A New Years Gift, Section 5
SECT. V.
The little Portion of our Time on Earth conſidered, by a Computation of the Life of Man, from the number of Years and Hours.
THink, O my Soul! how ſhort is that Life at longeſt, made up of Years and Months, and Days; ſuch little parts and yet in number few. Well therefore may it be expreſt, as I find in Holy Writ, by years of Number, that is, ſuch as may ſoon be numbred. When a few Years are come, ſaith Job (*)16. Job. 22.12. Ezek. 16. Iſa. 10.19., (or the Years of number, as in the Original) I ſhall go the way, whence I ſhall not return. By the years of an Hireling, which were not above three, Iſa. 16.14. We uſually compute Threeſcore and Ten Years, to the life of Man: Let me ſuppoſe fourſcore. The Bed with moſt imploys one half; and hardly one in Thirty doth reach the Age of Seventy Years. And (*)Winter-Evening Conference, Conf. 1.they who live to ſuch an Age, do yet complain how ſoon 'tis done. Ignorant Childhood and heedleſs Youth, and infirm old Age, may be ſuppoſed to take up a third part of that Time. In either of them very little of the great Ends of Life are anſwered. We ordinarily begin to reckon our lives from our Birth; whereas for a good while after, we know not whether we are alive or no, but are beholding to others to make the account for us. When we firſt come to the ſteady uſe of Reaſon, or what we call the years of Diſcretion; how few are there, but from the Prejudices of Education, from the Corruption of Human Nature, from the want of Experience, from the Infection of bad Company, how few, I ſay, but ſpend their younger Years in thoſe things, which afterwards they are aſhamed of, when experience hath taught them the Wiſdom of Men? How great a part of our remaining Time is taken up in the Neceſſities of Nature, about Food and Rayment, and in lawful Cares, to ſupport the Body? and how much more than needs, in pampering, dreſſing and adorning it? Out of the ſmall remainder, how much is imployed in the concerns of a Family, and near Relations, in particular Callings, in neceſſary Civil Buſineſs, and in getting, keeping, or improving an Eſtate? Beſides all the Time that is ſpent in Recreations, Viſits, unprofitable Diſcourſe, impertinent Thoughts, Journeys, Sickneſs, and innumerable other Occaſions, ſome allowable, ſome unavoidable, and many needleſs? After this, how little Time remains wherein to cultivate and improve our Minds, by Languages, Arts and Sciences, or the knowledge of a Trade, &c. How little then after all, may we ſay, is left for the matters of Religion? for Devotion to God, and ſerious Preparation for another World?
Alas! how ſmall a number of Years make up the Life of Man! and how ſmall a Portion of that, is imployed about the Principal Buſineſs, for which we were born, and for which we live? We divide Time into Paſt, Preſent, and Future: But the Paſt is not now ours; the Future is not yet, and the Preſent now is paſt, e're the ſound be pronounced. And yet this is all the Time allotted us wherein to ſecure the Bleſſedneſs of Eternity. How many Hours more of our little Time might be improved, than commonly are by the Beſt? In every Year there are 8775 Hours: If we allow the greateſt half for ſleep, and neceſſary attendance on the Body, and take but 4000 Hours for our Work and Buſineſs of conſequence: How poor an account can moſt Men give of all theſe 4000 Hours in every Year? not one hour in ſeven, not one in ten, is ordinarily devoted to God, and the purpoſes of Religion. Should it not affect us, ſeriouſly to conſider this? eſpecially if we remember, at what an uncertainty we are, how ſmall a number of Days and Hours do yet remain. This Year, this Month, this Week, this Day or Hour may be my laſt. What an unſuſpected Accident or a ſudden Diſeaſe may do, I know not: But this I know, that there is ſcarce any thing that hath not killed ſome Body; an Hair, a Feather, a Vapour, a Breath hath done it, and when the Apoſtle James ask the Queſtion, What is your Life? He Anſwers, It is even a Vapour, that appeareth a little while, and then vaniſheth away.