The fading of the flesh and flourishing of faith, or, One cast for eternity…

It may be thou trusteth to thy youth and strength, because thou feelest no infirmity, therefore thou fearest no mortality; Thou thinkest Death should go to the dead bones, and dry breasts, to such as see with four eyes, and go on three legs, but dost thou not know that Death never observeth the Laws of nature. As young as thou art, thou mayst be rotten, before thou art ripe. Thy Sun may set at high noon; the Jews have a Proverb, that the old Ass often carrieth the young Asses skin to the market; Blossoms are liable to nipping, as well as full grown fruit to rotting. Have not several been Married and Buried in the same week; nay dressed by the same hands in one day, for their Weddings and their Coffins; Bensirah the Jew hath a good saying, The Bride went into her Chamber, and knew not what should befall her there, Pro. 27.1. Therefore boast not thy self of to morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Is it thy strength thou ⟨p. 39⟩trustest to? alas the Leviathan of Death, laughs at the shaking of that Spear, he counts thy strength but as Straw, and thy youth but as rotten wood, he maketh a leak in a strong new Vessel, and it presently sinketh; though thy body be never so strong a Fort, Death (to take it) needeth not besiege or block it up with lingering diseases,¹ but can undermine it, and blow it down in a moment. Think therefore with thy self, this day may be the last day that ever I shall see, this hour may be the last hour that ever I shall spend, these words may be the last words that ever I shall speak; O what a fool am I to live thus contentedly without fear, next door to the eternal fire, there is but one step betwixt me and Hell, and for ought I know the very next step that I take may be thither, and then Woe and Alas I am gone for ever! Surely this consideration like an Hectic Fever, might cause an irrecoverable Consumption of all thy carnal joy. Death is called War, Eccles. 8.8. thou knowest not but orders may come from the Lord of Hosts for thy sudden march, thou mayst not have an hours warning to put on thy Armour, or prepare thy self.

It may be thou trusteth to thy youth and strength, because thou feelest no infirmity, therefore thou fearest no mortality; Thou thinkest Death should go to the dead bones, and dry breasts, to such as see with four eyes, and go on three legs, but dost thou not know that Death never observeth the Laws of nature. As young as thou art, thou mayst be rotten, before thou art ripe. Thy Sun may set at high noon; the Jews have a Proverb, that the old Ass often carryeth the young Asses skin to the market; Blossoms are liable to nipping, as well as full grown fruit to rotting. Have not several been Married and Buryed in the same week; nay drest by the same hands in one day, for their Weddings and their Coffins; Bensirah the Jew hath a good saying, The Bride went into her Chamber, and knew not what should befall her there,