a shuttle wliicli flies quickly through the loom^: to a ship, which soon passes away, and leaves no trace behind it : to an eagle, which, with the rapidity of lightning, hasteth to its prey**: but the image in our text is more striking than them all ; because, whilst it is peculiarly simple, it is also practical, embodied, portable. Not that any image is sufficient to paint the shortness and uncertainty of life in its true colours ; for " before God, with whom one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day''," it is absolutely " as nothing."
As far as words can describe the state of man, truly the Psalmist has done it in our text. " Man is vanity;" not only vain, but vanity itself. ''Every man" is so: not only the poor and ignorant, but the rich and learned : as it is said, " Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie : to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity^." And this they are " in their best state ;" even in the vigour of youth, and in the midst of all the plea- sures and honours that their hearts can wish. And they are so " altogether" both in mind and body; for their body is " crushed before the moth ; " and in respect of mind, they are, as far as spiritual things are concer?ied, " like the wild ass's colt," This description may appear exaggerated : but it is true : yes, " verily," things are so, whether we will believe it or not: and if any deny it, our answer is, " Let God be true; but every man a liar."]
Such being the real state of man, I will endeavour to shew you,
IL The vast importance of being duly impressed with it —
It was the want of this knowledge that made the adversaries of David so proud and contemptuous : and it was from a conviction of these truths that David was led so deeply to bewail their infatuation. A due consideration of the shortness and uncertainty of life would be of infinite service,
1. To diminish our anxieties about the things of time —
[We should think but little of our pleasures, or riches, or honours, if we considered how short a time they would con- tinue, and that they may all vanish, together with life itself, the very next hour. Examples' in abundance there are, in every age and place, to shew the extreme vanity of all that the world calls good and great. It is not in the Bible only that
a Job vii. 6, 7. ^ Job ix. 25, 26. <^ 2 Pet. iii. 8. ^ Ps. Ixii. 8.