my foul, if provided no better, in what a cafe art thou for ever!

Yet, O Lord, what a ftir and struggle do men make to gain the world! with what keennefs, do they purfue it? with what paffion embrace it: as if it muft needs crown all their wishes; and they could not chufe but be eafy and happy, when fo provided? though, alas, that very having it, does fo often fpoil all the ease and happiness, and nothing but fwell them with tumours and tympanies of pride and confidence in their abundance. Who has not vainly promised himself content of mind, could be but compafs this and that in the world? O then there he would fix, and covet no more. But when reached to their journey's end; where once he placed the full period of all that he would have; at the top of that mountain, he finds himself yet as far from touching the sky as before: and fo begins afresh, and must on again: and unless he can get that, and beyond that, fomewhat more; all the reft would do him no good. And thus are men tolled on (in infinitum) in an endless circle of vanity, and tafk impoffible: to make new adventures ftill in the queft of that fatisfaction, which it is not in the power of all the creatures to give. But the more they throw on of that fuel; the flame does but rise fo much the higher: and that which might be thought to fill the appetite, does only extend and ftretch it out, to crave on even infinitely. And fo they have their wealth, only as they have a fever, to burn and afflict them. And ftill the fo much defired heart's-eafe and foul-reft is as much a ftranger to the noble palaces, even as to the pooreft cottages.

divinity: there is And fhall the fabe pointing 'upcanft thou con

O my foul, thou art a ray of nothing in thee that is earthly. cred flame then, that fhould ftill ward, creep only along the ground;

tent

tent thyself to be married to the very fediment of God's creation? canft thou imagine that any, or all the creatures, can ever give thee fatisfaction? no, thou haft wider capacities: and art made for nobler purposes; fo that really none but he that made thee, can ever content thee. Therefore, unless thou delighteft to be perpetually baffled; call in thy roving defires, from hunting to and fro about the earth, and fix them upon the true, infinite, and everlafting good; which thou canft never travel all over, nor halt ever be disappointed in any thing, that there thou findeft: but ftill will be making new difcoveries, and from every new acquifition, experience a new fatisfaction. But that thou mayeft take the only fure way to the Father, do thou embark with Chrift Jefus; and upon his fatisfaction, bottom all thy fatisfaction. For fo fitting down under the fhadow of thy crucified Saviour, there indeed, and there alone, thou shalt find ease, and be at reft.

My

GOD! how often have I made fruitlefs experiments in feeking reft where "none is to be found? the creatures look inviting, "and promise great matters, to flatter my imagi"nation, and raise my expectation: yet fill they "do nothing but delude my hopes, and abufe my "foul. And thus I come only to be fatisfied, that "here I can never be fatisfied. So that even my

neceffity, O Lord, cafts me upon thee, who hast "me for thyfelf: and whatever I have without "thee, ftill I fhall be restless till I center and fix in "thee. And O that all difappointments which I "have found, may be fufficient to fend me home "indeed to thee. Rescue me, I beseech thee, out "of all other hands ; where I cannot stay, but to

my

CC my woful lofs. And not only fhew me the per "fect fulness of all that I would have with thy "bleffed felf: But there keep and hold me, fo "fatisfied with thee; that I may never depart "from thee. Amen."

M

MEDITATION XXXIII.

Of the vanities of the world.

"Y foul, thou haft furveyed the world to fee how vain it is as to its fignificancy to give thee any fatisfaction. But now let us look upon the impertinence of its children, and the vanity of their converfation. "Surely, every man walks in "a vain fhew; furely they are difquieted in vain,” Pfal. xxxix. 6. Vanity is all their round, and trouble is all they find. They are children indeed that run themselves out of breath after butterflies and feathers; and (operofe nihil agunt, Sen.) take a great deal of pains to do nothing, only to amufe and weary themselves in whirling about they know not why, and doing they know not what. But make a folemn business of mere trifles, and spend themfelves in driving on the concerns that will turn to no account. Thus the plodding mifer is even wholly taken up in adding to the heap; lives narrow and pinching in the midst of all his plenty, and when he has got it, dares not use it; but it has him, rather than he has it; and he is a vaffal to it; no mafter of it. And is not that a vain man, to lay out all his care and pains in amaffing the good for which he is never the better; but to give him the

name

name of a wealthy man, and the hungry pleasure to think that he has it by him. Nor is it a jot the better with the prodigal fpender; who is as much blinded with his carnal pleasure, and a very flave to his belly and fancy; pouring out all upon his own and others luits, and to purchase the applaufe of a brave blade; it may be, gets only the portion of a mere beggar. But fuppofe, he run not himself out of all the world's good; yet does he forfeit all his good fenfe to bestow fo much upon a lump of perifhing flesh; and the while to ftarve his immortal foul. O! how vain is he or fhe, that looks after the fashion, more than their salvation; and expect others to value them, as much as they value themfelves for the finery? though they have little but the garb to recommend them; and are in greater care how they drefs and go, than what they are and do. When thus, inftead of getting the applaufe which they defire, they find the cenfure which they deserve. And alas, the head is not a fcruple the wifer, for all that towers fo high upon it; or for all that dangles down fo long from it. But the heart is fill the vainer and the worse, for fpending all its thoughts and defires in such a low wretched fervice; only to contrive fine cafes for a living bit of vile dirt. O how vain is the aspiring creature, that is for throwing pelion upon offa, to mount himself still higher in the world; and thinks he must be so much the better man, when he has purchased the bigger name: which as it does not make the leaft addition to his outward ftature; fo neither does it contribute any thing to his inward worth, and wisdom, and goodness. But he is, as he was, ftill the very fame poor crazy mortal: it is well, if not the more proud and finful. I will not call the great and honourable perfons cheats, but one of their own rank that durft make bold with them, has faid it, "that men of high degree are not U "only

VOL. I.

"only vanity, but a lie," Pfal. Ixii. 9. Becaufe they bear it out before the world, to be great fomebodies, which, God knows, they are not; but even juft the fame, if ftript, as the pooreft beggar. And in truth, my foul, what is all the admired greatness of this world, but a great delufion! when they that are thought to have all, and able to do all, yet have more the name than the enjoyment of their fulness, and can do the leaft of all for themselves, and hang the most of all upon others; depending upon their very dependents; and cannot keep up their port and parade, without being beholden to the meaneft of their fervants; yea, even to fome of the poor brute creatures; to the living for their ftrength, and to the dead for their fkins. And what does this greatnefs, but lay them open as the wider marks, to be hit by the bolts out of fortune's cross-bow in the more places? fo that they are like to find the greatest trouble, when yet, of all others, they are leaft able to bear it. And here is the demonftration of their vanity, to bear themselves up fo upon those great things of the world, that can never anfwer their ends; either to promote their true felicity, or to keep off any mifery. But as they may have most uneafy minds, even in their fofteft circumftances: fo are they as liable as any men in the world, even to the worst of accidents. And that which is called their height of living, what is it really but a low grovelling fort of life? because it engages them moft to the earth, and lies even all in that flesh pleafing, which brings us nearest to the brutes. When that indeed is the greatett man, who has the greatest command over himfelf, and that lives moft above this vain wretched world; nearest allied, and affimilated to God and his glorious angels. What are all the magnificent fumptuous buildings, the beautifully adorned and richly furnished apartments, but the great and fine neft of a poor little

worm ?