The Uncertain Abundance
Author: Luiken, Jan, 1649-1712
Image Title: The Uncertain Abundance
Scripture Reference:
- Colossians 3 (further images / scripture text)
Description: A man, who carries the World and numerous other valuable objects, is not able to hold on to all of them but has to let a portion of them fall. On the left behind him are two pilgrims. The Dutch artist and poet Jan Luiken (1649-1712), whose initials are at the lower right, was responsible for drawing and etching this emblem and for the poem that accompanies it (below). The attendant scripture text is Colossians 3:1-2.
Poem:
Who grabs much, drops much,
The world with her comforts,
Of which the earthly disposed heart jabbers,
In order to carry such Clutter away.
But see that he can’t continue with those,
Because his picked-up objects,
Don’t fit as they should,
But always escaped his grip.
Many objects are scattered,
And produce also scattered thoughts,
So that he never thoroughly copes,
Who seeks to win this world.
But he who turns himself, to the Only One,
One more, than all that can be thought of,
Proceeds hence with his understanding,
And the scattering will not harm his progress.
He goes with his desired treasure,
Unto the Heaven, from the Earth,
And holds on to what he has picked up,
That One above all treasures.
That One, in which the All leads,
That can serve as rest and luxuries,
Of nameless Salvation,
So that the pleasures played Eternally.
Leave then that unworthy good,
With which thou dost squander thine time,
While thou dost grab, toil and grub,
Because thou always didst miss satisfaction:
Before that beautiful Time didst elude thee,
In all things from below.
And [thou] didst loose the All and The One,
Like all fools did.
(Translation by Josephine V. Brown, with editorial assistance from William G. Stryker)
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