God's soveraignty displayed from Job 9. 12. : Behold he taketh away, who can hinder him? &c., or, A discourse shewing, that God doth, and may take away from his creatures what hee pleaseth, as to the matter what, the place where, the time when, the means and manner how, and the reasons thereof : with an application of the whole, to the distressed citizens of London, whose houses and goods were lately consumed by the fire : an excitation of them to look to the procuring causes of this fiery tryal, the ends that God aims at in it, with directions how to behave themselves under their losses / by William Gearing ...

SECT. III.

[ III] Set not your hearts upon these un∣stable things: O yee sons of men, how long will ye love vanity? Psal. 4.2. All the goods of mortals are mortal; whatsoever it is that you entitle your selves Lords of, it is with you but for a time, it is not yours to continue with you; there is nothing firm, eternal, and incorruptible, that weak and corrupti∣ble men do possess; it will as necessari∣ly perish, as we must necessarily lose it; and this if we well understand, is a great solace, to lose that indifferently, which must perish necessarily; the only help therefore that wee shall finde a∣gainst these losses, is not to love them too dearly, because in a short time they must bee lost: Lift up your soul above humane felicities, cast it not a∣way for those things that are below, and without it self. The soul of man cometh of a more Noble and Divine Stock, than to be enamoured with fa∣ding and perishing things: O what va∣nity is it so much to dote upon these shadows? how fondly do we love them

while we have them? and how passi∣onately do we lament their loss?

We part with many things in grief; Because we loved them in chief.

O the unhappiness of mankind, saith S. Augustine; The world is bitter, and yet we love it: if it were sweet in∣deed, how should we then dote upon it? it is very troublesome, yet we love it; how should we affect it, if it were altogether quiet and peaceable? how eagerly then should we gather the flow∣ers of it, since we so greedily catch up the thorns? Now if, as Chrysostome speaks, notwithstanding all the evils which compass us about in this world, we desire to live long in it, when, oh when (were it free from all disturban∣ces) should we seek for any thing else? we are so bewitched with these vanities, that we prefer our Pilgrimage before our Country; and hence it is, that God either imbitters our Cups, and mingleth our pleasures with vexations, lest we should mistake Wormwood and Vinegar for true Nectar; or else he takes away these outward comforts from us, that we may see our folly in

placing so much of our affections upon things that were of no continuance: Ah! how much do we smell of the smoak of this lower house of the earth, because our heart and thoughts are here? and how unwilling are we to go out of it, albeit we are in danger of being suffocated with the smoak of it? It is a great folly so eagerly to love fa∣ding and unstable things: Gregory speaks well to this purpose; We never forego any thing willingly, but what we possess inaffectionately; and speaking of Job, he saith, He parted with all with a willing mind, which he possessed with∣out inordinate delight. You now see the best of this world to be but a Moth-eaten thred-bare Coat; resolve now to lay it aside, being old and full of holes, and look after that house a∣bove, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens: Set not your heart upon the world, since God hath not made it your portion, and your inheritance. What misery of miseries is it for the immortal soul of man to be enslaved to the world, which is but an heap of fuel kept in store, reserved unto fire a∣gainst the day of judgement, and per∣dition of ungodly men, especially now

in this age of the world when it is rea∣dy for the fire? but in that day, when the perdition of the ungodly shall be, then shall the world be destroyed, the world and all its fond lovers shall perish together in one day: How shall this make for the glory of Gods Justice, who shall bring destruction upon them that love the world above himself, on that day wherein the world it self shall be destroyed? Let us therefore endea∣vour daily to curb and restrain this ex∣orbitancy of affection; as King Tar∣quinius walking in his garden, whipped off the tops and heads of the tallest flowers with his staff; so must we cut off these rising affections, as soon as they begin to peep forth, and put up head in our hearts; this world which God will not have to be yours, O Christians, is but the dross and scum of Gods Creation, the portion of the Lords poor hired servants, the move∣ables, not the heritage of the Sons of Zion: It is but an Offal or hard bone, cast to the dogs that are thrust out from the new Jerusalem, upon which they rather break their teeth, than sa∣tisfie their appetite: Keep your love and your hope in heaven; it is not good

your Love and your Lord should be in two sundry Countryes, as one excel∣lently speaketh; he is semper idem, alwayes the same, yesterday, to day, and for ever: Keep at a distance from the walls of this Pest-house, even the pollutions of this defiling and fading world.

Notes

• August. Tom. 10. Serm. de Temp.
• Chrysost. ad Pop. Antioch. Homil. 6.
• Gregor. Moral. lib. 1. ca. 3.
• 2 Per. 3.7.