The Vexation of the Spirit. damnation, a fyiva° route, 4 winged woman;'fuch are the exprefYfons of a fevere Judgement. And therefore it was a wife obfervation which 'Tacit-us made of a great Ro- man, he was effmbigrrirrum rerum fcienr, eáque intrepid/44 : He fore -law, and by confequence was not fo much trou- bled with evill events, as thole whom they did furprizc. Now men are apt to promife themfelves much content- ment in the fruition of earthly things, like the foole in the Parable, and to be herein dif appointed, is the ground of much vexation. When a man travels in deepe way, and fees before him a large fmooth plaine, heeprefumes that will recompence the toile bee was formerly put to ; but when he comes to it, and findes it as rotten, as full of (toughs, and bogs, and quagmires as his former way, his trouble is the more multiplied, becaufe his hopes are de- ceived. The Devill and the World beget in mens mindes large hopes, and make profufepromifes to thofe that will worfhip them ; and a man at a diilance fees abundance ofpleafure and happine{fc in riches, honours, high places, eminent imployments, and the like; but when bee hath his hearts delire, and peradventure bath out - climbed the very modeflie of his former wifhes, hath ventured to breake thorow many an hedge, to make gaps thorow Gods Law and his ovine confcience, that hee might by fhorter paílages batten to the Idoli he fo much worfhip- ped, he findes at laíl that there was more trouble in the fruition, than expeaation at the diílance; that all this is but like the efigyptian Temp les, where through a ilate- ly frontifpice and magnificent Prrud #ure a man came with much preparations of reverence and worfhip but tò the Image of an ugly Ape, the ridiculous Idol! of that pcöple. A man comes to the World, as to a Lottery, with an head full of hopes and projec`ls to get a prize, and returnes with an heart full of blankes, utterly deluded in his expc`ati- on.The orld ufeth a man as Ivie doth an Oake,the elder it gets to the heart, the more it clings and twills about the G nftc Lions Zech.S.zg. 'erne Ile.z. ra ,edas.l.;.G.z.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=