Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

And yet this is not the season neither, that should ¹be for pleasure. Son, remember in thy life time, thou hadst thy pleasure; it should not have been then: St. James, cap. 5. lays it as a great charge upon those in his time, that they lived in pleasure upon the earth; this is a charge of folly. This is a time for virtuous actions, to do the great business for which we were born. It is a notable expression we find in that Tractate, in Plutarch's Morals, before quoted; he puts this case there: Suppose (says he) any man were to dye, and either God, or the King, who had power of his life, should lengthen it out one hour, that he might make use of that hour, either to do some famous action, or to spend it in pleasure, and when that hour is at an end, then to dye again; What is it like that this man would do? What, would he ⟨p. 128⟩rather have his lust with Lais? (that was in those times a famous Whore) or would he rather drink strong and delightful Wine? or not rather do some famous exploit for his Country; as to slay Archias, and to deliver Athens? and he determines the case; I am persuaded, says he, no man in such a case, but would rather choose the latter: Surely our lives are in Gods hands, we know not whither so much as an hour be granted us or not, we may be gone to our long home the next hour; but what do we choose to do?

And yet this is not the season neither, that should ¹be for pleasure. Son, remember in thy life time, thou hadst thy pleasure; it should not have been then: St. James, cap. 5. lays it as a great charge upon those in his time, that they lived in pleasure upon the earth; this is a charge of folly. This is a time for vertuous actions, to do the great business for which we were born. It is a notable expression we finde in that Tractate, in Plutarch's Morals, before quoted; he puts this case there: Suppose (says he) any man were to dye, and either God, or the King, who had power of his life, should lengthen it out one hour, that he might make use of that hour, either to do some famous action, or to spend it in pleasure, and when that hour is at an end, then to dye again; What is it like that this man would do? What, would he