1 Peter 1:24
For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass, the grass withers, and the flower thereof falls away.
In expressing the vanity and frailty of the natural life of man, it is very agreeing with the subject to call him flesh, giving to the whole man the name of his corruptible part, both to make the wretched and perishing condition of this life more sensible, and man the more humble by it: For though by providing all for the flesh, and bestowing his whole time in the endeavors which are of the flesh's concernment, he remembers it too much, and forgets his spiritual and immortal part; yet in that over eager care for the flesh, in some sense he seems to forget that he is flesh, or at least that flesh is perishing, because flesh, extending his desires and projects so far for the flesh as if it were immortal, and should always abide to enjoy, and use these things; as the philosopher said of his countrymen, upbraiding at once their surfeiting and excess in feasting, and their sumptuousness in building: that they eat as if they meant to die tomorrow, and yet built as if they were never to die. Thus in men's immoderate pursuits of earth, they seem both to forget that they are anything else beside flesh, and in this sense too, to forget that they are flesh, that is mortal and perishing; they neither rightly remember their immortality nor their mortality. If we consider what it is to be flesh, the naming of that were sufficient to the purpose. All man is flesh, but it is plainer thus, all flesh is grass, thus in the Psalm, he remembered that they were but flesh, that speaks their frailty enough, but it is added to make the vanity of their estate the clearer, a wind that passes and comes not again (Psalm 78:39). So Psalm 103:15, as for man his days are as grass, as a flower of the field so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more.
This natural life is compared (even by natural men) to the vainest things, and scarce find they things light enough to express it vain, and as here called grass, so they compared the generations of men to the leaves of trees. But the light of Scripture does most discover this, and it is a lesson that requires the Spirit of God to teach it aright. Teach us (says Moses, Psalm 90) so to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. And David (Psalm 39) make me to know my life how frail I am. So James 4:14. And here it is called grass. So Job 14:12, man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble, he comes forth like a flower, and is cut down.
Grass has its root in the earth, and is fed by the moisture of it, and for a while, but besides that, it is under the hazard of such weather as favors it not, or the [reconstructed: scythe] that [reconstructed: cuts] it down, give it all the forbearance that may be, let it be free from both those, yet how quickly will it wither of itself: Set aside those many accidents, the smallest of which is able to destroy our natural life, the diseases of our own bodies, and outward violences, and casualties that cut down many in their greenness, in the flower of their youth, the utmost term is not long; in the course of nature it will wither. Our life is indeed a lighted torch, either blown out by some stroke, or some wind, or if spared, yet within a while burns away, and will die out of itself.
And all the glory of man — that is elegantly added. There is indeed a great deal of seeming difference between the outward condition of life among men, shall the rich, and honorable, and beautiful, and healthful go in together under the same name with the baser, and unhappier part, the poor wretched sort of the world, that seem to be born for nothing but sufferings, and miseries? At least has the wise no advantage beyond the fools, is all grass? Make you no distinction? No, all is grass, or if you will have some other name, be it so, once this is true that all flesh is grass, and if that glory that shines so much in your eyes must have a difference, then this is all it can have, it is but the flower of that same grass, somewhat above the common grass in gayness, a little comelier, and better appareled than it, but partaker of its frail and fading nature, has no privilege nor immunity that way, indeed of the two the less durable, and usually shorter lived, at the best it decays with it, the grass withers, and the flower thereof falls away.
How easily and quickly has the highest splendor of a man's prosperity been blasted, either by men's power, or the immediate hand of God? The Spirit of the Lord blows upon it (as Isaiah there says) and by that, not only withers the grass; but the flower fades, though never so fair. When you correct man for iniquity you make his beauty to consume like a moth (Psalm 39:11). How many have the casualties of fire, or war, or shipwreck in one day, or night, or a small part of either turned out of great riches into extreme poverty? And the instances are not few of those, that have on a sudden fallen from the top of honor into the foulest disgraces, not by degrees coming down the stair they went up, but tumbled down headlong. And the most vigorous beauty, and strength of body, how does a few days sickness, or if it escapes that, a few years time blast that flower. Indeed, those higher advantages that have somewhat both of truer, and more lasting beauty in them, the endowments of wit, and learning, and eloquence, indeed and of moral goodness, and virtue, yet they cannot rise above this word, they are still in all their glory but the flower of grass, their root is in the earth: natural ornaments are of some use in this present life, but they reach no further. When men have wasted their strength and endured the toil of study night and day, it's but a small parcel of knowledge they can attain to, and are forced to lie down in the dust in the midst of their pursuit of it; that head that lodges most sciences shall within a while be [reconstructed: stripped] of them all, and the tongue that speaks most languages silenced.
The great projects of kings, and princes, and they also themselves, come under this same notion, all the vast designs that are framing in their heads, fall to the ground in a moment, they return to their dust and in that day all their thoughts perish. Archimedes was killed in the midst of his demonstration.
If they themselves did consider this in the heat of their affairs, it would much allay the swelling and loftiness of their minds, and if these that live upon their favour, would consider it, they would not value it at so high a rate, and buy it so dear, as often they do. Men of low degree are vanity, says the Psalmist, but he adds men of high degree are a lie; from base mean persons we expect nothing, but the estate of great persons promises fair, and often keeps not, therefore a lie, although they can least endure that word.
They are in respect of mean persons as the flower to the grass, somewhat a fairer lustre they have; but no more endurance, nor exemption from decaying. Thus then it is a universal, and undeniable truth. It begins here with a [in non-Latin alphabet] and is as sure a conclusion as the surest of these in their best demonstrations which they call [in non-Latin alphabet]. And as particular men so whole states, and kingdoms are thus, they have their budding, and flourishing, and withering, and it is in both as with flowers, when they are fullest spread, then they are near their declining, and withering, and thus it is with all whole generations of men upon earth, as Solomon says, one goes and another comes; but not a word of abiding at all. We in our thoughts shut up death into a very narrow compass, namely, in the moment of our expiring, but the truth is, as the moralist observes, it goes through all our life, for we are still losing, and spending it as we enjoy it; indeed, our very enjoying it, is the spending it — yesterday's life is dead today, and so shall this day's life be tomorrow. We spend our years, says Moses, as a tale, or as a thought, so swift and vanishing is it. Each word helps a tale towards its end, and then in that the vanity, when it's done it vanishes as a sound in the air. What's become of all the pompous solemnities of kings and princes, at their births, and marriages and coronations, and triumphs? they are now as a dream (Acts 25:23).
Hence learn the folly, and pride of man that can glory and please himself in the frail and wretched being he has here, that dotes on this poor natural life, and cannot be persuaded to think on one higher, and more abiding. Although the course of times and his daily experience tells him this truth, that all flesh is grass, indeed, the prophet prefixes to these words a command of crying, they must be shouted aloud in our ears before we will hear them, and by that time the sound of the cry is done, we have forgot it again. Would we consider this in the midst of those vanities that toss our light minds to and fro, it would give us wiser thoughts, and ballast our hearts, make them more solid, and steadfast in those spiritual endeavors, which concern a durable condition, a being that abides for ever, in comparison of which the longest term of natural life is less than a moment, and the happiest estate of it, but a heap of miseries. Were all of us more constantly prosperous than any of us is, yet that one thing were enough to cry down the price we put upon this life, that it continues not. As he answered to one that had a mind to flatter him in the midst of a pompous triumph, by saying, what is wanting here? continuance said he. It was wisely said at any time, but most of all to have so sober a thought in such a solemnity, in which weak heads cannot escape either to be wholly drunk, or somewhat giddy at least. Sure we forget this, when we grow vain upon any human glory, or advantage, the color of it pleases us, and we forget that it is but a flower, and foolishly overesteem it, this is that madness upon flowers, that is somewhere in request, where they will give as much for one flower as would buy a good dwelling house. Is it not a most foolish bargain to bestow continual pains, and diligence upon purchasing of great possessions, or honors? if we believe this that the best of them is no other, but a short-lived flower, and neglect the purchase of those glorious mansions of eternity, a garland of such flowers as wither not, an unfading crown, that everlasting life, and those everlasting pleasures that are at the right hand of God.
Now that life which shall never end must begin here, it is the new spiritual life, of which the word of God is the immortal seed, and in opposition to corruptible seed, and the corruptible life of flesh it is here said to endure for ever. And for this end is the frailty of natural life mentioned, that our affections may be drawn off from it to this spiritual life that is not subject to death.
