All Wordly comforts, transitory. [ 1278]
IT was a Custome in▪ Rome, that when the Emperour went by upon some grand day in all his Imperiall pomp;* 1.1 there was an Officer appointed to burn flax be∣fore him, crying out; Sic transit gloria mundi, which was purposely done to put him in mind, That all his honour and grandure should soon vanish and passe a∣way, like the nimble smoak, raised from that burning flax. And it was a good Me∣ditation that one had, standing by a River side; saies he, The Water which I see, now runs away, and I see it no more; and the comforts of this world are like this running water, still gliding and running away from us: So, most true it is, that all Men, and such as do most indulge themselves with those bitter sweets that the World doth,* 1.2 or can present; they are but like smoak, that soon vanisheth away, transitory, ei∣ther ebbing or flowing, never at any certain; but fleeting and fading, coming to us with Sparrows wings, slowly and with much difficulty; but flying away with Eagles wings, hardly discoverable which way, or how they took their flight on such a suddain: It must therefore be our care so to use this world as if we used it not for the fashion of it passeth away;* 1.3 and seeing we cannot enjoy the comforts there∣of any long time, let us use them well to Gods Glory that gave them, and not a∣buse them to our own prejudice.