Chap, 2I; tIn Expofitionupon the Bookof J o B. Verf. 24. tour in the dayes _ofour youth, becaufe evill dayes are com- ing. Yet take here anather, if not a more prefling argument, Rememberyour creatosr in the dayes of youryoutb,becaufe thofe evil! dayes may never come : you may be taken offinyour good, yea inyour bell dayes : you may be takenoff when nei- ther the Sunne, nor the Moone, nor the Starres are darkened, as he fpeaks there, when theclouds doe not returne after rain, when the keepersof thehoufe Rand fait, &c. So then as they that are young and ftronghave reafon toprepare for death, becaufe evil! dayes are coming : fo they are to prepare for death, becaufe it is very queftionable whether ever thofe evil dayes fball come, or whether they (ball ever come to thofe e- vili dayes,they may die in their gocd dayes,in their belt dayes, in thofa dayes wherein they fay,we have pleafure, all manner of pleafures in them. For as 70b here affirmerh : One dyath in hisfullfirengtb, being wholly at eafe and quiet. A fecond dedu&ton is this Death doth not obferve the lawsof nature,but the appoint- ments ofGod. The law of nature faithnot that a man is likely to dye in his full ftrength : the law ofnature fers death at the greateft difance from thofe menwhole breafts are full of milke, and their bones moyftned with marrow ; The lawofnature faith to death, goe to the wrinkled face, to the dry bones, to the dry breafts, meddle not with this young man, touch not this beautiful! woman heor the is now in the flower, in the prime and pride of nature, goe to younder old man, goe to that wi- thered woman, let thefe alone. Oh, but death will not receive thefe commands, deathwill not obferve the !awes ofnature, but the appointments ofGod, who is the Lordofnature. It is appointedfor all men once todie; And asGod bath appointed all to dye, fo he appoints the leaIons ofdeath; and the feafons which he appoints, areas various as the kinds, occafions, and wayes ofdeath are. And therefore death knocks as often at theyoung mans doore, as at the doore ofthe oldman ; death attacheth and carrieth away the-ftrong, the healthy man pri- loner to the graveas often as theweake andfickly; Onedyèth in hisfall jirengtb. Secondly: 773
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=