Selected quad for the lemma: glory_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
glory_n	let_v	lord_n	riches_n	4,751	5	9.0528	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57197	The vanitie of man, in his best estate a sermon preached at St. Maries in Nottingham, March 18. 1657. at the funeral of the honourable Francis Pierepont, Esq; third son to the right honourable Robert late Earl of Kingston. By William Reynolds, M.A. minister of the Gospel at St. Maries in Nottingham.	Reynolds, William, 1625-1698.; Whitlock, John, 1625-1709.	1658 (1658)	Wing R1323A; ESTC R217985	20,473	35

estate was a state of perfect and compleat happiness there being nothing within him but what was desirable nothing without him but what was amiable and nothing about him but what was serviceable and comfortable When therefore it is said that Surely every man in his best estate is altogether vanity by best estate in the Text is not meant mans estate of Innocency had man persisted in that he should not have known what vanity meant Adam in that estate had in himself a power of perpetuating his estate in Fee-simple upon himself and his for ever Secondly 2 Not his estate of Regeneracy by mans best estate is not meant his estate of Regeneracy this is a most excellent estate and far better than that which is intended in the Text. This estate of regenerary is a spiritual estate consisting in spiritual graces and privileges It is a free estate freed from all forfeitures and endowed with choyce immunities Colos 2.10 It is a full estate we are compleat in Christ It is a firm estate all is everlasting unmoveable unfading we are all Heirs Rom. 8.17 and joynt Heirs with Christ if the estate stand good to him it will to us Man in this estate is not altogether vanity Indeed this estate doth not exempt and privilege from manifold miseries and afflictions that abide us in this life nor doth it exempt from death Heb 9.27 for it is appointed unto all men once to dye the good as well the bad the regenerate as well as the unregenerate notwithstanding man in this estate is not altogether vanity Indeed the regenerate mans outward comforts such as are his friends estate honour yea his person as it is subject to death may be said to be vanity but his spiritual estate this you have heard is firm everlasting and that fadeth not away whereas one that is no more but a man but a meer child of the first Adam both he and his best estate be it whatsoever it may be is altogether vanity Thirdly 3 Not his estate of Glory by mans best estate as is not meant his estate of Innocency nor his estate of Regeneracy so much less his estate of Glory this is the best estate of all This is better than the estate of Regenerary because though in that be the truth of grace yet there is not in it the perfection of grace yea better than Adams estate of Innocency because though in that he had perfection of holiness yet it was loseable he being as you know endowed with freedom of will either to stand or to fall and we too too well know that he did fall but as to this estate of Glory the holiness and happiness of it is both perfect and perpetual it is sure and cannot fail hence it is called an inheritance incorruptible 1 Pet. 1.4 and undefiled and that fadeth not away Man when exalted to this estate shall be fully freed from all manner of vanity and we may alter the words and say Surely every man in this his best estate is altogether felicity or altogether Glory Thus we have heard 2 Affirmatively what is not meant by mans best estate as specified in the Text Now for the Affirmative By mans best estate is chiefly Mans best estate threefold and principally understood his most flourishing and prosperous estate as to this world Now this is threefold First there is mans natural estate Secondly his moral estate Thirdly his civil estate First then every man in his best estate is altogether vauity that is in his best natural estate by this 1 Mans best natural estate is vanity I do not understand that estate of sin wherein every man is born thus indeed divines frequently and not improperly use this phrase of mans natural estate but understand man simply considered as he is natures work-man-ship as nature hath endowed and inriched him with her gifts and that either in reference to body or mind these gifts and endowments of nature in reference to body are health strength beauty and the like the gifts and endowments of the mind are strength of memory quickness of apprehension good utterance and all of the like nature which go under the Notion of a mans natural parts Now man yea every man in his best natural estate is altogether vanity that is man even then when he is most strong most healthful most beautiful which is usually in youth or compleat manhood then is a person in the flowr and Prime of his life and dayes even now is he not altogether vanity Solomon tells us Eccles 11.10 that Child-hood and youth are vanity there is a double vanity in these both the vanity of sin and also the vanity of nature Job 21.23 29. But more expresly to this is that of Job one dieth in his full strength being wholly at ease and quiet his Breasts are full of Milk and his Bones are moistened with marrow One dieth in his full strength he dieth not only strong but in robore perfectionis moritur robustus So the vulgar translation rendereth it the strong man dyeth in the strength of his perfection when his Breasts are full of Milk and his bones moistened with marrow Job here describeth the exactest state of nature yet now man dieth death easily knocks down this strong man death as M. Caryll well glosseth upon the place doth not stay to take men at an advantage when they are weakened with age and sickness Gen. 34.25 as Simeon and Levi did the Shechemites come upon them when they were fore Death can do its work easily and as speedily in health as it can in sickness in strength as well as in weakness when we handle the sword as well as when we lean upon a staff in the Spring and Summer as well as in the Fall and Winter of our lives Secondly 2 Mans best moral estate is vanity as man is vanity in his best natural estate so also in his best moral estate that is take him when his natural parts are brought to the greatest height that Art and diligence can bring them unto when he is wisest learnedest when his heart hath had the greattest experience of Wisdome and Knowledege as Solomon Phraseth it Is he not then even altogether vanity Is he not equally obnoxious to the stroak of Death how dyeth the Wise man as the Fool Eccles 2.16 As the strongest man cannot resist Death so the wisest man cannot evade Death D 〈…〉 with one black Theta soon refuteth all our Wi●●ome and putteth at once a period to our reading and to our-natural being How good therefore is that counsel which the Prophet Jeremiah giveth Jer. 9.23 Let not the wise man glory in his wisdome neither let the mighty man glory in his might Let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth the Lord. Thirdly man 3 Mans best civil Estate is vanity 1 The

richest man is vanity yea every man is vanitie in his best Civil Estate By this I understand man when he hath attained to great riches to great honour to great power and authority in the world First the rich yea the richest man is altogether vanity How vain are riches themselves and all which they when enjoyed in the greatest plenty and abundance imaginable do furnish and accommodate us with you may read what Judgement Solomon after his large experience passeth hereupon I got me Servants and Maidens Eccles 2.7.8.9 c. and had Servants born in my house also I had great possessions of great and small Cattel above all that were in Jerusalem before me I gathered me also silver and gold and the Peculiar treasure of Kings and of the Provinces I gate me men-Singers and women-Singers c. then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought and on the labour that I had laboured to do and behold all was vanity c. And as riches themselves are vain for Solomon elsewhere saith they have wings and sly away So are the possessors of them Prov. 23.5 As the rich man cannot by the multitude of his riches by any means redeem the life of his friend and brother from death so as that he should still live for ever and not see corruption as the Psalmist speaketh Psal 49.6 7 9. So cannot he keep off Death from knocking at his own Door yea from making a forcible entry upon him as you may read Luke 12.20 Secondly as the richest man 2 The Honourable person is vanity so the Honourablest person is also altogether vanity yea indeed the higher any person is in honour he is but vanity in a greater degree Men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lie to be laid in the ballance they are altogether lighter than vanity Psal 62.9 and in Psal 49.12 man being in honour abideth not he is like the beast that perish●th Thirdly man when arrived at and invested with the greatest power and authority 3 Man when advanced to the highest power and authority is vanity Mr. Trap. even in this his estate hers altogether vanity If a Prince his breath is but in his nostrils and he is equally if not more subject to Death than the meanest Pea●ant The mortal Sythe saith one is Master of the roy●l Septer and it moweth down the Lillies of the Crown as well as the grass of the Field At one end of the Liberary at Dublin was a Globe at the other a Sk●leton to shew saith my Author that if a man were the Lord of the whole world yet he must dy his honour and greatness must be laid in the dust Thus we have shewed you what that best estate of man is here spoken of in the Text. It is not understood of mans estate in Innocency not of his estate in Regeneracy much less of his estate in Glory But of mans most flourishing and prosperous estate in the World namely of his best natural moral and civil estate Thus saith the Prophet Isaiah Cap. 40.6 All flesh is grass and all the goodliness thereof as the flower in the field Hebrew Chasdo the Piety Excellency and Emine●cy of it that is all humane and created Excellency in its best beauty and bravery is vanishing These are altogether vanity How man in his best estate is altogether vanity 1 Comparatively 2. In regard of inconstancy and instab lity first comparatively namely when put into the Ballance with God Behold the Nations are a drop of the Bucket and are counted as the small dust of the Ballance all Nations before him are as nothing they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity Isa 40.15 17. Secondly man in his best estate is altogether vanity in that he hath no permanency or stabilitie but is continually subject to change and alteration That which sets the glory of God highest in opposition to the vanity of the creature is that with him there is no variableness nor shadow of turning James 1.17 now in opposition to this point of highest perfection in God lieth the lowest point of the creatures vanity namely that in them is nothing but turning 1 Cor. 7.31 The fashion of this World passeth away saith Paul it is ever passing never standeth at a stay thus is man even when in his best estate man that is born of a woman is of few dayes and full of trouble he cometh forth as a flower and is outdown Job 14.1 2. he fleeth also as a shadow and continneth not I might multiply many other particulars but I tak it that these two are here principally meant and intended by vanitie of these the Prophet had been immediately before speaking in the fourth and former part of the fifth verse of the Psalm The last thing we have to do ere we come of the Application Whence it is that man is such a vain creature is to shew you whence it is that man is such a vain creature and this I shall dispatch in a word The Apostle tells us that it is sin that hath subjected the creature to vanity Rom. 8.20 and saith the Preacher Lo this have I found that God created man upright but they have sought many inventions Eccles 7.29 The nature of man at the first creation before the lump was sowred with the leaven of sin was full of glory and grace But alas man now yea every man being become altogether sinfull he thereby is made to be altogether vanity We shall close with this Man when he was in the glory of his Innocency subjected himself to sin and iniquitie and therefore God hath now most righteously subjected all his glory to vanity Application The brief use we shall make of the Text and Doctrine follows Is man 1 Instruction yea every man in his best estate altogether vanity Then in the first place let us learn hence not to put our trust or place our considence in man no not in any of the children of men be their outward estate never so flourishing and prosperous in the world for surely every man in his best estate is altogether vanitie What great means do divers in the world make to wind and insinuate themselves into the savour of such whom we call great ones namely such who are great in riches high in honour and eminent in power and authority and when they have obtained this they think they have enough and to compass this how will they fawn and flatter complye with and conform themselves unto the sinfull waies and extravagancies of great men But consider seriously with your selves what David saith here in the Text and then tell me whether the favour of any man be he never so great in the world be tanti of so great worth as that either to get or keep it thou shouldst by any wilful sin incur Gods displeasure Is it any better than himself and is not he even altogether