The True Christians T est, Part 2 · Meditation 36
MEDITAT. XXXVI. From the Conſideration of the Nature of the World.
THe uncertainty and unſatisfyingneſs of the World, and all worldly things, is a popular Theme, which every young Scholar can Rhetoricate upon and declaim againſt, before he have made any experiment of it, or any Choice of a better Object. The Books of Men are as full of Invectives againſt the World, as their Hearts are at the ſame time of the love of it. He's a very fool indeed that cannot repeat the words of the wiſe Man, and cry all is vanity: but he's a wiſe Man who heartily believes what he repeats, and acts agreeable to his belief.
The Poetical Fancies do prettily reſemble pleaſures to Syrenes, which ſing ſweetly, and by their pleaſant voice and beautiful aſpect, allure the Paſſenger to themſelves, and then hugg him and kill him. And who can deny, that this is ſomewhat like to Solomons whoriſh Woman in the Proverbs. They compare Honour to Icarus his Wings, mounting him ſo unreaſonable high, that they are melted off by the heat, and ſo down comes that aſpiring Mortal to a degree lower than that from which he aroſe; and leaves nothing behind him, but a ridiculous fame of bold Aſpiring, Magnis tamen excidit auſis. Not unlike which, is the deſcription that the Pſalmiſt makes of man, that is in Honour and abideth not, He ſtands upon Pinnacles indeed, but they are very ſlippery ones, from which he is ſoon cast down into deſtruction.
They reſemble Riches to the great Wooden Horſe, which the ſilly Trojans entertain'd into the very heart of the City, and rejoyc'd in it as a rare Preſent, ſent them by the Gods; but it prov'd full of deadly Enemies that preſently Murdered them in their ſecurity: And does not the Apoſtle ſpeak to the ſame purpoſe, when he tells us, That they that will be Rich, fall into Temptations, and a Snare, and many hurtful Luſts which drown Men in Perdition; and coveting after them, is piercing ones ſelf thorow with many Sorrows.
I have read of a Bird in ſome parts of India, that has a Note, ſinging in the language of that Countrey, Here he is. This he is always ſinging, as our Countrey Cuckows. Hereby many curious Travellers are invited to the Tree where he ſits, who ſpying them come, removes further to another, and after that to another, ſtill calling them by the ſame Note; whereby it has happen'd that many in ſeeking to find the Bird have loſt themſelves. The Application is eaſie: for the things of this World Invite, and Allure, and Promiſe much Content, Lo Here it is, And lo There it is; but no body could ever light of it there; for when one comes near them, the deceitful Birds take to themſelves Wings, and flye away; for ſo the wiſeſt of men tells us in plain words, Eccleſ. 5. 10. He that loveth Silver ſhall not be ſatisfi'd, &c. and concerning Pleaſures, the ſame Wiſdome ſaid, That its madneſs; and of Mirth, what does it: Eccleſ. 2. 2. and concerning Honour, he thought the ſame thing; for all that comes (ſays he) is Vanity.
This Meditation is capable of much enlargement, but it does not need it: Therefore I will diſmiſs it, and conſider further, Whether thoſe things be indeed Riches, Pleaſures, and Honours, which are call'd by thoſe names? I ſuppoſe that theſe things of the World are not onelyonly empty and unſatisfying, and therefore unfit to be the Object of our Love, but that they are deceitful, in nor being what we call them, as well as in not giving what we expect from them. Shall theſe ſorry things deſerve the name of Riches, Honour, and Pleaſure, that are full of Poverty, Diſgrace, and Bitterneſs? Can I be properly ſaid to be Rich, when with my Riches I am poor; or Honourable, when with my Honours I am the more abject and ſlaviſh; or a man of pleaſures, when with my pleaſures I am the fadder? And is it not thus?
The true meaſure of riches is, not how much the more one has, but how much the leſs he wants; for riches were not intended only that we might have more, but that nothing ſhould be wanting. Now conſider that famous rich man in the Goſpel, for Example, whether he was the richer or the poorer for that plentiful Crop he reaped. This increaſe made him ſollicitous and ſleepleſs, made him more indigent then he was before; And was it not poverty then? For now the Text tells us, he wants bigger Barns, conſequently a great many Workmen to build him more, Servants and Cattel to manage his Husdandry: And I pray what can poverty it ſelf do more than make a man want? I ſuppoſe a poor man in the common ſenſe to be made rich; well, he wants Men and Arms to defend his riches, Servants to manage them, a Retinue to wait upon him; now he wants a Stately Houſe, and that wants Stately Furniture; he wants many other things, and thoſe things want many other things ſtill: ſo that the poverty is mightily increaſed by the mans being inrich't. And is it not thus with Honours too? Was not Haman baſe and vile with all honour, who was ſubject to Mordecai, a Captive, a Slave? If it be ſaid it was by accident; I anſwer, that all honour lies perfectly at the mercy of the People, they kill or ſave by the turning of a Thumb, as they did in the Arena of old.
It is ill provided for proud men, whoſe Greatneſs depends upon a ſmall matter, which is in the power of the meaneſt man to deny. And to be a ſervant to ſo many men, and thoſe of the meaneſt too, methinks is a great reproach. And as for pleaſure, I doubt not but that honeſt ſelf-denying Urias had more ſatisfaction of mind in not going home to his Wife, than David had in fetching her home to him; his denying of pleaſure was pleaſant, whereas the others pleaſure was painful and ſhameful.
And wilt thou O my Soul be impos'd upon; wilt thou be ſo childiſh as to purſue a painted and gadding Butterfly; which either thou canſt not catch, or it will weary thee to catch it; or it will at laſt aſhame thee of the pains and wearineſs that thou haſt been at in catching it, when thou ſeeſt it will not anſwer thy expectations? Nay worſe, wilt thou follow a falſity, a deluſion, a ſhadow inſtead of a ſubſtance, a name inſtead of a thing? Wilt thou travel all the day in purſuit of a Notion, and at laſt it will prove nothing but a Fallacy?
Is it ſuch an admirable atchievement, after all thy pains, and ploddings and periclitations of health and caſe, and ſoul and all, to be falſly called rich or honourable? Nay, nay, for ſtark ſhame loſe not the ſubſtance for the ſhadow, and yet not get that neither. Reckon rather, that true riches ſtand in not wanting any thing, then in having much; and not wanting depends upon not deſiring; leſſen thy deſires, and thou art truly and compendiouſly become rich. If thou deſireſt many worldly things to make thee happy, thou both miſſeſt of thy happineſs (which theſe things can never afford) and looſeſt a great part of thy ſelf too in the enquiry; for look how many deſires do diſtract thee, ſo many bits and parcels of thy ſelf are wanting; every Concupiſence runs away with a piece of thee. To think to be made happy by the addition of more worldly things, is juſt as if one ſhould go about to make up an entire Garment all of Patches.