Works of Joseph Hall, Letter 2
To my Lord and Patrone, the Lord DENNY Baron of Waltham. EPIST. II. Of the contempt of the World.
MY Lord: my tongue, my pen, & my heart, are all your ſeruants: when you cannot heare me through diſtāce, you muſt ſee me in my Letters. You are now in the Senate of the Kingdome, or in the concourſe of the city, or perhaps (though more rarely) in the royall face of the Court. All of them, places fit for your place. From all theſe, let me call off your minde to her home aboue; and, in the midſt of buſineſſe, ſhew you reſt: If I may not rather commend, then admoniſh, and before-hand confeſſe my counſell ſuperfluous, becauſe your holy forwardneſſe hath preuented it. You can afford theſe, but halfe of your ſelfe: The better part is better beſtowed: Your ſoule is ſtill retired, and reſerued. You hauehave learned to vouchſafe theſe worldly things, vſe, without affection; and know to diſtinguiſh wiſely, betwixt a Stoicall dulneſſe, and a Chriſtian contempt: and hauehave long made the world, not your God, but your ſlaue. And in truth (that I may looſe my ſelfe into a bold and free diſcourſe) what other reſpect is it worthy of? I would adore it on my face, if I could ſee any Maieſty that might command veneration. Perhaps it loues me not ſo much, as to ſhew me his beſt. I hauehave ſought it enough: and hauehave ſeene what others hauehave doated on, and wondred at their madneſſe. So may I looke to ſee better things aboue, as I neuer could ſee ought here, but vanitie and vileneſſe.
What is fame, but ſmoake? and mettall, but droſſe? and pleaſure, but a pill in ſuger? Let ſome Gallants condemne this, as the voice of a Melancholike Scholler: I ſpeake that which they ſhall feele, and ſhall confeſſe. Though I neuer was ſo, I hauehave ſeen ſome as happy as the world could make them: and yet I neuer ſaw any more diſcontented. Their life hath bin neither longer, nor ſweeter, nor their heart lighter, nor their meales heartier, nor their nights quieter, nor their cares fewer, nor their complaints. Yea, we hauehave knowne ſome, that hauehave loſt their mirth when they hauehave found wealth; and at once hauehave ceaſed to be merry and poore. All theſe earthly delights, if they were ſound, yet how ſhort they are! and if they could bee long, yet how vnſound! If they were ſound, they are but as a good day betweene two agues, or a ſunne-ſhine betwixt two tempeſt. And if they were long, their honie is exceeded by their gall. This ground beares none but maples, hollow and fruitleſſe; or, like the banks of the dead Sea, a faire apple, which vnderunder a red ſide containes nothing but duſt. EueryEvery flower in this garden either pricks, or ſmels ill. If it be ſweet, it hath thornes: and if it hauehave no thornes, it annoyes vsus with an ill ſent. Goe then, ye wiſe idolatrous Paraſites, and erect ſhrines, and offer ſacrifices to your God, the World, and ſeek to pleaſe him with your baſe and ſeruile deuotions: it ſhall be long enough ere ſuch religion ſhall make you happy. You ſhall at laſt forſake thoſe altars, emptie and ſorrowfull. How eaſie is it for vsus Chriſtians, thus to inſult ouer the worldling, that thinkes himſelfe worthy of enuie? How eaſie to turne off the world with a ſcornfull repulſe; and when it makes vsus the Deuils profer, All theſe will I giuegive thee, to returne Peters anſwer, Thy ſiluer and thy gold periſh with thee? How eaſie to account none ſo miſerable, as thoſe that are rich with iniurie, and grow great by being conſcious of ſecret euils? Wealth and honor, when it comes vponupon the beſt tearmes, is but vaine; but, when vponupon ill conditions, burdenſome. When they are at the beſt, they are ſcarce friends: but, when at the worſt, tormentors. Alas, how ill agrees a gay coat, and a feſtred heart? What auailes an high title, with an hell in the ſoule? I admire the faith of Moſes: but, preſuppoſing his faith, I wonder not at his choice. He preferred the afflictions of Iſrael, to the pleaſures of Aegypt; and choſe rather to eate the Lamb, with ſowre hearbs, than all their fleſh-pots: for, how much better is it to be miſerable than guilty? and what compariſon is there betwixt ſorrow and ſinne? If it were poſſible let me rather be in hell without ſinne, than on earth wickedly glorious. But how much are we bound to God, that allowes vsus earthly fauours, without this oppoſition! That God hath made you at once honourable and iuſt, and your life pleaſant and holy, and hath giuen you an high eſtate with a good heart; are fauours, that looke for thanks. Theſe muſt be acknowledged, not reſted in: They are yet higher thoughts that muſt perfect your contentment.
What God hath giuen you, is nothing to that he meanes to giuegive: He hath bin liberall; but he will be munificent. This is not ſo much as the taſte of a full cup. Faſten your eyes vponupon your future glory, and ſee how meanly you ſhall eſteeme theſe earthly graces. Here, you command but a little pittance of mould (great indeed, to vsus; little, to the whole:) there, whole heauen ſhall be yours. Here you command, but as a ſubiect: there you ſhall reigne as a King. Here, you are obſerued; but ſometimes with your iuſt diſtaſte: there, you ſhall raigne with peace, and ioy. Here, you are noble among men; there, glorious amongſt Angels. Here, you want not honour; but you want not croſſes; there is nothing but felicity. Here, you hauehave ſome ſhort ioyes: there, is nothing but eternity. You are a ſtranger, here; there, at home. Here, Satan tempts you, and men vexe you: there; Saints and Angels ſhall applaud you; and God ſhall fill you with himſelfe. In a word, you are onelyonly bleſſed here, for that you ſhall be.
Theſe are thoughts worthy of greatneſſe: which if we ſuffer eyther imployments or pleaſures to thruſt out of our doores, we doe wilfully make our ſelues comfortleſſe. Let theſe ſtill ſeaſon your mirth, and ſweeten your ſorrowes, and euer interpoſe themſelues betwixt you and the world. Theſe onelyonly can make your life happy, and your death welcome.