Human Life A Vapor!

Edward Griffin, 1807

"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes!" James 4:14

This moral reflection was introduced by the apostle to reprove those calculations and forms of speech which make no account of a providence. "Now listen, you who say: 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes! Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil." James 4:13-16

All such presumptuous calculations, such vain boasting of what we will accomplish independently of God's blessing, are nothing short of practical atheism . Thus did the man who said in his heart, "This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself: You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry!"

But what was the answer of God? "You fool! This night your soul shall be required of you!"

"Boast not therefore of tomorrow — for you know not what a day may bring forth." Surely then in vain do you spin your cobweb plans, and reckon with confidence on a train of events reaching through the year — when you cannot control the matters of a single day. In vain do you grasp your future gains, as though your times were in your own hands, when your life itself is only "a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes!"

This recognition of a Providence and of our dependence, ought to be the constant thought of our hearts, and ought to be expressed in our ordinary conversation, so far at least as to distinguish us from atheists.

Paul used this form of speech did with the Ephesians: "I will return again unto you — if God wills." And with the Romans: "I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you."

David lived under an habitual impression that "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain!"

All ought to consider that though "a man's heart devises his way — yet the Lord directs his steps!" "Though the lot is cast into the lap — the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord." "In all your ways acknowledge him — and he shall direct your paths."

But to promise ourselves worldly comforts without asking permission of God, is the height of presumption. "For what is your life?" This question implies something bordering on contempt, as did more fully the question of Nabal, "Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse?" And as did the question of David himself, "Lord, what is man, that you take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that you make account of him?"

The question prepares the mind to anticipate the answer: "You are a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes!" A vapor is a frail, unsubstantial thing, of short continuance; which either darts across the sky and disappears, or glitters before the eye for a few moments and is gone!

Such is the life of man. Though it be protracted to threescore years and ten — it is only a frail, uncertain thing. It glitters at a distance as something bright and glorious, it dances delusively before the bewildered sight — and then suddenly disappears.

It is represented by various figures borrowed from the most unsubstantial and fleeting objects. It is compared . . . to a passing shadow , to the vanishing of a cloud , to the disappearing of smoke , to sleep , to wind , to a tale that is told, to the grass and flowers of the field, to the quick transition of a weaver's shuttle, to the drying up of waters, and the like.

"Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow!" Psalm 144:4

"You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning — though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered!" Psalm 90:5-6

"The length of our days is seventy years —  or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away!" Psalm 90:10

"As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more!" Psalm 103:15-16

"But man dies and is laid low — he breathes his last and is no more." Job 14:10

"My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and they come to an end without hope. Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath. The eye that now sees me will see me no longer; you will look for me, but I will be no more. As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to the grave does not return. He will never come to his house again; his place will know him no more." Job 7:6-10

These poetic and melancholy effusions, these tender lamentations over a decaying world — are peculiarly soothing to a mind softened by reflections on this tearful subject. Methinks they are pitched on the same tone with many a mind this day. This day on which we are assembled to bestow some still and mournful thoughts on a year which we lately knew, which traveled pleasantly with us along life's varying journey for twelve successive months — but is now forever gone to rest. Eighteen hundred and six — we shall see no more. It is now with the years beyond the flood.

Another year has taken its place, in the womb of which how many and what events are enclosed — time alone can reveal. It is doubtless the appointed time for many thousands to die , and for many thousands to be born , and begin their immortal career.

How many widows and orphans will be made this year — and how many mercies will be scattered from our Father's hand! How many revolutions will take place in families, in towns, in states, in nations!

Great changes may occur in our families. How many of our children and parents we shall follow to the grave, and whether our seats will not be left empty before another new-year's day, is left for the revolution of a few months to determine. Whether this year shall dash all our hopes, or bring increased prosperity — depends wholly on God. We are vulnerable at a thousand points. All that we can hope or fear, depends upon Him. So many evils may befall us, if He does not prevent them.

O let us venture no further into the year without engaging His blessing to bring it to a prosperous close. If like those who calculated to "go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money" — you are making calculations for the year without a sense of dependence on God, pause — in God's name, pause! Settle it in your mind on whom your prosperity depends.

A number who were with us when the last year commenced, are no longer here. Their seats are vacant in this church building. Their houses are deserted. If you would seek their abode, you must search for it under the cold clods of the cemetery. But their souls — where are they? They have been transported into a country from which there is no return, and fixed there in unchangeable weal or woe! In all probability some of us are destined to follow them in the course of the present year. And instead of partaking of a new-year's feast at the return of the season — we will then be furnishing a feast for worms! Who, O who shall be of that number? It may be I myself! My friend, it may be you!

The commencement of a new year is a proper season for many solemn reflections . It is an epoch which has always been noticed in the Christian Church; and it is reasonable that it should awaken us from slumber . . . to mark how rapidly time is rolling us into old age and into eternity; to take our view of the blessings and mercies of the past year, and of all the years that have gone over our heads; to consider the mercies which we shall need for the year to come; to reflect how we have improved our talents, what we have done for God and His Church, and what progress we have made in our heavenly course; to inquire what new desires and purposes, and what new degrees of diligence, are needful for the current year; and finally, to look forward to the termination of all our years, when time in respect to us, will be no longer.

Let us spend a few minutes in these reflections. And O that the divine Spirit may carry them home to our hearts!

"Man comes forth like a flower." In the morning the flowers appear on the plain. They dance before the breeze. They smile in all the bloom and gaiety of youth, and charm the eye of every passing fellow. To an inexperienced eye, it would seem long before the freshness and beauty of their youth could pass away; but at the close of the first week, old age has withered their bloom and shaken their constitution, and at the close of the second week they expire!

Short is the youth of the flowers of the field — and short is the youth of man. Yesterday we were children, just embarking on the ocean of life , spreading all our sails to catch the prosperous breeze, and looking forward with elated hopes to rich and balmy islands at which we should touch, and to the peaceful haven where we would cast anchor for a great many happy years.

We proceeded, but the sky was overcast, and cross winds drove us hither and thither. We saw those pleasant islands at a distance, but could not reach them.

We often took our observations to find the peaceful haven , where all our cares were to end. Often we thought we saw the rising spires, and hope glistened in our eye. At last we find that we have passed the long looked-for spot, and cannot return — and that an irresistible current is carrying us directly into eternity!

Yesterday we were children, setting out in life with optimistic hopes of finding what had not been found before — a paradise on earth replete with soul-satisfying comfort. We advanced, but did not find it — yet the image of it glittered in our eye. We still dreamed that we were young and had time enough to overtake it. We pressed forward — but the image kept before us. Sometimes we felt the sting of disappointment; but we comforted ourselves with the thought that the principal part, the most splendid and delightful part of life — was yet before us, and that we would shortly come to the time when we could dismiss our cares, and commence a long period of peace.

We still dreamed that we were young — until we awoke and found that we had got into old age — and that the paradise we had been seeking, such as it was, was far behind us, and that we had then little to look forward to but death and eternity. Then it was that we first discovered that our life was indeed "a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes!"

We were not at all prepared to be old so soon. It was an unexpected shock. We had just been indulging the anticipation of long continued youth. We still fondly clung to the thought, unwilling to let it go. We said in our hearts, "It was but yesterday that I was a child. It is not yet time to be old! I have not yet found what I have been looking forward to all my days. When I was tasting the insipid comforts of former years — I did not dream that they were the best that this life could afford."

Often did we attempt to recover our hold of youth — but every revolving year carried us still further from it and pushed us down the hill. We recoiled from the descent. Nature made an involuntary effort to brace itself against the downward progress, and to hold back the wheels of time . But all in vain.

One year passes after another and carries us still further into the valley of old age . We are now advanced one more year nearer to the eternal world! And still another year has begun to waft us onwards. Unwilling as we are to go — we must advance.

O Lord, break that bond which binds our hearts to this fleeting life — and stretch them forward to eternity!

"One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead — I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus!" Philippians 3:13-14

O that we might improve this expiration of another year (the emblem of the moment when all time shall end), to impress our minds with the great lesson which we were sent into the world to learn! Here we stand in the middle of life, removed one year further from the sprightliness and hopes of childhood — and with increasing haste hastening onward to the tomb.

How many new years have we been spared to see. Let us awake, and cast our eyes back through the long ranges of time in which God has preserved us. Goodness and mercy have followed us all our days. Let us consider how God took care of us in our mothers' arms. Let us consider how He guarded us from sudden death in childhood — when we were unprepared to die. Let us consider how near we sometimes came to death and to the gates of Hell — and yet were spared.

And furthermore, let us consider how many gracious and remarkable interpositions of Providence have combined to shape the destinies of our manhood, to form our several relations, and to produce and continue every item of our prosperity. There is not a year nor a month nor a day, which has not been full of His mercies and strongly marked with His tender care. "What shall we render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward us? Is it too much to devote to Him, the worthless lives which He has thus preserved and blessed?

The present is a suitable time to turn in our minds also — how many mercies we shall need for the year to come — whence they can be derived — and how much it behooves us to secure the favor of God by sincerely believing on His dear Son.