The Spiritual Chemist, Meditations · Meditation 50
Meditation L. VponUpon the vanity of Wiſhes.
TRue and perfect happineſs is a good which neither the light of Nature can diſcover, nor its endeavours obtain; it being as impotent to the acquiring of it, as it is blind to the beholding of it. And yet there is nothing in which man leſs apprehends himſelf at a loſs, than in this, of fully contriving at leaſt, if not effecting his own happineſs. Who is it that is not confident, that if he might have the liberty of his options to wiſh whatever he would, and to have them turned into realities for him; but that he could readily frame to himſelf a condition as full of happineſs, as the Sun is of light, or the Sea of water? What poor and contemptible thoughts would he have of all that glory of the world which the devil ſhewed to Chriſt as a bait, when he tempted him to the worſt of ſins, to thoſe ſtately Schemes and repreſentations, which he could ſuppoſe to be the objects of his delight? If wiſhes were the meaſure of happineſs, what is it that the boundleſs imagination of man would not ſuppoſe and deſire? What ſtrange changes would he forthwith make in the Univerſe, in levelling of Mountains, in raiſing of Vallies, in altering of Climates and Elements themſelves? Happily he might wiſh that the Sea were turned into a delicious bath, in which he might ſport himſelf without any fear of drowning; that the Rocks were as ſo many poliſhed Diamond, the Sands as ſo many fair Pearls to beautifie it, and the Iſlands as ſo many retiring houſes of pleaſure to betake himſelf unto when he pleaſeth. He might wiſh that all the Trees of the earth were as the choiceſt plants of Paradiſe, every one of which might at his beck bow down their branches, and tender their ripe fruit unto him. And thus may he multiply his wiſhes, until every ſpire of Graſs, and every duſt of the earth have undergone ſome remarkable mutation according to the luſt of his fancy, and yet be as far from any ſatisfaction in his deſires, or reſt in his thoughts, as the Apes in the Fable were from warmth, which finding a Glow-worm in a cold night, gathered ſome ſticks together, and blew themſelves breathleſs to kindle a little fire. For all theſe ſuppoſed gaieties, are not the perfection but the diſeaſe of fancy, which hath (as I may ſo ſpeak) a Boulimia, in reſpect of objects, as ſome corrupt and vitiated appetites have in reſpect of meats, who though they eat much are yet never ſatisfied. And hence it is, that men who enjoy plenty, and are far from having any juſt cauſe to complain of want, do yet, as unſatisfied perſons, feed themſelves with fond ſuppoſitions of being in ſuch an eſtate and condition of which they can have no poſſibility, much leſs any real hope for to obtain. The ambitious man pleaſeth himſelf in thinking how bravely he could King it, if he were but ſet upon a Throne, and how far he would out-ſtrip all other Princes that have been before him both for ſtate and glory; he fancies what pleaſures he would have for his recreation, what meats for his Table, what perſons for his attendants, what Laws for his Government, and then, Abſolom like, he wiſheth in himſelf, O that I were made a Judge in Iſrael. The covetous perſon, whoſe heart is ſet upon Riches, never ceaſeth in the midſt of his abundance to deſire more. Riches and his deſires ſtill keep at a diſtance; as they come on, ſo do his deſires come on too, the one can never overtake the other, no more than the hinder wheels of a Coach can overtake the former. If he ſhould, as Peter, caſt his hook into the Sea, and take up the fiſh that firſt cometh up, with a Stater or piece of money in his mouth, how eagerly ſtraitwaies would he wiſh to take a ſecond, and then a third, yea, how would he ſtill renew his wiſhes, ſo as ſooner to empty the Sea of all its fiſh, than to ſatisfie his deſires with accumulated treaſures. But are theſe, O vain man, the higheſt wiſhes with which you would impe your preſent enjoyments, and ſo make your ſpeedy flight unto perfect happineſs? What if all theſe ſuppoſitions and wiſhes, which are (as I may ſo ſpeak) the creations of fancy, were real exiſtency? Yea, what if your condition did as far exceed the pomp of all humane Imagination, as Solomon did the fame that was ſpread abroad of him? Might I not yet ſay, as David did, O ye Sons of men, how long will ye love vanity, and ſeek after leaſing? Are theſe things for which Angels will give you the right hand of fellowſhip? Or will this glory make them ſtoop to become miniſtring ſpirits unto you? Though you may conceive as highly of your ſelves, as the Prince of Tyrus did of himſelf, who ſaid he was a God, and ſate in the ſeat of God, yet they will look upon you no better than gilded duſt and aſhes. That which they adore, and with wonder look into, is not the happineſs of the worldings, but of believers, who are bleſſed, not according to what they ask or deſire, but far above whatever could have entred into the thoughts of men and Angels to conceive. Who could ever have ſaid to God, as Haman did to Ahaſuerus, if he had been asked, What ſhall be done to the man whom God delighteth to honour? Let the foundation and corner ſtone of his happineſs be laid in the exinanition of the Son of God, let him come from heaven to earth to purchaſe it with his bloud: let his nature be dignified by being perſonally united unto the Divine Nature, let him be a co-heir with him who is the brightneſs of his Fathers glory, ſit with him upon the ſame Throne, and be conformed to his likeneſs: let him ſtand for ever in the higheſt and ſweeteſt relations unto the three moſt glorious Perſons, having God to be his Father, his Son to be his Elder Brother, and the Holy Spirit to be his Friend and Comforter, are not theſe things ſuch, as may poſe Angels to tell whether is greater the wonder or the mercy? May it not be truly ſaid, that Omnipotency it ſelf is exhauſted, ſo that there remains neither power in God to do, nor wiſdom to find out a greater happineſs than this, which he hath vouchſafed to man in his loweſt condition? Can there then be any additions made by the narrow conceptions of weak Creatures? Let me therefore expoſtulate with Chriſtians, whoſe happineſs in Chriſt is compleat, and yet, as if there were an emptineſs in their condition, are ſtill hankering in their minds after the worlds vanities, and wiſhing, like carnal Iſraelites, to eat of the Fleſh-pots and Garlick of Egypt, as if the true bread from heaven were not a ſufficient and ſatisfying food. Is there any thing in the world which you cannot find made up to you in Chriſt? Are not all the ſcattered comforts which can be had only in the Creatures by retaile, as being parcelled out ſome to one and ſome to another, to be had fully in Chriſt, in whom they are ſummed up, as broken particulars are in the foot of an account? Though he be, Bonum formaliter ſimplex, a good formally ſimple, yet he is, Eminenter multiplex. A good eminently manifold. And there is more to be had in Chriſt, than can be had any waies out of him; who, as the firſt figure in a number, ſtands for more than all the figures that can be added unto it. Whom, ſaith holy David, have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I deſire beſides thee. Surely, if Heaven, which hath legions of beauties and perfections in it, yield nothing worthy of his love and affection but God and Chriſt, we may well conclude, that Earth, which is as void of good, as Heaven is full, can have nothing in it that is to be deſired by us. Why then ſhould any, in whom Chriſt is the hope of glory, be as the men of the world, who cry out, Who will ſhew us any good? For them to be unſatisfied who feed upon vanities is no wonder; but for thoſe who poſſeſs him that is, and hath all things, it is ſtrange that they ſhould ſeek any thing out of him. Quid ultra quaerit, cui omnia ſuus conditor fit? aut quid ei ſuſficit, cui ipſe non ſufficit? What can be ſe…k further (ſaith Proſper) to whom his God is made every thing? Or what will ſuſfice him, to whom He is not ſufficient? I know but one wiſh that any Believer hath to make, and that is the wiſh of St. John, with which he ſeals up the Book of God, as the common deſire of all the Faithful, with which I ſhall ſhut up this Meditation, as with the beſt of wiſhes: Come Lord Jeſus, even ſo come, as thou haſt promiſed, come quickly, in whoſe preſence there is fulneſs of joy, and at whoſe right hand are pleaſures for evermore.