But as for you, do you seek great things for yourself? Stop seeking! For I will bring disaster on every living creature, declares the LORD, but wherever you go, I will grant your life as a spoil of war." Sermons
I. We cannot tell whether they are designed for us. If they are not, they will bring us only misery; cf. David in Saul's armour. If they are, they will come without our seeking. II. To make ourselves our supreme object is ever wrong, despicable, and in the end ruinous. The corn of wheat must fail into the ground and die, give up its own life. If it do not, it abideth alone; if it do, it bringeth forth fruit. "He that loveth his life shall lose it, but he," etc. (John 12.). III. Great things mean great responsibilities and terrible possibilities of great guilt and harm done to others and ourselves. IV. Whilst seeking them, we let go what is more precious than them all. "Whilst I was busy here and there, lo, he was gone." V. They tend to tie us down to earth and to fill our hearts with that love of the world which is death. "Ah! Davie, Davie," said Johnson to Garrick, as they wandered through the beautiful demesne of a great nobleman, "these are the things that make it so hard for a man to die." A similar story is told of Cardinal Richelieu, who caused himself, when near death, to be borne into his magnificent picture gallery, and there is reported to have made, to one near him, a like remark. - C.
Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not. Baruch, the companion of Jeremiah, to whom these words were addressed, was a young man of learning, who had probably formed large expectations of distinction, which were sadly disappointed by the calamities which befell his country. The prophet checks his aspirations in the strong language of our text: "Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not." It is the selfish seeking of the great things of this world and the eager pursuits of them, as if they were of supreme importance, which is censured by the prophet.1. They who thus seek them are least likely to attain them. It is said there is a fiery light which appears in marshy places, floating just above the surface of the earth, so volatile in its nature that the least breath moves it, and consequently those who rush towards it most eagerly, create a current of air which drives it from them, and it thus leads them on to miry places for their destruction; while, if they would quietly sit down it might float near them, or rest upon them when there was no agitation in the atmosphere to repel it. So is it with the great things of this world, they often fly from those who pant in the chase after them; they frequently rest upon those who reach after them more quietly. One of the wealthiest individuals in a distant city, who spends immense sums for benevolent purposes, was heard to say, that he hardly knew how his property came to him; it seemed to increase without effort on his part, and whether he would or no. The reason may have been because he was not selfishly eager in the pursuit of it, and because he consecrated it to good objects, and therefore God blessed him as He did Solomon. 2. They who selfishly and eagerly "seek the great things" of the world, are apt to have some sore trial coupled with success, if they are successful. Look at all history; when were its great men so wretched, as when they had attained the highest point of exaltation! "He has gained everything," said a companion of Napoleon, when he was in the zenith of prosperity, "and yet he is unhappy." So true is this, that one almost dreads entering upon a state of great worldly aggrandisement, or to see others entering upon it, lest some. thing should happen to mar all. We feel as we do when one is on a lofty spire, admiring his elevation, but almost afraid to look at him lest he should fall God has wisely connected such checks with worldly greatness, to teach us not to set our hearts upon it, and to enforce the prophet s warning, "Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not." 3. The thought of death should teach the vanity of the selfish and eager pursuit of worldly greatness. How one severe fit of sickness will change the aspect of all the glitter of the world! In health it is like the panoramic view where splendid palaces and cities pass before our delighted eyes; in sickness the glass is taken away, and a little painted daub is seen, no bigger than one's hand. And death shuts out even that from our sight. "Millions for an hour of life," was the dying exclamation of one of England's proudest queens. It is further humiliating to all worldly aspirations to see how small, a vacancy one makes among the living by his death. Think of any person, however great he may have been, who has been two years dead, how little is he missed! how everything goes forward just as smoothly without him! What then, in conclusion, is the view of the great things of this life to which such reflections lead? The proper view seems to be, not to despise the things of this world, but to be sure that our supreme affections are on those of another and a better; not to reject the good gifts of this life, but neither to toil for them as if they were all in all to our happiness, nor to use them, when gained, for our own selfish gratification. (W. H. Lewis, D. D.) I. THE ONE IS UNCERTAIN IN ACQUISITION — THE OTHER SURE. A great deal of what is called earthly greatness is placed beyond the reach of many, whatever they may do. Many are poor, and they have not the opportunities and the means of becoming affluent. Many cannot fill the seats of learning and of science; they have not capacities to acquire the needful treasures. But here is a reason why you should "seek those things which are above"; for these are always sure in their attainment. In the work of the Lord the servant may become equally great with the master; for moral greatness does not consist in doing great things, but in doing little things with a great mind. And these are accessible to all. II. THE ONE IS FLEETING IN POSSESSION — THE OTHER DURABLE. What is all history, but a relation of the revolutions to which all worldly things are liable — of the rich despoiled of their wealth, of nobles stript of their honours, of princes dethroned, exiled, imprisoned, put to death — Pharaoh in the Red Sea, Nebuchadnezzar eating grass like an ox, Belshazzar the conqueror and the conquered, Napoleon the emperor and the captive! These instances, perhaps, are too peculiar, and too remote, and national, to impress many of you: look therefore nearer home; look at those things which will touch you. What is honour, but a noise of airy breath? What is popularity? It hangs on the wavering tongue of the multitude, who are like the waves of the sea, driven to and fro and tossed; now rolling towards one shore, and now towards another, according to the gale; now crying "Hosannah," and now "Crucify Him, crucify Him." Yes, wherever on earth you lay up treasure, you must lay it up where "moth and rust do corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal." And here is another thing to be taken into the account too. Allowing that these things could be perpetuated in your possession to the end of life, they can be possessed no longer. You have only a life interest in any of them. Shall I set my heart on that which is not, and that from which I am so soon to be removed? But now this is a reason why you should "seek those things that are above"; for he that succeeds here (and we have shown that you will succeed if you seek them), has "chosen," as our Saviour says, "that good part, which shall never be taken away from him." He has seized a blessedness which is independent of external accidents, independent of the revolutions of states, independent of the vicissitudes of time, independent of the ravages of death, independent of the conflagration of the last day: so that when "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up," he can stand upon the ashes of the universe and say, "I have lost nothing"; "I look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." III. THE ONE IS UNSATISFACTORY IN ENJOYMENT — THE OTHER SATISFYING. Take the "great things" you would here seek after for yourself; allowing that you attain them (and you have heard that the attainment is uncertain) — allowing that you could retain them (and you have heard that the retention is impossible) — yet there is no real contentment in them. Ahab was king of Israel Was he satisfied with his dominion? No; he covets Naboth's little vineyard; and because he cannot obtain it, he is sick forsooth and takes to his bed and can eat nothing. Some of the Roman emperors, who strode over the world, were the most wretched of all beings; they were burdens to themselves. I was one day walking with rich individual over his estate; his mind was in a serious mood, and I endeavoured to avail myself of it; and he made this very wise remark, "Sir," said he, "those who have not succeeded in the world always impute their dissatisfaction to their want of success; they are not aware of the insufficiency of these things themselves. 'Oh!' say they, 'could we obtain them, we should be happy.' But those of us who have succeeded, and have obtained them, and find ourselves no nearer happiness than before, are the men who know that the fault lies in the things themselves." But this is a reason why you should "seek those things which are above." They are satisfying. IV. THE ONE IS DANGEROUS AND INJURIOUS IN INFLUENCE — THE OTHER SAFE AND BENEFICIAL. Yes; the "great things" you seek here for yourselves, owing to our depravity, are full of peril. "Who is the Lord," says Pharaoh, "that I should obey Him?" "How," says our Saviour, "can ye believe, who receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour which cometh from God only?" Even good men, with regard to these "great things," as they are called in our text, want peculiar grace, or they will. not be proof against their evil influence. Hezekiah could not bear the notice taken of him by the ambassadors of Benhadad; "his heart was lifted up; therefore was wrath upon him and all his people." I never yet saw a Christian improved by his rising in the world: I have seen many who have been injured by it: I have seen many who have been less constant and regular in their attendance on the means of grace, though they had more leisure, and could command a vehicle: I have seen those who have given less afterwards — not less comparatively, but less absolutely; some of them who gave gold, then gave silver, and some even copper. Wherefore, once more, "Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not"; but "seek those things which are above." There safety is. These are not only blameless; but they are profitable — "profitable unto all things; having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." These, instead of polluting the mind, will purify it; they will draw you off from earth, instead of allowing you to settle here. Instead of elevating you, they will clothe you with humility; instead of leading you away from your God, they will connect you with Him; they will prepare you for every condition in which you can be found. Therefore you cannot have too much of these. (W. Jay.) II. IF THEY COULD BE ATTAINED THEY WOULD RUIN THE SOUL. It is fearful to observe the rapidity with which a man's character deteriorates as he secures the object of his desire, when the object is a merely earthly one, and the desire is a purely selfish one. Take, for illustration, the career of Napoleon Bonaparte. He aimed at a universal empire in Europe. And just in proportion as he approached the object of his aspirations, did he recede from that state of mind and heart which ought to characterise a dependent creature of God. We always associate him with those pagan demi-gods, those heaven-storming Titans, who like the Lucifer of Scripture are the very impersonation of pride and ambition But such a spirit as this is the worst species of human character. It is the most intense form of idolatry — that of egotism and self-worship. It is the most arrogant and defiant form of pride. It would scale the heavens. It would dethrone the Eternal. The same effect of mere worldly success is seen also in the walks of everyday life. Cast your eye over the circle in which you move, and select out those who are the most greedy of earthly good, and are the most successful in obtaining it, and are they not the most selfish persons that you know? It is here that we see the moral benefit of failures and disappointments. Were men uniformly successful in their search after "great things"; did every man. who seeks wealth obtain wealth, and every man who grasps after power obtain power, and every man who lusts after fame become renowned, the world would be a pandemonium, and human character and happiness would be ruined. Swollen by constant victory, and a sense of superiority, successful men would turn their hands against one another, as in the wars of the giants before the flood. There would be no self-restraint, no regard for the welfare of others, no moderate and just estimate of this world, and no attention to the future life. III. "GREAT THINGS," so far as they are attained at all in this world, ARE COMMONLY ATTAINED INDIRECTLY. Saul, the son of Kish, was sent out by his father to find the asses that had strayed, but he found a kingdom instead. Look into literary history, and see how this is exemplified. The most successful creations of the human reason and imagination have rarely been the intentional and foreseen products of the person. The great authors have been surprised at their success; if, indeed, success came to them during their lifetime. But more commonly their fame has been posthumous, and their ears never heard a single note of the paean that went up from the subsequent generations that were enchanted with their genius. Shakespeare and Milton never read a single criticism upon their own works; and to-day they neither know anything of nor care for the fame that attends them upon this little planet. Look, again, into the circles of trade and commerce, and observe how often great and lasting success comes incidentally, rather than as the consequence of preconceived purposes and plans. The person simply endeavoured to provide for the present and prospective wants of those dependent upon him, with prudence and moderation. He obtained, however, far more than he calculated upon. Wealth came in upon him with rapidity, and that which he did not greedily seek, and which he never in the least gloated upon with a miser's feeling, was the actual result of his career in the world. Seekest thou, then, great things for thyself? seek them not. They will not come by this method. Seek first of all the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and then all these minor things, which the world and the deluded will be likely to attain even by the most engrossing and violent efforts devoted to the sole purpose of obtaining them. IV. GREAT SORROW SPRINGS FROM GREAT ASPIRATIONS, WHEN THOSE ASPIRATIONS ARE UNATTAINED. There is only one species of aspiration that does not weary and wear the soul, and that is, the craving and cry of the soul after God. Humboldt, who had surveyed the cosmos, and who had devoted a long existence to placid contemplation of the processes of nature, and had kept aloof from the exciting and passionate provinces of human literature, said in his eightieth year, "I live without hope, because so little of what I have undertaken yields a satisfactory result." This is the penalty which ambitious minds pay for seeking "great things." There is an infinite aspiration, and an infinitesimal performance. The hour of death, and the failing shadows of an everlasting existence, and an everlasting destiny, bring the aspiration and the performance into terrible contrast. Go down, once more, into the sphere of active life, and see the same sorrow from the same cause. Look at that man of trade and commerce who has spent his life in gigantic, and, we will suppose, successful enterprises, and who now draws near the grave. Ask him how the aspiration compares with the performance. He has generally accomplished, we will assume, what he undertook. The results of his energy and capacity are known, and visible to all in his circle and way of life. His associates have praised him, and still praise him; for he has done well for himself, and for all connected with him. But he writes vanity upon it all. When he thinks of all the heat and fever of his life, all his anxious calculation and toil by day and night, all his sacrifice of physical comfort and of mental and moral improvement, and then thinks of the actual results of it all — the few millions of treasure, the few thousands of acres, or the few hundreds of houses — he bewails his infatuation, and curses his folly. 1. In the light of this subject and its discussion, we perceive the sinfulness of ambition. 2. We see in the light of this subject, the complete and perfect blessedness of those who are free from all ambitious aims and selfish purposes; who can say, "Whom have I in heaven but Thee?" &c. (G. T. Shedd, D. D.) I. SEEK NOT GREAT THINGS FOR YOURSELVES, FOR SELF OUGHT NEVER TO BE AN ULTIMATE OBJECT. The glory of God is the only legitimate aim. The glorification of God is not to be sought as a mean to the good of the creature, but the reverse — man would be exalted above God. Even great spiritual things arc not to be sought for our own purposes and exaltation — "name's sake." There is no hardship in this, for if we seek the glory of God, our own enjoyment will follow.II. SEEK NOT GREAT THINGS FOR YOURSELVES, FOR YOU THEREBY RENDER THEM THE OBJECTS OF IDOLATROUS WORSHIP. III. SEEK NOT GREAT THINGS FOR YOURSELVES, FOR TO DO SO IS TO SUBORDINATE THE DISCHARGE OF DUTY TO THEIR ACQUISITION AND ENJOYMENT. IV. SEEK NOT GREAT THINGS FOR YOURSELVES, FOR BY DOING SO YOU WILL INVOLVE YOURSELVES AND OTHERS IN MUCH POSITIVE SUFFERING. V. SEEK NOT GREAT THINGS FOR YOURSELVES, WHEN THE CHURCH OF CHRIST REQUIRES YOUR SYMPATHY AND YOUR EFFORTS. — BARUCH. (Jas. Stewart.) I. WHEN WE MAY BE SAID TO SEEK GREAT THINGS FOR OURSELVES.1. When we seek a larger portion of worldly good than is necessary. But still the question returns, How much is necessary? If men were to answer this question, they would soon prove that few or none are guilty of violating the command in our text; for they all pretend that they seek no more than is necessary. But by this term they usually mean all that would be necessary to gratify their sinful inclinations and desires. Now man's chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy Him for ever; or, in other words, to obey God's will and receive His everlasting favour. More than this no man needs; more than this no man ought to seek. 2. When we seek them for ourselves only, or seek them merely with a view to self-gratification or self-aggrandisement. II. SOME OF THE REASONS WHY WE SHOULD NOT SEEK GREAT THINGS FOR OURSELVES. 1. Because it is the sure way to multiply our disappointments and sorrows. In the lottery of life there are few prizes, and many blanks. He, then, who seeks great things for himself, engages in a pursuit in which it is exceedingly probable he will be disappointed; and the more ardent are his desires, the more eager his pursuit, the more keen will be the sufferings which his disappointment will occasion. But this is not all. The man whose pursuit is crowned with success, will be no less disappointed than his unsuccessful neighbour. After he has obtained great things, he will find himself as far from happiness, find his desires as unsatisfied, his mind as discontented as before. His desires will increase with his success. Nay, they will increase much faster than his success. 2. Another reason may be drawn from the nature and situation of the world in which we live. Might we not as easily employ our time and exertions in building upon a quicksand, or upon ice which the summer's sun will melt away! 3. Another reason may be found in our own character and situation. We are ourselves sinful, dying, and accountable creatures. We have, therefore, a great work to do, no less a work than securing the favour of God, and obtaining the salvation of our immortal souls, a work which demands our time, our attention, our utmost exertions. And can we, in such a situation, find leisure or inclination to seek great things for ourselves here? to seek them while death is at the door; while the Judge is at hand; while eternity draws near; while our souls, unprepared, are in momentary danger of sinking beyond the reach of hope or mercy? 4. Another reason is, that seeking them is incompatible with the duties which we are required to perform; and of course incompatible with our best interests. Man has but one soul, but one heart, but a certain limited portion of time, strength, and energy. He cannot, then, give his heart to God and to the world at the same time. (E. Payson, D. D.) I. THE EVIL DENOUNCED. It may be viewed under three aspects.1. There are some who pursue worldly objects that are far above them. 2. There are some who pursue with undue eagerness worldly objects they might reasonably hope to attain. 3. There are some who pursue all classes of worldly objects in a selfish spirit. II. THE REASONS WHY IT IS DENOUNCED. 1. Because it attaches excessive value to worldly objects. 2. Because it misapprehends the comparative advantages of the different ranks in the social scale. 3. Because it overlooks the duties which arise out of the relations we sustain to our race and our Maker. 4. Because it ignores all the facts, and objects, and interests, and blessings of the spiritual world. Address — (1) (2) (G. Brooks.) (Charles Buxton, M.P.) ( C. H. Spurgeon.) (R. J. Campbell, M. A.) I. THE VERY EXCUSABLE MOAN (ver. 3), "Woe is me now!" 1. He was probably pained for his master's sake. 2. Probably grieved on account of the unhappy national outlook. 3. Was evidently distressed on his own account. Possibly weary of being secretary with dangerous duties attached. II. THE VERY DECIDED VETO ON HIS AMBITIOUS DESIGN. 1. God interpreted his aspiration, whatever its nature. 2. Decidedly nipped the project in the bud. 3. Suggesting by implication that he seek great things for others — Jeremiah, to wit. To be identified with him was true greatness. Men are engrossed in themselves, their family, their party, their "ism." III. THE COMPENSATING GUARANTEE. "Thy life will I give unto thee." 1. The nation at large would pass through great tribulation. 2. Baruch and his master would be hurried hither and thither. 3. But the secretary's life would be given him as a reward. Baruch lived through all the dire experiences that followed. Escaped from Egypt to Babylon, and wrote the Book of Baruch. Who has not enjoyed the compensations of selfishness? Every surrender of selfhood helps to enrich the soul. (W. J. Acomb.). 5786 ambition, negative "But Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God," &C. How to Make Use of Christ, as Truth, for Comfort, when Truth is Oppressed and Born Down. Thoughts Upon Worldly Riches. Sect. I. Jeremiah |
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