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 ...

The great danger of taking up a false perswasion of our effectuall Calling. [ 1274]

AS a Man that is in a pleasant sleep,* 1.1 dreams that he is a King, hath loyall and obedient subjects about him, a large Revenue, with a Treasury full of gold and silver; yet when he awakes, behold the Man is a very Begger, and hath no∣thing: Just such is a Man that takes up a false perswasion of his effectuall Calling, when (God knows) he is not called at all: Or like a Man that is asleep upon the Mast of a Ship,* 1.2 he is in a golden dream, and his thoughts are all upon Kingdomes and thousands which he seemeth to have already in possession;* 1.3 but happily, or rather unhappily, in that very moment, wherein he solaceth himselfe in his imagi∣nary happinesse, a storm ariseth, the Ship is in danger to be overwhelmed, and the Man is tumbled into the Sea,* 1.4 and so drowned: Thus it is with many Men and Women, they nourish golden dreams, and have very strong hopes, that Heaven is theirs, and Christ theirs, When as (alass) they do extreamly befool themselves, being all this while upon the very brink of Hell, and so are tumbled in before they be aware.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Lud. de Carbo de sui-ipsius cog••nitione. l. 2. c. 3.
• * 1.2

  Jerem. 7.
• * 1.3

  Prov. 1••.
• * 1.4

  Aureos s••bime••∣ips••s pollicentur montes.