patiently long to be in Heaven, and can be contented, whenever God pleafes, to fubmit to dying, though with fome natural Reluctancy, that they may get to Heaven. In fhort, this Life is long enough for a Race, for a Warfare, for a Pilgrimage: It is long enough to fight and contend with this World, and all the Temptations of it: It is long enough to know this World, to discover the Vanity of it, and to live above it. It is long enough, by the Grace of God, to purge and refine our Minds, and to prepare ourfelves to live for ever in God's Prefence. And when we are in any measure prepared for Heaven, and poffeffed with great and paffionate Defires of it, we shall think it a great deal too long to be kept out of it,

What Ufe to make of the fix'd Term of human

11. L

Life.

ET us confider what wife Ufe is to be made of this. And here are two Things diftinctly to be confider'd. I. That the general Term of human Life is fix'd and determin'd by God. 2. That this common Term and Period of Life, at the utmoft Extent of it, is but very short.

1. That the general Term of human Life is fix'd and determined by God. And this is capable of very wife Improvements. For, 1 4

1. When

1. When we know that we cannot live above threefcore or fourfcore Years, or fome few Years over or under, we fhould not extend our Hopes, and Expectations, and Defigns beyond this Term. 2. We fhould frequently count our Days, and obferve how our Lives wafte, and draw near to Eternity. 3. When this Period draws nigh, and Death comes within View, it more especially concerns us to apply ourselves to a more ferious and folemn Preparation for Death.

1. We should not extend our Hopes and Expectations and Defigns beyond this Term, which God has fix'd for the Conclufion of our Lives: We fhould not live as if we were immortal Creatures, who are never to die; for if God have fet Bounds to our Lives, it is abfurd for us to expect to live any longer, unlefs we hope to alter the Decrees of Heaven.

And yet it is more abfurd, if it be poffible, to extend our Hopes and Defires, our Projects and Designs for this World, beyond the Term of our living here; for how unreasonable is it for us to trouble ourselves about this World longer than we are like to continue in it? And yet if this were obferved, it would eafe us of a great deal of Labour and Care, and deliver the World from thofe great Troubles. and Disorders, which the Defigns and Projects for future Ages create.

Men might fee fome End of their Labours, and of their Cares, of increasing Riches, and

adding House to House, and Field to Field, did they ftint their Defires with their Lives. Did they confider how long they were to live, and what is a fufficient and neceffary Provifion for their Continuance here: Whereas now the Generality of Mankind drudge on to the laft Moment they have to live, and ftill heap up Riches till they know no End of them, as if their Lives and their Enjoyments of them were to have no End neither.

The only tolerable Excufe that can be made for this, is the Care of Pofterity, to leave a liberal Provifion for Children, that they may live happily after us: But this indeed is rather an Excufe than a Reafon; for thus we fee it is, when there is no fuch Reason for it; when Men have no Children to provide for, nor it may be any Relations, for whom they are much concerned; or when they have a fufficient Provifion for all their Children, to encourage their Industry and Virtue, though not to maintain them in Idlenefs and Vice, which no wife and good Father would defire. Nay, it may be, when they have no other Heir to an overgrown Eftate, but either a Daughter, whofe Fortune may make her a rich Prey, as is too often feen; or a prodigal Son, who is ruined already by the Expectation of fo great a Fortune; and will quickly be even with his Fortune, and ruin that when he has it.

A competent Provifion for Children is a juft Reason to continue our Industry, though

we

we have enough for ourfelves, as long as we live; but to make them rich and great, is not. The Piety and Charity of Parents, which entails a Bleifing upon their Pofterity, and an induftrious and virtuous Education of Children, is a better Inheritance for them than a great Eftate: But Men, who are so intent to the very laft upon increafing their Eftates, feldom do it for any other Reafon, but to fatiffy their own infatiable Thirft, which is to hoard up Riches for a Time when they can't enjoy them, to provide for their living in this World a much longer Time than they know they can poffibly live in it. This is much greater Folly than the Man in the Parable was guilty of, whofe Ground brought forth plentifully, and he pulled down his Barns, and built greater, and faid to his Soul, Soul, thou haft much goods laid up for many years, take thine eafe, eat, drink, and be merry. He was fo wife as to know when he had enough, and when it was fit to retire and take his Eafe: Yet God faid unto him, Thou fool, this night fhall thy foul be required of thee; and then whofe fhall all these things be, which thou haft provided? Luke xii. 16, &c.

Thus, how big are most Men with Projects and Designs, which there is little Hope should ever take effect while they live? Especially afpiring Monarchs, and bufy Politicians, who draw the Scheme, and frame their Design of an univerfal Empire, thro' a long Series of

Events;

Events; or meditate Changes and Alterations of Government, of the Laws and Religion of a Nation, by infenfible Steps and Methods; which, though it were never fo hopeful a Project, they can't hope to live to fee effected, and therefore exceed their own Bounds, and trouble the World at prefent, with what no Body now living may ever be concerned in: They undertake to govern the World when they are dead and gone; whereas every Age brings forth new Projects and Counfels, as it does a new Generation of Men, and new Scenes of Affairs, and a new Sett of Politicians: Would but Men confine their Cares and Projects within the Bounds of their own. Lives, and mind only what concerns themfelves, and their own Times, they would live more at Eafe, and the World enjoy more Peace and Quiet than now it is ever likely to do. And yet one would think this very reasonable, not to concern ourselves about the World any longer than we are like to live in it; to do no Injury to Pofterity as near as we can, and to do what Good we can for them, without difturbing the present Peace and good Govern'ment of the World; but to leave the Care of the next Age to those who fhall fucceed, and to that good Providence which governs and takes care of all Ages and Generations of Men.

2. Since we know the common Period of human Life, we fhould frequently count our Days,