a worldly felicitie to change sinfull wretches into gods But as the most learned could neuer find the one so neither shall the most wise and wealthy euer find the other For this cause doth God lay sore trauaile and crosses on men to humble their pride thereby For we children of Adam would faine be as Gods Gen. 3. 5 6. We striue violently to runne backe into Paradise againe but that is done away and another is set before vs into which earthly dregges haue no desire to enter For the Eele loueth the mudde not the christall Springs and the Toade loueth scumme and ditches not the Pallace Verse 4. I made me great workes I builded houses I planted me Vineyards AN hypotyposis or liuely description of the acting and effecting of his counsell to wit his worldly pompe and magnificence by an enumeration of diuers particulars First he propoundeth the same generally I made me great workes All the workes that I did were curious and costly as mans wit could deuise the manner and the world could afford the matter So that the seate of my Pallace in all the workes thereof was as it were a resemblance of the World and the glory thereof that mine eyes and senses being filled with what pleasures and delights my heart could imagine I might enioy full contentment To which purpose I built me houses most large and spacious whose timber workes were of Cedars and pillars of Almug trees I made me Chambers and Galleries for all vses for necessary vses for delights and pleasures for solitarinesse and priuate meditation for Summer and Winter c. For Cedars and siluer were as plentifull with me as stones in the streetes and Sycomore trees in the dales Of gold I had abundance For there came yeerely sixe hundred sixty sixe talents of gold besides that which I had of Merchant men and spice Merchants of the Kings of Arabia and Gouernours of the Countrey I made me a great throne of Iuory and ouer-laide it with the best gold the like whereof was not in any Kingdome All my drinking vessels were of gold and all my vessels of the Forrest of Lebanon were of pure gold I had also abundance of precious stones Iewels spices oyntments odours and what precious things the earth could affoord were sent to me for presents I had twelue Officers ouer all Israel to prouide victuals for me and my houshold I had for one dayes prouision thirty measures of fine flower and sixty measures of meale ten fat Oxen and an hundred Sheep besides Harts and Roe-bucks and Fallow Deare and fatted Fowle So that the meate of my Table the sitting of my Seruants the attendance of my Ministers and their apparell my Butlers c. were an astonishment to Princes Moreouer I had foure thousand stables of Horses for my Chariots ten Horses in euery Stable forty thousand in all I had foureteene hundred Chariots and twelue hundred Horsemen I made me two hundred Targets of beaten gold sixe hundred sheckles went to one Target I made me also three hundred shields of beaten gold three pound of gold went to one shield Also I was at peace with all Kings which did reuerence to me and sent me presents who were desirous to heare of my wisedome and of my workes My Princes and Officers also were loyall and faithfull to me So that I enioyed the fulnesse of prosperity and security And because no pleasant thing might be wanting to me I planted me vineyards and furnished them with the choysest Vines of all sorts Verse 5. I made me Gardens and Hortyards and I planted trees in them of all kinde of fruits SEcondly I made me also Gardens contriued by the art of the best workemen and filled them with all manner of pleasant plants and hearbes I made me hortyards and planted therein trees of all kindes of fruites pleasant to my sight and delightfull to my taste resembling euen the Garden of GOD. Verse 6. I made me pooles of water to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees THirdly I made me also Cisternes to conuey waters from the Springs and Fountaines to water my Gardens and Hortyards and other trees therewith in the times of drought to preserue them fresh and greene for the pleasure of mine eyes and to make their flowres and fruites more beautifull and delicious Verse 7. I got me seruants and maidens and had seruants borne in my house also I had great possessions of great and small Cattle aboue all that were in Ierusalem before me FOurthly I got me also men-seruants and maid-seruants such as had beene well trayned vp and were fit for the seruice of Princes both in regard of their persons and qualities I had also others borne in my house the children of Captiues euen the choysest and best qualified of those that had beene taken captiues in the warres Also I had great possessions of Cattle both of Oxen and Sheepe of Horses Camels and Mules partly for the prouision of my House partly for other vses aboue all that were before mee in Ierusalem Verse 8. I gathered me also siluer and gold and the peculiar treasure of Kings and of the Prouinces I got mee men-singers and women-singers and the delights of the sonnes of men as musicall instruments and that of all sorts FIftly also of siluer and gold I had abundance which yeerely came vnto me besides that which came once euerie three yeeres from Tarshish for vessels and vtensils for the beautifying of my house for shields and targets and other vses and other precious treasures which for their rarenesse and beauty Princes value at highest rate and are therefore peculiar to them I got me also men-singers and women-singers that both had perfect skill and pleasant voyces that not onely the shrilnesse of the quauering treble and the grauity of the deepe base and the delightfull mediocrity of the mixt tenor mitigating the sharpenesse of the one and eleuating the flatnesse of the other might refresh my spirits with their pleasant ayre but also that the song it selfe might affect my minde with the lightsome ayre of pleasant thoughts insinuated by the pleasing deceits of harmonicall allurements to remoue the impression of pensiue melancholy and to pacifie the surges of cholericke fancies that such obiects being stolne away from my minde vnawares as cares are by sleepe I might be retracted from the disturbance of intemperate passions I had also the delights of the sonnes of men euen all kindes of musicall Instruments The Hebrew words are Schaddah Schiddoth id est deuastation and deuastations or spoyle and spoyles and signifieth the fairest women taken captiues in the sacking of a City as Xantis Pagnine translateth it which thing was the common custome of old times The words afore-going delights of the sonnes of men import as much being as I thinke more properly related to Solomons three hundred Concubines which were the fairest women of captiuities For as Wife and Children are termed the pleasures of the eyes and Idols the
both by his diurnall and annuall reuolution to wit from East to West from South to North causing Day and Night Summer and Winter with other seasons of the day and yeare To conclude The life of man as concerning his bodily state is a continuall passage from the wombe whence it issueth to the graue into which it falleth as the Sunne seemeth to rise out of the earth and to descend into the earth and man in his issue or progenie may be said to returne circularly againe with the Sunne out of the earth out of the wombe into the horizon into the world Againe concerning his outward state he hath his ascending descending birth and buriall with the Sunne For there is no constancie of any state or kindred though one continue longer than another as the Oake out-liueth the Ashe and the Ashe the Willow yet all dye and vanish in their time For the Lord raiseth vp the poore out of the dust and the needy out of the dunghill that hee may set him with Princes Psal 113. Againe Psal 107. 40. He poureth contempt vpon Princes and causeth them to wander in the wildernesse where there is no way 1 Sam. 2. 7. He maketh poore and maketh rich hee bringeth lowe and lifteth vp So that with the Sunne there is a double motion of mankinde one of life which is diurnall and another of state which is annuall I meane the house or kingdome of longest continuance Lastly in this certaine and stedfast motion there is nothing but vncertaintie and vnstedfastnesse therefore no felicitie but vanitie Verse 6. The winde goeth toward the South and turneth about vnto the North it whirleth about continually and the winde returneth againe according to his circuits THe third particular As the Sunne is wheeled about with restlesse motion so are the windes also whirled about according to their manifold circuits The former wee see this we heare and feele which teach vs to see heare and feele our vanity vnlesse we be sencelesse The wind is a neerer instructer beating on our faces and sounding in our eares yea piercing into our eares and heads to awake our dull spirits to cause vs remember what we are what our workes are and what our end and their end is So that vnlesse we be in a dead sleepe drunke with sencelesse carnality we cannot but remember the brittlenesse of our bodies the incertainty of our liues the instability of our states and all things with vs running in their circuits as the windy exhalations ascending out of the earth to the region of the cloudes are from thence flung backe by contrary and discordant qualities and so run circularly in the aire from South to North or from what places soeuer they arise towards the same places againe Vaine therefore are earthly wise men that thinke their houses shall continue for euer and call their lands by their owne names as Dauid saith But why doe they so labour in the winde Because a brutish man knoweth not neither doth a foole vnderstand that God hath subdued all things to mutability and vanity that in him onely wee might seeke for durable riches and the true and euerlasting felicity Verse 7. All the Riuers runne into the Sea yet the Sea is not full vnto the place from whence the Riuers come thither they returne againe THe fourth particular Not onely the winds arise make a noyse for a little season and then die after which others arise againe in like sort but the waters also are circularly carried by perpetuall ingresse and regresse into the seate and from the seate of waters the Sea As the Sea is the receptacle of fresh waters so doe her salt waters re passe through the veines and conduit pipes of the earth strained and qualified by diuers Mines and tempers of mould of magneticall nature which appeareth in this that the Sea is not filled For the earth thirsteth for moisture and attracteth from the Sea as the hand fingers toes and all members doe blood from the liuer by many net-like veines ramified all ouer which breake through the breasts of porose and rocky hilles through clefts of quarries and so runne downe into the Sea from whence they came Whereof arose that speech He that knoweth not the way to the Sea let him seeke for a Riuer to be his guide As it is no maruell that the bloud should ascend out of the liuer to the higher parts of the body no more wonder is it that the waters should spring out of the high mountaines as milke doth out of womens breasts seeing that the earth nay whole nature is magneticall or alchymisticall Wee maruell not that bloud and milke should be sweete though we eate salt meats and as little cause haue we to maruell at the other The Fishes of the Sea are fresh not salt for the Sea is their element as the earth is to her creatures And when a creature beginneth to resemble his element it is a token of dissolution as when blew greene yellow colours c. beginne to appeare in the flesh which we call earthly and dead colours So springs and torrents are the fruits of the Sea or rather the Sea is the aliment of the earths body which conuerteth her salt waters into milke for the nourishing of all that spring out of her wombe Or whether it be as Aristotle thinketh that the waters are conuerted into liquid or rorid ayre which is suckt in of the earth by her magneticall thirst and congealed into many dispersed small droppes as moisture attracted through the porose and supple bladder becommeth a torrent of vrine which vapours gathering together in the veines of the earth for that purpose ordained of God breake forth of the hilles But according to the former doctrine these drops are rather euaporated and sweat out from those veines to sustaine and moisten the rootes of vegetables in the vpper parts of the earth As for the attraction of liquid ayre dewes and raines the earth hath her Systolen Diastolen her dilatation and constriction which wee call the breath in liuing creatures shee continually draweth in and sendeth out Liuing creatures also are not onely fedde by the roote of the stomach but by the ayre drawne in and sent forth by the breath which is temperature of the hearts heate nutritiue of the animall and vitall spirits and purgatiue of vnnaturall vapours As the humours haue their purgatiue passages so haue the spirits The eare is a purgatiue vessell as well as the instrument of hearing and so of the other senses To conclude which way soeuer this passage of Riuers is they returne from whence they came and such a circular motion is there of man and all humane things Therefore in this world there is no firme ground for man to build vpon But the securest man and the surest state shall be dissolued dispersed and brought to naught Wherefore let euery wise man build vpon the Rocke Iesus Christ and his worke shall remaine for euer Verse 8. All things
no slaunder As his necke is so let him chew such a bit For Salomon sayth That a wise man ordereth his affaires by discretion Be not ashamed saith the sonne of Syrach to beate an ydle stubborne seruant to the blood And Nature teacheth vs to cast out vnprofitable Drones But what Drone can be worse then those that curse murmure and speake euill of their Benefactors when as they should pray for them Lastly the Law sayth Respect not the poore for his pouerty giue righteous iudgement By all this we learne what to do with an euill tongued Drone and a sturdy loynes and what course to take with the wicked labouring man that spendeth all and spareth naught because the Parish must keepe his children Some such like poore there are Lastly we must do good to strangers whom wee neuer sawe and are neuer like to see agayne which are signified by waters also For thou shalt finde it after many dayes A reason to enforce this duty Thy benefit shall not be fruitlesse though it seeme to be cast into the Sea and vtterly lost yet it is in the hand of the Lord who shall restore it to thee agayne with aduantage The Seede that is seattered abroade vpon the ground seemeth to be lost yet it groweth by little and little and commeth in the end to a plentifull haruest so shall that doe which is sowne on the waters The poore are compared to ground 2. Cor. 7. ready dressed and tilled to our hands and our reliefe is seede cast vpon it and for our paynes and cost in sowing it we are promised to reape the whole croppe our selues For he saith Deuteron 15. 10. The Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy workes and in all that thou puttest thine hand vnto Prouer. 19. 17. He that hath pittie on the poore lendeth to the Lord and that which he hath giuen will he pay him againe Also Math. 10. 42. He that giueth but a cuppe of colde water to one of these little ones in the name of a Disciple shall not lose his reward A cuppe of colde water giuen in this sence is better then thousands and millions in a carnall respect For God respecteth the intent of the heart onely as for the gift it selfe that is Gods owne already the whole world is his owne he hath no neede of our gifts it is his already and he can giue it to whom hee will hee maketh heires therefore hee respecteth not the greatnesse of the gift but the sinceritie of the giuer hee needeth I say nothing from vs who can feede his poore at his pleasure but we haue neede of faith and obedience that he might be glorified in our saluation whose glorie is not diminished though we were all damned If God blesse and prosper a man in his person familie cattell Lands he shall soone be rich although his beginning be right little For it is not to be regarded how much a man hath but how it prospereth Corne hempe flaxe trees hearbs grow in a shortspace but no man seeth how so is it with him whom God prospereth For first God giues him wisdome and a right forecast Secondly there is a blessing vppon it which is aboue all indeuours Some man groweth rich no man knoweth how nor himselfe neyther Agayne some becommeth poore hee knoweth not how neyther can any man well tell him Moreouer besides the continuall successe of his labours God stirreth vp others to doe good to him after many dayes vpon long triall of his faith and constancie and the Lord maketh heyres at his pleasure lands and goods are in his disposing But the wisedome of the flesh is quite contrary The way to be rich is to spend nothing to giue nothing to oppresse the poore to detaine their wages c. There was in a certaine place one that went among the neighbours to craue some beneuolence towards the Ministers maintenance three of the richest and wisest so reputed gaue these answers One said The more I do giue the lesse I haue Another olde man said I see the fore-end of my life but I see not my latter I may come to want that which I now giue The third said I know what I haue heere but I am not sure what reward I shall haue when I am dead His meaning was that if he had beene sure that there were a Kingdome of glory hee would haue giuen somewhat to haue purchased it And a fourth olde man said That he was old and past preaching let his sonne if he would giue to preaching Yea and another aged man said That he knew how to bestow his money better Heere is fleshly wisedome which is enmity to the Law of God But the word of God teacheth quite contrary The former is mans wisedome sensuall and diuellish but this following is Gods He that will be rich let him bestow freely on the poore he that will giue shall get it is better to giue then to take he that will saue his life shall lose it and contrarily he that will keepe and saue his goodes shall lose them and hee that will cast them away shall saue and encrease them and that eyther by prosperitie and continuall good successe in innumerable small partciulars thereof or else afterward as the Lord prouided for the faithfull widdow of Sarepta when she looked for nothing but death yet of that little Meale and Oyle that was left shee serued the Lords Prophet first a worthy example of faith And Abigael for a smal present bestowed on Dauid in his necessity became a Queene whereas churlish Nabal was strucken dead So do these couetous wretches rake mony together for other men that neuer sweat for it Verse 2. Giue a portion to seuen and also to eight for thou knowest not what euill shall be vpon the earth THis verse setteth downe the extent of our liberality shewing to how many we must giue Giue a portion to seuen and also to eight A Synecdoche of the speciall a finite number being put for an infinite as Christ answered to Peter Forgiue not thy brother till seuen times but till seuenty seuen times This maner of speech is vsed Mica 5. 5. Then shall we raise against him seuen shepheards and eight principall men that is so many shepheards both teachers and rulers as shall sufficiently feed the Church of Christ and defend it from the enemies and breake the power thereof Therefore we must giue to all that need our helpe Luke 6. Giue to euery one that asketh As charity maketh a difference of persons so againe it respecteth euery mans necessity to giue to him according to his need A gift bestowed on a mans necessity is not lost because it is put into the hands of God that is done for the commandement sake and of pity For God regardeth the heart of the giuer not the gift nor so much the person to whom A small gift of a good heart is great and contrarily For thou knowest not what euill shall be vpon the earth