delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the Street of the City, and proclaim before him, thus fhall it be done to the Man whom the King delighteth to honour.

HERE you fee the Sum total of worldly Honours.

AN ambitious Haman cannot think of any thing greater to ask; Abafuerus, the greatest Monarch in the World, has nothing greater to give to his greatest Favourite; powerful as he is, he can only give fuch Honours as thefe.

YET it is to be obferv'd, that if a poor Nurfe was to pleafe her Child, the mut talk to it in the fame Language, fhe muft please it with the fame fine Things, and gratify its Pride with Honours of the fame kind.

YET these are the mighty Things, for which Men forget God, forget their Immortality, forget the Difference betwixt an Eternity in Heaven, and an Eternity in Hell.

THERE needs no great Underftanding, no mighty Depth of Thought, to fee through the Vanity of all worldly Enjoyments; do but talk of them, and you will be forced to talk of Gugaws, of Ribbons, and Feathers.

EVERY Man fees the Littleness of all Sorts of Honours, but those which he is looking after himself.

A PRIVATE English Gentleman, that is half distracted till he has got some little Distinction, does at the fame time despise the highest Honours of other Countries, and would not leave his own Condition, to poffefs the ridiculous Greatness of an Indian King. He fees the Vanity and Falfenefs of their Honours, but forgets that all Honour plac'd in external Things, is equally vain and falfe.

HE does not confider that the Difference of Greatness, is only the Difference of Flowers and Feathers; and that they who are dreffing themselves with Beads, have as just a Taste of what adorns their Perfons, as they who place the fame Pride in Diamonds.

WHEN we read of an eaftern Prince, that is too great to feed himself, and thinks it a Piece of Grandeur to have other People put his Meat into his Mouth, we defpife the Folly of his Pride.

BUT might we not as well defpife the Folly of their Pride, who are afham'd to ufe their Legs, and think it adds to their State, to be remov'd from one Place to another by other People.

FOR

FOR he that thinks it stately to be carried, and mean to walk on Foot, has as true Notions of Greatnefs, as he who is too haughty to put his Meat in his own Mouth.

AGAIN, It is the Manner of fome Countries in the Burial of their Dead, to put a Staff, and Shoes, and Money, in the Sepulchre along with the Corpfe.

WE juftly cenfure the Folly and Ignorance of fuch a poor Contrivance to affift the Dead; but if we did but as truly understand what Life is, we fhould fee as much to ridicule in the poor Contrivances to affift the Living.

FOR how many Things in Life do People labour after, break their Reft and Peace to get, which yet when gotten, are of as much real Ufe to them, as a Staff and Shoes to a Corpfe under Ground? They are always adding fomething to their Life, which is only like adding another Pair of Shoes to a Body in the Grave.

THOU mayft hire more Servants, new paint thy Rooms, make more fine Beds, eat out of Plate, and put on richer Apparel, and these will help thee to be happy, as golden Staves, or painted Shoes, will help a dead Man to walk.

SEE here therefore the true Nature of all worldly Shew and Figure, it will make

us as great as thofe are, who are dreaming that they are Kings, as rich as those who fancy that they have Eftates in the Moon, and as happy as thofe, who are buried with Staves in their Hands.

Now this is not carrying Matters too high, or impoing upon our felves with any Subtilties of Reafoning, or Sound of Words; for the Value of worldly Riches and Honours can no more be too much leffened, than the Riches and Greatness of the other Life can be too much exited. We don't cheat our felves out of any real Happinefs, by looking upon all worldly Honours as Bubbles, any more than we cheat our felves by fecuring Honours that are folid and eternal.

THERE is no more Happiness loft by not being great and rich, as thofe are amongst we live, than by not being dress'd and adorn'd as they are, who live in China or Japan.

THOU art no happier for having painted Cielings, and marble Walls in thy Houfe, than if the fame Finery was in thy Stables; if thou eateft upon Plate, it maketh thee juft as happy, as if thy Horfes wore filver Shoes.

To difregard Gold, Jewels, and Equipage, is no more running away from any

real

real Good, than if we only defpis'd a Feather or a Garland of Flowers.

So that he who condemns all the external Shew and State of Life as equally vain, is no more deceiv'd, or carried to too high a Contempt for the Things of this Life, than he that only condemns the Vanity of the vaineft Things.

You don't think your felf impofed upon, or talk'd out of any real Happiness, when you are perfwaded not to be as vain and ambitious as Alexander.

AND can you think that you are impofed upon, or drawn from any real Good, by being perfwaded to be as meek and lowly as the holy Jefus ?

THERE is as much fober Judgment, as found Senfe in conforming to the Fulness of Chrift's Humility, as in avoiding the Height and Extravagance of Alexander's Vanity.

DON'T therefore think to compound Matters, or that it is enough to avoid the Vanity of the vainest Men. There is as much Folly in feeking little as great Honours; as great a Miftake in needlefs Expence upon thy felf, as upon any thing elfe. Thou must not only be less vain and ambitious than an Alexander, but practice the Humility of the blessed Jesus.