fcore years, yet it is faid, foon to be "cut off and fly away," Pfal. xc. 10. We talk of long life, when, alas, there is no fuch thing, but only by comparifon, with theirs that are thorter. For even threefcore and ten hundred, or fourscore thousand years, are but (a ro' vv,) an indivifible point, and as juft nothing, in respect of the days of eternity, that fhall never have an end.

Our Lord has told us, furely I come quickly: the end of all things is at hand: and the judge is at the door. Time is fhort, even in its whole compafs but as a little fhred, torn from duration infinite. But O how fhort is man's particular time here? and what quick work does death come and make with many; even in the midft, or before the midst of that little time! the glass is foon run; and the candle foon burnt out of itself: but O how eafy may the glass be broke and the candle puffed out, before half run, or burnt! fo quickly may we all look round about ourselves; to fee how we are but of yesterday: and within a few days will be no more feen. Yet, Lord! what ftupidnefs here do men betray, in fancying a boundless profpect before them! as if the poor inch of time would never be measured; nor their fhort part on the prefent ftage ever be acted. Even the oldeft and the weakeft, how can they footh up themselves, with living a while longer, and a while longer yet, without any peremptory date; and scarce know how to conceive themfelves cafhiered, and rid out of the way? but having heard fo much, and so often of death; and finding it ftill to keep off, they have even left off to look for it. But will the putting it off, or ceafing to expect it, make it ever the further diftant! no; the veffel failing down the fwift current, makes its way apace; whether the paffengers obferve and mind it, or not. And down the rapid ftream of time are we hafting: where, O how foon fhall we

touch

touch the river mouth, and ftrike through the gulph of death, into the boundless ocean of our endless condition; though we may be nothing fo apprehenfive of it, as we ought! but, O my foul, remember how short thy time here is: and how quickly all that thou haft to do in thisworld, will be quite over. Yea, remember, wherefore thou haft thy time now, but to fit up thyfelf for the everlasting state to come: and then be not fo intent for the prefent moment, as to forget or neglect the future eternity: nor think it enough to have an eafy pleafant time, for fo little a while but above all, concern thyfelf, how it fhall fare with thee world without end. And when, as curt as it is, yet this time is the only time, that ever thou shalt have, to do the greatest work, that is to be done in this world: O be choice, and covetous, to make the most that ever thou canft of that little time. And never let it be idle or finned away, in vain impertinencies, which will turn to no account: or in wicked extravagancies, which will turn to a fad one. Thou haft no time to fpare, for fuch trifling or vicious purposes: when it is all of it little enough, to redeem, for the working out of thy falvation: that thou mayeft not be dreadfully furprised, and catched wofully unprovided.

Thou haft but a fhort working time: and O how foon will all the trouble of thy work be over! it is but to beftir thee, and be bufy a little while; and yet a little while more: and then thou shalt fit down and take thy ease, and enjoy thy pleasure for ever. The labour will be at an end: but the reward fhall never be at an end. O let this then, my foul, be the use that I make of my short time, to be more wary how I fpend it; because all hangs upon it: little to regard thofe pleasures or troubles here, which are but for a moment: and to be all upon it, in laying up for the time to come; and making fure of a bleffed fhare, in that most important ftate; VOL. I. which

X

which is of a length not to be measured; and of a date that will never be expired.

L

THE PRAYER.

ORD! what is man, that thou takeft knowledge of him, or the fon of man, "that thou makeft account of him? Man is like "to vanity: his days are as a fhadow that paffes away. O how foon will my part here be done. "And how foon fhall I be taken away from hence, and have no more to do in this world? I know not the day nor the hour: but even when I least "think of it, how fuddenly may I be cut off, and fly away into the ftate whence I fhall not return! "O Lord, in inercy roufe my ftupid foul, into a "ferious mindfulness of it, and an affectionate con"cernment about it: that I may ftill live, as ex"pecting to die; and during this short life, may "make fure of that, which fhall never be con*cluded by any more death. Amen."

MEDITATION XXXV.

Of the certainty of dying.

My foul, as fure as I do now live, I fhall come to the end of this life. For there is no immortality upon earth: but it is appointed unto all men once to die: and what man is he that liveth, and fhall not fee death! who, without a miracle, can be exempted from that common law of mortality, which determines the whole kind to undergo a change and tranflation into another condition?

He

He that faith, BEHOLD, I COME, will come. We may build upon it: for he never breaks his word. Yea, we have not only the fentence of his word; but the conftant experience of all the world, to vouch for it, and to confirm us in it. For do not we fee, that all forts, one with another, from the loweft to the higheft in this world, after they have had their appointed time, reach to their end; and go off from hence to be feen here no more? the ftrongeft cannot always hold out. The richeft are not able to make a bribe for death. The wifeft know not how to fhift it off. But this great leveller will throw all equal in the duft, and fend them down, to take their turns, after the reft: yea, drop them through his trap-door, into another world; to take their portion of an infinite duration. Now that which is the end of all men, the living fhall (he fhould) lay it to his heart. And would he not be thought ftrangely abfurd, who would flatter himfelf with hopes of efcaping the hands of death? yet, ah Lord! how do vain men live on, as if they did not at all believe that they fhall die! though they cannot for fhame own it: yet the conduct of their life aims at nothing, but the perpetuating themfelves upon earth as if they, and their enjoyments fhould abide here for ever; and they thought of no departure hence. When as all their folicitude is for the prefent world and nothing further from their thoughts, than the dying day. Yea when they can live fo ungodly here, as if they were never to anfwer for it elsewhere.

But, my foul, fhall I be fuch a brute; and fhew no more wisdom, to understand and confider my latter end? O let me make fure account of it; and alfo make better provision for it. Let me thus reafon the cafe, to affect myself with it; muft I, even I, go the way of all flefh, after the innumerable company, of my kind, that are already gone

before

before me. Muft I, ere long, for certain be out of all here; and this world will hold me no longer; my place in it will no more be found. Let me be never fo healthy, and lufty, and full of life; will this laft with me always? muft there not be an end? is not my period fet; the bounds fixed, that I cannot pafs? and fhall I then go and settle myself here, in the house of my pilgrimage; as if I were at home already without thinking of a removal? when the Lord knows, that I am but upon my journey, to the place of my everlafting fettlement: and this world is none of my reft; but my paffage, and a mere thoroughfare, to the next. O then how fhould I live, but as a dying man; with an eye and regard ftill to my approaching diffolution, and the enfuing condition? What is my business, but to wait for the coming of my Lord; who a while hence, will most certainly be with me: and to prepare for the mighty change, which must then pafs upon me? O how full of concern fhould I be, to do that well, which is to be done once for all; and upon the doing it aright, depends all my eafe and welfare for ever! my foul, thou must be roused and unhoused, of thy prefent habitation: that weak building will all be thrown down: and thou must go naked away, to feek another dwelling. O then look to thyfelf: and mind nothing in this world fo much, as to get fafe and well out of it: and to fecure thy everlafting effects beyond it; and thy happy fhare in that glorious life, which fhall never be ended by any more death. That feeing I muft die once, it may be but once: and the fecond death may have no power upon me but as certain as is my death here, I may be as certain to live bleffedly for ever hereafter.

THE