Indifference to Life Urged from Its Shortness and Vanity, pt. 3 by Samuel Davies (1724-1761)   [Here we continue a series that urges a certain indifference to life, and the things of this world, due to the shortness of life, and the vanity of the things of this world.  This series is taken from a funeral sermon by Samuel Davies.]—Ed.   29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; 30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; 31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. (I Cor. 7:29-31 AV).    It is from such convictive premises as [those described in the previous issues] that St. Paul draws his inference in my text; “It remaineth therefore that they that have wives be as though they had none; and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; and they that use this world as not abusing it.” The first branch of the inference refers to the dear and tender relations that we sustain in this life.  It remaineth that those that have wives, and by a parity of reason those that have husbands, parents, children, or friends dear as their own souls, be as though they had none.  St. Paul is far from recommending a stoical neglect of these dear relations.  That he tenderly felt the sensations, and warmly recommended the mutual duties of such relations, appears in the strongest light in other parts of his writings, where he is addressing himself to husbands and wives, parents and children.  But his design here is to represent the insignificancy even of these dear relations, considering how short and vanishing they are, and comparing them with the infinite concerns of eternity.  These dear creatures we shall be able to call our own for so short a time, that it is hardly worthwhile to esteem them ours now.  The concerns of eternity are of so much greater moment, that it is very little matter whether we enjoy these comforts or not.  In a few years at most, it will be all one.  The dear ties that now unite the hearts of husband and wife, parent and child, friend and friend, will be broken forever.  In that world where we must all be in a little, little time, they neither marry nor are given in marriage; but are in this respect like the angels.  And of how small consequence is it to creatures that are to exist forever in the most perfect happiness or misery, and that must so soon break off all their tender connections with the dear creatures that were united to their hearts in the present transitory state!  Of how small consequence is it to such, whether they spend a few years of their existence in all the delights of the conjugal state and the social life, or are forlorn, bereaved, destitute, widowed, childless, fatherless, friendless!  The grave and eternity will level all these little inequalities.  The dust of Job has no more sense of his past calamities, than that of Solomon who felt so few; and their immortal parts are equally happy in heaven, if they were equally holy upon earth.  And of how small consequence is it to Judas now, after he has been above seventeen hundred years in his own place, whether he died single or married, a parent or childless?  This makes no distinction in heaven or hell, unless that, as relations increase, the duties belonging to them are multiplied, and the trust becomes the heavier; the discharge of which meets with a more glorious reward in heaven, and the neglect of which suffers a severer punishment in hell. Farther, the apostle, in saying that they who have wives should be as though they had none, intends that we should not excessively set our hearts upon any of our dearest relatives so as to tempt us to neglect the superior concerns of the world to come, or draw off our affections from God.  We should always remember who it was that said, “He that loveth father, or mother, or wife, or children, more than me, is not worthy of me.” (Matt. 10:37).  “He that is married,”  says St. Paul, in the context, “careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife” (I Cor. 7:33).  But we should beware lest this care should run to excess, and render us careless of the interests of our souls, and the concerns of immortality.  To moderate excessive care and anxiety about the things of this world is the design the apostle has immediately in view in my text; for having taught “those that have wives to be as though they had none,” etc., he immediately adds, “I would have you without carefulness”; and this is the reason why I would have you form such an estimate of all the conditions of life, and count them as on a level.  Those that have the agreeable weights of these relations ought no more to abandon themselves to the over-eager pursuit of this world, or place their happiness in it; ought no more to neglect the concerns of religion and eternity, than if they did not bear these relations.  The busy head of a numerous family is as much concerned to secure his everlasting interest as a single man. Whatever becomes of him and his in this vanishing world, he must by no means neglect to provide for his subsistence in the eternal world; and nothing in this world can at all excuse that neglect. Oh, that these thoughts may deeply affect the hearts of such of us as are agreeably connected in such relations!  And may they inspire us with a proper insensibility and indifference towards them when compared with the affairs of religion and eternity!  May this consideration moderate the sorrows of the mourners on this melancholy occasion, and teach them to esteem the gain or loss of a happy eternity as that which should swallow up every other concern!  (This study will continue in the next issue.)