The Last Battle of the Soul, Religious tract 1 · Part 4 · Section 8
8. LONG LIFE.
Last of al, if there be any thing that wold seeme to be desired, it shuld beIob. 2. 4. long lif all that a manhath he will giuegive it for his life: *NoteThough these be the vvords of a Lyar, yet most men will put their hand to the pen and subscribe the trueth thereof: *NoteAll that most men hauehave, as Strength, Honours, Riches▪ Beautie, Pleasure*, Wisedome, Children, and all will they giuegive for their Life: But vvhat is this life? were it neuer so long, but a season wherein poore men is tyred with toyles? What is it but a long martyr dome, and a stormie time of teares? What is this life? Let S. Iames answere, It is, said hee, but a Iam. 4. 14.vapour. Nubicula est cito evanescit: Nascimur flentes morimur gementes: It beginneth with teares and endeth vvith groans: What is life? Let Iob Iob. 2. 22.answere, Mylife, saith hee, is wind. What is life? Let Isaiah answere, It is but a breath in our nostrile. WhatIsa. 2. 22. is life? Cry, said the Lord to Isaiah, What shall I cry? said Isaiah, Cry, All flesh is grasse. * What is life?Isa. 40. 6. A tale that is tolde, saith Moses: Psal. 90. 9.*NoteWhat is it? A flitting shaddow, a bubble in the vvater, a deceiueable dreame, the working of a weeuers Sh…ttle which by winding heere and there vnwindeth it selfe to an end: *NoteOur life like the shadow on the Dyall insensiblie stealeth away.
See what it is of the vanitie of this life: *NoteIt is begunne with weeping▪ and maintained by sweatting, and at last endeth with a gaspe: Mors vltima linea rerum: Thus mans life like the beautifull Apple of Sodome, so soone as it is toucht, is turned into dust.
What should moue a man to desire many dayes? *NoteWhile a man desireth many dayes, hee desireth that vvhichwhich hee desireth not, viz. olde Age: What is olde Age, but manie dayes? Are not the old mansEccles. 12. 1 dayes called. The euill dayes, and the yeares of which he saith, I hauehave no pleasure in them? What hath hee then? vvill ye say, if hee hath no pleasure? All sorts of paines olde Age sets on foote all the sortes of diseases. The Guts and the Grauels, and diuerse Defluxions, with many other maladies run vponupon him and write a Kalender in his bones, vvherin his pain full itchings like Astronomers declare to him vvhat weather it will bee to morrow.
*NoteThus as ye see, manslife is but an irksome occupation & an houre of tediousnesse, & to be short a verie compend of miserie, casie to bee vnderstood without any commentarie of long discourse, if wee were schollers willing to learne.
*NoteMay not men see how all that is below is sicke of the fluxe? for nothing is permanent: Hee onelyonly fitteth sure, who can say with Dauid, Mine heart is fixed, O Lord.Psal. 108. 1
What shall I say more of this whole world? *NoteLet men thinke of it what they will, this is the constant trueth of an vncreated Testimonie, this present euill world: It isGal. 1. 4. so euill that it is said to lye in wickednesse: The Lord neuer suffer out Soules to bee its Bed fellowes: such a Bed is a bloody bed, like that of Iezabel: *NoteA nest wherein is no rest, but terrour, of Conscience.
Before I end this point concerning long life, let vsus roll a space this short meditation in our minds.
What is in this world so worthie that it should bee so eagerlie desired? Continuallie while wee liuewee are in feare of Death, for this cause seeke wee Physicke, Mirth, and Musicke, and all for to b…rre Death to the doore: And yet fooles that wee are, cerius out citius, soone or since wee must all draw neere to the Psal. 107. 18doores of Death: There is no discharge in this warre.
Euerie man in this life hath his appointed time, wherein night and day he must waite till his a…ange come.Iob. 14. 14
*NoteMens dayes are distributed vntounto them like houres seuemilie diuided vponupon the Horologe: Some must liue but till One, another vntounto Two, another vntounto Three: The Palme turneth about & with its finger pointeth at the houre: So soone as mans appointed houre is come, whether it bee the first, second, or third, there is no more biding for him: Nec prece ni… precio, neither by pryce not prayer can Death bee moued to spare him but an houre, no not. *NoteAs the sound of the Clocke Bell ringing, his last houre passeth away with all speede, and turneth not againe, so must the poore man at Death with all haste packe him out of sight and no mo…e be seene vponupon the land of the liuing.Isa. 38. 11
His houre beeing sounded, hee must with all haste remoue, that another might take place: One of whom none can surelie say, Hee shall Eccles. 2. 19bee a wise man or a foole.
Then all that the sillie man had painefullie prouided, must bee giuen to him whom the father often in his life beholding▪ said with a sigh within himselfe, Beholde, him for whom is all this drudgerie; behold him for whom is all my toyle, and turmoyle, Who knoweth whether Eccles. 2. 19hee shall bee a wise man or afoole? yet shall hee bee master of all my labours.
Now happie and thrise happie they whom GOD in merciemercy remoueth in time from seeing heartbreak of follie, and deboched manner of their godles posteritie: Scripture accounteth this for a singulare benefite to the Righteous▪ when he is remoued, that hee should not see the Isa. 57. ….euill day to come