Eccles. 1.2 . VAnitie of vanities ; saith the Preacher , vanity of vanities ; all is vanity . If euer there were any man fit and able in respect of his wealth to trie , of industry to search , and his wisdome to iudge of the things of this life , it was Salomon the King and Preacher of Ierusalem . 1. Ki. 10.27 . His wealth was such , that he made siluer as plentifull in Ierusalem , as the stones in the streets . His wisdome was exceeding much , 1. Kin. 4.29 . for he had a large heart , euen as the sand that is on the sea shore . His industrie also was verie great , Eccles. 1.13 14. for behold he applied his heart to search and find out wisdome by all things vnder the Sunne . And when he had imployed his wealth , wisedome , and industry in this diligent scrutinie , and distilled forth euen the purest spirites of these terrestriall bodies , he found amongst them nothing but vanitie ; yea the vttermost elixar was vanitie of vanities .

If any thing in the world were worth respecting , it must needes be man , for whose vse all things in the world were created ; but concerning him , behold what the Prophet Dauid saieth : The children of men are vani●y , and as though that were not enough , he addeth , Lay them on the ballance , Psal. 62.9 . and they shall be found lighter then vanitie . If there were any thing excellent in man , it must needs be the internall ornaments of his soule : but behold , as they are meerely naturall , they are exceedingly corrupted and depraued .

The wit of man may fitly be compared to the Israelites iewels , whereof they made a calfe : for as the same gold being in iewells was precious , but being cast into an Idole became odious : so the wit of man which in the dayes of his innocencie was good and gracious , is in his corrupted estate become vaine and vitious .

HVmane reason and vnderstanding is vnto the will and affections as the eye to the bodie , the captaine to the souldiers , and the pilot to the shippe : if the eye be dark , the body walkes blindly ; if the Captaine be ignorant , the souldiers march disorderly ; if the Pilot be vnskilfull , the shippe sailes dangerously : so whilest the will and affections do follow such a blind , ignorant , and vnskilfull guide as the natural vnderstanding is in supernatural things ; how can they walk without falling , march without disorder , or sayle without danger of drowning in the Ocean of iniquitie ?

Hauing therefore shewed the vanitie of the vnderstanding ( the guide of the will ) the same may be sufficient to demonstrate the vanitie of the will it selfe , which deduceth her election from the same . For if we be insufficient to thinke any ( good ) thing of our selues , 2. Cor. 3.5 . can there be any sufficiencie in vs to will that is good ? considering especially that our vnderstanding is farre fleeter then our will . But lest any should thinke yea , let him remember that as the Apostle ascribeth the sufficiencie of our thoughts to God : so he attributeth both the sufficiencie and efficiencie of our wils to him saying , Phil. 2.13 that it is God which worketh in vs both the will and the deed : according to S. Augustines obseruation vpon Dauids speeches , Psal. 59.11 . My mercifull God will preuent me : Psal. 23.6 . Doubtlesse mercy and kindnesse shall follow mee : Nolentem ●raeuenit , &c. Volentem subsequitur , &c. Enchirid. cap. 31. It preuents him being vnwilling to make him will ; it followes him close being willing , lest he should will in vaine .

It is the nature of euerie one , by reason of a certaine philautia seated in the soule of man , to flatter himselfe in his owne freedome and sufficiencie , as the Iewes did , Iohn 8.33 : but S. Paul teacheth , Rom. 6.20 . that euery vnregenerate man is the seruant of sinne ; and that all his freedome is to be free from righteousnesse , Vers. 19. and to giue vp himselfe freely to sinne : from which seruitude also he can neuer be exempted , till the truth make him free . Ioh. 8.32 . Yea we are not onely the seruants of sinne , Ephes. 2.5 . but euen dead in trespasses , and do lie like Lazarus in the graue of our transgressions . So that as Christ first rolled away the stone of the graue , and then cryed , Lazarus come forth : Ioh. 11.43 Ezec. 36.20 so Almightie God must first take away our stonie heart , and then may our Sauiour call , Mat. 11.21 . Come vnto me all ye that labour and are heauie loaden ; and we shall be able to say , Loe , I come , or else will his exhortation be in vaine : Ioh. 6.44 . for none can come to me ( saith Christ ) except my Father draw him . Whilest man was in his innocencie , he had both an intelligent hart , and a tractable will ; but now he is vnable to will and do good except he be deliuered and helped by grace , P. Lum . lib. 2. dist. 25. q. as the Maister of the Sentences truly teacheth . It fareth with vs as it did with the Prophet Ezekiel , Ezec. 2.1 2. when the Lord bids him rise and stand vpon his feete , he could not doe it till the spirit entred into him and set him vpon his feete : so we must expect that the Lord which commandeth vs shall enable vs , Confes . lib. 10. cap. 29. as Augustine saith : Giue vs Lord , that which thou commaundest , and commaund what thou wilt .

Senten . lib. 1. dist. 17. quest. 2. Scotus his similitude being wisely vnderstood , may serue very well to illustrate this matter : where he compareth the will of man to a horse at libertie , and the grace of God to the rider . For by the fall of man , the nature of the will was not taken away , though the qualitie and condition thereof were chaunged ; but as the horse can runne freely without a rider , so can the will moue freely without the assistance of Gods sauing and sanctifying grace : but as this vnbridled horses race is but a mad and giddy rushing into the battell , Ier. 8.6 . as the Prophet saith ; so the naturall motions of the will are inclined onely to euill , Gen. 6.5 . as the spirit of God teacheth . Thus the will in respect of the obiects good and euill , whereof it once had power indifferently to make choise , may be said both to be dead , and to be aliue : because it is a liue to the one and dead to the other , like a man taken with a dead palsie on the one side , but whole and sound on the other ; like a fountaine which had a double course and current till one of them was stopped ; and like the opticke nerues , which be whole at the root , though one of the branches be perished . And although in ciuill matters the wil hath more scope , yet is it subiect to many interruptions and impediments : sometimes being abused by corrupt reason , and sometimes crossed by externall occurrents almost infinite .

Now to this frailty of the will may be added the frowardnesse of the affections , which are also sundry waies vaine , hating where they should loue & louing where they should hate . They shold alwayes waite vpon reason as handmaides on their mistris : but hauing got the head by ruling in our infancie when reason slept , like Hagar they doe often very saucily insult ouer Sara , Bas . Ep. 64. and so become to the minde like the pollution in the glasse , not suffering it to receiue the impression of any image ; Chrys. in Ioh hom. 1. like a watrie humor comming betweene the eye and the obiect , and hindering the sight ; and like the mud which arising in the water troubleth and confoundeth the seeing spirits . The affections should be as wings to make vs mount vp to heauen with diuine meditations ; Col. 3.1 . but they are ponderous bolts and clogs , causing vs to cleaue close to the center of miserie . They should be ( as the Philosophers call them ) the whetstones of vertue , Cotes virtutis . but they are indeed the firebrands of vice : they are not vnfitly compared to the strings of an instrument : but what naturall man shal be able to tune them , except he haue learned Musicke in the Lords quire ?

This being now the miserable condition of the soule of man in regard of the will and affections , we should not be senslesse in this miserie : but be touched with a liuely feeling of our bondage and slauerie , and be humbled in the consideration thereof : so farre should it be from vs to play the Pelagians , imagining that goodnesse to remaine in our wils which doth not . And indeede , seeing our vnderstandings are such blinde guides , and our willes such rebellious attendants , we haue need to pray with the Prophet : Psal. 103.10 . Teach me ô Lord , to do thy will , for thou art my God : let thy good spirit leade me into the land of righteousnesse : and in all our cogitations and actions to say with our Sauior : Mat. 26.36 . O my father , not as I will but as thou wilt .

It is the pollicie of Satan to induce , and the frailtie of man to be caried from one extreme to another ; either to be double diligent in will worship , or extreme negligent in commanded obedience ; to waxe proud with praises , or carelesse with reproofes . When the Prophet , hauing threatned the Iewes , begins to exhort them , they become carelesse of their conuersion , saying : Ezek. 33.10 If our transgressions and our sinnes be vpon vs , how should we then liue ? so there are some peraduenture , which hearing and thinking of this waywardnesse and weakenesse of the will and affections , will be readie to say with themselues : to what purpose should I enterprise any thing that is good ? This surely is a great weakenesse . For S. Paul which teacheth that it is neither in him that willeth , nor in him that runneth , Rom 9.16 . but in God that sheweth mercie : did not cease to will , Rom. 7.18 . 1. Cor. 9.26.27 . and to run ; but striued and endeuoured so much the more diligently , by howe much the more he found it difficult , and perceiued his owne disabilitie .

But who art thou that thus wouldst nourish negligence in thy selfe ? Though thou bee a meere naturall man , yet are ciuill actions in the power of thy will . For what hinders thee in dealing vprightly with thy neighbours ? and who lets thee to vse the externall meanes of thy conuersion ? to come to the Church , to heare the sacred word of God , and to be partaker of his blessed Sacraments ? and hast thou not a promise that he which seeketh shall finde ? Mat. 7.7 . I , but none can come to Christ but those whom the Father draweth : true it is , but what , dost thou looke to be haled like a beast , and not rather to be led with the cordes of loue ? Hos. 11.14 . Cant. 1.3 . The spouse intreates thus indeede , Draw me : but she addeth presently , We will runne after thee . If thou be regenerate , and the Lord hath changed thy will : then take heede of disobedience . When the Apostle exhorts thee to finish thy saluation with feare and trembling , he inferreth this as a reason to enforce his exhortation : ( which some fondly account a reason of libertie ) for it is God that worketh both the will and the deede . Phil. 2.12.13 . So that Gods worke must not hinder , but further thy indeuors . Christ lookes that those which are ingrafted into him shold bring forth much fruite . Ioh. 15.5 . The Lord cannot abide to sustaine losse in anie of his gifts , especially if they be spirituall . Whosoeuer therefore hideth his talents of grace , Mat. 25.30 shall surely be punished . When the Lord had bene verie gracious to Iuda his vineyard , Esa. 5. he expected from it the good fruites of godlinesse : but when it brings foorth the sowre grapes of iniquitie , he expostulateth with them on this manner : What could I haue done more to my vineyard ? and leaues them to their owne censure : Iudge ô ye men of Iuda , and ye inhabitants of Ierusalem , betweene me & my vineyard . Consider then , did not the Lord create thee after his owne image ? and behold , thou hast defaced it by sin . Hath he in mercie restored thee , and like a kinde father set thee vp againe , being a banckrupt in grace ? What could he doe more for thee ? Iudge betweene the Lord and thine owne soule , and grieue not that holy Spirit , which hath changed thy heart , and sealed thee vp to the day of thy redemption .