--------------------~------------~--~·~ Lifes Leafe. GEN. 47· 9· Few and e7lil have the dayrs of my life bem. ~~!A-"~o;,Hen Pharaohwas EgyptsKing,J'•feph Pharaohs Steward,andJaccb Jofcpht father, there was a great famine, which Pharaoh had dreamed, Jofcph foretold, and Jacob fuffered: God that fcnt Jafcph to l'iJaraoh, brings Jacob to Jofeph, the fame providence fo difpoling of all, that yet fome food mufl be inEgypt,whcn nothing was found in all the land ofC"n""·"' Thither come and welcome (as you may fee in the flory:) Pharaoh falutes Jacob with this queflion, What "is thy age r How many are thy dayes ? How inany? alas, but few : \Vhat are they ? alas, but evil : Thus we find ]ttc•b at his Arithmetick; the bill is fhort, and the number but a cipher: Will you hear him cafl his accounts? Firfl:, they are dayes, and without all rules of falfhobd, by fubflraction fcJV, by addition full of evil: contract all, ond this is the fum of all, FCJV and evil h4ve the daycs ofmy life been. . This Text, briefly, is the Lcafe of Jacobs ltfe; God the chief Lord enricht his fob– fiance, yet limits the grant of his time: will you quefrion the Leafe? for what time? no more, but my life] faith Jacob: but a life? what years ? no years, but dayes] faith Jacob: but dayes? how many? not many, but few] faith Jdcob; but few? how good? not good , but evil] faith Jacob: who can blaze the armes of life, that finds not in it Crolfe and Crolfclet? the leafc, but a life] the term, but dayes,] the number,[e1v,] the nature, e.·rl,] nay, when all is done, we fee all is out of date; the dayes are not, but are pa£1:, they h"ve been; ] Fe1v find c.vil have the .dayes vf my life been.] We muft, you fee , invert the Text, ~nd· b~gin with that on which all hangs; it is but my life] faith Jacob. · Life. • . . . : · W Oul.d you know what is that? take but a view of Nat1m, and Scripture,: and U , 1'' , h C "11 fi fli · ! d li "b 1·~ · · ' rooa •fl.t· t e c WI u C!Cnt y c en eout 1c, . . ··, ·· • · o no languet · Firft,Namre, whofc dimme eye fees thus fat': what is it but a Rofc, faith Tifernas.?. a<!epra-iugo which ifyou view in its growth, the cold nips it, heat withers h, the wjnd fhakes it; T {"""'· be it never fo fair, it withers; be we never fo lively 1 immediately we die and g.' ~<rba folp erifh lt~<~lu;J'/"ut: • I " • 'a /21(!} ·~u;.t&- ARofe? that is too beautiful! Life is butgraj[e, faith Pl~t~ttUI, green now, ~ithcred .,;,.~.,, p"·" anon; thus like the flower that is cut in Summer . as foon as we are porn, Death is f, '"'" • ready with his Sythe; as foon as we arc dead, Ang;ls gathe; in the Harvelb,. oil \Vhofe ;ceoa efl ·,vingswearecarricd to thatBarnofHeavcn. Graj[e ? no, faith Phdemo11. Lifr, i~ .~·;~",'L,~~o,que no better than a cosmte>feit pi[/we: what if the coloors be fair, and the rcfembla'nc~ Cum p>r~~-near! the.fhadow of death, and the Curtains of our grave will darken all. .Ap.icf11rc?. per fo often- . that IS too honourable; life is (a worfe refemh\ancc) but'<> Play faith LufCinin~; we Mrer, mox fc enter at our birth, and act all our-life. prefently•there is ln exit, or a back return, ancl ~b~cond1t away we go'· fhutting all up with a 'rudcfen Tragedy. A Play-? thal'fs too large. Ko;~;·;~:.;;. ""!nonym~ bemg asked what was Life ? he ruws himfelf a liitle, then hides hit!ifclfagn_m ; Tu q\o;eleis. h1s mcanmg was thiS, our life is· but a little Jhm; and no f?oner arc we fc.en, but im- ~c~"" ; &_ 1 ~ med10tcly are we hid and goilc. A jlmv? ihat is too plcafant; lfe isilothing-but a 1 ° 1 1" 00 ~hrl. peep, faith Philonitu ;· we life.fcctn·e) and Dormice-like we qum\:)cr- away our timC 1 ;J:t:~;,~~~~acc~. A a a 2 when
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