Cha p, 6. An Expofition upon the Book of J OB. termination, the period of life ; W1.zt is my end that 1fhouldpra- long my life ? and fo, end is as much as death, what is my death that lfhould defire to live ? I know no evil in death, that fhould make me afraid of the end of my life ; I know no fuch trouble in dying, that I thould be detirous to fpin out this troublefome life longer, furely the trouble and painof death, is not fo much as the pretent trouble and pain ofmyilife, and as for any other. trouble, I fear none : then, what is my end, that I thould prolongmy life; that I thouldnot deli-re death,or that you thould be fo angry with the for deuringit? Henceobferve, firGl, There is no in man, that may give him affuredhope of lung life ; What is myftrength that I fhculd hope ? No, though man be in the flourithofhis age, the greennefs of his yeares : yet what is youth,or firength,or beauty?what all thofe fair leaves and fruits, which hangupon and adorn this goodly tree,that he thould hope to tland long ? Man in his belt eftate, is altogether vanity, Pfal. 39. 5, He that hopes to live upon any of thefe things, hopes in a vain th!ng,and truths but in a thaddow.Our hopes to live this natural life as wallas the fpiritual.and eternal,mutl be in the living God. The Image ofdeath tits upon the bef$of our tlrengrh and . beauty ; while we grow-we decline, and while flouri(h, we wi- ther. The lengthning of our dayes,is the thortning ofthem, and all the time welive, is but a paffage unto (and thould be but a preparation for) death. We are moll miferable, if in this life only we have hope ; and we are moll foolith,ifour hopes in this life, be inour own firength.z And becaufe there is no lirength in nature, which may give us hope to live long ; it is our greateti wifdome to confider what proviuiion we have in grace to maintain our hopes, that we fhall. live for ever.. They are in an ill cafe, who when they cannot hope . to live long, care not to. fettle their hopes of living eternally. It is a molt fad fp f acle,to fee alar,guith'.ng body and a languith- inghope meet in one man. Some have a Kalender in their bones, thewing them that they have but few dayeg and many diftempers upon the whole body, crying in their eaas with a loud voice,. what isyour ftrength thatyoufhould hope to live ? who yet pre- pare not at all to dye. They are both unready and unwilling to . be diffolved, when they feeno hope to keep up their Tabernacle'. from dafolution. Secondly, (taking, the word in the laftfenfe, which I conceive rat hcs +
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