THis book begins with all is vanitie, and endes with feare God and keep his commaunde­mentes:Eccl, 12.13 If that sen­tence were knit with this which Salomon keepeth to th' end as the hauen of rest, after the tur­moiles of Vanitie: it is like that which Christ saide to Martha, Math. 10.40. thou art troubled about many things, but one thing is necessarie. That which troubleth vs Salomon calles vanytie; that which is necessarie he calles the feare of God: From that to this should be euerye mans pilgrimage in this worlde. We begin all vanitie, and ne­uer [Page] knowe perfectlye, that we are vaine, vntill we repent with Salomon. Therefore this is his first greeting and lesson to all after his conuersion, to warne them that all is vanitie: as if God had saide to him as he saide to Ezek. Cause Ierusalem to knowe her ab­ominations;Exe. 16.2. as though men did not know their sinnes how vaine they are,Iob. 15.31. (as Eliphar saith) he beleeueth not that he is vaine, which makes euerye man defer his repentance, vntill the houre come that sinne will leaue him, and thē he is vnwilling to departe because he is not ready. Therefore I haue cho­sen this sentence, which speakes of no­thing but vanitie, to shewe how we take the way to miserie, for the waye to happines, and turne the day of Sal­uation, to the day of vanytie. Let euery man thinke as I go why he should loue that which Salomon repented, if we thinke Salomon happier now then he was before. This verse is the summe or contents of all this booke, and ther­fore [Page] Salomon begins with it and endes with it, as if he should say, first this is the matter which I will proue, & after this is the matter which I haue pro­ued: now ye see whether I tolde you true that all is vanitie, I may call it Sa­lamons Theame: or the Fardell of va­nities, which when he hath bound in a bundell, he bids vs cast it into the fire: for after he hath done with them in his last Chap: and 13. ver. as though he would haue no more thought of thē, he turnes away from them as if he had buried them, and goes to another mat­ter saying: now let vs heare the end of all: Feare God and keep his comman­dements, for this is the whole duetie of man. As though he were exceeding glad, that after so many dāgers through the roote of vanitie, yet God let him see the hauen of rest, and brought him to the right end, and set him vpon the shore, where he might see all his vany­ties: as Moses looked backe vpon his e­nemies, & sawe thē drowned behinde [Page] him. The whole narration doth shew, that Salomon wrote this book after his fall, when he had th'experience of va­nyties, and had seene the sollie of the worlde, what euill comes of pleasure, and what frute growes of sinne, he was bolde to say Vanitie of vanities, &c. which he auoucheth with such prote­station, as though he would iustifie it against many Aduersaries, for all the worlde is in loue with that which he calles vanitie. Therfore he puts to his name in the middest of his sentence, as if he would defend it against all com­mers: if any mā aske who broched this strange Doctrine, the Preacher (saith Salomon:) to testifie his hartie conuersi­on to God, he calles himselffe a Prea­cher, besides all the titles he had be­fore: as a witnes of his vnf [...]yned repē ­tance, as, if God had said vnto him then being conuerted, conuerte thy bre­thren: so, when we are conuerted we should become Preachers vnto other, and shewe some fruites of our calling, [Page] as Salomon left this book a monument to all ages of his conuersion. Therfore they which write thar Salomon died in his sinne, and that such a famous In­strument of God went to the damned, do great wrong to the worthie King, which giues them such an example to repent, and would correct their rashe Iudgement, if they considered, Firste,Psa. 45.7. that he was the cleerest figure of christ (except Melchisedech) which passed all prosperitie and all men in wisedome. Secondlye, that he was inspired with the holy Ghost like the prophets,1. Cro. 17.13. to be one of the Pens of God to write his holy word, the word of saluatiō, which was not fit for a reprobate. Thirdlye: that God promised to his Father, that he would not take his trueth and his mercie from him, as he did from Saule, 2. Sam. 1 [...] ▪ 24 nor forsake him as he did Saule, but correct him in an other sorte. Fourth­ly,Nehe. 13.6 that God is saide to loue him,Rom. 9. there­fore as Paule concludes, that Jacob was elected, because God saith, Jacob haue [Page] I loued:Gen. 27. so we may conclude that Salo­mon was elected, because he saith, Salo­mon haue I loued. Lastly, we may gather out of the seuenth Chaptet of this Booke, and 30. verse, and out of the 5. of the Prouerbes 14. verse, that Salo­mon had left his concubines and vani­ties, before he wrote these bookes.

Therefore to saye that the figure of Christ, the pen of the holye Scriptures, the man whom God loued, the wisest man that euer was died a reprobate, is presumption against the word, impie­tie against god, and wrong to the dead: although because of his greeuous fall, in Idolatrie & vncleānes, God left him in disgrace, and makes no mencion of repentance, where he speakes of his deathe,1. Cor. 10.12. that they which stande may take heede least they fall, and see how easie it is to slip, by the example of him that was wiser then they.

Thus hauing found as it were the myne, now let vs dig for the treasure. Vanitie of vanities, &c. This is Salomons [Page] conclusion when he had giuen ouer the worlde, and tryed all things like a spie sent into a strange Countrie, as if he were now come home from his pilgri­mage; they gather about him to en­quire, what he hath heard, and seene a­broad, & what he thinks of the world, and those things which are so loued a­mongst men: like a man in admirati­on of that which he had seene, and not able to expresse partitularlye one after another, he contractes his newes into a word, you aske me what I haue seene, and what I haue heard, Vanytie saith Salomon, and what els, Vanytie of vani­ties, and what els, all is vanytie: this is the historie of my voyage, I haue seene nothing but vanitie ouer the worlde, carrye this for the newes from the Preacher, Vanitie of vanities, Vanitie of vanities, all is vanitie, and more then va­nitie. So the further he did goe, the more vanitie he did see? & the neerer he looked, the greater it seemed, till at the last he could see nothing but vani­nitie: [Page] when he was come to this that he did see all things vaine, vpon which men set their hartes, he was mooued with compassion and could be silent no longer, but needes he must write to them which seeke felicitie (as he did) in transitorye thinges, to warne them that they seeke not any longer in these foolish things which haue no stabilitie nor contentation, but flye from them to the fear of God which hath the pro­mises of this life and the life to come. Therfore he begins with all is vanitie; as if he should say, loue not the worlde nor the the things of the worlde, for I haue tryed that there is no certaintye nor contentation in them.Eccle. 12.13. Thus he drawes them first frō the wrong way, and then sets them in the right way to happynes, which he desineth at last to be, feare God & keep his cōmaunde­ments. When he had gone through a thousand vanityes, then that comes in at the end: euen like our repentaunce which staies till death. So his driste is [Page] to showe that mans happynes is not in these thinges which we counte of: but in those thinges which we deferre. His reason is, they are all vanitye; his proof is because there is no stabilitye in thē, nor contentation of minde, his coclu­sion is, therfore contemne the worlde, and looke vp to heauen from whence ye came and whether ye goe. This is the scope which Salomon aymes at, as though we did seeke happynes, but we goe a wrong way vnto it, therfore he sounds a retyre, showing that if we goe on as we haue begun, we shall not find happynes but miserye, because we goe by vanityes: therfore to fright vs out of this way, he breaks forth into an excla­mation Vanitie of vanities &c. Now, Sa­lomon full of wisdome & schooled with experience,1. C [...] [...] is licenced to giue his sen­tence of the whole world. For the spi­rituall man iudgeth all things, his iudg­ment is so certain, that it runnes before the euidence, and condemns all for va­nitye, before he conuince them to be [Page] vaine. Neuer any Iudge did condemne so many togither. Salomon resolued all the doubts of the Queen of Shaeba, yet Salomon neuer answered so many que­stions at once, as now: for what can ye inquire, but here you haue an answere? aske him as the soldiars or harlots, or Publicanes asked Iohn, Maister what is sinne? vanitye saith Salomon. what is ple­sure? vanitye too. what is beauty? vanity too. what is riches? vanitye too. what is honour? vanitye too. what is longe life? vanitye too. This is the state of things after the fall, all turned to vanitye. This is no reproch to the things, but a shame to him, which so abused them, that all thinges should be called vaine for him. What a testimony is this of him which should be the onely seruant of God v­pon earth, whome he created in holy­nes and righteousnes, whom he framed to his owne image, whom he placed in Paradice, & would haue raysed to hea­uen, to heare that he hath so poluted him selfe with euerye sinne, that now [Page] he is nothing but vanitye? this is a la­mentable song, that will make him weep that tunes it, if he think what he saith, how his state is changed since A­dam his Father dyed. Once God saide that all was good,Gen. 1. & now he saith that all is naught and vaine, as though he forbad man that which he created for man: that is not Salomons meaning, to debarre mē from the vse of creatures, although all things changed with man & became worsse then they were,Rom. 8.20. yet he doth rather showe that man reapes nothing but vanity out of these things by reason of his corruption, then that the things them selues are vaine, if they were well vsed: for euen since the cre­ation, Paule saith, 1. Tim. 4. that euery creature of God is good, and nothing is to be reiected, if it be receiued or v­sed with thankesgiuing, for it is sancti­fied by the worde of God and prayer: that is it which makes them profitable to vs, which because it is wanting for the most parte, therefore Salomon saith [Page] that all things are vaine to vs, not of thē selues, but because they are not sancti­fied as they should be: therfore in the 2.24. the 3. 12, 22. the 5.17. the 8.15. he showes a way how we may make profite of all and reioyce in our labors, and finde a lawfull pleasure in earthly thinges, so often as he calles to the vse, least we should erre is the monkes and Eremites haue done before, mistaking these wordes, when he saith that all is vanitie, they haue forsaken al company and gouernment, and office and trade, and get them selues into the wildernes among beastes, to liue in quiet and si­lence, saying that men could not liue in the worlde and please God, because all is vanitie: so while they counted all things vaine, they became vaine them­selues, and left those blessinges which Salomon enioyed after this knowledge, more then he did before.

Psal. 62 9.Therfore it is vain man which Solomon reproueth which is not only called va­nitye, but lighter then vanity: if he did [Page] not vse things vainely, nothing should be vaine in the world, whereas now by abuse we maye see sometime as greate vanitye in the best thinges as in the worst; for are not many vaine in their knowledge, vaine in their polices; vain in their learning, as other are vaine in their ignorance? Was not the wisdome of Achitophell a vaine thing, the swift­nes of Hasael a vain thing, the strength of Goliah a vaine thing, the treasure of Nebuchadnezer a vain thing, the honor of Hammon a vaine thing, the beautie of Absolon a vain thing, the knowledge of the Scribes a vaine thing, the deuotiō of the Pharises a vaine thing? By this you may see that vanitie is bolde when she breakes into howses and Churches and palaces. Now we may say, & none will redresse, vanitie maye come to in­fect, where truth may not come to re­proue, is it not time then to sound this alarum againe Vanitie of vanities, vanitie of vanities, all is vanitie? If we could hear how vehemently and how pittifullye [Page] Salomon pronounced this outcry, hap­pily it would moue vs a little to heare, how he did exclame of his owne life, & condemned him selfe as it were by the sound of a Trūpet that al might heare, for we are all by nature such deafe ad­ders, that whether the Prophets come pyping, or mourning, or crying, they goe away from vs againe like Jeremie, crying,Ier. 51.9. we would haue cured Babel, but she could not be cured. Therfore Salomon speakes thrise like a cryer, Va­nitie of vanities &c. as the mother which would faine make her sonne to heare, she doubles & trebles her wordes, and what my sonne? and what my sonne of my wombe? and what O sonne of my desires? so when God would stirre vp men to heauen, he cryeth thrise to the earth, earth, earth, heare the worde of the Lord: so when Salomon would dis­swade from the cōpany of the wicked, read Pro. 4.14. how often he repeates the charge, Enter not into the way of the wicked, walke not in it, auoyde it, goe not by [Page] it, turne from it, and passe by it, as though he wold neuer haue done, or as though we would neuer heare. So Christ whē he taught Peter what was his dutye, re­hearsed it thrise, feed, feed, feed. Ioh. 21.1▪ Joseph sheweth the reason of these repeticiōs when he tells Pharaoh why his dreame was doubled, because the matter was important and certaine: therfore when Salomon repeats this saying so often,Go. 41.32 he calles for audience, as though he had some weighty and great matter to vt­ter, such a pointe of wisdome is it for e­uery man to know, that all is vanitie, if we direct not things to their right end as when the holy Ghost would signifie that God is all holy, he repeats thrise,Esa. 6.3 holy, holy, holy: so when he should shew that man is all vain, thrise he repeateth vanitie, to shewe, how hardly man be­leeues that hee is vaine:Iob 15.3 therefore he bringes in three assertions as it were witnesses to proue it, all agree vpō the same wordes, but that the last is more plaine & saith, that all is vanitie, that is, [Page] that man is not onely changed and be­come vaine, but for the vanitie of man as the Apostle saith, the creatures are subiect to vanity,Rom. 8 20 & haue not that glo­ry & libertie that they should haue for the sin of man: A spiritual eye doth see some vanitie or other in euery thing, as appeereth betwixt Christ and his Di­ciples at Ierusalem, Luk. 21.5. they gazed vpon the building of the Tēple as a braue thing, and would haue had Christ to beholde it with them, but he did see that it was but vanitie, and therfore said, are these the thinges that yee looke vpon? as if he should say, how vaine are you to gaze vpon this? If Christ thought the beauty of his Temple were but a vaine thing, and not worth the sight which yet was built & beautified, so by his owne pre­script, how should Salomon expresse all the vanity of the world, to which al mē haue added more and more since the beginning? therefore as if he wanted wordes to expresse it, as he did see it, he breakes forth into an exclamation, and [Page] repeates the same often, Vanitie of &c. as if he should say, I cannot speak how vaine the worlde is, but vaine it is, and very vaine and nought but vaine, speaking as if he had the feeling and sence of it, as though the world stood naked before him, & it greeued him to see it, he cuttes his wordes in chiding māner, and makes short ridāce, as if it grieued him to speake all that he knew: there­fore that which he speakes, he speakes roundly, that if they read no more but sleepe all the Sermon time after, yet the first sentence shall strike a sting in­to their hearts, & leaue a sound behind to waken them when they are gone, as many (you know) remember this sen­tence, which remember no sentence in all this booke besides: who hath not heard vanity of vanities &c. though few haue conceiued it, this is the phrase of Scripture, whē the holy Ghost would cōmend the song of Salomon aboue all other songes, he calles it the song of songes: when he would exalte the hea­uenly [Page] King aboue all other Kings, he calles him the King of Kings: so when he would note a vanity, and yet a grea­ter, and a greater then that which is the greatest of all, he calles it vanitie of va­nities &c. as when wee would note a great foole, we wil say a foole of fooles, a sinne of sinnes, a seruant of seruants. These are scornful names of the world & homely tytles to giue our pleasures, to call them vanitie of vanities, & againe vanitie of vanities, & yet againe vanitie, as though we would prouoke them to fall out with vs, like a man which shar­pens his enemie with tauntes, when he would egg him to fight, he might haue mollified his tearmes before he con­dēned the world thrise: but the world is no chaungeling that Solomon should change his iudgement, but vain it was, and vaine it is, and vaine it will be: and therfore thrise vaine world he may call it. First vanitie, straight vanitie of vani­ties, and so dainlye all is vanitie, what a transcendant is this? as thogh it increa­sed [Page] while he spake, so fast groweth this weede to worsse and worsse like the I­mage which appeered to Nabuchadne­zer, the first parte was of golde, the se­cond of siluer, the third of brasse,Dan. 2. the fourth parte of iron, the fift of clay, and so by many changes the world growes worsse and worsse and all they which followe it: when a man begins to like of pleasure and opens the doore of one vanitie which he loues, straight as ma­ny vanities flock to him as Salomon had concubines, till the Temple of God be like a denne of theeues. Therfore whē Salomon beheld such a pluralitie and tot quot of vanities, like surges comming one vpon another in pleats and foldes, he spake as though he would shewe vs vanitie, hatching vanities, Vanitie of va­nities, all is vanitie. The first saying doth passe without let, but the last rubbes and sinckes not into the hearts of men so easilye as it is spoken. Me thinkes I heare some dispute for Baal, and bids Salomon staye before he comes to all is [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] vanitie, it may be that sinne is vanitie, but shall we condemne all for sinne & pleasure? what say you to beutie which is natures dowrie and cheereth the eye as sweete meat doeth the taste? beutie is like a faire picture, take away the cul­lour and there is nothing left: beutie in deed is but a colour and a temptation, the colour fadeth and the temptaton snareth. But what say you to riches which make men Lordes ouer the rest and allow them to goe braue, lye softe, and fare daintilye, and haue what they list? riches are like painted grapes, which looke as though they would sa­tisfy a man, but do not slake his hunger nor thirst: riches in deede do make a man couet more, and get enuie and keep the minde in care. But what saye you to honour, which sets a man aloft, and makes the kne bow, & the tongue sooth, & the hed stand bare, as though they were other kinde of creatures, a­boue the nature of man? honour is like a King in a play, when his parte is done [Page] his ornamentes are taken from him, he which held the bason to him is as good as he: honour in deed maye cōmaund all but life, he makes a faire shew now, but when death comes all is one. But what say you to profound knowledge in deepe misteries which makes men sought vnto, and called deepe Clerkes and great Doctors?2. Sam. 11. knowledge is like the letters which Vriah caried against him selfe, so knowledge carieth a grea­ter iudgemente, and often times con­demns the bearer: knowledge in deed without vertue, leaues a man without excuse, and is a witnes against him be­cause he vnderstands what is good and will not doe it. Yet there is an other darling of account behinde, what saye you to long life, which causeth a man to see his childrens children, & makes him reuerent before the people? long life is like a long night, whē a man can­not slepe, so age is wearisom with sick­nes, and striues with it selfe, because it cannot walke, nor talke; nor heare, nor [Page] taste, nor sleepe as it is wont, therfore it wisheth often the night were gone, that the paine were past: in deede he which sees many dayes, sees many mi­series, and therfore what is not vaine in life, sith life it selfe is vaine? shewe me the light which will not darken? shewe me the starre which will not fade? shew me the fruite which will not corrupt? shewe me the garment which will not weare? shew me the beautie which will not wither? shew me the strēgth which will not weaken? shewe me the time which will not passe? and I will reclaim it, all is not vanitie: but if all thinges va­nish then all thinges are vaine: yet this will not go for truth before men haue smarted for the tryall.Pro. 12.12 Some are so vain that they count nothing vanitie: Pro. 14.9. but that which is vayner then the rest, de­lightes them most: for ther is as it were a common welth of vaine persons, and he which can be vainest is like a King of the rest.Pro. 28.4 Some are of this minde that they think all is vanity, but that which [Page] they loue, and therefore they call them vaine, and curious, & fantastical, which speak against their vanities, and say that it is necessary to be vaine, for they can not liue vnles they deceiue: they can­not please vnles they flatter: they can not be beleeued vnles they swear:Act. 19.24 they cannot be esteemed vnles they royste:Ionah. 2. [...] as Demetrius thought that he should begge vnles he might sell images.

There is an other sort, like the buier in the Prouerbs: 20.14. which saith, it is naught, it is naught, but whē he is gone a parte, he boasteth: so they will say of the world it is nought, it is naught, be­fore men and sweare that all is vanitie, but when they are gone a part, they re­concile them selues vnto it, and kisse with her, and promise to be vaine stil, but they cannot abide to be counted vaine, the vaynest man that is. This shewes the folly of the worlde is so o­pen and shameful, that her louers must needes condemne her: you shall heare them say often times it is a vaine world [Page] wicked world, a naghty world, yet they will not forsake it to die: like dastard souldiers who raile against the enemy, but dare not fight against him. Al is va­nitie, but this is vanitie of vanities, that men will folow that which they con­demne, but this is that euery sinner might condemn himselfe: for the con­science must iudge first, then God, as our Sauiour saith, out of thine owne mouth, and so out of thine owne heart I will condemne the naughty seruant: shewing that the wicked condemne themselues before they are condēned of God. These are the worlds fooles, which care not what is their ende, so their way be pleasāt. O that here were an end of vanities, but a greater vanity is behind; for our religion is vanity, like the Scribes & Pharisies, hauing a shew of holines, as th' apostle saith; he coulde cal it but a shew of holines, not worthy to be called holines, but like holines: yet the most part haue not so much as the shew of holines, as the pharises had, but are vain in shew, inside & outside [Page] too. Thus we find nothing yet but va­nity. I cannot lead you from one to an other, to shew you the seueral vanities of euery persō, or euery thing, because Salo. saith all is vanitie. How many sins then haue we to condemne vs, whose vanitie is sprinckeled in euery thing, which haue not only so many vanities as there be things, but many vanities in euery thing. As in our fare, how manie vanities are there? which make vs rise sometime sick, sometime slepy, some­time dronk. Yet there are mo vanities in our sports, laughing, swearing, & ie­sting, and scoffing, and dalying, & play­ing with the scriptures: which often­times leaues such a sting behind, that we had rather haue lost our sport, then feel the worm after. Yet ther be mo va­nities in our aparrel; ruff vpon ruff, lace vpō lace, cut vpon cut, 24. disorders, to the third & fourth degree, as if our ap­parel were appareled, that if ye coulde see how vanity her self would go if she did wear aparel, she would go euē like our vain women, for she could not go, [Page] nor looke, nor speak vayner, who doth not knowe that these are vanities, and that they might leue thē if they would, but that ye might see there is a heart within, vayner then the apparel which is without? therfore when these vani­ties are worne out, they will haue new, and when those are worne they will haue new, and still new till all be spent vpon vanitie, and then they begin (like the prodigall childe) to see how vaine they were whē they haue bought wis­dome with sorowe. What would Sal. say, if he should see how vanitie is gro­wen since his time, vnto what a height she is mounted, what a traine followes her? that there is no prince in the world hath so many attendants as vanitie: she was but an ympe then, but now she is a mother, & who cā number her sonnes and daughters? the child reigns in play­ing, the mother reigns in dandling, the Father reignes in giuinge, the courtier reigns in spending, the soldiar reigns in boasting, the smith reignes in striking, [Page] the traueller vaine in talking, the mar­chant vaine in swearing, the gentleman vaine in building, the husbandeman vaine in carking, the seruingman vaine in soothing, the young man vaine in sporting, the olde man vaine in coue­ting, the papist vaine in superstion, the protestant vaine in conuersation: eue­rie Vanitie is so pleasaunt to one or o­ther, that they cannot misse one. So she gads by sea and by land, and mo disci­ples flock vnto her, of gamesters, and swearers, and players, and tiplers, and huckslers, and suiters, and courtiers, as thick as the flies of Egypt, which buz­zed in their eares, and their eyes, and their necks, before and behind, that a man cannot set his foot but vpon Va­nitie. As the waters couered the earth when but eight persons were saued: so Vanitie hath couered it againe: a worse deluge then the first, because it hath not suffered eight persons to escape, but euery man is taynted with some vanitie or other: which God seeing in [Page] that place & citie which should be best in the world, (that all men in the Citie were vaine) calles it the citie of vanitie: so we may say the world of vanity, be­cause she hath an interest in euery per­son of it. Shee sitteth vppon the earth like a serpent, & hatcheth all the sinnes which ye see among men: as ful as hea­uen is of blisse, so the world is fraught with vanitie, court, citie, and countrie, whether doth not vanitie goe, but to heauen? Seeing then that vanitie is so extolled amongst men, Salomon geues this sentence,Lu. 10.40 that all is vanity. Christ, like a moderator, concludes vpon it, that there is but one thing necessary: therefore let our sentence be like his, for surely if we had Sal. repentance, we should see such an image of vanity be­fore vs, as would make vs crie again & again as often as Salomon, Vanity of va­nities, vanitie of vanities, & all is vanitie. What a sweete sentence is this from a king? (whom one woulde thinke may liue as hee lifte) to say that all is vanity. [Page] O that we might heare kings speake so again, for it is a speech which had need to haue some to countenance it: for none are counted vaine now, but they that speake against vanitie. Yet many had rather trie it with Salomon, thā be­leue it with Sal. & while they try wan­dring with him, some are taken out of their way, and cutte short of the time which they set to repent; from others God taketh away his grace, so they ne­uer returne, because their guid is gone. This the holy ghost pointed at, whē he saith, they followed vanitie,2. Kin. 17.13 & became vaine: shewing that the thinges which we follow, will make vs like thēselues, and leade vs, whether they belong to heauen or hell. In Rom. 8.20. vanitie is put for destruction, but it is neuer put for saluatiō. If other creatures are sub­iect to a kind of destruction for the sin of man, as Paul sheweth, what destruc­tion shal light on man for his own sin? therfore let our sentence run with Sal. vanitie &c. We would aford the world [Page] better words and fayrer titles then va­nitie of vanities. But call it what you wil, Salomon shewes what it is, and what we wil say in the ende when wee haue tried it, then vanitie of vanities: yet it is comfort of comforts, glory of glories, life of liues. But as Laban shewed him­selfe at parting, so at parting you shall see how it wil serue you: they seeme pleasant vanities, and honest vanities, & profitable vanities, but Dauid calleth them deceitfull vanities. Imah oomes after and cales them lying vanities: that is, which promise pleasure and profit, and all, but deceiue all. When they shoulde perfourme they play Laban, which gaue Leah for Rachel. If they be lying vanities, and deceitfull vanities, then are they wilful and miserable va­nities. Therefore if we be not come to Salomons conclusion, to thinke that all is vanitie, it is because our vanitie will not suffer vs to see the vanitie of other things. When wee haue prooued like Salomon, as fast as euery man groweth [Page] in knowledge and experience, so he begins to crie vanitie, and after that vanity of vanities, and at last, all is vanitie: so we contemne not al at once, but one sinne after another, one lust after another, one pleasure after another, til at last we count all vanitie: and then we are come home with Salomon, and may be prea­chers vnto other. Thus I haue shewed you, as it were, a line of vanity, you may look about you and see the whole bo­dy, for if she be any where in this land, this is her Pontificall sea, where shee is neuer non resident. Now I will leaue you to examin this saying, whether all thinges haue not been vaine vnto you yet: if they haue bin vaine to you, and yet are good in their own nature, then think you how vain you are, who haue turned so many good things to vanity. Yet to set you in the way before I end, I will answere them which aske if all things be vanitie (as Salomon saith) tell vs what we shall chuse that we be not vaine. Christ saith that one thing is ne­cessarie. [Page] Is Salomon contrary to Christ? No: therefore one thing. Salo, excepts two, Feare God, and keep his commaunde­ments: this doth extoll godlines, that al things are put vnder her feet, and counted vaine besides her. Therefore if all be vaine but this, let the tempter take thee vp againe, and shew thee the king­domes of the world, when he saith, All these will I geue thee: thou mayst say, all these I contemne, for all is vanitie. What then? turne away mine eyes saith Dauid, and mine eares, and my hart too from vanitie. Trie and proue thou no longer, for Sal. hath prooued for thee, it is better to beleeue him, then trye with him. Therfore now it remaineth that as they brought foorth their vaine bookes after Pauls preaching, and caste them into the fire: so ye should cast out al your vanities this day, & sacrifice thē to God, for they haue been your idols, therfore bury them as Iacob did the I­dols, that neuer man see them after: and as God gaue Iob other children, so hee [Page] wil geue you other pleasures. Feare not that your ioyes will go away with your vanities, as many think they shal neuer be mery againe, if they should be con­uerted to religion, but as Dauid daun­ced before the arke, as merely as Hero­dias daunced before the king: so know vndoubtedly, that the righteous finde more ioy in goodnesse, then euer the wicked founde in filthines: nay saith Dauid, more then they can finde in ri­ches or honors, when their wheate and wine abound. As a horse is a vain thing to saue a man, so al these things are too vaine to make a man happy. I appeale to your selues, if ye haue tried the plea­sures of vanitie already, as I know you haue, whether ye may say with Paul, what profit haue wee of those thinges wherof we are ashamed? no profit, but shame, and griefe, and guilt, and dread­full execution of iudgement. As Salo­mon calles folly the inheritance of fol­lie,Pro. 14.18▪ so vanitie is al the inheritance of va­nitie. Tenne times Laban changed Ja­cobs [Page] wages, but ten thousand times sin hath changed your wages, & deceiued you with other successe then you loo­ked for,Esa. 22 like Shebna, which built his se­pulchre in one countrie, & was buried in another: and yet how many changes are behind you know not, for if ye did, you would make inquisition, & banish them at first, for whensoeuer you go a­bout to cast them out, they will say stil like the deuils, that thou tormentest them before the time. It seemes that many are touched with compassion of this, and therfore repriue their vanities and slack th' execution, as though they were afraid to offend the deuill. Euen we perhaps are yet in the trace of vani­tie, hunting with Salomon to finde that which we loue, and find it not, because we seek out of the way, what is the re­medie? so run; saith Paul, that yee may obteine, you haue tried the euill way to happines, now trie the good way, & then that which ye loue now, shall not only seem vain, but vanitie of vanities, [Page] that ye wil maruell how ye could loue them so long, and would not be in that dotage againe with them for all the world: vntil these earthly things seem vain, no heauenly thing shal seem pre­tious, therefore lose no more time, the day comes when vanitie of vanities shalbe turned into miserie of miseries, and al is vanitie too, all is miserie: there is a certain place called hel, there God keepes generall sessions, there Iustice shal sit to examine vanitie, who hath imbraced her, and who hath forsaken her for God, and hee which made his pleasure of sinne, so soone as he heares this doome, depart ye wicked, shall go downe by a blacke way, with many a sigh and sob, from God, from the An­gels, from the Saintes, from ioy, from glorie, from blisse; with the fiendes of hell, to sup in the pallace of darckenes, with the princes of horror, at the table of vengeance, in the chaire of calamity, with the crowne of death vppon his head, and he which tempted him to sin [Page] shall plague him for sinning, vntill hee crie with Cain, my punishment is grea­ter then I can beare. Gen. 4.13. for al the griefs, and feares, and thralles, & trou­bles, which fed vpon him while hee li­ued, shall meet in an houre, and exceed them so farre, that he shall thinke that he suffers for all; and maruell how anie torment can be leste for other. What faith or feare haue they which goe dauncing and leaping to this fire, like a foole which rūneth to the stocks? how happy were it for mē as we liue in these daies, if there were no iudgement at all? what wil we answere when he who made Salomon to write this, shall aske why we would not beleue it? what shal we say when hee which came from his kingdome to bring vs vnto it, demāds why we did turne the day of saluation into the day of vanitie? If ye cannot ex­cuse it here, how wil ye defēd it there? we were born in vanitie, we liue in va­nitie, but we would not die in vanity, because no man lookes for any good [Page] of his sinnes, after he is past this world: therefore let vs remember, that whi­ther the vaine men are gone, thether vaine men shal goe: there be not two ends for sinners, but one; what a woful bargain will it seem then to remēber, that thou didst sell thy soule for vanity. If any thing wil reclaime vs, this wil be a terror in our hearts, to think that we shall geue account vnto him that will measure to vs as much miserie, as wee haue taken vanitie. Therfore as Abner said to Joab, knowest thou not that it will be bitternes in the later end,Sa. 11.26 so let euery man consider with himselfe, though his vanitie be sweete now, yet they will be bitter in the end. As Am­mon, after he had fulfilled his lust, did hate Thamar (which defiled him) more then he loued her before: so when the spurt is past, and death lookes vs in the face, wee shall hate our vanities more, then we loue them now. All this doeth conclude that which our Sauiour said [Page] to Martha, but one thing is necessa­rie, which God grant we may chuse for his sonne Iesus Christ, and then we haue learned this lesson.