to be better disposed to follow our vocation. Experience too much sheweth that we are as it were lincked to the riches and greatnes of the world, that they make vs proude and insolent, that we esteeme such vanities to be permanent, and that we thinke them happy that enioy them. We easily perswade our selues that great estates are firme, that their re∣uenewes cannot diminish, nor their honor bee defaced, that the fauour and the amitie of mighty men will not alter nor change, that our health will not weaken, nor the strength of our youth decay, and to bee short, that the flourishing time of this miserable world will neuer whither nor fall away: withall making such account of our parents and friends, as if they were not mortall. And yet God depriueth vs of them all, when wee thinke least thereof, when wee make most account of these transitorie things, and when wee are perswaded that wee haue most assurance of them, or else, seasoneth them in such manner with the sharpe salt of tribulation, that they open our eies, to behold and per∣ceiue the vanity of worldly pleasures, and to make vs confesse with Dauid. That all flesh is grasse; and with the Apostle, that hauing no permanent city here, we must search for one to come. I wil stop thy way with thornes (saith God by his Prophet) To teach vs, that as beasts go along through the high way, & on the sides therof see pleasant greene fields, thinking to go into them, and finding hedges full of thornes which pricke them, goe one their way, and leaue them: so when the children of God, goe out of the way of heauen, to enter into the pleasant fieldes of the world and the flesh, God makes them meet with brambles of afflicti∣ons, and scourgeth them with his paternall roddes, that by the bitter sweete prickles thereof, they should leaue and forsake the pernicious deceites of terrestriall and carnall affections, wherewith they feele themselues assayled. When a mother desirous to weane her child, should continually say vnto it, (child, it is time for thee to leaue the breast, thou art great enough, I am with child, which spoyles my milke, and thou wilt bee sicke if thou suckest longer,) it were but in vaine, the childe eares beeing incapable of such admo∣nitions, specially if it bee fond of the breast, and will not leaue it: But if the mother puts a little allume vpon it, when the childe feeles the breast bitter it will leaue it and sucke no more. So, though wee bee neuer so much warned and exhorted, to leaue the cor∣rupt milke of the world and of the flesh, yet wee are too deafe to hearken therunto, and ra∣ther desire to ly still at the infected breasts of our mother nature, vntill God, (to weane and to regenerate vs, layeth the wormewood of afflictions vpon them. He doth like the good husbandman, which cutteth his vine, that it may bring foorth more and better fruit. And as we cut birds wings, because they shall not fly away and be lost: so God cutteth our beautifull feathers of the flesh, that it may not grow too fat and full, and spoyle it selfe with vaine confidence and glory.
Wee see how all things that serue for the vse of man, (to make them commodious and profitable for him,) endure many and diuers violences, as if it were as many tribulations and marterdomes the ground is broken vp, plowed and harrowed, to make it bring foorth corne, which being reaped and gathered, is thrasht, fanned, ground, kneeded, and bakt: wine is prest out of the grape: wooll and flaxe endure infinite labor, and goe through many mens hands to bring them to perfection; so man to serue God well, should bee refi∣ned like gold, and made perfect in the furnace of afflictions, that he may know how to vse the gifts and graces which he receiueth from God. So we see, that whereas riches and honours of the world, make men insolent and proud: pouerty, and meane estate, imbaseth and humbleth them.
In bankets, feasts, and other assemblies of mirth and passetime, wee speake of things that are pleasing and agreeable to the flesh, but at fasts, in sickenesse, when we lie one our death beds, and at the burials of our friendes, wee speake of life eternall, and of the means to attaine thereunto. And so in humane prosperity, we go diuers waies a stray, and regard not the efficacy of spirituall instruction and admonitions: but in affliction, aduersity and griefe, we easily enter into the right way to heauen, and hearken to good counsell, verefi∣ing the sentence, which is, that where vice aboundeth, aduersity beatethit down: and where vertue raigneth, it beautifieth, and maketh it euident to the world. For by nature we rely too much vpon terrestrial meanes, and know not what it is to beleeue in God, (as Abraham did) beyond hope, with hope, and to trust in his prouidence without pawne in hand. Ri∣ches, estates, friendes, strength, health of body, support of men, as of the husband to the wife, of the father to the child and of the Prince to the subiect are as vayles staying our sight vpon earth and as staues therein to leaue vpon.