Lifts flpparition, andMansVifolution. z97 Thus you fee that all that ever we have here, it is but onlyfeeming, it is not real, whethertheybe our joyes, or our forrows, they arebut feeming joyes, and feeming forrows ; yet again this appearing, andfeeming life of ours st indurei ( faith the Apofle ) but a littlewhile. Indeed vapours late not long, for the fief} matter they are madeof, affords not them any continuance ; and befides that, they are eafily difpelled and difperfed by the Sun ; fuels a vapour is our life. Out of the fame Argument you may fee that our life can continue but for a while, it cannot laft long. Firft, it is but a breath, as a vapour is. Again as vapours are apt to be difperfed, anddifpelled eafily by the hot Sun,and the coldwind,fo hotand cold difeafes,andin- finite fort of other cafualties are eafily apt todiflipate it; it is true,fome vapours hang longer in the air thanothers, fo this vapour oflife it may keep longer refidence in fome bodies than in others,but whenit is longcft,it is but a little while; Davidde- termines the date of it within the term of 8oyears : the dtrength and vigour of it in theopinion of the Philofopher is of lets continuance ; the mind decays at 45 years, and the body decays at 35. If we compare the life of man with other crea- tures,then wewill fay it is but a while : the.Raven, the Elephant, the Stag,they out- live man double andtreble. Ifyou compare it with the life of the vvorld,then you vvillconfers it is but a little hile, for the world hath continued and tailed fome thoufands ofyears, andthere is not one manof ten thoufand that holds to a hundred. If vve compare the continuance of this prefent age, to ages thatare paff, you vvill confers it is but a-while; in former ages mcn lived fome tvvohundred, fome four hundred, fome five hundred, fome nine hundred years ; novv,moredie before ten, than after fixty,fo that if once our life vvere faidto be but the breadth ofa band,novv I may fay our life is but a fingers breadth. If vvecompare it vvitheternity,Iam fureyou vvill fay it lulls but awhile; fureter. nity cannot be meafured vvith anyrevolution ofdayes, or months, or nights, or years; therefore in comparifonof that, the lifeof man is but a vapour, andava- pour that induresforalittle while. I neednot infia to prove this point, the truthof it is confirmed every day, I vvill only giveyoutheufe of it. Firft, is it fo, that thelifethat vve lead, is rather a feeming, appearing, thanareal life ; than learnnot to be deludedwith fhews,andappearances,not too much tobe taken with the joyes of this life, they are but appearances, and the forrows of this life, they are but thews ; we condemn fools that are taken withThews, and not with fubftances; as the Poet faith of Ixion, when he thought he embraced a god- defs,he embraced a cloud;weembrace a cloud,whenwe thinkwe embraceanygood l thing of this life ; the world deludes us,as Michal did Sauhwhen hethought he had found David,hefound nothing but an Image of David,anda pillow ofgoats heir; fo what good things the world:promifeth,they are not good things,but the image of good things ; honour is but the image ofhonour, they arc only truly honourable, hat God honoureth, and fuels honour the world cannot beftow ¡he promifeth riches,but eheyare but the imageof riches ; theyareonly truly rich, that are rich in God,and the world cannot beftow that ; ahepromifeth pleafure,it is but the image of pleafure ; pleafure is only in theprefence ofGod,at his right hand for evermore, and fuch pleafure :theworld cannot give ; fbe promifeth life,but it is but the image of life ; that is only thetrue lifewhereby thefoullivesunto God,and hereafterwith God,and fuch a life as.this the world is not ableto give.Therefore fetus not dote up- ón the world and worldly things,but learn as the Apolite exhorts, Col.,3.z. To fit our affeflionsanthingsabove;thefeare theonly real good things,thefe are but imaginary. In the fecond place, this appearing life of mirs., it !alit but a littlewhile ; this may afford to us comfort,anstinftrn&ion; firft comforttothofe,whofelife hereisfull of ttoublesand.forrows: the th, otter time they have to endure, the more,patient they . may be inenduringof it; nay, there is no greater blefling for thofe that live here wretchedly and miferably, than the abreviating and lhortning their dayes ; -,Why is tight given to them abut are in snifery, ( faith yob.) and the life- s them- is ,bitter to theirfind, -they longfor death, . and defire it, anddig for át, *ore than;fpr treafrsre ; Q, 9 and oft.
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