It is reported of one Oramazes, that he had an enchanted egg, in which, as he boasted himself, he had enclosed all the happiness of the world ; bul being broken, nothing was found in it but wind. Flatterers are the greatest cheaters, the greatest deceivers in the world.
The) say of the crocodile, that when he bath killed a man, he will weep over him, as if he were sorry, and did repent for what he had done ; the application is easy.
Di/recticm (4). Fourthly, If you would be good betimes, if you would seek and serve the Lord in the spring and morning of your days, then take heed bf engaged affections to the things of the ivorld.
The young man in the Gospel took many a step towards heaven : ' All these things have I kept from my youth up : what lack I yet ?' Mat. xix. 16-24. Christ makes a very fair offer to him in the next words : 'Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven ; and come and follow me.' Thou shalt have heaven for earth, a sea for a drop, a treasure for a mite, a crown for a crumb. Ay, but the young man's affections were strongly engaged to the things of the world ; and therefore he turns his back upon Christ, and goes away sorrowful, because he had great possessions.2 Oh the madness, the folly of this young man, who, to enjoy a little temporal felicity, hath bid an ever- lasting farewell to Christ and glory ! In that Gen. xiii. 2, it is said, that Abraham was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold ; the He- brew word cabedh, that is here rendered rich, signifies heavy ; it signifies a burden, to shew us that riches are a heavy burden and an hindrance many times to heaven and happiness ; and this young man in the Gospel found it so to his eternal undoing. Though the loadstone can- not draw the iron when the diamond is in presence, yet earthly posses- sions did draw this young man's soul away when Christ the pearl of price was present. The world is a silken net, and this young man found it so ; the world is like golden fetters, and this young man found it so ; the world is like sweet poison,3 and this young man found it so ; for he had drunk so large a draught of it, that there was no room in his soul for Christ or heaven, for grace or glory. Some say, that when the serpent Scytale cannot overtake the flying passenger, she doth with her beautiful colours so astonish and amaze them, that they have no power to pass away till she have stung them ; such a serpent the world proved to the young man in the Gospel ; it did so affect him and take bim, so amaze him and amuse him, that he could not stir till it stung him to death.
\\ hoi the moon is fullest, it is furthest from the sun ; so the more men have of the world, the further commonly they are from God ; and this the young man in the Gospel made good.
Many have ventured life and limb, and many a better thing, to gain the things of this world ; and yet, after all, they have got nothing at
1 Whilst an ass is stroked under the belly, you may lay on his back what burden you
- Mullx (tni'iiulo res noxias sunt miseri, h'il>nul<> viisrriores. — August, in Ps. xxvi. 3 They arc dulce venerium, a sweet poison. — Bernard.
1 Kings XIV. 13.] apples of gold. 231
all. Achan's golden wedge proved a wedge to cleave him, and his garment a garment to shroud him.1
The whole world is circular, the heart of a man is triangular, and we know a circle cannot fill a triangle ; yea, if it be not rilled with the three persons in Trinity, it will be filled with the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world may be resembled to the fruit that undid us all, which was fair to the sight, smooth in handling, sweet in taste, but deadly in effect and operation.
Ah ! young men, young men, have none of you found it so ?
The world in all its bravery is no better than the cities which Solo- mon gave to Hiram, which he called Cab id, that is to say, displeasing or dirty, 1 Kings ix. 13 ; the world will afford nothing but trivial flowers, surrounded with many briers. Oh the vanity, the uncertainty, the imperfection of all things below ! If a man should weigh his pay and his pains together, his miseries and his pleasures together, his joys and his sorrows together, his mercies and his crosses together, his good days and his bad days together, will he not conclude, Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity ?
It was a wise and Christian speech of Charles the Fifth to the Duke of Venice, who, when he had shewed him the glory of his princely palace and earthly paradise, instead of admiring it, or him for it, only returned him this grave and serious memento, Hcec sunt quae faciunt invitos mori, these are the things which make us unwilling to die. It was a good saying of one to a great lord, upon his shewing him his stately house and pleasant gardens, Sir, you had need make sure of heaven, or else when you die you will be a very great loser.2
Ah ! young men, young men, it is only heaven that is above all winds, storms, and tempests; nor hath God cast man out of paradise for him to think to find out another paradise in this world. The main reason why many young men doat upon the world is, because they are not acquainted with a greater glory. Men ate acorns till they were acquainted with the use of wheat. The woman had the moon under her feet when she was clothed with the sun, and had a crown of twrelve stars upon her head, Rev. xii. 1.
Ah ! young men, were you but clothed with the Sun of righteousness, and had you a crown set upon your heads by the hand of faith, you would have all the things of tins world which are as low, bespotted, and mutable as the moon, under your feet, He b. xi. 24-27, 35, x. 34. Well! young men, as ever you would be good betimes, sit loose from the things of this wrorld, be no longer worshippers of this golden calf, and never let the world, that shall be but j^our servant, become your Lord. Oh ! let not the devil and the world have more service for an ounce of gold, than Christ shall have for the kingdom of heaven !
Ah, young men ! the world and you must part, or Christ and you will never meet, ' you cannot serve God and mammon/ Mat. vi. 24. The two poles shall sooner meet, than the love of Christ and the love of the world.
1 If money were thrown to the dogs, they would not so much as smell at it ; the greater is their folly and madness that will go to hell-gates for it.
2 In my other treatises, you may read more of the vanity, insufficiency, impotency, immutability, uncertainty, and inconstancy of the world ; and to them I refer you.
232 APPLES OF GOLD. [] KlNGS XIV. 13.
Direction (5). Fifthly, If you would be good betimes, if you would know, seek, and serve the Lord in the spring and morning of your youth, then take heed betimes of camial reason, take heed of consult- ing with fleah and blood, Gal. i. 15, 16.