TO have a selfe-sufficiencie in being and operation , and to bee unsubordinate to any further End above himselfe , as it is utterly repugnant to the Condition of a Creature , so amongst the rest to Man especially ; who besides the limitednesse of his nature , as he is a Creature , hath contracted much deficiencie and deformitie as he is a Sinner . God never made him to be an End unto himselfe , to be the Center of his owne motions , or to be happy onely by reflection on his owne excellencies . Something still there is without him , unto which he moves , and from whence God hath appointed that he should reape either preservation in , or advancement and perfection unto his nature . What that is upon which the desires of man ought to fixe as his Rest and End , is the maine discoverie that the Wise Man makes in this Booke . And he doth it by an historicall and penitentiall review of his former Enquiries ; from whence he states the point in Two maine Conclusions . The first the Creatures Insufficiencie , in the beginning of the Booke , Vanitie of Vanities , All is vanity . The second Mans Duty to God , and Gods All-sufficiencie unto man , in the End of the Booke , Let us heare the Conclusion Eccles. 12. 13. of the whole matter , Feare God , and keepe his Commandements , for this is Totum hominis , the whole Duty , the whole End , the whole Happinesse of Man . The former of these two , namely the Insufficiency of the Creature to satiate the desires , and quiet the motions of the Soule of man , is the point I am now to speake of , out of these words .

For understanding whereof , wee must know that it was not God in the Creation , but sinne and the curse which attended it , that brought this Vanity and Vexation upon the Creature . God made Every thing in it selfe very Good , and therefore very fit for the desires of man some way or other to take satisfaction from . As prickes , and quauers , and rests in musicke serue in their order to commend the cunning of the Artist , and to delight the Eare of the hearer , as well as more perfect notes : so the meanest of the Creatures were at first fill'd with so much goodnesse , as did not onely declare the glory of God , but in their ranke likewise minister content to the minde of man . It was the sinne of man that fill'd Rom. 8. 20 , 22. the Creature with Vanitie , and it is the Vanitie of the Creature that fils the Soule of man with Vexation . As Rom. 3. 23. sinne makes man come short of Glory , which is the rest of the Soule in the fruition of God in himselfe ; so doth it make him come short of Contentation too , which is the rest of the Soule in the fruition of God in his Creatures . Sinne tooke away Gods favour from the Soule , and his Blessing from the Creature . It put bitternesse into the Soule that it cannot relish the Creature , and it put Vanity into the Creature , that it cannot nourish nor satisfie the Soule .

The Desires of the Soule can never be satisfied with any Good , till they finde in it these two qualities or relations , wherein indeed the formalitie of Goodnesse doth consist ; namely Proportion and Proprietie . First nothing can satisfie the desires of the Soule till it beares convenience and fitnesse thereunto ; for it is with the minde as with the body , the richest attire that is if it be either too loose or too straite , however it may please a mans pride , must needs offend his body . Now nothing is Proportionable to the minde of man , but that which hath reference unto it as it is a spirituall Soule . For though a man have the same sensitive appetites about him which we finde in beasts ; yet , in as much as that Appetite was in man created subordinate unto reason , and obedient to the spirit ; the case is plaine , that it can never be fully satisfied with its obiect , unlesse that likewise be subordinate and linked to the Obiect of the superior faculty , which is God . So then the Creature can never bee Proportionable to the Soule of Man , till it bring God along with it . So long as it is emptie of God , so long must it needs be full of Vanitie and Vexation .

But now it is not sufficient that there be Proportion , unlesse withall there be Propriety . For God is a Proportionable Good unto the nature of divels as well as of men or good angels , yet no good comes by that unto them , because he is none of their God , they have no interest in him , they have no union unto him . Wealth is as commensurate unto the mind and occasions of a beggr as of a prince ; yet the goodnesse and comfort of it extends not unto him , because he hath no propriety unto any . Now sinne hath taken away the Proprietie which we have in Good , hath unlinked that golden chaine , whereby the Creature was joyned unto God , and God with the Creature came along unto the minde of man . So that till we can recover this Vnion , and make up this breach againe , it is impossible for the Soule of man to receive any satisfaction from the Creature alone . Though a man may have the possession of it , as a Naked Creature , yet not the fruition of it , as a Good Creature . For Good the Creature is not unto any but by vertue of the Blessing and Word accompanying it . And man naturally hath no right unto the Blessing of the Creature ; for it is Godlinesse which hath the Promises , and by consequence the Blessing as well of this as of the other life . And God is not in his favour reconciled unto us , nor reunited by his Blessing unto the Creature , but onely in and through Christ . So then the minde of a man is fully and onely satisfied with the Creature , when it findes God and Christ together in it : God making the Creature suteable to our inferior desires , and Christ making both God and the Creature Ours ; God giving Proportion , and Christ giving Propriety .

These things thus explained , let us now consider the Insufficiencie of the Creature to conferre , and the Vnsatisfiablenesse of the flesh to receive any solid or reall satisfaction from any of the workes which are done under the Sunne . Man is naturally a proud Creature , of high projects , of unbounded desires , ever framing to himselfe I know not what imaginarie and phantasticall felicities , which have no more proportion unto reall and true contentment , then a king on a stage to a king on a throne , then the houses which children make of cards , unto a princes palace . Ever since the fall of Adam he hath an itch in him to be a god within himselfe , the fountaine of his owne goodnesse , the contriver of his owne sufficiencie ; loth hee is to goe beyond himselfe , or what hee thinkes properly his owne , for that in which hee resolveth to place his rest . But alas , after hee hath toil'd out his heart , and wasted his spirits , in the most exact inuentions that the Creature could minister unto him , Salomon here , the most experienc'd for enquirie , the most wise for contrivance , the most wealthy for compassing such earthly delights , hath , after many yeeres sitting out the finest flowre , and torturing nature to extract the most exquisite spirits , and purest quintessence , which the varieties of the Creatures could afford , at last pronounced of them all , That they are Vanitie and vexation of spirit : Like Thornes , in their gathering they pricke , that is their Uexation , and in their burning they suddenly blaze and waste away , that is their Uanitie . Vanitie in their duration , fraile and perishable things ; and Vexation in their enjoyment , they nothing but molest and disquiet the heart . The eye , saith Salomon , is not satisfied with seeing , nor the eare with hearing . Notwithstanding they be the widest of all the senses , can take in more abundance with lesse satiety , and serue more immediately for the supplies of the reasonable Soule , yet a mans eye-strings may even cracke with vehemencie of poring , his eares may be filled with all the varietie of the most exquisite sounds and harmonies , and lectures in the world , and yet still his Soule within him be as greedy to see and heare more as it was at first . Who would have thought that the favour of a prince , the adoration of the people , the most conspicuous honours of the court , the liberty of utterly destroying his most bitter adversaries , the sway of the sterne and universall negotiations of state , the concurrency of all the happinesse , that wealth , or honour , or intimatenesse with the prince , or Deity with the people , or extremitie of luxurie could afford , would possibly have left any roome or nooke in the heart of Haman for discontent ? and yet doe but observe , how the want of one Iewes knee ( who dares not give divine worship to any but his Lord ) blasts all his other glories , brings a damp upon all his other delights , makes his head hang downe , and his mirth wither : so little leaven was able to sowre all the Queenes banquet , and the Kings favour . Ahab was a king , in whom therefore wee may justly expect a confluence of all the happinesse which his dominions could afford ; a man that built whole cities , and dwelt in Ivorie palaces , and yet the want of one poore Vineyard of Naboth brings such a heavinesse of heart , such a deadnesse of countenance on so great a person , as seemed in the judgement of Iezabel farre unbeseeming the honour and distance of a prince . Nay Salomon , a man every way more a king both in the minde and in the state of a king then Ahab , a man that did not use the Creature with a sensuall , but with a criticall fruition , To finde out that good which God had given men under the sunne , and that in such abundance of all things , learning , honour , pleasure , peace , plenty , magnificence , fortaine supplies , roiall visits , noble confederacies , as that in him was the patterne of a compleat prince beyond all the plat-formes and Ideas of Plato and Zenophon ; and yet even he was never able to repose his heart upon any or all these things together , till he brings in the feare of the Lord for the close of all . Lastly , looke on the people of Israel ; God had delivered them from a bitter thraldome , had divided the sea before them , and destroied their enemies behind them , had given them bread from heaven , and fed them with angels foode , had commanded the rocke to satisfie their thirst , and made the Cananites to melt before them ; his mercies were magnified with the power of his miracles , and his miracles crowned with the sweetenesse of his mercies , besides the assurance of great promises to bee performed in the holy land : and yet in the midst of all this wee finde nothing but murmuring and repining . God had given them meat for their faith , but they must have meate for their lust too ; it was not enough that God shewed them mercies , unlesse his mercies were dressed up and fitted to their palate , They tempted God , and limited the holy one of Psal. 78. 41. Israel , saith the Prophet . So infinitely unsatisfiable is the fleshly heart of man either with mercies or miracles , that bring nothing but the Creatures to it .

The ground whereof is the Vast disproportion which is betweene the Creature and the soule of man , whereby it comes to passe , that it is absolutely impossible for one to fill up the other . The soule of man is a substance of unbounded desires : and that will easily appeare if wee consider him in any estate , either Created or Corrupted . In his Created estate he was made with a Soule capable of more glory , then the whole earth or all the frame of nature , though changed into one Paradise , could haue afforded him : for he was fitted unto so much honour as an infinite and everlasting Communion with God could bring along with it . And now God never in the Creation gave unto any Creature a propercapacitie of a thing , unto which hee did not withall implant such motions and desires in that Creature as should be some what suteable to that capacitie , and which might ( if they had beene preserved intire ) haue brought man to the fruition of that Good which he desired . For notwithstanding it be true , That the glory of God cannot be attain'd unto , by the vertue of any action which man either can , or ever could haue performed : yet God was pleased out of Mercie , for the magnifying of his name , for the Communicating of his glory , for the advancement of his Creature , to enter into Covenant with man , and for his naturall obedience to promise him a supernaturall reward . And this , I say , was even then out of Mercie ; in as much as Adams legall obedience of workes could no more in any vertue of its owne , but onely in Gods mercifull contract and acceptance , merit everlasting life , then our Evangelicall Obedience of faith can now . Only the difference betweene the mercie of the first and second Covenant ( and it is a great difference ) is this . God did out of mercie propose Salvation unto Adam as an Infinite Reward of such a finite Obedience , as Adam was able by his owne created abilities to have performed . As if a man should give a Day-laborer a hundred pound for his daies worke , which performe indeed hee did by his owne strength , but yet did not merit the thousandth part of that wages which he receives : But Gods mercy untous is this , That he is pleased to bestow upon us not onely the reward , but the worke and merit which procured the reward , that he is pleased in vs to reward another mans worke , even the worke of Christ our head ; as if when one onely Captaine had by his wisedome discomfited and defeated an enemie , the prince notwithstanding should reward his alone seruice , with the advancement of the whole armie which he led . But this by the way . Certaine in the meane time it is , that God created man with such capacities and desires , as could not be limited with any or all the excellencies of his fellow and finite Creatures .

Nay looke even upon Corruptednature , and yet there we shall still discover this restlesnesse of the minde of man , though in an evill way , to promote it selfe : whence arise distractions of heart , thoughts for to morrow , rovings and inquisitions of the soule after infinite varieties of earthly things , swarmes of lusts , sparkles of endlesse thoughts , those secret flowings , and ebbes , and tempests , and Estuations of that sea of corruption in the heart of man , but because it can never finde any thing on which to rest , or that hath roome enough to entertaine so ample and so endlesse a guest ? Let us then looke a little into the particulars of that great disproportion and Insufficiencie of any or all the Creatures under the sun to make up an adequate and suteable Happinesse for the soule of man .

Salomon here expresseth it in Two words , Vanitie and Uexation . From the first of these wee may observe a threefold disproportion betweene the Soule and the Creatures . First in regard of their nature and worth , they are base in comparison of the Soule of man : When David would shew the infinite distance betweene God and man in power and strength , he expresseth the basenesse of man by his vanitie , To be laid in the ballance , they are altogether lighter then vanitie . Psal. 62. 9. And surely if we waigh the Soule of man and all the Creatures under the Sunne together , we shall finde them lighter then Vanitie it selfe . All the Goodnesse and honour of the Creature ariseth from one of these Two grounds : Either from mans coining or from Gods , either from Opinion imposed upon them by men , or from some Reall qualities , which they have in their nature . Many things there are which ▪ have all that worth and estimation which they carry amongst men , not from their owne qualities , but from humane institution , or from some difficulties that attend them , or from some other outward Imposition . When a man gives monie for meate , we must not thinke there is any naturall proportion of worth betweene a piece of silver and a piece of flesh ; for that worth which is in the meate is its owne , whereas that which is in the monie is by humane appointment . The like we may say for great titles of honour and secular degrees , though they bring authoritie , distance , reverence with them from other men , yet notwithstanding they doe not of themselves , by any proper vertue of their owne , put any solid and fundamentall merit into the man himselfe . Honour is but the raising of the rate and value of a man , it carrie , nothing of substance necessarily along with it : as in raising the valuations of gold from twenty shillings , to twenty two , the matter is the same , only the estimation different . It is in the Power of the king to raise a man out of the prison like Ioseph , and give him the ●●xt place unto himselfe . Now this then is a plaine argument of the great basenesse of any of these things incomparison of the Soule of man , and by consequence of their great disability to satisfie the same : for can a man make any thing equall to himselfe ? can a man advance a piece of gold or silver into a reasonable , a spirituall , an eternall substance ? A man may make himselfe like these things , he may debase himselfe into the vilenesse of an Idoll , They that make them are like unto them ; hee may under-value and uncoyne himselfe , blot out Gods Image and Inscription , and write in the image and inscription of earth and Satan , he may turne himselfe into brasse and iron and reprobate silver , as the Prophet speakes ; but never can any man raise the Creatures by all his estimations to the worth of a man : we cannot so much as change the color of a haire or adde a cubite to our stature , much lesse can we make any thing of equall worth with our whole selves . We read indeed of some which have sold the righteous , and that at no great rate neither , for a paire of shooes . Ioel 3. 6. Amos 2. 6. but we see there how much the Lord abhorr'd that detestable fact , and recompenc'd it upon the necke of the oppressors . How many men are there still that set greater rates upon their owne profits , or libertie , or preferments , or secular accommodations , then on the Soules of men , whose perdition is oftentimes the price of their advancements ? but yet still Saint Pauls rule must hold , For meat● destroy not the worke of God , for money betray Rom. 14. 15. 20. not the bloud of Christ , destroy not him with thy meate , with thy dignities , with thy preferments , for whom Christ died . We were not redeemed with silver and gold from our vaine Conversation , saith the Apostle 1. Pet. 1. 18. and therefore these things are of too base a nature to be put into the ballance with the soules of men ; and that man infinitely undervalues the worke of God ▪ the Image of God , the bloud of God , who for so base a purchase as monie , or preferment any earthly and vaine-glorious respect doth either hazard his owne , or betray the Soules of others commended to him .

And therefore this should reach all those upon whom the Lord hath bestow'd a greater portion of this Opinionative felicitie , I meane , of money , honour , reputation , or the like ; First not to Trust in uncertaine Riches , not to relie upon a foundation of their owne laying for matter of Satisfaction to their Soule , nor to boast in the multitude of their riches , as the Prophet speakes , Psal. 49. 6. ( for that is certainely one great effect of the Deceitfulnesse of Riches , spoken of Matth. 13. 22. to perswade the Soule that there is more in them then indeed there is ) and the Psalmist gives an excellent reason in the ▪ same place , No man can by any meanes redeeme his brother , nor give to God a ransome for him , for the Redemption of their Soule is Pretious .

And secondly , it may teach them as not to Trust , so not to Swell with these things neither . It is an argument of their windinesse and emptinesse that they are apt to make men swell ; whereas if they cannot change a haire of a mans head , nor adde an inch to his stature , they can much lesse make an accession of the least dramme of merit , or reall value to the owners of them . And surely if men could seriously consider , That they are still members of the same common bodie , and that of a twofold body , a civill and a mysticall body , and that though they haplie may bee the more honorable parts in one body , yet in the other they may be the lesse honorable ; that the poore whom they despise may in Christs body have a higher roome then they ( as the Apostle saith , Hath not God chosen the poore in this world , Rich in faith , Iam. 2. 5. ) I say , if men could compare things rightly together , and consider that they are but the greater letters in the same volume , and the poore the smaller , though they take up more roome , yet they put no more matter nor worth into the word which they compound , they would never suffer the tympanie and inflation of pride or superciliousnesse , of selfe-attributions , or contempt of their meaner brethren to prevaile within them . Wee see in the naturall body though the head have a Hat on of so many shillings price , and the foot a Shooe of not halfe so many pence , yet the head doth not therefore despise the foot , but is tender of it , and doth derive influence as well unto that as to any nobler part : and surely so should it be amongst men , though God have given thee an Eminent station in the body , cloath'd thee with purple and scarlet , and hath set thy poore neighbour in the lowest part of the body , and made him conversant in the dirt , and content to cover himselfe with leather , yet you are still members of the same common body , animated with the same spirit of Christ , moulded out of the same dirt , appointed for the same inheritance , borne out of the same Ex eodem utero ignorantiae . Tertul. wombe of natural blindnesse , partakers of the same great and pretious promises ( there was not one price for the Soule of the poore man , and another for the rich , there is not one table for Christ's meaner guests , and another for his greater , but the faith is a a a Tit. 1. 4. Common faith , the salvation a b b Iud. verse 3. Common salvation , the c c Gal. 3. 16. Phil. 3. 16. rule a Common rule , the d d Ephes. 4 4. hope a Common hope , one Lord , and one Spirit , and one Baptisme , and one God and Father of all ; and e e 1. Cor. 3. 11. One foundation , and f f Ephes 2. 19. Eph. 3. 15. 1. Tim. 3. 15. One house , and therefore wee ought to have g g 1. Cor. 12. 25. Care and Compassion one of another .