Ultima, = the last things in reference to the first and middle things

Few]

Our Lease is a Life, our Life is but Days, our Days are but Few. The Phoenix, the Elephant, and the Lion fulfil their hundreds; but man dieth when he thinks his Sun yet riseth, before his eye be satisfied with seeing, or his ear with hearing, or his heart with lusting, death knocks at his door, and often will not give him leave to meditate an excuse before he comes to judgement; Is not this a wonder to see dumb beasts outstrip mans life? The Phoenix lives thousands (say some); but a thousand years are a long life with man: Methuselah (you saw) the longest liver, came short of this number; and yet, could we attain to so ripe an age, what are a thousand years to the days everlasting? If you took a little mote to compare with the whole earth, what great difference were in these two? and if you compare this life which is so short, with the life to come which shall never have end, how much less will it yet appear? As drops of rain are unto the sea, ¹and as a gravel stone is in comparison to the sand; so are a thousand years to the days everlasting. But will you have an exact account and learn the just number? It was the Arithmetic of holy men to reckon their days but Few;] as if the shortest cut were the best account. The Hebrews could subduct the time of sleep, which is half our life. so that if the days of men were threescore years and ten, ²here's five and thirty years struck off at one blow. The Philosophers could subduct the time of weakness, which is most of life; so that if vivere be valere that only a true life, which enjoys good health, here's the beginning and the ending of our days struck off at a second blow. The Fathers could subduct all times not present, and what say you to this account? were the days of life at noon, man grown to manhood? look ye back, and the time past is nothing; look ye forward, and the time to come is but uncertain: and if time past and time to come stand both for ciphers, what is our life but the present? and what is that but a moment? Nay, as if a moment were too much, look at Scripture, and you will see it brought to a lesser pass: Job (for his part) goes about to subduct the time of his birth, which is the bud of life; Let the day perish (saith he) wherein I was born; nay let it not be joined unto the days of the year, nor let it come into the count of months,