Job 12. 10. Dan. 5. 23. 1 'Oun didas π τέξεται ἡ ὅτι Za us eth out time, and ordereth all things as he pleaseth? Can you any-wile defcry the just measure of your days, or the bounds of your appointed time without a special revelation from him, in whose hands is your breath; and with whom alone the number of your months is registred? Boaft not thy Jelf of to morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth, faith the Wife-man: boaft not of it, that is, do not pretend it to be at thy difpofal, prefume not upon any thing that may befall therein; for whilst thou presumest thereon, may it not be faid unto thee, as to the rich Pro*Luke 12. 10. jectour in the Gospel, *Thou fool, Danerns τὰ μὴ σά. Baf. M. exh. ad Bapt. this night fhall thy foul be required of thee. Doth not, feluding hidden decrees, every Man's life hang upon a thread very flender and frail? is it not fubject to many diseases lurking within, and to a thousand accidents flying about us? how many, that might have promised themselves as fair scope as we can, have been unexpectedly snapt away? How many H Τι γ οἶδας άνθρωπε άμαρ. τίσεις, εἰ ἡμέρας ζέσεις ἐν τῷ δε τῷ βίῳ, ἵνα καὶ μετανοή ons, &c. *0* * ૬©*_* ἐκ τῶ βία ὑπάρχει, καὶ ἐν ἀμαρτία τελευτήσαντι μετάνοια x saι, &c. Conft. Ap. 2. 13. I have been cropt in the flower of their age and vigour of their strength? Doth not every day prefent experiments of fudden death? Do we not continually fee that observation of the Preacher verified, Man Eccles. 9. 12. knoweth not his time; as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds are caught in the fnare, fo are the fons of men fnared in an evil time, when it cometh fuddenly upon them : Old men are ready to drop of themselves, and young men are eafily bruted or faken down; the former visibly stand upon the brink of Eternity, the latter walk upon a bottomless Quag, into which unawares they may flump; who then can any-wise be fecure? We are all therefore highly concerned to use our life, while we have it; to catch the first opportunity, left all opportunity forfake us; to cut off our finning, left our felves be cut off before Prov. 3. 2. Pfal. 37.9. before it And that the rather, because by lavishing, or mifemploying our present time, we may lofe the future, provoking God to bereave us of it; for as prolongation of time is a reward of Piety; as to obfervance of the Commandments it is promised, Length of days, and long life, and peace shall be added unto thee; fo being immaturely fnatched hence is the punishment awarded to impious practice; fo it is threatned that Evil men fhall be cut off; that bloody and deceifull men fhall not live out half their days; Pfal. 68. 21. that God will wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy Scalp of fuch an one as goeth on Still in his wickednefs the very being unmindfull of their duty is the cause, why men Rev. 3.3. 16. 5. are thus furprised; for, If, faith God, thou dost not watch, I fhall come upon thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know when I come upon thee. And If (faith our Lord) that fervant doth fay in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming, &c. The Lord of Pfal. 55. 23. Luke 12. 45, 46. that that fervant will come in a day, when he looketh not for him, &c. 35. If then it be certain, that we must render a strict accompt of all our doings here; if by reafon of our frail nature and flippery ftate, it be uncertain when we fhall be fummoned thereto; if our negligence may abridge and accelerate the term, is it not very reasonable to observe those advices of our Lord; Watch, Matth. 25.13. 24. 42. for ye do not know the day, nor the Mark 13.33. hour, when the Son of man cometh ; Luke 12. 15, Take heed to your felves, left any time your heart be overcharged with furfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and fo that day come upon you unawares: Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning, and ye your felves like men, that wait for your Lord: And to take the counfel of the Wife-man, Make no tarrying to turn unto the Lord, and put not off from day to day; for fuddenly fhall the wrath of the Lord come forth, and in thy fecurity fhalt thou be deftroyed, and perish in the day of vengeance. Thefe Ecclus. 5. 5 |