The Contemplation of Our Approaching Change

Ttie contemplation of our approaching change may assist us to mortify the lusts of the Jlesh the lusts of the eyes J and the pride of life; to cure ambi’ tion and promote contentment.

“All that is in the world,” saith the Apostle, ts the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life.” The dust and ashes of our own mortality, duly considered and applied, will help to deaden and extinguish each of these. By the pride of life, we lift up ourselves against heaven, and despise our Maker. By the lust of the flesh, we over-love and indulge the body, and study to gratify the sensual appetite. By the lust of the eyes, our desires are immoderate after temporal and external goods. The thought of our approaching end hath a tendency to oppose and mortify these lusts; to humble us before God; to take us off from the inordinate love of the body; and to moderate our passions to earthly things. It may help us against pride, by showing us the infinite distance between the eternal selfsufficient God, and such poor dust as we, who are but of yesterday; and, if he uphold us not, and maintain our souls in life, shall be laid in the dust to-morrow. It will remind us of his justice against sin, the parent of death, and of all the miseries of our mortal state; and convince us of our weakness to resist his will, to* avoid lus wrath. As to our fond affection to the body lt may instruct us, that it deserves not to be so madi accounted of; it will open our eyes to discern the preference of our immortal souls, and what concerns them, to the interest of a perishing body. It may convince us that we are cruel and unkind to our very bodies by over«loving them, because we thereby contribute to their eternal sufferings; and so teach us to love and use our bodies ‘as servants to our souls in this world, and expecting to share in glory with them after the resurrection. It may also help to moderate our desires after earthly goods, and so cure the lust of the eyes, by letting us see the vanity, uncertainty, and short duration, of these things, and their insufficiency to make us happy and give us true content.

The thoughts of an approaching change may, if any thing will do it, damp the mirth of the luxurious epicure, and strike hira into a fit of trembling, as the handwriting on the wall did Belshazzar. It may discover the distraction of living in pleasure, and of care to please the senses, and the fleshly appetite, when the end is so near. It may likewise check the folly of ambitious designs; that men should make so much ado to get into slippery places, and whence they may so easily fall. Where, being puffed up with vain applause, they forget themselves and their latter end, till their life and glory expire together. Where are now the great, and mighty, and honout* able, who have made such a noise in the world? What is now the difference between the dust of aq Alexander or Cesar, and that of their meanest slaves or captives? Could their dignities and earthly glory preserve any of them from the stroke of death)

or the judgment of God? or, without repentance, from his condemning sentence?

Think, O my soul! how little will it shortly signify, whether 1 have been known and honoured among men or not, any farther than God may be glorified by it* How should it suppress vainglory, (o think being one day esteemed and worshipped, reverenced and appUaded, by dying men, and laid in the grave the next! Let me rather seek that glory and honour to which immortality is annexed; and labour to be accepted with God, at whose bar I oust be judged, endeavouring to keep the testimony of a .good conscience; and then it is no matter whether I pass through good report or evil report: no contempt, or frowns, or threatenings, of men need then Jiscotrrage me. Though I should be trampled on by the foot of pride, while others are happily in a dream for a little while, and, it may be, have a jHROBpeFous passage to damnation; I will rather thank God for delivering me from their temptations, and giving me the opportunity and call to hasten my preparations for a better world.

Let God dispose of my condition here, and reputation too, as best -shall please his sovereign will; oidy be jdeased to keep me upright, and to preserve me fbom everiasting shame and confusion of face, tfror thie general resurrection and final judgment. Vancbiafe me a portion now in thy approving love, and own me for thine at last, in the great and terrible day of reckoning; that then I may hear the blessed welcome, and enter into the joy of ray Lord.

£ 43