' And the fashion of this world passeth away.'
It is a fashion, it is but a fashion; and then it 'passeth away.' Indeed, they do pass away ; experience sheweth that they pass even like a river. The water passeth away ; it goes, and goes along, but it never comes. So the things of this world; they pass away, but they never come again. They vanish away, and we pass away with them too. Even as men in a ship, whether they eat, or drink, or sleep, or walk, the ship goeth, and they go in it. So it is in this world, whether we eat, or drink, or sleep, we pass away to death. Every day takes a part of our life away ; and every day we live, we live a day less. It is gone and past, and never returns again, as water when it is gone ; and whether we walk or do anything, the time passeth. While you hear, and while I speak, the time passeth, and never returns again. So ' the fashion of this world passeth away.' All things are passing here.
We say they are moveables, and indeed those things that we call im- moveables are moveables. All pass away ; heaven and earth will pass away ere long, and there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Rev. xxi. 1. Ivingdoms pass away, and kings pass away, and states pass away. What is become of Rome ? What is become of Jerusalem ? AVhat is become of Babylon, and all those goodly cities ? All are ' passed away ;' they are all gone. This experience speaks as well as divinity.
Beasoii 1. Now, the ground of all this is, not only the nature of things — all things that are [are] made of nothing. Being therefore subject to fall to their first principles again, that is the fundamental reason why things may be moveable ' and pass away.' But that they are so, it is not a sufficient reason, for God might have suspended the mutability of things if he would ; as, the heavenly angels are mutable, because they are created, but God hath suspended their mutability world -without end ; and therefore it is not sufficient that all things are of nothing. It shews that of them- selves they may turn to nothing indeed.
Reason 2. But there is another reason ; since the fiiU of man there is a curse upon all things. There is a sentence of mutabihty and change, and a sentence of ' passing' is passed upon all. All things that have a begin- ning shall have an end, and that this world shall be a stage of changes and
64 THE SPIRITUAL MAN's AIM,
alteration. There is a sentence of vanity upon the creature : ' The crea- ture is subject to vanity ; not of his own will, but because God hath sub- dued it to vanity,' Eom. viii. 20. Man committed treason, and therefore the creatures, which are man's servants, all mourn for their master's fall ; they all mourn in black, as it were. All the creatures are subject to vanity, all the creatures under the sun are subject to mutability and change ; but ■we may thank ourselves, we are the grand traitors that brought this misery upon the creature. That is the true reason why all things ' pass away,' and so why ourselves have the sentence of death upon us. ' We pass away,' and the things ' pass away ;' and we in the use of them. Thus you sec the ground of this, why things pass away in the sentence of muta- bility and vanity that God hath passed upon them.
Use 2. If this be so, beloved, let us Irani, not to pass* much for thiiirfs that ivlll 'pass airay.' Not to pass for them, learn all the former directions: ' The fashion of this world passeth away.' Shall we grieve much for the loss of that that we cannot hold ? If a glass be broke, is a man much angry ? Wo say it is but brittle metal, and nothing lasteth always. If a friend be dead, shall a man be therefore angry ? ' The fashion of this world passeth away.' A sentence is passed upon them. Shall I be moved at that that God hath set dow-n a law for, that one generation shall go and another shall follow after, and there is a succession as in the streams of water ? Shall I oppose God's sentence ? God hath made all things frail, and it is but the common condition of all since the fall.
Use 3. So it should he a xise of comfort and contentment irith anytliing in this uvrld. Place, or riches, or honour, I must leave them, I know not how soon ; and this wuU breed a disposition of contentment. It is enough for him that must leave all, I know not how soon ; have I little or much, I must leave all. Here is enough for him that must leave all. And there- fore leave worldly things to worldly men ; leave all these vain things to vain men. Shall I build a fixed hope on vain things ? Oh, no ! that should not be so.
Use 4. As we must learn contentment, so it should take us off from the hopes of this world, and from promising ourselves that ivhich ice have no pro- mise in the world for, nor experience. Who promised thee thou shouldst enjoy thy wife long ? that thou shouldst enjoy thy children long ? thy place long ? Hast thou a promise for this ? The nature of things fight against thee. The things of the world are variable. Have we not experi- ence of former times ? And have we not scriptures to shew that all is 'vanity'? Why should we promise ourselves that which the woi'd doth not promise us, or that we cannot see experience of in the world ? Why would we have a condition severed from all men ? The seeing of things in a condition of fading, as it should teach us contentment in the use of all things, so it should teach us moderation and wisdom, that we should not promise ourselves anything in this world.