Fleeting pleasures when considered are pains...

I wrote this a long time ago (a year? two years ago?). It started with a reflection on a life of hedonism and I thought that this self-indulgence is actually (paradoxically) pain when soberly considered in view of the end of such self-indulgence end (sort of consistent with the theme of my last post but a little different...I don't think they disagree but then I have not thought about it much).

A 10 Fleeting pleasures when considered are pains
B 10 One must forgo if he would have his heart
A 10 Be glad, so that he may the greater gains
B 10 Receive--though fantastic he had--to part
C 10 And join to hope. That in eternal clad
D 10 Abounding in riches, we may put off
C 10 Gold--we cannot loose what we never had.
D 10 Let’s put on what can never be put off.

On a side note, Fred Sanders has brought to my attention in his blog post on Jim Elliot that Elliot said something similar, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” I agree Jim! Nothing could separate you from the love of God in Christ--O the glorious treasures that you have been called to in Christ Jesus our Lord! God Bless you saint.

Here is another one written around the same time (before the other one):

10 Let us then sing praise, and worship our God
10 For what we have and have not, indeed for
10 ‘Tis better thus for us to lack and laud
10 Because if He who can does not out pour
10 Wealth, our having would make us all the poor
10 Of health. Let us forever praise our God!
10 As the father withholds from his child
10 The ill, so you my Lord restrain our wills—
10 Moderate in Thy steadfast love mild
10 So that we may know the great love that fills
10 And be made too Thy very own child.