The vial poured out upon the sea. A remarkable relation of certain pirates brought…

Secondly. We will Enquire, How it appears, that the most of Men Die before they arrive unto Wisdom. There needs no stronger, nor no sadder proof of this, than what we have in the Daily Complaints of Dying Men. Some Die with very little sense of what has been amiss in their Lives. Madness has been in their Hearts while they have lived, & with that Madness they have gone to the Dead. But, of them who are not perfect Sots and Stones in their Death, the most by far, die confessing and complaining, that they have been without Wisdom all their Days. They own, they have never come unto Wisdom, until their Dying Hour be come upon them. And it is well, if now they do any more, than see that they have been without Wisdom; it is well if now they come really to get any of that Wisdom, which they have been thus long without. We read, Prov. 5.11, 12. of, Mourning at the last, How have I hated Instruction! The most of Men go on foolishly all their days, in such Indiscretions, that they mourn at the last; Oh! If I were to live over again, I would never lead my Life so foolishly as I have done! I would order my Life after another and a wiser Manner than I have done! When that famous Roman Cicero, was come towards the latter End of his Life, he cried out, O me nunquam prudensem! 'Alas, I have never done the part of a 'Wise Man, in all my Days. Thus do the most of Men cry out of themselves, at a latter End full of Bitterness. Dying Men say; We have lived without ⟨p. 35⟩Wisdom. At their Death 'tis found and owned, they have been without it. In a Dying Hour to be forced unto the Confession, I have until now been wholly destitute of Wisdom! And now, no opportunity to Exert it, or, perhaps to obtain it! —

Secondly. We will Enquire, How it appears, that the most of Men Dy before they arrive unto Wisdom. There needs no stronger, nor no sadder proof of this, than what we have in the Daily Complaints of Dying Men. Some Dy with very little sense of what has been amiss in their Lives. Madness has been in their Hearts while they have lived, & with that Madness they have gone to the Dead. But, of them who are not perfect Sotts and Stones in their Death, the most by far, dy confessing and complaining, that they have been without Wisdom all their Dayes. They own, they have never come unto Wisdom, until their Dying Hour be come upon them. And it is well, if now they do any more, than see that they have been without Wisdom; it is well if now they come really to get any of that Wisdom, which they have been thus long without. We read,