He is a ruffian he is riotous he is a dicer he haunteth harlots and so consumeth all that his Auncetors did gather Is this bewtifull is this a good sight I might go through a number of particulars but these may suffise to lay open the doctrine which Solomon doeth here teach I will make these manifest so we may iudge of all other contraries which in their times fall out by Gods prouidence how he hath made them bewtifull I know it will be said how can these things be bewtifull Is riot whoredom ruffian liues dicing or wasting goods and patrimonie bewtifull are murthers bloudsheds cruelties rauishings of matrones and virgins wasting burning all pleasant things coÌ„fortable to behold These and a number moe are vglie horrible and dolefull to behold They be sins euen of Heathen men condemned God is holie iust pure and righteous he abhorreth condemneth all sinne and wickednesse how can it be said that he doeth make these bewtifull in their time shall most foule sinnes be bewtifull or shall we say that God doth approue them I answere that neither doth God approue sinne neither is sinne bewtifull of it selfe at any time and yet this standeth true he hath made euery thing bewtifull in his time Wée must therefore distinguish thus God is the Aucthor of all actions but the sinne of the actions commeth not néere him For hée is infinitely holy and pure and hateth all wickednes Hée doth in his prouideÌ„ce vse as instruments both men and deuils to bring the works to passe and the sinne cleaueth onely vnto them The actions arè good as they bée from the most blessed and holy God but these instruments doo sinne and are iustly condemned Moreouer if we respect the sinne it selfe it is fond it is lothsome it is sorowfull to behold for who can behold the rauishment of women the murthering of men and children the burning of cities and townes not powre forth teares Who can see theftes robberies and spoiles yea all kind of wickednes in such manner committed as if all the Diuils in hell were losed and walked vpon the earth in mans apparell and not mourne In this the things are not bewtifull But now in an other respect if we behold wée shall sée they be all be wtifull in their time and that is as they be sent as iust and due punishments from God as the executioÌ„ of his wrath and vengeance for the wickednes of the world and for the triall of the faith and pacience of his seruants Looke in the time of peace what securitie there is what vnthankfulnesse what pride what abusing of all Gods creatures vnto riot and excesse and ye shall sée that the sword the famine the pestilence and al kinde of miserable vexations are iustly sent of God and in that respect are bewtifull in their tune Wée sée how many doo gette their goods with couetousnesse with vniust dealing by extortion briberie and deceit vsurie vnmercifulnesse to the poore yea euen to the widow and the fatherles doo fill many mens purses Is it not a iust reuenge from God and a due executioÌ„ and in that respect a thing bewtifull that a ruffian or an vnthrift doe rise vp and riotously wast the goods that haue béene so naughtily gotten The Lord God doth in righteousnesse gouerne all nations and people of the world punish their ingratitude His owne childreÌ„ offeÌ„ding do not escape The exaÌ„ple of Dauid may suffise hée committed adultris with Barseba hée caused Vrias hir husband to bée slaine with the sword the thing displeased the Lord excéedingly He sent Nathan the prophet vnto Dauid to shew him his sinne and also the chasticement that God would send him for the same The sword shall not depart from thy house for euer I will raise vp euill saith the Lord against thée out of thine owne house I wil take thy wiues before thine eies and giue them vnto thy neighbour which shall lie with thy wiues in the sight of y e sunne Thou diddest this thing secretly but I will doe it before all Israell and in the sight of the sunne This was the punishment threatned let vs sée how the Lord did bring it to passe First Ammon the sonne of Dauid defileth his sister Thamar Abshalom for reuenge being an other of Dauids sonnes and brother vnto Thamar by the mother also doeth slay Ammon his brother Afterward y e same Abshalom doth gather a power of men and séeke to thrust his Father from the kingdome Dauid is constrayned to flie from Ierusalem leauing some of his wiues there thether commeth Abshalom and by the counsell of Achitophel causeth a tent to be spread and in the sight of all the people went in and lay with his fathers wiues Here is Gods punishment vppon Dauid as hée before threatned Ammon did commit abominable incest Abshalom besides his murther his treason and other enormities did coÌ„mit the like incest with his fathers wiues The Lord saith he did all this But as I said before the actions were his but not the sin The sinne did cleauâ— vnto the men and to the Deuill which drew them into it vnto whose hand thâ— Lord had iustly giuen them ouer Thesâ— sinnes in themselues are foule to lookâ— vpon but as they be punishments senâ— of God vpon Dauid for his offence theâ— were bewtifull in their time Thus maâ— wée iudge of all the euils the calamitieâ— and mischiefes which in the variableneâ— and change of times doe light vpon meâ— He hath made them all bewtiful in theâ— time We must come to the third poinâ— and that is that God vseth men as his iâ—struments and by them as by the meaâ— he bringeth in all those euils which 〈…〉 punisheth the wickednesse of the world withall and sheweth his glory except in that which he worketh himselfe extraordinarily and immediatly his words are expounded diuers waies by diuers but I will translate them euen as they stand thus He hath also set the world in their hart except that which man can not find euen the worke which God worketh froÌ„ the beginning to the end When he saith God hath set the world in their heart hée expoundeth what hée meaneth by the world euen the worke of God which hée worketh from the beginning to the end That is to say euen the whole worke of God for the turmoiles that be among the nations of the world sauing that he hath made an exceptioÌ„ by the way for he putteth in except that which man can not find We haue séene before how he setteth downe euery thing to haue his time and season He expressed sundrie particular partes of contraries by which we may be induced to behold al things that are doone vnder heauen which hée calleth the world and because Gods prouidence directeth all he calleth it the worke which he worketh This world because the things be so vniuersall and so many or this whole worke of God hath he set in mans heart For menne doo worke it all except
heart so that he sinned and fell grieuously He was reproued of God for it as we read 1. Kings 11. He made this booke to remayne as a publike record of his returne and therfore he is Koheleth a person or a soule reconciled to God and to his Church In this sence we may call him Ecclesiastes I know it will be replied by some that the word of God doth not any where testifie that Solomon euer repented after his great fall but leaueth it in doubt and to proue his repentance by this one title by which hee doeth name himselfe is but a weake reason For let the signification of the name be certaine yet is it vncertaine whether he wrote this booke after his fall To this I answere that he did write it after the long triall and experience which he had made in all things vnder the sunne and no doubt after his fall For touching his repentance although it be not said any where in these expresse words Solomon repented yet may it bée proued by necessarie consequence out of the scriptures that he did vnfaynedly repent I reason thus He was one of Gods elect therefore he returned to his God by true repentance séeing it is vnpossible that the elect should perish Math. 24. To proue that he was Gods elect I first alledge that which was said to Dauid at his birth 2. Sam. 12. which Nehemiah doeth speake of him Chap. 13. Nathan the Prophet was sent to Dauid from the Lord willing him to call his name Iedediah tendring this cause that God loued him Nehemiah speaking of the fall of Solomon saith yet he was beloued of his God grounding vpon those wordes of Nathan What a spéech were this to say hée was beloued of his God if he were not gods elect Doeth the Scripture euer speake so of any reprobate God saith by the prophet Malachie Chap. 1. Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated Saint Paul hereupon doeth argue Rom. 9. and proue that God hath chosen Iacob And why may we not reason thus vpon these words the Lorde loueth him hée was beloued of his God therfore he was Gods elect Then the Scripture leaueth not his repentance in doubt I will not stand vpon this that hée was a figure of Christ Psal 45. That hee was an excellent Prophet opening high misteries of Christ and his Church but I will come to that which is written of him 1. Chro. 17. where God saith to Dauid I will be his father and he shall be my sonne and I will not take away my mercie from him as I did from him that was before thée Some wil say this is spokeÌ„ of Christ for the title is too high for any Angell Heb. 1. I answere that God said of Dauid thou art my sonne but yet as he was the Figure of Christ Psal 2. and so herâ— of Solomon For this caÌ„not be denied that the Lord speaketh it of that sonne of Dauid which should build the materiall Temple which Dauid had in purpose for to build and God said of this man I will be his father and he shall be my sonne and I will not take my mercie from him If God did not take his mercie from him then he repented When heir Solomon was dead his way is ioyned with the way of Dauid his father For RehoboaÌ„ his sonne did wel thrée yeres and those thrée yeres he is saide to haue walked in the way of Dauid and Solomon 2. Chron. 11. Solomons beginning was good and so was his ende or els hee shoulde not be coupled with Dauid And thus we sée he was Gods elect and therefore repented and became Koheleth So that we hold for certaintie that this name which he geueth himself and this booke are for publike note and record of his repentance and reconciliation to God and his Church Thus much of the Anthor of this booke and for what cause he calleth himselfe by this vnusuall name Now we must obserue to what end he made it or what was his chiefe purpose and intent in writing which in few wordes I may say was this euen to instruct men how to come vnto the true blessednesse A worthy worke and most profitable vnto al that thirst and long for saluation The whole worke consisteth of two partes For he draweth men first froÌ„ the wrong way Those that set their hearts vpon the riches the honors the pleasures and the wisdome vnder the sunne to séeke any felicitie or good in them are in a wrong way From this he persuadeth then he setteth forth the right way vnto blessednesse which is in the true worship and feare of God Hereunto he mooueth very carefully We must note that he beginneth with the vanitie and miserie of all thinges vnder the Sunne because no man can worship God a right or feare him in truth vntil he haue learned to renounce the world Marke well what our Lord saith No man can serue two Masters ye can not serue God and Mammon Math. 6. No man can loue God which loueth the world For thus it is plainely said Loue not the worldâ— neither the things of the worlde if any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him For whatsoeuer is in the world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eies and the pride of life is not of the father but is of the world 1. Ioh. 2. The loue of the world is enmitie against God so that he which will be a fréend of the world maketh himselfe the enemie of God Iam. 4. In the same place also wee learne that such as loue the worlde committe who redome against God for he calleth them adulterers and adulteresses It is because mans heart and soule ought to be maried to God and to be kept chast and pure vnto him for the lone now when it doth giue away y e loue vnto the world and doth imbrace it as a sweete Ladie in which it doth delight it committeth spirituall whoredome For the same cause the holy Ghost calleth the couetous man an Idolater Ephes 5. His harte should be set vpon God and it is set vpon the world he should trust in the liuing God and he doth trust in riches What is this but to set vp an Idoll The cares also of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches are thornes which choake the good séede of life Math. 13. Plow vp your fallow and so we not among the thornes saith God vnto his people Ierem. 4. By all these places we may sée how necessarie it is that before Solomon do come to teach men where they shall séeke true blessednes he emptieth their harts of the loue and care of earthly things and this is that I said â—he draweth men first from the wrong way How well he doth performe this we shall vnderstande if the Lord do giue vs eares to heare Vanitie of vanities saith Ecclesiastes vanitie of vanities
the Sea How commeth it then to passe that in so many hundreth and thousands of yeres the sea is not filled This is his reason by which he proueth that they do returne againe into their owne place and do not abide in the sea for if they did abide there the sea would be filled They be drawen vp by the sunne into the clowdes and so life is a vapor that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth The Prophet Dauid vseth a comparison beyonde all these Psal 62â— For he compareth the state of man yea euen of princes with vanitie it selfe and maketh it the lighter These be his words The sonnes of base persons are vanitie the sonnes of nobles are deceite If they be put together in the ballance they will ascende aboue vanitie Put all men in one ballance and vanitie in the other and they will goe vpwarde and be found the lighter For the heauier end of the ballance goeth down ward and the lighter ascendeth How commeth it to passe then that men yea such as should be wise and in déede doe take themselues of all other to be the wisest are so be witched and blinded that they make so great account of their estate in this present life as if it were all in al They thinke there is profite and commoditie of their labours and that great no man can perswade them to the contrarie Alas what should I say here I may well lament and bewayle our miserable blindnes I knowe not how to cure it There be so many thinges that doe deceiue it is almost without end Let it be that this worde of the Lord be receiued man is mortall he hath but his generation he passeth away as a shadow and neuer returneth againe his estate and condition is so vaine and transitorie that compared with other creatures he is farre inferior Yet this conclusion will not be receiued therefore their remaineth no profite vnto man of all his trauaile wherin he trauaileth vnder the sunne for this sticketh fast in the hart Although the daies of man vpon the earth be but as a vapor that appeareth for a short time and then vanisheth yea howsoeuer he passe away and returne no more and is inferiour to other creatures yet he receiueth very great profite by his laboures and that many waies He hath to féed and clothe himselfe withall and to serue other necessarie vses He commeth to haue countenance in the world of worship and honour his valiant acts and wisdome shall be renowmed vnto all posteritie He doth conuey ouer his honour and possessions vnto his sonne who is as déere vnto him as his owne soule He shall florish and prosper in the world He shall continue the name countenance of his father are not these great commodities and worth the trauailing for I answer that these had néed be worth somewhat for in déede they be the things for which many thousands doo sell there soules and bodies to the Deuil They be those rocks against which men doo runne and make shipwracke of faith and a good conscience so drowne themselues in perdition and destruction The wise men of the worlde are poisoned and killed with these baites The Deuil deth suggest them and mans blind hart receiueth them euen against the truth For let vs looke well into the matter and we shall find that there is nothing in all these but méere deceit the truth of this sentence shall continue firme that there is no profite vnto a man of all his labours wherein he laboureth vnder the Sunne Touching the first there is some present commoditie in déede obteined by mans labour for he eateth of the labour of his handes he hath to clothe himselfe withall Men are commanded to labour for that purpose this beyng Gods ordinance In the sweat of thy browes thou shalt eat bread Genes 3. Moreouer by their industrie and labour men doo prouide somewhat to leaue vnto their children as nature bindeth them the Scripture pronounceth such as doo not this to be worse then infidels Neuerthelesse here is nothing to contrary that which Solomon teacheth that there is no profite to a man of all his sore trauaile For he vseth a worde which signifieth a profite that doth remaine and continue or sticke by a man All present commodities are vaine yea most vaine because they continue not with menne Againe here is nothing to driue men froÌ„ labour diligence about earthly things but to moderate mens laboures and to correct immoderate vaine care which draweth men from the studie of better things It is the same doctrine which Christ teacheth Iohn 6. Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for the meat that indureth vnto eternall life And which S. Paule exhorteth vnto 1. Cor. 7. Let him that bieth be as though he possessed not for y e fashion of this world passeth away I may say further that to haue riches honors be good benefites in this respect also that by theÌ„ men are the more inabled to doo good and so to be rich in good workes But as worldly men doo account and as they doo couet them there is no good in them at all for if a mans substance be increased neuer so much hée shall carie none of it away with him his pompe saith the Prophet shall not descend with him into the graue Psalm 49. Shée doth often and vsually follow and accompany vnto the graues mouth but then returneth taketh her leaue Well his sonne he is now aloft this is as good to the father as if he had it himselfe Yea we sée many a miser labour like an horse and almost sterue himselfe to make his sonne rich hée continueth the name the lands and the houses haue the name set â—pon them What a goodly matter is â—his no doubt this séemeth a goodly matâ—er yea so goodly that it costeth as I haue â—aid many a soule The worldlings â—pare no trauaile to come to this Looke whatsoeuer standeth in their way to let â—hey will tread it downe if they can yea â—uen Gods truth all equitie faith and â—onestie This is the vaine glorie which the Prophet derideth Psal 49. Their minde â—s saith he that their houses may be for â—uer their habitations from generation â—o generation they call their names vpoÌ„â—heir landes But man is in honour and shall not continue he is like the beastes that perish This their way is their hope and their children approue their wordes They shall lie as beastes in the graue death shall be their shéepeheard This I say is it which God speaketh touching the vayne glory of blinde worldlings which doo more earnestly bende their minde to haue an house and glory in the earth to all posteritie then to séeke to know god aright to glory in him to magnifie set vp his honor and so to be glorified in the heauens for euer to haue their house or name coÌ„tinued is but an earthly commodity should not
not so much but they haue as litle It were well for these Epicures if they had some hundreth part of his wisdome with the like portioÌ„ of those things which he possessed which because they want they are like vnto the oxe which is fed in swéete pasture he is wanton kicketh vp his héeles there is no thought of the butchers ax These looke for no iudgement to come Set this before your eyes labour not to finde a pleasant life here But rather learne of this king in y e middest of all aboundance to meditate to search out the vanitie of all these things and so to draw our harts from them Before this present estate doo mistike vs we can not sigh grone for a better Which those do that haue receiued the first fruits of the spirite as wee are taught Rom. 8. Let not deceiuéable things blind our eies Whosoeuer he be that doeth not mistike this present estate yea hate life in comparison of eternall life he shall neuer tast of the ioyes of heauen Thus he hath concluded touching wisdome Now he commeth vnto those his great workes which serued for honour pleasure He had his portion in them for the time but he doth shewe by reasons that there was nothing in them but fore and extreme vanitie these be his words I hated also all my labour in which I labour vnder the sunne As he hated life so he hated all his labour and why because he must leaue it vnto an other man It may séeme that in this he went too farre for should that grieue him nature doth teach men to loue their childreÌ„ and posteritie and so to prouide for them as for their owne bowels That maketh men trauaile so willingly to get possessions which they may conuey vnto their children and beyng done with equitie moderation is a thing very commendable Is Solomon then become vnnaturall that it grieueth him because he hath laboured for his sonne For he saith I hated all my labour in which I laboured vnder the sunne because I shall leaue it to the man that shall be after mée Wée may not take it so For doubtlesse he had naturall affection loue to his children But here is his griefe and this is that which doth stick so nigh him and causeth him to hate his labour that hée can not tell whether the maÌ„ whom he shal make his heire and leaue all his workes vnto will proue wise or a foole He must haue all though hée be a foole He must rule ouer all his labours wherein he hath laboured and shewed wisedome This is the vanitie Here is the sore and griefe He shewed excéeding great wisdome in all his workes he delighted in wisdome he disdained follie and now can he not tell whether all his workes wrought in wisdome shall come into the hands of a foole And in déed his sonne Rehoboam did not proue very wise when he forsooke the counsell of the old men and followed the counsell of the yoong men And when he forsoke the way of Dauid Solomon that is the way of the Lord and set vp Idolatrie and false worship 2. Chro. 11. It is a thing which commeth vsually to passe among men that the father is wise and the sonne a foole But let it be that a man perceiueth his sonne vnto whom he shall commit ouer all his good and possessions is wise yet he doth not know what his sonne or his sonnes sonne shal be For it doth fall but that certaine generations are wise in their worldly affaires and doo increase their substance after riseth vp a foole â—nd he doth scatter and wast his patrimoâ—ie For we must not restrain his words to the next heire when he saith I shall leaue it to the man that shall be after me and who doth know whether he shall be wise or a foole Marke one thing then in this place If those works which are wrought wisely haue no certaintie in the heires which succéede but may come into the handes of a foole and doo very often what shall we say of those houses and landes which are gotten vniustly and by hard dealing as by couetousnes by extortion by bryberie by deceipt and violence He doeth not meane that such men as come by their goods so naughtily doo she we themselues wise in their laboures for wisdome is with vprightnes and truth What meruaile is it then though such possessions do come to naught for by the iust iudgement of God they come into y e hands of fooles couetouse ambitious fooles gat them and prodigall riotous fooles doe spend them Yea but we sée such goods and possessions stand as firme to mans thinking as the earth coÌ„ueied from heire to heire for hundreths of yéeres in continuance It is so no doubt but here is our weakenesse which can not sée that fiue or sixe hundreth yéeres is nothing It is a litle prolonging of time but it passeth as a shadow Their houses their memoriall and their glory perisheth If we did liue but a thousand yeares we should sée much coÌ„cerning this point We liue thrée score and ten and in this we sée somewhat For there be many whose workes we sée are with fraud and bloud and in the verie next heire are consumed to naught in short time By this the Lord doth teach vs what shal be the end of those other which séeme to stand as fast as the mountaines and to endure all stormes and tempestes which do arise thus might we see what the insatiable gréedinesse of man commeth vnto Man walketh saith the Prophete in the Psalme in a shadow he disquieteth him selfe in vaine he heapeth vp riches and can not tell who shall gather them for oftentimes it falleth out that y e riches which he hath heaped vp come not onely into the handes of a foole but of a foole which is not of his kindred Shall we then so hate all labour as to giue it ouer is that Solomons purpose No in no wise It is not his meaning that a man should not trauaile for his posteritie because his sonne may proue a foole But he would not haue men so to labour and so to set their harts as vpon a matter of value Labour in such sort as about that which is vaine and transitorie seruing but for present necessitie Iudge and estéeme these worldly things to bée most vaine and vncertaine let them not hinder better things Labour possesse but yet as though ye possessed not 1. Cor. 7. Labour because God will haue yée to eate bread in the sweat of your browes But yet sée and know that all your laboures are subiect vnto vanitie And so may yée come to that which hée saith I hated all my labour Set your delight and loue vpon the labour for the spirituall and true treasure lift vp your minds to séeke heauen and heauenly things Wel he goeth yet a step further and saith Therefore I turned away to make my heart to be
without hope or to despaire concerning all my trauaile vnder the sunne for so he speaketh This turning away is the turning away of his minde affection from his workes For to the ende he might search duely bee set his delight for a time vpon them Now to draw away the same more forciblie he causeth his heart to despaire or to haue no hope to receiue any good in all his sore trauaile wherein he trauailed vnder the sunne Here is an example for all wise men to follow euen by déepe meditation and a full insight into thinges to perswade their hearts by sound reasons that they may neuer hope for any good to remaine of their worldly trauails For if men did this they could not be so blinded with a vaine hope and caried away as if the cōmodities were incomparable which they shal reap by their labors Men are blind herein by nature and the deuil doth blinfolde them he wil not let them sée that which made Solomon turne away and make his heart despaire of his laboures And to sée what are other mens workes in comparison of his Hee doeth as it were fish in the maine sea and they in little ditches If his nets come vp emty how then Touching this matter he hath hetherto spoken of himselfe now he doeth amplifie it by a kinde of comparison It is taken from the meaner sort of men there is none of them but if he haue laboured in wisdome knowledge and equitie but it may gréeue him that he must leaue it to another man which hath not trauayled therein for his portion This he saith is vanitie and a great euill For by this it commeth to passe that one man trauaileth and another receiueth all the profite and commoditie The father to make his sonne rich so turmoyleth and pyneth himselfe that he hath no pleasure of his life the sonne when he is a father doeth the like for his childe and so euerie one defraudeth himselfe For he demandeth what remaineth to a man of all his trauaile and gréefe of heart wherin he hath trauailed vnder the sunne And marke how hee ioyneth gréefe with mans trauayle For he addeth in the next words that all his daies are sorrowes and his trauaile greefe his heart also resteth not in the night He doeth in few wordes paynt out a miserable condition of such as be worldlings and gréedie of gaine A couetous man hath tortures and sorowes sufficiēt in him They cannot gather riches and kéep them but with sorrowes and gréefs Yea all times continually for he saith all their daies are sorowes It agréeth with that which I alledged out of Saint Paul 1. Tim. 6. when he saith that y e loue of money is the roote of all euill which while some haue lusted after they haue erred from the faith and pearced themselues through with many sorowes But this which he addeth last goeth beyonde all that the heart doeth not lie downe or rest in the night The night is made for rest when men haue on the day time trauailed and wearied themselues the body cannot endure without rest Now when that is laid down the heart or mind doth not lie downe but walketh about all the night long It is the chéef part of man but in this respect in worse case then the bodie that it walketh al about and taketh no rest in the night In the day time it is busied and setteth the body a worke if the bodie could holde out it would also and neuer rest but it cannot and therefore in the night the heart doeth wander and folowe the busines alone Here is great instruction for couetous ambitious worldlings if they might haue their eies opened certainly they be stark foles which couet to be rich If they were not blinde as stones they must néedes féele that which he vttereth here haue these thoughts in themselues I desire and I labour to gather riches all my labours are full of gréefes and sorowes I haue such hindrances and losses méete with so many crosse matters that it vexeth and disquieth my heart I haue such care to increase and kéepe that which I haue that my hart resteth not in y e night I haue so many enemies and that great men which lie in wayte to pluck me I am to buy a péece of lande for which I must disburse a great deale of money if I lose it I am euen halfe vndone If the title should not be good or if my euidēces should be made vnskilfullie there is such craftie dealing in the world that I shalbe sure to lose it This troubleth my minde day and night I cannot sléepe quietly I labour all the day euen while my bones ake When night commeth I am afraide of théeues For my cattle my corne or my money lyeth in danger My heart when I lie in my bed is either vpon my goods in the fields or deuising where I may light vpon some good bargaine I haue light vpon euil creditors and crafty dealing felowes I am afraide I shal neuer come by mine owne But why doe I goe about to reckon vp all particulars a man were almost as good take vpon him to number the stars My sorrowes and cares are infinite I dreame of théeues I am troubled in my sléepe with this and that busines I perceiue that my hart neuer lieth downe neuer taketh any rest but when my bodie is a sléepe that walketh about In the morning my body being refreshed I am carried abroad again so long as I am able to indure My sorrowes doe last continuallie and haue no ende I am a night-walker what shal I get When I haue laboured and heaped vp all that I can another which hath not trauayled therein must haue my portion I haue dealt wisely to get riches which I leaue behinde me in great plentie It may be they shal come into the handes of a foole which will scatter them abroade What a wretched foole am I thus to tormente and disquiet my selfe in vaine Gréefe and care and sorrowes toyle night and day and no good remaine I wish it from the very bottom of my hart and I doe instantly begge it of God that mens eyes might be opened to sée cléere in this poynt that they would déepely meditate vpon this doctrine For I doe not hope to sée any great fruite of the gospell so long as men be so gréedie of this world Ye shall sée hote professors of gods word both of prechers and people which in fewe yeres setting their heartes vpon riches become colde inough Alas it is not possible they should cōtinue vpright vnlesse we will imagine that the scripture is not true which saith Ye cannot serue God and riches And here again geue me leaue to reason a little by cōparison King Solomon hated life hated all his workes turned away his heart to make it despaire of his trauaile in the middest of riches and honor lawfullie gotten crieth out that all is vanitie sorowes and gréefes and