A worldly man in this business would begin to add and to multiply, putting still to the times past that which is to come, and withdrawing from1 time to come, times past: But we must know that all that is past, is to be subtracted, and to be counted nothing, and the days to come are not to be added, for an addition must be of a thing existent, but the time to come is not. But let us make a supposition of that to be which is not, that a man may write of 70 years, let us, I say, set that down as the gross sum. Half that time is spent they say in sleep, which then we may well detract from the great number, & then there remains but 35. years. From these we may deduct 14. years2 in our youth, wherein we are unfit to glorify God, or do good to man, and so there remains sixteen years; and of these sixteen, to set down the days of sickness, or those times which we sinfully spend in yielding to anger, to our lusts, or to worldliness, wherein we are as unprofitably occupied, as though we were not, half of the number would be cut off, and so we should leave but seven or eight years. But now we have the sum, from whence we might take out, but not that time out, which is past we know, seeing now it is nothing; what is to come, we know not, and it cannot be added, time is but short, and therefore great need we have of God his spirit to teach us. To this we know, how suddenly death doth take from us time to come, Jobs children in the middest of their banquet were stricken dead; Ishbosheth died before night could come upon him, neither hath the strongest liver any surer charter of his life. The best way then to reckon aright,3 is to make the number, which we may take out, and that which we would subtract, all one, and that is none. If in the way we haply find something, we may take it for our advantage, and see that we use it to God his glory. For this being set down, that our days past are none, and the days to come none neither: so that no days past or to come can be counted part of our life, and consequently have none but the present time, which is very4 little, and as little as a thought, unless we could have a lease of our life, as Hezekiah in some so•t had of his by Isaiah, wherein he had very ill success. And so finding our time to be none, we shall be most bent to labour to attain to wisdom.
A worldly man in this businesse would begin to adde and to multiply, putting still to the times past that which is to come, and withdrawing from1 time to come, times past: But we must know that all that is past, is to be substracted, and to be counted nothing, and the daies to come are not to be added, for an addition must be of a thing existent, but the time to come is not. But let vs make a supposition of that to be which is not, that a man may write of 70 yeeres, let vs, I say, set that downe as the grosse summe. Halfe that time is spent they say in sleepe, which thē we may well detract from the great number, & then there remaines but 35. yeeres. From these we may deduct 14. yeeres2 in our youth, wherein we are vnfit to glorifie God, or doe good to man, and so there remaines sixteene yeeres; and of these sixteene, to set downe the dayes of sicknesse, or those times which we sinfully spend in yeelding to anger, to our lustes, or to worldlinesse, wherein we are as vnprofitably occupied, as though we were not, halfe of the number would be cut off, and so we should leaue but seuen or eight yeeres. But now we haue the summe, from whence we might take out, but not that time out, which is past we know, seeing now it is nothing; what is to come, we know not, and it cannot be added, time is but short, and therefore great neede we haue of God his spirit to teach vs. To this we know, how suddenly death doth take from vs time to come, Iobs children in the middest of their banket were stricken dead; Ishbosheth died before night could come vpon him, neither hath the strongest liuer any surer charter of his life. The best way then to recken aright,3 is to make the number, which we may take out, and that which we would substract, all one, and that is none. If in the way we haply finde something, we may take it for our aduantage, and see that we vse it to God his glory. For this being set downe, that our daies past are none, and the daies to come none neither: so that no daies past or to come can be counted part of our life, and consequently haue none but the present time, which is very4 little, and as little as a thought, vnlesse we could haue a lease of our life, as Ezekiah in some so•t had of his by Esay, wherein he had very ill successe. And so finding our time to be none, we shall be most bent to labour to attaine to wisedome.
- 1Psalm 90. 70. years.Psalme 90. 70. yeeres.
- 2How to number our daysHow to num ber our daies
- 3Sudden deathSodain death
- 4Our life is but the present time.
