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Pía.. 39. 4.

Job 14. 5.

The Prophet David hath in the 39th Pfalm a Prayer very near in words, and of kin (it seems) in fenfe to this here; Lord, prays he, Make me to know my end, and the measure of my days, what it is, that I may know how frail I am: Concerning the drift of which place, as well as of this here, it were obvious to conceive, that both these Prophets do request of God, that he would discover to them the definite term of their life (which by his decree he had fixed, or however by his univerfal prefcience he did difcern; concerning which we have thefe words in Job, Seeing man's days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds, that he cannot pafs) we might, I fay, at first hearing be apt to imagine, that their Prayer unto God is, (for the comfort of their mind burthened with afflictions, or for their better direction in the management of their remaining time of life) that God

would

would reveal unto them the determinate length of their life. But this fenfe, which the Words feem fo naturally to hold forth is by many of the Fathers rejected; for that the knowledge of our lives determinate measure is not a fit matter of Prayer to God; that being a fecret referved by God to himself, which to inquire into favours of prefumptuous curiofity; the univerfal validity of which reason I will not debate; but fhall defer fo much to their judgment, as to suppose that the numbring of our days (according to their fenfe) doth here onely imply a confused indefinite computation of our days number, or the length of our life; fuch as, upon which it may appear, that neceffarily our life cannot be long (not according to the accompt mentioned in this Pfalm (the fame with that of Solon, in Herodotus) above feventy or eighty Years, especially as to purposes of health, ftrength, content) will probably by reafon of B 3

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various accidents, to which it is expofed, be much fhorter (leven or ten Years according to a moderate esteem) may poffibly, from furprifes undiscoverable, be very near to its period; by few instants removed from death (a Year, a Month, a Day, it may be fomewhat lefs.) This I fhall allow to be the Arithmetick that Mofes here defires to learn; whence it doth follow that teaching (or making to know, fo it is in the Hebrew) doth import here (as it doth other-where frequently in Scripture) God's affording the Grace to know practically, or with ferious regard to confider this state and measure of our life (for in fpeculation no Man can be ignorant of humane lifes brevity and uncertainty; but most Men are fo negligent and ftupid, as not to regard it fufficiently, not to employ this knowledge to any good purpose.) This

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ανθρώπε ἀγνοεῖν, ὅτι ἄνθρω το ζῶον ἐςὶ θνητὸν, ἐδ ̓ ὅτι γέγονεν εἰς τὸ ἀποθανεῖν. Plut. ad Apoll. p. 202.

Quis eft tam ftultus, quamvis fit adolefcens, cui fit exploratum fe vel ad vefperum effe

victurum. Cic. de Sen.

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Interpretation I chufe, being in it felf plaufible enough, and countenanced by fo good authority; yet the former might well enough (by good confequence, if not fo immediately) ferve my defign: Or be a ground able to fupport the discourse I intend to build upon the Words the fubject whereof briefly will be this, that the confideration of our lives certain and neceffary brevity and frailty, is a mean proper and apt to dispose us toward the wife conduct of our remaining life; to which purpose fuch a confideration feems alike available, as the knowledge of its punctual or definite meafure; or more than it ; upon the fame, or greater reasons.

As for the latter claufe, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom; 'tis according to the Hebrew, And we fhall bring the heart to wisdom; implying, the application of our hearts to wifdom to be confequent upon the skill and practice (bestowed by God) of thus computing our days.

95.

As for wisdom, that may denote either fapience, a habit of knowing what is true; or prudence, a difpofition of chufing what is good; we may here understand both, especiDe fin. II. P. ally the latter; for, as Tully faith of Philosophy, Omnis fumma Philofophiæ ad beate vivendum refertur, The fumm or whole of Philofophy refers to living happily; fo all Divine Wisdom doth refpect good practice. The word alfo comprehends all the confequences and adjuncts of fuch wisdom (for fo commonly such words are wont by way of metonymie to denote, together with the things primarily fignified, all that naturally flow from, or that ufually are conjoined with them) in brief (to ceafe from more explaining that, which is in it felf confpicuous enough) I so understand the Text, as if the Prophet had thus expreffed himself: Since, O Lord, all things are in thy hand, and Sovereign difpofal; fince it appears that

Natura dedit ufuram vita, tanquam pecunia, nulla præftituta die. Tufc. quaft. I. p. 326.

Man's

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