8. Consider of the shortness and uncertainty of your days? Alas, what is your life, you know not how soon death may come and knock at your doors, or look in at your windows? It may be some of you have had many years, but this consider of, you know not how few the rest may be behind; you have no promise from God, no lease or assurance that you have one year more; where hath God told you that you shall? nay one half year? You cannot assure your self you shall have one month, no not one week, no not one day. You may be stricken by death before you return home. Boast not thy self of too morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth, Pro. 27. 1. Many that are young, hope that they may have many years; the child thinks to be ⟨p. 34⟩a youth, and the youth to be a man, and a man till he is full of days: But alas, they consider not how brittle they are; they do not lay to heart the uncertainty of their lives. David desired to know his end and the measure of his days, that he might know how frail he was, Psal. 39. 4, 5. Many do not take a right measure of their days, they measure not by a lawful Rule. What say some, my Father and Grandfather lived to a good old age, and I hope to attain to their years. Others measure by their present health; they are not diseased nor sickly; but of a good healthful Constitution: but alas, this is no sure Rule, thou mayest notwithstanding all this be quickly in the grave; such sometimes death makes to stoop on a sudden, they go many times before sickly persons. Others measure their days by their present strength, they fear not death upon that account; yet ⟨p. 35⟩they die as you have heard; though wholly at ease: these do not go by the Kings Standard neither. Let me tell you what is a right and true measure for your days, account them then by the morning dew and flower of the field. Man that is born of a woman, saith holy Job, is but of few days; he cometh forth like a flower and is cut down: and flieth away like a shadow and continueth not. Job 14. 12. Naturalists tells us of a plant that lasts but for a day, this plant thou or I may be. The Heathen hath observed that the Rose grows old in its very budding. Mankind is like Jonah's Gourd, that came up in a night and perished in a night. Nothing fades sooner than a flower, oh measure thy days by that and by the vapour that appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away;
8. Consider of the shortness and uncertainty of your dayes? Alas, what is your life, you know not how soon death may come and knock at your doors, or look in at your windows? It may be some of you have had many years, but this consider of, you know not how few the rest may be behind; you have no promise from God, no lease or assurance that you have one year more; where hath God told you that you shall? nay one half year? You cannot assure your self you shall have one month, no not one week, no not one day. You may be stricken by death before you return home. Boast not thy self of too morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth, Pro. 27. 1. Many that are young, hope that they may have many years; the child thinks to be ⟨p. 34⟩a youth, and the youth to be a man, and a man till he is full of dayes: But alass, they consider not how brittle they are; they do not lay to heart the uncertainty of their lives. David desired to know his end and the measure of his days, that he might know how frail he was, Psal. 39. 4, 5. Many do not take a right measure of their dayes, they measure not by a lawful Rule. What say some, my Father and Grandfather lived to a good old age, and I hope to attain to their years. Others measure by their present health; they are not diseased nor sickly; but of a good healthful Constitution: but alass, this is no sure Rule, thou mayest notwithstanding all this be quickly in the grave; such sometimes death makes to stoop on a sudden, they go many times before sickly persons. Others measure their dayes by their present strength, they fear not death upon that account; yet ⟨p. 35⟩they die as you have heard; though wholly at ease: these do not go by the Kings Standard neither. Let me tell you what is a right and true measure for your dayes, account them then by the morning dew and flower of the field. Man that is born of a woman, saith holy Job, is but of few dayes; he cometh forth like a flower and is cut down: and flieth away like a shadow and continueth not. Job 14. 12. Naturalists tells us of a plant that lasts but for a day, this plant thou or I may be. The Heathen hath observed that the Rose grows old in its very budding. Mankind is like Jonah's Gourd, that came up in a night and perished in a night. Nothing fades sooner than a flower, oh measure thy dayes by that and by the vapour that appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away;
