Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Of the fhortnef 4Áfrailtie ofmant.ltfe. 635 CHAP. XXIX. Of themomentany continuancc and frailty of'.ant life. Auing Chewed that the things of the world are in §,Sea. r. themfeluesmomentanie, &in refpe& ofvsmuta- That noimith- bleiwe are according to order in the next place to (andi.t mans ípeakc ofour mortalitie, which may fcrue as another maine l a is¡hat t"Ond argument to make vs contemne thefe worldly vanities; for wildly men though they were eternal], yet we are momentany; though dreameof im- they were conflant and permanent,yet our hues are fraile and xsortatitie.. flitting;though they had not their end,yet we that haue our end;& though they would for euer continuewith vs,yet Thal we but a while continue with thcni,becaufe our hues are but fhort,and with their fhortnes,fo fraile& vncertaine,that this momentany time,is onlyfure of ending, and in nothing elfe certaine,but in it owne vncertaintie. For we are continually- failing towards the hauen ofdeath, and we neuer want the wind of winged time to let vs forward; fometimein the way we perifh by the leakes ofour own intemperance,fornetimes we fpfit our felues upon the rockes of dangers, or vpon the fands ofcarelcffc fecuritie; fometime we are.caflouer booed by pirats and enemies,& fometime carying all our lofrie and proud failes, we are ouerfet and funke with the boyflerous blafls ofaduerfe accidents; & though we (cape all thefe dan- gerswe fhall not be long in comming to our hauen ofrefl; feeing we are neuer becalmed nor hand flill,butnight & day go forward with a profperous wind.It is true that the world, , yea our owne deceitful] hearts, do promife veto vs long life, yea dreame of a kind ofeternitie which bath neuer end ; for there is fcarce any fo old who thinketh not toliue a day Ion- ger,and when that is fpent, another day after that, & focon- tinueth day after day in the famemind, andby confequence - frameth to his hopes an imaginary perpetuitie; eremitic be- ing nothing el fe but a conflant continuance of timewithout any ending.And men haue this inward conceit,it m ay cal- ly appear bytheir outward praLhife:for if they were through lyperfwaded that their hues were momentany &vncertatne, what .