Moses Choice, Treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI. Perſwaſions to take off the heart from temporal things.
SEcondly, hence let us all make uſe of this Argument, to take off our ſpirits from all earthly 2.things that are here below; Let us look upon all things in the world as under this notion, that they are but for a ſeaſon, and let us improve this argument to the utmoſt that poſſibly we can, for the working our hearts off from the things of this world. The beauty of all worldly things is but as a fair picture drawn upon the Ice, that melts away with it; The faſhion of this world paſſeth away. When Alexander ſaw himſelf wounded, and in danger of death, he then ſaw the vanity of thoſe flatterers that would have perſwaded him he was a God: So when we ſee thoſe things upon which we ſet our hearts, as if our chief good, as if a Deity were in them, to be wounded, and ready to periſh, let us learn to alter our thoughts of them, to take off our hearts from them.
Much may be done in the improving of this argument, of the fading vaniſhing nature of creaturecomforts: the Scripture makes much uſe of it, to take off the hearts of People from them; Why wilt thou ſet thy heart upon that which is not? Riches have wings and will fly away. It charges them that have riches, that they truſt not in uncertain riches: Man that is made in honor abides not; They ſing to the Tabret and Harp, and make merry, and in a moment they go down to hell. This Moſes argument, is the ſtrong Scripture argument: there is nothing but uncertainty, mutability, vanity, upon every creature that is here below. The faſhion of the world paſſeth away, and the luſtre of it; there is no enduring ſubſtance here: Thoſe in the Hebrews were content to part with any thing that endured but for a ſeaſon, ſo they might have an enduring ſubſtance: and ſo Abraham looked for a City that had foundations, Heb. 11. 10. theſe cities have no foundations.
All earthly things are like the earth it ſelf, it hangs upon nothing, Job 26. 7. and therefore there can be no certainty in them, no continuance in the enjoyment of them: neither will the things of this world Nulla res longa mortalium eſt, omniſque foelicitas ſeculi dum tenctur amittitur. Hieron. in Eſay 38.abide, they periſh in the uſing of them, and that which periſhes in the uſing, we muſt not ſet our hearts upon. Its the expreſſion of Gregory Nyſſen, The things of the world are as if a man were writing upon the water with his finger, as any thing is written, the impreſſion vaniſhes, and nothing appears; not as one were writing upon the ſand or duſt, which although any little wind blows ſmooth, yet it ſtays a while till the wind riſeth: So the creature is not vain onelyonly, becauſe it leaves us after a while, but the comfort of the creature leaves us in the uſing.
Seneca ſays, We live amongst things that are periſhing Inter peritura vivimus. Cur cae quae ad uſum diuturna eſſe non poſſunt, ad ſupplicium diuturna depoſces? Ambroſe in Luc. 4. T. 5.. We hear much of the vanity of the creature, and we can ſpeak much of it, but how is it improved? how if you periſh eternally for ſetting your hearts upon theſe things? and notwithſtanding all your talk, this dreadful noiſe ſhall be heard from you, We have loſt eternity, for ſetting our hearts upon things that were for a ſeaſon. It is a notable ſpeech that Ambroſe hath; Why will you make that which cannot be eternal for uſe, eternal for puniſhment? It is fading, in regard of the uſe, but it proves to be eternal in regard of the puniſhment.
Therefore when any temptation comes, to draw your hearts to any thing that gives content to the fleſh for a ſeaſon, O that you might improve this Argument to reſiſt the temptation! What, ſhall I while away that time I have to improve for eternity to ſeek after you, and take content and pleaſure in you? you are not onelyonly temporal your ſelves, but you do hazard the loſs of eternal things, and hazard the bringing of eternal evils. And therefore do not think it much that I preſs this argument, becauſe it is ordinary: all that periſh, periſh becauſe they ſet their hearts upon that which is for a ſeaſon: and therefore though the knowledge of this in ſome general notion be ordinary, yet the truth is, to know it powerfully indeed, and effectually, it is a riddle to the world.
It is a notable place we have in Pſalm 49. 3, 4. The whole ſcope of the Pſalm, is to ſhew the happy ſecure eſtate of the godly in all troubles, and the vaniſhing condition of all ungodly in proſperity; now mark how he calls to us in the beginning of this Pſalm, to hearken to this argument: We might ſay, this is an argument we have heard a hundred times, and know what it is, Why ſhould we hearken ſo? Though you think this is an ordinary Theam, yet this is the great wiſdom, and underſtanding of a gracious heart to know; this is the dark ſaying that I will open, ſo ſays the Pſalmiſt, My mouth ſhall ſpeak of wiſdom, and the meditation of my heart ſhall be of underſtanding, I will open my dark ſaying: So when you hear us ſpeaking of this argument, you ſay, This is an ordinary argument; but the true knowledge of it is a dark hidden thing to the men of the world, and it is the work of the Spirit of God, to make men know this truly: and when God works any ſaving work upon the ſoul, he begins in this way, to ſettle upon the ſoul this truth, That all the things that it hath ſatisfied it ſelf in, are fading; and what is a year or two, to enjoy all the contentments my heart can deſire, if then I muſt be gone, and bid farewel to all? have not I an immortal ſoul? and when ſhall be the time that I ſhall provide for eternity? And therefore I beſeech you look into this argument, and ponder it a little more.
There are three worms that are in every thing of the world, to eat out the ſtrength of it, and make it fading.
Firſt, the worm that is bred in the natural principles; the things that we ſet our hearts upon, are made of fading principles.
Secondly, there is the worm of the general curſe that is come upon them by mans ſin.
Thirdly, there is another worm, and that is the particular curſe that we bring upon the creatures, by our own proper ſins, as eſpecially when we ſet our hearts upon any fading tranſitory things below: all things in the world are ſubject to vanity by the general curſe, but the particular curſe makes them more vain: and ſhall we think to ſatisfie our ſelves in the things of the world, that have theſe three worms, feeding upon them continually, to eat out the ſtrength of them?
What are your hearts upon? I urge it upon you as in the name of God, and anſwer in your ſecret thoughts, What are your hearts upon? either upon Abulenfis in 2. Regū c. 15. Q 20. & in c. 17. q. 21things that are for a ſeaſon, or eternal? Things that are eternal, you look upon them as high notional things, that never took up your thoughts much: but to go into company, and eat, and drink, and laugh, and get money; theſe are the things that are but Quoties juxta ſepulchrum divit is tranſit is, rogo vos ut diligenter inspiciat is, Ubi ſunt eorū divitiae vel ornamenta, ubi gloria, ubi luxuriae, ubi voluptas, &c? Attende ad me et intellige, conſidera me, & vel fic tibi horreat luxuria tua, vel araritia tua, hoc quod tu es ego fui, et quod ego ſum, modo tu eris; vide pulverē meum, & relin que defiderium tuum. Aug. Serm. 66. ad fratres in Eremofor a ſeaſon, and theſe your hearts cloſe with, and bleſs themſelves in. What are become of all thoſe that have had as great dealings, and as many merry meetings as you, and have ſatisfied the fleſh as much as you? they are gone, rotten in their graves, and their ſouls it may be crying under the wrath of an infinite God, and all their bravery and delight at an end; would you be in their condition? It is a good obſervation of Abulenſis, to ſhew to us the vanity of all worldly excellency, that thoſe who have been the moſt glorious, in what man accounts glorious and excellent, have had inglorious ends, by which their glory hath been ſtained; and thereby our hearts might be taken off from ſuch things, and ſet upon thoſe things which are ſo glorious as they will make us for ever glorious. He inſtances in Sampſon for ſtrength, and yet what a contemptible end had he? So Abſolom for beauty; Achitophel for policy; Aſael for ſwiftneſs; Alexander for great conqueſts, and yet after twelve years poyſoned. He inſtances likewiſe in Kingdoms; the Chaldaean, Perſian, Graecian, Roman, how ſoon were they gone? It is a notable ſpeech Auguſtine hath: Go, (ſays he) and mark and attend the Sepulchres of rich men, and when you ſee their rotten bones, conſider who they once were, and know they do cry unto you; O you men, why do you ſeek ſo much to ſatisfie your ſelves in theſe fading things, and heap upon your ſelves vexation, to attain happineſs for your ſelves in theſe things? Conſider our bones here, and be ſtruck with aſtoniſhment, to abhor your luxury and covetouſneſs; for, ſays he, they cry thus to you, You now are, and we were, and time will be, when you ſhall be what we are.
And then conſider with your ſelves, what a doleful condition that man is in, that hath ſet his heart upon things that are for a ſeaſon: When thoſe are at an end, he may ſay, Now the thoughts of my heart, and all my hopes are at an end; now I muſt bid an eternal farewel to all my comforts, to husband, and wife, and neighbors, and friends, and companions; I ſhall never meet with you more, and never have mirth and jollity, and ſporting, and gaming any more, but I muſt bid farewel to all, the Sun is ſet, and the ſeaſon is at an end for all my comfort, and before me I ſee an infinite vaſt Ocean, and I muſt lanch into it; Lord, what proviſion have I for it? What a dreadful ſhreek will that ſoul give, that ſees an infinite Ocean it muſt lanch into, and ſees no proviſion that it hath made for it? Indeed thoſe that dye, and are beſotted, and know nothing of this infinite Ocean that they muſt lanch into, they are never troubled; but thoſe that dye, and their conſciences are enlightned, they have given a moſt dreadful ſhreek, to ſee themſelves lanching into an infinite Ocean of ſcalding Lead, and muſt ſwim naked in it for ever.
And therefore improve this argument, to take off your hearts from things below, and ſay, What good will it be to me that I have been merry, and would have my will? I came to hear the word, and that was working to pull my luſt from me, but my heart was ſet upon my luſt, and I would have it: When my luſt ſhall be at an end, what good will it be to me, to remember I had my luſt and pleaſure, and delight? This will afford little comfort after it is gone: You may live a year or two, and be drunk many a time that while, and have pleaſure in uncleanneſs, and beſot your ſelves; conſider, many have had pleaſures in the fleſh, that now are gone, and within two or three years it may be ſaid of you, Such a one was at ſuch a Sermon, and heard, That all things that endure but for a ſeaſon would not ſatisfie, and now he is gone; and if you will ſatisfie your ſelves in theſe things that are for a ſeaſon, you may cry out in the anguiſh of your ſouls, and ſay, Such a day ſuch an argument was treated upon, and I heard, Nothing that is but for a ſeaſon will ſatisfie the heart, and how I ſhould hazard my eternal happineſs, if I ſet my heart upon them; And I heard, I had not onelyonly a little River to ſwim over, but an infinite Ocean to lanch into, and yet I have ſought after theſe things that are but for a ſeaſon, to ſatisfie my fleſh in them; now my ſeaſon is gone, and I am lanching into eternity, the Lord knows what ſhall become of me.
It was the ſad expreſſion of Lyſimachus, who had loſt his Kingdom for one draught of water, For what O Dii, quā brevis voluptatis gratia ex rege me feci ſervum?a ſhort pleaſure have I made my ſelf a ſervant? So conſider what a ſoul-ſinking thought this will be to think hereafter; O God, for how ſhort pleaſure have I made my ſelf a bond-ſlave to Hell for ever! One who was made according to the Image of God, who had means for eternal life, yet now am undone for ever! It is reported of Pope Sixtus the fifth, that he ſold his ſoul to the Devil, to enjoy the glory and pleaſure of the Popedom for ſeven years: What infinite folly poſſeſſeth the hearts of the children of men, who were made for eternity, to venture eternal miſcarrying for a few years, yea, a few hearts contentment to the fleſh! The Lord keep us from this deſperate folly.
Wherefore when we finde our hearts beginning to be let out upon any temporal good, make uſe of this argument, and let us muſe with our ſelves, This content and pleaſure we have, but will it abide? I was made to abide for ever, I was made for that good that muſt abide for ever. What are a few years here? Thoſe who abide longeſt in the enjoyment of health and proſperity, their time is but as a bubble, they are gone, and the memory of them is periſhed. Pliny ſays, there was a miraculous example of one Xenophilus, who lived a hundred and five years without ſickneſs: But what is this to eternity? lib. 7. cap. 5.
There is a notabe ſtory of Theodorus a yong man, there being a time of great feſtivity and jollity in Egypt, and there was a great deal of feaſting and muſick, and delight in his fathers houſe: The yong man withdrew himſelf from all the company, and got alone, and fell a meditating thus, Here is delight and content to the fleſh, I may have what I will deſire, but how long will it laſt? And upon this meditation, thinking with himſelf▪ this will not hold long, he withdrew himſelf into a room private, and fell down upon the earth, and with many tears cryed out thus unto God in prayer; O Lord, (ſays he) my heart is open unto thee, I indeed know not what to ask, but onelyonly this, Lord let me not dye eternally; O Lord, thou knoweſt I love thee, O let me live eternally to praiſe thee! And when his mother came to him, and would have had him come to the reſt of the company that were bidden, he made an excuſe and would not, onelyonly upon this meditation, becauſe he ſaw this would not hold.
O that God would faſten theſe thoughts upon you, when you are in the midſt of your delights; But will this hold? Is not this one thing that is ſpoken of amongſt the reſt, that is but for a ſeaſon? Think alſo upon this conſideration; Theſe things that are in the world, if they were a thouſand times more then they are, yet being but for a ſeaſon, this is enough to take off our hearts; but now when we conſider they are but for a ſeaſon, and but ſlight things, empty vanities beſides, this ſhould take off our hearts abundantly more; if they had a great deal in them, yet not being eternal, they are not very deſireable. How vain then is mans heart, in being ſet upon ſuch vain things? Well may man be ſaid to be lighter then vanity; no vanity is ſo vain, as the truſting in vanity; all the vanity in the creature amounts not to ſo much vanity as the truſting in vanity.
And yet again conſider, that the emptineſs that is in theſe things, would make the eternity of them to be miſerable. You will ſay this is a riddle, how can it be made out? Certainly it is ſo, there is ſuch an emptineſs in the things of the world, that they are fain to borrow ſucceſſion to make them comfortable, and it is the end of ſome, and the beginning of others that makes them comfortable, and not the continuance of any outward comfort; as now the laying in a ſoft down bed, is eaſie and comfortable, and delightful; but if one were condemned to this, to lie there forty years together, and never to come out, it would be a torment, but to lie eternally it would be more, ſo that eternity puts a miſery upon the comfort: And ſo take any one comfort, and to be tyed to that, if there were not a ceaſing of one, and the beginning of another, the comfort would be miſerable; and the reaſon is, becauſe the comfort is ſo empty: But the enjoying of God, the eternity of it makes it comfortable; we ſhall as much delight in the comforts we have enjoyed of God, after we have enjoyed them hundred thouſands of years, as we did at firſt moment we entred upon them.
Yet further, let us turn the conſideration of this ſo far, to take off our hearts from the things below, as not to be troubled much for any affliction and miſery we have here, for they are but for a ſeaſon; the Qui aeternitaten mente concepit, nul los horret exercitus, non terretur turba, null is ad timorem minis agitur. Sen. ep. 103.being for a ſeaſon, takes away the comfort of the creature, and the being for a ſeaſon, takes away the bitterneſs of affliction: Is there any affliction upon you? think this is not eternally though, this is not hell. This is the great complaint of a ſoul in the time of trouble, O how long ſhall it be? for ever? But ſo we cannot ſay of any afflictions here in this world, that they ſhall be for ever. In Dan. 11. 25. ſpeaking of the great affliction of the Church, this is brought to alleviate all, yet the end ſhall be at the time appointed; ſo long as a man can look to the end of an evil, it is not much, it is for a ſeaſon; if he can but ſee banks, he is well.
Yea, and the evils that we do endure here, as they are but for a little ſeaſon, ſo they are but in the due ſeaſon, they are in this ſeaſon, and that is that which ſhould comfort us; becauſe there is not ſo much danger in any thing we ſuffer here, while we ſuffer it in this ſeaſon. Suppoſe any of you had your Ship leak, if it leaks when it comes into harbor, though it be an evil to you, and brings trouble, yet you comfort your ſelves in this, It is not in the main Ocean though: If I had had this leak in the main ſea, what had become of me? and ſo for troubles and ſorrows, you may ſay, It is upon me, but bleſſed be God, it is upon me here; Indeed if it ſhould prove to be upon me eternally hereafter, it were a great evil, but it is here. S. Auguſtine ſaid, Here Lord cut me, do Hic ure, ſc ca; Ibi parce.what you will with me, but ſpare me hereafter; It was the prayer of Fulgentius, Lord grant patience here, and pardon hereafter: though I have never ſo much affliction here, it is no great matter, ſo I ſhall have pardon hereafter.
Yea, the enduring of affliction in this ſeaſon, ſhall be that which may deliver us from enduring evils eternally hereafter: God ayms at it, and he hath no other end, but onelyonly to deliver from eternal ſorrows, We are chaſtened, that we might not be condemned with the world, 1 Cor. 11. And that he does by cauſing a man or woman, when any afflictions are upon them, to think thus; Lord, is this evil and pain ſo grievous to me that laſts but for a while, what will eternal evils be to me? Drexelius reports of a yong man that was given to his luſt, and pleaſure, and could not endure to be croſſed, but of all things he could not bear it, To be kept from ſleep, and to awake in the dark; and being ſick, he was kept awake in the night, and could not ſleep, and he began to have theſe thoughts, and think, What, is it ſo tedious for to be kept from ſleep one night, and to lie a few hours here in the dark? O what is it to be in torments, and darkneſs everlaſtingly! I am here in my houſe upon a ſoft bed in the dark, kept from ſleep but one night; O to lie in flames, and in darkneſs for ever and ever, how dreadful will that be? And this was the means of the converſion of that yong man, that was given to all maner of luſts before.
O that the Lord would ſettle this argument upon you, ſo as to work it every way to be uſeful; for your pleaſures, they are but for a ſeaſon, why ſhould I ſet my heart upon them? And for ſorrows, if thoſe be grievous, if a fit of the Stone, or of the Strangury, or the Fever be ſo grievous, what will that be to be eternally ſcalding in the wrath of God? Thus you ſee the conſideration, That things are but for a ſeaſon, how uſeful it is for to take our hearts from them, and to uphold our hearts in any evils and troubles that we ſhould endure.