, and give him the next place unto himfelfe. Now this then is a plaine argument of the great bafe_ 1 neffe of any of thefe things in comparifon of the Soule of man, and by confequence of their great difability to fa- tisfi e
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