Religion & morality > Human nature in its four-fold state ... in several practical discourses

374 Mans Life StateIV.
their Fruit; few are lett {landing, till, like rtpe Corn>
they forfakethe Ground : All dteonz Time or other.
Secondly, Man’s Life is a Jhort Thing : ’Tis not
only a Vanity, but a Jbort-li-v’d Vanity. Confidcr,
Firfi, How the Life of Man is reckoned in the
Scriptures. ’Twas indeed fometimes reckoned by
bundredfSf Tears : But no Man ever arrived at a
Thoufand, which yet bears no Proportion to Eter¬
nity. Now, Hundreds are brought down to Scores,
T’hreefcore and ten, or Fourfcore is its utmoft Length,
Pfal- xc. 10. But few Men arrive at that Length
of Life. Death does but rarely wait, till Men be
bowing down, by Reafon of Age, to meet the
Grave. Yet, as if Tean were too big a Word, for
fuch a fmall Thing as the Life of Man on Earth ;
we find it counted by Months, Job xiv. 5. 'The Num¬
ber of his Months are with thee. Our Courfc, like
that of the Moon, is run in a little Time y we are
always waxing or waneing, till we difappear. But
frequently ’cis reckoned by Days; and thefe but few,
Job xiv. 1. Man that is horn of a Woman is of few
Days. Nay, ’tis but one Day in Scripture Account ,•
and that a Hirelings Day, who will precifely ob-
ferve when his Day ends, and give over his Work,
•ver. 6. Till he Jhall accomphjh as an Hireling his
Day. Yea, the Scripture brings it down to the
fhorteft Space of Time, and calls it a Moment,
2 Cor, iv. 17. Our light Hfflitfion (tho’ it lafte all
©ur Life long) is but for a Moment. But elfcwhere
’tis brought down to yet a lower Pitch, farther than
which one cannot carry it, Pfal. xxxix. 5. Mine
Ate is as nothing before thee. Agreeable to this,
S \omon tells us, Ecclef. iii. 2. there is a Time to be
h >rn, and a Time to die; but makes no mention of
a Tune to live, as if our Lite were but a Skip from