cere Christians; that St Paul could say, If in this Life only we had hope, we were of all men the most miferable. Thanks be to God it is not always fo; but when it is, it would be too great a Temptation for human Nature, to live fome hundred Years in a State of Perfecution ; as they might, if they and the persecuting Prince should live so long.

Nay, fuch a long Life as thefe Men talk of, would greatly weaken the Promises and Threatenings of the Gospel; which are all absent and unseen Things, to be expected in the other World. But if the next World were fo many hundred Years off, both the Promises and Threatenings of it would lofe their Effect upon the Generality of Mankind.

Nay, it might be thought very hard upon good Men, who are taught by the Gospel of Chrift to live above this World, and to have a very mean Opinion of, and a great Indifferency to, all the Delights of it, to live fo many hundred Years in it; not so much to enjoy it, as to defpife it, and to contend with it. And it is no lefs hard for Men, who are tranfported with the ravishing Hopes and Expectations of a better Life, whofe Hearts and Converfations are already in Heaven, to be kept fo long out of it. This is a fevere Trial of their Patience: For Hope, when it is fo long delayed, is a very troublesome and uncafy Paffion; and though few Men long to die, yet a great many good Men do very im

patiently

patiently long to be in Heaven, and can be contented, whenever God pleases, to submit to dying, though with fome natural Reluctancy, that they may get to Heaven. In short, this Life is long enough for a Race, for a Warfare, for a Pilgrimage: It is long enough to fight and contend with this World, and all the Temptations of it: It is long enough to know this World, to discover the Vanity of it, and to live above it. It is long enough, by the Grace of God, to purge and refine our Minds, and to prepare ourselves to live for ever in God's Prefence. And when we are in

any measure prepared for Heaven, and posfeffed with great and paffionate Defires of it, we shall think it a great deal too long to be kept out of it.

SECT. III.*

What Use to make of the fix'd Term of human Life.

II. ET us confider what wife Ufe is to be made of this. And here are two Things distinctly to be confider'd. 1. That the general Term of human Life is fix'd and determin'd by God. 2. That this common. Term and Period of Life, at the utmoft Extent of it, is but very short.

1. That the general Term of human Life is fixed and determined by God. capable of

And this is

very wife Improvements. For,
I 4

1. When

1. When we know that we cannot live above threescore or fourfcore Years, or fome few Years over or under, we fhould not extend our Hopes, and Expectations, and Defigns beyond this Term. 2. We should frequently count our Days, and obferve how our Lives waste, and draw near to Eternity. 3. When this Period draws nigh, and Death comes within View, it more especially concerns us to apply ourselves to a more ferious and folemn Preparation for Death.

i. We should not extend our Hopes, and Expectations, and Defigns beyond this Term, which God has fix'd for the Conclufion of our Lives: We should not live as if we were immortal Creatures, who are never to die; for if God hath fet Bounds to our Lives, it is abfurd for us to expect to live any longer, unless we hope to alter the Decrees of Heaven.

And yet it is more abfurd, if it be poffible, to extend our Hopes and Defires, our Projects and Designs for this World, beyond the Term of our living here; for how unreasonable is it for us to trouble ourselves about this World longer than we are like to continue in it? And yet if this were obferved, it would eafe us of a great deal of Labour and Care, and deliver the World from thofe great Troubles and Disorders, which the Designs and Projects for future Ages create.

Men might fee fome End of their Labours, and of their Cares, of increafing Riches, and

adding House to House, and Field to Field, did they ftint their Defires with their Lives, did they confider how long they were to live, and what is a fufficient and neceffary Provifion for their Continuance here: Whereas now the Generality of Mankind drudge on to the last Moment they have to live, and ftill heap up Riches till they know no End of them, as if their Lives and their Enjoyments of them were to have no End neither.

The only tolerable Excufe that can be made for this, is the Care of Pofterity, to leave a liberal Provifion for Children, that they may live happily after us: But this indeed is rather an Excufe than a Reafon; for thus we fee it is, when there is no fuch Reason for it; when Men have no Children to provide for, nor it may be any Relations, for whom they are much concern'd; or when they have a fufficient Provifion for all their Children, to encourage their Industry and Virtue, though not to maintain them in Idleness and Vice, which no wife and good Father would defire. Nay, it may be, when they have no other Heir to an overgrown Eftate, but either a Daughter, whofe Fortune may make her a rich Prey, as is too often feen; or a prodigal Son, who is ruined already by the Expectation of fo great a Fortune; and will quickly be even with his Fortune, and ruin that when he has it.

A competent Provifion for Children is a juft Reason to continue our Industry, though

we

we have enough for ourselves, as long as we live; but to make them rich and great, is not. The Piety and Charity of Parents, which entails a Bleffing upon their Pofterity, and an industrious and virtuous Education of Children, is a better Inheritance for them than a great Estate But Men, who are so intent to the very last upon increafing their Eftates, feldom do it for any other Reafon, but to fatiffy their own infatiable Thirft, which is to hoard up Riches for a Time when they can't enjoy them, to provide for their living in this World a much longer Time than they know they can poffibly live in it. This is much greater Folly than the Man in the Parable was guilty of, whofe Ground brought forth plentifully, and he pulled down his Barns, and built greater, and faid to his foul, Soul, thou haft much goods laid up for many years, take thine eafe, eat, drink, and be merry. He was fo wife as to know when he had enough, and when it was fit to retire and take his Ease : Yet God faid unto him, Thou fool, this night Shall thy foul be required of thee; and then whofe fhall all these things be, which thou haft provided? Luke xii, 16, &c.

Thus, how big are most Men with Projects and Defigns, which there is little Hope fhould ever take effect while they live? Efpecially afpiring Monarchs, and bufy Politicians, who draw the Scheme, and frame their Design of an univerfal Empire, thro' a long Series of

Events;