The Christian Warfare Part 2, Book 2 · Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII.
That the world and worldly things are momentanie and corruptible.
ANd thus hauehave I shewed that these worldly things§. Sect. 1. That the world is corruptible, and shall end. are not much to be esteemed or desired, yea to be contemned and despised, in comparison of Gods spiritual graces and heauenly ioyes, in regard that they are most vncertaine in obtaining, though we should set our harts vponupon them, & pursue them with al our endeauours, and these most certaine and assured, to all that louelove and seeke them. Now let vsus further consider, that if by our great care and labour we do obtaine them, the possession is no lesse vncertaine then the suite. And that both in respect of the things themselues, & also in respect of vsus, who are possessed of them. For first, al worldly things are most vncertaine when they are possessed, because they are momentany & mutable: momentany in regard of themselues, as being in their owne nature corruptible, & subiect to dissolution; and mutable in regard of vsus; as being changeable, & subiect to alteration. In respect also of vsus they are vncertaine, because we are mortall, & our liues momentanie; and therefore though they should not be taken from vsus, yet we cannot long cōtinue together, because we shall in short time be taken from them. Concerning the momentany continuance of these worldly things, it may euidently appeare, if we consider that the whole world it selfe generally, and specially all that is contained in it, are but of short continuance, and subiect to corruption; for such as are all the parts of the world, such also is the whole; but experience teacheth, that all the parts of the world are subiect to corruption and dissolution, and consequently this whole vniuerse cannot be incorruptible and eternall; but shal in the appointed time be dissolued and come to ruine: and this the Scriptures also plainly teach vsus, that as the world had a beginning;2. Pet. 3. 11. so also it must hauehave an ending. To this purpose the Apostle Iohn saith, that the world passeth away, & the lusts therof; 1. Iohn 2. 17.but he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth euer. And the Apostle Peter plainly affirmeth, that the heauens & earth are reserued vntounto fire against the day of iudgement, and of the destruction of vngodly men: and that the day of the Lord will come as a 2. Pet. 3. 7. 10.thiefe in the night, in the which the heauens shall passe away with a noise, & the elements shal melt with heate, & the earth with the workes that are therin, shal be burnt vp. Now as we are certaine that the world is corruptible, and shall hauehave an end; so are we vncertaine how soone this end shall be, but for ought we know, it may be this yeare, as wel as the next, and sure we are that it cannot be far off; seeing we liue in the latter times, of which the Apostle speaketh; yea in the latter end of the last1. Tim. 4. 1. 2. 3. 1. Iohn 2. 18. houre: for the Apostle Iohn making the whole age of the world in respect of eternity, to be but of a few houres continuance, saith, that all were spent sauing the last, in which he liued; and therefore if the whole time from Christs incarnation, to his second comming to iudgement, were but one houre, it is not probable that we are farre from the houres end, seeing so great a part is alreadie past.
Now who would fix his heart and ground his hopes vponupon§. Sect. 2 That we should not set our harts on the world, because it is corruptible and neere an end. such a rotten foundation, as cannot possibly long stand, and may for ought we know presently fall? who would build his house in such a citie as he certainly knew would within a while be consumed with fire, being vncertaine in what part of this short time, it would come to this expected ruine? what wise man will build his house vponupon the sincking sands, where it is either ready to sincke with them, or to be beaten downe at the next high flood, and not rather vponupon the firme rocke, where it shall remaine vnmoueable? But the Scriptures teach vsus that the world is but a bog, or sandie ground, subiect eueryevery day to fleeting and fading, and to be caried away with a floud of fire; & why then should we labour with such paines to build abiding places vponupon a foundation so deceitful & vnsure; and not rather bend all our studies to be admitted into those masion houses, & eternal habitatiōs, which Christ hathIohn 14. 2. 3. prepared for vsus in the heauens? If a skilful carpenter, in whose knowledge & truth we repose much confidence, should certainly assure vsus, that al the principals of our house were so old and rotten, that they would within a yeere at furthest faile,August. de Tri…. li. 13. cap. 7. and the whole building come to ruine, who would not flit out of such an house, in which he cannot one night sleepe securely, and vse all meanes to place himselfe in a surer habitaon? who would not thinke him a foole that would so fondly louelove this ruinous building, as that by staying still in it, he would be contented to indanger himselfe, to be ouerwhelmed and buried in it ruines? But the Lord our God the skilfull builder of this great frame of heauen and earth, whose cunning cannot be deceiued, nor truth deceiue, hath plainly told vsus that this great building shall within short time fall; and therefore who would heere seat his hopes? who would not change his dwelling, especially seeing we are proffered the fee-simple of that goodly building not made with hands, but eternall in the heauens? yea we are assured of the worlds2. Cor. 5. 1. approching ruine, not only by the word of God, but euen also by our owne experience; for we our selues do see it rottennes, we daily behold how the strength thereof decayeth, and that all the creatures do wax more feeble, being much abated in their naturall powers and vertues, and shewing by their weaknes and sicknes that they approch neere their end: the heauens hauehave not that vertue in their influences as in ancient times; the heate of the Sunne is much abated, and his vitall operation in sublunarie and terrestriall bodies greatly weakened, and though (as the learned hauehave obserued) this life-giuing fire be lower and neerer vntounto vsus, yet his vertue being decayed, we hauehave lesse comfort and feeling of his heat. The earth also which is the mother and nurse of all inferiour creatures, being come to old age, and wearie and spent with much bearing, hath not her ancient vertue and vigour in bringing forth her fruits for the vse and nourishment of man; by reason whereof he is much lessened in growth, enfeebled in strength, and obnoxious to many more infirmities and discases then were his ancestors. All which shew that the world is in it old and decrepit age, and not farre from death. For as in the little world of man, so also in this greater world and large vniuerse, there is a time of youth, and full strength, and a time of old age, and decrepit weaknesse; a time of life, and a time of death. And as man in his youth is lustie and strong, hauing his bones full of marrow, and his sinowes of strength; his skinne full of flesh, his whole body full of naturall heate and moisture, and quickened with vitall spirits: but when age commeth, his strength is abated, his backe crooked, his spirits spent, and all parts so full of infirmities and weaknes, that they are not able to performe their naturall functions and actions, till at last the limbes being altogether vnable to support the staggering bodie, it stumbleth and falleth at the threshold of death: so the world had it time of youth wherein it flourished in beautie, health, and strength, and was able to propagate a posterity like it selfe, and to nourish and make it fat with all delights; but now it is come to old age, wherein all the powers thereof are so weakened and enfeebled, that it cannot bee but the death thereof neere approcheth; and therefore let vsus not set our hearts vponupon that which is ready to vanish; let vsus not now foolishly dote vponupon the world in it withered old age, wherein it hath lost all it beautie,Quantum illi laudandi atque praedicandi, qui dignati non sunt, etiam cum mundo florente florere; tantum increpandi & accusandi sunt, quos perir…e cum pereunte delectat. Aug. ad Armentarium. epist. 45. and is so full of wrinkles, infirmities, diseases, and manifold miseries, that setting our dotage aside, it hath not so much as a shew of comelinesse to allure vsus, nor any bait of beautie to entice vsus. For looke how much those great worthies of ancient times, the Patriarches and Prophets are to be commended for contemning it, in it greatest brauerie, refusing when it chiefly flourished to flourish with it; so much are wee to be blamed and condemned, for esteeming and louing it, when all excellency being vanished, and it now being full of blemish and miseries, hath nothing in it, worthie so much as carnall louelove.
And as the world is momentany and corruptible; so much§. Sect. 3. That all worldly things are momentanie and corruptible. more are al the things therin contained, especially if we consider them in our vse and fruition; for whereas all things in the world are past, present, or to come; that which is past is perished, and as though it were not; that which is to come, is vncertaine, hauing not yet his being; and therefore we can truely be said onelyonly to enioy the present, which is momentany and ready to vanish. In respect of which momentany continuance of worldly things, they may fitly bee compared to fierie meteors, which make for the instant a glorious shew, but are inflamed and extinguished in the same moment; to the vncertaine winds, which suddenly blow, and suddenly cease; to deceitfull dreames, which bring a seeming short pleasure, but vanish when one awaketh; and to the houses, castles, and characters which children in their play doe make in the sands, which either are ouerthrowne and defaced with eueryevery blast of wind, or washed away with the next tide. TheNazianz. de pauperum amore. author of the booke of Wisedome likeneth the riches, pompe and glory of the world, to the passing away of a shadow, or post, and to the passage of a ship which glideth ouer the waues, and being gone by, leaueth no trace or path behind it in the flouds, or to a bird that flieth in the aire, and no man seeth any token of her passage, or finally to an arrowWisd. 5. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. shot at a marke, and parting the aire, which immediately commeth together againe, so that no man can know where it went thorow. Another demanding what humane thingsChrysost. in Hebraeos 6. Homil. 9. are; answereth, that they are as dust and ashes before the face of the wind, a smoke and a shadow, flowers and falling leaues, a dreame, and tale told, a wind and soft aire suddenly vanishing, flying wings, and running water, or some other thing yet more momentany and vncertaine. And in truth who seeth not that these worldly things do flow and reflow like the sea, there following presently after a full tide of prosperitie, a low ebbe of aduersitie; after a bright day of ioy▪ a darke night of sorrow; after faire weather, and a pleasing calme of comfort, a blustering storme, and turbulent tempest of crosses and afflictions, after a bright full of mirth and delight, the darke waine of sorrow and discontentment; in regard whereof there is no more constancie to be found in the world or worldly things, then in the moone, the sea, or Aprill weather. And therefore hee is no lesse foolish who imagineth that he can hold stedfastly this slipperie eele, then heQuaelibet elatio tanto citius rumpitur, quanto amplius inflatu…. Gregor. epist. lib. 6. cap. 194. who would inclose the wind, or keepe the sea incontinuall calmenesse. For when this swelling of prosperity is fullest, it is neerest to breaking; and when wee thinke our worldly estate securest, our downefall suddenly approcheth. And yet there were some indifferencie if these worldly things were as soone gotten as lost, and that our estate were as quickly repaired as it is ruined; but contrariwise experience teacheth vsus, that the ascent to the obtaining our worldly desires is by little and little, and the descent headlong; that we are long in gathering that which is in a moment scattered, and lose that in an houre, which with great care and incessant labour, we hauehave hardly attained vntounto in our whole liues.
It is true indeed that howsoeuer these worldly things bee§. Sect. 4. That we cannot securely inioy worldly things, and without feare of losing them. in themselues alike momentanie and vncertaine, yet with some they make a longer, and with others a shorter stay, as it pleaseth our great Lord and master to dispose of them. For some are long in obtaining them, and in a moment are spoiled of them, and hauehave no time to enioy the fruit of their tedious labours, these worldly things whose company they so long desired, saluting them and bidding them farrwell in the same day. The which the Wise man signifieth, when as hee saith, that the deceitfull man rosteth not that he tooke in hunting. Pro. 12. 27.In which case worldlings hauehave no good by these things whereupon they hauehave set their hearts, hauing onelyonly a tast of them to increase their longing, and long l…sting griefe, for their lost delights. Sometime they make a longer stay, andHoc vnum scie, omnia mortalium opera mortalitate damnata sunt, inter …er: tu…a viuimus. Senec. epist. 91. giuegive some little comfort by their fruition. But though they presently perish not, yet are they alwaies as perishing; and though they hauehave some short reprieue, yet the sentence of mortality, and momentany mutability being passed▪ they can giuegive vntounto vsus no assurance of their abode. In respect of which vncertainety the wise man willeth vsus, not to boast our selues so much as of to morrow; because wee doe not know what a Pro. 27. 1.day may bring forth. To which purpose another saith, that eueryevery man who entrusteth those things which he gathereth to the earths custodie, is vtterly ignorant to whom he gatherethBernard. in Cantic. Serm. 80. them, whether to the consuming moath, or to ye vndermining theefe, or spoyling enemy, or deuouring fire. In regard whereof howsoeuer we may for some time be possessed of these earthly things, yet we cannot hauehave the fruition of thēNulla re fruitur anima cum libertate, nisi qua fruitur cum secur tate: nemo autem s…curus est in ijs bonis quae potest inuitus amittere. August. de lib. arbit. lib. 2. cap. 14. with any quietnes of mind, or peaceable comfort; for as one saith, the soul enioieth nothing with liberty, vnlesse it enioy it with security, & no mā cā be secure in the fruitiō of those things which he esteemeth good; if hee may lose them whether he will or no.
Seeing therefore these worldly things are momentanie and vncertaine, from hence we gather that they are not truely good, nor of any great worth or excellencie; for that which is truely good, as it cannot be receiued vnwillingly, so neither can it be vnwillingly lost, but remaineth with the owners to their perpetuall comfort; where as these worldly§. Sect. 5. That the corruptibility of worldly things should weane our hearts from their fond louelove. Potes aurum perdere & nolens, &c. bonum verò quo verè bonus es, nec inuitus accipis nec inuitus amittis. August. tom. 10. Serm. 12. vanities are but of momentany continuance, and may eueryevery day, whether we will or no, bee taken from vsus, leauing behind them a proportionable sorrow, according to the quantity of their supposed goodnesse; so that though a mans ioy were neuer so great in their fruition, it shall at their last farewell be matched, if not ouermatched with bitter griefe. In respect whereof when this day of parting commeth, a man would willingly desire, that his comforts and delights in those things which he formerly affected had been lesse, that now also he might hauehave lesse sorrow. Whereby it appeareth that there can be no great happinesse in any thing which is but of momentany continuance, and that nothing is much to be desired which is mortall and must end: because when the time is once past, though it hauehave been neuer so long, it will appeare to those who looke backe vponupon it, but as a moment; and the greater ioy it hath brought in the fruition, the the greater griefe wil it also bring, because at last they are depriued of it. Againe, seeing these worldly vanities are momentany and vncertaine, from hence it necessarily followeth that the hope, confidence, and comforts of worldly men, which are built vponupon this weake and rotten foundation must also be vncertaine and deceitfull. So Bildad saith, that the hypocrites hope shall perish, his confidence also shall be cut off, and his Iob 8. 13. 14. 15.trust shall be as the house of a spider; he shall leane vponupon his house, but it shall not stand; he shall hold him fast by it, yet shall it not endure. And the Author of the booke of Wisdome affirmeth, that the hope of the vngodly is like the dust that is blowen away Wisd. 5. 14.with the wind, and like a thinne fome, that is scattered abroad with the storme, & as the smoke which is dispersed with the wind, and as the remembrance of him passeth, that tarieth but for a day. And in regard of this momentany vncertaintie of earthly vanities, the Prophet Esay compareth the indeauours of worldly men, in seeking to obtaine and possesse these mutable andEsay 59. 5. vnconstant things, to the weauing of the spiders web; for as to this idle work there is required great industry and labour, and being made, it is of no cōtinuance, because eueryevery blast of wind is ready to break it, & eueryevery beesome to brush it down: so these worldly vanities are cōpassed with great paines, and when with careful toile we hauehave obtained thē, eueryevery blast of aduerse casualty, eueryevery brush of outward violence is readie to blow thē away, & break thē downe. And in the same respect the world by others, is fitly cōpared to ye Moone, who in her chiefe brightnes hath her shining mingled with spots, and is alwaies mutable: so the world, though it make a glittering shew, is spotted in his greatest glory, with miseries & aduersities, and this shining brightnes in the space of a few daies is turned to black and vncomfortable darknes. And thereforeApocal. 12. …. Cureaquae ad vsum diuturna esse non possunt, ad supplicium diuturna d… posces? Ambr. in Luc. 4. tom. 5 how glorious soeuer it seemeth, the wise Christian wil not set it on his head, nor at his hart, but with the woman in the Reuelation, wil tread this vnconstant Moone vnderunder his feet, and contemne these momētany vanities, which though we could stay with them, are continually in readines to flie frō vsus. Especially he who truly considereth this momentany vncertainty of these earthly trifles, will carefully take heed that he do not with the least sin compasse the greatest good, and therby hazard his eternall ioyes, and indanger himselfe to perpetuall punishments; for what folly is it for any, to buy these momētany and vnconstant vanities at the high price of euerlasting tormēts, & for a short & salse ioy, to hazard body & soule to neuer ending punishmēts? And whē with these worldly baits he is allured vntounto sin, he will be ready to say with that godlyAeternus promisit aeternus. Si credidero, ex mortali fiam aeternu…, &c. August. Tom. 10. Serm. …9. in Luc. 13. Father: The eternal God hath promised me eternall ioyes; and if I beleeue him, I also of a mortall man, shal be made eternall: why thē O impure world, why then doest thou mutter in mine eares thy bewitching charmes? why dost thou seek to seduce me out of the right way? thou wouldest for louelove of thee withhold me frō eternity, and yet thy self art ready to perish. O what wouldest thou do if thy ioies were permanent? if thou were truly sweet, whom wouldest thou not deceiue; when as being bitter, thou counterfeitest pleasing nourishment? And yet though the world were sincerely sweete, without the mixture of any gall of miserie, there were little reason, why we should match it in our louelove with our gratious God, seeing it were all but a drop in comparison of this infinit ocean of sweetnes; if this creature should endure for euer, yet how much more should we louelove the Creator, from whom it hath receiued all it goodnes, as a little sparke from a great fire? how much more then should we now neglect it in comparison of that infinit goodnes, seeing his sweetes are bitternes? & if in respect of him, we might well contemne it though it were permanent, let vsus now much more contemne it, because it is transitorie. And seeing as the Apostle speaketh, he that soweth to his flesh, shal of his flesh reape corruption, let vsus sow Galath. 6. 8.to the spirit, that of the spirit we may reape life euerlasting.
But let vsus consider the vanity of worldly things in the speciall§. Sect. 6. That worldly honors are momentanie and vncertaine. instances. And first, what can be more vncertaine and momentanie then honors and preferment, which though they stand against the violence of outward accidents, yet oftentimes fall with their owne waight? for how many are there, who hauing with great paines climed vp step by step the ladder of honor, are in a moment cast downe by a superiour power into the lowest degree of disgrace and contempt? how many hauing with much sweat and labour ascended almost to the highest top of the steepe craggie rocke of honor and glorie, do misse their footing, and so tumble downe into the lowest bottome of a despised condition? Looke vponupon the example of our first parents, who not content with the glorious condition of the most excellent creatures, but climing higher, and aspiring to the glorie of their Creator, got a fall as low as hell it selfe, and made themselues equall to the damned spirits, had not God in merciemercy raised them vp. Looke vponupon the example of Haman, who in the middest of all his glorie was vtterly disgraced, and adiudged to die a shamefull death. So Nebuchadnezer whilest he would be more then a man, and worshipped as a god, was suddenly deposed from his regall throne, and became equall with the brutish creatures. In respect of which momentany vncertaintie of worldly honor; it hath (as one obserueth) it name ofGloria vana dicitur quia euanida est, & nihil habet stabile ne{que} firmum. &c. Chrysost. in Gen. 6. hom. 22. vaine glorie giuen vntounto it, and is called vaine, because it vanisheth, and hath nothing firme and stable in it, but is only a deception of the sight, flying away before it fully appeareth. In which regard it may be cōpared vntounto a flash of lightning, which for the instant filleth the whole aire with glorious brightnes, but presently is turned into grosse and more then vsuall darknes,; or to a bubble, which commonly is no sooner made then broken; because it is suddenly blowne vp (as it were) with the breath of the vulgar people, and with the same as suddenly broken. Others compare it to the dust or chaffe carried aloft by the violence of the wind, which of itAugust. Tom. 10. Serm. 109. selfe falleth downe to the ground, when it accidentall helpe ceaseth; to the smoake, which the higher it is aduanced the more easily it is dispersed, & the sooner vanisheth; to a cloud,Gregor. Moral. lib. 16. cap. 5. which by the same Sunne, and in the same day, is drawne vp, and dissolued or consumed; to the dew, which falleth ouernight, and the next morning vanisheth; and to a bladder, which the more it is blowne, the more it swelleth, and the neerer it is to bursting. But most fitly is the momentany continuance of an honorable condition, by the Prophet Esay expressed, when he compareth the glorie of man to the flower of the field, which one day flourisheth more gloriously then Salomon in all his royaltie, and the next withereth and fadeth away: one day it is worne in the bosome of Princes; and theHonor mundanus claudo pede pedetentim accedit; sed ocyus simu…{que} auolat. Ambros. in Psalm. 48. day following carelessely neglected, and cast vponupon a dunghill. Neither doth this worldly honor take as great leasure in departing, as it doth in approching, but (as one saith) it commeth haltingly and slowly, as it were on lame legs; but all at once it flieth away, and posteth from vsus (as it were) with winged haste: nor doth greatnes of aduancement in this case giuegive any priuiledge, or yeeld any support, yea rather the higher men are extolled and lifted vp, the greater and more vnrecouerable is their downefall; euen as he who falleth of a low stoole, receiueth no great hurt, and easily riseth againe, and recouereth himselfe, whereas he who falleth from an high steeple, or the top of a loftie tree, is mortally bruised, if not dismembred and shattered in pieces. And thus (as one obserueth) Adam had the more grieuous downefall, becauseGrauius Adam in Paradiso cecidit, quam si cecidisset in terra. De altissimis cadere praecipitium est, in planis lapsus dicitur. Ambros. in Psalm. 36. Tom. 4. he fell in Paradise, from a most high and glorious condition: for to be ouerthrowne from an high place is an head-long downefall, whereas it is but a slip or foile to fall on plaine ground. The reason hereof is, because the more highly men are aduanced, the greater commonly is their pride; and the more full they are of the wind of vaine-glory, the neerer they are to bursting; because the Lord opposing against the proud man aboue all other sinners, by reason of all others he most opposeth against him, doth cast him suddenly downe, and bringeth him to nought, when he is most secure, and standeth strongest, and out of danger of falling in his owne conceit. So Zophar speaking of the wicked man, saith, that though his excellencie should mount vp to the heauen, and his Iob 20. 6. 7. 8.head reach vntounto the clouds; yet shall he perish for euer like his dung; and they which hauehave seene him shall say, where is hee? hee shall flie away as a dreame, and they shall not find him, and shall passe away as a vision of the night. And the Wise man affirmeth,Prou. 16. 5. 18. that all which are proud in heart are an abomination vntounto the Lord, and though they ioyne hand in hand, yet they shall not be vnpunished: and consequently, that pride goeth before destruction, and an high mind before the fall. Yea so doth the Lord abhorre the proud, that he contenteth not himselfe to hauehave brought them to ruine, but subuerteth and destroyeth his house and familie, as elsewhere he speaketh. And therefore seeing worldly honors are momentanie and vncertaine, begettingProu. 15. 25. in vsus pride, and pride destruction, let vsus not foolishly affect, and set our hearts vponupon them, seeing men are but thus aduāced that they may catch the more grieuous downefal, the world vsing them herein like a cunning wrastler, who lifteth them vp highest, to whom it meaneth to giuegive the most dangerous ouerthrow; but rather let vsus esteeme and seekeGloria seculi non descendit cum peccatore; sed gloria virtutis ascend…t cum innocente, &c. Ambros. in Psal. 48. the true honour of vertue and godlinesse: for (as one saith) the glory of the world doth not descend with the sinner; but the glory of goodnesse will ascend with the vertuous. And if wee will bee wisely ambitious, let vsus despise these earthly honours, and aspire to that excellent dignitie and aduancement, of being the sonnes of the glorious king of heauen and earth, brethren to the son of God, and heires apparant to the crown of glory; which honour all shall certainely obtaine, which doe louelove and seeke it, and being obtained, shall eternally enioy it.
But as earthly honours are momentanie and transitorie, so§. Sect. 7. That worldly riches are momentan…, and transitorie. there is no more constancie or perpetuitie in worldly riches; for when with great labour they are obtained, there is no certainty in their possession, seeing within a short time they shall be taken away from vsus, or wee from them, either they shall hauehave their end, or we our end, they shall leaue vsus, or we them. And in the meane while they are subiect to innumerable casualties; for the moth may eate them, the rust mayDiuitiae habent finem suum, aut finem tuum. consume them, theeues may steale them, fire may burne them; yea oftentimes of themselues they melt away like butter in the sunne; or are taken away by outward force and violence: for the world vseth men like spunges; sometime it filleth them full, and soone after squeeseth all out againe: one day it maketh them to surfet of satiety, and within a few daies after pineth them with want. In regard of which vnconstanstancie and corruptibility of riches, they are called by the Apostle vncertaine riches, in which we may repose no trust and1. Tim. 6. 17. Pro. 13. 11. confidence. And by the Wise man, the riches of vanity, because they are continually ready to vanish, & to come to nothing. Neither are they in truth substance, as they are called, or true and substantial riches; but rather shadowes, & dreams, which seeme something whilest we sleepe in sinne, but vanish away as things of no worth, when we are awakened by Gods spirit. To which purpose one saith: Call not these riches which are not so in truth, seeing they are full of pouerty, and obnoxious to innumerable casualties. For what kind of riches are these, for whose sake thou standest in feare of the thiefe, yea of thine owne seruants, lest they kill, robbe thee, and runne away? If they were August. Serm. 35. tom. 10.true riches they would bring vntounto thee security, and when thou once haddest them, thou couldest neuer lose them. As long as they are in the earth, they are not true riches. And therefore when the world calleth them riches, our Sauiour Christ addeth, of iniquity. Call them then by what names you will, stile them as you please, with the glorious titles of inheritances, fee simples, and perpetuities, yet in truth they are but vncertaine vanities, and momentanie moueables, which are still flitting from vsus, or we from them. So the Wise man telleth vsus, that riches remaine Pro. 27. 24.not alway, nor the crowne from generation to generation. Yea oftentimes they suddenly depart, and forsake vsus without giuing warning, or taking leaue; in which respect they are not onelyonly current, as we call our coine, hasting away as fast as their legs will beare them, but volant also, as the Wise man maketh them, where he giueth them the wings of an Eagle to expresse their hast in flying from vsus: Wilt thou (saith hee) cast thine eyes vponupon that which is nothing? for riches taketh her Pro 23. 5.to her wings as an Eagle, and flieth into heauen. So our Sauiour Christ sheweth this corruptibility of riches, where he exhorteth vsus, not to lay vp treasures for our selues vponupon the earth, Ma…. 6. 19.where the moth and canker doe corrupt, and where theeues dig thorow and steale. And the Apostle expresseth it, where he attributeth vntounto gold, the epithete of perishing, and calleth it1. Pet. 1. 7. 18. and siluer things corruptible. Neither in truth is there any kind of riches which are not subiect to this corruptibility, or exempted from continuall danger of perishing. For if we are rich in treasures, the theeues may steale them, if in ships and merchandise, the sea may swallow them, or pirats spoile them; if in apparell and goodly furniture, the mothes may consume and eate them; if in corne fields, the blasting and mildewes may destroy them; if in cattell and sheepe, they are in danger of the rot and murraine; if in gold and siluer, the rust and canker may fret them, or they may bee taken away by violence or deceit; if in buildings, the fire may consume them; if in lands and possessions, the title may be called into question, and indangered by eueryevery vnconscionable lawyer, or contentious person. Nor can our care and diligence preuent these dangers, or secure vntounto vsus the things we enioy;Eccles. 5. 13. yea rather (as the Wise man telleth vsus) riches do often perish euen by our trauell▪ and the more wee labour to hold them, the sooner they forsake vsus; like water in the hand, which is lost with griping. And the reason hereof is, because wee are not absolute owners of them, but our great lord and master which hath chiefe right vntounto them, doth dispose of them according to his owne pleasure, giuing, and taking away, enriching, and making poore, whom, and when hee will. So that though we hauehave neuer so great an heape of this shining dust of gold and siluer, yet if he but blow vponupon it, it will presently flie away, as himselfe speaketh by his prophet. InHag. 1. 9. which respect the Wise man saith, that the treasures of wickednesse Pro. 10. 2. 3.profit nothing, because God casteth away the substance of the wicked: an example whereof we hauehave in the whore of Babylon, who being rich in fine linnen, purple, & skarlet, gold,Apoc. 18. 16. 17. precious stones, and pearles, is said to hauehave all her riches in one houre brought to desolation. In regard of which vnconstancie,Chrysost. de poeniten. Homil. 7: tom. 5. and momentanie continuance of wealth and worldly treasures, they are fitly compared to fugitiue seruants, who will not stay long in any place, but runne from master to master: whereof it is that worldlings hauing no assurance of them, and yet doting in their louelove, do keepe them vnderunder the safest custod…e of bolts and barres, locke and key, and watch ouer them continually with vigilant and carking care, for feare they should make an escape, and so depriue them of their seruice.
And yet such is the follie of worldly men, that though they§. Sect. 18. That riches are daily in danger of losing; and that the greater losse brings the greater griefe▪ are taught by continuall experience of others losses, that their riches are also momentanie, yet doe they dreame that their owne will be permanent and perpetuall, and that they shall long enioy their wealth themselues, and after leaue it to their children for many generations. Which vaine hopes when as they faile, and their riches contrary to their expectation are taken from them; they torment themselues with bitter griefe, and the greater their riches hauehave been, the greater is their sorrow for their losse, vexing themselues the more, by how much the more they hauehave abounded. And thus the grief of a lost kingdome, pierceth the heart with far greater sorrow, then hee who hath lost but a small lordship. Thus the merchant more bewaileth the wracke of his rich ship, then the poore fisherman his little boate; and the rich man being robbed of all his treasures, taketh his losse much more heauilie, then a poore man who is spoiled of some worthlesse trifles, though they be his whole substance. In which respect riches are right runawaies, which are kept with great care, and alwaies do their masters more hurt at their parting, then they hauehave done them good in their whole seruice. And therfore seeing these earthly riches are alwaies momentanie, and oftentimes harmeful, let it be far from any Christian from fixing his hart vponupon these vnconstant and fickle vanities, which like the waues of the sea rising and falling, will tosse it vp and downe in the restlesse motion of hope, care and feare. Farre be it from vsus who professe godlinesse, either to compasse or keepe these vncertaine and flitting trifles, by vnlawfull meanes, and for their sake by sin to hazard the eternall ioyes of heauen, and to cast our selues headlong into hell; seeingCum diuitiae sint caducae, poena perpetua est. Ambros. in Luc. 4. the things wee gaine are transitorie, and the things wee lose permanent and perpetuall; the pleasures which we take in our earthly treasures vnconstant, and momentanie, and the torments which attend vponupon their sinfull fruition endlesse and euerlasting; in which respect the Apostle Iames thusIam. 5. 1. 2. speaketh to couetous misers; Goe to now ye rich men, weepe and houle, for your miseries which shall come vponupon you. Your riches are corrupt, and your garments motheaten. Your gold and siluer is cankred, and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you, and shall eate your flesh as it were fire. Ye hauehave heaped vp treasure for the last daies; euen the treasure of wrath against the day Rom. 2. 5.of wrath, and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God, as the Apostle Paul expoundeth it. And therefore let vsus not set our hearts vponupon these momentanie and flitting vanities, but rather vponupon those substantiall treasures, Gods spirituall graces and heauenly ioyes; which as they are infinitely of more worth; so are they eternall and euerlasting, and shall neuer be taken from vsus, or we from them. For when wee hauehave enioyed them ten thousand times the age of a man, there shall not the least moment of our time be spent, but at the end of so many yeeres, our ioyes shall be so far from ending, as they were in their first beginning. When therefore the world calleth and allureth vsus, to seat our affections vponupon these moueable and momentanie vanities, let vsus stop our eares against his bewitching inticements, and hearken vntounto the call of sauing wisdome and true godlines, promising vsus long-lasting treasures, and an heauenly inheritance which shall neuer hauehave end. Riches (saith she) and honor are with me, euen durable riches Prou. 8. 18. 21.and righteousnes: my fruit is better then gold, euen then fine gold, and my reuenewes better then fine siluer; I cause to walke in the way of righteousnesse, and in the middest of the pathes of iudgement, that I may cause them that louelove me to inherit substance, and I will fill their treasures.
Or if our hearts be so fixed to our earthly riches, that we§. Sect. 9. The best way to preserue riches from losing. will not heare of leauing them, let vsus learne at least to louelove them wisely, and so as we may euer inioy our louelove; the which we cannot do by keeping them in earth, where they are subiect to corruptibilitie, as our Sauiour teacheth vsus; but by layingMatth. 6. 19. 20 them vp in heauen, where neither the moth nor canker corrupteth, and where theeues neither d…g thorow, nor steale. Let vsus vse them as comfortable helpes in our iorney to our owne countrie, and as meanes to assure vntounto vsus the fruition of our heauenly ioyes; and as our Sauiour exhorteth vsus, Let vsus make Luke 16. 9. and 12. 33.vsus friends with the riches of iniquitie, that when we shall want, we may be receiued into euerlasting habitations: and if we would for euer possesse neuer decaying riches, let vsus, as our Sauiour counselleth vsus, sell that we hauehave, and giuegive almes, make vsus bags which wax not old, a treasure that can neuer faile in heauē, where no theefe commeth, nor moth corrupteth. For keepe them long we cannot, seeing they are vnconstant and stil flying, and we mortall and daily dying; but the best way for euer to enioy them, is to send them before vsus by the Lords factors, the poore members of Iesus Christ, into our heauenly countrie, where they shall for euer be reserued for vsus. For howsoeuer our goods are momentanie, our good deeds shall be euerlasting, though our riches be corruptible, yet our Christian liberalitie, merciemercy, and righteousnes shall remaine for euer; according to that, he hath distributed and giuen to the poore, his righteousnes remaineth for euer, his horne shall be exalted with Psalm. 112. 3. 9. 2. Cor. 9. 9.glorie. And therefore the surest way to keepe our treasures for euer, is to bestow them vponupon the poore, and vponupon charitable and Christian vses,; for whilest we thus lay them out, we eternally keepe them, and in thus parting with them, we for euer reserue them: whereas if we lock them vp we lose them, if we keepe them in our owne custodie, though it be vnderunder locke and key, bolt and barre, we shall surely be spoiled of them, if not by theeues, yet at least by death; if we giuegive not a peny to the poore, we shall not find a peny of all our rich treasures which we had in earth, in the world to come: and they who with the rich glutton will not giuegive the crummesLuke 16. 21. 24. of their tables, to the reliefe of those who are in penurie and miserie, crying out for hunger, and begging their almes; shal with him crie out in hell torments, for a drop of cold water to coole their tongues, and shall not receiue it. Let vsus learne of husbandmen to cast away our corne that we may keepe it, and sow liberally, that we may reape a plentifull haruest: yea let vsus learne of rich misers in the generall, to chuse the surest and safest place for the keeping of our treasure, though not in the particular, to make their choice of the earth, where there is no treasurie vntounto which we may securely commit it; but letDiuitiae seculares si desunt non per mala opera quaerantur in mundo; si autem adsunt, per bona opera seruentur in coelo. August. ad Bonifac. epist. 205. Tom. 2. Auarus non est verus amator thesauri sui, malè tenendo perdit, multùm diligendo amittit. August. Serm. 245. Tom. 10. vsus lay it vp in heauen, and desire to hauehave it reserued in Gods own custody, where it shal not only remaine safe for our vse, but be increased vntounto vsus a thousand fold, and of momentanie moueables become an euerlasting and most glorious inheritance. And this counsell an ancient Father giueth vsus; If (saith he) worldly riches be wanting, let vsus not by euill works seek them on earth; if they do abound, let vsus by good workes reserue them in heauen. For (as he saith in another place) if we couetously hord them vp, and will not part with them to good and charitable vses, we may be said indeed to louelove our riches, but it is fondly and foolishly, killing and destroying them with ouermuch kindnes, whilest we hug them too hard in our bosomes; but not truely and wisely, for by euill keeping, we make them to perish in our hands, and by fond louing them we eternally lose them: whereas if we loued them aright, we would send them before vsus into heauen, whither we shall shortly follow after, and they remaine with vsus, and we with them for euermore.
Finally, as worldly honors and riches, so also worldly pleasures§. Sect. 10. That worldly pleasures are short and momentany. and delights are short and momentanie; like vntounto delightfull dreames, which please for the present, but vanish away when one awaketh: for when men with great paines and labour hauehave procured for themselues these worldly pleasures, they are readie to forsake them, as soone as they salute them, and to end in their fruition, dying (as it were) in the verie birth. Thus do the pleasures of eating and drinking presently vanish, as soone as the meat and drinke is swallowed into the stomacke; thus sports and pastimes are inioyed and ended in the same moment; thus sweet musicke delighteth only whilest it is in hearing, the pleasure and sound at once leauing vsus; and finally, thus goodly maskes and shewes, giuegive only delight whilest they are looked vponupon, and like apparitions no sooner appeare, then vanish. In a word, though we should enioy all worldly delights euen our whole life, some few daies excepted, all that are passed would not minister any comfort, to cheare and vphold vsus in this short time of their absence, and so is all the ioy of pleasures tied to their presence, that though we should enioy them the age of Methuselah, Ecclesiasticus 11. 27.one houres aduersitie would make them all to be forgotten, vnlesse they be called to mind, as argumēts to aggrauate our present vnhappines, because now when we need most comfort, we are forsaken of all our former delights. And this momentanie continuance of pleasures, is by Zophar plainly expressed, where he obserueth, that of old, and euer Iob 20. 4. 5.since God placed man vponupon the earth, the reioycing of the wicked hath been short, and that the ioy of hypocrites hath lasted but for a moment. And the Wise man familiarly explaineth it, by comparing these worldly delights to the noise of thornes vnderunder the pot, which howsoeuer for the instant they make a great crackling, and a glorious blaze, yet eueryevery one knoweth, thatEccles. 7. 8. as they are suddenly kindled, so also they are as suddenly extinguished; for howsoeuer they delight for the instant, yet they perish in the very tasting, and passe away as soone as they are come, leauing behind them nothing but griefe and sorrow, either because they were at all enioyed, or are so soone departed. So another doth most liuely expresse ye short tarriance of these worldly pleasures, by comparing them to letters written in the waters, which in the same moment areGregor. Nyssen. in Eccles. Hom. 5. made and defaced, no print or impression of them being left behind: for as in that, the paine is no lesse, then if a man did write in lasting parchment, but the continuance of the letters written no longer then they are in making, so there goeth as great paine to the obtaining of these worldly delights, as of those which are heauenly and eternall, and yet the fruition lasteth no longer then the very act and operation, and being once past, no print or impression of them remaineth after them. And therefore seeing these▪ worldly pleasures are so momentanie, and of short continuance; let vsus not set our hearts vponupon them, but rather affect and seeke for those which are spirituall and heauenly; for if we delight our selues in theIohn 16. 22. Lord, and in the fruition of his mercies, vouchsafed vntounto vsus in his Sonne Christ, our Sauiour himselfe hath assured vsus, that this ioy shall euer last, and no man shall be able to take it from vsus; and the Psalmist telleth vsus that those heauenly pleasuresPsalme 16. 11. which are at Gods right hand, endure for euermore. Especially let vsus take heed that we do not compasse vnlawfull pleasures, or by vnlawfull meanes, or immoderately louelove those which in themselues are lawfull; for what folly and madnes were it, to hazard by sin the losse of much more excellent pleasures which are eternall, for the fruition of thesePsalme 92. 6. 7. which are no lesse vaine then momentanie? yea to indanger our soules to euerlasting torments, for the present enioying of these fading delights?