be so highly preferred But let vs yet deal more particularly in this y t if it be possible some of our harts may be fréed from this pestileÌ„t infection Of all his stately palaces pleasant orchyards he is not alowed so much as one corner of an alley or a gallery to walke in after death hath arrested him The body lieth in some vaut where it doth rotte beyng in the life time a companion of Princes now peraduenture a toade or snake or some base vermin sitteth by as the onely companion The fame and glorie is great the name is vpon the houses and the lands What dooth this helpe his base dishonorable bodie these séeme swéete things but that dooth stinke His soule because it did imbrace this present world and so committed filthie whoredome and forsoke God is in a worse place whether the bodie shall also come It lieth couered in shame before God and his Angels is it any whit the â—etter for a blaste of vaine praise and hoâ—our among men his sonne glistreth in â—old and is clothed in silkes drinketh â—wéet wine with the pleasant noyse of melodie the Father lieth tormented in the darke pit of hell where shall be wéeping gnashing of téeth for euer where â—e can not haue so much as one droppe of water for to coole his tongue He is beâ—ome most wretched hauing lost his soule for euer for to get a little earthly glorie â—nd to make his Sonne happie But how far wide is he also in that what shall his sonne or his sonnes sonne find more then he himselfe did finde in these things let men say or thinke what they can for any good that they shall be able to find either to themselues or their children and posteritie in wordly things so applie their whole studie that way as to increase riches to rise vp to honors and to inioy pleasant delights let them glory in their wisdome by which they be aduanced yet shall they be found starke fooles and this doctrine vanitie of vanities all is vanitie shalbe found true Because there is no profit that doth remain vnto a man of all his sore trauaile wherin he trauaileth vnder the sunne seing death curreth him of after a few dayes hâ— can neuer returne againe his place shall know him no more Then let this first argument of the wise King Solomon sincke into your mindes to destroy the loue and care of earthly and transitorie things that your harts may be frée to séeke God and to be set vpon heauenly things in which there is true blessednes Lay not vp treasure in earth where rust and moth doo corrupt and where théeues breake through and steale But lay vp for your selues treasure in Heauen where neither rust nor moth corrupt and where théeues doo not breake through and steale Math. 7. Beready to distribute and to doo good that yée may be rich in good workes Remember what is said by the blessed Apostle He that soweth sparinglie shal reape sparingly and he that soweth plentifullie shal reape plentifullie The time that ye liue here is compared vnto â—he seede time your liberalitie and distributing your goods to the poore is the sowing and scattering abroad because as â— man séemeth to lose his séede when hée scattereth it and burieth it in y e ground and yet it springeth vp and the haruest commeth with great increase Euen so â—o mans thinking he doeth depriue himselfe of all that he geueth away and yet â—s it farre otherwise for it bringeth the greatest increase of all other by a plentifull haruest when God shall geue the reward He is a foole that hath séede and good ground and will let the season passe and not cast any of it into the ground The rich man is more foole to hoarde vp golde and siluer so that the rust of them shal he a witnes against him and shall denoure his fleshe as fire when he might scatter and sowe and reape life eternall Remember also what S. Paul saith Galath 6. He that soweth to the flesh shall of the sleth reap corruption he that soweth to spirite shall of the spirite reape life euerlasting The men that trauaile for this world and prouide for the flesh to satisfie the lustes thereof heaping vp riches bestrowing them to that ende which they doe when they labour so earnestly for the worldly wealth for themselues and their childreÌ„ doe so we to the flesh Al their trauaile is for the flesh and for the maintenance of this vaine life The haruest that these shall haue is corruption For both they al these things corrupt perish and come to nought Such as lay out and distribute to the poore such as imploy their riches to aduance the gospel to set foorth Gods glory and to be meanes to further their owne saluation and the saluation of others these sowe to the spirite there shall an harnest follow they shall reape and gather sheaues of eternall life and glory Behold beloued what differeÌ„ce there is of riches laide vp in store for the flesh and spent thereon and the riches laid out to séeke the spirituall life and heauenlie treasure Wise are they which sowe to the spirite respecting this harueâ—â— wherin they shal reape with ioy But fooles â—d mad fooles are they which labor and â—xe theÌ„selues for the flesh to make themâ—ues and their children rich for they all finde no profite therein The end is â—rruption al vanisheth and commeth to â— end For what profite remayneth to â—an of all his sore trauaile wherein he â—uaileth vnder the sunne when one â—neration passeth away another geâ—ration commeth Al these things are weary man is not â—le to vtter it c. This is the other reaâ—n which I spake of before which hee â—ingeth to proue that there is no profite â— a man of all his trauaile It is taken â—om the estate of the thinges in which â—r which man doeth trauaile Their estate is vaine and miserable â—hich is noted in this one worde when â—e saith they be wearie For it is as â—uch as to say that all thinges in this â—orld are subiect vnto vanitie and that â— such déepe measure as man is not aâ—e with all the wit he hath to compreâ—nd or to vtter it The blessed Apostle S. Paul Rom. 8. doeth handle and sâ— foorth this thing notablie how great tâ— vanitie is and how wearie all creaturâ— be The feruent desire of the creatuâ— saith hee wayteth when the sonnes â— God shalbe reuealed For the creature â— subiect vnto vanitie not of it owne â—cord but for him that hath subiected it â—der hope because the creature shal be â— frée from the bondage of corruption vâ— the libertie of the sonnes of God For â— know that euery creature doeth groaâ— and trauaile together in paine euen â—â— to this time Solomon faith all things be so werâ— that man is not able to vtter it S. Pâ— saith all creatures are subiect vnto vaâ—tie and the
all is vanitie Now wée come to the matter For this is his proposition in which he propoundeth and affirmeth that which after ward he manifesteth proueth by arguments It conteineth in it the first of those two heads or points of doctrine namely that in all things vnder heauen there is nothing to be found but extréeme vanitie and miserie and therefore such as séekâ— the world are in a wrong way He pronounceth this as we all may sée with a most vehement outcrie and as it were with the shril sound of a Trumpet The dul harte of man doth force him thereunto For we are all by nature so earthly minded so drowned and ouer whelmed in the lusts and pleasures of this world and our eares so stopped with earth that we can hardly be made to heare Nay to say the truth let him speak neuer so lowd and shrill to draw mens heartes from this world except God worke by his spirite and giue eares hee speaketh vnto stones Ponder wel in your minds with earnest meditation the waight of this phrase Vanitie of vanities and the same doubled with this addition all is vanitie and sée if yee can comprehende what the spirit of God doth here vtter concerning the extréeme vanitie of all things in this worlde for to quench the flames of our mad loue towardes the same For I had rather thus exhort men vnto such meditation of his words then to stand in opening his pharse and manner of speach Consider therfore that he contenteth not himselfe to say all is vaine but vanitie it selfe yea the vanitie of vanities And seing our vnbeléefe is such that we can not giue credite vnto the worde of God where it doth but affirme and the spirite of truth doth thus farre yéeld vnto vs as to make proofe by reasons and argumentes of that which hee here vttereth let not vs be wanting on our parts through carelesse negligence and so heape sinne vpon sinne vnto our greater condemnation For the more graciously hee applieth himselfe for to heale our soules we refusing or neglecting this bountifulnes the more we heape vp ingratitude yea the more iust and heauie is our damnation What profit is there vnto a man of all his trauell in which he traueleth vnder the Sunne Here we haue the first reason which he vseth to proue his proposition He doeth not expresse euerie part of the argument but the assumption onely For the principle vpon which hée groundeth is so cléere that there is no head so dull but doeth acknowledge it and therefore is omitted Neuerthelessâ— for your helpe I will note it This it is about whatsoeuer there is labour spent yea such labour as carieth with it griefe for he vseth a word that signifieth labor with molestation and no profite ariseth thereof there all is extreme vanitie and misery Who is I say such a dullard yea such a blocke that he will denie this or call it into question aske a foole and he can say it is vanitie to labour sore and receiue no profite thereby then if it be prooued that man of all his sore labour wherein he laboureth vexeth himselfe vnder the Sunne that is in worldly affaires receiueth no profite shall it not follow that all these things are vanitie yea euen vanitie of vanities Thus wée are to consider of the whole reason the first part which is the grouÌ„d of this argument sore toile with vexation and no profite is vanitie as I said is so cléere that the blind doo sée it none denie it men doo also féele and find by experience that worldly things are gotten and kept with great labour trouble and molestation What néede he then stay to make any declaration of that vnlesse he would light a candle at none But the other point namely that man hath no profite of all his labours vexations is not beléeued For would the whole world be so mad as to stand to fill a bottomlesse tub We sée all the world is busied to get earthly things if there be no profit ensuing it is no better then to fill a bottomlesse tub Would men take such paines to heape vp riches to clime to honours to fill and stuffe themselues with delights pleasures yea euen to sell their soules and bodies to the Diuell to come by the same if they thought there were no profite remaining vnto them It is therefore out of all doubt that men doo make their reckoning and cast their account to receiue great commodities and fruite by their laboures this then being not beléeued but called in question he doth stande to proue it and this one point being proued all the argument standeth firme and manifest And howsoeuer it séemeth vnto mans blind nature that there is profite and commoditie to be looked for in the trauaile for earthly things yet because he proueth and manifesteth by two notable reasons that there is none hée doeth shake it of as it were in scorne and saith not there is no profite but what profite is there vnto man of all his sore trauaile wher in he trauaileth vnder the sunne He vseth in déed diuers reasons afterward for to perswade men in this point wherein they are so madly blinded but I say two because in the words next following hée vseth two generall arguments the one taken from the estate and condition that man is in which trauaileth the other froÌ„ the estate of the things in which and for which he doth trauaile O that men could be brought to vnderstand theÌ„ aright that they might sée how they labor without all profit for this present world they would not vex theÌ„selues destroy their soules for to get nothing They would not be so grieuously tormeÌ„ted with sorow care for the losse of the world forgoyng that which is nothing But alas how shall we be brought to beléeue this we make account of no gaine but when wés finde the treasures of the earth We féele no losse but wheÌ„ we forgoe them this is our madnesse vntill it please God to giue vs better wisedome and to open the eies of our mind that we may acknowledge that the things which are séene be temporall and the thinges which are not seene eternall That wée may labour for the true treasure not for the meate which perisheth but for that which indureth vnto eternall life Ioh. 6. Beloued lay vp this in your hart that Gods spirit here affirmeth namely that a man hath no profite of all his sore trauaile wherein he trauaileth vnder the Sunne Consider the reason by which he proueth it if yée can come to be perswaded to beléeue it to féele it to be so ye haue attained to a great matter yée haue greatly profited your hart is rid and cured of a sore disease yée haue made a great steppe toward the kingdome of heauen For yée shal be deliuered from that which S. Paul speaketh 1. Tim. 6. They that would be rich fal into temptation and into a snare â—nd into many
Because it is not subiect vnto the law of God neither in déede can be Rom. 8. God doth destroy the wisdome of this world 1. Cor. 1. He hath giuen Christ to be our wisdom and in him are all the treasures of wisdome knowledge Col. 1. His doctrine destroleth that wherin the wise doo most glory and therfore they doo account it most absurd Few such wise men are called to be partakers of Gods glory 1. Cor. 1. they follow the world they heape vp riches they séeke countenance and glorie Moreouer we must beware that wée doo not misunderstand Solomon in this place when he doth speake of wisdome comparing her to the light to the eies in the head We may not iudge that hée doth speake this of craft and subtiltie but of such knowledge as is good in it selfe and in the right vse doth bring commoditie now a daies though there-be fewe wise men for it is attained with great long trauaile yet there be many that thinke themselues wise and are offended if men doo not so déeme them When as in déede the greatest part of their wisdome doth rest in a naughtie dissembling craftines and falshood They haue no skil in good sciences and yet because they can with subtill shiftes and very cousening tricks ouer reach other they glory much and take themselues to be the onely politikes of the world These men are none of those of whom he speaketh when he saith the wise mans eyes are in his head this kind of skill is gotten without sore trauaile and sorrow It is an easie thing for mans corrupt nature to put in practise this diuelish art who can not faine lie and dissemble Wel these are to be put out of the nuÌ„ber and sent among the fooles least they might glorie and say we be the men of whom Solomon doeth speake We haue our eyes in our head No no your subtle wilines is oftentimes a snare or a nette a pit or a trap to catch your selues Hée catcheth the wise in their craftinesse 1. Cor. 4. Moreouer we may learn this in coÌ„tinuall experience that a maÌ„ whose policy is craft is suspected in all his doings and thought to dissemble euen when he meaneth simplie and without fraud Away then all dissembling and false not wise men but fooles Ye wil replie that there is such déepe craft and dissimulation now practised in the world that vnles a man doe méete with it with the like he shall neuer goe through For some are not ashamed to say that he which will liue in these dayes must dissemble and vse craft For priuate affaires and for publike busines in gouernment of commonwelths if a man do not vse craft if he do not fain and dissemble he shalbe made a foole hée must studie with subtiltie to repell subtiltie and so fashion himselfe to the manners of the world Alas is wisdome become so weake that she cannot defende her selfe against falshode Certainly there is no false packing in the worlde but wisdome is able both to espie it and to incounter it Make a difference therefore my brethren béetwixt these sortes of men Count not the wisdome of this world to be fraude and guile No it is simple and plaine the other is but the abuse thereof Thus farre haue we séene what Solomon found in pleasures and wisdom ioined together and in all his royall magnificall workes which serued for honour and delight There doe remaine the reasons which he bringeth to proue that not notwithstanding the good that ensueth froÌ„ either yet all is vanitie in both I will not now deale with them but if it please God the next time Lay vp I pray you brethren in your hearts his doctrine here vttered Meditate alone by your selues vpon his glory riches and delights Consider his great workes and his wisdom and remember wel what he found in them all Be not so vnwise as to imagine ye can goe béeyonde him yea or to come any thing niâ— to that he had Striue not to clime aloft suppoâ—ing ye shall be better then belowe But remember how hée crieth out vnto you from aloft affirming that ye doe but lose your labor and torment your selues in vaine If ye doe this diligently ye shal not be like the miserable worldlings for of all men they be miserable which couet to be rich and set vp in the world The Lord blesse your meditatioÌ„ herin Amen The end of the third Sermon The fourth Sermon Ecclesiastes Chap. 2. I Know also that one condition befalleth to them all 15 Therefore I said in my heart it befalleth vnvnto me as it befalleth to the foole why then doe I labour to be more wise And I said in my heart that this also is vanitie 16 For there shalbe no remembrance of the wise and of the foole for euer for in the dayes that shall come all that is now shalbe forgotten and how dieth the wise with the foole 17 Therfore I hated life because the worke which is wrought vnder the Sun seemed euill vnto me for all is vanitie and vexation of spirite 18 I hated also my labour in which I laboured vnder the sunne for I shall leaue it to the man that shall bee after me 19 And who knoweth whether hee shalbe wise or a foole and yet shall hee rule ouer all my labour wherein I haue laboured and wherin I haue shewed my selfe wise vnder the sunne this also is vanitie 20 Therfore I turned away to make my heart to be without hope concerning all the labour wherein I haue trauailed vnder the sunne 21 For there is a man whose labour is in wisdome and in knowledge an equitie and to a man that hath not laboured therein must he geue his portion this also is vanitie and a great eâ—il 22 For what haâ—h a man of all hâ— trauaile and greefe of heart wherein hâ— hath trauailed vnder the sunne 23 For al his dayes are sorowes anâ— his trauaile greefe his heart also takeâ— no rest in the night this also is vanitiâ— 24 There is no good to a man bâ— that he eate and drinke and delight his soule with the profite of his labour I saw also this that this is of the hande of God 25 For who coulde eate and who could hast vnto outwarde thinges more than I 26 For to a man that is good in his sight God geueth wisdom knowledge and ioy but to the sinner hee geueth paine to gather and to heape vp and to geue to him which is good before God This also is vanitie and vexation of spirite Ecclesiasies Chap. 2. I Know also c. In the former part of this Chapter wée haue séene how hee searched for good in pleasures and wisdome mixed together and in all excellent and magnificall workes which serued for either of them We haue also heard what profit he found this way Now commeth he to shew by reasons why yet all is vanitie and first for wisdome It hath profite in it aboue
follie as much as the light hath aboue darkenesse but yet there remayneth no good by it For the light of the sunne which we doe now enioy doeth serue but for the present vse For when death commeth and the eyes be cloased vp what good remayneth can it make a man happie Euen so is it with humane wisdome it doeth a man much good for a little time but afterward as the blind man and he which hath his eyes are made alike so the wise and the fool méete together and are made equall in one condition For that reason he bringeth I knowe also saith he that one condition befalleth to them all If all the wisdome vnder the sunne can aduaunce the possessor thereof no more but that he must méete in the selfe same condition with the foole yea euen with the most dullarde which liueth what profite doeth remaine Sée I pray you how hee reasoned in himselfe about this poynt I saide in my heart it befalleth to me as it befalleth to the foole why then doe I labour to bee more wise I said in my heart that this also is vanitie What a goodly gifte was this yea what a grace of god in him that he could in his mind haue this consideration it came not from the wisdom of flesh and bloud for that doeth blinde men and puffe them vp in a vaine opinion They imagine themselues to be petie Gods in comparison of the simple meane people It doeth not enter into them to say in their heart what good shall all my wisdome doe me The fool shalbe in the same condition the same shall befall vnto mée which befalleth vnto him Shal I glory in that which cannot exalt me one steppe aboue the poorest the simplest and vilest foole To what end should Ilabour so much to abound in wisdome It is méere vanitie séeing no good commeth thereby It is the best way for me to séek for that which will stick by me and aduaunce me vnto glorie perpetuall This wisdome perisheth and all the glorie of it doeth vanish in a moment I say if men had the grace to reason thus with Solomon it were a goodly matter Some wil replie here and say that the wise mā leaueth a fame behind him and is renowmed for euer and therein his condition is not all one with the foole True it is in déede that many wise men leaue a fame behind them and some fewe leaue in record such testimonie of their skill that their praise continueth But alas it is so poore a remembrāce and so vaine a thing that he saith there is no remembrance of the wise and of the foole for euer in the daies that shal come all that is now shall be forgotten Thus we sée the wise man and the foole wrapped vnder one couerlet ouer whelmed in obliuion Solomon beholding this in his mind louing and fauoring wisdome being himselfe very wise and despising follie he crieth out with great disdaine and saith how dieth the wise with the foole Whatsoeuer aduantage he hath in his life time at his death he is made euen with the foole It may be obiected that if this be a sufficient reason to prooue that wisdome is vanitie because the wise dieth as the foole then the same reason may hold against the true heauenly and spirituall wisdom For the true knowledge of God and his feare doo not so priueledge any mā but that he dieth as others doo What hath the godly man at his death more thē the wicked I answere that here is the difference the wise man for this world hath had all that he can haue by his wisdome It for saketh him when death commeth There remaine no matters in the world that is to come wherein he may imploy his skill or haue any vse of his knowledge Thus doth his wisdome vanish and come to an end at his death On the contrarie then beginneth the fruit commoditie of the heauenly wisdome when a man dieth For the knowledge of God which is here but in part shall be perfected in the life to come and shall neuer vanish That man shall reap endlesse fruit by his wisdome Out wardly for his departure from this world he differeth not from the foole but with God there is a great difference Hauing told vs how he reasoned in himselfe about the wise man the foole thus by death made equall now hée vttereth what effect it wrought in him I hated life saith he because the worke that is done vnder the funne seemed euill vnto me By this manner of spéech he declareth a wonderful misliking which he had conceiued in his minde of the state of this present life partly for that the wise and the foole end a like and it befalleth to the one as it befalleth to the other and they doo méete together in an equall condition and partly for that which followeth in this chapter He taketh such displeasure that it should be all one with the foole as with him that he is wearie of his life yea he hateth this life For all the worke that is wrought vnder the sunne séemed euill vnto him because al is vanitie and veration of the spirit A notable place to teach vs whence it commeth that men can so well away with this present life If they were not fooles and blinde if they had wisdome to discusse as he deeth here though they had all his glory and riches they should abhorre this life and be discontented with it Such as be in trouble and vexation pressed with pouertie and other grieuances can be content to depart but how grieuous is the remembrance of death vnto such as haue aboundance and liue in pleasures If they be wise in this their loue of present life if they be right Solomon was a foole went wrong out of the way for he is of a contrarie minde He saw the vanitie of this life to be such that he hated life It may be demaunded whether he did well in this that he saith he hated life for life in it selfe is a precious thing it is Gods gift for which we are to giue him great thankes and how should he say he hated life We must not take it that hée hated life it selfe but the things which are annexed vnto it as vanitie vexation of spirite and miserie These are inseperably annexed vnto this present life and therfore he nameth the life it selfe which he can not inioy without these Our Saviour saith likewise Iohn 12. he that loueth his life in this world shall loose it and he that hateth his life shall kéepe it vnto eternal life Tush wil some thinke Solomon was ouer wise his wisdome made him full of morositie it did hinder him If I had but the one halfe or a quarter yea the hundreth part of that which he had I would liue merily I would I might liue vntil I hated my life or were wearie of it To such men I say if he were ouer wise they come as far short He had
houses lands because they be not able to wage law with ye Take héed you that grind the faces of the poore and gripe them with harde bargaining Take you héed also that accept the person of the mightie or iudge for reward The iudge of the whole world doeth lay vp al these things in store against the day of vengeilie Lay aside your crueltie visite the father lesse and widow in their distresse deaâ— your bread to the hungrie helpe them to their right which suffer wrong and then shall ye haue none of these teares of the oppressed against yée which Solomon beheld vnder the sunne Princes and great men 〈…〉 whose place ye 〈…〉 in Is it not Gods seat hath not he said ye are gods â—e ought to be like him He doth not abhorpe the poore He is the father of the fatherlâ—s and iudgeth the widâ—… case He hath set ye vp to be eyes to the blind leâ—â— to the lame and armes to the weake He giue thys in charge open thy mouth for the dumbe deale in the cause of the poore deliuer the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse and widowâ—breake the â—awes of the wicked and deliuer the pray out of his teeth If ye would execute this throughly it should not besâ—â—d I behold the reares of the oppressed there is none to comfort them The rich men â— men of countenance are let in by and by when they come the poore man is thrust back some gentleman doth take away his land from him to his vtter vndoing he is not able to go to the law he would make his case knowen to the prince who will doo it for him he may well go and wéepe in a corner to himselfe If he had any thing left he were euen as good giue it away as séeke remedie vules he haue some friend How wâ—e thy a matter were it if princes great iudges would make the entrance for poore men easie vntothem by appointing such as should attend for that purpose and that they would not be wearie of the trouble It would stay many oppressions for they would be ashamed to doo them if they thought it should come to be scanned and so should God be highly pleased But to know what the state of the world hath euer beene concerning this lette â—â—â—heare what Solomon addeth Wherfore I praised the dead which are now dead I aboue the liuing which are yet a liueâ— And I account him better thé them both which hath not yet been for he hath not seene the euill works which are wrought vnder the sunne Hée doth estéeme the miseries so many so great which fall vpon men by oppressions that â—e coÌ„mendeth the state of the dead aboue the case of those which remaine aliue yea he doeth account him best at ease which hath not béene The dead though they be now rid and freed and in that respect better then the liuing yet because they haue passed through the calamities of this life and borne their burthen of them â—e maketh them inferiour to those which are vnborne because they haue not séene the euill worke that is wrought vnder the sunne He setteth this life before vs as a sea or goulfe full of stormes vnquietnes and troubles death is as it were the hauen landing place where menne are set frée But they are most at ease which neuer came in it they haue not felt nor tasted of these bitter blasts nor béen tossed with vs. This being true what shal we thinke of those which séeke felicitiâ— and good in this world But it may be said how can this be true which Solomon speaketh The wicked goeth through many troubles in this world yet when he is dead freed from them he is not in better but in worse case feeling assuredly that he is daÌ„ned The godly although of all other the most miserable in this world if we respect only y e waight of afflictioÌ„s yet they be in ioy after death are happy that euer they were borne therfore it can not be said that he which hath not yet béene is better then they I answere y t Solomon doth not respect any thing in this coÌ„parison but that which is vnder the sun He doeth proue that vnder heauen there is naught but vanitie He doeth not in this place medle with that which is out of the world that is either with saluation or damnatioÌ„ We sée the men that séeke good in y e world doe set those respects also aside so that he dealeth now within their compasse Is this true that respecting y e miseries of this world the dead be in better case then the liuing he that hath neuer béene borne better at ease then they both Is it not then also true that he said vanitie of vanities all is vanitie there is no profit to a man of all his trauaile vnder the sunne Why then doo men set their heart vpon this miserable life what will they find in it The next sentence setteth foorth another euill which might make this life vnpleasant when he saith I saw all trauaile and al perfection of the worke that this is the enuie of a man from his neighbor this also is vanitie and affliction of spirite Wee haue heard how miserable he iudged this life by reason of oppressions now hee speaketh of that which addeth further miserie It is but a small thing which man hath allotted him here euen to reioyce in his workes and yet he caÌ„ not enioy the same quietly or without vexation God geueth skill in all maner of workes which are wrought vnder the sunne The greater giftes he geueth the greater perfection doe they shew in their workes that haue them It is after a sort to be iniurious to God himself wheÌ„ men doe not geue the due praise vnto such men that doe so excell in giftes of skill They should be honoured and haue matter to reioyce but they be enuyed The more perfect they be the more dooth enuie repine This springeth from vainglorie and couetousnes withall Men would be praysed and haue the chéefe fame and profite of their science If God haue geuen more perfection vnto an other it gréeueth them they depraue and disgrace all that euer they can From hence doe flow foorth many annoyances which make this life gréeuous To conclude then beloued ye may sée also out of this portion of Scripture that I haue now handled that the vanitie and vexation of this life is very great shall euer continue God geue vs grace to consider of it and to be so much further drawen from things transitorie Amen The end of the sixth Sermon The seuenth Sermon Ecclesiastes Chap. 4. THe Foole foldeth together his handes and eateth his own flesh 6 One handful is better with quiet then two handfuls with toyle and vexation of spirite 7 And I turned and beheld a vanitie vnder the sunne 8 There is one and there is not a seconde also he hath neither sonne nor brother and yet there is