The Psalmist was gracious, yet grace gave way to nature, death will like hail and rain fall on the best gardens as well as the wide wilderness; The Wheat is cut down and carried into the Barn, as well as the Tares. A godly man is free from the sting, but not from the stroke, from the curse, but not from the Cross of death. Holy Hezekiah could beg his own life for a few years, but could not compound for his death, he did obtain a reprieve, (for fifteen years) but not a pardon, the best fruit will perish because it is worm-eaten: The gold and the dross (the good and the bad) go both into this fire, the former to be refined, the latter to be consumed. The whole World is a charnel house, and the several inhabitants thereof so many walking carcasses. The voice said Cry, and he said what shall I cry. All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it, surely the people is grass, Isa. 40.6.7. The words speaks mans mortality; He is grass, withering grass, a flower, a fading flower; Secondly, Its certainty, the voice said cry. The Prophet had a charge in a Vision given him, to proclaim so much from God to his people, surely the people is grass. Thirdly, the Universality, the flesh of Kings and Counsellors, the flesh of Saints and Martyrs, the flesh of high and low, rich and poor, All flesh is grass. Man is sometimes compared to the flower for its beauty, but here for its frailty, a flower will quickly fade, if it be not cut down by an instrument of Iron, nor cropped by the hand, yet ⟨p. 15⟩the gentle breath of Wind quickly bloweth off its beauty; Besides, an Expositor observeth, tis to the flower of the field, not of the garden; flowers of the garden have more shelter and are better looked to, then flowers of the field; these are more open to hard weather, and more liable to be plucked up or trod down. Naturalists tell us of a Flower called Ephemeron, 1because it lasteth but a day. Man is such a Flower, his life is but a day, whither longer or shorter, a Summers or a Winters day; how quickly do the shadows of the Evening stretch themselves upon him and make it night with him? Pliny speaks of a Golden Vine which never withereth. The bodies of Saints shall be such hereafter, but at present the best Herbs wither as well as the worst Weeds.
The Psalmist was gracious, yet grace gave way to nature, death will like hail and rain fall on the best gardens as well as the wide wilderness; The Wheat is cut down and carried into the Barn, as well as the Tares. A godly man is free from the sting, but not from the stroke, from the curse, but not from the Cross of death. Holy Hezekiah could beg his own life for a few years, but could not compound for his death, he did obtain a reprieve, (for fifteen years) but not a pardon, the best fruit will perish because it is wormeaten: The gold and the dross (the good and the bad) go both into this fire, the former to be refined, the latter to be consumed. The whole World is a charnel house, and the several inhabitants thereof so many walking carcasses. The voice said Cry, and he said what shall I cry. All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it, surely the people is grass, Isa. 40.6.7. The words speaks mans mortality; He is grass, withering grass, a flower, a fading flower; Secondly, Its certainty, the voice said cry. The Prophet had a charge in a Vision given him, to proclaim so much from God to his people, surely the people is grass. Thirdly, the Ʋniversality, the flesh of Kings and Counsellors, the flesh of Saints and Martyrs, the flesh of high and low, rich and poor, All flesh is grass. Man is sometimes compared to the flower for its beauty, but here for its frailty, a flower will quickly fade, if it be not cut down by an instrument of Iron, nor cropt by the hand, yet ⟨p. 15⟩the gentle breath of Wind quickly bloweth off its beauty; Besides, an Expositer observeth, tis to the flower of the field, not of the garden; flowers of the garden have more shelter and are better lookt to, then flowers of the field; these are more open to hard weather, and more liable to be pluckt up or trod down. Naturalists tell us of a Flower called Ephemeron, 1because it lasteth but a day. Man is such a Flower, his life is but a day, whither longer or shorter, a Summers or a Winters day; how quickly do the shadows of the Evening stretch themselves upon him and make it night with him? Pliny speaks of a Golden Vine which never withereth. The bodies of Saints shall be such hereafter, but at present the best Hearbs wither as well as the worst Weeds.
- 1[Greek or Hebrew]. Plut. ad Apol.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Plut. ad Apol.
