The Burning of London, Part 4 · Discourse 2
DISCOURSE II. Of this, that the life of man conſiſts not in the abundance of what he poſſeſſeth.
SUrely it is from a vain conceit, that the life of man conſiſts in his abundance, that thoſe who have not an abundance of earthly comforts, do ſo much covet after it; and thoſe that have, do ſo much bleſſe themſelves in it, as ſome are brought in ſaying, Zach. 11.5. Bleſſed be the Lord, for I am rich; & thoſe who have loſt of their ab…ndance do mourn ſo inordinately, for the want of it. But whatſoever men think, Chriſt aſſures us it is not ſo, Luke 12.15. For there ſaith he, the life of a man conſiſteth not in the abundance of the things which he poſſeſſeth. I think at preſent of ſix or or ſeven inſtances wherein that ſaying of Chriſt is verified. Firſt, The length or prolongation of mans life, doth not conſiſt in the abundance of what he poſſeſſeth. The oyle of riches cannot feed the lampe of life, Pſal. 49. from the 6. to the 11. verſe. They that boaſt themſelves of their riches, none of them can redeem his brother, or give to God a ranſome for him, that he ſhould ſtill live for ever, and not ſee corruption, for he ſeeth that wiſe men dye, and leave their wealth to others. Look abroad and you will ſee more poor men that have lived to a great age than rich, (yea in proportion to the humber, there is of one and of the other;) Some diſeaſes which poor people generally eſcape out of, and make but light of them, how often do they prove fatal and deadly to them that are rich? as if corruption were ambitious to claime kindred of them, more than of others, and the hungry wormes to feed upon their well fed fleſh, rather than that of others: to allude to Job 17.14. I have ſaid to corruption, thou art my father, to the worme, thou art my mother, and my ſiſter: poor men lengthen their lives by labour, & rich men too too often ſhorten theirs by Luxury. Neither doth the end of mans life conſiſt in poſſeſſing an abundance; man was not ſent into the world, to load himſelf with thick clay, or to adde houſe to houſe, and land to land, as if he meant to dwell alone upon the earth, to poſſeſſe himſelfe of ſo many hundreds, or thouſands by the year, and ſo leave it to his poſterity. That theſe are trifles to the great end which man was ſent into the world for, appeareth by Acts 17.27. where Paul tels us, that God hath ſet man upon the face of the earth, to ſeek after God (there is the end of life) if nappily he might find him out. Nor in the third place, doth the Credit of a mans life conſiſt in the meere abundance of the things which he poſſeſſeth; they that have nothing to commend them but their riches, though they are flattered by many, are truly bonoured but by a few, moſt men wil bow downe to thoſe idols of Silver and of God, as I may cal them (becauſe it is the faſhion ſo to doe) but when their backs are turned upon them, they are ready to ſay of them, as the Apoſtle concerning idols in the general, 1 Cor. 8.4. we know that an Idol is nothing in the world, we know ſuch a one for all his brave outſides, and the caps and knees that are given him to be a worthleſſe perſon; and to ſignifie juſt nothing. He is like a rich tomb without, which is ſo ill furniſhed within, that it is not worth opening. Fourthly, Neither doth the uſefulneſſe of mans life, conſiſt in the abundance of what he poſſeſſeth. Solomon tels of a poor man that by his wiſdome delivered a City, Eccleſ. 9.15. That a rich man void of wiſdom, could not have done with all his wealth; ſome do more good in the world with a little, than others doe that have great eſtates. There are little figures in the world, and great Ciphers, great ones that ſpend all they can rap and rend together, upon their luſts, and no body is the better for it; and others of meane condition, that are content to ſpend, and to be ſpent for publick good. Some great trees do but ſhade and prevent the growth of other plants, and meane time beare no fruit themſelves. Fifthly, Neither doth the ſucceſſefulneſſe of mans life, and of the undertakings, thereof depend wholly upon the abundance of what he poſſeſſeth. Now many elder brothers that have had great eſtates left them by their Parents, great portions with their Wives, and have in a few years, by Drunkenneſſe, Gaming, Whoreing, one or all of theſe, reduced themſelves and their families to a morſell of Bread, ſelling their birth right as it were, for a Meſſe of Pottage. And on the other hand, how many younger brothers that have been bound to honeſt trades, and had no more from their parents, than a competent ſtock to ſet up with, have with the bleſſing of God, upon their induſtry, arrived at great eſtates? How many have ſet up with ſmal ſtocks, (it may be with nothing elſe but a ſtock of Credit) and in a few years, become very rich? and on the other hand, how many have had great ſtocks to begin with, and have ſoon brought them to nothing? Sixthly, Neither doth the life of men in, and as to their children (in whom parents are ſaid to live) conſiſt in, or depend upon the abundance of what they poſſeſſe, or of what they have to give them; how many fathers have given great portions with their children, thinking to match them highly, and in a few years (yea months ſometimes) have ſeen both their money and their children caſt away? Others againe have had little wherewith to prefer their children in marriage, and yet have ſeen them as well diſpoſed of, as if they could have given them thouſands. Neither are good and comfortable yokefellows, the onelyonly things that men are not ſure always to purchaſe, for their children by giing great eſtates with them, but many other things there are that parents wiſh to ſee in their children, as namely, Health, Strength, Freedome from Deformity, Wiſdome, Grace, which things if they be wanting, cannot be bought for them with all the Gold that is in both the Indies, neither can parents comfortably live or injoy themſelves in their children, if all or moſt of thoſe things be wanting. Laſtly, the happineſſe and comfort of mans life, (which I take to be that which Chriſt here chiefly intends by the life of man) doth certainly not conſiſt in the abundance of what he poſſeſſeth; it is one thing to poſſeſſe, and another thing to injoy, he may injoy more that poſſeſſeth leſſe. Hear David, Pſal. 37.16. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. Some men have more comfort in a diſh of green herbs, than others can find in a ſtalled Oxe, Zoph… ſpeaking of a wicked man, Job 20.22. ſaith, that in the fulneſſe of his ſufficiency, he ſhall be in ſtraits, and why may not good men in the midſt of their ſtraits, have a kind of ſufficiency? the Scripture telling us, that a good man is ſatisfied from himſelf. I doubt not but ſome, and thoſe the very ſame perſons, have had more contentment in, or injoyment of God, and of themſelves in a lower and poorer, than ever they had in a higher and more plentiful condition, which hath reconciled them to the literal interpretation of theſe words, James 1.10. Let the rich (which may be underſtood of him that was rich) rejoyce in that he is made low. Moſt men count it eaſier, when they are once down, to ſit low, than to ſit high. The body may be too full of blood to conſiſt with health, as well as too empty, though that blood be all good. There is a Plethora or Redundancy of good blood, as well as a Cacochymia or Superfluity of bad humours, which makes men leſſe chearful, than they would otherwiſe be; ſo that breathing a veine may give ſome reliefe againſt Melancholly. Wiſe Marriners having caſt away ſome of their lading in a tempeſt, do with more hearts-caſe and ſecurity inioy the reſt; ſo fareth it with ſome men, after conſiderable loſſes, they are better ſatisfied with a part, than they were before with the whole. I ſee then experience doth abundantly confirme what Chriſt hath ſpoken, touching the life of man nor conſiſting in the abundance of that he poſſeſſeth. I muſt then take leave to think, thoſe men are ſick-brained that think, no man can be happy unleſſe he have ſo many hundreds, yea thouſands by the year. Let a man make me believe if he can, that no man can make a pleaſant meale under twenty or thirty diſhes, when I know a man may feed as delightfully upon two or three, yea it may be upon one. Perſwade us who can that no man can travel a few miles to his ful content without a Coach and ſix Horſes: or that a man cannot ſleepe ſweetly any where but upon a bed of down, hung with velvet curtaines, when we all know the contrary. I like our proverb well, Enough is as good as a feaſt; (yea ordinarily it is better) I doubt not but Diſcontent is as often clad in Silks and Sattins as in leather doublets and canvais breeches; many times eaſier feet goe in plainer ſhooes; give me rather high ſhooes ſuch as Plow-men wear, with ſound toes in them, than high great gouty toes, in velvet ſlippers; let me rather tread in the dirt, where I can ſtand faſt, than walk upon ſmooth ice, where I ſhall alwaies be in fear of falling; if then abundance of earthly things can neither prolong my daies, nor give me the true end of life, nor help me to that good name which is indeed a precious ointment, nor aſſure me of ſucceſſe, nor make me to be more uſeful, nor make my children more happie than with the bleſſing of God they may be without it, nor finally afford me more comfort and contentment in my life, than others have, who have no abundance, if God hath diminiſhed my abundance, I have no reaſon to mourne as one without hope, or as Micah did, when his idol Gods were taken from him, as if he had been quite undone. If God ſo pleaſe, I may in this impaired condition, be as happie, yea more than ever I was. In thy favour O Lord is life, yea thy favour is better than life its ſelfe, Pſal. 30.5. Pſ. 63.3. Lift thou u… upon me the light of thy countenance, and it ſhall make my heart more glad, than they whoſe Corne and Oyle increaſe. Let me be ſo far from thinking I ſhall never ſee good daie more, becauſe I have loſt a part, yea it may be the greateſt part of what I ſometimes had, as nevertheleſſe to hope, that my laſt daies though much the pooreſt, may be my verie beſt.