fumed by the Blow of thy (c) Gen. XLVII. 9. The Days of Hand.

the Years of my PILGRIMAGE, are When thou with Rebukes

an hundred and thirty Years : Few

and evil have the Days of the Years doft correct Man for Iniqui- of my Life been, and have not atty, thou makeft his Beauty tained unto the Days of the Years to confume away like a Moth of the Life of my Fathers, in their

PILGRIMAGE. Heb. xi. 13, 14, 16. Surely every Manis VANITY. These all died in Faith, not having

Hear my Prayer, O Lord, received the PROMISES, but having and give Éar unto my Cry: seen them afar off ; and were per

swaded of them, and embraced Hold not thy Peace at my them ; and confessed that they were Tears; for I am a (c) STRAN- STRANGERS and PILGRIMS on GER with thee, and a So- the Earth : For they that say such JOURNER, as all my Fathers things, declare plainly that they

seek a Country: Wherefore God were.

is not ashamed to be called their O spare me, that I may God, for he hath prepared for them recover STRENGTH, before a City;

(d) Luke xvi. 19,dc. There was I go hence, and be no more. a certain Rich Man, which was

Hear this, all ye People ; cloathed in Purple and fine Linen, give ear, all ye Inhabitants and fared sumptuously every Day.

And there was a certain Beggar, of the Earth :

named Lazarus, which was laid at Both low and high, Rich his Gate full of Sores; and desiring and Poor together.

to be fed with the Crumbs which

fell from the rich Man's Table : My Mouth fhall speak of Moreover the Dogs came and licked WISDOM, and the Meditation his Sores. And it came to pass that of my Heart shall be of Un- the Beggar died, and was carried by

the Angels into Abraham's Bolom: DERSTANDING.

The rich Man also died, and was I will incline mine Ear to buried; and in Hell he lift up his a Parable ; I will open my Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in

Eyes, being in Torments, and feeth dark Saying on the Harp.

his Bosom. And he cried, and said, They that trust in their Father Abraham, have mercy on Wealth', and boast them- me, and send Lazarus that he may felves in the multitude of dip the tip of his Finger in Water,

and cool my Tongue, for I am tortheir Riches;

mented in this Flame. But AbraNone of them can by any ham faid, Son, remember that thou means (d) REDEEM

his in thy Life-time receivedst thy good

Brother, nor give to God a ther Abraham, but if one went unRansom for him,

to them from the Dead they will For the Redemption of repent: And he said unto him, If

they hear not Mofes and the Protheir Soul is precious, and phets, neither will they be perfuadit ceaseth for ever.

ed though one rose froin the Dead. That he should ftill (e) unco Men once to DIE, but after

(e) Heb. IX. 27. Ic is appointed LIVE for ever, and not see this the Judgment. CORRUPTION.

) Ecclef. 11. 18, 19. I hated all For he feeth that wife my Labonr which I had taken un

der the Sun, because I should LEAVE Men die, likewise the (f) it unto the Man that shall be after Fool and the brutish Person me. And who knoweth whether perish, and leave their Wealth he shall be a Wise Man or a Fool ?

(8) Eccles. vi. 1,2. There is an to others.

Evil which I have seen under the Their inward Thought is, Sun, and it is common among Men. that their Houses shall conti- A Man, to whom God hath given

RICHES, WEALTH, and HONOUR, nue for ever,

and their dwel- fo that he wanteth nothing for his ling Places to all Generations ; Soul of all that he delireth, yet they call their Lands after God giveth him not Power to eat

thercof, but a Stranger eateth it : their own Names.

This is Vanity, and is an evil DifNevertheless, (8) Man be- ease. ing in Honour, ABIDETH

(b) Ecclef. v111:8, 12, 13. There

is no Man that hath Power over the not; he is like the Beasts Spirit to retain the Spirit, neither that PERISH.

hath he Power in the day of Death: This their Way is their And there is no Discharge in that

War ; neither shall Wickedness DEFOLLY, yet their pofterity

LIVER those that are given to it. approve their Sayings.

Though a Sinner do Evil an hunLike (b) Sheep they are dred times, and his Days be prolaid in their Grave, Death longed, yet furely I know that it

shall be well with them that fear Shall peed on them, and God, which fear before him. Blic the Upright Mall have Do- it shall not be well with the Wickminion over them in the ed, neither shall be prolong his

Days, which are as a SHADOW ; beMorning, and their Beauty cause he feareth not before God. ;

. shall CONSUME in the Grave Chap. IX. 5, 10. For the LIVING from their Dwelling.

know that they shall die : But the

DEAD know 'not any thing, neiBut God will (1) REDEEM ther have they any more a Reward, my Soul from the Power of for the Memory of them is forgot

Whatsoever thy Hand findeth to do, do it with thy Might; for there is no Work, nor DEVICE, nor KNOWLEDGE, nor Wisdom, in the Grave whither thou gocít.

.(1) Pet. 1. 18. Ye know that ye were not REDEEMED with corRUSTIBLE things, as Silver and Gold, from your VAIN Conversation, received by Tradition from your Fathers. I Cor. xv. 42, 43, 44. So also is the RESURRECTION from the Dead; it is sown in CORRUPTION, it is raised in INCORRUPTION ; it is sown in DISHONOUR, it is raised in GLORY ; it is sown in WEAKNESS, it is raised in POWER; it is sown a NATURAL Body, it is railed a SPIRITUAL Body.

the

ten.

the Grave, for he shall Re- (k) James v. 1, 2, 3. Go to now, CEIVE me.

ye Rich Men, weep and howl for Be not thou afraid when your Miteries that are come upon

you ; your Riches are CORRUPTED, one is made (k) RICH, and your Garments are MOTH-EATwhen the Glory of his House EN ; your Gold and Silver is can. is increased.

KERED, and the Rult of them shall

be a Witness againit you, and shall For when he Dieth, he eat your Flesh as it were Fire ; ye shall carry (1) NOTHING a- have heaped TREASURE together

for the lait Days. way; his Glory shall not

(1) Tim. vi. 7, 8, 9, 10. We defcend after him.

brought nothing into this World, Though, whilft he lived, and it is certain we can carry Nohe blessed his Soul : : And THING out ; and having Food and

RAIMENT, let us be therewith conMen will praise thee, when tent. But they that will be rich, thou dost well to thy felf. fall into TEMPTATION, and a

He shall go to the Gene- ŞNARE, and into many foolish and ration of his Fathers, they in Destruction and Perdition: For

hurtful LUSTs, which drown Men shall never see Light, the Love of Money is the Root of

Man that is in Honour, all Evil ; which while fome coand UNDERSTANDETH not, the Faith, and pierced them'elves

vered after, they have erred from is like the Beasts that perish. through with many Sorrows.

Lord, - thou hast been our Job 1.21. Job faid, Nakit came (m) DWELLING PLace in 1 out of my Mother's womb, and

NAKED shall I return thither: The all Generations,

Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken Before the (12) Moun- away ; Blessed be the Name of the TAINS were brought forth, Lord. Eccles: v. 13, 14, 15, 16. There

is a sore Evil which I have seen unor ever thou hadit formed der the Sun, namely, Riches kept the Earth and the World : for the Owners thereof, to their Even from everlasting to ever- hurt: Buc those Riches perish by

evil travail; and he begetteth a Son, lasting, thou art God.

and there is NOTHING in his Hand.

As he came forth of his Mother's Womb, NAKED shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his Labour which he may carry away in his Hand. And this also is a fore Evil, that in all Points as he came, so shall he go : And what PROFIT hath he that hath laboured for the Wind ?

() 2 Chron. vi. 18. Will God in very deed dwell with Men on the Earth? Behold, Heaven, and the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee. 2 Cor. vi. 16. Ye are the TEMPLF. of the living God ; as God hath said, I will nwell in them, and walk in them ; and I will be their God, and they thall be my People.

(n) Heb. 1. 10. Thou, Lord, in the Beginning hast laid the Foundation of the Earth, and the HEAVENS are the works of thine Hands. Ifai. xh. 12. Who hath measured the Waters in the Hollow of his Hand, and mcted the Heaven with the Span, and comprehended the Dust of the Earth in a Measure, and weighed the Mountains in Scales, and the Hills in a Balance ?

a

Psalm xc. 1, to 12.

Thou

eth up:

Thou turneft Man to Destruction, and sayest, Return ye Children of Men.

(c) 2 Pet. 111. 8. Be not ignoFor (0) a thousand Years rant of this one thing, that one Day in thy Sight, are but as yef- is with the Lord as a thousand terday, when it is paft, and Years, and a thoufand Years as one

Day, ver. 9. The Lord is not slack as a Watch in the Night. concerning his Promise (as some

Thou carrieft them away Men count lackness) but is longas with a Flood, they are a

suffering to us-ward ; not willing

that any should PERISH, but that fleep, in the Morning they all should come to REPENTANCE. are like Grass which grow- Eccles. XI. 8, 9. But if a Man live

many Years, and REJOICE in them In the Morning it flourish- of ’DARKNESS, for they shall be

all ; yet let him remember the Days eth, and groweth up, in the many. All that cometh is VANITY. Evening it is cut down and Rejoice, O young Man, in thy withereth.

Youth, and let thy Heart chear

thee in the Days of thy Youth, and For we are consumed by walk in the ways of thy Heart, thine Anger, and by thy and in the sight of thine Eyes? Wrath are we troubled.

But know thou, that for all these

things God will bring thee into Thou haft set our Iniqui- JUDGMENT. ties before thee, our secret Sins in the Light of thy Countenance.

(P) Eccles. vi. 12. Who knowFor all our (P) DAYS are Life, all the Days of his vain Life,

eth what is good for Man in this paft away in thy Wrath : We which he spendeth as Shadow fpend our Years as a TALE for who can tell a Man, what Niali that is told.

be after him under the Sun ? The Days of our † Years are threescore Years and ten

and

and if by reason of Strength they be fourscore Years, yet is their Strength LABOUR and SORROW ; for it is foon cut off, and we fly away.

Who knoweth the Power of thine Anger? Even according to thy Fear, so is thy Wrath.

So teach us to number our Days, that we may apply our Hearts unto WISDOM..

Liked as a Father PITIETH his Children, so the Lord PITIETH them that fear him.

For he knoweth our Frame; he remembreth that we are but Duft.

As for Man, his (9) Days (9) James IV. 13, 14. Go to now, are as GR Ass; as a FLOWER ye that say to-day,or to morrow, we

will go into such a City, and conof the Field, so he flourisheth. tinue there a Year, and buy and fell,

For the Wind passeth over and get Gain ; whereas, ye know it

, and it is gone, and the not what shall be on the Morrow : Place thereof Ihall know it a VAPOUR, that appeareth for a lit

For what is your Life ? it is even no more.

tle time, and then vanisheth away. But the Mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting, upon them that fear him; and his Righteousness unto Childrens Children.

To such as keep his CoveNANT, and to those that remember his CoMMANDMENTS to do them.

& Psalm Cill. 13, to 18.

a

“ others, and those mentioned by Pliny, Lib. vii. cap. 48. and some in " our own Experience : Yet Moses himself states the ordinary Standard “ of the Life of Man to be 70, or at molt 80 Years, Psalm xc. 10. “ 2 Sam. xix. 32, 35. And chis we shall find true upon the Confidera" tion of the Chronological Account of the Years of the ancient Patriarchs " and Kings that sincceeded Moses; as likewise of the Time that the f. “ raelites lived in the Wilderness, all which that were twenty Years old, " and upwards, at the coming into the Wilderness, when the Spies were " fent into Canaan, which was shortly after their coming thither : all a these, I say, except Joshua and Caleb, died within the 40 Years Peregri“ nation in the Wilderness: And at this Stay, the ordinary age of Men " hath been for these 4000 Years; abating those Casualties, either of Dir. “eases, or other Accidents, that have shortned the ordinary compleat Ages “ of Man's Life.

5

Ecclef. xii. 13,14. Let us hear the Conclusion of the wbole Matter : Fear God, and keep his Commandments; for this is the whole Duty of Man. For God shall bring every Work into Fudgment, neith every secret thing, wherher it be Good, or cohether it be Evil.

M

2 Cor.