Chap. 21. An Expofition upon the Book of J o s, Verf. 25. 777 We may draw up thefe four conclufions, about the flare of manin this life. Firft, There is no manwho bathallpleafure, or nothing but pleafure in this life ; For though it be laid in the former verfe ofone man, be is wholly ateafe and quiet, yet we muff not an- lerftand that (lrief ly and precifely, as if any manever lived who met not with fome troubleor pain, at one. timeor other before he died.No man ever arrived at fuch a degree of world- ly happineffe, as never to feeleany croffe in this world. The life ofmanhere, is not perfe& inany capacity. As the lives of good men are not perfect in fpiritualls, fo neither is the life of any man whether good or bad abfolutely perfdl in temporals. Inthe next life, there will be.no mixture in any mans conditi- on : They who are miferable titan know nothing but forrow, and they who are happy (hall know nothing but pleafure ; But in this each Rate hash a tart of both ( though as theelements in the mixture ofbodyes) force one be predo- minant, Secondly, Aloft men have lefe pleafeere then' paine, more ill dayes then°gooddays in thisworld.T he life ofmanhere is at belt but like checker work,which bath a blackand a white,or like a bitter fweete, or like twilight when'tis neither darknor light; but ufuallyour lives have more ofthe black, then of the white in them, more ofthe bitter then ofthe fweete, of the darke then of the light. The part predominant is molt commonly the wont. Hencethe thirdconclufion. Thirdly, Mofl' have little pleafure, but trouble and fer7iio very much. Their evil) dayes out-number their good,and their forrowes out -weigh their comforts. They have doubled for- rows,orforrow upon forrow ; They havebut finglecomforts, here a little, and there a little : now a little, and then a little. Fourthly,We may conclude with the Text, That Borne have no-pleafare at all. Yet this conclufion as the Text whence it rifeth is not to beunderftood ftric4ly. Noman (I beleeve)was ever fo miferable whetherin regardof Ills body or eftate,as ne- ver to enjoy the leaft pleafure ; for as there is no perfeet hap. pineffe in this life, fo there is no perfe& mifery in this life The perfeáionofboth is referved for the next,bnch a Rate of G g g g g mifery
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