various accidents, to which it is expofed, be much fhorter (leven or ten Years according to a moderate efteem) may poffibly, from furprifes undiscoverable, be very near to its period; by few inftants removed from death (a Year, a Month, a Day, it may be fomewhat lefs. This I fhall allow to be the Arithmetick that Mofes here defires to learn; whence it doth follow that teaching (or making to know, so it is in the Hebrew) doth import here (as it doth other-where frequently in Scripture) God's affording the Grace to know practically, or with ferious regard to confider this state and measure of our life (for in fpeculation no Man can be ignorant of humane lifes brevity and uncertainty; but most Men are fo negligent and stupid, as not to regard it fufficiently, not to employ this knowledge to any good purpose.) This Ou was on osevas 2011 ἀνθρώπο ἀγνοεῖν, ὅτι ἄνθρω TO Laov 657 Dentiv, & on γέγονεν εἰς τὸ ἀποθανεῖν. Plut. ad Apoll. p. 202. Quis eft tam ftultus, quamvis fit adolefcens, cui fit exploratum fe vel ad vefperum effe victurum. Cic. de Sen. Interpretation I chufe, being in it felf plausible enough, and countenanced by fo good authority; yet the former might well enough (by good confequence, if not fo immediately) ferve my defign: Or be a ground able to fupport the discourse I intend to build upon the Words; the subject whereof briefly will be this, that the confideration of our lives certain and neceffary brevity and frailty, is a mean proper and apt to difpofe us toward the wife conduct of our remaining life; to which purpose fuch a confideration feems alike available, as the knowledge of its punctual or definite meafure; or more than it ; upon the fame, or greater reafons. As for the latter claufe, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom; 'tis according to the Hebrew, And we fball bring the heart to wisdom; implying, the application of our hearts to wifdom to be confequent upon the skill and practice (bestowed by God) of thus computing our days. 95. As for wisdom, that may denote either fapience, a habit of knowing what is true; or prudence, a difpofition of chufing what is good; we may here understand both, especiDe fin. II. P. ally the latter; for, as Tully faith of Philofophy, Omnis fumma Philofophiæ ad beate vivendum refertur, The fumm or whole of Philofophy refers to living happily; so all Divine Wisdom doth refpect good practice. The word alfo comprehends all the confequences and adjuncts of fuch wisdom (for fo commonly such words are wont by way of metonymie to denote, together with the things primarily fignified, all that naturally flow from, or that ufually are conjoined with them) in brief (to ceafe from more explaining that, which is in it felf confpicuous enough) I fo understand the Text, as if the Prophet had thus expreffed himself: Since, O Lord, all things are in thy hand, and Sovereign difpofal; fince it Natura dedit ufuram vita, tanquam pecunia, nulla præftituta die. Tusc. quæft. I. p. 326. appears that Man's Man's life is fo fhort and frail, fo vexatious and miferable, fo expofed to the just effects of thy difpleafure; we humbly befeech thee, fo to inftruct us by thy Wisdom, fo to difpofe us by thy grace; that we may effectually know; that we may feriously confider the brevity and uncertainty of our lives durance whence we may be induced to understand, regard, and chufe thofe things which good reafon dictates best for us; which according to true Wisdom, it most concerns us to know and perform. From which fense of the words we might infer many usefull documents, and draw matter of much wholfome difcourfe; but paffing over all the reft, I fhall onely infift upon that one point, which I before intimated, viz. that the serious confideration of the shortnefs and frailty of our life is a proper inftrument conducible to the bringing our hearts to Wisdom, to the making us to difcern, attend unto, embrace and profecute fuch things as are truly beft for us; that it is available to the prudent conduct and management of our life; the truth of which propofition is grounded upon the divine Prophet his opinion he apprehended fuch a knowledge or confideration to be a profitable means of inducing his heart to Wisdom; wherefore he prays God to grant it him in order to that end; fuppofing that effect would proceed from this caufe. And that it is fo in way of reasonable influence I fhall endeavour to fhew by fome following reasons. 1 John 1. 17. Love not the world; for the world paf Jeth away, and the defire thereof. I. The serious confideration of our lifes frailty and fhortness will confer to our right valuation (or efteem) of things, and confequently to our well-placing, and our duly moderating our cares, affections and endeavours about them. For as we value things, fo are we used to affect them, to spend our thoughts upon them, to be ear neft |