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SERMON XLII.

NEW YEAR'S DAY.

THE DUTY AND ADVANTAGES OF RIGHTLY CONSIDERING
THE SHORTNESS OF HUMAN LIFE.

PSALM XC. 12.

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our
hearts unto wisdom.

See Job 14.
5-15;
Ps. 90. 9;
2 Cor. 6. 2;
Col. 4. 5;

O James 4.14;

THE plain meaning of these words is this: Teach us, God, so effectually to consider how short our time is; how 1 Pet. 1. 17. it passes away never to be recalled; and how much depends upon our making a good use of the time God is pleased to allow us; that we may live like people who have their senses about them, who consider what may come hereafter; that we may not squander away that time in vanity, which is designed to fit us for a blessed eternity; and that we may not be surprised by death, but be prepared (as wise men ought to be) for that which will come, whether they think of it or not.

The value of our time, the shortness and uncertainty of our lives, are things proper at any time to be recommended to people's serious consideration; but it would be unpardonable carelessness to let one year after another pass, without ever thinking of that which may be the last, without numbering the many years we have lived in comparison of the few which perhaps we have to live.

We have, within a few hours, seen the end of one year and God grant that the sins of this year may never rise

more;

XLII.

SERM. up in judgment against us. We are just entering upon the very beginning of another year, and God only knows which of us here present shall see the end of it: but this we know, and are sure of; that either before the end of this year, or before many years are at an end, we, and all men now living, shall be in another world; and in an endless state either of happiness or misery.

Whether it does not much concern us to think of that world, and to make some preparations for it, I must leave you to judge, after I have laid before you a few things to be seriously thought of. Such are these following:

First; that our days are few. But that,

Secondly; they are sufficient, if we are wise enough to make use of them.

Thirdly; that the end of them is unknown to us, and uncertain.

And lastly, that it is our wisdom to consider this; for that our eternal welfare depends upon it.

The consideration of these particulars may be of great use to us all.

To those who are truly concerned for the happiness of another life, it will be matter of great comfort to consider, that short as their time is, yet, by the favour of God, it is long enough to fit them for everlasting happiness.

To those who have spent their time well, it will be great satisfaction to look back upon the years that are past, and to see that they have not quite misspent a life, which at best is but short.

And lastly, to those who have but seldom thought of these matters, it may be of use to be put in mind, that here is one year more of a short life passed over their heads; that the next for ought they know may be their last; and that it will be much for their advantage to begin a new year and a new life together.

To come therefore to the matter before us.

I. Let us consider that our days are few, and therefore our time is precious.

And is not this acknowledged by us all, and complained of as a great misfortune; that our lives are short; that we are no sooner come into the world, and to years of discretion,

but we are immediately called upon to prepare to go out of it; and that whether we are prepared or not, leave it we must, either with or against our wills? Yes; all this is acknowledged, and there would be no need of speaking of the shortness of our lives, but that the greatest part of us live as if we did not really believe what we so frequently acknowledge and complain of.

It would not become one (who himself has too many) to expose the infirmities of mankind; but it is necessary that we should not deceive ourselves, while we pretend to set a value upon that which in truth we do not regard.

If a man is very much concerned to prolong his life; if he spares no money, neglects no advice, consults his friends and physicians, and all this to add a few days to the number of his years; all this would look as if we did really value our time, and think it so short, that all cost and pains are too little that are bestowed upon prolonging it to its utmost period.

But do men indeed count their time precious? That will best be seen by considering how they use it while they have it for if a man who takes great care of himself in the time of sickness, as soon as he recovers, shall run into new disorders; if a man, while he is under the apprehensions of death, laments the shortness of his days, as having but a few to spend to any good purposes; if such a person, when he is out of such fears and danger, shall live at all adventures, and return again to his follies, it is a sign that he values a long life, not for any wise purposes, but to spend it upon his lusts.

Thus the worldling and covetous man complains of the shortness of life, because he has but a few years to get a great estate in. The drunkard thinks that time passes away, and that death is hastening on to interrupt his pleasures. And even those that are now careless, and have so much time upon their hands that they do not know how to spend it, will one day think it very short, when they come to consider how little use they may have of it.

And now you see the reason why men call time precious, and think life very short: not that they would make good use of it, were it ten times as long; but that they might have

XLII.

SERM. more time,-one to idle and saunter away his life in vanity and trifles; another to leave a greater estate than a blessing to his posterity; another would have more time, that he may spend it upon his lusts. Some wish a long life, that they may enjoy the estates their ancestors have left them; others that they may spend them, and leave none to their posterity. Those that are in easy circumstances think life too short, and desire to live longer, that they may have all the good that this world can afford; and those that are poor and in want, would live longer to see an end of their miseries, and a change for the better.

In short, all agree in this,-that our days are few, and our time precious; and but too few consider the true end of life, or resolve to make the best use of so precious a thing.

If our days were so many that we could not number them, a man would have some excuse, though he should fling some of them away upon vanity and nothing; but when he that can but count threescore and ten, or fourscore, can number the years of the longest life, it should not seem to be great wisdom to lose much of our time without considering what may come hereafter.

If our days are but a span long, we may better see to the end of them; and it is unpardonable not to consider our latter end, when we are complaining of it, as coming too fast upon us.

It was, perhaps, the long lives of those before the flood that made them so wicked as to deserve to be destroyed by a general deluge. They reckoned upon four or five hundred years at least, and death at such a distance did not affect them with what must follow: they kept far from them the evil day, till at last they forgot that such a time was ever to come, and this made them secure and wicked beyond example. But for us to know and confess that our days are few, and that we are, within a very short space of time, to leave this world, and to give an account of what we have done here, and yet to have no more concern upon our spirits than if we were never to die, is somewhat unaccountable: and if we complain of the shortness of our lives, and yet make no better use of them, we shall complain without pity, and perish without relief.

After all, our time is truly short: we ought to know this, and to consider it seriously, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom; that we may in this our day know the things that belong unto our peace, lest they be for ever after hid from us.

Even they that are young ought to know this, for the days will come in which they will have a nearer sight of death.

They that are in health ought not to forget it, for ere long sickness and death will put them in mind of the folly of not thinking of them sooner.

But if the young and the healthful have reason to reflect upon the shortness of life, much more reason have they to do so, with concern and thoughtfulness, who have spent much of their time in sin and folly, who are already in years, and have done nothing towards their errand into the world.

Those who are of a weak constitution ought to consider this in earnest; and they that are old, should ever have it in their thoughts.

They that have done little good ought to think the time short in which they are to make amends for their negligence; and they that have done much wrong may well fear the time short in which they may make restitution for the injury they have done.

In short, the days of our age, by the just appointment of God, are reduced to a narrow compass; but here is our comfort:

II. We have time sufficient for all the purposes of salvation, if we are wise enough to make good use of it: and this takes away all just occasion of complaint.

We may want time for our pleasures: we may want time for our vices: but we shall not want time to work out our salvation, provided we spend not our time for that which will not profit us. For the same just God, Who has made our age as it were a span long, has made our duty possible to be performed within that short space: and even where we want time to do what His mercy is pleased to allow of, there His goodness often accepts of the will for the deed.

Our happiness in the next world is not to be measured by the time we spend in this. Many go to heaven out of the arms of the mother; many are delivered out of the snares of

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