Chap. 24. An Exvn%stion upon the Bookef.]OB. Vert. 24. 657 ofman is but a little while. Devil taking the exa&eft measureof his life, faith, Behold, thou ha4mademy dales u an band breadth, andmine age U nothiarg before thee (Pfal. 39, 5.) The whole hfe of man is very fhort, add the preferment, or exaltation ofwicked men is either much fhorter then their lives,or their lives are much fhortned by their exaltation. They a& their power beyond the bounds ofPallier, and ìo forfeit their lives,beforethey come veer the boundsof nature. Now if life laft but a little, and they are ex- alted but a little while of their lives; or if their lives be cut off within a whileafter they are tay.ited,tken they have but little ex- altation,Many fpend a great part oftheir life before they arriveat exaltation, or preferment in this world, and there are many who out live their own exaltation. and there are tacit a few, who bofe their livesby the abufe of their exaltation. The worldly enjoy ments ofall men are fhort, and evil mens enjoyments are fhort,ft. Saints fhall haveenjoyments hereafter commenfurate t ith eter- nity, but the belt ofSaints here, have neither any leafe oftheir lives, nor of their enoyments,And if it be fo with the belt ofmen, then much morewith thewort# ofmen, who as they are terapt up in the common condition ofhumane fraylety,with all other men, fo they lye under Come peculiar curies or threatnings which other men doe nor. And how Toone maya curie cat# thole downe who are molt highly exalted, and blaft or wither all their beauty and bravery, whole branches are greenett,and whole faces thine brigh.. tell with earthly fplendour. Secondly, Forasmuch as the word fignifieth a little thing, as well u a little time, a littledeale, as well as a little while, a thing which in regard ofthe fmallneffe ofit, is inconhiderable as wel as that which in regardof the weakneffe ofit, is not durable. Obferve. Thegreateft exaltation that any man can bave in the things of this world if but a little exaltation, That man is but littleexalted, how tmuch foever he is exalted, who is onelyexalt(d in the tbings.otthisworld ; That which is but little in it felfe, cannot make us very great, though we fhould have it all as ours, or in our pofreffion. How little a thingis ali this world, and how little a part pathany one of this little ? The whole world is butlittle,what then,iss tittle.part ofir:? which yet P P P P is
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