Meditations, Meditation 56
56
A main cause of much of the griefe and folly of men is this; That men resolue to make something of this world. They raise great plots vponupon it, and intend to bring it into a Method; and out of things so ordered to draw some great happines and contentment. But God hath resolued the contrary; to make nothing of the world, but to turne it into vanity of vanities: he hath set it forth as a thing to be shaken, to be remooued, to resolue with the lost fire, and only to be a schole and nurcery for the next world. Therefore doth hee suffer things in this world of vanity to run without difference, yea often without present iustice, and often to perish, to be ouerthrowne and to vndergoe great desolations. Now mans mind being prepared to receiue comfort from the world fitted vntounto it selfe, & Gods minde beeing to let the world run into many changes, destructions, and finally vntounto vanity it self; it must needs bee that men oftentimes hauehave their purposes crossed by the purpose of God, & their courses ouerthrowen by the ouerruling destiny of God. One hath gotten him a good wife, a good house, and a good demeanes, and is, as they call it, well setled to liue; he taketh comfort in the course which hee is entring into, and he hath bespoken his heart to bee merry and reioyce. But behold, suddenly the disease of the world layes hold on his estate, on him or his wife; and then the plot is mard, the ioy is lost, for the foundation therof is ouerthrowne. Thē what weeping, what wayling, what sorrow & breaking of hearts? hope is turned into griefe, and the more the hope was, the more is the griefe. But the only way to preuent this, is, that the purpose of man agree to the purpose of God, and accordingly that man expect no more from the world then God alloweth the world to giuegive. Therfore let him perswade himselfe, that whatsoeuer part of this world he hath gotten into his vse, that part is subiect to the law of the whole, which is bound vnderunder change, perishing, and vanity. And consequently let him expect no other certainty from it, then such as may be from a state of vncertainty. If he hauehave a house well fitted, a wife well conditioned, a large demeanes, beautifull and towardly children; let him know his house may burne, his wife may die, his land may bee taken from him, by publike, or priuate enemies; his children may by sicknesse put on ashes for beautie, and become the children of death, yea of Belial. Let him therefore build his hopes on these things, as men vse to build scaffolds for spectacles, euē with a certaine expectation of taking downe when the spectacle is ended. Let him vse the world as if he vsed it not, or as readie not to vse it; because the forme of the world passeth away. When Gods prouidence calles, we must looke for their departure; and if thus expected to depart, they fall from vsus ripe, and are not pulled from vsus as greene; but if not expected, they depart as things glewde to the hart, which teares away some of the heart at parting. Thus not vsing this world as a place of certainty and rest (which it is not) yet let vsus vse it as a Nurcery and Schoole for heauen, which it is. Let vsus learne here of the Spirit, of the word, of the sacraments, of affliction, and euen of the generall condition of the world it selfe; For since the world is so full of miserie, incertainty, and vanity, it teacheth vsus to set our affections on another world, euen that continuing Citie which is aboue, heauenly Ierusalem, where is stability, perpetuity, and glory incoprehensible. Let vsus pray, let vsus striue in this world to be fitted, to be trimmed, for that world, as abride for the wedding-chamber, though through a thousand changes, a thousand crosses; for if wee become inwardly faire, the King of heauen will hauehave pleasure in our beauty; we shall be crowned with a crowne of ioy immarcessible, we shall be filled with the glory of God, and the blessednesse of his presence, which is perfit happinesse.