Use 2. Is to reclaim us when we are greedily set upon other busi- nesses and projects than the great business of our lives, as to get wealth, honour, and great estates. Eemember what is thy duty and work in this present world. Consider —
1. The shortness of life. We have a great deal of work to do in a little time, therefore we should not waste it ; every day we are nearer to the grave. We are sensible of the decays of others, but not of our own ; thou seest others wax old and die, remember thou thyself art going that way. When two ships meet one another in the sea, the other ship seems to sail faster than yours, though both pass away alike, because you are not sensible, or do not observe your own motion. We see others are mortal, but do riot number our»own days. This is a point of prudence : Ps. xc. 12, ' So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.' A man would think of all points that were plainest and soonest learned, yet it is very hard to learn the lesson of our own frailty ; I mean, to learn it by heart, to learn it practically.
2. The uncertainty of life. We know not when death will surprise us ; it is ill to be taken unprovided ; when death comes, to say, Hast thou found me, 0 my enemy ? Every day we have cause to look to
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it ; more are mistaken in reckoning upon life than upon death. Thou art asleep in the wolf's mouth ; there is no remedy but imploring the shepherd's help. A carnal man that goetli on in sin provoketh God to his face, and trieth whether he will cut him off, yea or nay. AVe are sure to live to enjoy wliat we provide for heaven, but we are not sure to live to enjoy what we provide for the world. A man may not roast what he took in hunting ; but when he cometh to enjoy his estate, God cutteth him off : Luke xii. 20, ' Thou fool ! this night thy soul shall be required of thee ; then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided ? ' And shall my master come and find me idle ?
3. After death followeth eternity, the great amazement of the soul. Now, if death find you at peace with God, eternity will be comfortable and death sweet ; body and soul part, but God and the soul meet. When we can see angels, ready to do their office, and conscience be- cometh our compurgator, I bear you witness you have spent your time in this world in obeying and serving God ; and then body and soul take leave of one another, it is a blessed parting. But now ; when you have not regarded your work, you are then delivered up to Satan by such an excommunication as shall never be reversed, accursed till the Lord come ; and then body and soul meet to be tormented for ever. It is a sad parting when conscience falls a-raving, and we curse our- selves and the day of our birth. Oh ! that ever such a creature were born ! Oh ! that I had been stifled in the womb, and never seen the light!
4. The necessity of working out our own salvation. God's stipula- tion with mankind is not made up all of promises ; something is re- quired : holiness is the way to salvation. Men that live as they list can claim nothing. The world is a common inn for sons and bastards ; in the time of God's patience he keeps open house for just and unjust ; but no unclean thing entereth into heaven. At the great rendezvous God rnaketh a separation : Ps. i. 5, ' The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.' The wicked shall not be able to look Christ in the face, nor veil themselves in the glorious assembly : 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10, ' Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God ? Be not deceived ; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.' Our desires settle into opinions ; we think God will not damn his own crea- tures, and an universal hope is natural.
5. The folly of not doing our business. To get bodily supports is but our errand by-the-by. These souls were not given us to scrape up wealth, and only to provide and purvey for the body ; Let us use them to the end that God gave them, to think of eternity: Luke x. 41, 42, * Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things ; but one thing is needful ; and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken a,way from her.' Martha was careful to entertain Christ in her house, but Mary to entertain him in her heart. The one thing needful is the care which every one ought to have of his own salvation. Everything is best that helpeth us on towards heaven, and that is evil that hinderetli us in our pursuit of heaven. This will