And meeting so many Harbingers of death, how canst thou but prepare for so ghastly a guest? The young man may dye quickly, but the old cannot live long: the young mans life by casualty ⟨image 3⟩may be cut off, but the aged by Physic cannot be preserved: Greene years must resolve to grow to the grave, and the meditations of old age must dwell in the same: be mindful of things past, careful of things present, and provident for things to come. Use the blessings of nature to the benefit of thy soul; be wise in well-doing, and watchful for thy end: Serve not the world; for that can possess thee of nothing but pride, envy, lust, anger, malice, and infinite follies: for it defileth a man with sin, disquieteth with troubles, oppresseth with labours, vexeth with temptations, vanquisheth with vain delights, and miserably wrappeth him up in woeful calamities. The world, it is an Ambassador of the evil, a scourge of the good, a tyrant of the truth, a breaker of peace, a worker of war, a sweet of vices, a gall of virtues, a friend of lies, an inventer of novelties, a travel to the ignorant, a table of Gluttons, a furnace of concupiscence, a sepulchre of the dead, a prison of the living, a pitfall to the rich, a burden to the poor, a Palace of Pilgrims, a Den of Deceivers, a slanderer of the good, a commender of the wicked, and a deluder of all. Thou hast no reason to dote upon the world; for at first it affords thee but a wrangling welcome, and at last turns thee off, with ⟨image 3⟩a fearful farewell: moreover, it doth torment thee, abuse thee, consume thee, and at length expel thee: whereas on the contrary: Heaven doth comfort thee, conserve thee, and exalt thee. On Earth, thou sowest but in a field of Flint, which bringeth forth nothing but a Crop of care, and languishing for thy labour: it is time therefore to leave so unthriving a husbandry, and to sow in Gods ground the seed of repentant sorrow, and water it with the tears of humble contrition; so shalt thou reap a plentiful harvest, and gather the fruits of everlasting consolation. Imagine thou thy Spring to be spent, thy Summer over-past, and that thou art arrived at the Fall of the Leaf, and though thy loving Lord do long forbear offenders, yet at last he will scourge them; and that his patience lends us but respite to repent, not leisure to sin.
And méeting so many Harbengers of death, how cāst thou but prepare for so gastly a guest? The young man may dye quickely, but the old cannot liue long: the young mans life by casualty ⟨image 3⟩may be cut off, but the aged by Physicke cannot be preserued: Gréene yéeres must resolue to grow to the graue, and the meditations of old age must dwell in the same: be mindfull of things past, carefull of things present, and prouident for things to come. Use the blessings of nature to the benefit of thy soule; be wise in well-doing, and watchfull for thy end: Serue not the world; for that can possesse thee of nothing but pride, enuy, lust, anger, malice, and infinite follies: for it defileth a man with sin, disquieteth with troubles, oppresseth with labours, vexeth with temptations, vanquisheth with vaine delights, and miserably wrappeth him vp in wofull calamities. The world, it is an Ambassadour of the euill, a scourge of the good, a tyrant of the truth, a breaker of peace, a worker of warre, a sweet of vices, a gall of vertues, a friend of lyes, an inuenter of nouelties, a trauell to the ignorant, a table of Gluttons, a furnace of concupiscence, a sepulcher of the dead, a prison of the liuing, a pitfall to the rich, a burthen to the poore, a Palace of Pilgrims, a Den of Deceiuers, a slanderer of the good, a commender of the wicked, and a deluder of all. Thou hast no reason to dote vpon the world; for at first it affords thee but a wrangling welcome, and at last turnes thee off, with ⟨image 3⟩a fearefull farewell: moreouer, it doth torment thée, abuse thée, consume thee, and at length expell thee: whereas on the contrary: Heauen doth comfort thee, conserue thée, and exalt thée. On Earth, thou sowest but in a field of Flint, which bringeth foorth nothing but a Crop of care, and languishing for thy labour: it is time therefore to leaue so vnthriuing a husbandry, and to sowe in Gods ground the seed of repentant sorrow, and water it with the teares of humble contrition; so shalt thou reape a plentifull haruest, and gather the fruits of euerlasting consolation. Imagine thou thy Spring to be spent, thy Summer ouer-past, and that thou art arriued at the Fall of the Leafe, and though thy louing Lord doe long forbeare offenders, yet at last he will scourge them; and that his patience lends vs but respit to repent, not leysure to sinne.
