Kaina kai palaia Things new and old, or, A store-house of similies, sentences, allegories, apophthegms, adagies, apologues, divine, morall, politicall, &c. : with their severall applications / collected and observed from the writings and sayings of the learned in all ages to this present by John Spencer ...

[ 1133] Vncertain prosperity of the wicked.

A Man that stands in lubrico,* 1.1 in a slippery place, as on Ice or Glasse, shall have much ado to keep himself upright, though no body touch him; but if one should come upon him unawares, and give him a sud∣dain justle, or a suddain rush, he hath no power in the world to uphold him∣self, but must fall, and that dangerously. And this is the case of wicked wealthy men,* 1.2 such as are laden with ease and honour; such as are blest, like Esau, with the dew of Heaven, and fatnesse of the Earth. Such gracelesse Ruffians, as feast without fear, drink without measure, swear without feeling, live without God, thinking that they are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, un∣movable, and fastned on a Rock, that never shall be moved: But they are deceived. God, that knowes their standing, tells us, he hath set them in slippery places,* 1.3 and it will not be long, ere he send some death, some judgment,

some evill Angell or other to give them such a suddain justle, such a suddain rush, that without great mercy on ••is part, and great Repentance on their part, they must fall irrecoverably into the pit of Hell for ever.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ioh. Gore Ser. at Merc. Chap. Lond. 1634.
• * 1.2

  Tu, quoque fac timeas & quae tibi laeta viden∣tur, Dum loque∣ris, fieri tristia posse puta. Ovid
• * 1.3

  Psal. 73. 18.