I. The first Thing before us is, The Unhappiness of All Men; which yet unto some who have a part in a Great Saviour, in a great Measure ceases to be an Unhappiness. Whatever Wisdom there be in any Men, Death is the unavoidable Portion of all Men. There is no Wisdom that will keep off the Stroke of Death. So some take the meaning of this Clause. In the Original it runs, They Die, and there is not Wisdom in them; that is, no Wisdom to send off the stroke of Death. Nulla est Sapientia qua mortem Effugiant. So 'tis carried by Interpreters. The wisdom of Men signifies no more to save them from Death, than if they had no Wisdom. The Wisdom of any Man will not give him any more privilege, to Exempt him from Death, than the veriest Fool in the World. We read, Eccl. 2.16. How dyes the wise Man? even as the Fool. We read, Psal. 49.10. Wise Men die, likewise the Fool and the Brutish perish. It was of old said, concerning a wise Man, Died Abner as a Fool dieth? In some Sense he did so Dy. The Wisest Man in any Court or College upon Earth, is as liable to Death as the poorest Creature that comes within the statute of Idiocy. We read, Heb. 9.27. — 'Tis appointed for Men once to Dy. The Common Law of Death is what every Man, must submit unto. The Law runs, All Titles, Dignities, ⟨p. 31⟩Preferments, Excellencies &c. to the Contrary, in any wise notwithstanding. 'Tis the Common Lot of Mankind; of wise Men, as well as others. They must be none but Egregious Fools, who can dream of any Exemption from this common Lot. Ah, Foolish Wretch, and far gone in Folly; shall the Earth be forsaken for thee; or shalt thou be permitted never to forsake the Earth! And shall a Decree more Established than a Rock, be removed of its place, that thou mayst always continue in thy place? No, we have the Sum of the Matter, and the Root of it. Rom. 5.12; Wherefore, as by one Man Sin entered into the World, and Death by Sin; and so Death passed upon all Men, for that all have sinned.
I. The first Thing before us is, The Unhappiness of All Men; which yet unto some who have a part in a Great Saviour, in a great Measure ceases to be an Unhappiness. Whatever Wisdom there be in any Men, Death is the unavoidable Portion of all Men. There is no Wisdom that will keep off the Stroke of Death. So some take the meaning of this Clause. In the Original it runs, They Dy, and there is not Wisdom in them; that is, no Wisdom to send off the stroke of Death. Nulla est Sapientia qua mortem Effugiant. So 'tis carried by Interpreters. The wisdom of Men signifies no more to save them from Death, than if they had no Wisdom. The Wisdom of any Man will not give him any more priviledge, to Exempt him from Death, than the veriest Fool in the World. We read, Eccl. 2.16. How dyes the wise Man? even as the Fool. We read, Psal. 49.10. Wise Men dy, likewise the Fool and the Brutish perish. It was of old said, concerning a wise Man, Died Abner as a Fool dieth? In some Sense he did so Dy. The Wisest Man in any Court or Colledge upon Earth, is as liable to Death as the poorest Creature that comes within the statute of Idiocy. We read, Heb. 9.27. — 'Tis appointed for Men once to Dy. The Common Law of Death is what every Man, must submit unto. The Law runs, All Titles, Dignities, ⟨p. 31⟩Preferments, Excellencies &c. to the Contrary, in any wise notwithstanding. 'Tis the Common Lot of Mankind; of wise Men, as well as others. They must be none but Egregious Fools, who can dream of any Exemption from this common Lot. Ah, Foolish Wretch, and far gone in Folly; shall the Earth be forsaken for thee; or shalt thou be permitted never to forsake the Earth! And shall a Decree more Established than a Rock, be removed of its place, that thou mayst always continue in thy place? No, we have the Summ of the Matter, and the Root of it. Rom. 5.12; Wherefore, as by one Man Sin entred into the World, and Death by Sin; and so Death passed upon all Men, for that all have sinned.
