A second volume of discourses or sermons on several scriptures

It is true however, that though God hath thus numbered out our days, and set us our bounds, yet we may well say, That whoever dies, might have lived longer, had they made use of the right Means: As Martha said unto our Saviour,¹ Lord, if thou hadst been here my Brother had not died. So may we say, If such and such Means had been used, and such Remedies applied, this or that Person had not died; but withal we must observe also, that, that God who hath prefixed to every one his Term of Life, hath also ordained in his own Counsel and Purpose, that those Means that are proper to prolong Life beyond that Term, should through some unavoidable mistake or mishap, either ⟨p. 31⟩not be known, or not used. This therefore may be of great support unto us, as against all inordinate Fears of our own Death; so against all inordinate grief and sorrow for the Death of others; to consider that all our Times are in God's hands; he measures out every day to us; and as he hath appointed bounds to us, beyond which we shall not pass, so also hath he appointed that we shall certainly reach unto those bounds. His all wise Providence disposeth of the meanest and smallest Concernments of our Lives, and therefore much more of our Lives themselves; and if a Hair of our Heads cannot, much less shall not we our selves fall to the ground without our Heavenly Father.

It is true however, that though God hath thus numbred out our days, and set us our bounds, yet we may well say, That whoever dies, might have lived longer, had they made use of the right Means: As Martha said unto our Saviour,¹ Lord, if thou hadst been here my Brother had not died. So may we say, If such and such Means had been used, and such Remedies applied, this or that Person had not died; but withal we must observe also, that, that God who hath prefixed to every one his Term of Life, hath also ordained in his own Counsel and Purpose, that those Means that are proper to prolong Life beyond that Term, should through some unavoidable mistake or mishap, either ⟨p. 31⟩not be known, or not used. This therefore may be of great support unto us, as against all inordinate Fears of our own Death; so against all inordinate grief and sorrow for the Death of others; to consider that all our Times are in God's hands; he measures out every day to us; and as he hath appointed bounds to us, beyond which we shall not pass, so also hath he appointed that we shall certainly reach unto those bounds. His all wise Providence disposeth of the meanest and smallest Concernments of our Lives, and therefore much more of our Lives themselves; and if a Hair of our Heads cannot, much less shall not we our selves fall to the ground without our Heavenly Father.