A New Years Gift, Section 2
SECTION II.
Of the Change in Mens Inclinations, Opinions, and Actions, which one Year ſhews; How obſervable it is in Others; how much more diſcernable in our Selves. Honour and Reputation, &c. how uncertainly preſerved, and how eaſily blaſted.
WHat a diſcovery doth one Year make of the Mutability of Man, not only of his outward Condition, but of the Man himſelf; his Temper, his Practiſe, his Inclinations, his Averſions, &c. He abideth not at one ſtay; every breath of wind turns him to another ſhape. We deſpiſe to day, that which we admired yeſterday; and to morrow hate the object of our preſent love. We begin Friendſhips, and cancel them on ſlight occaſions; And a mortal Enmity often ſucceeds to a tender Affection: The very Perſons, who are in one year our darling Friends, and poſſibly deſerved to be ſo, may yet be open Enemies the next, and ſeek our Ruine. Lord! what is Man? How deceitful and mutable the Heart of Man! We know not what other Men are, or will prove to be till a trial; and we are equally ignorant concerning our ſelves, till an hour of Temptation. How patiently do we think we could bear Afflictions till we feel them! how partial and miſtaken a Judgment do we make of our Wiſdom and Strength, in reference to the future? we counſel others to Submiſſion and Reſignation in the moſt difficult trials, and wonder they complain ſo loud; when we our ſelves deſpond, and ſink under half their Burthen; and ſend up our more impatient murmurs to Heaven, when God thinks fit to prove us by a lighter Stroke. We cenſure and condem Others, who are in an higher Station, and are called to more difficult work than we; when by a little Advancement, and the like Temptation, we diſcover that we are as bad as they. They who were reputed Humble, Temperate, and Religious when they have been Exalted higher, become proud, ſenſual, and ungodly. Had ſome been told a Twelve month ſince, what now they are, and ſpeak, and act, they would have made Hazael's Anſwer, Am I a Dog, that I ſhould do this? A change in the publick Affairs of the State, and by that means of particular Intereſts, or ſome Alteration of our own private Circumſtances, (calling us to new Duties, and expoſing us to new Temptations) diſcovers us more to our ſelves and to other Men, than was expected, and proves us to be very different from what we appeared to be.
Such a change, for Inſtance, as from Poverty to Riches, from Sickneſs to Health, from Obſcurity to Honour, from Privacy to a Publick charge, &c. or on the contrary. Men cannot bear the weight of Temporal Happineſs, but Riches and Honours make us to be Other Men, than before we ſeemed to be. How weak a thing is Man! that cannot carry his own Wiſhes, without falling under them: That cannot proſper in his deſigns, without being changed in the Temper of his Mind, upon every ſucceſs. So true is it, that Man in Honour is like the Beaſt that periſheth; and changed ordinarily for the worſe, as to ſerious Religion. May we not fear, that ſome, who a year ſince dared not live a day in the neglect of Cloſet and Family Devotion, do now omit it, for many Days and Weeks together? And that ſome, who once were careful to improve the whole Sabbath to religious purpoſes, now place the whole of their Religion in attending the publiek Worſhip, and think it enough, not for that Day only, but for the whole Week. Under the Afflicting Hand of God, or ſome Apprehenſions of an approaching change, or ſenſe of guilt upon great Tranſgreſſions, the Convictions of Sin are lively, Conſcience is ſenſible and awake, Affections warm, Reſolutions ſtrong, &c. But alas! how ſoon doth the caſe alter! our Spirits cool, our Zeal abates, our good Purpoſes untwiſt and die, and come to nothing. By degrees we return to Folly, and boldly venture on that Sin, we lately trembled at. Through the want of continued ſmart Afflictions, or of a ſerious awakning Miniſtry, and friendly faithful Admonition; or through the Temptations of vain Company, and the remaining power of fleſhly Luſts. So that we falſifie our moſt ſacred Promiſes and Reſolutions, violate our holy Vows, cancel the Bonds of God upon us, ſuffer the Devil to re-enter, and prevail again, to take poſſeſſion of our Hearts, and yield our ſelves an eaſie prey to his Temptations, till our latter end be worſe than our Beginning.
Oh what a Change doth one year let us ſee in Perſons, as well as Things! in our ſelves, as well as other Men! And as it is with Man himſelf, ſo with every thing that he values himſelf upon, or for which he is eſteemed by others; and even his Eſteem and Reputation is alſo changeable and uncertain. Not to Inſtance in Riches, but in what is nobler, Learning, and the Improvements of the Mind by Study; how ſoon may the violence of a Diſeaſe diſturb or ſtupifie the Brain to that degree, as ſhall reduce the greateſt Scholar to the pitied Condition of a Fool or Bedlam? And where is his Reputation and Renown, in ſuch a Caſe? But much leſs than that will blaſt the faireſt Reputation, with the far greateſt part of the World: It may be loſt by unwary Miſtakes, by falſe Reports, by Envy and Malice, by the ſubtle Hatred of Enemies, or by the Weakneſs and Credulity of Friends, (who will liſten to every Back-biters Story) or by one or two Indiſcretions of the Man himſelf; and no Man can be certain to ſecure his Reputation whilſt he lives, much leſs after he is dead. Who can content all Men, however he live? And who is well ſpoken of by all when he is dead? Who is ſo eſteemed, that ſome do not deſpiſe him? The wiſeſt Conduct cannot hinder, but ſome will judge hardly and amiſs.
How vain and faulty is an Ambition to be talkt of after we are dead, which will be but by very few, and that very differently, and but for a little while; There is no Remembrance of former things, neither ſhall there be of things to come, with thoſe that ſhall come after, Eccleſ. 1.11. For how little a while do the proudeſt Monuments laſt, that are ſet over the rotten Fleſh and Bones of many, to preſerve their Memory? God hath promis'd, 'tis true, that The Righteous ſhall be had in everlaſting Remembrance; but it muſt be underſtood ſo far only, as the frame and ſtate of this World, and the Revolutions and Viciſſitudes of Time will permit. But what Good can it do us, farther than the Intereſt of God's Glory, and the Good of others is concerned in it? The Bleſſed will not need it, and the Damned have no Advantage by it: And no Endeavours can be certain of Succeſs: For People will talk of us as they pleaſe; and their Opinions very often change from one Extream to the other: But he who hath the loudeſt Fame, ſhall only be talkt of a little longer than his Neighbours; and that by a few dying Men, that muſt themſelves be e're long forgotten. And how ſmall a part of the inhabited World, is acquainted ſo much as with the Name of the greateſt Men in Europe? And how different and contrary are mens Opinions and Diſcourſes of them, where they are known and talkt of? And how many holy, excellent Perſons are buried in Oblivion, or miſ-repreſented as unworthy to live on Earth, whoſe Names will be found in the Book of Life? Our Life is yet as mutable, and uncertain as any of theirs. The Time is haſtning, when we ſhall be too old to Live, but at any time we are old enough to Die. Our Breath is in our Noſtrils; and though there be room enough for it to go out, we have no Aſſurance that we ſhall have power to draw it in again.