Serious Reflections on Time and Eternity, Tract · Chapter 11
XI. Of the Expectation of Another Life. The Vanity and Miſery of Man in his Beſt Eſtate, if there be none. The ſatisfactory removal of that ſuppoſition by the Thoughts of God, and of Eternal Felicity in his Bleſſed Preſence.
LET me retire a little, O my Soul! and bethink my ſelf, what a World this is; what Men deſign and ſeek, and do and ſuffer; with what falſe and feigned Joys they are pleaſed, being only happy by compariſon; and with what real Sorrows they are afflicted; what innumerable diſappointments, ſickneſſes, (and as troubleſome remedies,) dangers, labors, pains, and calamities of all ſorts, Multitudes groan under, and loudly complain of? and what little unworthy ends are purſued by all that do not ſeriouſly ſeek Eternal Reſt? and how often fruſtrated? And withal conſider the Cares that diſquiet us, the errors that deceive us, the many Temptations that aſſault and overcome us; how buſie we are about Vanities; how often dejected, and melancholy for the breaking of a Bubble; how eager and induſtrious to purſue a Shadow; active and in earneſt to deſtroy our ſelves, and one another; and then reflect on the Malice, and cruelty, the Filthineſs, and Impiety, and great Corruption, which abounds every where; whereby God is diſhonoured, and provokt to Anger? After this what a Theater of Tragedies, muſt this World appear? what an Hoſpital of ſick, and diſeaſed, or rather diſtracted Perſons? How ſhould I be tempted to ſay, Lord! why haſt thou made all Men in vain? If I could not look from this Sea of troubles, to the Haven of Reſt; from this dark Priſon, to the Region of Light; from this deceitful, troubleſome, and defiling Earth, to a Bleſſed, Everlaſting Heaven: For verily, if there be no World but this, every Man in his beſt Eſtate in this World, is altogether Vanity, Selah. Pſal. 39.5. 'Tis a certain undoubted Truth, the prefixed verily tells us ſo; and that it deſerves to be well conſidered, we learn from the concluding Selah, Every Man is Vanity. Not the Inferior parts of the Creation only; But Man the Lord of all: And Every Man, every Adam from himſelf, to the laſt Man that ſhall by ordinary Generation deſcend from him. Not the Ignorant, Poor, or Wicked only, but all the Individuals of this Species. Young or Old, ſtrong or weak, beautiful or deformed, rich or poor, high or low, good or bad, (in reſpect of the Body, and this preſent Life,) every one is vanity; and this is true, ſuppoſe him in his Beſt Eſtate, not only in helpleſs Infancy and Childhood, or in decrepit old Age, not only in pain, and poverty, and diſgrace; but in his moſt ſetled, moſt flouriſhing, moſt envied, and admired condition upon Earth; in the midſt of ſtrength, and wit, and honour; when at beſt, as to body, and mind, and outward Circumſtances; when he looks faireſt, when he ſhines brighteſt; in the height of all his Glory, with the greateſt likelihood of a Continuance; yet then he is but vanity. In his frame, in his temper, conſtitution, inclinations, actions, and imployment; he is a meer Shadow, an empty, mutable, inconſiderable thing, and not to be accounted of. His Heart, his head, his imaginations, reaſonings, deſires, purpoſes, projects, hopes, and fears, are all Vanity; and altogether Vanity, in all the parts, and kinds, and particulars of it. He not only may be, but he is ſo, in his beſt Eſtate: if this World be his Best; if this be our All, and nothing more to be expected after death. And how ſhould ſuch a Reflection ſtrike me to the Heart, to ſuppoſe that after a few years are ended, I muſt return to my firſt Nothing, and my very being be(f)Vid. Mr. How's vanity of Man as mortal. ſwallowed up of Eternal Death! what ſatisfaction can I then take in any preſent Enjoyments, if an Eternal Annihilation be at hand, when I muſt bid adieu for ever to all that I now poſſeſs? What delight can I have in the ordinary comforts of Life, with this Belief, that within a year or two, it may be to Morrow, I ſhall ſink into the duſt, and exiſt no more? What Pleaſure in any thing with this diſmal Expectation? The more flouriſhing my condition is in this World, the more ſhould I dread to loſe it, if nothing better, nothing at all, can be injoyed after Death. Some Philoſophers have ignorantly urged ſuch a conſideration as an Antidote againſt the fear of death; but the admiſſion of it may rather deprive a Man of all the comfort of Life. What then is the advantage of a Wiſe Man above a Fool? the exerciſe and improvement of our nobleſt Faculties would render us more miſerable than others, if nothing be expected, and certain, when this Life is over. Not only ſenſual, but intellectual Pleaſures would be diſturbed and deſtroyed by ſuch Thoughts; that very ſhortly, the next Year, or Day, I muſt diſappear; and all my Injoyments and Hopes be utterly and for ever loſt, with my very Being. Were the caſe thus, (which ſuch Conſequences evince it is not,) it were better for moſt Men they had never been Born; whether their condition here be Proſperous, or Afflicted. For what Comfort or quiet can any Man have in Plenty and Proſperity, when this frightful apprehenſion of an approaching end is ever preſent? and what conſolation can it yield a Man who is afflicted and Calamitous, and yet loves his Life above all things; to think that he ſhall not ceaſe to be miſerable, but by ceaſing to be? And what is become of all Religion, if ſuch a thought be entertained? All devotion to God is thereby extinguiſht, all the reſtraints of vice removed, the Flood-gates of Impiety opened, the encouragements of Vertue, the rewards of Holineſs; the Foundation of Tribulation, and ſuffering for Righteouſneſs ſake; all at once taken away. Lord! confirm my Belief of the inviſible future ſtate of Rewards and Puniſhments! and let not Sadduciſm and Infidelity damp my zeal in thy ſervice, or rob me of the comforts of this Life, which, if I have any ſolid ones, muſt ſuppoſe the hopes of a Better. Let others therefore, O my Soul! who expect not an Everlaſting Heaven beyond the Grave, place their affections on Earthly things and mind this World, as if there were no betrer, no other. Let them who doubt, or disbelieve the promiſed rewards of Eternity, take up with what they muſt ſhortly leave, and labour for the Bread that periſheth. But ſince I profeſs to believe and ſeek the Life Everlaſting; let me daily entertain my ſelf with the hopes of it, and let all the flattering dreams of what is deſirable upon Earth, give place to nobler and better thoughts. Let me derive my principal Joy, from the promiſe and expectation of that future Felicity, and endeavour nothing more than a meetneſs to partake of it. O my God, my God! thou art my Life, and Joy, and Portion; in thee, and in thy love, all my deſires, and hopes are anſwered, and all my wants ſupplied. However Evil this World is made by Sin, yet thou art the infinite and ſupream Good. How mutable, how uncertain, how periſhing ſoever are all ſublunary things; yet thou art the rock of Ages, the fountain of everlaſting Life, and haſt appointed another World, and another Life, when this is ended, wherein thou wilt be better known, and loved, and ſerved, and honoured, and communicate thy ſelf more abundantly than now, to thoſe, the deſire of whoſe Souls is towards thee, that believe and love thee, that partake of thine Image, and are devoted to thy Fear. The aſſurance of this and nothing elſe, will anſwer the objection of the preſent vanity and miſery we are ſubject to.