I Began my Morning-Exercises with this comprehensive Case , How to be in all things , at all times exactly Conscientious ; and the Supplement with this , How to attain and improve such Love to God , as may influence all the Graces , Actions , and Passages of our Lives ; and now I would fain direct you , How to prevent , or cure the Vanity that is incident to every Condition .

Solomon , upon the review of his Life , the Honours , Pleasures , Wealth , and Wisdom , he had so abundantly enjoyed , the many observations he had made of things , natural , moral , domestical , civil , sensual , and divine ; the curious , critical enquiries he had made after true Happiness , and what contribution all things under the Sun afford towards it , at last demonstrates the utter insufficiency of all things meerly worldly to make us happy . In the first six Chapters of this Book , he shews wherein Happiness doth not consist , confuting the vain Opinions of all sorts of irreligious Persons ; and in the six last Chapters , he shews wherein it doth consist , rectifying the Judgment of all those that seek after it .

In this Chapter is continued a further description of the vanity of Riches , and Honours , and Children , and long Life , &c. And in these two last verses he takes up a general Conclusion of all the precedent Vanities ; Since there are so many things that increase vanity , what is man the better for all of them ? Considering our ignorance , we do not know what is best for our selves ; many and great things do but distract us , and if we did know , and could obtain what is good for us , we can enjoy these things but a little while , and what will come to pass hereafter , we know not : To make every Condition as easie as 't is possible , I shall endeavour to discuss this Question :

How is the adherent vanity of every Condition most effectually abated by serious Godliness ? You will all grant , that Solomon was the fittest man that ever lived , to find out the very quintessence of Creature-excellencies , and to extract what was possible to be extracted out of worldly Vanities ; he doth , upon both his own impartial Scrutiny , and the infallible guidance of the Holy Ghost , give you the total Summe at the head of the account , Eccles. 1.2 . Vanity of vanities , Vanity of vanities , i. e. extream vanity : This he demonstrates by an induction of particulars ; but to dispell as much as 't is possible , that vexation of Spirit that steams from such multiplication of Vanity , he doth upon his own experience , and the Holy Ghosts direction , commend this Prescription at the foot of the account , viz. Serious Godliness ; Eccles. 12.13 . Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter , Fear God , and keep his Commandments , &c. And do it now , as you will wish you had done it when you come to Judgment . For the discussing my Question , I shall lay down these Propositions .

Prop. I Every Condition is clogg'd with Vanity . All things that men generally set their Hearts upon , are Vanity ; Vanity is that which seemeth to be something , and is nothing , 't is a shadow , empty , without substance , unprofitable , without fruit ; if you put any confidence in it , 't will not only deceive you , but hurt you ; we are loth to think so , more loth to believe it ; every one hath a kind of unaccountable confidence about the things of this world , that if they might but be their own Carvers , they doubt not of an earthly happiness ; whereas they cannot but be mistaken . For ,

1. God never made the World , nor any condition in it , to be a place of rest and satisfaction ; and since Sin hath so far marr'd the Beauty of the Universe , there 's a judicial Vanity upon the whole Creation , Rom. 8.20 . Now men must needs fail of their expectation , when they look for that in the Creature , that God never plac'd there ; as if we could mend the works of Creation and Providence : I confess , 't is ordinary for persons to attempt it , and to glory in their Atchievments . e. g. God made man only to have the use of Speech , but how do persons please themselves , with teaching Birds to speak some few words , which they cannot possibly furnish them with Reason to make use of , and yet they are delighted to hear them speak what they understand not , more than to hear the most edifying Discourse of a serious Christian . How have others cryed up some Chymical Extracts to make men immortal , when their own being cut off in the midst of their dayes unanswerably confuted their ill-grounded boasting ! How do others prate of governing the world by Stars , as if they would ease God of the trouble of it , while they know not one Star of a thousand , nor what 's their influence ! just as the old World would fence themselves against another Deluge , when God did nothing to defeat them , but let them forget their Mother tongue , and so speak gibberish one to another , that they run up and down like Persons distracted , 'till they could find out any to understand them , and run away from the rest as Salvages ; so true is that of the Psalmist , Psal. 39.5 , 6. Verily every man at his best state is altogether Vanity . Selah . Surely every man walketh in a vain shew .

We know but very little of the true Nature of things , nor of our selves , nor of our Temptations , nor of our Interests ; and therefore we cannot find out that good that is possible to be had in the Creature ; there must be some distinct knowledge of these things , or we can never find out what is best for us , e. g. Let one that is utterly unacquainted with Materia medica go into a Physick-garden , where are all manner of Simples , and thence into an Apothecaries Shop , where are all manner of Drugs and Compounds , with which Medicines are made for all Diseases , he knows not what to do with them ; his Disease may to him be incurable , though surrounded with Remedies ; Job 8.9 . We are but of yesterday and know nothing , because our dayes upon earth are a shadow .

That little that we do know of any thing , we come so droppingly to the knowledg of it , that e're we can lay things together , so as to compare them , and separate them , and sort them , and compound them , so as to make a judgment , either things themselves , or our circumstances are altered , or upon alteration , there is such a mutability both in persons , and things , and times , that it is as if one would undertake to gather at the same time Primroses and Violets , and Roses and Gilliflowers to make a Nosegay , when some of these are withered , e're the others be budded : When we call in the help of wiser heads than our own , there 's nothing more ordinary than when wise men give good Advice , those they give it to , want Wisdom to receive it , suspecting some over-reaching Design , and therefore dare not trust them , and who can say how soon ? Psal. 146.4 . His breath goeth forth , he returneth to his Earth : in that very day his thoughts perish ; the Princes thoughts perish , and the thoughts of him that trusted in him perish .

This is the way utterly to dispirit men from every thing , Object . and make them fit for nothing ; whither can such Doctrine as this tend , but to put us into a maze , and to confound us in our thoughts and endeavours ?

Will nothing but Flatteries and Lies encourage you to the Duties Answ. 1 of your several Stations ? must things be presented better than they are , or you will needs be worse than otherwise you would be ? are you so ridiculously Proud as to delight to dress your selves by a false Glass ? John 8.45 . Because I tell you the truth , you believe me not ; will you only believe those Truths that humour you ?

Answ. 2 The true Discovery of the evils and dangers of every Condition , is so far from discouraging men from their Duty , that 't is the best way to bring them to the best resolutions , for the well discharge of their Duty . Cowards wink when they fight , but the truly Valiant dare face their danger : 'T was Christs method in the whole course of his Ministry , to tell his hearers the worst they should meet with : Luke 14.26 . If any man come to me , and hate not his Father , and Mother , and Wife , and Children , and Brethren , and Sisters ; yea , and his own life also , he cannot be my Disciple . V. 27. And whosoever doth not bear his Cross , and come after me , cannot be my Disciple . And Matth. 24.9 . Ye shall be hated of all Nations for my Names sake .

Answ. 3 Religion is best able to manage and master all the evils that are in any Condition , and every thing on this side the Power of Godliness , is too feeble to grapple with any one inconvenience ; let but Grace be asleep , ( if I may so speak ) and how weak is the best ? How was Peter , the forwardest of all the Disciples , in a fright foyled by a Servant-maid ! But to Grace in exercise nothing is impossible , Mark 9.23 .

Prop. II All things on this side Religion , whereby men endeavour to get above Vanity , encrease it . The multiplication of Ciphers amounts to less than nothing : Isa. 40.17 . All Nations , the Persons and things of all Nations , before him , compar'd with God , aye and in the esteem of the Godly , are as nothing , and they are counted to him , and so far as they are gracious , to them , less than nothing and Vanity : Happiness is that which every one aims at ; now that which can make us happy , must supply all the Wants , satisfie all the Desires , fill all the Capacities of the Soul , and above all these , be of equal duration and continuance with the Soul it self ; now none of all these are to be found in any thing on this side serious Godliness , but the quite contrary , and therefore every thing that pretends to it , doth but increase Vanity : Can any thing of the World supply the Soul with Grace ? satisfie the desires in so much as any one thing ? or fill any one Faculty of the Soul to satisfaction ? can the World fill the mind with heavenly Light ? or the Will with heavenly Love ? or the Conscience with that Peace that passeth understanding ? But you will say , this is to begg , not prove ; forbear me a little , 'till I have answered a By-question , and I will in the Prosecution of the next Proposition , prove this by little less than Demonstration .

Question . What makes all sorts of Persons Dote so much upon Vanity , and upon adding one vanity to another , and upon heaping one Vanity upon another , if they can be no better for them ? We see wise men as eager as others ; Solomon himself , thô he had his extraordinary Wisdom given him in his Youth , yet he continued trying Experiments till his old Age : and thô he so much decryed the Vanity of all things , yet he was scarce able to bear the thoughts of his Sons inability to carry on the search , Eccles. 2.18 . — 23.

To this several things may be said , more Plausibly , Answ. than Satisfactorily , if you but throughly consider the Allegations : but to avoid Tediousness I 'l mix the pretended , and real causes .

There 's a Necessity of these things , while we are in the World , and we need variety of them , more than for present use : e. g. Childhood and Age are helpless , and need greater supplies : there 's difference between Sickness and Health , and we must provide for both , and is not this very plausible ? Whereas , did but Persons consider , how many Superfluities shroud themselves under the wing of Necessaries , and how Persons love to be at their own finding , rather than Gods , thô there 's no comparison between them ; as Israel , Numb. 11.5 . We Remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely ; the Cucumbers , and the Melons , and the Leeks , and the Onions , and the Garlick ; and now our Soul is dryed away , there is nothing at all besides this Manna before our Eyes . They preferred the Food which the Egyptians gave their Slaves , before Manna , which if the Inhabitants of the upper World needed food , were fit for them . We would not onely have Mercies , but we would be humour'd in the Circumstances of 'em : Rachel must presently have Children , or she 'l be weary of her Life ; whereas she might have learnt , from her own Husband , and Grand-father , that those Children of patiently believing Parents , were the greatest Blessings , that came from teeming Prayers and Barren Wombs ; but she considers not this , she must have Children , or dye : Well , God so far gratifies her , she shall have Children , but that which she reckoned , would be the greatest Comfort of her Life , proved to be her death .

The flattery of worldly things prevails with many . The Grandeur of the World , that pleaseth the Eye , the Esteem of the World , that pleaseth the Fancy ; whereas , would but these Persons consider , all things of the World appear better at a distance , than we find them near at hand . I dare confidently make this offer , and ( without imposing upon God any thing indecent ) peremptorily assure you God will make it good , That if you can but give any one instance of any one Person made happy , satisfyingly happy , by any worldly enjoyment , you shall be the second . I grant many are through Grace contented with a little pittance of the World , but where dwelt the man that was ever yet contented meerly with the World ? The wealth of the World promiseth Satisfaction , a a Eccl. 10.19 . Money answereth all things , but b b ch. 5.10 . he that loveth Silver , shall not be satisfied with Silver , nor he that loveth abundance with increase . The pleasures of the World promise refreshment , to relieve us of all our cares ; but instead of it , c c Eccl. 2.11 . they are all Vanity and Vexation of Spirit . The Honours of the World promise quiet and contentment , but d d Psal. 73.18 , 19. surely they are set in slippery places , as upon a Pinnacle , whence though they do not presently fall , yet they are utterly consumed with terrors of falling . In short , e e Psal. 49.20 . man that is in honour , and understandeth not how to honour God with it , is like the Beasts that perish ; degrades himself into a Beast , and the time is at hand when he would count it a greater happiness than ever he shall obtain , if his Soul and Body might die together like a Beast .

Experience is beyond Speculation ; we see others grow great , they fare better , and go finer , and are more esteemed in the World ; every one respects them , and if he but grow Rich , he must presently be the best in the Parish : whereas , those that are low and mean in the World , they are despised , thô never so well qualified . This thou speak'st upon thine own Observation , thou canst name the Persons , and the places whence thou hast this experience . Very well ! thou takest this for a demonstration that there is such a thing as an Earthly happiness ! Hold a little , be but intreated to push the Observation a little further , and consider impartially , how loth thou wouldst be to take up with that for thy Happiness , which thou so much admirest ! Single out any one of those thou accountest most happy in their outward enjoyments , and be sure thou art as thoroughly acquainted with all the circumstances of his Condition , as thou art with thine own , and then sit down and seriously consider ; Is this the Person whose happiness thou admirest ? View him inside , and outside , and tell me , wouldst thou have his Condition , and all the Circumstances of it ? 'T is true , he is great in the World ; but wouldst thou have all his cares and fears ? his restless Nights and troublesome Dayes ? wouldst thou have just his qualifications of mind ? that half-wittedness that makes him ridiculous ? his peevish Humours , which make him a burden to himself and others ? Wouldst thou have just his temper of Body ? To be alwayes sickly , or conceited to be so ? He can't eat this , nor digest that , nor relish any thing , as do meaner Persons ? Those Relations that should be the greatest Comfort of his Life , hanker after his Death : His Children upon one account or other , almost break his Heart ; his Servants are vexatious ; his Business distracting , or his idleness wearisome . Whereas ( perhaps ) his next Neighbour that hath scarce bread to eat , hath a quieter frame of Mind , a better temper of Body , a better Stomach , better Digestion , better Health , more Comfort in Relations , and longer Life to enjoy all these , than him thou countest the Worlds darling : think of this before thou concludest for an earthly Happiness .

The restlesness of the Mind of man upon so many disappointments , makes him eager after any thing that promiseth Satisfaction ; he hath experience of the uneasiness of his present Condition , and none of that which flatters him . So that he becomes like one that hath been long sick , who is willing to try every Medicine that every Visitant commends , never considering how he heightens his disease by the use of false Remedies . e. g. Shouldst thou take medicines proper for an Erysipelas to cure a Dropsie , or Medicines for the Stone to cure a Consumption ; thô those Medicines would not presently kill thee , they would never Cure thee , but thou must still complain of disappointments , and be worse and worse instead of having any amendment : Do not deceive your selves , one Vanity will never cure another .

Satan will not be wanting to set in with all the other cheats , the Inclinations of the Flesh , the flatteries of the World , and the various pleadings of carnal Reason . Satan , you may be sure , will do what 's possible to be done to entangle the Soul in a fools Paradise , or plunge it into inextricable difficulties , especially when he hath a good second as in this Case : thô one might rationally think , there should need no more to fright him to his watch , then to assure him the hand of Satan is in all this . Suspect him in every thing , he cannot be thy Friend ; he cannot make any one motion for thy good ; where he seems to do so , 't is to do thee greater mischief . Thus have I jumbled together , something of what may be said , both with real and seeming weight ( for empty reasonings weigh most with empty understandings ) why all sorts of Persons are hankering after an earthly Happiness : And now I shall speak largely in the third to what I little more than hinted in the second Proposition .

It is onely Serious Godliness that can any whit really abate the Vanity Prop. III that cleaves to every Condition . Other things , may like Topical Medicines ( as Playsters to the Wrists ) repell the Disease , but while they do not remove the cause , they cannot Cure it : We may exchange one Vanity for another , and the Novelty may please us for a while , but when that is over , the Vexation returns . 'T is true , God alone can cure us ; but what ever method he takes to do it , whether of Indulgence , or Severity , 't is alwayes by framing the Heart and Life to Serious Godliness ; to hate Sin , and love Holiness , to live a Life of Faith , in dependance upon God and resignation to him ; to live above the transports of hopes and fears , about things temporal ; and to grow up in the Graces and Comforts of the Holy Ghost for things Eternal : In short , to be Blessings to the World while we live , and to be Blessed with God when we dye ; this is the business , and fruit of Serious Godliness : And this alone is that which at present can effectually abate the vexatious Vanities which every Condition swarms with .

The wisest man in the World cannot tell what is good for man in this Life : No man can tell what worldly Condition is better for him , than that which is his present Condition . Among the variety of things under the Sun , which the Heart of man is apt to be drawn out unto , neither he himself nor any other for him , is able certainly to inform him , which of all those 't is best for him to enjoy , and to reap Comfort from : Whether it be better for him to be rich or poor , high or low , in private retirement or in publick service . Some mens greatness hath undone them , they had never been so wicked , had not their Wealth been fuel for their Lusts : Achitophel might have lived longer , had he not been so wise . No man can tell , whether that he snatcheth at with most greediness , have not a hook under the Bait , or be not tempered with Poyson . Those that live by Rapine and Violence , Prov. 1.18 . They lay wait for their own blood , they lurk privily for their own lives . But you 'l say , these are hot-headed Persons , live extravagantly , walk by no Rule , don't take time to consider : well , turn your Eyes from these , to those that are most accomplisht for humane wisdom and knowledge ; Rom. 1.22 . Professing themselves to be Wise , they became Fools ; drowning their some way right ( thô every way short ) Notions they had of God , in unreasonable Idolatry : You 'l say , these were but Heathens , and therefore no marvel , if they did not like to retain God in their Knowledge , 't is better with Christians : Look next upon Christians , and those of the highest Notions and form of Godliness ( on this side the Power of it , ) 2 Pet. 2.18 , 19 , 21. While they speak great swelling words of Vanity ( about that they call Christian Liberty ) they themselves are the Servants of Corruption ; and it had been better for them never to have known the way of Righteousness , than not to have walkt in it . Well , but for all this , Job tells us of some ( of even the worst of men ) that account themselves so happy , as if they needed nothing from God to better their Condition ; but he tells you withall in the same breath , Job 21.15 , 16. Lo , their good is not in their hand , thô they think it is ; they have not their Fortune ( as they call it ) in their own power , to retain it while they live , and dispose of it when they dye ; God can overturn it when he pleaseth , and will do it to their Sorrow : whatever Persons may hope or fancy , if they fear not God , nor obey the Voice of his Servants , thô they are not at present in trouble like other men , Psal. 73.5 , &c. but can speak loftily , setting their mouth against the Heavens , and their Tongue walketh through the Earth ; thô they compass themselves about with some sparks or blaze of Comfort , Isa. 50.10 , 11. yet this shall they have of Gods hand , they shall lye down in Sorrow .

Now thus when every one is rummaging among heaps of Vanities , that pretend to be good for man upon Earth , will you accept of a Guide to direct you to what cannot but be good for you , and that in every Condition ; that shall not only abate the Vanity , but discover the Excellency that is in every Condition ? This will be most distinctly done , by an induction of particulars , and setting contrary Conditions one against another , what may be said for , and against each Condition , and how Serious Godliness makes every Condition amiable .

Who knows whether Riches , or Poverty , be best for man in this Life ?

I. For Riches . I need say but little , because most Persons are ready to say too much ; they seem to be the Cause without which there can be not so much as the fancying an earthly Happiness : what pleasures or esteem can worldlings have without an Estate to feed them ? the Riches of the Mind are too Spiritual to be seen by carnal Eyes .

But when you consider these , or such like inseparable attendants on a great Estate , you will see the desirableness to shrink , as the Vanity swells : e. g. Some run out the greatest part of their Life , before they can reach what they can call an Estate ( to say nothing of those that dye the Worlds Martyrs , in the pursuit of that they never attain ; ) those that have got an Estate , or have an Estate left 'em , have ordinarily as great care and difficulty in keeping , as they or others have had in the getting of it . O the tiresome Dayes , the restless Nights , the broken Sleeps , the wild Passions , the fretting Disquiet of those troublesom occurrences , which they cannot possibly prevent ! And when you come to speak of an Enjoyment , to speak strictly , they have nothing worth the Name of an Enjoyment , which they may not have as well ( if not better ) without what they call an Estate : Yet thô 't is thus while they have it , they are not able to bear the parting with it ; the very thoughts of losing , puts 'em into Heart-convulsions . So that an Estate can neither be got , nor kept , nor lost , without manifold Vanity and Vexation of Spirit . Alas ! what remedy ?

Serious Godliness carries a Gracious Person above all Heart-breaking Vexations of getting the World , for his Thoughts are fill'd about getting something better ; about keeping , for comparatively he cares for keeping nothing but Faith and a good Conscience ; about enjoying , for he counts nothing on this side God worth the Name of an enjoyment : And as for parting with the World , he impartially considers , that he can't have the possession of his Heavenly Inheritance , till the World and he shake hands for ever : So that there 's no room without the regret of Grace , to edge in so much as a distracting Thought about worldly Vanities . Faith in Exercise treads the World ( 1 John 5.4 . ) under feet , and alone makes it know its place . When Riches capacitate a Gracious Person for those Offices and Employments from which the Poor are excluded , the Power of Godliness , not only teacheth , but enforceth them to employ all their Capacities for God and to do good ; they know they are Gods Stewards , to whom they must be accountable , Gods Almoners , and God makes the Poor their Creditors , to whom they must pay Alms as Debtors † † Mat. 6.1 . Your Alms , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , your Justice . . In short , 't is only the Holy Person that receives this for a Maxime , That a worldly Estate is no otherwise desireable , but to capacitate him to do that good with it , which he cannot do without it . This for Riches . What may be said for Poverty ?

II. Poverty is so desirable to many thinking Persons , that they have , not only in words , for discourse sake , but in practice , for Happiness sake , preferr'd it before the greatest Wealth and grandeur in the World ; and this hath been done , not only by melancholy mopish Persons , but by men of great name for Wisdom and Learning , and that upon great deliberation and Counsel , upon weighing of circumstances , and trying experiments ; and further yet , not only Bookish men , to whom beloved Retirement is much the same , whether they are Rich or Poor ; but those that have worn an Imperial Diadem , that have commanded victorious Armies , swayed the Scepters of flourishing Kingdoms , Dioclesian . Charles the 5th . and some of the ( then ) greatest Empires of the World ; and these again not only Ethnic , but Christian . Casimir . And some of these even after their self-deposition , have been importun'd to re-accept their Dominion , but have refused it . What greater demonstration can you expect , of the preference of Poverty before Riches , and to be a Cypher rather than to bear the greatest figure in the World ? All this is true : —