TO THE RIGHT Honourable and vertuous Lady the Lady Anne Countesse of Warwike OVr Lord master Right Honourable foretelling the state of the worlde in the latter dayes â—ith it shall bee as it was in the â—ime of Noe. They eat they draÌ„ke â—â—ey maried wiues gaue in maâ—iage vnto the day that Noe weÌ„t into the Arke and the flood came and destroyed them Likewise also as it was in the daies of Lot they eat they drancke they bought they sold they planted they builte But in the day that Lot went out of Sodome it rained fire and brimstone from Heauen and destroyed them all This prophecie must needs be fulfilled and in the one part it is already in our eies For mens harts were neuer more generally and of all sortes set vpon riches and pleasures then now towarde the comming of Christ to make the dissolution I holde it therefore the dutie of all Gods faithfull messengers most instantly to warne their Christian people to beware least they also bee carried awaye with the streame of this common infection Hereby was I moued to make speciall choyse of the Booke called Ecclesiastes for to expound the same vnto that people which I teach being wholly framed for the purpose to drawe men from the vanities of this world It was set forth by that noble king Solomon who was the wisest the richest and highest in royaltie honour vnder the Heauens He made the greatest triall and had the deepest experience in all the chiefe and moste precious things of this world He was ledde also by a higher spirite then his owne being a worthy Prophete of God After I had finished this booke and my Sermons noted by one that did write I was requested to pervse to perfect them in some better sort for the Printe Which as leasure serued I haue performed in one part If that weake measure of giftes which the Lord hath bestowed vpon me bring any good by this trauaile vnto the Churche I shall be glad and ready to bestow some paines if it please God about the rest I am bold to offer this vnto your Ladyship as a token of a dutifull and thankefull minde for so honorable fauours as I haue receyued froÌ„ the right Honourable my Lord the Earle of Warwike and from your Honour I am also encouraged herevnto with this that your Ladyship hath long time continued an earnest louer and zealous professor of the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ My earnest prayer is that God will continue and increase the same with all heauenly giftes and vertues of his holy spirite to the glory of his most holy name the good of his Church and your owne eternall ioye Amen Your H. most dutifull to commaund George Gyffard The first Sermon Ecclesiastes Chap. 1. THe wordes of Ecclesiastes the sonne of Dauid king in Ierusalem 2 Vanitie of vanities saith Ecclesiastes vanitie of vanities all is â—…itie 3 What profit remayneth to a man all his labour in which he laboureth â—…der the sunne 4 One generation passeth away and other commeth but the earth abiâ—…th for euer 5 The Sunne ariseth the Sunne goâ—… downe and hasteth againe to the â—ace where it did rise 6 The wind goeth toward the South compasseth about toward the North. Compassing compassing goeth the winde and the winde returneth by his circuites 7 All flouds runne into the sea yet the sea is not filled whether the flouds runne from thence they speedelie returne to goe 8 All things are weary man is not able to vtter it the eye is not satisfied with seeing neither is the care filled with hearing 9 That which hath been is the same that shalbe and that which hath beene done is the same that shall be done neither is there any thing new vnder the sunne 10 Is there any thing of which it is said behold this this is new it hath been in the ages that were before vs. 11 There is no remembrance of former things also of later thinges which shall be there shall be no remembrance with those that come after Ecclesiastes Chap. 1. THe wordes of Ecclesiastes c. This Inscription of the booke sheweth whose doing it was when it is said they be the words of Ecclesiastes the sonne of Dauid king in Ierusalem this was king Solomon They be his wordes and his writing Hée set it foorth for an instruction of Gods people in all ages If any will obiect that here is no proper name mentioned and all the kinges of Iuda were the sons of Dauid why might not this Ecclesiastes bée Ezechia Iehosaphat or some other of the godly kinges before or after them I answere that the sonne of Dauid which wrote this booke was he that did excell in wisedome all that were before him in Ierusalem as it is expressed in the 16. versâ— of this Chapter and therefore could bâ— no other but Solomon For of him God saith 2. Chro. 1. Because thou hast asked wisdome wisdome is granted vnto thée and riches and honour so that there hath not béene the like among the kinges thaâ— haue béene before thée neither after thée shall there be the like It may be demaunded why he doeth not as in the Prouerbes in the Song of Songes which hée made of Christ and his Church call himselfe by his vsualâ— name Solomon by which hee was beâ— knowen but doeth take a strange name not vsed elswhere in all the Scriptures For through this booke hée calleth himselfe in Hebrewe Koheleth In déed this is somewhat to be stood vpon and I will briefly shewe you the reason of it which is to be gathered from the signification oâ— the word The Gréekes did translate this word Koheleth Ecclesiastes and that is in ouâ— English tongue a Preacher and therefore we say in our translation the words â—f the Preacher and so it should be the â—ame of an office or function if we take â—t in that sence But we neuer finde any Prophet Priest or Teacher in all the whole Bible called Koheleth doubtâ—esse if he had meant to call himselfe a â—reacher he would haue said The words â—f Kohel rather than Koheleth which is â—n the Feminine gender Kahal is an assemblie congregation of people or the Church Koheleth might â—ery well carie this signification to be one that doeth gather the same together or that doeth speake in the assemblie but that he vseth as I said the Feminine gender and therefore it carieth the most â—itte sence that he calleth himselfe an Ecclesiasticall person not as we call them Ecclesiasticall which beare office in the Church-matters but a person that is of the Church or a soule vnited to y e church or speaking in the church Whereby we may perceiue that this name is a nots for euer of his repentance how that hée forsooke the euil into which he had fallen and turned againe to the Lord his God For the holie Scripture doth testifie that Solomon did marrie outlandish women which were Idolaters they drew away his
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
yée are miserable looke vpon the creatures they are in such case as that they can not releeue yée looke for nothing new among them that may content yée settle your mind to say I am now eased it is a vaine studie there is nothing new there is nothing stable Therefore séeke after the blessed God to know him to lay hold vpon him and to possesse him he shal suffice to make yée blessed and to content your minde The end of the first Sermon The second Sermon Ecclesiastes Chap. 1. I Ecclesiastes was king ouer Israel in Ierusalem 13 I gaue my heart to inquire and make search in wisdome concerning al that is wrought vnder the heauens This euill trauaile hath God geuen to the sonnes of men to occupie them therein 14 I sawe all the workes which are wrought vnder the sunne and beholde all is vanitie and vexation of the Spirite 15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight and that which is wanting cannot be numbred 16 I spake in my heart saying I haue magnified and increased wisdome aboue all that were before me in Ierusalem and my heart hath seene much wisdome and knowledge 17 And I gaue my hart to know wisdome and the knowledge of extreme madnes and follie I know that euē this is affliction of spirite 18 For in the multitude of wisdome there is much indignation and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrowe Ecclesiastes Chap. 1. I Ecclesiastes was king c. In the former part of this Chapter we haue had two reasons the one drawen frō man himselfe the other from the things about which he laboureth to proue that a man hath no profite nor good at all which remayneth of all his sore trauaile vnder the sunne and therefore all is vanitie of vanities Now he procéedeth forward to shew that he himselfe made triall in all things vnder heauen and found by full and perfect experience that in déede in all those workes vnder the sunne wherein men doe séeke some good there is nothing els but vanitie miserie and vexation of spirite This his procéeding is a plaine demonstration that the disease I meane of setting our hearts vpon things transitorie hath not onely taken déep roote in vs but is also most pestilēt and deadly For if it might easilie be cured what néede should there be of heaping vp all manner of proofs and perswasions to draw away our hearts And if it were not most deadly why should there be such care taken about it Solomon did know right well by the holy spirite of the Lorde which guyded him that all which can be said is little enough in this case nay the most are so bewitched that it doeth not help them at all But the proofe which is brought frō one mans experience may séeme to be ouer weake and slender to moue all men in the world euen the Princes the riche the wise and valiant and to perswade them to cease from séeking good vnder the sunne for what is one man to try out all things to the full In déede least we should thinke thus before hee come to note what triall hee made and so deliuer vnto vs what hee found and what can be found he speaketh somewhat of his owne person what hee was and of what ablenes and diligence If it be such a man which setteth forth his owne experience as was throughlie able to search out euerie matter and also did it and that in such sort as all the men in the world if they woulde ioyne together cannot come nigh him then may we be perswaded by his experience For he is a foole that will thinke to finde that which he could not Nowe in very déede such a one was Solomon First he was a king as he saith I Ecclesiastes was king If any in the world be able and fitte for this worke they bée kings For they possesse the flower of all wherein there séemeth to bee any good There can be no experiēce of that which a man hath not He was king ouer Israel in Ierusalem This Israel was Gods chosen people which he had magnified aboue all nations vnder heauen and this was the citie of the great king euen Ierusalem Here is a king higher then all y e kings of the earth This man is not idle but geueth himselfe to search out the workes that are wrought vnder the sunne to see what was in them Yea but hee might finde naught in some yet in other some there might bee that which he sawe not Let no such thought rise in your minde for looke whatsoeuer is done or that all Princes in the worlde are able for to do yea and all mē whatsoeuer he did search it For so he saith that he gaue his heart to searche out all the workes which are wrought vnder heauen Doe not thinke that yee can light vppon any one thing worth the search which he hath not searched It may be further obiected he that searcheth so many things how can he doo them all well To this he saith that hee did search by wisdome He was not deceiued for wisdome guided him in euery part God gaue him both wisdome and honour and riches aboue all earthly creatures He is a man euen made fitte of God himselfe to find out and to tell vs what is in all the workes which are wrought vnder the Sunne Let vs beléeue him lette vs not follow the vayne fooles of the world which giue no credit vnto him but séeke to find good where he could find none He saith it is an euill trauaile which God hath giuen to the sons of men to be occupied in He saith also he beheld all and all is vanitie and vexation of spirite Do men I pray ye beléeue this Why doo they then set their whole heart night and day vpon things that be transitorie They labour but bring not any thing to passe worth their sore trauaile they be vexed and tormented in vaine God hauing in his iustice for sinne laid this euill trauaile vppon Adams children for hée saith that which is crooked cānot be made straight and that which is wanting cannot be numbred There is imbecillitie in mans workes and that so great that hée can not make that straight which is crooked there is such imperfection that the wants and defects are infinit If he looke vpon the creatures if he looke vpon him selfe or vpon the successe and euent of matters all is crooked he toileth but can not reforme it in any All the creatures are wearie subiect vnto vanitie and vnto the bondage of corruption they grone and trauaile in paine Man laboureth in them to builde and set vp some sure worke but it will not be for they decay alter and perish He can by no means withstand or remedie this crookednes his skill his power doo vtterly faile him herein Man him selfe is more crooked his mind depraued full of vtter blindnesse the passions affections most vile and corrupt the bodie base and subiect vnto
all diseases and incombrances yea both mind and body euery way in such crookednesse as is vnspeakeable There is nothing straight in him all goeth crooked and peruerse hée worketh vpon himselfe and can make no part straight For all the humane Science and wisdome vnder the heauens if it were possible for one man to attaine and possesse it is not able to giue him any sparke of true light and knowledge of God nor to clense or rid his soule from any one drop of that diuelish poison wherwith it is infected depraued Wise men might well and did séeme to haue made themselues much straighter then the cōmon sort but in very déed their crookednesse remained still within I speake not of such as are regenerate by Gods holy spirite but of those who were ledde onely by the light of nature All their riches their honour and power not able they imploing their trauaile to ease or recouer their bodies to rescue thē from the gout or from an ague The successe of things is so crosse and vnlucky they foreseing what they can their ignorance by which they take many times the wrong course mans skil being so imperfect doth cause such infinite defectes that Solomon beholding this in all the works wrought vnder the sunne he doth pronounce that all is vanitie vexation of spirit How cléere is this man hath such imperfections wantes and errours in his workes as can not be numbred all is crooked within him without him and about him and he can make no one thing straight therfore all his labours are lost they be vaine miserable carying with them so sore affliction and vexation of the minde Thus hath hée in generall pronounced what he found in al the deuices studies and workes which are wrought vnder heauen Now he procéedeth vnto particuler declaration for hée goeth from point to point shewing that in all the excellentest things vnder heauen wherein there is any appéerāce or hope of good to be found there did he make search And he did begin first of all with wisedome Because in very déede of all things transitorie she is the flower It is she that maketh men to differre most one from another and to excel It falleth out oftentimes that starke fooles are riche and in place of great honour The bruite beastes doe enioy delight and pleasures as wel as men but neither beast nor foole can possesse wisdome but onely the wise man If there be any true worthines felicitie excellencie or good to be found in the creatures vnder the sunne it is in wisdome therefore he saith I applyed my hart to know wisdome It may be said that wisdome euen humane wisdome of which he now speaketh is high and déepe who can searche into her treasures who shall finde or be able to value what she can affoord Most true it is that wisdome is no easie thing to try He must be no foole nor simple person but he must possesse her and that in excéeding great measure which will discerne what her riches and pleasures be Marke therefore what hée saith before he doeth tell that he applyed his hart to know wisdome I said in mine heart saith he behold I haue magnified and increased wisdome aboue all that haue béen before me in Ierusalē Also my hart hath séen much wisdom and knowledge because God had indued him with greater wisdome and knowledge than any man vnder heauen he doeth gather therby that hee was the fittest for this purpose He doeth encourage himselfe and maketh it knowen vnto all that he was thus set forward He searcheth not at aduenture he searcheth not in the darke he hath his rule and his candle in his hand euen the light and direction of wisdome her selfe The wisest man vnder heauē searcheth out wisdome yea I may say more let the wisdome of al the wise men in the world be laid together it commeth short of his Some haue béene greatly wise in the course of the heauens some in the knowledge of nature in all creatures here belowe some subtile Logicians some eloquent Orators to perswade some politike in making lawes to gouerne Cities and commonwealths Others haue béen famous and renowmed for the skill of other noble sciences as euery mans heart led him some to one and some to another In all these he hath surmounted thē far if they were layde together Hee sawe more he did know more and coulde tell more then all they He was in déede the wonder of the world The Quéen of Saba wondered at his wisdome vntil there was no spirite in her 1. Kings 10. Confessing that she did not beléeue that which she heard of him vntill she came and saw it with her eyes and moreouer that the one halfe was not tolde her Hée excelled the fame that went of him Then behold here is the man which must tell vs what good is to be found in all the wisdome and skill of this worlde He did abound in al manner of wisdome thereby gaue his heart to know her Moreouer as he was wise so he tooke a good and perfect way to make a full search It is expressed in these words I gaue my hart to know wisdome and the knowledge of extreme madnesse and follie This is certaine that euery thing is most perfectly manifested and knowen by the contrarie As for example A man could neuer find so well the comfort and benefit of the light if he were not sometimes compassed about with darkenesse We best féele the swéete when we haue first tasted the sower Health is more cōfortable after gréeuous sicknesse the pure white sheweth the brighter when it is set by the blacke euen so wisdome sheweth the greater glory whē extreme madnesse and follie are set by her For this cause Solomon to the end he might behold this goodly lady wisdome in her full beautie and commoditie setteth by her extreme madnesse and follie For together with the sight of this euill fauoured and deformed bedlem with all her inconueniences the vew of wisdome doth set her out most excellently All her brightnesse all that she hath to delight or to benefit are displayed We may sée then what ladde him to applie his hart to know extreme madnesse or all kindes of madnesse for he vseth the word in the plurall number and foolishnesse It was not any loue that he bare vnto them but to finde out the perfection of wisedome through the knowledge of these For by the vglines of madnesse follie the pleasant countenance of wisdome is more delightsome and amiable The harmes the inconueniences and mischiefes which grow from those to the annoyance of all mad raging fooles doo make knowen and manifest what good what treasures and cōmodities this wisdome doth bring vnto him that doth possesse her May we not thinke that Solomon did now beholde as it were an Angell in brightnesse and glorie which might fill the mind with consolation happinesse but marke what hée pronounceth in the next words following I
know also that this is affliction of spirite What can be more plaine There is a shew of good to be attained by humane wisdome men are wonderfullie allured and drawen in hope thereof but when it commeth to the proofe they haue lost all their labour there is naught but a méere illusion the good is vanished What doe they find in stéed thereof Looke what he fonnd euen affliction of spirite shall they find any better It may séeme very strange absurd that this wisdome which hath alwaies beene so extolled magnified and honored of all nations in the world so loued and imbraced of kings so set forth and bewtified with all the iewels and ornaments that might be by the skilfull and learned of all sortes should thus be abased as to be made but an illusion and a vaine deceipt which in stéed of good so sought and hoped for doth bring nothing but afflictioÌ„ of the spirit The wise men of this world haue in all ages thought their labours aboundantly recompensed by wisdome Solomon which had more then they all pronounceth that it hath nothing but affliction of spirite How commeth such contrarietie of iudgement Doubtlesse from their blindnesse they saw not that which he saw Their eyes were daseled with present glory and commodities he beheld that it could not further a man vnto true blessednesse in the kingdome of God He did behold the weakenesse and imperfection which is in it being vnable to make that straight which is crooked especially in the depraued heart of man So then let all her fréends set her out to the vttermost of their skill paint forth her prayses in the freshest colours that they can yet shall the sentence of this one man preuaile against them He did know her more perfectly then all they he giueth the right sentence they are deceiued They say there is great good he saith I know that this also is affliction of spirit And he rendreth a reason thus for in the aboundance of wisdome there is aboundance of indignation and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow He that would be in felicitie must not séeke it in sorrowes and griefes of minde and bodie but in things that are swéete and pleasant Happinesse is in ioy consolation bitternesse and anguish are contrarie thereunto Then must it néeds follow that all those are deceiued vtterly which séeke felicitie in humane wisdome Because the more wisdome aboundeth the more doth indignation abound as he did féele and he that increaseth his skill it is with sore trauaile and it is full of sorowes There may be many causes of trouble and disturbance of the mind with indignatioÌ„ where wisdome doth abound For he shall sée that there is no end but an infinite trouble question vpon question will arise the wants the auknesse of matters will torment Againe with what infinite trauaile and care of mind and bodie is knowledge come by how haue men studied and wearied themselues all the daies of their life to get knowledge who is able to expresse the paines which the Philosophers did take and yet none of them able to excell in all but in some péeces as their affections chiefly drew them He that will be a perfect Logician to haue the full vse of naturall reason in perfect rules it is not the worke of a few daies nor yet of a few yeares It must be with long trauaile euen all his life yet he shal come short Cosmographers in describing all partes of this world the heauens the earth and the things that be in them haue no small worke in hande Come to these which search to knowe the nature properties of all creatures where shall they euer come to sée towarde an ende of their trauaile They be in a bottomlesse sea with out shoare How must those studie how many histories volumes bookes must they turne ouer which will come to bée sound Politikes to be furnished for the gouernment of Cities and Common-weales and for the warres Looke vnto all others which trauaile in any science and the paines of such as will excell in déede are wonderfull Here is trauaile here is care here is indignation here is wearines and gréefe vpon gréefe here is no ende here is no perfection attayned here is no setling or quieting of y e minde all doeth vanish as smoke there remayneth no good at all Thus we sée the sentence of the wise man himselfe concerning all the skil and knowledge vnder the sunne I knowe flesh and bloud will here rise vp Wisdome will not suffer this disgrace but will pleade for her selfe First it will be obiected that this is a weak reason there is no wisdome attayned vnto but with sorrowes therefore wisdome is vanitie and vexation of spirite Men may goe through infinite labours and gréefes willingly to enioy so precious a iewell Their laboures are wel spent they be fully recompenced To haue the estimation and honor of a wise man is no small benefite Knowledge filleth the minde with delight so that it forgetteth the sorowes sustayned in trauayling I answere that there are no labours nor sorrowes sustained for true felicity which can any thing impaire the same the ioy of that will surmount them all it is most happie labour that is so spent But in these things there is no true ioy but a shadow It is the loue of vainglory that hath caried meÌ„ forward to take such paines and so sore to vexe and torment themselues All their ioy and comfort resteth in this that they may haue fame glorie in this worlde If this glory bee â—aine and transitorie how doth it recomâ—ence their labours and gréefes If there â—emaine no good is not all vanitie vexation of spirite Let vs examine it in some particuâ—ars Cicero and Demosthenes were eloquent Orators how wise and how swéet was their spéech They could delight the â—are and perswade the minde But can their eloquence now perswade to haue their torments mitigated or to be let out of the prison of hell Alas what can their smoothe tongues benefite them now their fame doeth them no good Solon and Lycurgus could make wise lawes and make men partakers of great fréedomes but they can purchase no infranchisemeÌ„t to themselues from the miserable bondage of eternall destruction Aristotle could dispute subtillie let him now shew his cunning to acquitte himselfe Iulius Caesar Scipio and Hanniball were expert and valiant warriors but what can their sharpe swordes helpe them nowe They coulde ouercome men but not deuils We may sée that all the paynes anâ— vexations to attaine worldly skil are nâ— way recompensed but vtterly lost Thâ— parties haue but deceiued themselueâ— with vaine glory and pride they haue made great account of that which is nothing worth For it is not any good thaâ— they haue found which made the Philosophers and great wise men so to labour but an opinion that their glory should neuer be darkened that this glory was the chiefe thing to
miserie he is happie by them He wanteth not nor is not scanted Let all kings and princes now looke vpon him and harken what he saith for he commeth now to tel what he found in all these He confesseth in déede that in this way he receiued commoditie And first touching the delights that he withhelde not his heart from any ioy He saith it was his portion of all his labour Wherby he doeth vs to witte that there is no more to be had but for a temporall profite He is to haue but his part and then when he hath lefte all behinde another doeth take his part and so along stil from one to another There is no man which will maintayne that after death any one is the better sor the delights which he liued in For the present time there is profite being vsed in such sort as that they doe not quench the light of the mind and drowne it in securitie and other filthie sinnes For God hath geuen men y e lawful vse of his creatures not onely for necessitie but also for delight and pleasure As he hath appointed that we shall labor and trauaile so also we are to take parte of our labors it is our portion vnder the sunne But withall wee must obserue that when he saith this is my portion of all my labor he doeth speake as of a smal thing and not to be wayed or estéemed as the chéefe and principal matter which man is to séek For it is as if he had said my labors are great I haue no more for my portion but delight and pleasure for the time For when hee doeth well way what this portion is he maketh it nothing He had as much ioy and pleasure as could be had in all earthly creatures and doeth he say Haue I no more for my portion but this Doeth he make so light of the matter There be multitudes which if they could come but vnto the tenth part of his glorie riches and pleasures woulde not set so light by them They would thinke their labours wel bestowed and take thē selues very happie men if they might but swil themselues in the dregs of those pleasures which he did swim in If some man had but one of his goodly houses it would cause him to looke aloft It sheweth that this noble king had a farre better sight to discerne and iudge of these earthly thinges then men commonly haue For the world is blinde and countes it gaine to liue deliciously for a season He saith in the next words I looked vnto all my works which my hands had done and vnto the labour which I had trauailed for to doe and behold all is vanitie and vexation of spirite and there is no profite vnder the sunne Then we sée his portion was not such but that all stil was vanitie A worthie thing to be considered of all men that hée could enioy to the ful the good which is to be found in all things vnder heauen and yet sée so cléer that all is vanitie and veration of spirite and no profite at all For he dooth now speake of some profit which remayneth Then we might sée by him that if we had our portion in all the best things vnder the sunne yet it shall not make vs one iotte the néerer vnto happines yet foolish people wilsay he hath all things at will he is happie Let vs here make comparison The great magnificall workes of king Solomon with all his royaltie and glory and pleasures are vanitie and vexation of spirite What is then to be thought of the workes of meaner persons yea let it bée euen of kings Their works are not comparable vnto his All his haue vanished and shall not theirs He founde no good and shall they finde any Behold then a man set vp in the height and toppe of all excellencie for this world who also hauing made search euery way to the full to finde good doeth proclaime and cry out aloud vnto all other whom he beholdeth from aloft striuing below and labouring themselues euen out of breath to clime vp vnto him that they doe but lose their labour and wearie themselues in vaine For when they haue gotten euen to the highest degrée of wealth of dignitie and pleasures they shall finde naught but méere vanitie There is no credite geuen vnto this which sheweth that the worldlings are too too shamefully besotted and be witched for they labour as earnestly to clime aloft in the worlde as if the fulnes of ioy and felicitie were therby to be attained They haue nothing the like care to séeke the kingdome of God where in déed alone is the true blessednes They spill both bodie and soule to come by that which can doe them no good at all They builde their houses in bloud in craft and deceite with briberie extortion yea with all maner of vniust dealing haue they increased their riches If they coulde rise vp as lawfully as Solomon it were much néerer yet all vanitie What is their miserie then which they haue doubled by their wicked couetousnes and ambition If they looke to goe beyonde Solomon they be madde If they looke to be equall with him they be fooles they shall neuer come nigh him by many degrées If they thinke to find good then it must be in the scraps whereas he could neuer finde but denieth it to be in the full furniture of the table This might stay our course when we runne so gréedily and ambiciously after the world If we had the grace and wisdome but to be thinke vs that we are told by one which hath proued that all is but labour lost We run frō God whom we should séeke and stay vpon and follow after that which can not helpe vs at all We leane vpon a broken staffe and stay vpon a réed If God giue vs riches and honor vse them to his glorie account of them as things transitorie We must set our hearts vpon better things If I could be equall with Solomon in glorie and royaltie I perceiue by him it were nought worth Why should I depriue my self of y e ioies of heauen by a likerousnes of that which is vtterly vaine I can not serue God and Mammon I can not delight in this world and delight in God also He that doth but desire to be rich falleth into many noysome lustes which drowne men in destructiō and perdition I will first as I am commaunded séeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse I will not labour for y e meat which perisheth but for the meate which indureth vnto eternall life Vnto this I say we be admonished Then to conclude this point I wish that kings princes nobles rich men and all other would take the vew of Solomons workes his stately palaces his pleasant gardens and orchyards his gold and siluer with al his honors delights and with all marke wel and beléeue that he saith all is vanitie and vexation of spirite there is no profit vnder the sun