[Worldly distinction is the one object of their ambition. For this end chiefly both wealth and honour are pursued*. Having attained these things in any considerable degree, they bless them- selves, as possessing somewhat wherein they may trust'', somewhat that will make them happy for a long time to come, and some- what that shall transmit their names to posterity as worthy of admiration •^ ]
But '* this their way is their folly" —
[Wealth and honour are far from affording the satisfaction that is expected from them : they will not ward off sickness and death, either from ourselves or others'^: nor can they follow us into the eternal world ^. The moment we die, as very speedily we all must^, nothing of them remains to us but the fearful re- sponsibility attached to the possession of them. Instead of *' profiting us in the day of wrath," they will rather augment our final condemnation, if they have not been improved for God as talents committed to us. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus we behold the bitter consequences of living only to the flesh : the man who has his good things in this life, will want in the eternal world a drop of water to cool his tongue : " he will never see light," but be consigned over to the everlasting regions of darkness and despair s. We wonder not therefore, that the man, who, because he had gotten much, thought of nothing but his temporal enjoyments, *' Soul, take thine ease," is by God himself derided as a fool : " Thou fo®l, this night shall thy soul be required of thee. "J
Yet, such is the influence of example, that, not- withstanding the folly of such conduct is visible to all, the same is pursued by every succeeding gene- ration—
[No one who considers for a moment the issue of such con- duct to those who have gone before them, can doubt the folly of it : for, whatever rank or station men held in this life, or whatever may be said of them now they are gone, what remains to them of their wealth or honour, or what enjoyment have they of their posthumous fame ? If we extol them ever so high, they feel no satisfaction ; and if we condemn them ever so harshly, they are unconscious of either shame or pain : they are interested in nothing but in the quality of their actions as approved or con- demned by their Judge. This we all know ; yet no sooner have we a prospect of the wealth and honour ourselves, than our desires are as ardent, our expectations as sanguine, and our dependence as unqualified, as that of any who have gone before us. The conviction of their folly only floats in our imagination,
but
■ ver. 18. '• ver. 6. " ver. 11. *" ver. 7 — 10.
• ver. 17. 'ver. 12, 14. « ver. 19.
368.] FOLLY OF WORLDLY MEN. I7l
but never descends as a principle into our hearts. We see and blame their folly ; yet approve in practice what in theory we condemn.]
As contrasted with this, let us consider,
II. The way which true wisdom prescribes —
In verse 15, the Psalmist gives us that precise view of the subject which he had before characterized as replete with wisdom : " God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave; for he shall re- ceive me;" that is. Whilst worldly men have no prospects beyond the grave, I look forward to a happy eternity, which shall be the portion of all who truly serve God. Hence then we see what way true wisdom prescribes: it teaches us,
1. To regard this world in its connexion with eternity —
[View this world as the whole state of man's existence ; and they speak well, who say, " Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.'* But this world is a mere passage to a better : it is an inn, at which we sojourn for a night, in our way to a better coun- try. A person tarrying only for a few hours is not greatly elated, if his accommodations be good ; nor greatly depressed, if they be bad. He considers, in either case, that it is not his home ; that his comfort or discomfort is very transient ; and that it will be time enough to look for unmixed enjoyments, when he shall have reached his Father's house. Moreover, this world must be considered as a state of preparation for a better ; every thing that is done here being an occasion of increased happiness or aug- mented misery to all eternity. In this view of the world, every pain and every pleasure acquires a new aspect. The things that are so highly prized by ungodly men lose their value ; and every thing is esteemed good or bad, according as it quickens or retards us in our Christian course. Hence true wisdom says, ** Love not the vvorld^s," " neither be of it*" ;" but " be crucified to it, and let it be as one crucified to you''"'."]