CHAP. XI.
That not only a life of vanity, or sensuality, but even the most regular kind of life, that is not governed by great devotion, sufficiently shews its miseries, its wants and emptiness to the eyes of all the world. This represented in various characters.
1.*OCTAVIUS is a learned, ingenious man, well versed in most parts of literature, and no stranger to any kingdom in Europe. The other day, being just recovered from a lingering fever he took upon him to talk thus to his friends.
“My glass, says he, is almost run out; and your eyes see how many marks of age and death I bear about me: but I plainly feel myself sinking away faster than any standers-by imagine. I fully believe, that one year more will conclude my reckoning.”
The attention of his friends was much raised by such a declaration, expecting to hear something truly excellent from so learned a man, who had but a year longer to live; when Octavius proceeded in this manner, “For these reasons, says he, my friends, I have left off all taverns; the wine of those places is not good enough for me in this decay of nature. I must now be nice in what I drink. I can’t pretend to do as I have done; and therefore I am resolved to furnish my own cellar with a little of the very best, tho’ it cost me ever so much.”
2. A few days after Octavius had made this declaration to his friends, he relapsed into his former illness, was committed to a nurse, who closed his eyes before his fresh parcel of wine came in.
Young Eugenius who was present at this discourse went home a new man.
I never, says Eugenius, was so deeply affected with the wisdom and importance of religion, as when I saw how poorly and meanly the learned Octavius was to leave the world, thro’ the want of it.
3. *Was all to die with our bodies, there might be some pretence for those different sorts of happiness, that are now so much talked of: but since our all begins at the death of our bodies; since all men are to be immortal, either in misery or happiness, in a world entirely different from this; since they are all hastening thence at all uncertainties, as fast as death can cut them down; some in sickness, some in health, some sleeping, some waking, some at midnight, others at cock-crowing, and at all hours they know not of; is it not certain, that no man can exceed another in joy and happiness, but so far as he exceeds him in those virtues which fit him for a happy death?
*Cognatus is a sober, regular clergyman, of good repute in the world, and well esteemed in his parish. All his parishioners say he is an honest man, and very notable at making a bargain. The farmers listen to him with great attention, when he talks of the properest time of selling corn.
He has been for twenty years a diligent observer of markets, and has raised a considerable fortune by good management.
Cognatus is very orthodox, and full of esteem for our English liturgy; and if he has not prayers on Wednesdays and Fridays, ’tis because his predecessor had not used the parish to any such custom. As he cannot serve both his livings himself; so he makes it matter of conscience to keep a sober curate upon one of them, whom he hires to take care of all the souls in the parish, at as cheap a rate as a sober man can be procured.
Cognatus has been very prosperous all his time; but still he has had the uneasiness and vexations that they have, who are deep in worldly business. Taxes, losses, crosses, bad mortgages, bad tenants, and the hardness of the times, are frequent subjects of his conversation, and a good or a bad season has a great effect upon his spirits.
Cognatus has no other end in growing rich, but that he may leave a considerable fortune to a niece, whom he has politely educated in expensive finery, by what he has saved out of the tythes of two livings.
The neighbours look upon Cognatus as an happy clergyman, because they see him (as they call it) in good circumstances; and some of them intend to dedicate their own sons to the church, because they see how well it has succeeded with Cognatus, whose father was but an ordinary man.
♦5. *But now if Cognatus, when he first entered into holy orders, had perceived how absurd a thing it is to grow rich by the gospel; if he had proposed to himself the example of some primitive father; if, instead of twenty years care to lay up treasures upon earth, he had distributed the income of every year in the most Christian acts of charity.
♦ Number 4 omitted in text.
If instead of tempting his niece to be proud, and providing her with such ornaments as the apostle forbids, he had cloathed, comforted, and relieved numbers of widows and orphans, who were all to appear for him at the last day:
*If instead of the cares and anxieties of bad bonds, troublesome mortgages, and ill bargains, he had had the constant comfort of knowing, that his treasure was securely laid up, where neither moth corrupteth, nor thieves break thro’ and steal; could it with any reason be said, that he had mistaken the spirit and dignity of his order, or lessened any of that happiness, which is to be found in his sacred employment?
If instead of rejoicing in the happiness of a second living, he had thought it unbecoming the office of a clergyman to traffick for gain in holy things, as to open a shop.
*If he had thought it better to recommend some honest labour to his niece, than to support her in idleness by the labour of a curate; better that she should want fine cloaths, and a rich husband, than that cures of souls should be farmed out, and brother clergymen not suffered to live by those altars at which they serve. If this had been the spirit of Cognatus, could it with any reason be said, that these rules of religion, this strictness of piety, had robbed Cognatus of any real happiness? Could it be said, that a life thus governed by the spirit of the gospel, must be dull and melancholy, if compared to that of raising a fortune for a niece?
6. Look now at that condition of life which draws the envy of all.
*Negotius is a temperate, honest man. He served his time under a master of great trade; but has, by his own management, made it a more considerable business than ever it was before. For thirty years last past, he has been corresponding with all parts of Europe. The general good of trade seems to Negotius to be the general good of life; whatever he commends or condemns, either in church or state, is commended, or condemned, with regard to trade.
As money is continually pouring in upon him; so he often lets it go in various kinds of expence and generosity, and sometimes in ways of charity.
Negotius is always ready to join in any public contribution. If a purse is making at any place where he happens to be, whether it be to buy a plate for a horse-race, or to redeem a prisoner out of gaol, you are always sure of having something from him.
He has given a fine ring of bells to a church in the country; and there is much expectation that he will some time or other make a more beautiful front to the market-house, than has yet been seen in any place: for it is the generous spirit of Negotius, to do nothing in a mean way.
7. If you ask what it is that has secured Negotius from all scandalous vices, it is the same thing that has kept him from all strictness of devotion, it is his great business. He has always had too many important things in his head: his thoughts are too much employed, to suffer him to fall either into a course of rakery, or to feel the necessity of an inward, solid piety.
For this reason he hears of the pleasures of debauchery, and the pleasures of piety with the ♦same indifferency; and has no more desire of living in the one than in the other, because neither of them consists with that turn of mind, and multiplicity of business, which are his happiness.
♦ inserted omitted word ‘same’
*If Negotius was asked, what it is which he drives at in life? He would be as much at a loss for an answer, as if he was asked, what any other person was thinking of. For though he always seems to himself to know what he is doing, and has many things in his head, which are the motives of his actions; yet he cannot tell you of any one general end of life that he has chosen with deliberation, as being truly worthy of all his labour and pains.
He has several confused notions in his head, which have been a long time there: such as these; that it is something great to have more business than other people, to have more dealings upon his hands than a hundred of the same profession, to grow continually richer and richer, and to raise an immense fortune before he dies. The thing that seems to give Negotius the greatest life and spirit, and to be most in his thoughts, is an expectation that he shall die richer than any of his business ever did.
8. The generality of people when they think of happiness, think upon Negotius; in whose life every instance of happiness is supposed to meet, sober, prudent, rich, prosperous, generous and charitable.
Let us now look at this condition in another, but truer light.
*Let it be supposed, that this same Negotius was a painful, laborious man, very deep in variety of affairs; that he neither drank, nor debauched, but was sober and regular in his business. Let it be supposed, that he grew old in this course of trading, and that the end and design of all his labour, and care, and application to business, was only this, that he might die possessed of more than an hundred thousand pair of boots and spurs.
Let it be supposed that the sober part of the world say of him when he ♦is dead, that he was a great and happy man, a thorough master of business, and had acquired an hundred thousand pair of boots and spurs when he died.
♦ ‘his’ replaced with ‘is’
9. *Now if this was really the case, I believe that it would be readily granted that a life of such business was as poor and ridiculous as any that can be invented. But it would puzzle any one to shew, that a man that has spent all his time and thoughts in business and hurry, that he might die, as it is said, worth an hundred thousand pounds, is any whit wiser than he, who has taken the same pains to have as many pairs of boots and spurs when he leaves the world.
*For if the state of our souls be our whole state, if the only end of life be to die as free from sin, and as exalted in virtue as we can; if naked as we came, so naked are we to return, and to stand a trial before Christ and his holy angels, for everlasting happiness or misery, what can it possibly signify, what a man had, or had not, in this world? What can it signify what you call these things that a man left behind him; whether you call him his, or any one’s else; whether you call them trees or fields, or birds and feathers; whether you call them an hundred thousand pounds, or an hundred thousand pair of boots and spurs? I say call them; for the things signify no more to him than the names.
Now ’tis easy to see the folly of a life thus spent, to furnish a man with such a number of boots and spurs. But yet there needs no better faculty of seeing, no finer understanding, to see the folly of a life spent in making a man possessor of ten towns before he dies.
*For if, when he has got all his towns, or all his boots, his soul is to go into his own place amongst separate spirits, and his body to be laid by in a coffin, till the last trumpet calls him to judgment; where the enquiry will be, how humbly, how devoutly, how meekly, how piously, how charitably, we have spoke, thought, and acted, whilst we were in the body? How can we say, that he who has wore out his life in raising an hundred thousand pounds, has acted wiser for himself, than he who has had the same care to procure an hundred thousand of any thing else?
10. *But farther, let it now be supposed, that Negotius, when he first entered into business, happening to read the gospel with attention, found he had a much greater business upon his hands, than that to which he had served an apprenticeship: that there were things which belong to man, of much more importance than all that our eyes can see; so glorious, as to deserve all our thoughts; so dangerous, as to need all our care; and so certain, as never to deceive the faithful labourer.
Let it be supposed, that by reading this book, he had discovered that his soul was more to him than his body: that it was better to grow in the virtues of the soul, than to have a large body, or a full purse; that it was better to be fit for heaven, than to have a variety of fine houses upon the earth; that it was better to secure an everlasting happiness, than to have plenty of things which he cannot keep; better to live in habits of humility, piety, charity, and self-denial, than to die unprepared for judgment; better to be most like our Saviour, than to excel all the tradesmen in the world, in business and bulk of fortune.
Let it be supposed, that Negotius, believing these things to be true, entirely devoted himself to God at his first setting out in the world, resolving to pursue his business no farther than was consistent with great devotion, humility, and self-denial; and for no other ends, but to provide himself with a sober subsistence, and to do all the good he could, to the souls and bodies of his fellow creatures.
Let it therefore be supposed, that instead of the continual hurry of business, he was frequent in his retirements; that instead of restless desires after more riches, his soul had been full of the love of God and heavenly affection, constantly watching against worldly tempers, and always aspiring after divine grace; that instead of worldly cares and contrivances, he had been busy in fortifying his soul against all approaches of sin; that instead of costly shew, and the expensive generosity of a splendid life, he had loved and exercised all instances of humility and lowliness; that instead of great treats and full tables, his house had only furnished a sober refreshment to those that wanted it.
Let it be supposed, that his contentment kept him free from all kinds of envy: that his piety made him thankful to God in all crosses and disappointments: that his charity kept him from being rich, by a continual distribution to all objects of compassion.
♦12. Now, had this been the Christian spirit of Negotius, can any one say, that he had lost the true happiness of life, by thus conforming to the Spirit, and living up to the hope of the gospel?
♦ Number 11 omitted in text.
*Can it be said, that a life made exemplary by such virtues as these, which keep heaven always in our sight, which both delight and exalt the soul here, and prepare it for the presence of God hereafter, must be poor and dull, if compared to that of heaping up riches, which can neither stay with us, nor we with them?
It would be endless to multiply examples of this kind, to shew you how little is lost, and how much is gained, by introducing a strict and exact piety into every condition of human life.
I shall now therefore leave it to your own meditation, to carry this way of thinking farther, hoping that enough is said, to convince yourself, that an exalted piety is so far from rendering any life dull and tiresome, that it is the only joy and happiness of any condition in the world.
13. *Imagine to yourself some person in a consumption, or any other lingering distemper that was incurable.
If you was to see such a man wholly intent upon doing every thing in the spirit of religion, making the wisest use of all his time, fortune, and abilities. If he was for carrying every duty of piety to its greatest height, and striving to have all the advantage that could be had in the remainder of his life: if he avoided all business, but such as was necessary; if he was averse to all the follies and vanities of the world, had no taste for finery and shew, but sought for all his comfort in the hopes and expeditions of religion, you would certainly commend his prudence; you would say, that he had taken the right method to make himself as joyful and happy, as any one can be in a state of such infirmity.
*On the other hand, if you should see the same person, with trembling hands, short breath, thin jaws, and hollow eyes, wholly intent upon business and bargains, as long as he could speak: if you should see him pleased with fine cloaths, when he could scarce stand to be dressed, and laying out his money in horses and dogs, rather than purchase the prayers of the poor for his soul, which was so soon to be separated from his body, you would certainly condemn him, as a weak, silly man.
14. Now, as it is easy to see the reasonableness, the wisdom and happiness of a religious spirit in a consumptive man; so, if you pursue the same way of thinking, you will as easily perceive the same wisdom and happiness of a pious temper in every other state of life.
For how soon will any man that is in health, be in the state of him that is in a consumption? How soon will he want all the same comforts of religion, which every dying man wants?
*And if it be wise and happy to live piously, because we have not above a year to live, is it not being more wise, and making ourselves more happy, to live piously, because we may have more years to come? If one year of piety before we die, is so desirable, are not more years of piety much more desirable?
15. If a man had five fixed years to live, he could not possibly think at all, without intending to make the best use of them all. When he saw his stay so short in this world, he must needs think that this was not a world for him; and when he saw how near he was to another world, that was eternal, he must surely think it necessary to be very diligent in preparing for it.
Now as reasonable as piety appears in such a circumstance of life, it is yet more reasonable in every circumstance of life, to every thinking man.
For who but a madman can recount that he has five years certain to come?
*And if it be reasonable and necessary to deny our worldly tempers, and live wholly unto God, because we are certain that we are to die at the end of five years; surely it must be much more reasonable and necessary for us to live in the same spirit, because we have no certainty that we shall live five weeks.
16. *Again, if we are to add twenty years to the five, which is, in all probability, more than will be added to the lives of many people, who are at man’s estate; what a poor thing it is! How small a difference is there between five, and twenty-five years?
It is said, that a day is with God as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day; because, in regard to his eternity, this difference is as nothing.
*Now, as we are created to be eternal, to live an endless succession of ages upon ages, where thousands, and millions of thousands of years will have no proportion to our everlasting life in God; so with regard to his eternal state, which is our real state, twenty-five years is as poor a pittance as twenty-five days.
We can never make any true judgment of time as it relates to us, without considering the true state of our duration. If we are temporary beings, then a little time may justly be called a great deal in relation to us; but if we are eternal beings, then the difference of a few years is as nothing.
17. If we were to suppose three different sorts of rational beings, all of different, but fixed duration; one sort that lived certainly only a month, the other a year, and the third an hundred years.
If these beings were to meet together, and talk about time, they must talk in a very different language. Half an hour to those who were to live but a month, must be a very different thing, to what it is to those, who are to live an hundred years.
As therefore time is thus a different thing, with regard to the state of those who enjoy it; so if we would know what time is with regard to ourselves, we must consider our state.
Now since our eternal state, is as certainly ours, as our present state; since we are as certainly to live for ever, as we are now to live at all; it is plain, that we cannot judge of the value of any particular time, as to us, but by comparing it to that eternal duration for which we are created.
If you would know what five years signify to a being that was to live an hundred, you must compare five to a hundred, and see what proportion it bears to it, and then you would judge right.
*So if you would know, what twenty years signify to a son of Adam, you must compare it, not to a million of ages, but to an eternal duration, to which no number of millions bears any proportion; and then you will judge right, by finding it nothing.
18. Consider therefore this; how would you condemn the folly of a man, that should lose his share of future glory, for the sake of being rich, or great, or praised, or delighted in any enjoyment, only one poor day before he was to die!
But if the time will come, when a number of years will seem less to every one than a day does now; what a condemnation must it then be, if eternal happiness should be lost, for something less than the enjoyment of a day!
Why does a day seem a trifle to us now? It is because we have years to set against it. It is the duration of years that makes it seem as nothing.
*What a trifle therefore must the years of a man’s age appear, when they are forced to be set against eternity, when there shall be nothing but eternity to compare them with!
*And this will be the case of every man, as soon as he is out of the body; he will be forced to forget the distinction of days and years, and to measure time, not by the course of the sun, but by setting it against eternity.
As the fixed stars, by reason of our being placed at such distance from them, appear but as so many points; so when we, placed in eternity, shall look back upon all time, it will appear but as a moment.
*Then, a luxury, an indulgence, a prosperity, a greatness of fifty years, will seem to every one that looks back upon it, as the same poor short enjoyment, as if he had been snatched away in his first sin.
These few reflections upon time, are only to shew how poorly they think, how miserably they judge, who are less careful of an eternal state, because they may be at some years distance from it, than they would be, if they knew they were within a few weeks of it.