The works of George Swinnock, M.A

This short time posteth away with speed; How soon do our days vanish? Job tells us that his little time made great haste to be gone; My days are swifter then a Weavers shuttle, Job 7. 6. The Weavers shuttle is an instrument of very swift motion, and so swift that it is used for a Proverb, for all things that are swift and speedy. Radius Textoris dictum Proverbial; Radio velocius. The Latins express it by a beam of the Sun, or a word which signifieth a ray, which is darted in a moment from one end of the Heavens to another; Such speed doth our life make to pass away.

This short time posteth away with speed; How soon do our days vanish? Iob tells us that his little time made great haste to be gone; My days are swifter then a Weavers shuttle, Job 7. 6. The Weavers shuttle is an instrument of very swift motion, and so swift that it is used for a Proverb, for all things that are swift and speedy. Radius Textoris dictum Proverbiale; Radio velocius. The Latines express it by a beam of the Sun, or a word which signifieth a ray, which is darted in a moment from one end of the Heavens to another; Such speed doth our life make to pass away.

Cardinal Bellarmin, when he had a full prospect of the Sun going down, to perceive the quickness of its motion, took a Psalter in his hand, and before he had twice read over the 51. Psalm, the whole body of the Sun was set, whereby he concluded, the earth being twenty one thousand miles in compass, the Sun must go seven thousand miles in half a quarter of an hour; However the Cardinal might be mistaken in his reckoning; Yet, Mans days are swifter then a post, they flee away, they see no good; They are passed away as the swift ships; as the ⟨p. 840⟩Eagle that hasteth to the prey, Job 9. 25, 26. Its our shame and misery that our days should be so swift, and we so slack; that our time should be as speedy as a post or ship, or Eagle, and our hearts as slow about our eternal concernments, as a Snail. Our negligence herein speaks us brutish, and void of common sense. Reason will teach him that followeth its directions, to be most industrious about matters of such importance.