A Fathers Testament, Chapter 2
CAP. II.
The Portion, or good of man lies not in … fruition of any, or all creatures.
THe lear…ed Heathen, and wise Philo…phers, wonderfully toyl'd, tired, a… tormented their sharp Wits in cleaving … that knotted Question concerning that End, or Good of man, in which his perfection, or happiness consisted. Neither should I less vex my self, or you, if I should but reckon up their numberless gross errours and jangling differences concerning that matter. All their search was but as that of the Sodomites, groping for the door in a night of blindness.
For (as the Apostle) what man knows the things of man, save the spirit of man which dwells in him? Much more the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God, or they to whom that Spirit revealeth them, 1 Cor. 2.11. we can easily discern the works of men; their end, or intention in those works we cannot know, till they some way declare it. How then should any creature find out the End of that great Creatour in his special work (Man) if himself by his own Spirit (in his word) had not clearly revealed it? For else, who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his Counseller? Rom. 11.34. Therefore our gracious Lord hath plainly discovered unto us what is that End, for which he made us, and consequently what is our Good, and Happiness.
And because he well knew how easily our dimm eyes are deluded with colourable shews, and painted shadows, hence he fully displayes unto us as well (negatively) what is not (and yet we think is) our blessedness, as also (positively) what is (though few believe it) the true happiness of man.
First therefore in general he teacheth u… that the Creature is no part of our Portion… we are not, no… can be blessed by enjoying earth, no nor Heaven, nor Heaven with earth… nor any created thing, or all things in, o… betwixt both; we may have all these, an… be miserable, want them all, and be blessed… This truth the Holy Ghost strongly proves, a… frequently elsewhere, so specially in tha… book of Ecclesiastes, which that infinite Wis…dom by his wisest Secretary caused purposel… to be written of this Subject, where first h… evidently, and frequently teacheth us, tha… all is vanity, vanity of vanities, and vexatio… of spirit, Eccles. 1.2. and 12.8. and 2.11… True it is that no creature is simply vain, bu… very good (Gen. 1.31.) conducing as well t… the general end, (Gods glory) as to their pa…ticular ends for which they were made: a… the Sun to rule the day, the Moon the nigh… (Gen. 1 16, &c.) But that which to some end and work is very good, and useful, is to ano…ther vain, and frustrate. The earth apt t… yield food, altogether vain to give light… Our All-wise Creatour assigned to every crea…ture his proper work, and end, but made no… any one, nor all to bless, but to serve man… Hence is it that as to their own ends they ar… very profitable, so for this (namely to constitute mans blessedness) they are wholely useless, and uneffectual, and therefore (in that respect) sheer vanity. And when a man will wring, and wrest the creatures to a wrong end, and thinks to make up his blessedness in them, it is but as wringing his nose, which brings forth blood, Prov. 30.33. they do but grieve his Spirit, and fill it with vexation and anguish.
Thus while Solomon was rifling the creatures (riches, pleasures, &c.) to find out the good of man, he solemnly protesteth to all the World, that in all his search he found nothing but vanity, and vexation of spirit, Eccl. 2.3, 11. In which respect so vain are the creatures, that he who enjoyes them at the full, may not only be weary of them, but even hate his life for the vanity, and vexation he finds in them, Eccles. 2.17. How then should that (in the fulness of it) make our life blessed, which by emptiness, and torment makes it bitter, and loathsome? which when we have in all abundance, and superfluity, yet our selves may be altogether vanity, (Psal. 39.5.) and lighter than vanity? Psal. 62.9.
2. Secondly there is something in man which …avours of Infiniteness; something which cannot be satisfied, or rest in any thing which is finite. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing, Eccles. 1.8. Cast into the heart of man Silver as dust, heap up Gold into mountains, yet He that loveth Silver is not satisfied with Silver, nor he that loveth abundance, with increase, Eccl. 5.10. Advance an ambitious man to great honours, set him in the Throne, load his head with many Diadems, fill both hands with Scepters; let him drink down all the Kingdoms of the Earth, he will still be as thirsty as that Macedonian Monarch. Now every Nature longs for things of like nature with it self; hence this Infiniteness in man cannot rest till it have sound out somewhat which suits with it self, some infinite Good, which may satiate the longing spirit. But neither any one, nor all Creatures can exhibit an infinite good: even the most excellent, and all (in all their excellency) conjoyned have their limits, and stints of goodness; Hence as the Taste in diversity of dishes runs through many, but stayes only upon that which fully aggrates the Pallate, so the spirit of man finding defects in every creature, cannot settle, nor rest upon any.
3. Thirdly, as we call not that body healthy which is one day in good temper, but many dayes sick; or that Steward wealthy, who having a rich office for a year, at the years end is turned out into perpetual beggary; so cannot we esteem him blessed who enjoying some momentany comforts, yet himself, with them, soon perisheth in an everlasting curse, and misery. Happiness if it last not, is the more unhappy. Now all the things of the world are transitory, and perish with the using, but the soul of man is an immortal substance. And this spirit not only survives, but re-assumes the body, so that after the moment of this present life is vanished, another ensues without end, or change. The spirit of a beast indeed goes downward, but the spirit of a man upward, Eccl. 3.21. It returns to God that gave it, Eccl. 12.7. These things therefore which cannot hold way with us, but leave us in the midst, nay indeed in the first step of our journey, how can they be our inheritance, or make us blessed?
4. Fourthly, it is not possible a man should be happy in enjoying those things, which the more he enjoyes, the less he esteems: for (as excellently that most learned Father) He cannot be called blessed who hath not what he loves, whatsoever it be, or he, who hath what he loves, if it be evil which he hath, or who loves not what he hath, be it never so good, (August. De morib. eccl. l. 1. c. 2.) And who is so ignorant but knoweth that thus it is with the heart of man, and all creatures. Before we enjoy them, how dearly, how highly do we prize them? what refuse we to do, or suffer that we may gain them? we long, we pine for them; we ride, we run for them; sweat, and toyl for them; venter limb, and life for them; but no sooner we obtain, but finding their emptiness, our heart goes off from them to some other object, at least nauseating what we possess, we burn in desire of what we suppose is wanting. It is with us in these adulterous lusts, as with incestuous Amnon, whose heart being inflamed with the beauty of Tamar, before enjoying could think of no other heaven but her eyes, and arms; but in cooler blood he more loaths than formerly he loved, as was not before so sick for her, as after sick of her, 2 Sam. 13.
5. Fifthly, the Creatures were ever inferiour to us. In our first Covenant they were given to us as servants, and we to them as Lords (Gen. 1.26. Psal. 8.6.) In the second… our dominion enlarged rather than any whit empaired. All things are ours: the world, life, de…th, things present, and to come, all are ours, 1 Cor. 3.21, 22. And when the Lord of all the World in his wonderful love, and special favour chose, and espoused us to himself, he endowed us with all his goods, and gave all his servants to wait upon us in several offices; some as Caterers, to provide our diet, some as Cooks, to dress it; some as Taylers, Weavers, to cloath us; some as Physitians, to cure us; some as Musicians to refresh, and delight us; the very Heavens, as Torchbearers to light us; yea, even the most glorious Angels of Heaven as our Guard to secure us. How then can the creature possibly advance us, whose advancement is to serve us? how should that put the highest excellency (for so is blessedness) upon us, which is so far inferiour to us?
6. Lastly the creature is made unto us as instruments, and means of action, and therefore (in the abundance of it) is not only burdensome, but dangerous. It is like the Spartan Iron-Money; as much as would buy one horse, would load three; As a great sayl to a little boat in rough weather, and so is either cumbersome, and makes our way heavy, or dangerous, and unwarily sinks us in destruction. Thus Hamans preferment advanced him to the Gallows, Ahitophels wisdome Weaved a noose for his own Neck: That Rulers wealth in his passage to Heaven loads and sinks him, Mark 10. Nay in respect of blessedness they are so needless, that we are never so blessed as when we have least of them, and least need them. It is our highest happiness in Heaven, that we shall neither need, nor possess food, apparel, wives, husbands, land, money, Sun, Moon, but God shall be all in all, 1 Cor. 15.28. Rev. 22.5.
Object. But do not the creatures conferr something, and help forward our happiness? Who can (at least comfortably) be without them?
Answ. There is a possibility (even in this life) of consisting (being, and well-being) without them. Moses was never here more blessed, than when enjoying the presence of God in the Mount, he neither had, or wanted food, &c. when the Apostles had nothing, neither money, shooes, nor scrip, they wanted nothing, Luk. 22.35. Man lives not by bread but by every word of God: a lesson long since taught Gods people, when in the Wilderness they neither had nor wanted Corn, Wine, Oyle, or any supply of cloathing, &c. Deut. 8.3.
2. Though in this life we cannot (in an ordinary course) be without them, yet do they not make up any part of our happiness; seeing neither it, nor any part of it consisteth either of this life, or any thing belonging to it. Blessed are they (none more) that dye in the Lord, Rev. 14.13.
3. Nothing in the Creature but only Gods word, and blessing upon them is that which either fits them for us, or us to them, and so gives us some comfort from them: as being all his servants (Psal. 119.91.) going and coming at his Word, (Luk. 7.8.) They are all in his hand as instruments, which he employeth to good, or evil as he pleaseth. (The Assyrian was but the Axe, or Staff in his hand to chastise his rebellious Subjects, Isa. 10.5, 15.) when we have it, it works not, moves not, but by his hand. If he use not the Axe, it cannot hew; if he lift not up the staff, it cannot stirr.
In a word it is with all Creatures (even the greatest rebells) as with that Balaam, Numb. 22.20. God may say Go, but that which I say, and will, that shalt thou do. And therefore they are all ready to say unto thee, as that Prophet to Balak: If thou wouldst give me thy house full of Gold, and Silver, I cannot go beyond the Word of the Lord to do either good, or bad of mine own mind, Numb. 24.13. Thy meat will tell thee, I cannot nourish thee; thy cloaths, we cannot warm thee if he command not. When the Lord sayes to a Crown, Go to Sauls head, and from Saul to David, it goeth. When he adds, Go to Ieroboam, to Ahab, &c. fill them with trouble, sweep them and all their posterity from the face of the earth as dung: so it doth. When he sayes, Go to Solomon, and girt him with power, peace, honour, it fails not to do it. When he sayes to the Quails, Go to those murmurers, cover their tables, nay cover the ground two cubits high, go, and fill their mouths, but not their bellies, feed them not, so it comes to pass, Numb. 11.31, 32. And when he commands the Air, neither sow, nor Reap, yet rain down bread upon my people, and nourish them forty years in the Wilderness, it executes his charge.
Seeing then the creature is full of nothing but of emptiness, vanity, and vexation: unsatisfying; of short continuance; least esteemed, where most enjoyed; far beneath us; and even needless; yea in their abundance burthensome, and dangerous, it is impossible they should constitute any part of mans happiness. Now Religion, Reason, nay even Sense will tell us; All this is infallibly true, and therefore will conclude, that it is irreligious, unreasonable, sensless to rest, or build upon the creature.
And therefore when in searching our hearts we find too much of this Harlotry in them, thus let us correct, and direct them.
I.
Fond Soul I is this
Thy way to bliss?
Grasp both the Indies, let thy mighty hand
The iron North, and golden South command;
Transcend the Moon,
Fasten thy Throne
Above the fixed stars: above expressions,
Above thy …hought enlarge thy vast po…s…ssions…
Fond soul! all this
Cannot make up thy bliss.
II.
All these are vain,
Full, but with pain:
All Creatures have their end to serve, not bless thee;
As Servants they may help, as Lords oppress thee.
They vex in g…tting,
Us'd, lost with …retting;
Can slaves advance, shades …ll, can grief give rest?
That, which was curs'd …or thee, can't make thee ble….
They all are vain,
And bring not bliss, but pain.
III.
Fond Soul! thy birth
Is not of Earth?
Or Heav'n: thou Earth, and Heav'n it self surviv…st
Though born in time, thou dying time out-livest.
They …ail, deceive thee,
They age, dye, leave thee;
So… up immortal spirit, and mounting fly
Into the arms of great Eternity;
Not Heav'n, or Earth,
He, he thy End, and Birth.
Now if in the fulness of all Creature man can find no parcel of his blessednes… how much less in any one single creature As first,