Ofthefhortneff andfrailtieofmanilefe. 639 .ofSyrachlikeneth them; then how fhort and momentanie is the life ofinanbeing thus compared,which is fovaine,and offuch fhort continuance? But ifwee would adde to this momentanie fhortnelfe of4.S[17.4: mans life, the frailty and uncertainty of ir, whereby we haueThat mansfbart no affurance to enioy it fo much as a minute of this fhort l;/eismaß time, the vanity thereofwouldmore euiden tlyappeare. And : llaineçbe-t. of thiswee need no other proofe but our owne experience, ingon emery whichdailyteacheth vs, that as men haue but a fhortpail-age fide *tiled by from the birth,to the vtmoft confines ofan agedlife ; fo they death. feldome goe thorow totheir iourneyes end,butarecut offin all times of this fhorrway, with vnexpe&ed accidents. In which refpe& the lifeofman may fitlybe comparedto acan die, which whilefi it fhineth, confumeth; andas the candle isfometime waftedwith the wind, fometime quiteblowne out, before it beehalfe burned, and fometime burneth to' the end : fo mans life is wafted withgriefes and miferies,. fometime extinguifhed by immature orviolent death; and. though it!aft as long as the naturall beate hathmoifeure to fecslvpon, yet that being confumed, like a candle itgoeth' out ofit felfefor want of For howmanyhaue weknowne in our owne experiencewhohauebin intombecl . in their mothersbellie, before they did euer feethe lightof the fun,and fowithered in the bud ? Howmany do we daily fee, who kettle to enter into the world (as the heathenman upon thefiage)that theymay goout againe;as though they carneonely to take their kaue, and fo to begone? Howma- ny wither when they are in their flourifhing primeoftheir infancie andchildhood, and (as it were) rotbefore theybee ripe? How manyare takenaway intheirperfe&maturity, death getting thevi &orieofthem in theirfull fïrength ? and howfew are they that attaine vntoold age, whichnotwith- ftandingall doehope for, thoughagainfl all reafon in regard ofthemfelues,ándexperienceinrefpe&ofothers?For would men confiderrthemanifold ambufhments,which deathdaily laieth to indangerourhues; would theybut remember how many by-paths leade to this common way, they could not., but confeffe the fhortneffeofmans life, andtheir vncertain+. tie
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