Believe thou (O man) who readest this, that shortly there will be two holes where thine eyes now stand, and then others may take up thy skull, and speak of thee dead, as I have done to thee living: how soon I know not, but this I am sure of, Thy time is appointed thy months are determined, 1thy days are numbered, thy very last hour is limited. And what follows, but that thy body lie cold at the root of the rocks, at the foot of the mountains? Go then to the graves of those that are gone before us, and there see; are not their eyes wasted, their mouths corrupted, their bones scattered? where be those ruddy lips, lovely cheeks, sparkling eyes, comely nose, hairy locks? are not all gone as a dream in the night, or as a shadow in the morning? alas! that we neglect these thoughts and set our minds wholly upon the world and its vanity! we are careful, fearful, and immoderately painful to get transitory riches, like children following Butter-flies; we run, and toil, and perhaps miss our purpose: but if we catch them, what is it but a fly to besmear our hands? Riches are but empty, and yet be they what they will be all at last will be nothing. Saladin that great Turk, after all his conquests, gets his shirt fastened to his spear in manner of an Ensign, this done, a Priest makes Proclamation,2 This is all that Saladin carries away with him, of all the riches he hath gotten. Shall a Turk say thus, and do Christians forget their duties? Remember your selves, ye sons of earth, of Adam; what is this earth you dote on? be sure you shall have enough of it, when your mouths must be filled and crammed with it, and (as your souls desire it, so) at that day shall your bodies turn to it. O that men are thus given to gasping greediness! there is a generation, and they are too common amongst us, that we may preach and preach (as they say) our hearts out, yet will not they stir a foot further from the world, or an inch nearer unto ⟨p. 86⟩God, but could we speak with them on their death-bed, when their consciences are awaked, then should we hear them yell out those complaints, What hath pride profited us? or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us? 3Assure your selves this day, or this night will come, and imagine (I pray) that the ten, twenty, thirty, forty years, or months, or days, or hours, which you have yet to live, were at an end;
Believe thou (O man) who readest this, that shortly there will be two holes where thine eyes now stand, and then others may take up thy skull, and speak of thee dead, as I have done to thee living: how soon I know not, but this I am sure of, Thy time is appointed thy moneths are determined, 1thy dayes are numbred, thy very last hour is limited. And what follows, but that thy bodie lie cold at the root of the rocks, at the foot of the mountains? Go then to the graves of those that are gone before us, and there see; are not their eyes wasted, their mouths corrupted, their bones scattered? where be those ruddy lips, lovely cheeks, sparkling eyes, comely nose, hairy locks? are not all gone as a dream in the night, or as a shadow in the morning? alas! that we neglect these thoughts and set our minds wholly upon the world and its vanity! we are carefull, fearfull, and immoderately painfull to get transitorie riches, like children following Butter-flies; we run, and toyl, and perhaps misse our purpose: but if we catch them, what is it but a flie to besmear our hands? Riches are but empty, and yet be they what they will be all at last will be nothing. Saladine that great Turk, after all his conquests, gets his shirt fastened to his spear in manner of an Ensigne, this done, a Priest makes Proclamation,2 This is all that Saladine carryes away with him, of all the riches he hath gotten. Shall a Turk say thus, and do Christians forget their duties? Remember your selves, ye sons of earth, of Adam; what is this earth you dote on? be sure you shall have enough of it, when your mouths must be filled and crammed with it, and (as your souls desire it, so) at that day shall your bodies turn to it. O that men are thus given to gasping greediness! there is a generation, and they are too common amongst us, that we may preach and preach (as they say) our hearts out, yet will not they stirre a foot further from the world, or an inch nearer unto ⟨p. 86⟩God, but could we speak with them on their death-bed, when their consciences are awaked, then should we hear them yell out those complaints, What hath pride profited us? or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us? 3Assure your selves this day, or this night will come, and imagine (I pray) that the ten, twentie, thirty, fourty years, or moneths, or dayes, or hours, which you have yet to live, were at an end;
- 1Job 14.14. Job 14.5. Psal. 90.12. John 11.9.
- 2Knolls Turkish History, pag. 73.
- 3Wisd. 5.8.
