SERMON X.

JOB's Account of the SHORTNESS

AND

TROUBLES of LIFE confidered.

JOB XIV. 1, 2.

Man that is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble: He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; he fleeth alfo as a fhadow, and continueth not.

TH

HERE is something in this reflection of holy Job's, upon the shortness of life, and inftability of human affairs, fo beautiful and truly fublime; that one might challenge the writings of the most celebrated orators of antiquity, to produce a fpecimen of eloquence, fo noble and thoroughly affecting. Whether this effect be owing in some measure, to the pathetic nature of the fubject reflected on ;or to the eastern manner of expreffion,.

in a ftile more exalted and fuitable to fo great a fubject, or (which is the more likely account,) because they are properly the words of that being, who first infpired man with language, and taught his mouth to utter, who, opened the lips of the dumb, and made the tongue of the infant eloquent; to which of thefe we are to refer the beauty and fublimity of this, as well as that of numberless other paffages in holy writ, may not seem now material; but furely without thefe helps, never man was better qualified to make juft and noble reflections upon the shortnefs of life, and inftability of human affairs, than Job was, who had himself waded through fuch a fea of troubles, and in his paffage had encountered many viciffitudes of ftorms and funfhine, and by turns had felt both the extremes, of all the happiness, and all the wretchedness that mortal man is heir to.

The beginning of his days was crowned with every thing that ambition could wifh for; he was the greateft of all the men of the Eaft, had large and unbounded

Bounded poffeffions, and no doubt enjoyed all the comforts and advantages of life, which they could adminifter.

Perhaps you will fay, a wife man might not be inclined to give a full loose to this. kind of happiness, without fome better fecurity for the fupport of it, than the mere poffeffion of fuch goods of fortune, which often flip from under us, and fometimes unaccountably make themselves wings, and fly away. But he had that fecurity too, for the hand of providence which had thus far protected, was ftill leading him forwards, and feemed engaged in the preservation and continuance of thefe bleflings;-God had fet a hedge about him, and about all that he had on every fide, he had bleffed all the works of

increased

his hands, and his fubftance every day. Indeed even with this fecurity, riches to him that hath neither child or brother, as the wife man obferves, inftead of a comfort prove fometimes a fore travel and vexation.- The mind, of man is not always fatisfied with the, reasonable affurance of its own enjoyments, but will look forwards, and if it discovers fome imaginary void, the want of fome beloved

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beloved object to fill his place after him, will often difquiet itself in vain, and say"For whom do I labour, and bereave anyself of rest?"

This bar to his happiness God had likewife taken away, in blefling him with a numerous offspring of fons and daughters, the apparent inheritors of all his prefent happiness. Pleafing reflection! to think the bleffings God has indulged one's felf in, shall be handed and continued down to a man's own feed; how little does this differ from a fecond enjoyment of them, to an affectionate parent, who naturally looks forwards with as ftrong an intereft upon his children, as if he was to live over again in his own pofterity.

What could be wanting to finish such a picture of a happy man? Surely nothing, except a virtuous difpofition to give a relish to thefe bleffings, and direct him to make a proper use of them. -He had that too, for he was a perfect and upright man, one that feared God and efchewed evil.

In

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In the midst of all this profperity, which was as great as could well fall to the share of one man ; whilft all the world looked gay, and fmiled upon him, and every thing round him feemed to promife, if poffible, an increase of happiness, in one instant all is changed into forrow and utter despair.

It pleased God for wife purposes to blaft the fortunes of his houfe, and cut off the hopes of his pofterity, and in one mournful day, to bring this great prince from his palace down to the dunghill. His flocks and herds, in which confifted the abundance of his wealth, were part confumed. by a fire from heaven, the remainder taken away by the fword of the enemy: his fons and daughters, whom 'tis natural to imagine fo good a man had so brought. up in a sense of their duty, as to give him all reasonable hopes of much joy and pleafure in their future lives; natural prospect for a parent to look forwards at, to recompenfe him for the many cares and anxieties which their infancy had coft him; thefe dear pledges of his future hap

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