What Is Human Life?
Do not, therefore, O beloved soul, devote thy highest thoughts to this life, but rather, in mind, aspire to the joys of that life which is to come. Contrast the very brief space of time allotted us in this life with the infinite and never-ending ages of eternity, and it will sufficiently appear how foolish it is for us to cling to this fleeting life to the neglect of that eternal life. Our life here is transitory, and yet in this brief life we either win or lose eternal life; it is filled with pain and misery, and yet in it we either win or lose the eternal happiness of heaven; it is full of dire calamities, and yet in it we either win or lose eternal joys. If then thou dost aspire to eternal life, desire it with thy whole heart in this fleeting life. Use this world wisely, but, oh, set not thy heart upon it! Carry on thy temporal business in this life, but, oh, let not thy mind be fixed upon this life. Using the things of this world will not harm us, if we set not our hearts upon them.
This world is simply thy lodging-place, but heaven is thy fatherland; do not then take such delight in thy daily sojourn in this earthly lodging-place, that thou wilt abate for a moment thy longing desires for the heavenly fatherland. In this life we are sailing on the sea of time to eternity, our port; do not be so charmed with a momentary tranquility on this sea, that thou wilt not ardently long for that haven of rest that is tranquil for ever and ever. This life is like an inconstant lover, and does not keep faith with those that love it, but contrary to their expectation it frequently flees from them; why, then, wouldst thou put thy trust in it? It is very dangerous to promise ourselves the security of even one hour, for very frequently in that one brief hour this fleeting life comes to a sudden end. It is the safest plan to be on the lookout for death every hour, and to prepare for it by serious repentance of our sins. In the gourd whose shade so delighted Jonah, God prepared a worm when the morning rose, and it smote the gourd that it withered (Jonah iv. 7); so in these worldly objects, upon which so many set their hearts, there is no stability, but worms of corruption are bred in them to destroy them. The world has already been wasted and defaced by so many calamities, that it has even lost some of its seductive charms; and as we should heartily praise and commend those who deign not to delight themselves with a delightsome world, so we should strongly reprove and condemn those who take pleasure in perishing with a perishing world.
O blessed Christ, withdraw Thou our hearts from the love of this world, and enkindle in us holy desires for the heavenly kingdom!
- from Johann Gerhard, ‘Sacred Meditations, Meditation XXXVIII’
