First, I begin with the thesis or proposition, / have seen an end of all perfection ; and there you may take notice —
1. Of the suhject or matter here spoken of, it is perfection ; under- stand it in a natural and worldly sense, the most excellent of all the creatures, and the greatest glory of all natural accomplishments.
2. The extent, all loerfection, whatever it be.
3. The predicate, hath an end.
4. The confirmation from sense, / have seen. It is either dictum eocperientia'; I have often seen it fall out before my eyes ; or dictum
fdei, I could by faith easily see to the bottom of the creature, see vanity in it whilst in its greatest glory. Let us open these things,
Mark, it is not said in the concrete, I have seen an end of perfect things ; but in the abstract, I have seen an end of all perfection itself. The most perfect of worldly things are but imperfect ; man, in his best estate, is altogether vanity, Ps. xxxix. 11.
And then mark the extent of it, it is ' all perfection;' not only some but all perfection ; wisdom and learning, as well as beauty and strength, wit and wealth, honour and greatness ; I have seen an end of all of it. Many will readily grant that some kind of perfections are slight ; but all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Here is a meditation fit for per- sons of all sort and conditions. For great ones that they presume not ; for mean ones, that they repine not ; for the old, whose vigour and strength is gone, in whom it is verified ; and for the young, or those that are in the vigour and freshness of youth, in whom within a little while it will be verified; for the rich, that they trust not in uncertain riches ; for the poor, that they be not over-dejected ; for the honoured, that they please not themselves overmuch with the blasts of popular breath and vain applause ; the disgraced, that they may make a sancti- fied use of their afflictions. All perfection, first or last, will wither and decay.
And then here is the predicate, hath an end; the word also signifieth limit or bound ; there is an end in regard of length, duration, and con- tinuance, and an end in regard of breadth and use ; that also must be taken in ; for the narrowness of worldly comforts and the breadth of the commandments are often opposed one to the other. I will show you — First, That all earthly perfections have their bounds and limits as to their use and service ; they are good for this and that, but not for all things ; but ' godliness is profitable for all things,' 1 Tim. iv. 8. They are not able to bear full contentment to the mind, or give full satisfac- tion to the heart, at least in all conditions and sorts of afflictions ; riches will help against poverty, and health against sickness, but ' godliness is profitable to all things.' There are many difficulties and dangers in which the limited power of the creatures cannot help us ; but the word of God, applied and obeyed, and followed with his mighty Spirit, will yield us relief and comfort in all cases and conditions. All the plea- sures and profits, and honours of the world are nothing to this. As, for instance, all these perfections cannot —
YeR. 96.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXTX. 453
1. Give lis any solid peace of conscience and rest to our souls ; in the midst of all our fulness there is something wanting ; carnal affections must be mortified before they can be satisfied. Grace must do that for you ; it is godliness that brings contentment to the heart of man : 1 Tim. vi. 6, ' Godliness with contentment is great gain/ Alas ! wealth can never do it ; our desires are increased the more we have ; and the way to contentment is not to increase our substance, but to limit our desires ; as in a dropsy, the way to cure the man is not to satisfy him with drink, but to open a vein to take away his thirst. We expect too much from the creature, and then the disappointment breedeth trouble ; and therefore, Eccles. i. 14, why do you s})end your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which satisfieth not? Outward things do not bear a thorough proportion with all tlie wants and desires and capacities of the soul, and therefore cannot give solid peace to our souls.
2. It cannot make you acceptable to God, neither wealth nor beauty, nor honour, nor strength ; it is grace that is of great price in the sight of God : 1 Peter iii. 4, ' The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit is in the sight of God of great price.' This is a beauty that doth never fade nor wax old : ' Since thou wert precious in my sight, thou wast hon- ourable, and I have loved thee,' Isa. xliii. 4. God loveth his people for the grace he putteth into them, not for the outward gifts he bestoweth upon them. It is grace that makes us amiable to God, and fit objects of the divine complacency ; you are not a jot the more pleasing to God when rich than when poor. No ; but the more hateful to him, if you are not rich towards God, Luke xii. 21.