The Little Portion of Our Time on Earth

The little portion of our time on earth considered by a computation of the life of man, from the number of years arid 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 expressed, as I find in Holy Writ, by “years of number;” that is, such as may soon be numbered. When a few years are come,” saith Job, (or the years of number, as in the original,) I shall go the way whence I shall not return.” By “the years of a hireling,” which are not above three, we usually compute threescore and ten years to the life of man; let me suppose fourscore. The bed, with most, employs one half; and hardly one in thirty doth reach the age of seventy years. And they who live to such an age do yet complain how soon it is gone. 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 not, but arQ beholden 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 raiment, and in lawful cares to sapport the body! And how much more than needs in pampering, dressing, and adorning it! Oat of the small remainder, how much is employed 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 employed 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 Hot yet, and the present now is past ere 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 8766 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 Gnd 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 does yet remain. This year, this months 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 scarcely any thing that hath not killed somebody; a hair, a feather, a vapour, a breath, hath done it; and when the Apostle James asks the question, “What is your life?” he answers, “It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little while, and then vanisbeth away.”