Meditation on Mans Mortality, Verse 12
VERS. 12. So teach vsus to number our dayes, that we may apply our hearts vntounto wisedome.
HItherto of the Prophets Complaint of the mortalitie of Mankinde.
Now vntounto this Complaint hee annexeth certaine petitions; wherein he craueth of God such gifts and graces as are most needfull for men in respect of their mortalitie aforesayd.
In which Petitions the Prophet prayeth;
1. For divine Instruction.
2. For divine Consolation.
His Petition for divine Instruction is contained in this twelfth verse; and there are foure thinges therein expressed:
1. The gift desired;
2. The persons for whom it is desired;
3. The meanes whereby the gift desired may be obtained;
4. The end for which it is desired.
1. The gift and grace desired is that we might so number our dayes, &c.
Now to number our dayes is rightly to judge and discerne of that time, that we hauehave to liue in this world.
This numbring of our dayes, consisteth in these particulars.
1. In a due consideration of the uttermost time that we can hope to liue here; which is but till we be 70. or 80. yeares of Age. Not one of fiue thousand liues longer; or if he liue some few dayes or yeares longer, his life is vntounto him but as death: the world growes weary of him, and hee of the world. So that we so liue here, as men that make account to liue no longer.
2. In comparing the smallnesse of this number, with that number of dayes that wee shall liue in another world. Alas, what is eightie yeares to eternitie? When we shall lie a thousand thousand yeares, and bee as farre from death as the first day we began to liue.
3. In considering how much of our time is alreadie past, that cannot be revoked: and that wee must deduct and draw out of that number of 70. or 80. some of vsus hauehave spent of the maine summe 10. 20. 30. 40. yeares: and so the one and better halfe is gone.
4. In considering the vncertaintie of those dayes that are to come; that there is not a day nor an houre that we can make any certain reckoning off, that it shall be a day or an houre unto us: it is the present instant onelyonly that we are sure off.
5. In making account, as for the time past, so for the time to come, that a great part of it shall be spent in sorrow, and travaile, and paine, and distraction. So that if we shall deduct all those dayes, which when they are come, wee shall wish they were gone; and before they doe come, wee wish they might never come, it wil diminish the maine summe exceedingly.
The second point is the persons for whom this grace is desired.
The Prophet desireth it for himselfe, and for all Gods Children; Teach us, sayth he, to number our dayes.
Whence obserue we, that it concerneth eueryevery Child of God to be skilfull herein, even in the numbring of his dayes: that is, to consider seriously of the shortnesse and uncertaintie of his life in this world, and accordingly to make reckoning and account of his time here. So that the fewer our dayes are, the better use wee should make of them. The more uncertaine our time to come is, the better we should imploy the time present. For those things that we number and reckon, wee use to make reckoning off: And those things that we make reckoning of, wee doe not negligently and carelesly spend. So that the spirit of God teaching vsus to number and reckon our dayes, teacheth us therein to make reckoning of them, and in that regard not to mis-spend them.
Now first this condemneth the practise of most men; especially, our Gentlemen, and many of their Servants: who care not how they passe away day after day, and weeke after weeke; as though nothing were more troublesome to them then the day present. To day they wish for to morrow: when to morrow is come, they are as wearie of it; and devise this and that, not to make use and benefit of the day, but to spend it and passe it away with idlenesse: and they thinke that day is best spent, that is most lightly, and merrily flowne over their head.
2. This should teach Gods children to repent them vnfainedly of so many dayes as hauehave passed over their head without profit: And it should teach them to make more use of the time to come: Even to resolue with themselues, that no day to come shall passe away vainely and idly; but that they will make some speciall use and reckoning of it: And therefore this day to thinke what good use they shall put the morrow to, if God spare them life, and so one day after another. But the Heathen Painter will rise vp in Iudgement to condemne many of vsus Christians: If any day had passed, wherein he had not done some worke belonging to his Art, It is reported hee would hauehave sighed and sayd, Oh this day hauehave I drawne never a lyne. What a shame then should it bee for any Christian to passe day after day without drawing any lyne, or doing ought that to their Christian profession appertaineth?
The third Point, to wit; the meanes by which the Grace desired is to bee obtained, is by being taught of God. So that it must be obtained,
1. In generall, by Teaching:
2. In speciall, by divine Teaching;
3. This divine Teaching is to be obtained by Prayer.
4 This Prayer must be stirred vp by a sence of our mortalitie.
1. The first lessen hence then is this, that
The best of Gods children stand in need to bee taught to number their dayes. If Moses the great Prophet of God, among the rest desired to bee taught herein, it shewes that he had not yet thoroughly learned it: and if hee had not, who can say that he hath? There is none therefore too good to be taught this: for certainly we shall the best of vsus in our experience find it, that wee are very dull and ignorant in this dutie. And though we be taught to doe and practise it at some time; yet often we are as farre to seeke in it as if we had neuer heard of it; neuer thinking of our end, how short our time is, how many dayes we hauehave alreadie spent, how few are to come; but we commonly liue as though we had so many dayes to liue, as it were vaine and idle to bestow time to number them, as though wee might well spare the numbring of them.
The second lesson;
That except God teach this dutie, all other teaching is in vaine. It is not all the wit and learning in the world, that can truly teach it. Though Philosophers, Orators, and Divines should vse the utmost straine of their wits, they cannot without a speciall ayd and helpe of God learne this lesson throughly, but they will some way or other sayle in it: Those therefore, that in any good measure hauehave learned it, hauehave beene taught it of God.
We should therefore trie our abilitie herein: and if we find that in some good measure wee are inabled to doe this dutie, let vsus acknowledge that wee hauehave therein received speciall grace and fauour from God. For without his speciall blessing and instruction, wee shall never make any good and holy use of those dayes and times that we liue here; but wee shall suffer day after day to passe over our heads without making any reckoning and account at all of them. This shewes the difficultie of this worke.
The third lesson is,
That the speciall meanes to moue God to teach vsus to make reckoning and account of our dayes, as matters of worth, is Prayer. This the Prophet teacheth in his owne example, and speaking in the person of all Gods people: So that those that hauehave a heart to call vponupon God herein, shall be sure to finde God readie herein to assist them. If the Spirit of God to this purpose hauehave made a Prayer in the name of Moses, and the whole Church, surely, if Moses or any servant of God shall with a good heart make that Prayer, they shall bee sure therein to obtaine their desire.
The fourth lesson;
That to stirre up our Prayer to God, herein we must be deeply possest and affected with the sense of our mortalitie. And surely, if we did seriously consider that which hath beene taught vsus in the words going before, it could not but make us to pray earnestly to God for this grace: And there was neuer earnest Prayer made to God, that went emptie away.
The fourth and last point in this Petition is, why and to what end we are to number our dayes thus; to wit, that so wee may apply our hearts unto wisedome: that is, that so we may spend that small and uncertaine time, that we hauehave to liue here, in those things that may bee most for our behoose and advantage. And how is that done? surely, by seeking for and pursuing after, whilst we liue here, the meanes of Gods fauour, and life eternall. For therein consisteth true wisedome; and this alone deserveth the name of Wisedome: all other severed from this, or not subjected to this, is but meere folly and madnesse; though it be esteemed wisedome of those that are possest with the same folly and madnesse themselues.
Now to apply our hearts herevnto, is to bend and spend the strength of our thoughts & affections that way: that as we see worldly minded men, how their minde runneth altogether upon the world, and the meanes of this life, and the humoring and pleasing of them that they looke for most from; and all the streame of their affections floweth that way: They are never so merrie, as when the world and the meanes of this life commeth in upon them: they are never so sad and heauie, as when they hauehave lost, or are in daunger to loose any thing thereof: All the power and faculties of soule and bodie are set on worke, one way or other about them; at least the very strength of them: So should our hearts and affections bee set upon and carryed after this true wisedome, being seriously bent unto the speedie, and earnest, and constant pursuite of the grace and favour of God, and life everlasting, and the meanes whereby they may be atchieved.
Now hence in generall we learne▪
1. That till we come to number our dayes, as is aforesayd, all our labours and endevours are about nought but starke folly: such as we shall never reape any sound or solid fruit there-from, but that which in the end shall be vanitie and vexation of spirit.
2. That we should never thinke either our selues, or others truly wise, or to follow wise courses indeed, till we hauehave learned in the first place to number our dayes. Yea, till then, the wiser wee are, the greater fooles shall wee shew our selues, though for our humane wisedome wee were fit to giuegive Princes counsell.
3. That it is not enough for the Child of God in a slight manner to follow Wisedome, but hee must set and apply his heart unto it in the same manner, as a covetous man setteth and applyeth his heart to the getting of goods, an ambitious man of honor, a voluptuous man of his pleasure, or the like.
More specially we shall by this meanes, and in this manner apply our hearts unto Wisedome; when upon the serious consideration of our mortalitie & uncertaine estate here, and the few daies we hauehave here to liue; we shall carefully endevour,
1. To waine our selues by degrees from the louelove and delights of this world, and of the things therof: since the time we hauehave to enjoy them is so short and uncertaine. For there is no greater bane to the soule then the louelove of this world: and no better meanes to make us out of louelove therewith, then to number our dayes that wee hauehave to liue therein, in manner aforesaid.
2. To make no reckoning or account of this life, or of any thing concerning this life any further then it may further us unto the life to come.
3. To count all those dayes lost, that are not spent in the furthering of us unto eternall life.
4. To judge the losse of any hope or certaintie in this life, to be a good change for any hope or certaintie in the next life.
5. To keepe our selues free, as much as we may, from all distractions, and from whatsoever may hinder us in the pursuite of this wisedome.
6. To make no reckoning of more then the time present; and therefore not to put off our Repentance, or the pursuite hereof, from this day to that day, as if we were sure of so many and so many dayes.