Religion & morality > Human nature in its fourfold state

Head I. to behold the Vanity of the World. 3 1 7
mud bivi an eternal farewell 10 thy enjoyments in this
world; thou mud leave thy goods to another , and
whofe that! thofe things be which thou haft provided ?
Luke xii 20. (2 ) Thy portion of thefe things fivall
be very little ere long. If thou lie down on the grabs,
and ftretch thyfelf at full length, and obferve tiie print
<»f thy body when thou rifed, thou mayeft fee, how
much of this earth will fall to thy thare at laid It
may be thou fhelt get a coilin, and a winding.-flieet;
but thou art not fure of that: Many who have laad
abundance of wealth, yet have not had fo much when
they took up their new houfe in the land of filence.
But however that be, more u ’ cannot expect.. It was
a mortifying ieiTon. Saladine, when dying, gave to his
foldiers: He ca'led for his dandard bearer, and order¬
ed him to take his winding-fheet upon his pike, and go
- out to the camp with it, and tell them, That of all his
conquefts, victories and triumphs, he had nothing now
left him, but that piece of linen to wrap his body in
for burial. Lajlly, This world is a faife Friend, who
leaves a man in time of greated need, and flees from
him when he has mod ado. When thou art lying on
a death-bed, all thy friends and relations cannot rc-
feue thee ; a!! thy fubdance cannot ranfom thee ; nor
procure thee a reprieve for one day, nay, net for one
hour Yea, the more thou poflcfTeft of this wnrlH's
goods, thy forrow at death is like to be the greater j
•for though one may live more commodioufly ir. a palace,
than in a cottage, yet lie may die more eafily in the cot¬
tage, where he has very little to. make him fond of life.
Secondly, It may Lrve as a dorehoufe f r C;vidian-
contentment and patience under •.vc vui’y ’icdTts and
erodes A clofe application of the dofLinc of death,
Is an excellent remedy again ft fretting y and gives foms
Cafe to a rankled heart. When Job had fu tinned very
great Ioffes, lie fat down contented, with this medita¬
tion, Job i -2 r Naked carre I out of my mother's womb,
and naked fh.ill l return thither; J he Lord -'ave, an i
the Lord hath taken a nay, bLjTed be the name •-/ the
Lord. When providence brings a mortality o>- mar-