The Vanity of the Lives and Passions of Men, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
Of the vanity of worldly pleaſures.
THere is alſo two ſorts of pleaſure: firſt, the Worldly: ſecondly, the Spiritual; the laſt are rather ſpiritual raviſhments then pleaſures, for their ſuperlative excellency: but the worldly pleaſures are like the morning dew, that vaniſheth away at the riſing of the Sun; even ſo worldly pleaſures have no ſubſtance, and in the continuance they become irkſome; and yet is one of the dieties of worldly men, in the injoyment of which, they conceive doth conſiſt their ſupream good: Their original ſpring is the five ſenſes: firſt, the Sight: ſecondly, the Hearing: thirdly, the Taſt: fourthly, the Smel: fifthly, the Feeling: and every one of theſe have their peculiar delights: the Sight takes pleaſure in beautiful objects, the Hearing in Muſick, the Taſt in delicious Savors, the Smel in oderiferous Odours, and the hand in laſcivious Feelings; ſo that all the worldly pleaſures that can be imagined proceed from one of theſe ſenſes: how can it then be poſſible, that rational men ſhould be ſo mad as to conceive their ſupream good ſhould conſiſt in ſuch momentary vanities! beſides, it is daily ſeen, that mens pleaſures are rather guided by Phanſie then by Reaſon, and more by inclination, then judgment; for what is pleaſant to one is diſtaſtful to the other throughout the five ſenſes: Firſt, in the Objects, ſome love a flaxen hair'd, others a black hair'd woman: ſome love to hear a doleful melody, others a joyful: ſome love to eat one thing, and ſome another; nay, their very taſte will vary, although they eat of one and the ſame meate: ſome love a ſweet, milde odour, others a ſtrong perfume; and for their Feeling, they are as various; and in the Election of their calling they differ as much, ſome love a Souldiers life, others love Learning, others to be Merchants, other Shop-keepers; others will be Artificers, others will be Sea-faring men, others will feed cattel, and others will till the ground: Likewiſe in their Recreations, ſome love Hawking, others Hunting, others Shooting, others Bowling, others Gaming, and ſo in all things their pleaſures differ & varie. If it be then granted, that their ſupream Good doth conſiſt in the injoyment of their pleaſures, then there muſt of neceſſity be as many different ſupream Goods, as there is variety of pleaſures; but as I have ſaid before, all theſe pleaſures or inclinations, are but meer phanſies, vanities, and vexations of Spirit; as it ſhall be proved by theſe inſuing Diſcourſes: Obſerve then for method ſake, that worldly pleaſures may be diſtinguiſhed thus,
1. By neceſſary and natural.
2. By violent and ſuperfluous.
3. By moderate and lawful.
4. By vitious and unlawful.
And for concluſion, I will give a hint of the ſpiritual Pleaſures that are ſuperexcellent, and free from vanity.
Firſt, under the neceſſary pleaſures are compriſed eating, drinking, walking, reſting and ſleeping, with the actions and imployments about our juſt and lawful Callings, for in all theſe things there is a naturall delight, for he that eateth when he is ahungry, and drinieth when he is athirſt, and reſteth when he is weary, or ſleepeth after a long watching, finds a delight in all theſe neceſſary things, without which men cannot ſubſiſt, but in all theſe men are to be moderate, otherwiſe they become vitious, but they muſt be laborious in their caling; therefore as Salomon ſaith,aProv. 5.12. Sleep to a labouring man is ſweet; as Souldiers in their Military exerciſes, Students in their Studies,The neceſſarie and natural pleaſures. Merchants in their Negotiations, Shop-keepers in their Shops, and Artificers in their Work, otherwiſe their profeſſions will ſeem tedious and irkſome unto them; and as a rowling ſtone never getteth Moſs, ſo fickle and inconſtant men in their calling never attain to honor nor riches, for it is diligence, activity, and a conſtant aſſiduity in in any profeſſion that make men thrive in the world; He becometh poor, ſaith Solomon, bPro. 10.4, 5.that dealeth with a ſlack hand, but the hand of the diligent maketh rich; he that gathereth in Summer is a wiſe ſon, but he that ſleepeth in Harveſt is a ſon of ſhame: and many men in theſe days come to penury by often changing of Calling, or by undertaking ſuch Callings as they never were bred to, or by exerciſing four or five Callings at one and the ſame time, which is a great vanity, for that is the cauſe that Artificers never attain to the perfection of their Art, or handy-craft, but remain ignorant hudlers in them all: It is therefore convenient that men ſhould be conſtant to one Calling, and to take delight in it, For godlineſs with content, ſaith St. Paul, c1 Tim. 6.6.is great gain, and without men take delight in their profeſſion, they will always be changing till they bring themſelves to extream miſery.
Secondly, violent and ſuperfluous Pleaſures are deſructive two ways, the firſt impair mens health, and ſhorten their dayes, and the other doth waſte and conſume their eſtates: how many have loſt their lives by the exceſſive pleaſures of Venery in the very act, & many more by exceſſive riots of drunkenneſs and gluttony, and others by the violent exerciſes of Tennis, Foot-ball play, Leaping, Vaulting, and running of races: ſome others by ſwiming,The violent and ſuperfluous pleaſures. and others by drinking in Summer wines cooled in ſnow; and of late years how many have ſhortned their lives by the exceſſive uſe of Tobacco, a bewitching herb, in the taking of which the poorer ſort conſume the ſmall means they have, and the richer impair their health, and fill their brains as full of foot, as is the funnel of a chimney, by which they deprive themſelves of ſleep, conſume their radical humor, engender Palſies, and apoplexies, and go down to the grave before their time, whereas if it be uſed moderately, it purgeth the Phlegm, prevents the Dropſie, and refreſheth the ſpirits. It is then apparent, that as theſe violent pleaſures impair the body, ſo they waſt mens eſtates, for rioting, gluttony and drunkenneſs, Tennis, and Foot-ballplay, running of races, and drinking of wine cooled in ſnow are conſumers of the means and eſtates of men.
Thirdly, the moderate and lawful pleaſures, are not prohibited in the word of God, ſo they be uſed with moderation; for Chriſtians may boldly take pleaſure in a moderate way of all the creatures under the Sun, ſo it be with thankſgiving, and after a ſanctified manner in all ſobriety and temperance. 1. They may take delight in the admirable works of God,dPſal. 136.8. in the contemplation of the light of the Sun, in the conſtant courſe it obſerves in the regulating of the ſeaſons of the year, and in the increaſe and declination of its heigth, whereby the days are lengthened or ſhortned; In the various mutations of the Moon, by whoſe influence the Tides increaſe or fall. 2. They may delight to ſee the aſpect of the SpringePſal. 8.3. when after a cold Winter the vegetative creatures begin to ſprout, and when Flora doth reveſt her ſelf in her glorious apparel clothing the earth with variety of odiferous flowers inameled of divers colours, which excel in beauty, in the eſteem of our bleſſed Saviour,fMath. 6.28. the very glory of King Salomon; and in Summer they may delight in the bleſſing of God, upon the labour of the Husbandman; and in Harveſt upon the incredible increaſe of the ſeed, and in WintergPſal. 72.…6. in the conſideration of the propriety that God hath given to the vegetative creatures, to draw their ſap, which is their life, into their root, that it may be kept in the bowels of the earth, from the danger of the froſt and ſnow; and how by his admirable providence, he doth feed the beaſts of the field, and the fowls of the air in that barren ſeaſon,The moderate and lawful pleaſures. as well as in haveſt. 3. They may delight in the glorious objects of the green and beautiful medows, and in the ſweet rivers running along their banks; in the numerous herds of cattel feeding in the Valleys and Mountains. 4. They may rejoyce in the commerce and trade of rich merchandiſe that are brought from forraign parts, whereby the commonwealth doth flouriſh, and the poor are ſet at work; and all in generall provided of all neceſſary things for this life. 5. They may take delight to ſee the Artificers, Shop-keepers, and all others of the poorer ſort to proſper, and to have vent and utterance for their wares, whereby they are enabled to maintain themſelves, wives, children and ſervants, in a decent condition, and free from want or penury. 6. They may delight and bleſs the Lord, for their health, peace, and proſperous eſtate, and that they live, and move, and have a beeing, with all neceſſary things for this life, as meat, drink and raiment; but above all they may laud and praiſe the Lord for his mercy, and the free liberty they have to hear his Word and Goſpel preached with zeal and ſincerity. 7. They may ſolace themſelves in honeſt recreations, as in walking abroad to take the aire, in the company of their friends; their diſcourſes beinghCol. 4 6. ſeaſoned with ſalt, and rather tending to edification then depravation. 8. They may ſometimes go a hunting, hawking, fiſhing, ſhooting, bowling, but theſe recreations are to be ſhort, and onelyonly for to refreſh their ſpirits, after tedious ſtudies, and weekly employments, and to ſtrengthen their bodies by theſe laudable exerciſes, and not to make them, as ſome do, their daily work, for otherwiſe theſe honeſt and laudable recreations would become vitious, and deſtructive to body and ſoul, for nothing ought to be more precious to Chriſtians then Time.
Fourthly, Vicious and unlawful pleaſures are the ſnares of Satan, and the harbengers of death, and yet they are moſt in faſhion in theſe days,See Plutarch and the Engliſh and French Hiſtory. and few or none that are addicted to them, will give them any bound or limits: It is recorded that Ceſar, Edward the fourth King of England, and Henry the fourth King of France, were over-much addicted to Venery, and yet thoſe that have written their Lives, give them this commendation, that they bounded this Paſſion within certain limits; for their Venerian delights did never, ſay they, make them neglect any affairs of State, or actions of war, becauſe, ſaith a modern Author of Ceſar, Senault in the uſe of Paſſions.that the Paſſion of Ambition was more predominate in him then the Paſſion of Love, although the Paſſion of Love, in the opinion of Ariſtotle, and of Senault himſelf, is held to be the moſt violent Paſſion of all the other Paſſions: but if men are to be moderated, as I have ſaid before, in the natural and neceſſary pleaſures, there is great reaſon they ſhould be more temperate in their vitious pleaſures, ſith they are ſinful, and odious to God, and to all vertuous and temperate men: and St. Paul i1 Theſ. 4.3.would have men to be moderate in their cating and drinking for their healths ſake, and for conſcience ſake, for the abuſe of the creature is prohibited by the Lord: Nay, they are to be temperate in their walkings, reſting, ſleeping, and in the very delight of the Nuptiall bed, and that is the reaſon that St. Paul gives them this charge,kPhil. 4.5. Let your moderation be known unto all men: the Lord is at hand; and notwithſtanding young and old run after vitious and unlawful pleaſures, as the Grayhound runs after the Hare, and yet they beſot men, and deprive men of their reaſon and judgment, and ſuch as by cuſtome have gotten an habit in carnal pleaſures, are ſeldom weaned from them, without a ſpecial meaſure of divine grace, for they are more inticing, and have ſtronger charms to allure men (then the Harlot ſpoken of in the 7. of Proverbs, lPro. 7. ver. 19, 20, 21, 22.Come let us take our fill of love untill the morning, let us ſolace our ſelves with loves, for the good man is not at home, he is gone a long journey, he hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed; with much fair ſpeech ſhe cauſed him to yeeld, with the flattering of her lips ſhe forced him: he goeth after her ſtraightway, as an oxe goeth to the ſlaughter, and as a fool to the correction of the ſtocks, till a dart ſtrike through his liver, as a bird haſteth to the ſnare, and knoweth it not that it is for his life) to intice men to luſt, and all impiety, for under vicious pleaſures are compriſed Lechery, Drunkenneſs, and Gluttony, Pride, Pomp, laſcivious Apparel and Prodigality: all vitious recreations, as Enterludes, Comedies, and Tragedies, Tabling, Carding, Dicing, Dancing, Leaping, and Vaulting, Masks, and Mummeries, and all ſuch Court-vanities; and theſe are the deities of worldly men, and paradiſe of the wiſe men, or rather of the fools in theſe days. But before I proceed, give me leave to examin what bliſs or felicity doth conſiſt in the injoyment of theſe vanities. Firſt, Venery, is a ſenſual delight, of no continuance, which enerveth, ſaithmDu Bartus in his ſecond week. du Bartus, all the faculties of body and ſoul, and caſts mens reaſon in a quick ſand of luſt: beſides, it draws with cartrobes the judgments of God upon men and women, and fills their bodies of loathſom and incredible diſeaſes. Secondly, for Gluttony and Drunkenneſs, they are abſolutely brutiſh, and of all the bruits and ſenſitive creatures, there is none that is addicted to theſe vicees but the Fox and the Swine, for the Swine will ſometimes burſt by drinking of Buttermilk, and the Fox by drinking of young Lambs blood, and therefore no Nation hath a better Etymology for a drunkard then the Engliſh; for when men are drunk, they ſay, They are Fox'd; and what is more deſtructive to the health of mens bodies then drunkenneſs and gluttony? Awake, ye drunkards, ſaith the Prophet Ioel, *Ioel 1.5.and weep, and howle all ye drinkers of wine, becauſe of the new wine, for it is cut off from your mouth. Thirdly, For pride, pomp, laſcivious apparel, and prodigality; to be proud of that wch is not our own, is a meer folly, and laſcivious apparel is but as the tinder to inflame the fire of luſt; and for pomp, and prodigality, the one is the way to penury, and the other may be compared to the Peacock,The effects of vitious and unlawful pleaſures. that hath nothing in him that is good or worthy of praiſe but his gay feathers: beſides, men are but Stewards, or Feofees in truſt of the means they have, and they will undoubtedly be called to an account, if they laviſh the means they are intruſted withall in ſuch vanities. Fourthly, Enterludes, Comedies, and Tragedies, are but the Seminaries of luſt, and Playhouſes the Schools of the depravation and corruption of youth. Fifthly, Tabling, Dicing, and Carding, are the Circes or rocks where men make ſhipwrack of their means and eſtates, and by which ſwearing, curſing, and banning is promoted and kept in beeing. Sixthly, Dancing, Masking, and Mummeries, they are but the meer Panders and Bawds of the Court, the very conſumers of Princes treaſures, and the Nurſes of all vices, that make young gallants ſell their land to wear gay cloaths, and to gliſter in a Hall with their ſilver and gold lace; and when they have laviſhed their eſtates, and impaired the health of their bodies, multiplied and aggravated their ſins, they have nothing left them but grief and ſorrow of heart, and a gnawing worme in their conſciences that never dieth; except the Lord in his mercy touch their hearts, and make them cry out like the Prodigal Son,nMatth. 15.20, 21, 22. I have ſinned againſt heaven, and in thy ſight, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son; or prick their hearts as thoſe that crucified our bleſſed Saviour, who ſaid unto St. Peter, and his fellows Apoſtles, Men and brethren what ſhall we do? Then Peter ſaid unto them, Repent: even ſo if theſe Monopoliſts of worldly pleaſures do not repent unfainedly, they will incur Gods juſt indignation at the laſt day.
Laſtly, The Spiritual Pleaſures are free from vanity, and raviſh mens ſouls into the third heaven, and by the eyes of faith ſee the preſence of God, Angels, and Saints. Thou haſt raviſhed my heart, ſaith Chriſt unto his Church:oCant. 4.9. Even ſo the children of God, that take pleaſure to meditate in the Law of God, are raviſhed in ſpirit, as St. Paul ſaith of himſelf,p2 Cor. 12.2, 3, 4. I knew a man in Chriſt above fourteen years ago, whether in the body I cannot tell, God knoweth, ſuch a one caught up into the third heaven: and I knew ſuch a man (whether in body, or out of the body, I cannot tell, God knoweth) how he was caught up into Paradiſe, and heard unſpeakable words, unutterable, which is not lawfull for a man to utter. And undoubtedly, in zealous prayers, and holy meditations, doth conſiſt the ſpiritual Pleaſures of a Chriſtian; and it is ſaid in Geneſis, qGen. 24.63.that Iſaac went every evening in the field to meditate; ſo that it is apparent, that the ſervants of God have an intimate familiarity with him, which doth fill their hearts with unſpeakable pleaſures, for the Prophet David ſaith,rPſal. 1.2. The godly mens delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in his Law doth he meditate day and night: And the conſtant and fervent prayers of Cornelius fAct. 10.2.the Centurion obtained this favour of the Lord, that Saint Peter was ſent for, for the converſion of himſelf, and of his family; and St. Peter by his prayers was caſt into a trance, and ſawtAct. 10.11, 12. a viſion, whereby he was confirmed that God is no accepter of perſons, and whether they be Jews or Gentiles, if they love and fear him, they are received into grace by the merits of Chriſt his beloved Son.How men may attain to injoy ſpiritual pleaſure. They that wil then injoy the ſpiritual pleaſures, muſt pray continually, and meditate day and night upon the myſtery of their ſalvation, to get an aſſurance their calling andu… Pet. 1.10. election is ſure, and they are juſtified by the bloud of Chriſt, ſhall be ſaved fromxRom 5.9. wrath through him, and areyRom. 15.16. ſanctified by the holy Ghoſt, and of the number, who by the preaching of the Goſpel, have had their eyes opened, to turn them from darkneſs to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receivezActs 26.18. forgiveneſs of ſins and inheritance among them which are ſanctified by faith in Chriſt, and that they have received a white ſtone, and in the ſtone*Revel. 2. a new name which no Man knoweth, ſaving he that receiveth it. This aſſurance, I ſay, is able to fill a Chriſtians heart with unſpeakable pleaſures, and to raviſh his ſoul into the third heavens, where he ſhall injoy the preſence of God, in whom is the fulneſs of joy,Pſal. 16.11. and in his right hand are pleaſures for evermore. But worldly pleaſures vaniſh away like ſmoak, and are meer vanity and vexation of ſpirit.