apt to forget to number their Days. Youth and Strength help to keep their Thoughts otherways imployed, as if like Felix they would put them off to a more convenient Seafon, and when is that, but the time of Affliction Sicknefs or old Age? This negligence in the matter of Religion is commonly obferved among thofe that are Light and Thoughtlefs, Volatile and Unfettled,and cannot bring themselves to a serious Temper; their greatest Concern is to make provifion for this Life, and to let the other alone till Weakness or old Age, or fome other melancholy Circumftances fhall force them to remember that they muft leave this. While there is Milk in the Breafts and Marrow in the Bones, as Holy Job fpeaks, Chap. 21. 24. So long as there is a fresh bloom in the Countenance, and a well compacted Body to fupport Life, they flatter themselves with a long one here, and think they are not yet old enough to number their Days. Tell not the young Man of the brevity of Life, read him no fad Lectures of Mortality and another World, when he is but just entred upon the Scene of

this; trouble him not with the unfeafonable remembrance of Death, while Strength,and Beauty, and Health afford him more agreeable Entertainments; thus willing are fuch to be cheated with fond hopes of a long Life, as if they were fully perfwaded that Health and Age were infallible fecurity against the fhortning of their Days. This is the first Obftacle and Impediment to the numbring of our Days.

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Secondly, Another Impediment to this Duty, is Profperity or good Succefs: For when a Man hath not only a healthful and ftrong Conftitution, but also a concurrence of fortunate Events from without, it will be no wonder to find him diverted, from the unpleafing thoughts of being taken away from them; while the fweet Gales of Profperity blow in his Face, and all his Undertakings are Crown'd with Succefs, he is flufh'd with Joy, and is not yet at leafure to number his Days; fo long as he is the Idol of the World, and receives the Careffes and Flatteries of others, he becomes as infenfible almoft of his own Change, as the very Idols were that the Heathens Worshiped They were the Conquefts

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Eccl. 7.

14.

Conquefts and Victorious Arms of Alexander, that almoft tempted him to believe the monftrous Flatteries of his bafe Parafites, who told him he was the Son of Jupiter Ammon, a reputed Deity, the ready way to make him think himself Immortal, though he was not long after fenfible of the contrary, and found himself like Sampson to become as other Men. The generality of Mankind are apt enough to follow the Advice of Solomon, In the Day of Profperity be Joyful, but in the Day of Adverfity Confider. The former ferves to give their Life an agreeable Relifh, and to make the posting Minutes go off with delight, and without any Apprehenfions of a fatal Period; whereas the latter renders it bitter and unpleafant, and draws a black Scene of Thoughts in their Minds, and indeed forceth them to number their Days, but after a different manner to what the other would do, by making them appear Longer than they are,and wifhing them Shor

ter.

Again, Thirdly, another Obftacle and Impediment to this Duty, is too much Business and worldly Minded

nefs.

nefs. To be very much ingaged in a bufie fort of Life, and incumbred with a multiplicity of Affairs, muft needs take up a great part of that fhort Time, which Divine Providence has allotted Men in this World. They that are thus involved in Secular Matters, in gathering of Wealth, in confidering of ways to advance it, in ftudying to secure what they have already gotten, and fuch like Projections, are feldom found to be at leasure for Religious Duties. Our Bleffed Saviour hath obferved long ago, That the Cares of this World, and the Deceitfulness of Riches, choak the Word, that it becomes unfruitful; fuch kind of Men are not wont to attend to the bufinefsof Religion; to tell them of numbering their Days, is to recommend fuch a piece of Arithmetick as they are not fond to understand; theirs is,to compute their Bank-ftocks, to ftate their Accounts, to ballance their Loffes and Gains, and to carry on their Trades; to number their Days otherwife, than they have been fuccefsful to them in any of these Matters, is none of their Business, no part of their Imployment. 'Tis true Men may profecute the lawful and ho

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neft

neft Concerns of this Life, without neglecting thofe of Religion, and provide for their Temporal Subfiftence, and yet not be forgetful of their Eter nal Intereft; for they are both neceffary in their turns and many, I believe, that are not negligent and carelefs of their Secular Affairs, are not unmindful of their Religious Obligations; and thus far it is well. However it cannot be denied, that the Bufinefs of this World, and the things of this Life, are too much the concern of fome Men, and are great Obftacles in the way of a much more confiderable Duty, and tend to exclude from their Minds the thoughts of Mortality, though daily furrounded with Objects of it.

Fourthly and lastly, Another Impediment to this great Duty of Religion, is Pleasure, or the delightful Amusements of this World. Those that give themselves up to the Gratification of their Senfes, and the Indulgence of their Appetites, and have Health and Abilities to purfue their Diversions, are very much unprepared for these ferious Reflections; the Glitter and variety of pleasant Objects,and a chou

fand