The Burning of London, Part 4 · Discourse 10
DISCOURSE X. Of al ſtracting from fancy, and looking at thoſe that are below our ſelves, rather than at others.
TRy if it be not a meer fancy and conceipt of thine, that thou doſt want any thing. Put caſe no man in the world had any thing better than what thou haſt: no better meat to eat, or cloathes to weare, or houſe to dwell in; wouldſt thou then finde any fault with thine own? or would it not ſerve thy turn very well? If thy reall wants were unſupplied, thou wouldſt be ſenſible of them, though every body elſe were under the ſame want. If there were a famine upon the Land, thou wouldſt feel hunger as much as if no body were deprived of bread but thy ſelf, when indeed every body were in the ſame caſe. But if thy condition be ſuch, as doth therefore only ſeem bad; becauſe others have that which is better; thou art but fancy-ſick, and under ſelf-created miſery. Thou walkeſt in a vain ſhadow, and diſquieteſt thy ſelf in vain. Pſal. 39.6. Thou wouldeſt be well enough, if thou couldſt but ſee and believe it is ſo well with thee as it is. Crede quod habes & habes. Meer fancy cauſeth neither good nor evil really to exiſt, no more than colours do in the Rain-bow, or thoſe things which meet us only in our dreams. Are not the riches of rich men a ſtrong tower in their imagination? but are they therefore really ſo? yea, are they not like birds that take wing and flie away? Let a melancholly man read of all ſorts of diſeaſes incident to the body of man, and preſently he conceits he hath them all: But is he therefore an Hoſpital, or a Pandora's box of all diſeaſes, becauſe he fancieth himſelf ſo to be? Was that mad man in the Comedy robd of any reall happineſs when cured, who in his diſtraction fancied himſelf a Prince, and therefore when he came to himſelf cried out, Rem me occidiſtis amici non ſervaſtis. You have not cured me, but undone me.
Fancy can make no man truly poor, or hungry, or naked, or deformed; though it may make them really miſerable, by a falſe ſuppoſition of any, or all of theſe. For a man to think himſelf not to have enough, onelyonly becauſe others have more, is ſuch a kind of deception, as if a man of ſufficient ſtature ſtanding by a giant, ſhould think himſelf to be a dwarfe. If we have enough, what matter is it who hath more? Why ſhould our eye be evil, becauſe Gods eye is good? If you think that others having more eclipſeth you (and therefore thou art afraid when one is made vich, and when the glory of his houſe is increaſed. Pſal. 49.16. then it ſhould ſeem thou art not content with the world for uſe, but wouldſt have it for ſplendor, and to glory in. Now that is forbidden, Jer. 9.23. Thus ſaith the …ord, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he underſtandeth me, &c. If the world were any matter of glory, if men could really ſhine with the beames of the world, (as a wife is ſaid lueare radiis marits) it is the manifeſt pleaſure of God, that ſo far forth they ſhould out-ſhine us, to whom he hath given more of the world than to our ſelves. Either thou haſt better things than thoſe of this world to glory in, or thou haſt not: If thou haſt not, thou haſt the one thing neceſſary to look after, inſtead of vying with others about the glory of this world (which is but a meer Scheme or fantaſie, or piece of pure pageantrie.) And if thou haſt intereſt in better things, thou doſt out-ſhine many others in the ſight of God, and in real worth; and therefore haſt no cauſe to envie thoſe (whom all things conſidered) thou doſt out-ſhine; but to be very contented and thankful. If then thou wouldſt be happy, abſtract from fancie, undeceive thy ſelf, know when thou art well. It is eaſier to fill thy belly than thine eye. Nature may quickly be ſatisfied: but fancy is inſatiable.
Lord give me to make Agurs choice, and to be pleaſed with it when I have done, viz. not to have riches (which ſome have, and others thirſt after) but to be fed with food convenient.