Ohs. 2. Again you may observe, that carnal men send out their thoughts to forestall and fore-enjoy their contentments ere they obtain them. It is usual with men to feed themselves with the pleasure of their hopes. Sisera's mother's ladies looked through the lattice, pleasing themselves in the thought of a triumphant return, Judges v. Thoughts are the spies and messengers of the soul ; hope sendeth them out after the thing expected, and love after the thing beloved. When a thing is strongly expected, the thoughts are wont to spend themselves in creating images and suppositions of the happiness of enjoyment. If a poor man were adopted into the succession of a crown, he would please himself in the supposition of the future honour and pleasure of the kingly state. Godly men, that are called to be ' co-heirs with Christ,' are wont to pre-occupy the bliss of their future estate, and so do in a manner feel what they do but expect. So also do carnal men charm their souls with whispers of vanity, and feed themselves with the pleasant anticipation of that carnal delight which they look for ; as young heirs spend upon their hopes, and riot away their estate ere they possess it. Well, then, look to it ; it is a sure note of fleshliness when the world runneth so often in your thoughts, and you are always deflowering carnal contentments by these anticipations of lust and sin ; and you have nothing to live upon, or to entertain your spirit withal, but these suppositions of gain and pomp, and the reversion of some outward enjoyment.
Ohs. 3. Again, you may observe their confidence of future events : ' We wall go, and continue there a year,' &c. Note thence, that car- nal affections are usually accompanied with, certainly much encouraged by, carnal confidence. They are doubly confident : of the success of their endeavours, ' We will get gain ;' of the continuance of their lives, ' We will continue there a year.' Lust cannot be nourished without a presumption of success : when men multiply endeavom-s, they little think of God, or of the changes of providence : it is enough to undo
388 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [J AS. lY. 13.
lust to suppose a disappointment ; besides, when there is such a presence of means, we ascribe little to the hi^^hcst cause. First the world stealeth away our affections, and then it intercepteth our trust ; there is not only adultery in it, James iv. 4, but idolatry, Eph. v. 5. It is not only our darling, but our god ; and that is the reason why worldly men are always represented as men of a secure presumption ; as Luke xii. 9, * Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years ; eat, drink, and be merry;' so Job xxix. 18, ' I shall die in my nest, and multiply my days as the sand;' so in that apocryphal passage, Ecclus. xi. 19, ' I have found rest, and will eat continually of my goods ; and yet he knoweth not what time shall come uj)on him.' They think now they have enough to secure them against all chances. Well, then, look to your confidence and trust ; when you are getting an estate, is your ex- pectation founded in faith or lust ? When you have gotten an estate, where lieth the assurance of your contentment ? in the promises, or your outward welfare ?
Obs. 4. Again, from that to-day or io-morroiu, and ice tuill tarry there a year. Carnal men are not only confident of present, but future welfare, which argueth an heart stupidly secure, and utterly insensible of the changes of providence : Isa. Ivi. 12, ' To-morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant;' Ps. xlix. 11, 'Their inward thought is tliat their houses shall continue for ever.' Men love to enjoy their carnal comforts without interruption, thought of death, or change. Every day is as a new life,i and bringeth sufficient care with it ; we need not look out for so long time. But worldly men, in their cares, do not only provide for the morrow, but the next year ; in their possessions do not only please themselves in their present happiness, but will not so much as suppose a change.
We icill continue there, 'Koir]croii^v — we will factor it there. He chiefly instanceth in trading, and accommodateth his words to the mer- chant's profession, because too often and too sensibly are these carnal thoughts, hoi)es, and confidence found in merchants and men versed in worldly trading; though he intendeth to speak against all sorts of men that undertake anything in the confidence of their own wisdom and industry, without the leave and blessing of providence. Therefore observe hence : —
Ohs. 1. From the letter of the place, that merchants are very liable to thoughts and discourses savouring of carnal presumption and con- fidence. In their bourses and exchanges they are always talking of wares, and gain, and traffic, without any thought of God : Hosea xii. 7, ' lie is a merchant; the balances of deceit are in his hand;' in the original, ' he is a Canaanite.' Canaan's posterity, upon whom the curse fell, was most happy in this course of life ; - and being driven out of the land by the Israelites into the maritime towns, they wei-e most famous for navigation. It is your ordinary calling to go from place to j)lace ; take God along with you wherever you go. Of all men you should be most cautelous : in your commerce be mindful of God and of your.selves; of God's providence and your o^\^l frailty, that you