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DISCOURSE 
 
 Concerning the 
 
 PERIOD 
 
 Humane Life: 
 
 Whether 
 
 i^futabk or Immutable. 
 
 the Second Edition Cone&ed. 
 
 n il ■ - ■ ■ , ■ ■ , - 
 
 V 
 
 By the Author of ibt Duty oftJMm 
 laid doivn in Exprefi Words ef 
 Scripture. 
 
 : I ! .&*- 
 
 LONDON, 
 
 Printed by J. 3^. for Enoch tVytr i 
 
 at the white Hart in St. Tatth 
 
 Church- Yard, 1677. 
 
Imprimatur, 
 
 ...» 
 
 gut SilL Rev do Epifc. 
 Lond. aSacrisDo- 
 
 meft. 
 
 Jan. 24. 1577. 
 
l&££AAJtAiJt£AJUlJl4£JtA,ftA 
 
 To the Honourable 
 Colkdge of Tbyjitians 
 at London. 
 
 (generous Gentlemen, 
 
 THat I pre fume to pre- 
 fix your greatV^ame 
 to fo mean a 'Boo^ 
 proceeds not from any conf* 
 dence I ha"»e of its value • 
 but from the nature of the 
 Dijcourfe, which your ex- 
 cellent 'Profeflion is fo much 
 concernedin. For 1 mujl 
 fay $ that fncelcouldunder- 
 A % /land 
 
The Epiftle 
 ft and the Debate, I have 
 though their opinion, who 
 maintain the Period of e- 
 very Mans Life to be unal- 
 terably fixed by an abjolute 
 Decree , does endanger your 
 'Profefjion fo much , that the 
 truth is, if it be truejyounjay 
 fee\ out fome nemo World 
 for your Trablice •, for. 
 here you jjoould be only 
 like the ldol-(fods , who 
 could neither do good nor 
 eVil. 
 
 This the excellent 
 Jo. Beverovicius did 
 
 prudently 
 
Dedicatory. 
 
 prudently forejee, and partly 
 endeavored to fatisfie both 
 himfelf and others , by asking 
 the advice of the Learned 
 men of his age. 
 
 "But that fib* -Period 
 of Humane Life may 
 be both extended andfhort- 
 ned , common experience 
 does fufficiently atteft. How 
 many have been hurried 
 to their (jraVes by the un- 
 sl^lfulnefs o/~Empericks; 
 and are there not multi- 
 tudes alfo that can wit- 
 nefs, -you have been (un- 
 A 3 der 
 
The Epiftle 
 der (fod ) the caufe their 
 Lives have been prolong* 
 ed. 
 
 Gentlemen, 1 \nm 
 you can expeB no Tana* 
 gyricf^ from fuch an 
 unfit person as I acknotp- 
 ledge my felf to be. <iAnd 
 methinks I a/fo bear all 
 men fay , that that is a 
 bufinejs only for a Ho- 
 mer to perform, If the 
 meannefs of. this 'Prefent 
 be cenjured by Jome , yet 
 I know you are more ge- 
 tierota, efpecially Jince the 
 
 be- 
 
Dedicatory. 
 
 befiomng of a more valuable 
 and fignal evidence of re" 
 jpeB, is only impeded by the 
 inability of, 
 
 Honored Gentlemen, 
 Your moft devoted 
 
 Servant. 
 
 A 4 THE 
 
wffffffffifff 
 
 Reader, 
 
 T"ViTE following Difcourfe is of f<> 
 fmall hulkj that a Preface may 
 feem as needlefs and ridiculous as 
 an Index. In fome few hours it may be 
 perufed, and theh bcth the defign of the 
 Author and of the BoqJ^ may be known. 
 It may be thou defrefi to know what was 
 the occafion of the following Difcourfe. 
 But I know not if I be obliged to anfwer 
 this and fuch like idle quifiions $ yet to 
 fatisfie thy curiofity^ know, that the Au- 
 thor was unhappily engaged to converfe 
 with a Society of men$ who frequently de- 
 bated this, and fuch' like queries 5 and 
 mdfily he was oppofeclbj the greater party 
 as maintaining an unreafonable pofition. 
 Whether their charge be true or falfe, is a 
 thing better determined by others uncon- 
 cernedy than either by them or me. I 
 A % know 
 
The Preface? 
 
 know very well their clamorous calumnies, 
 and reproaches , which fine e I cannot Jhun , 
 IJhall endeavor to flight 3 as indeed unwor- 
 thy to be regarded. 
 
 If men of good cmft deration diftike. any 
 thing in the T^ifcourfe, ■ I promife them, 
 upon Information IJhall either endeavor 
 to fatisfit them, or to reft fatisfied with 
 what they fay. Nay further, if there be 
 any Line in it inconfiftmt with Piety /tnd 
 Religion, fr^ly rf He it ; for Iperfwade 
 thee ( if the Aut '. or knew any fuch ) h& 
 would burn the Book^for its fake. 
 
 But I hope upon trial there Jhall be 
 found no harjh notion in it to offend the 
 mo ft f que am: jh confeience. For the opini- 
 on I have rejeBed is, in my judgment in- 
 confiftent with the Divine Goodnefs and 
 Holme fs, repugnant to the freedom of Ha- 
 mane Nature, and deftrutlive of all law- 
 ful means fr the preservation of a mans 
 life. While as ih:it fentiment I embrace, 
 bevets in mens minds, noble and venerom 
 conceptions to promote real Fiety and Re- 
 ligion, and to Jhun all manner of wicked- 
 nefs and intemperance ; upon the account 
 that Piety is the means to prolong.our lives, 
 andwick^dnefs the caufe of our Jhort lives. 
 And that this is no cheat or del#Jion y the 
 wje ft of men hath I. ft upon rccord,Yro. 1 r. 
 
The Preface: 
 %9. As righteoufnefs tendeth to Life 
 fohethatpurfueth evil, purfueth it to 
 hisown death. This brings to my memo, 
 rj the Pfalmifts advice, with which I (hall 
 conclude 5 What man is he that defireth 
 life, and loveth many days, that he 
 may fee good? Keep ttfy Tongue from 
 evil, and thy Lips from fpeaking guile 
 Depart from evil, and do good. Seek 
 peace, andpurfueit. But the wicked 
 and deceitful man fhall not live out half 
 hisda)^. 
 
 O F 
 
(I) 
 
 OF THE 
 
 PERIOD 
 
 O F 
 
 Humane Life: 
 
 JOB 14. 5,*. 
 
 Seeing his days are determined^ the 
 member of his months are with 
 thee^ thou haft appointed his bounds 
 that he cannot pa fs. 
 
 Turn from him that he may reft? till 
 he fhallaccomplijh) as an hireling? 
 his day. 
 
 THis excellent Book of Job 
 reprefents to us a plain and 
 unqueftionable inftanceof 
 the various fucceffes all Humane 
 anions are liable tOj> and of the 
 promifcuous administration of Di- 
 vine Providence to particular per- 
 
 fons. 
 
2 Of the- Period 
 
 fens. Here we may read of Job's 
 happy and flouriihing condition, 
 that he wo* the great eft of all the 
 men of the Eajl - and of his low 
 and afflicted ftate , poor even to 
 a Proverb , and in a condition 
 .that only pleaded pity and com- 
 paffion 5 and how again the Lord 
 blefted the latter end of Job more 
 than his beginning. 
 
 From this various adminiftra- 
 tion of Providence, men have ta- 
 ken ocpfion to make divers in- 
 ferences K The fcoffing Atheift hath 
 from thence wickedly concluded, 
 that God hath'ho care of Humane 
 Affairs. If God (fay theie fcof- 
 fers ) had any care of this World, 
 he would never fuffer thofe men 
 who have corrupted their ways 
 .by Treachery and Deceit, to prof- 
 per and enjoy an affluenee of all 
 worldly delights- whereas the 
 virtuous and godly man who. 
 takes heed to his ways, left he 
 fin,and who throughout the whole 
 
 cour/e 
 
of Humane Life. 3 
 
 courfe of his life hath carefully 
 ftudied to keep a conscience void of 
 offence towards God and Man , is 
 notwithftanding a man of for row y 
 and acquainted with grief • as 
 plagued all the day long 9 and 
 chajtened every Mornings and hath 
 Waters of a full Cup wrung out 
 to him. If God (fay they) con- 
 cerned himfelf with Humane Af- 
 fairs, he would never fuffer the 
 Tabernacles of Robbers to profper^ 
 and the Hou e of the Upright to 
 be ruined and deftroyed. 
 
 This is without all contradicti- 
 on a great ftumbling-block and 
 offence to the Blind' Atheift ^ and 
 hath even been a fad trial to the 
 beft of Gods people, wherefore 
 does the way of the wicked prosper t 
 wherefore are all they happy that 
 deal very Treacher on jly ? Was a 
 queftion Jeremy could hardly at 
 firft refolve. And we find Job 
 and the Prophet Habakkuk very 
 much puzled with it; and the 
 
 Tfalmifi 
 
4 Of the Period 
 
 pfdlmijl plainly confeileth^ that 
 his feet were almoji gone 3 and 
 that his Jieps had well nigh (lipt, 
 when he (aw the prosperity of the 
 wicked^ Pial. 73. 
 
 To fee bad men profpering in 
 their wicked purpofes and under- 
 takings, and good men unfuccefs- 
 fui and fruftrated in their juft at- 
 tempts, has been none of the leaft 
 Topicks the Epicurean Atheifts 
 have made ufe of, in their exempt- 
 ing this World from the Divine 
 Rule and Dominion. It was this 
 fingle consideration that made 
 iZMtt ( who was once a Preacher 
 of Providence ; how Orthodox, I 
 enquire not) accufe the Dominion 
 and Government of the gods, of 
 inftability and unjulinefs, that C<z- 
 far who tyrannically invaded the 
 Rights of the Commonwealth of 
 Jtorir, fliould be fuccefsful in iq 
 tiojuft attempts- and Pom 
 to the worft , and overthrow fr in 
 the lawful defence of his Coun- 
 try : 
 
of Humane Life* y 
 
 try : this ftumbled bim exceed- 
 ingly. 'Xistrue, fomefewofthe 
 Learned snd Sober Heathens did 
 not thus raftily fall foul upon Pro- 
 vidence 5 but very witely inferred 
 the being of a future State, v here 
 the vertuuus ftiall be rewarded,and 
 the viaous punifhed. And thofe 
 Holy men in Scripture, who did 
 fret becauje of the profperity of 
 the wicked, quickly perceived their 
 folly and error, and that the wick- 
 ed were only fed like Sheep for 
 the Slaughter $ and as the Poet 
 excellently exprelfeth it, toUnn- 
 tur in altum ut Upftt graviore 
 ruant. 
 
 Job's Friends, though they did 
 not dire&ly fall foul upon the 
 Divine Providence , yet it is evi- 
 dent they were of opinion, that 
 God would never have affli&ed 
 Job with fuch fad calamities, if 
 he had been upright andlincere, 
 Remember ( faith Elipha^ ) who 
 ever perifhed being inwcent i Or 
 
 where 
 
6 Of the Period 
 
 where were the Righteous cut off? 
 ch. 4. 7. Bildad tells fob^ if thou 
 %vert pure and upright , furely now 
 he would awake for thee^ ch. S. 6* 
 To both thefe Zophar fucceeds 
 with a charge as grievous and bit- 
 ter. For thou haft [aid my Doctrine 
 is jjure , and I am clean in thine 
 eyes: But O that God would fpeak^ 
 and open his lips again ft thee 7 ch. 1 1 . 
 ^.4,5. 
 
 I Thefe were the Cordials Jot's 
 Friends afforded him, while as his 
 affli&ed condition pleaded pity 
 frorfi his Friends. Thefe accufa- 
 tions were heavy ; but he faw it 
 was needlefs to tell them, that God 
 might deftroy the perfed as well 
 as the wicked • and although he 
 would not plead . not guilty ; for 
 then he confeifeth-te own lips jhould 
 prove himperver[e • yet he humbly 
 conceived, that it was a dangerous 
 principle to conclude love or hatred 
 from any fuch outward difpenfati- 
 ons. 
 
 There- 
 
bf Humane Life. y 
 
 Therefore finding all his_ in- 
 treaties rejected, and his plea's 
 for his own defence flighted ; he 
 is at length forced to beg their 
 filence 5 defiring far rather to plead 
 his caufe with his Maker, who 
 could difcern his fincerity • and 
 therefore having ordered his cauf^ 
 ^.13.18. and taken anexad: arid 
 accurate examination of his for- 
 mer ways, he begins his plead- 
 ings for a mitigation of his pre- 
 lent calamity, from ^.23. which 
 he continues* till interrupted by 
 Eliphas y ch. 15. and amongft the 
 many arguments he urgeth, that 
 taken from the determined days, 
 and unpaffable bounds prefixed to 
 men is not the fmalleft : Seeing his 
 days are determined, the number 
 of his months are with thee ; thou 
 hafi appointed his bounds that he 
 cannot pafs. Turn from him that, 
 he may retl^ till he jhall accomplish 
 as an hireling his day 9 
 
 B Thefe 
 
t* Of the Verio d 
 
 Th'efe words beingthe ground 
 of the following Piicourie, it i§ 
 but reafonable I Ihould fpend a 
 little time in their explanation. 
 
 Seeing his days are determi- 
 ned^ &c. The word which our 
 Translators render feeing^ is in 
 the Original i±k ///which fome Ex- 
 pofitors think is ufed by way cf 
 query^ thus, Jf his days be deter- 
 mined* But the Context feems 
 to warrant our Vulgar Transla- 
 tion, and their is no doubt , but 
 it is very emphatick \ for it con- 
 tains an implicit affirmation 9 a 
 phrafe very ordinary, when the 
 thing for its certainty is confefTed 
 and acknowledged. But let us 
 fuppofe, that the words Should be 
 rendred by way of query , yet 
 there are two doubts that muft 
 be removecl, elfe their quarrelling 
 with our Translation is vain and 
 impertinent, i. It feems to be 
 very evident^ that it has then been 
 a received opinion, that the days 
 
 of 
 
ef Humane Lifel £ 
 
 of men are determined 5 elfe Job 
 had never made ufeofthis argu* 
 ment, in his pleadings for a cefla* 
 tionfrom trouble. 2. If Job had 
 indeed doubted, that ijians days 
 were determined) it was no wife 
 nor rational plea, efpecially fince 
 he was pleading with God, who 
 knew whether it were fo or not 5 
 and fince he might have made ufe 
 of indubitable Topicks. Butlpafs 
 by this debate as trivial. 
 
 His days, &c. It is debated by 
 fome, why Job makes ufe of the 
 third perfon, and not of the fir ft. 
 The reafon fome give is this, be- 
 caufe the third perfon ufed for 
 the firft, denotes contempt and 
 modefty ; and therefore Job m 
 his low ftate is pleafed thus to 
 abafe himfelf, efpecially fince plea- 
 ding with his Maker. But this 
 conje&ure is not fully fatisfa&o- 
 ry, for Job in fever al of his other 
 pleas.makes ufe of the firft perfon ; 
 which methinks he would not 
 B a have 
 
^o Of the Period. 
 
 have done, if he had made life of 
 the third perfon upon the ac- 
 count of the former confidetati- 
 on 3 therefore from the promifcu- 
 ousufurpationofthe perfons, we 
 may eafily conjefture, th^t when 
 the argument he brings does in a 
 more peculiar manner reach his 
 own private condition , then he 
 makes ufe of the firft perfon; an 
 inftance of this we have cb. 1 3 . 
 23, 24. &c. But now this argu- 
 ment taken from the determined 
 days, and unpayable bounds fet 
 to men) is a general one, which 
 all men as well as he might plead 5 
 therefore he fpeaketh in the third 
 perfon, yet always eying his own 
 condition. The like inftance we 
 find in the beginning of this Chap- 
 ter, Man rh.it is bom of a woman ^ 
 is of few dxys, and full of trouble. 
 Here he ipeaks in the third 
 perfon, and not in the firft-, for 
 to be of few days 5 and full of 'trou- 
 ble '> is the character of every man. 
 
 Few 
 
of Humane Life. i \ 
 
 Tew and evil ( fays Jacob to Vha-* 
 raoh ) have the days of the years 
 of my life been, Gen. 47. p. I 
 
 Are determined^ &c. This word 
 in the Original properly fignifieth 
 to dig) or cut thorOw ; here it is 
 to be underftood metaphorically ; 
 becaufe God doth as exa&ly know 
 the number of mens days, as if die 
 mod accurate fearch were made. 
 'Tis true,in all humane determina- 
 tions, it is reafonable that confuta- 
 tion proceed. Somelpacemuftin- 
 terverfeteetwixt their knowing of a 
 thing and their determinations 
 about it. Iconfefs, it is difputed, 
 whether the Humane Will be of 
 it felf a knowing faculty ? or if it 
 muft follow in its choice the dic- 
 tates of the intelleft? I will not 
 difpute this now;but there is truth 
 in that general Maxim, ignoti nnlU 
 cupdo. But to fancy that there is 
 any fuch priority between the Di- 
 vine knowledg and volition, is a 
 grofs miftake, irreconcilable with 
 . B 3 the 
 
ii Of the Period 
 
 the Infinite and Eternal per feftions 
 of God : who uno acfu & iff*, ( as 
 Ihey fpeak) comprehendeth and 
 wilieth all future Events. 
 
 The number of hit Months are 
 with thee, &c. This Phrafe holds 
 out thefe two things ; Fir ft y the 
 Exa&ijefs and Infinitenefs of the 
 Pivine knowledg • and Secondly 
 the Divine rule and dominion, 
 Firft , it holds out the Divine 
 knowledg to be Infinite and Exact, 
 The number of his \ months are 
 with thee. That is, thou art a God 
 whofe knowledg reacheth the 
 frnalleft portion of our time> even 
 to months and days- thou alone 
 knoweft all thofe circumftances 5 
 and to know the particular portion 
 of days allowed to every man, 
 does certainly require an infinite 
 and exad knowledge. I will not 
 curioufly enquire,what truth there 
 is in the pretended diabolical pre- 
 diftions of future Events ^ and 
 whether Star-gazers from the Con- 
 junctions, . 
 
cf Humane Life. 1 3 
 
 junctions, and contrary Afpeds 
 Of Celeftial Bodies, can foretell 
 the future number of the days 
 and months of terreftial and in- 
 ferior Sublunary beings : a paffc 
 ing view of this I will have occa- 
 sion to take afterwards 5 at pre- 
 fent we reft fatisfied with this, 
 that an exadl and comprehensive 
 knowledgof our days and months, 
 is only the prerogative of him 
 who holds our lives in being ; the 
 pretended knowledg any Creature 
 boafteth of, is conje&ural and 
 uncertain, if not ( as frequently 
 it is ) fi&itious, unlefs when the 
 Divine wifdom for fome fecret,and 
 to us unknown ends, reveals to 
 his creatures fuch future Events. 
 But Secondly , the P.hrafe holds out 
 the Divine Rule and Dominion, 
 The number of his months arc 
 with thee : that is, they are in thy 
 power, thou may'ft either prolong 
 or fhorten the days of Men : and 
 I think the meaning of this whole 
 B 4 verfe 
 
14 Of the Period. 
 
 verfe is comprehended under thefe 
 two heads, which I fhall afterwards 
 difcourfe of at more length. 
 
 Th cu haft appointed' his bounds^ 
 &c. It is not Fate or Fortune) but 
 the wife God who appoints toe- 
 very Man his time ., now the 
 bounds fet to Men may be confi- 
 dered under a two-fold notion. 
 Firft, Asitfignifies that common 
 and ordinary Period which the 
 God of Nature hasfetled, which 
 Men -by the common courfeof Na- 
 ture may fulfill, if no accidental 
 eircumftance hinder : and itfeems 
 the Pfalmift only understands this 
 common term of Humafte Life, 
 Pfa/, 90. 10. The days of our 
 years are Threescore years and 
 Ten^ and if by reafon of Strength 
 tfoey be four (core ; &c. or Second- 
 ly, It may be underftood in a more 
 ftridHenfe, as it is taken for the 
 iaft moment of every individual 
 and particular perion-, and of both 
 thefe I fliall more fully difcourfe 
 
 after- . 
 
of Humane Life. 1 5 
 
 afterwards and (how , that the 
 words feem to refer to the commori 
 term of Humane Life; or if they 
 mean this particular term, in what 
 fenfe they are to be underftood 
 determined^ appointed^ &c. 
 
 Thefe and fuch like condefcend- 
 ing Phrafes, have been moft un- 
 happily ufed, and fadly mifunder- 
 ftood in the Schools. Some men no 
 fooner read in Scripture of Gods 
 determining or appointing, but 
 they inftantiy conclude aphyfical 
 previous neceffitating ad, which 
 inevitably and irreflftibly deter- 
 mines Men; and this kind of de- 
 termination they plead for in all 
 cafes : fo that Men even in their 
 vitious ' aftions are irreflftibly 
 determined to do fo. I know no 
 opinion which has rendered the 
 reformedChurch more odious than 
 this : would to God I could fay 
 the Cenfure is caufelefs, and 
 that I were forced to apolo- 
 gize, for faying our Divines have 
 
 erred 
 
1 6 Of the Period 
 
 erred in this cafe, But alas the 
 opinion is grown ftrong, and not 
 long fince it was not much le(s 
 than Herefie to condemn it : and 
 even to this day it is theftudyof 
 fome Teachers , to inftill it into 
 the hearts of their Hearers. For 
 the correding of this fowre opini- 
 on, I fliali have occalion to add 
 ibme things in this following dif- 
 courfe ; now 1 fhall defire it to 
 be confidered, that while wefpeak 
 of the Divine determinations, ap- 
 point ment,&c. we fpeak of things 
 our knowledg cannot reach, the 
 beft conceptions we can frame 
 to our felves of the Divine voli- 
 tions, are dangerous and imper- 
 fe<5t$ our capacities in this lapfed 
 ftate are more narrow than we are 
 aware of: and although they were 
 raifed to a higher pitch , yet we 
 can never comprehend his way 
 of working, who in all his ways 
 is unfearchable. 'Tis truly fad to 
 fee the contending World foferi- 
 
 ous 
 
ef Htmane Life. 17 
 
 ous and reftlefs in digging thofe 
 deeps that are unfathomable 5 it 
 were to be wifhed that Men did 
 not found their pretended know- 
 ledg of the Divine volitions, on 
 the bafis of their own filly voliti- 
 ons and did not argue from what 
 we find in our felves to be the fame 
 in God. 5 Tis true the Holy Spirit 
 hath condefcended to exprefs 
 things fuitable to our Underftand- 
 ing and mean capacities, therefore 
 we read in Scripture of the Divine 
 determinations^appointments,^. 
 but yet to abufe fuch condefcend- 
 ing expreffions, and to imagine 
 that there were really fuch purpo- 
 fes, and volitions in God asthefe 
 we perceive in our felves: this 
 were a hainous crime, pray let us 
 fatisfie our felves with this, that 
 God in an eminent and tranfcen- 
 ding manner doth thefe things, 
 which we cannot do without will- 
 ing, decreeing, &c. 
 
1 8 Of the Period 
 
 That he cannot paf?, or as others 
 render it , and he jhall not p.tfs 5 
 which Phrafe is not to be under- 
 stood, as if the particular Period 
 of every Mans life were fo fatally 
 fixed that he can neither fhorten 
 nor prolong it, for this is contra- 
 ry to many clear Texts 'of Scrip- 
 ture, as (hall afterwards fully ap- 
 pear : but by this Phrafe, we are 
 to underftand the common term 
 of Humane Life , which is not 
 fo mutable as the particular, 
 nor yet altogether fo that 
 it cannot be altered ; for God 
 has ftill referved in his own pow- 
 er the fhorten ing and prolonging 
 of it. And further, we mud not ap- 
 prehend that the particular terms 
 of Humane Beings is fo mutable, 
 that God knows* them not , and 
 cannot foretel the precife Period 
 of every Mans Life , or that the 
 Divine Counfel concerning things 
 Future is mutable -, no fure, God 
 has declared the contrary. Jam 
 
 God> 
 
of Humane Life. fjjjj 
 
 God^ and there is none like me^ 
 (faith the Almighty) declaring 
 the End from the Beginnings and 
 from ancient time the things that 
 are not yet done • faying 3 my 
 Counfel mufl ft and > and I will do 
 all my pleafure, /fa. 46. 9. Two 
 things there be which occafion 
 men to change .their purpofes 
 and refolutions. 1. g Their want 
 of Power to Execute them. 
 2. Their finite and fhallow Know- 
 ledge which cannot forefee thofe 
 future circumftances which render 
 their Defigns ineffe&ual. But 
 now there is no difficulty that can 
 pofe the Almighty * rvith him all 
 things are pfjible^ it is the Prophets 
 argument^ the Lord of Hofts hath 
 purpofed, who {hall di fa null it < 
 his hand is ftr etched out, and who 
 {hall turn it back ? Ifa. 24. 17. And 
 further there is no circumftance or 
 condition that lyes in the dark , 
 and unfeen to him, whofe know- 
 ledg is infinite, and who equally 
 
 com- 
 
S9 Of the Period 
 
 comprehends things paft, prefent 
 and to come. Therefore is it 
 that men cannot pafs thefe bounds 
 prefixed by the Divine foreknow- 
 ledg : But of this afterwards. 
 
 Tut n from him ^ &c. It is queri- 
 ed whether Job here petitioneth 
 a withdrawing of Gods fupport- 
 ing prefence, and a ceflation by 
 deaths or a ceflation from the 
 affliction and trouble he lay un- 
 der. There be Three things that 
 plead for the former Interpreta- 
 tion, i. Becaufe the word hih 
 placed abfolutely 5 fignifieth to 
 ceafe by death, i Sam. 2.$. and 
 they that were hungry ceafe 'd, i.e. 
 died. 2 . Becaufe the fupporting 
 hand of providence being remov- 
 ed, men return to the Duft. Thott 
 hidefi thy face^ they are troubled , 
 thou take [I away their Breathy they 
 dye j and return to their DnH , 
 pfal. 104. 29. 3. It is not incon- 
 fiftent with Jobs former defires, 
 Chap. 3. and 6* why died 1 not 
 
 from 
 
of Humane Life. &i 
 
 from the womb ? why did I not 
 give' up the Ghofl when I came out 
 of the Belly i Tor now jhould I have 
 lien [ fill'] and been [_guiet-~] I 
 fhould have [_fleptf\ then had 1 
 been at £ refi : ] O that I might 
 have my requejl , even that it 
 would pie k fe God to deflroy me ! 
 
 That the Phrafe can never ad- 
 mit the former glofs evidently 
 appears from the words immedi- 
 ately following, for if Job had 
 been pleading for death, why is 
 that reafon added.that he might ac- 
 cojnplifj his day < It is only then 
 a ceffation from his grievous 
 affliction that he fo earneftlyin- 
 treateth- as If he had laid? Lord 5 
 thy affti&ing hand is heavy, and 
 what am I but weak Duft,not able 
 to bear thy heavy Chaftifements t 
 my Soul is overburdened with 
 grief, and wilt thou fet thy ter- 
 rors before me to affright me ? 
 hath not poor man in this lapfed 
 ftate. Troops of miferies attending 
 
 kirn, 
 
%i Of the Period 
 
 him, from which he may expert 
 no freedom till Mortality be 
 fwallowed up in Life? And are not 
 his few days labor and forrow, 
 pain and affiiftion f And wilt thou 
 to thofe infeparable evils/uperadd 
 a burthen of pain more grievous 
 and infufferable i O do not mea- 
 fure out fo difmal a Condition to 
 thy filly Creature/ Make me not 
 the objed: of thy direful ven- 
 geance, but in the midft of wrath 
 remember Mercy. Art •thou not 
 Goodnefs it felf,and far more com- 
 panionate than the moft tender pa- 
 rent < And {hall it be faid thou haft 
 meafured out fo acute torments 
 to vex thy poor Creature i I con- 
 fefs Perfev5lion is not the thing I 
 plead 5 yet may . not I lay , it is 
 not for my iniquity y nor for my 
 fin, that thou haft affii&ed me < 
 And let this Confederation alio 
 prevail with thee, that my unten- 
 der friends fadly miftake thy de- 
 sign in affli&ing me^they conclude 
 
 it 
 
of Humane Life. 23 
 
 it is fotfome fecret heinous crime, 
 that thy judgements are upon 
 me: O that thou wouldft turn 
 from thy wrath, that I may 'enjoy 
 fome reft,before I go whence I fliall 
 not return $ 
 
 This phrafe turn from him y is 
 fometimes taken in a very bad 
 fenfe. Thus we find the wicked 
 fadly charafterized, as a people 
 who defire /God to depart from 
 them-, but as it is uttered by the 
 people of God under the preiTure 
 of affli&ions, it implies no more 
 but a ferious defire that God 
 would be plealed to remove that 
 burden. Now in fuch innocent 
 petitions there appeareth no 
 crime, for it is certain, that 
 afflidions .fimply confidered, are 
 grievous even to the belt of Mary- 
 land : there is no affliction ( faith 
 the Apoftle ) for the prefent that 
 is joyous but grievous, *Tis true 
 impatience under affii&ion.is an 
 excefs which nq excufe whatfo- 
 C ever 
 
24 Of the Period 
 
 evef can pardon : there are fome 
 perfons of fuch hafty complexi- 
 onsjthat they rife in paffion againft 
 God if they meet with the leaffc 
 affiiftion $ juft like that wretched 
 man who laid, this evil is of the 
 Lord why foould we wait any 
 longer upn him< But thofe peti- 
 tions of the Faithful in holy writ, 
 although at the firft view they 
 feem to be peremptory andabio- 
 lute yet they are truly qualified 
 and fubmiflive-and at the moft,on- 
 ly exprefs the harmleis refent- 
 ments of innocent nature 3 that can- 
 not butexprefshow contrary affli- 
 ctions are to it. 
 
 That he may rejl ; ut quiefcat fc. 
 fadidum^ that his afflidion being 
 removed he may yet enjoy a little 
 fpace to folace himfelf, till he ac- 
 complish his day. I will purpole- 
 ly decline the anfwer of that 
 querie , Whether it is lawful to 
 wifh death when our condition is 
 charged with a furplufage of ca- 
 lamity 5 
 
ofHummcLife* 2J 
 
 lamity $ tor the brevity I defign 
 will not fuffer me to liirvey the 
 difficulties of that cafe, only in 
 the general I fhall add two things, 
 i .If the affli&ion be violent,fierce, 
 and feemingly durable^ rendering 
 us uncapable of exercifing any 
 duty 3 I queftion not but common 
 reafon will fugged to every fober 
 man, that in that cafe Death is 
 more eligible than Life. Yet 2.fince 
 we are ignorant what God de- 
 figns to us, by fending us fuch 
 afflLflions, it is our part to 
 fubmit to the Lords will, and fay., 
 Good is the will of the Lord. Thus 
 •although we may comparatively 
 and fubmiffively wi(h Death upon 
 the account of fome acute trials^ 
 yet it is never lawful to be perem- 
 ptory and abfolute in fuch defires 5 
 for frequently the happy event 
 makes men conclude that it was 
 good for them they were afflicted. 
 
 Reft, &c Methinks the very 
 
 found of this word is full of ra- 
 
 C 2 vifliing 
 
2 6 Of the Period 
 
 vifhing fweetnds and pleafure,and 
 yet to thofe \tiho are ftated in 
 a condition of Woe and Mifery, 
 iffis bitter and harfy 5 as the moft 
 ravifhing and pleafant Mufick is 
 in the Ear of him who is fad : 
 thofe who never tafted the honey- 
 comb , know not its fweetnefs : 
 the men who have been always 
 drudges and flaves, have no di- 
 fcerning what Liberty island thofe 
 who from their birth have been 
 accuftomed to pain , know not 
 their mifery fo fenfibly. But to 
 have once enjoyed bleffings 5 and on 
 & fudden to be deprived of them, 
 not only the unexpected change^ 
 but alfo their former happinefs, 
 adds to their mifery. and makes 
 their condition more unfufferable. 
 If man had been created to toil 
 and labor, his eating of bread in 
 the fweat of his face , had been 
 no curfe : but to have been placed 
 in a blefled and happy ftate, and 
 by his folly to be hurled into a 
 
 {fate 
 
of Humane Life. 2 7 
 
 ftate of mifery and pain, that com- 
 pleats his calamity , and makes 
 him fenfible,how miserable a thing 
 it is to have been happy. 
 
 This fingle confideration feems 
 to add very much to Jobs mifery, 
 his condition was once more than 
 ordinary happy ; andtheamiffion 
 of the comforts he formerly en- 
 joyed, makes him pathetically cry 
 out , O that I were as in months 
 pajf , as in the days when God 
 preserved me • but now( as he 
 fadly compkins) they that are 
 younger than 1 ', have me in deri- 
 fion. 
 
 If Job in this ftate of woe had 
 been perfwaded of the certain 
 change of his condition, and that 
 his latter end ffjoidd be more bleff- 
 ed than his beginning, the expect- 
 ed hopes of this had ferved to 
 allay and mitigate his ibrrow, and 
 to render his cafe more fufferable 
 and eafie. It is the hops of reft, 
 that puts ftrength in the wearied 
 C 3 tra- 
 
28 Of the Period 
 
 traveller ; it was the expeded re- 
 ward and aflurance of a future 
 bleflednefs and better refurredion, 
 which made thofe Worthies Heb. 
 ii. fo cheerfully undergo fuffer- 
 ing. What -the happinefs of the 
 Saints reft is, I am not able to re- 
 prefent, it being fofar above any 
 thing we can in this imperfed: 
 ftate conceive or imagine. The ad- 
 vantages that attend our prefent 
 tranquility and reft, are many 
 and great, which to enumerate 
 would be prolix and tedious : but 
 if from- that, we fliould frame to 
 our felves an Idea of that Ce- 
 leftial Reft, how imperfed would 
 it be? any Reft we enjoy here, is 
 uncertain : an unthought-of cau- 
 fality may impair it, but the Reft 
 that remains for the people of 
 God is everlafting, there is no fear 
 of lofing it ; Heaven is a place 
 free from trouble, and there is 
 nothing that can imbitter that 
 pleafant ftate. 
 
 Phi- 
 
of Humane Life. 29 
 
 Philofophers have a faying, 
 that the end of Motion is Rejc - 
 this is indeed true of all thofe mo- 
 tions and trials the fervants of God 
 meet with ; the way to the King- 
 dom is fpread over with thiftles 5 
 thorow many tribulations we mufl en- 
 ter into the Kingdom of Heaven: but 
 thofe Waves of affliction will 
 quickly over- and when the day 
 breaks, thefe fhadows will flee 
 away. This Winter will foou 
 be paft, and the finging of the 
 Birds will come • and Chriftians^ 
 who by faith and patience con- 
 tinue in well-doing, (hall ere be 
 long be placed in thofe man- 
 iions of Reft, that are in Ema- 
 nuel s land. 
 
 Alas, how infenfible do we re- 
 main under the enjoyment of our 
 outward comforts / when we are 
 bleffed with food > liberty, and 
 health, we are but fenfibly ftupid 
 and ignorant, what is the value of 
 thofe mercies: but if hunger and 
 C 4 want 
 
30 Of the Period 
 
 want begin to pinch us , if our 
 former liberty be hedged in, if 
 iicknefs and pain feize upon us, 
 then we begin to gather fome 
 fenfe, and we accufe our (elves for 
 our ingratitude to God. 
 
 ' Till he /ball accomplish sis an 
 Hireling dtis day: for the better 
 underftariding of this fimilitude, 
 I (hall in four particulars compare 
 the days of man with the days 
 of an Hireling, and in each of 
 them make application to : Jobs 
 cafe. I. The days of an Hireling, 
 denotes a time, iht^ prefixed and 
 limited for the performance of 
 rfbme particular piece of fervice^ 
 and are not the days of man alfo 
 allotted him for to do his matters 
 bufinefs? We we're" not born to 
 be idle and negligent, fure God 
 had fome greater defign in the 
 Creation of man'than this : no\ir 
 thjs particular quadrates very well 
 with Jobs cafe, 'and feems to 
 make the meaning of Jobs words 
 
 to 
 
cf Humane Life. ' 3 1 
 
 to run thus ^ Lord, thou haft gi- 
 ven me a being, and appointed 
 me a work to accomplifh : but alas 
 while I am thus excruciated with 
 horror and pain, I ani unfitted- 
 for thy fervice, the furplufageof 
 mifery meafured out to me, di£ 
 inables me to go about thy work, 
 be entreated therefore O merciful 
 Father to turn from thy difplea- 
 fure, remove the prefent heavy 
 calamity I am overburdened with 5 
 that I may yet accompliGi the re- 
 mainder of my time in thy work 
 and fervice. 2. This fet and fix- 
 ed day of the Hireling is full of 
 pain, labour and toil; he is {'poor 
 wretch) both late and early at 
 work, and feldom has he any in- 
 tervals of reft, unlefs his Mafter 
 be more than ordinary gentle and 
 benign-, and when he is thus in- 
 dulged a little eafe , he rauft not 
 with the fluggard fay, O f hoc 
 effet labor are^ hemuft to his work 
 again, for upon this depends his 
 
 pay- 
 
32 Of the Period 
 
 payment ; no Wages is the refult 
 of not working • and in fome 
 cafes ftripes and whipping is the 
 fruit of negligence. And what 
 is Mans Life < At the beftftateit 
 is but ibrrow and troubie^till mor- 
 tality befwallowed c^ inLife.Our 
 pleafures (upon which we put 
 thehigheft value) are either pur- 
 chafed, or accompanied with pain 
 and labor. If we be in a profper- 
 ous ftate, our minds are either 
 diftradted with care to make it 
 more profperous 5 or with fears 
 puzled and perplexed;, left it be 
 overclouded, and if we be in a Jow 
 and adverfe ftate, we grieve and 
 repine - 5 nay knowledge the moft 
 excellent of earthly pleafures , is 
 yet in the judgment of thewifeft 
 of men, but vexation of fpirit :, 
 Form much wi\dom there is much 
 , Grief \ and he that encreafeth 
 Knowledg encreafeth Sorrow. The 
 life of Man is not unfitly compar- 
 ed to Ezekiels Roll, which was 
 
 full 
 
of Humane Life. 
 
 full of woes. If one mi t 
 woe paffeth, behold another i 
 eth 3 as one Wave fucceeds 
 ther. And by all thei'e calami 
 we may learn what an evil Sl 
 the fruit of which are all th 
 calamities we meet with - in 
 five at of thy face fit ait thou euf 
 thy Bread till thou return un"; 
 Ground. And upon this acco. c 
 Job may be fuppofed to pk 1 
 with God thus ; Lord, is not \ r 
 time at beffc but lamentable a ! 
 miferablef And wilt thou fupers. : 
 to this inevitable mifery, a furj 
 fage of pain and affliction < O 
 kindly with thy Servant w* 
 devoted to thy fear, Turnfr-^ 
 that I may reft till I fijall .. 
 flifh as an Hireling my • 
 Thirdly^ True it is thar t.eH 
 lings day is but Labor sn^ 
 yet the brevity and .r ne 
 thereof makes him regar the 
 lefs. It is but a day 5 aji,e diac 
 will quickly be over and gone^and 
 
 what 
 
34 Of the Period 
 
 what is the Life of Man ? It is but 
 &s a hand-bredth of a fmall ex- 
 tenfion - ? or like to a paffing flia- 
 dow, which we fcarce fooner per- 
 ceive than it vanifheth. Mm 
 that is Born of a Woman is of few 
 days^ he cometh forth like a Flow- 
 er and is cut down : his decaying 
 is within fome few minutes of his 
 budding ; as the Poet fpeaketh of 
 KofeSj &dum nafcuntur confenuiffe 
 Rofas. Now from this reafon Job 
 may be fuppofed to argue thus ; 
 Lord, thou knoweft how frail and 
 brittle I am, and if thou contend 
 thus with me, how quickly fliall I 
 return to the Duft. I befeech thee 
 confiderthat my time is however 
 but fliorr, and let thy goodnefs 
 appear in removing thy ftroke 
 away from me, for I am confu ru- 
 ed by the blow of thine hand 5 
 O [pare me that I may recover 
 flrength before I go hence y and be 
 mmore. Fourthly ', The Reft and 
 Wages the Hireling expefteth, 
 
 makes 
 
of Humane Life. 35, 
 
 makes the accomplishing of his 
 day more eafie and tolerable. The 
 word rendred accomplish, fignifi- 
 eth to will and delight in a thing 
 earneftly 5 donee oft At a ven'iAt dies. 
 3 Tis a day wifhed and longed for, 
 and much delighted in when it 
 comes. And indeed the ftrength 
 of the comparifon feems to lye 
 in this, which makes the mean- 
 ing oijobs words to be this; Lord, 
 now my trouble and painexcru- 
 ciats and torments me, and my 
 life is more wearifome to me than 
 the Hirelings day can be to him - 
 therefore turn away thy wrath 
 from me, that in the finiflring. of 
 my courfe I may be as jovial and 
 cheerful, as the Hireling is when 
 his day is accomplifhed : and thus 
 I have done with the Explanation 
 of thefe words. 
 
 The next thing I defigned in 
 this undertaking, is to enquire 
 how the days of every Mans Life 
 may be faid to be determined-, and 
 
 whe- 
 
$6 Of the Period 
 
 w hether the Period of every Mans 
 Life were fo fixed and bounded, 
 that by his care, good managery, 
 and uie of the means, it cannot be 
 extended 5 nor fhortned by his 
 negligence, intemperance, or ex- 
 poling of himfelf to Famine, 
 Sword , or Plague , it is very 
 certain from this plain Text of 
 Scripture, that the days of every 
 Mans Life are determined; but the 
 manner Low, is left unexplained : 
 and this we do not learn from 
 Scripture. And it were to be wifhed 
 that our curiofity would forbear 
 any enquiry into things that are 
 hid : but alas our inclinations are 
 {q wicked and perverfe, that niti- 
 mttr in vet it urn , we are always 
 bent and eager in our enquiries 
 after things of a myfterious alloy 5 
 and God knows how miferably 
 fomemen have miftaken in their 
 enquiries after a folution of the 
 pfeftnt doubt: and if Icouldpro- 
 mifc to my felf to reftifie thofe 
 
 huge 
 
of Humane Life] 37 
 
 huge miftakes fome men have fall- 
 en into, this would be a fufficient 
 j uftification of my prefent under- 
 taking. 
 
 But in order to the unfolding 
 of this doubt, I fhall promife four 
 things which will contribute to 
 the better underftanding of it. 
 
 Firjl) There is no doubt that 
 every Mans Life hath a Period. 
 It is appointed for all men once to 
 dye 5 this is a warfare from which 
 there is no difcharge : what Man 
 is he that liveth and /hall not fee 
 Death i As to this^ the Prince and 
 Peafant ftand upon even terms,and 
 as the wife man tells us, the rich 
 and poor meet together.there is no 
 juftling in the Grave for preceden- 
 cy. I confefs it were not worth 
 the pains to. c&nfider the trivial 
 inftances, taken from the Tranfla- 
 tion of Enoch and Elias > to in- 
 fringe this pofit ion. Forfirft;, we 
 are not to debate what God may 
 do 3 he has a Sovereignty over 
 
 his 
 
38 Of the Period 
 
 his Creatures , and muft not be 
 called to give a reafon of his acti- 
 ons -, all whole ways are tf ads of 
 wifdomand goodnefs. Secondly, 
 We know nothing of the manner 
 of their Tranflation : he who will 
 pofitively fay, that they did not 
 undergo that which is equivalent 
 to death, will fay more than he 
 can prove. I am apt to believe that 
 nofober man will fay, that they 
 entred their Heavenly Habitation 
 with their unrefined bodies 5 no 
 more than tliofe who rife at the 
 found of the laft Trumpet, in the 
 twinkling of an eye, are carried in- 
 to Heaven without any change. 
 
 Secondly , It is alfo unqueftio- 
 nable., that Sin introduced this 
 Period to every Mans Life 5 the 
 primitive threatniqg runs thus, in 
 the day thou eatefl thou /halt dye, 
 And the Apoftle hath as plainly 
 eixpreftit as it can be, wherefore 
 as by one M&n sin entred into the 
 Worlds and Heath hy Sin, And [0 
 
 Duth 
 
of Humane Life. 5 p 
 
 Death puffed upon all Men for that 
 all have jinr/edy Rom. 4.1 2. where 
 it is plain, that Death is a punish- 
 ment inflifted for Sin, fo tjbat if 
 -man had never finned, we ha^ve 
 no reafon to think he fhould have 
 died. * I confefs without Revekr 
 tion, we could never have gueffecj 
 this to be the cauie of Death; The 
 Heathen Philofophers were ex- 
 ceedingly confufe.d in their notions 
 concerning the oiigine df Sin, and 
 the caufe of Death: many of them 
 thought that Death was a natural 
 accident , originally appurtenant 
 to Humane Nature. And indeed 
 if Revelation had not declared 
 the contrary, I had been fully fa- 
 tisfied^ that Deajllhad been no o- 
 ther thing but fuch a natural ac- 
 cident • but it is. ftrange that any 
 man that has converted with fa- 
 cred writ., /hould be of this opi- 
 nion. And yet we find^ the/v- 
 Lgians of old were great {tick- 
 lers for it ; hence is it that the an- 
 D cient 
 
40 Of the Period 
 
 cient Fathers and Councils have 
 condemned it with a Curfe. In the 
 Milevitan Council Can. 2. we 
 read thus PUcmt , ut quicuncpie 
 die it; Adam primum hominem mor- 
 tdem faftum^ it a ut five peccaret^ 
 five no n peccant , morerettir in 
 corpore^ hoc efi^ de corpore exiret, 
 non peteati merito fed neceffitate 
 mtur&y anathema fit. In after-ages 
 the scotifts ( themoft fubtilofall 
 Scholaftick writers ) inclined much 
 to this opinion, againft whom the 
 Thomifts (their irreconcilable Ene- 
 mies)took up the cudgelsramongft 
 modern writers -the feemingly 
 rational Sociftians^vt owned this 
 groundlefs conceit. But I cannot 
 ftay to debate this at length, only 
 in brief, if Death had been natu- 
 ral to man in the ftate of Inno- 
 cency, it behoved to have been be- 
 caufe of thefe following reafons. 
 
 1. Becaufe Adams natural con- 
 ftitution implied mortality-, the 
 Materials of his conftitution were 
 
 not 
 
of Humane Life] r q£ 
 
 kot fo amicable as to entertain a 
 lafHng amity and friendship. 2. It 
 \fras the primitive precept 3 be 
 fruitful and multiply 5 now it is 
 plain that procreation includes 
 mortality in its notion 5 and far- 
 ther it feems to be unconceivable 
 how this little Map of Earth (ho uld 
 have contained a numerous mul- 
 tiplying and never-dying off- 
 fpring. 3. Humane Nature in the 
 ftate of Innocency did ftand in 
 need of Meat and Drink , as ij 
 plain from Gen. 1. 19 . now the 
 end of eating and drinking is not 
 only to hold up, but to repair the 
 decays of our Bodies, which would 
 ludenly return to duft,if they were 
 not this renewed;and ftrenghthen- 
 ed.4.If Death were only the cffedt 
 of Sin, and the Devil were called a 
 Murderer from the beginning, be- 
 caufe of his tempting our firft pa- 
 tents to eat of the forbidden Fruit,it 
 will follow, that fince Chrift came 
 to take away the fins of theWorld, 
 D z an4 
 
42 Of the Period 
 
 arid to deftroy the works of the 
 Devil, thathealfo took away the 
 wages of fin,which is Death; than 
 which nothing is more contrary to 
 daily experience. 5, Immortality 
 feems to be entailed 6nly to the 
 ft ate of future. Glory, where Corrup- 
 tion {hall put on Interruption, and 
 Mortality {hall he ' lw allowed up in 
 life : and then . there {fjall le no 
 more death, Rev.' 21. 4. Thefeare 
 the mod. material reafons I can 
 find for the proof of this opinion, 
 in anfwer to which I (hall defire 
 the Five following confiderations 
 maybe weighed. 
 
 Con fid. 1. It is not to be doubted 
 
 that the eternal wifdom^ furnifli- 
 
 ed bur firit .parents with all thefe 
 
 accompli foments their fpecifick 
 
 gifcfc&je cculd fufier : the fignatures 
 
 'Wifdom and Goodnefswere le- , 
 .e ioweft and leaft regar- 
 
 d piece ofthe creation $ but in 
 .-Man in a more eminent manner 
 . .confpicuous. - It is almoft impoffi- 
 
 ble 
 
of Humane Life. 43 
 
 ble for us in this fallen ftate, to 
 conceive what thofe endowments 
 were, with which his innocent con- 
 dition w T as bleffed 5 we have no rea- 
 fon.to think that there was any 
 jar or difagreement amongft his 
 facukies,or oppofition and fight of 
 one quality with another. It was 
 mans difobedience that difturbed 
 the whole univerfe, anddifordered 
 every part of it; while he was at 
 peace with his Maker, he enjoyed 
 a ferene condition.,' and needed not 
 fear any hurt either External or 
 Internal: then all the parts of his 
 Body entertained -a fweet harmo- 
 ny, and .there could be nothing 
 except Sin that Tliould have made 
 any failure in his conftitution, or 
 made a feparation between his 
 Soul and Body. But Sin having en- 
 tred the Workl, every part of the 
 univerfe changed its face,and Man 
 who was Heavens favorite in his 
 firft mould, is now condemned to 
 eat his bread in \ the fweat of his, 
 D 3 face 
 
44 Of the Period 
 
 face till he return unto the dutt* 
 This is alj that we can learn from 
 Revelation concerning the intro- 
 duction of Death • to fuppofe any 
 Other account of it, were to give 
 up our felves to the dictates of 
 our extravagant fancies : and far- 
 ther, it is very unreafonable p in- 
 fer mans mortality from his con- 
 ftitution, and becaufe he is earth- 
 ly ; unlefs we think it alfo ratio* 
 nal, that perfected Bodies in the 
 ftate of Glory are not Bodies, or 
 that they are even there mortal • 
 both which feem to be plainly op- 
 pofit to Scripture. 
 
 Confid. 2, The Phrafe Immor- 
 tal, may fall under a double no- 
 tion: for Firjt j, fometimes it is t^- 
 ken abfolutely, implying a being 
 moft perfect, which had no begin- 
 |ng, and can have no end •, and in 
 this fenfe,Immortality is folely the 
 prerogative of our Maker , and 
 can never be attributed to any 
 great ure. Secondly*, Sometimes it 
 
cf Humane Life. 45 
 
 is taken Conditionally: and Co 
 under various confiderations k 
 may be attributed either, Firfi^ 
 To perfected Saints who are dated 
 in Glory, where the primitive 
 Image loft by t mans fall, is renew- 
 ed and perfeded ; and of thofe 
 our Saviour intheGofpel of Luke 
 tells us , that they cm dye no more > 
 Luke 20. 36. or Secondly, to our 
 firft parents in the State of Inno- 
 cenpy. For fo long as they re- 
 mained obedient to the Laws of 
 Heaven,Immortality was entailed 
 upon their nature : for the tenor of 
 the primitive threatning is, in the 
 day thou eateji thereof thou {halt 
 dye : where temporal Death feems 
 to be threatned, which had been 
 idle and' vain if men had died al- 
 though they had never eaten the 
 forbidden Fruit. I know fome men 
 think that Sin only laid a neceflary 
 obligation upon men to dye • and 
 provoked God to remove that Su- 
 pernatural and Superadded qua- 
 D 4. lity 
 
%6 Of the Period 
 
 lity and gift , which preferved 
 them from Death. With fuch fort 
 of men I have no great quarrel, 
 although I think that God could as 
 ■ eafily have made mans conftituti- 
 on folafting, and tjie conftituenf 
 parts of his fabrick fo harmoni- 
 ous, that he fhould have never 
 dyed if he had not finned, as to 
 create a fu per added being to pre- 
 ferve him iafe. For reaibn would 
 plead.that that fuperadded gift re- 
 quired another, -and io in: infini- 
 tum* 
 
 But farther, 'tis very unreafona- 
 ble to infer mans corruption from 
 that precept, be fretful And, mdti- 
 •ftyfox although in fome fehfegexe* 
 iratk Junius eft alterius corruption yet . 
 the (late of beings even fincethe 
 fall, (to which that axiom has only 
 Tefpeft)is not lb brittle, as that the 
 production' of the Child infers the 
 deflrucHon of the Parent. 
 ' Neither doth that carious query 
 concerning the place for that fup.- 
 
 pofed 
 
of Humane Life. 47 
 
 pofed numerous off-fpring, carry 
 with it more reaibn ^ for Firjl, It 
 is not to be doubted, but the Wife 
 Creator who gave being to Man> 
 knew w T ell enough how to provide 
 an Habitation for his off-fpring. 
 Secondly > the Precepts be Fruitful 
 and Multiply^ carries with it a 
 Limitation, and replenijh the 
 Earth 5 fo that we can never well 
 conclude from- it, that Genera- 
 tion fliould have continued after 
 the replenishing of the Earth. But 
 Thirdly, What fuppofe this little 
 Map of Earth had not been able to 
 Contain fo numerous an off-fpring, 
 could not God have Tranflated 
 Man after he had lived tame fpace 
 upon the Earth to fome better Ha- 
 bitation, as he did with Enoch and 
 Elijah i 
 
 ' Con fid. 3. Though Man in the 
 ftate of Innocency flood in need 
 of Meat and Drink, yet his nutri- 
 ment was not noxious and hurt- 
 ful to him , as now it is. It was 
 
 for 
 
4 8 Of the Period 
 
 for Mans difobedience thataCurfe 
 was upon the ground,before which 
 there was no tear of hurt from the 
 Fruit of the Trees, and the Herbs 
 of the Field : ( which were the 
 only things granted to Men for 
 Food in that ftate.) And indeed 
 if we but confider that even in this 
 fallen ftate^ there is a huge diffe- 
 rence between the Lives of thofe 
 who live upon wholfome Food , 
 and obferve a moderate Diet 5 and 
 of thofe who are carelefs in their 
 Diet, and feed upon Husks $ we 
 cannot but think the former Con- 
 fideration reafonable , efpetially 
 fince that bleffed ftate excluded all 
 manner qf excels, 
 
 ConfiA. 4. Great and Manifold 
 are the blefTed benefits that are 
 conferred upon Mankind, upon 
 the account of his Redeemer: 
 now Man, who was at odds with 
 his Maker upon the account of 
 his Rebellion, is again taken into 
 favor ; and the difobedient World 
 
 is 
 
of Humane Life. qp 
 
 is reconciled unto God. And al- 
 though the being of fin is not quite 
 abolished, yet the Curfe is remov- 
 ed 5 and Death is not properly now 
 a punifhment. 
 
 Confid.%. Immortality conjoyn- 
 ed with a ftate of perfeft felicity, is 
 jreferved for Heavens favourites : 
 In the ftate of Innocency our firft 
 Parents were liable to Death if 
 they rebelled, but the Saints above 
 are confirmed in their Blefied ftate: 
 and as our Lord Chrift tells usjhey 
 can dye no more.Rut this much may 
 fuffice for the removing the former 
 doubts. 
 
 The Third thing I premife is, 
 that *tis very ufuaHn Scripture, 
 as it is in all Languages, to put 
 the Whole fometimes in the Part: 
 fhus Man is faid to dye, to ceafe, 
 to be Mortal , becaufe the Bo- 
 dy is liable to Corruption, and 
 not that the whole Man, or ail 
 the EfTential conftituent parts 
 ceafe r And th us when we difpute 
 
 con- 
 
50 Of the Period, 
 
 concerning the Period .of every* 
 Mans Life, we muft notfooiiihly 
 fancy that a Period is put to*the 
 being of the Sou! 5 but only that 
 its union with the 'body is diiTol- 
 ved: otherwife a dilmal ftroke 
 would be given to our Religion , 
 and what would become of the 
 vertuous < I confefs it is very hard 
 and difficult to demonftrate the 
 immortality of our Souls by na- 
 tural rcafbn: 3 Tis true, byreafon 
 I may prove that our Natures are 
 fpiritual, and that we eliciteads 
 which are beyond the power 
 of matter; but ^yet we could 
 never be fully afcertained that 
 there is a Life after this ; if Re- 
 velation had not plainly difcover- 
 ed it; The Heathen Philofo- 
 phers very wiiely entertained 
 fome hopes of a Life after this; 
 upon moral arguments taken from 
 the goodnefs of God, and his juftice 
 itt diftributing Rewards and Pur 
 riihiiients : but alas how doubt- 
 ful 
 
of Humane Life". 5 1 
 
 full were their hopes^ and with 
 how much hesitation did they dif- 
 courfe of it ! But by the help 
 of Revelation^ thefe doubts are 
 fully removed;, and we now know 
 that ,there is a Refurre&ion from 
 the dfekL and that the Souls of Be- 
 lie vers at death go immediately in- 
 to glory. . 
 
 Fourthly^ Becaufe the explica- 
 tion of terms is very neceffary 
 for the unfolding of doubts y I 
 iliall confider the twofold notion 
 and acception, the Period of Hu- 
 mane Life is lyable to. 1. Some- 
 times it is taken in a large fenfe^ 
 for that common and ordinary Pe- 
 riod which the Author of*our na- 
 tures hath fetled, which Men 
 by the common courfe of nature 
 arrive at ; Now many learned 
 Men upon good grounds think that 
 this is the determined bounds 
 mentioned in Scripture. 2. Some- 
 times it is taken for the laft mo- 
 ment of every Mans Life at what- 
 ever 
 
52 Of the Period 
 
 ever time it happeneth • whether 
 i. In the Beginning of Mans 
 days; or 2. In the midftof his 
 days 5 thus the Pfalmift prays , 
 that God would, not cut him off in 
 themidjl of his days, or 3. When 
 Men come to l?e of a good old Age 
 and full of years, as it is faid of A* 
 hraham, he died in a good Old Age^ 
 an Old Man and full of years, Gen. 
 25. 8. 
 
 That there is fuch a common 
 Period of Humane Life feems to 
 be certain and indubitable: we 
 evidently enough perceive that 
 Men in the Age and place wherein 
 we live, exceed not (unlefs rarely) 
 the bounds fixed upon Ffal. 90.10* 
 The days of our years are Three- 
 [core years and Ten, and if by rea- 
 fin of more firength they be Four- 
 [core years, &c. And if we fhall 
 defcend to the Confideration of 
 other Animals and Vegetables > 
 we will find it true enough that 
 the individuals of every fpecifick 
 
 nature* 
 
cf Humane Life. 55 
 
 nature , have a common Period 
 which doth not fenfibly alter ; 
 but where there is a manifeft diffe- 
 rence of the climate; temperature, 
 and foil. Again it is very # un~ 
 queftionable that this common Pe- 
 riod hath not been equally extend- 
 ed in all Ages and places. 'Tis true 
 for many hundred year£ by-paft 
 it hath fuifered very little altera- 
 tion, but fure from the beginning 
 it was not fo^ nor can we upon any 
 good ground be afcertained that 
 it will continue the fame that it 
 is now y till the end of all flefh 
 come. Though I will not pofitive 
 affirm that Mens Lives will be in- 
 fenfibly fliortened,till they become 
 uncapable for procreation. 
 
 But to determine what hath 
 been the common Period of Hu- 
 mane Life in by paft-ages of the 
 World, is a 7hrme very difficult 
 and hard: for 1. Although from 
 Abrahams time till this prefent Age 
 it hath altered but little or nothing, 
 
 as 
 
54 Of the Period 
 
 as we may colled: from Gen. i % 
 1 3 . and 1 6. where a generation is 
 equalled to an Hundred years (as 
 the Verfes collated make it evi- 
 dent; ) yet before the Flood and in 
 fome few Ages following it;, this 
 common Term was not concluded 
 within the fliort bounds it is now 5 
 although then it was indeed ex- 
 ceedingly mutable. Before the fa- 
 tal Flood we read not of any who 
 lived not above feven Hundred 
 y-earsj, (unlefs Abel who was mur- 
 dered, and Enoch whom God took 
 to himfelf : ) nor of any who ex^ 
 ceeded nine Hundred fixty and 
 nine years. Now the common Pe- 
 riod not being fo denominated 
 from fome few particular inftan- 
 ces, but from what happens to the 
 moft of Mankind in every Age 
 who dye a natural death, we may 
 fuppofethat Eight Hundred years 
 was the common Period before 
 the Flood. But tl^en after the 
 Flood 3 the mutability of this com- 
 mon 
 
ef "Humane Lifel 5 5 
 
 mo'n Period is confpicuous $ for in 
 the next age after the Flood, it 
 was cut fhort two hundred years 5 
 and in the next three fucceeding 
 generations it was abridged to 
 four hundred years ; and in the 
 three fucceeding ages to the far- 
 mer it was reduced to two hun* 
 dred years 5 and in Abrahams time 
 it teems not to have been extended 
 to an hundred years. 
 
 In reducing the Life of Man- 
 kind into fhorter bounds now than 
 it was in the infancy of the World, 
 the Divine wifdom and goodnef* 
 do very plainly appear : for 1. Al- 
 though it is true that Sin was the 
 caufe of Mifery, yet it is manifeft 
 that as Men began to multiply, fo 
 they became more corrupted $ and 
 as the Earth was replenifhed with 
 Men,fo'with multiplyed Miferies ; 
 and thofe not only particular but 
 common.War and bloodfhed^fla ve- 
 ry and toil, pains and di r eafcs/ 
 were in the firft ages of the WorlcT 
 E very 
 
56 Of the Period 
 
 very rare and Angular 5 now thcfe 
 4ire ordinary and common : and 
 is it not then a great mercy that 
 the days of our life are few, fince 
 fo full of evils? But 2. If Men li- 
 ved as long now as in the firit ages 
 of the World, a Land would not 
 be able to contain its inhabitants : 
 and this is a far greater inconve- 
 nience and difadvantage, than the 
 Shortening the leafe of our beings 
 can be fuppofed to be. In the firft 
 ages of the World, the lives of 
 Men were extended^that the earth 
 might be replenifiied ; and it is 
 very plain, that this common Pe- 
 riod was ihortened according as 
 Man multiplyed. I confefs God 
 threatens to deftroy the inhabi- 
 tants of a Land for their tran£ 
 greflions 5 it was becaufe Men had 
 corrupted themfelves, that God 
 brought a Flood of waters upon 
 the -World : and yet the Divine 
 JufHce was accompanied with 
 aftonifliing goodnefs ^ for he did 
 
 not 
 
of Humane Life. 5 f 
 
 not ( as juftly he might have ) in- 
 ftantly cut off that perverfe gene- 
 ration, but he gave them the ipace 
 of an Hundred and Twenty years 
 to repent, ret ( faith God) his 
 days (halt be an Hundred and 
 Twenty years, Gen. 6. 3. That is, 
 although this be a perverfe and 
 corrupt generation, yetbecaufe 
 Man is but flefli, I will give him 
 this time to repent of his wicked- 
 nefs 5 and if notwithftanding he 
 will not after fuch warning mend 
 his manners, I will deftroy him, 
 I know many learned Men think 
 that God here only threatens to 
 fhorten the common Period of 
 Mens lives, and that it fhould be 
 contracted within the bounds of 
 an Hundred and twenty years: but 
 this expofition is not agreeable to 
 the experiences of fome ages next 
 following the Flood,in which Men 
 lived much longer than an Hun- 
 dred and Twenty years, 
 
 E % But 
 
58 of the Period 
 
 But they fay,God ufes not to an- 
 ticipate his time in bringing judg- 
 ments upon a nation or people : 
 to which I anfwer, it is very true; 
 but methinks men have no ground 
 to think, that in the preient cafe 
 God anticipates the time in bring- 
 ing judgements upon them-for we 
 cannot think that Noah was corn- 
 pleat five Hundred years old.when 
 God threatned to deftroy the 
 World. And indeed any Man who 
 is but a little acquainted with 
 the Jewilh cuftom of reckoning 
 of years, knows how ufual it is 
 with them, to name the greater 
 part of any thing for the whole. 
 St, Aitfiin is fo clear in this. Tie 
 rather fet it down in his words 
 than my own.: Intelligendum ejl 
 hcc Deum d:x?ffe^ cum circa finem 
 qttingentorum annermn ejjet Noah. 
 1, e. quadragintos otloginta vit£ 
 annos ageret, quos more [no Scrip- 
 tura CjUingentcs vocat • nomine to- 
 tius maximum partem flerumque 
 
of Humane Life. 59 
 
 fignijicxns. Aug. deCiv. Dei, lib. 
 15. c. 24. 
 
 Thus much I have fpoken of 
 the common Period of Humane 
 Life, in refpeft of the ages of the 
 World. I ihall now add a little 
 concerning its changeablenefs, in 
 refpeft of places : and I confefs 
 in this cafe it is fo variable, that it 
 is a hard matter to pitch upon 
 particulars > only in the general 
 it is certain , that this common 
 Period is not the fame in all pla- 
 ces : in a temperat, climate this 
 common term is extended 5 but 
 where there is an excefsof heat, 
 or an unconftancy of the weather 
 in thofe places this common Pe- 
 riod is fliortned. 
 
 But paffing this I come now to 
 confider the particular Period of 
 every mans life: there be two 
 ways it is commonly taken. 1. As 
 it implies the difunion of the 
 parts, by reafon of the excefs of 
 Jorne one quality or other: or 2. 
 E 3 as 
 
6o Of the Period 
 
 as it implies the Period of Hu- 
 mane Life whatever way it is oc- 
 cafioned, without any relation ei- 
 ther to the defeat, or excels of any- 
 quality: and thus the learned 
 Epifcopius ftates the cafe in his 
 firfl; Epiftle to Jo. Beverovicius. 
 But to make this yet more plain, 
 I (ball confider that t£xt, i . Sam. 
 26. 1 o. As the Lord liveth the 
 Lord jhall fmite him^ or his day 
 jhall come to dye, cr hefhalidefcend 
 into battel andperijh. Though David 
 was anointed .King, yet he "durft 
 net ftretch forth his hand againft 
 the Lords anointed;neither would 
 he permit Abifljai, (whoinconfi- 
 deratly offered ( to do it • knowing 
 none could do fo and be -guilt- 
 left. Therefore he comforts and 
 folaces himfelf with this confide- 
 ration, that God ftiould rid him of 
 Saul one of thefe three ways ; 1. 
 By fmiting him with fonie di- 
 feafe • and now to what a number- 
 left number of difeafes are our 
 
 frail 
 
of Humane Life* 6i, 
 
 frail natures incident? variety of 
 maladies prey upon frail man, and 
 millions of miferies attend him ; 
 the Pejiilence walketh at noon-day^ 
 and the Air which he breaths may 
 blow out the fpark of his life. 2. 
 Or hi* day will come ; that is, or 
 he will dye a natural Death 5 now 
 .Sad was well-ftricken in years, 
 and he knew that by the courfe of 
 nature he could not live long. 5. 
 Or he (hall descend into battel and pe- 
 rzJh:Thzt is.if fome difeafe cut him 
 not off, or if his day come not, yet 
 he* ihall be expofed to a violent 
 Death^r hefhallde[cendinto battel. 
 Sometime a violent Death is pure- 
 ly cafua^ thus it was with tbofe 
 eighteen man whom the Tower in Si- 
 loatn /<?//, Luke 13.4. Sometimes 
 it is only improperly cafuaf, as 
 when one of two equally expofed 
 to danger is only killed: and fome- 
 times it is only and properly via- 
 • lent,! uch was Sauls death/uch was 
 Achitophels and Hamans. 
 
 E 4 The 
 
6i Of the Period 
 
 The way to this difcourle in 
 hand being thus far cleared, I ihall 
 now profecute the defign of it in 
 this method, i . I ihall iet dow n 
 thofe erroneous opinions i to 
 which fome men have unhappily 
 fallen in their enquiry for latis- 
 faftion in the prefent caie. 2. I 
 fhall lay down the two common 
 Opinions that offer faireft forfol- 
 ving this doubt. 3. I (hall attempt 
 a full and fatisfa&ory anfwer : and 
 laftly I ihall conclude with (ome 
 reflexions upon the whole dif- 
 courfe. 
 
 I begin with the firfl: to give an 
 account of thofe erroneous ienti- 
 rnents fome men have unhappily 
 embraced in their enquiry for fatis- 
 faftionin this matter. And that 
 I may ihun tedioufnefs, I ihall re- 
 duce them to the two following 
 heads, 1. Some have foolilhly 
 imagined that the Period of Hu- 
 mane Life is fatal and necelTary. 
 |. Others upon the contrary e$> 
 
 tream 
 
of Humane Life. 6$ 
 
 tream,haveasgroundlefly thought 
 that it is altogether fortuitous and 
 cafual. 
 
 Amongfl: thofe who afcribe eve- 
 ry thing to the difpenfation of a 
 fure and inevitable deftiny, the 
 Stoicks have been always reckon- 
 ed the chiefeft combatants. It is 
 well known that thofe ftupid and 
 fenielefs Philofophers did teach, 
 that all eflfeds were neceflarily 
 produced by the natural order and 
 [erics of caufes, which were from 
 the outgoings of Eternity infcper- 
 ably chained together; lb that 
 neither Humane ind uftry, nor the 
 Divine power could alter what 
 fuch a conjunction of caufes was to 
 produce. 
 
 That Humane Induftry, care, 
 and good menagery, cannot alter 
 the decree of Fate, the stoick 
 moralift Seneca very fairly con- 
 feffeth. 
 
 Fati* 
 
'64* 0/ the Period 
 
 fat is agimur^ cedite fatis : 
 JVon jolicita pojfunt cttr*r 
 MM are rati fiamina fuft. 
 
 Seneca in Oedip, 
 
 The fame Seneca alfo affirms 
 that the fupreme being is fo ftridt- 
 iy tyed to the Sempeternal feries 
 and order of Cauies, that he muft 
 follow,but cannot gain-fay what is 
 thus eftabliihed. Qmc quid eft quod 
 nosfic vivere ]tt>ffit^ jic mori^ eadem 
 neceffitate Deos alligat, trrevocabilis 
 htimana ac-Divina par iter curfus <ve- 
 hit. Sen. lib. de provid. 5. 
 
 There are two very dangerous 
 Authors of great name and fame, 
 who among!!: many other bad opi- 
 nions^ have recalled this Stoical 
 Dream, which was long fince re- 
 jected, the one is the Famous 
 Mr. Hobs • the other the fubtil Au- 
 thor of that Book, entitu/ed Trac- 
 tates Theologico policitus : Both 
 which I may perhaps have occa- 
 
 fion 
 
of Humane Life. 6$ 
 
 fion to examine more particu- 
 larly. 
 
 But if all things were thus efta^ 
 bliihed by a fatal neceffity, found 
 f^ribn would iuggell to foberMen, 
 that it were a needlefs thing for 
 th. >ick to call for the Phyfitians' 
 aid. And indeed Cicero very in- 
 genioufly confeffeth this : Si fa- 
 turn tibi eft ex hoc morbo convalesces 
 re^ five tu medicum adhibueris, five 
 
 non adhibuerisj convalesces. si 
 
 fatum tibi eft non convalefcere^ ftve 
 medicum adhibueris , ftve non 
 con ale fees 5 ejr alt e rut rum fatum 
 eft, medicum ergo adhibere nihil va- 
 let, Cic. lib. de fato. And although 
 Seneca thinks he has fallen upon a 
 very good anfwer, yet it is truly 
 never a whit better. Cum fanitas 
 (inquit) vide At ur de fato debet ur & 
 medico, qui a adknos beneficiumfati 
 ' per hu'jm mantis venit, lib. 2. nat. 
 cap. 35. By which means the 
 Phyfitian is as fatally determin- 
 ed to prefcribe the Cure, as the 
 
 Sick 
 
66 Of the Period 
 
 Sick Mans recovery is Deflinat- 
 cd. 
 
 The Ages in which thefe Men 
 lived being dark and blind, we 
 ought as much to pity their 
 cafe, as correft and reprehend 
 them. It is our happinefs that 
 wx ait not left to the condu& of 
 natural reafon 5 and would God 
 our thankful acknowledgments 
 were anfwerable to thegreatnefs 
 of this Blefling. I fhall not need 
 to ftand in reje&ing this Dream, 
 I think the hazards this fpecula- 
 tion hath expofed fome of its fa- 
 vorites to, will be forcible enough 
 to affright others from embracing 
 it. I remember I have read of 
 fome whom this conceit had fo 
 far diftravfted, that they didcaft 
 away their Swords and other wea- 
 pons when theis Enemies ap- 
 proached : Saying. If it be our Fate * 
 to dye, to keep our Weapons will 
 never preferve us from Death.* Jfe 
 alfo reported qf die deluded Ma- 
 
 httmctansy 
 
of Human* Life. 6y 
 
 kumetmS) that in Battel they take 
 courage from this, that they are 
 no fooner Born^than Fate Seals up- 
 on their Foreheads, how long they 
 fhallLive, and what death they 
 fhall dye. Alas who would not 
 pitty Men thus infatuated a/id be- 
 witched.' Surely, as St:Juguflm 
 excellently fpeaks. Si cor tuum non 
 ejfet fatuum, non credere s fat urn ^ 
 Traft.37. in Joh. 
 
 Next the stoick fland the Star- 
 gazers and Aftrologers 5 who attri- 
 bute the (hortnefs or extenfion of 
 our Lives to the bad or benign Al- 
 ped and Conjun&ion of the Stars 
 in the time of our Nativity. Now 
 although I deny not that the Hea- 
 vens have an influence upon infe- 
 rior things, yet furely this fecret 
 and occult dominion Star-gazers 
 plead for, is lb manifeftly crofs to 
 reafon and dayly experiences>that 
 no man in his wit will affirm it. 
 The Prophet hath long fince ad- 
 vifed us, not to fa dtfwOfed at the 
 
 fgmi 
 
68 «* Df the Period 
 
 figns of Heaven ; adding, the Hea- 
 thens they are difmayed at them^ 
 Jer. i o. 4 . As if it had been only 
 peculiar to the Heathen part of the 
 World,who were ignorant of Gods 
 Providence , to believe the vain 
 predictions of Aftrologers. Baby* 
 to was upbraided for her truft- 
 ing Aftrologers, Star-gazersj, and 
 monthly Frog nofticators. if a. 47. 
 13. Thefe Men confidently pre- 
 ftimed to foretell the time of Mens 
 Death,and the eafily deceived mu 1- 
 titude gave a ready affent to what- 
 ever they fpake : So eafily a matter 
 it is to impofe any thing upon the 
 belief of the vulgar. The Palma- 
 fier as fooliflily pretendeth, that 
 God hath fealed upon every Mans 
 Hand how long . he iliall live, and 
 that obferving men(as they would, 
 have us believe they are) canun- 
 derftand this by the lines and 
 draughts in the palm of the 
 hand, And or proof of this 
 they aledg. Jih 37* 7. Where 
 
 it 
 
cf Humane Life. 6$ 
 
 it is faid, he fealeth up the hand 
 cf every Man^ that all Men may 
 know his work. But frorti this 
 place no fuch thing can be col- 
 lefted : for Elihu is there taken up 
 in expreffing the greatnefs of 
 Gods works; and the Divine pow- 
 er in commanding the Snow and 
 the Rain, final! and great, to be on 
 the Earth 5 and he addeth, be feaU 
 eth up the hand of every Alan. 
 That is, when Snow and Rain are 
 upon the Earth, Men cannot labor 
 and toil ; their hand is fealed up^ 
 they cannot work. 
 
 Epicurus and his followers could 
 never be reconciled to this opinion," 
 but yet the account they give of 
 this matter is every whit as extra- 
 vagant and irrational : they being 
 equally unhappy in the account 
 they give of the beginning and Pe- 
 riod of Beings. 
 
 The account thefe Men give of 
 the original of Beings is To incredi- 
 ble; that no rational Man can have 
 
 any 
 
70 Of the Period 
 
 any temptation to believe it- but 
 this belongs not to the prefent dif- 
 courfe. I ihall therefore only con- 
 fider what they lay of the Period 
 of Beings -, and briefly their opi- 
 nion is, that it is no more but the 
 cafual and fortuitous reparation 
 of thofe particles of Matter that 
 were united by a happy chance 
 and hit. 
 
 This error is of an Old Date, 
 and had long ere now pad pre- 
 fcription , if it had not been fo 
 fuitable to the humors of bad 
 Men. The Saducees^ whofe Religi- 
 on it was to contradict the l>hx~ 
 rifees^ were very great ftickiers for 
 this Dream : Some Men have con- 
 fined the Divine providence to 
 the Stars, and plucked out fubiu- 
 nary Beings from his immediate 
 Rule and Dominion. Cicero could 
 not be perfwaded that God had 
 any knowledg of things contin- 
 gently future. Some to mend the 
 matterjConfeis God may know the 
 
 gene- 
 
of Humane Ltfel yt 
 
 general kinds of things, but they 
 will not allow that he knows eve- 
 ry particular. For this they think 
 is inconftitent with the immutabi- 
 lity of the Deity : But others have 
 been more illiberal in their con- 
 ceffbns.thinking it enough if they 
 grant that God hath a care of Man- 
 kind,although he never regard lef- 
 fer matters: and that, 
 
 ~ Carat magna "Dew^ fortune farva * 
 relinqmt* 
 
 By means of thefe wild conceits 
 this Error has proceeded from bad 
 ito worfe, yet very few of the old 
 PhilofopherS; or any other rank of 
 men •, ( Atheifts thofe Anomalus 
 births excepted ) had ever that 
 Confidence in impiety, to fay with 
 the Epicureans^ that tlfe World 
 is perfectly left to its own fortui- 
 tous and cafual refolutions, or that 
 I may exprefs it in their Poets own 
 phrafe. 
 
 V she 
 
7* Of the Period 
 
 Sive nihil fo fit urn efi y Jed firs incer- 
 
 ta vagatur^ 
 Text que refertque vices, &h&bent 
 
 mortalia cafum. 
 
 That the Period of every mans 
 life is not fo cafual and fortuitous 
 as thefe men imagine, may be 
 made evident by clear teftimonies 
 from Scripture concerning the par- 
 ticular Providence whereby God 
 takes care of every particular 
 thing in the World. But becaufe 
 I will have occafion to confider 
 tl is afterwards, I fhall now add 
 on' an inftance or two from 
 Scripti. re, whereby it may appear 
 that the mofl feemingly cafual 
 Pei \ ds <rf men are ordered by an 
 infinite Wi'dom, and fall under 
 the Divine Rule and Dominion. 
 And ftrft the man-flayer, who kill- 
 eth his Neighbor unawars, feems 
 to be as cafual a bufinefs as can 
 be : and yet we may read how far 
 
 the 
 
of Humane Lifel y$ 
 
 the Divine providence is concer- 
 ned in this particular, Exod. 2 1 • 
 13. But farther, one of Epicurus 
 Diiciples would readily conclude 
 that Ahabs cteath was a piece of 
 chance, and governed by no Su- 
 preme power. It was but an Ar- 
 cher's drawing his Bow at a ven- 
 ture^which by chance killed Ahab* 
 But the word of truth informs us, 
 that by this means the prophecy 
 x Ktngs^ 21.19. was fulfilled : and 
 that it came not to pafs without 
 the Divine providence, who rules 
 among the children of Men. 
 
 Arid now I have done with the 
 two erroneous extreams which 
 fome men have inconfideratly run 
 to for ihelter : the next thing t 
 premifed was to lay down the twp 
 common opinions that offer fair 
 for removing the difficulty 5 but 
 I mutt fay ( for the thing is palpa- 
 ble, ) that I am now only to give 
 the two former reje&ed opinions 
 of the Stoicks and Epicureans 
 F 2 dreffed 
 
74 Of the Period 
 
 drbffedup ki better apparel, and 
 tfmch reHned from the impure 
 dregs i f Heatbenilm : as, 
 
 i. Someruntotheabfoluteand 
 inconditionate Decrees of God,and 
 tell us, that from the out- goings 
 of Eternity, previous to the Di- 
 vine consideration of circumftan- 
 ces in which men are to be placed, 
 God has fo abfolutely determined 
 the Period of every mans life, that 
 it can neither be lengthned nor ex- 
 tended by care and diligence • nor 
 fbortned by intemperance, Sword 
 or Plague, 
 
 2. Others who fee the incon- 
 veniences and abiurdities that fol- 
 low upon the granting that opini- 
 on to be true, are induced to believe 
 that the Period of every mans life 
 is ordinarily mutable • and may be 
 both extended and (hortned : yet 
 fii!l ehey g< mt that God may, as it 
 feems good to him, either extend 
 crliorccn it. 
 
 There- 
 
of Humane Life. 75 
 
 There are four very confidera- 
 ble particulars that feem to 
 ftrengthen the firft opinion. %(*$* 
 There are many plain places of 
 Scripture that conclude the days 
 of every man to be bounded by 
 the Divine determination. Second- 
 ly ^ There are many examples in 
 Scripture which fliew that the Pe- 
 riod of every Mans Life is from 
 the out-goings of Eternity, fet and 
 bounded in by the Divine will. 
 Thirdly^ It is a common opinion 
 that the futurition of all things, 
 depends upon the Divine will, an- 
 tecedently to which, things are- 
 only pofTible: and therefore, 
 Fourthly , we can never give a ra-. 
 tional and fatisfying account, how 
 the Divine knowledg concerning 
 the Period of Humane Life is in- 
 fallible and certain, if it be not 
 founded upon the Bafts of the fure 
 abfolute Decree. 
 
 Upon the other hand thofe who 
 
 pjead for the mutability of the 
 
 F 3 " Period* 
 
*)6 Of the Period 
 
 Period of every Mans Life^ endea- 
 vor to remove the fore-named 
 doubt, and to fliew the great in- 
 conveniences it is lyable to : That 
 it quite evacuates the u(e of the 
 means, and encourages men to 
 expofe themfelves to any danger • 
 &c. as I fhall endeavor to make 
 appear afterwards. 
 
 And now I come to the chief 
 thing I aimed at in this undertak- 
 ing, vizi To attempt a fatisfying 
 anfwer of the prefent doubt, in the 
 profecution of which intendment 
 I (hall obferve this Method. Firjf, 
 I fhall endeavor to {hew how the 
 Period of every Mans Life may be 
 faid to be determined. Secondly^ I 
 fliall fhew in what fenfe it is hot de- 
 termined:and Thirdlyfaow it is mu- 
 table and may be extended or fhort- 
 ned.I begin with the firft, how the 
 Period of every Mans Life may be 
 faid to be determined : and I fhall 
 endeavor to do this in the two fol- 
 lowing particulars. 
 
 i. The 
 
of Huhune Life. 77 
 
 1. The Period of every mans 
 Life is fo far determined that it is 
 not without a Period. To deter- 
 mine , fignifieth properly to fet 
 bounds or limits to any thing. 
 No vV fince it u anointed for all men 
 once to dye^ every mans life is en- 
 clofed and bounded within a cer- 
 tain number of years. And I mud 
 add, that if I be not very much 
 miftaken, this is the genuin fenfe 
 of the moft, if not of all, thofe pla- 
 ces of Scripture that exprefs the de- 
 termination of Mans days : and in- 
 deed Jobs words feeing his days are 
 determined} &c. feem to mean no 
 other thing but this ; and in this 
 fenfe it is unqueftionable that God 
 has appointed our bounds which we 
 cannot pafs. 
 
 But 2. the Period of every par- 
 ticular Mans Life is determined 
 in refped of the Divine prefcience. 
 Now becauie this is a very confi- 
 derable particular, and; as I told 
 in the explaining of the text, that 
 F 4 which 
 
78 ' Of the Ptriod 
 
 which was intended by Job 
 when he Jays> the number of his 
 months is with thee ; I (hall there- 
 fore endeavor to make out 
 this truth by the plaineft and 
 moft eon vincing evidence that <pan 
 be. 
 
 In order to this I ftiall (hew 
 that God hath a perfetf: compre- 
 henfion of all things, paft,prefen t, 
 or to come- and by confequence 
 fore-knows the Period of every 
 Mans Life. Secondly, I (hall prove 
 this by plain evidence from Scrip- 
 tural Examples. Thirdly, I (hall 
 make it appear, that it is folely the 
 prerogative of our Maker to know 
 the Period of every Mans Life. 
 And laffiy, I (hall anfwer the 
 moft Material obje&ions and 
 doubts that are brought againft it. 
 Firft, that God hath a perfedfc 
 comprehenfion of all things paft, 
 prefent, and to come; is (o reafo- 
 nable a principle of natural Religi- 
 on , that it hath been generally 
 
 P\vne4 
 
of Hiunxnc Life. 79 
 
 ownen by the wifeft and moft 
 learned Heathen. And thofe im- 
 pious wretches who at every turn 
 take the name of God in vain^ in 
 atteiting him in the truth of what 
 fometimes themfelves know is 
 falfe, fufficiently imply that they 
 believe Gods Infinite knowledg. 
 Befides the truth of this is plainly 
 held out in Scripture - 7 it was to 
 this City of refuge Peter did flee 
 when his love was feemingly call- 
 ed in queftion 5 Lord ( (ays he ) 
 Thju knowefl all things, John 2 1 . 
 1 6. And the Author of the Epi- 
 ftle to the Hebrews makes ufeof 
 this Topick to induce us to cir- 
 cumfpeftion, all things are naked 
 and of en to the eyes of him with whom 
 we have to do, Heb. 4. 13. And 
 God himfelf appeals to the infini- 
 ty of his knowledg in the demon- 
 ftratton of his Deity,ind challeng- 
 ed! the Idol-Gods to produce their 
 caufe • and {hew whit fhall hap- 
 pen that the latter end of things 
 
 may 
 
So Of the Period 
 
 may be known^ jfe. 45. 21. 22. 
 The Pfaimift upbraids the Idol- 
 Gods, in that they have eyes and 
 fee not: but he always comforts 
 himfelf with this conrideration, 
 that the God in whom he trails 
 does behold his edition- all 
 which inftances make it undoubt- 
 able that God hath an infinite cog- 
 nizance, and that nothing can be 
 hid from his eyes, who equally- 
 beholds things part, prefent, and 
 to come. 
 
 Now if it be fo plain and evi- 
 dent -that God hath fuch an Infi- 
 nite knowledge Man can reafon- 
 ably doubt that God knows the 
 Period of every Mans Life $ but 
 if any fliall ask how *is it that God 
 knows certainly the Period of Hu- 
 mane Life, I anfwer, that it is a 
 very bold and fruitlefs enquiry, 
 which concerns not us to know $ 
 his underftanding is^infinite, and 
 iliall filly Man think to compre- 
 hend and rneafure it -by his finite 
 
 know- 
 
of Humane Life. 8 1 
 
 knowledge' The Pfalmift modeft- 
 ly acknowledged that fitch know- 
 ledg is too wonderful for him^ it is 
 high ( fays he ) / cannot attain 
 unto it y pfal. 1 39, <5. And ellewhere 
 he tells us, it is only bold Atheifts 
 who ask , How doth God know , 
 and is there knowledg in the mojl 
 high < 
 
 I confefs the Schoolmen (as they 
 are called) weary themfelves wich 
 fuch vain Difputes, and they are 
 as peremptory in determining the 
 manner of Gods knowledg of fu- 
 ture things, as if they had proved 
 their aflertions with Mathemati- 
 cal demonftrations. Some of them 
 tell us, that things future are real- 
 ly prefent with God in Eternity - 
 which methinks is a very noble Pa- 
 radox.Others run to the Divine de- 
 cree, and make it the Bafts of the 
 Divine knowledg. Others tell us 
 that God in contemplating his 
 own effence fees all the repretenta- 
 tions and ideas of future things • 
 
 and 
 
82 Of the Period 
 
 and therefore knows them certain- 
 ly .We might add many other con- 
 jeftures,but thefe may let us know 
 how vainly curious fuch wits are : 
 but that which may fatisfieany fo- 
 ber enquirer is this > that God is 
 Infinite in knowledge and there- 
 fore knows certainly v the Period of 
 every Mans Life, it being truly fu- 
 ture. 
 
 The Second thing I premifed 
 was to prove that God knows the 
 Period of Humane Life by exam- 
 ples from Scripture. Now I think 
 this will need but little proof, fince 
 the predidions concerning the Pe- 
 riod of perfons are fo many and 
 plain ; fo many Hundred years 
 foretold, and fo pundually fulfilled 
 without a failure in a title. The 
 death of Elh Two Sons,. Hophni 
 and I j hineM was foretold, i Sam. 
 2. 24. And pundually fulfilled^ as 
 we may read, chap. 4. 1 1 , both the 
 m oner and place of Jezebels death 
 \ya; foretold, and the Dogs /ball eat 
 
 Jezebel 
 
of Humane Lifei 8 £ 
 
 Jezebel in the Porticn <?/JezreeI, 
 and there fhali be none to bury her y 
 2 King 9. 10. Which predicti- 
 on was fulfilled without a failure 
 in any circumftances, as we read 
 in the clofe of that Chapter. But 
 themoft remarkable initances are 
 thofe manifold predictions con- 
 cerning the death of Holy Jefus. 
 All the Prophets ( as the Apoftle 
 obferveth Aff* 3 .) have foretold that 
 Chrift fbonld fitjfer $ they have 
 condefcended upon the manner 
 of his fuffering , upon the time , 
 and upon the circumflances relat- 
 ing to it. The Pfalmift in a figu- 
 rative Speech, ( a very ufual way 
 of exprefling things amongftthe 
 Prophets) fpeaks of- his being 
 pierced: lb doth the Prophet Ze- 
 chariah^ and they fljall look ufon me 
 whom they have fierce d, Zech. 1 2 . 
 10. Daniel did punctually fpeak 
 of the time. And after Threescore 
 and Two weeks fly all Meffiah be cut 
 off 7 but not for himfelf^ Van. 9. 26. 
 
 But 
 
84 Of the Period 
 
 But farther God doth not only 
 know the adual D but alfo the poffi- 
 ble bounds of every Mans Life • 
 that is, God doth know that a Pe- 
 riod fhould have been put to the 
 days of many Men, if they had 
 not by their hearty repentance 
 and Devout Prayers prevented 
 its lafh. It was King Hezeki/s 
 Prayer to God that extended his 
 Life Fifteen years, for the meflage 
 which God did fend to Heze- 
 kiah was this ; Set thine Houfe in 
 order y for thou {halt dye and not 
 live. But he having prayed to 
 God gets this return • I have heard 
 thy Prayer^/ have feen thy tears^ be- 
 hold I will add unto thy days fifteen 
 years^ jfa. 38. 5. From which it 
 is plain , that God knew that a 
 Period fhould have been then put 
 to his days, if his Prayer had not 
 prevented it. It was the peo- 
 ple of Ninevchs i;erentance that 
 prevented the thrcacned judg- 
 ment that fhould have put a Peri- 
 od 
 
of Humane Life] 8j 
 
 od to their lives. Which Method 
 if the old World had obferved, 
 they had prevented that Fatal 
 Flood in which they were drown- 
 ed. 
 
 Thirdly , That it is only the 
 prerogative of God Almighty to 
 know the Period of every Mans 
 Life will be eafily granted. For 
 thofe who deny Gods univerfal 
 cognizance, will never attribute 
 it to any creature : and thofe who 
 do acknowledg the infinity of the 
 Divine knowledg, will never fay 
 it belongs to the creature. The 
 only thing that we are to confider 
 are thele pretentions to a fore- 
 knowledg of things which the 
 Heathen world dragged of> but 
 this Plea is eafily removed. For 
 i . in thofe dark ages of the World 
 itwasaneafie thing to impofe up- 
 on the faith of the vulgar, who is* 
 all ages have been very credulous 
 and apt to be thus deceived. Se- 
 condly, It is well known that there- 
 
 pre- 
 
%6 Of the Period 
 
 pretended predictions Were very 
 enigmatical and dubious. Aio te 
 a^Eacida Romanos vwcere pojfe , 
 was a Problem, rather than a Pro- 
 phecy .which might have conclud- 
 ed both ways. Thirdly^ The moft 
 part of their pretended predicti- 
 ons were only gueffes and con- 
 jectures, which for the moft part 
 were falfe and • groundlefs 5 yet 
 Fourthly^ I do not deny but God 
 may for ends known to himfelf re- 
 veal the Period of particular per- 
 fons 5 when,and to whom he thinks 
 fit. It is therefore fingly the pro- 
 perty of God Almighty who 
 grafps all times, and who can ne- 
 ver be impeached for giving a 
 wrong divination, to know the 
 Period of every Mans Life. 
 
 Inthelaft place I cometocon- 
 fider thofe Material doubts and 
 objections this principle may be 
 urged with. As i. It is hardly 
 credible that God doth certainly 
 know the Period of Humane Life, 
 
 it 
 
of Humane Life. 87 
 
 it being only contingently future : 
 this objeAioii Cicero could not 
 Smfwtr, therefore being perfwa- 
 ded that fome things were con- 
 tingently future, he thought God 
 could not know fuch things. JBut 
 the difficulty is not fo g eat as to 
 make us deny God hath perfeA 
 knowledg of things contingently 
 future. For 1. The light of na- 
 ture may teach us that we muft 
 not rejedi what is plain, becaufe 
 we cannot comprehend what is 
 obfcure. That there is in mart a 
 rational Soul is beyond doubt ; 
 and yet how irreconcilable are the 
 opinions of learned men about its 
 original, whether it be by feminal 
 produfUon, or by immediate crea- 
 tion. Again the union of Soul and 
 Body is, a very myfterious riddle, 
 and the moft ingenious bypothe* 
 Jis has been confefled to be unfatis- 
 factory ; and yet no man was • 
 ever fo far infatuated as to deny 
 -that in man there is a Soul and 
 G Body 
 
88 Of the Period 
 
 Body. In like manner, whatalrho 
 Humane Reaibn cannot reconcile 
 the Divine knowledg with the 
 contingency of aftiom? yet may it 
 nut red latisfied with this.that God 
 knq,ws all contingencies becaufe 
 his underftanding is infinite. And 
 indeed the predictions in Scripture 
 are (6 remarkable and plain evi- 
 dences that God knows all things, 
 that now it cannot be reasonably 
 queftioned. But fuppofe Revela- 
 tion had taught us nothing of this 5 
 yet we might by natural princi- 
 ples know that God is the iftoft 
 peffeft being that can be imagi^ 
 ned, and therefore of Infinite com- 
 prehenfion -, that he is our Maker, 
 and therefore muft know all the 
 intrigues.of his creatures. 
 
 But secondly^ the Divine fore- 
 knowledg is not the caufe of 
 •things(forotherwife criminal ani- 
 ons which do notefcape his eye, 
 fhould be caufed by him who can- 
 not tempt any man to fin ) which 
 
 is 
 
of Humane Life] gp 
 
 is impoffible : if God fhould 
 reveal to me that Titi h were cer- 
 tainly to do fuch a thing the n&t 
 day, my foreknowledg does not 
 neceffitate Titius to do that adt : 
 fo that upon the one hand as the 
 foreknowledg of it hath no influ- 
 ence upon the manner of its pro- 
 duction, nor crofTeth the Humane 
 liberty 5 for the Divine foreknow- 
 ledg is not the caufe why things 
 exift,but it fuppofeth the exiftence 
 of things : fo upon the other hand 
 the contingency of the Period of 
 Humane Life does riot infer, that 
 it cannot be certainly known by 
 an infinite underftanding who 
 grafps all things and feafbns. 
 
 But the great difficulty is, how 
 the Divine foreknowledg can be 
 reconciled with the Divine pfo- 
 mifes, commands, comminations 
 and prohibitions : how it can 
 Confift with the Divine wifdom 
 and Goodnefs, to threaten men 
 with ftiortnefs of life if theycon- 
 G 2 tinue 
 
go Of the Period 
 
 tinue wicked and rebellious; and" 
 to promife length of days if men 
 wfll obey his commandments, 
 while-as he well knows that the 
 wicked man will continue in his 
 wickednefs, and be filthy ftil], 
 and that the vertuous and good 
 man will perfevere in well doing. 
 
 I ccnfefs, this is a very great 
 difficulty, and hath induced ma- 
 ny learned men to doubt if God 
 knows things contingently future, 
 not that they toould impeach any 
 of the Divine perfections, or dero- 
 gate from the infinity of hisknow- 
 ledg 5 but only they think that 
 the nature oft hings contingently 
 future, is fuch that they cannot be 
 known;as it is no diminution from ; 
 Omnipotency, to fay things impo- 
 ffibJe, or which imply a contradi- 
 &i ;p, fall not under its object. 
 
 But yet fince Scripture hath fo 
 clearly revealed to us the Divine 
 foreknowlcdg of future a&ions, 
 methinks he i^ very r:fh and in- 
 
 confl- 
 
of Humane Life. $i 
 
 conSderate that doubts it : it is 
 a remarkable fentuiee of Tcrtid- 
 liax% Prsfcientia Dei imtos hahet 
 teftesy quartos fecit prof betas .Hence 
 the learned Epijcopim tells us, that 
 his Religion and the reverence he 
 had to the Divine Majefty would 
 never fuffer him to admit this 
 argument;, which reflected ib 
 much upon the truth of Divine 
 Predictions. 
 
 But I anfwer more particularly, 
 that Gods promifes and threat- 
 nings are ferious, becaufe although 
 God knows that fome men who 
 are threatned will continue in their 
 wickednefs , yet it being in their 
 pow T er to turn from their Sins, and 
 the Divine threatning being an ar- 
 gument which ihould prevail upon 
 men ; no man can doubt but God 
 is ferious with finners in fuch ca- 
 fes. If a parent did certainly know 
 that his Son were to commit a 
 criminal a<ft, would any man think 
 that that Parents threatning of 
 G 3 his 
 
gz Of the Period 
 
 tiis Son , if he did commit that 
 a&, were void of fincerity. But 
 2 .As God knows that Tome wicktd 
 men, notwithftanding of the feve- 
 red threatning, will continue in 
 their finsryet i.He knows that even 
 iuch obdurate perlons may do o- 
 . therwife 5 and 2. He knows that ma- 
 ny men would have continued in 
 their fins, if they had not beerj 
 threatned with puniftiments. We 
 have no reafon to think that the 
 people of Ninevie would have 
 turned unto God if they had never 
 been threatned. Nowthough God 
 fcnew that Ninevie when threat- 
 ned would repent, yet fince he alfb 
 knew that if they had not been 
 threatned they fhould have conti- 
 nued in their wickednefs-, therefore 
 no man canqueftion the ferioufnefs 
 of the Divine threatnings. 
 
 And thus I have difpatched the 
 firfc particular, how the Period of 
 every .Mans Life may be faid to 
 t>e determined.I come in the next 
 
 place 
 
of Humane Life. 93 
 
 place to enquire in what fenfe it is 
 not determined. Now becaufe I 
 have already rejeded the Stoical 
 Fate,all that i (hall fpeak concerning 
 this head may be comprehended in 
 thefe following particulars: viz,. 
 
 The Period of every Mans Life 
 is not fatally limited and bounded 
 by any abfolute or incondijtionate 
 decree of God Almighty. Now be- 
 caufe many learned men violently 
 urge, that God hath from the out- 
 goings of Eternity abfolutely de- 
 creed the bounds of every Mans 
 Life, without any consideration of 
 thole circumftances in which they 
 are to be placed 5 ib that men, do 
 what they pleafo, can neither ex- 
 tend nor ihortenthe leafe of their 
 life : I (hall therefore endeavor to 
 make this alTertion plain, and re- 
 move thofe objections that it may 
 feem lyable to$ and the rather, be- 
 caufe in fuch kind of aflertions as 
 a^re befides the common opinion, 
 men will be ready to fufpeft fome 
 flnifturous defign. That 
 
94 Of the Period 
 
 That the Period of every Mans 
 Life is not Fatally determined by 
 any lecret Unconditional decree, 
 will appear from the arguments 
 we (hall make ufe of in proving 
 the inability of the Period of eve- 
 ry Mans Life. Now I fhallonly 
 cpnfider thofq abfurdities andin- 
 conveniencies that follow upon 
 theadmiffion of the contrary opi- 
 nion. As fir ft ^ if the Period of 
 Humane Life were Fatally deter- 
 mined, then thole wretched mis- 
 creants who with their own hands 
 put a Period to their Lives, may 
 eafily excufe themfelves before 
 their Judg : for fince it is (uppo- 
 fed that they are phyfically "pre- 
 determined to do fo, how can it be 
 imagined that they could do 0- 
 therwifec' is there any refilling of 
 the Divine decree i alas, it was 
 not in their power to help it, and 
 how then can they be condemned 
 for it. It is a Jcnown Maxim, Nemo 
 fie cent in eo quod vitare non potejl ; 
 
 The 
 
of Humane Life. 95 
 
 The neceffity they are pladed in, 
 feems to excijfe their iin 5 but if not- 
 withstanding we lhall 1 uppofe that 
 fuch brut.iiii a&ions are really 
 criminal, we run our felves upon 
 another abfurdity, and that is, we 
 refleft upon the Divine holiness 
 and goodnefs; for if God has 
 truly determined thofe brutifti 
 anions by a previous, fecret, and 
 unalterable decree, if he ha h be- 
 fore irrevocably determined) iad 
 fo intangl.d in iuch a train of cau- 
 fes as ihould neceffarily m*ke 
 them offer violence to them el vcs 5 
 how can we vindicate the Divine 
 Sanctity from the blot of being the 
 Author of fin? Alas, dayly experi- 
 ence fhews us, how apt Men are 
 to make life of this argument for 
 their own vindication, when they 
 do what is criminal- they tell 
 us they were fatally determined by 
 an external power in ading them* 
 And with this consideration they 
 folace tbemfelves,asif they were as 
 innocent asFools orMad-Men. But 
 
$6 Of the Period 
 
 But let no Man deceive himfelf 
 in aiguing (o foohihly, the Apoftle 
 St. James , very iorcibly rejefts 
 this opinion. Let no man fay 
 when he is .tempted^ I am tempt- 
 ed of God; for God cannot be 
 tempted with evil , neither tempt- 
 eth he any man. But e \ ery man is 
 tempted when he is drawn away of 
 his own /#/?, and enticed^ Jam. 2. 
 13, 14. The wife Man in his 
 fenfe, after the certainty of things, 
 concludes his Seventh Chapter of 
 the Book of Ecelefiafies thus, Lo, 
 this only have I founds that God 
 hath made man upright : But they 
 have jottght out mwy inventions. 
 Pray then let us rejeft every opini- 
 on that teachexh God does necefli- 
 tate Men to fin, for nothing can 
 be mord* injurious to God than 
 this. To think to palliat the 
 bufinefs by faying God is under 
 qo Law,is but a La wlefs and unrea- 
 fonable pretext $ for the everlaft- 
 jng rectitude of his fpotlefs nature, 
 
 is 
 
ef Humane Life, $j 
 
 is more than any extern alLav/:and 
 pray, what can truth and Juitice 
 do, but what is holy and juft i The 
 diftin&ion between the aftaijd the 
 pravity of the a&, the former of 
 which God deter m ins Man to-, but 
 not to the latter, is.as vain and fri- 
 voloug. For the pravity of every 
 wicked aft is infeparable from it. 
 And farther, the Divine com- 
 mands particularly prohibit the 
 a<fi, and I think upon no other 
 ground, but becauf£the formality 
 of Sin confifts in the ad it felf. It 
 is indeed ftrange to confider thofe 
 Platonick and imaginary notions 
 fome Men run to : But I think it 
 needlefs to take a particular view 
 of fuch Dreams. 
 
 But as this opinion fadly reflects 
 upon the holinefs of God, foitls 
 highly inconfiftent with the liber- 
 ty of Mans Will in the choice of 
 the means.That there is a free Prin- 
 ciple in Mantis fo plain,that he who 
 (Jenies this 3 muft engage himfelf a- 
 
 gainft 
 
98 Of the Period 
 
 gainft Experience and Reafon, 
 There is no Man who does wicked- 
 ly, but he perceives he may do o- 
 therwife : the fick man is not eon- 
 ftrained to neglect the means for 
 ; his recovery ; neither is the Phyfi- 
 tian forced to prefcribe this and no 
 other remedy ; Men ad not as Ma- 
 chines, but they have a Free Prin- 
 ciple y whereby they may chufe 
 what they think is bed: and moft 
 convenient.-It's true,the Will 5 (ince 
 Adams Fall,i£ corrupted.and moft- 
 ly enclined to that which is evil ; 
 but yet the Fall did not deftroy 
 Man's Freedom, it made no Phyfi- 
 cal change, only the Faculties of 
 the Soul are morally vitiated and 
 corrupted. 
 
 But if the Will, were Phyficaily 
 (Is they fpeak)determined adumm^ 
 it were unreafonable to think that 
 the Sick per fori, who negled:sthe 
 means, could do otherwiie. And 
 alas/doth not Experience convince 
 us 3 thatMen of this perfw r aiion neg- 
 
 led 
 
of Humane Life. s>£ 
 
 left the ufe of lawful means which 
 God hath appointed, only becaufe 
 they Dream that if God has de- 
 creed that they fhall dye, then it is 
 needlefs to ufe the means ; and if 
 God has determined that they fliall 
 live, whether they ufeornegleft 
 the means, they (hall live. 
 
 But you'll fay, God doth not on- 
 ly Decree the End^ but alfothe 
 Means. I anfwer 5 this Plea doth not 
 a whit diminish or remove the dif- 
 ficulty, fince they luppofe that the 
 Means are as absolutely decreed as 
 the End : which quite deftroys the 
 liberty of Mans Will, and leaveth 
 no place for any choice. 
 
 Thirdly, This opinion leaves no 
 place for praife to theLearned Phy- 
 fitian 5 nor for difpraife to the un- 
 skilful Empyrick. Firft 5 The skilful 
 Phyfitian can claim no praife 5 for 
 although it be granted that he hath 
 wifely confidered the condition of 
 the Sick 5 and the nature of the Dif- 
 eafejthough he hathprefcribed apt 
 
 Reme- 
 
loo Of the Period 
 
 Re nediesj and in all things beha- 
 ved weil, yet lince he did no other 
 thing but what he was determined 
 to do by an external force, who can 
 think he merits any praife, ifhe 
 could have done otherwise but 
 would not, then he might in rea- 
 fon claim it • but the cafe accord- 
 ing to the prefent Hypotbefes is quite 
 opo »fite. But, Secondly, neither 
 cm we in reafon blame the unskil- 
 ful QvAck-Docfor , who neither 
 knows the nature of the Difeafe, 
 nor of thofe Medicines he prefcri- 
 teth. Alaslpoor man does no more 
 than what he was forced to do,and 
 he could not dootherwife- why 
 then fhould he be blamed for any 
 failure or miftake he commits. 
 
 Fourthly, The natural and ge- 
 nuine Confequence of this Do- 
 ctrine, is, to make men like Fools 
 or Mad-men, expofe themfelves to 
 any danger: For inftance. What 
 need we be afraid to run upon any 
 Precipice, if God hath determined 
 
 the 
 
of Humane Life* ioi 
 
 the period of every man's life,there 
 is no fear to encounter with any 
 feeming danger • men may fafely 
 enough leap into the fire, or can: 
 themielves into the deep, for there 
 is no fear th^t they /hall be hurt or 
 perifh, unlefs the Almighty hath 
 determined it ^ and if this be,they 
 may perfwade themfelves they 
 could not do otherwife, for the 
 Decree is unalterable, and cannot 
 be repealed. 
 
 Nor is this true only in Theory 
 andSpeculation,but it may appear 
 to have-ftich bad effeds, by the fad 
 experience of poor deluded Crea- 
 tures. Alasido we not hear the Vul- 
 gar frequently comfort any who 
 are in trouble with this confidera- 
 tion, that God hath decreed it 
 fhould be fo 5 if thefe perfons did on- 
 ly mean that God exercifeth a fpe- 
 cial Providence in the world, and 
 ruleth among the Children of mei^ 
 no body had ever blamed them ; 
 but this is not their meaning, for 
 
 they 
 
102 Of the Period 
 
 they plainly declare by fuch kind 
 of fpeech, that all things come to 
 paft fatally. I have heard fome 
 wretched Sinners, who had com- 
 mitted great and fcandalous fins, 
 excufe themfelves, by faying^they 
 were decreed to do fo, and God s 
 wiU muff be accomplifhed. 
 
 It were very eafie to multiply 
 many Abfurdities which flow from 
 this Dc<fhrine by a natural Confe- 
 quence ; but thefe few I have na- 
 med may abundantly fatisfie every 
 confidering man, and (hew hint 
 how pernicious and dangerous it is; 
 but before I conclude, I (hall confi- 
 der the four Arguments I mentio- 
 ned before,which I laid, feemed to 
 ftrengthen and confirm this'Opini- 
 on 5 as 
 
 Firff, There are many places of 
 Scripture which feem to conclude^ 
 That the Period of every Mans Life 
 is determined. . I ihall .mention fome 
 of the moft remarkable Texts of 
 Scripture brought to defend this,as 
 
 firft 
 
of Htimane Life. i o 3 
 
 fifft, Pfal. 31. 15. My times are in 
 thy band deliver me from the hand of 
 mine Enemies. From hence fome 
 draw this unexpected Conclufion, 
 That God hath abfolutely decreed 
 the Period of everyMan's Life.Now 
 I think no confidering man ihould 
 ever have guefTed this to be the 
 PfalmiA's meaning ; for the Text 
 only holds oul the Divine care and 
 Providence, w hereby he does fu- 
 perintend and continue every indi- 
 vidual thing in the world in their 
 Beings, and therefore is it that Da- 
 vid, makes his application to God^ 
 that he would deliver him from 
 the hand of his Enemy-whichme- 
 •thinks had been a rieedlefs Petition* 
 if he had imagined that God had 
 abfolutely determined the period 
 of his Life. Secondly, 'pfal. 39. 5. 
 Lord, mxke rne to know mine end^and 
 the me a fare of my days what it isjhat 
 I may know how frail I am. This 
 place is ftrangely brought to con- 
 firm the former Opinion 1 For the 
 H Pfalmift 
 
104 Of the Period 
 
 Pfalmift doth not defire the know- 
 ledge of the Period of his life 5 he 
 does not ask when he (hall die,on!y 
 he begs the Divine aid and afli- 
 ftance 5 that he may wifely improve 
 the fhort time he hath to live. I 
 tannot ftand to confider fuch Texts 
 of Scripture as thefe, which are no 
 ways acquainted with the Do&rin 
 thev are brought to defend. There 
 is only one Text thatfeems to fa- 
 vor this Opinion, viz. Job 14. 5. 
 Seeing his Days are determined^ the 
 number of his Months are with thee^ 
 thou hafl appointed his bounds that he 
 cannot pafs. But I have confidered 
 this all along in this Difcourfe. I 
 ponfefs, fome in return to this fay, 
 that all Job's words are not appro- 
 ved of God, therefore it is hard to 
 conclude any thing from them 5 
 but this is a very inefficient an- 
 fwer. That which fatisfiethmeis 
 this, that Job here only fays that 
 our days are determined, but he 
 ipeaks nothing how they are de- 
 
 termi* 
 
of Humane Life] ioj 
 
 ter mined 5 now in what fenfe the 
 Period of every Man's life may be 
 faid to be determined., I have alrea- 
 dy confidered. 
 
 Secondly, There are many Ex- 
 amples in Scripture^ which (hew that 
 the Verio A of every Mans Life is 
 hounded and limited by an absolute 
 Decree. The mod remarkable is, 
 that Aff. 4. 28, Both Herod and 
 Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles 
 and the people of ifrael were gathered 
 together for to do whatsoever thy hand 
 and thy counfel determined before to 
 be done : The Scribes and Pharifees 
 frequently ftirred up the multi- 
 tude to lay hands upon chrifl^ but 
 their endeavors were always to 
 no purpofe • and the account the 
 Scripture gives for this, is, becwfe 
 his hour was not come. In return 
 to this, I fhall defire it may be 
 confidered, that when we fay the 
 Period of every Man's Life may be 
 extended or fhortned^the meaning 
 is not, that it is impoffible that ic 
 H % can 
 
io6 Of the Period 
 
 can be otherwife: we never doubt> 
 td bur the great Governor of the 
 World .may make what referved 
 Cafes he pleafes from the ordinary 
 courfe of things* and no wonder 
 though the prefent Cafe, which is 
 .upon all accounts lo extraordinary, 
 be exempt from the general Rule ; 
 and for fuch exempt Cafes, to 
 which there ought to be allowance 
 rnad,e,noreafonabIe man can think 
 they do any prejudice to the thing 
 I have been proving. 
 
 Thirdly , It is a common opi- 
 nion^ that the futurition of things 
 .depend only upon the Divine will ; 
 antecedently to which things are 
 ° r, h poffikle. Tn aniwer to which, 
 I eafiiy grant , that there is no- 
 thing that comes to pafs con- 
 trary to the - Divine will j the 
 rnoft criminal anions are or- 
 dered by his Infinite Wifdom 5 
 and permitted to be. But yet 
 we have no ground to think that 
 he decrees every future a^ion. 
 
 Elfe 
 
of Humane Life. 1 07 
 
 Elfeit were hard to vindicate the 
 holinels of God • upon which con- 
 fideration many Learned Men have 
 been induced to deny Gods imme- 
 diate concurring with the Crea- 
 ture in all its operations h and yet 
 we need not runourfelves upon 
 this Rock ; for we may iafely e- 
 nough riialrit&UI that the Divine 
 will is immediately efficatious^ for 
 God who created man with a free- 
 dom of will, chfigned that lie 
 fhoald afl without conftraint, and 
 the reafon why man afts freely, i* 
 beeaufe God wills men toa^lfo; 
 which plainly diicovers^ that the 
 mod contingent anions depend 
 im mediatly upon the Divine will. 
 Fourthly, We can never. -give \ 
 rational nor fatlsfying account bv.v. 
 the Divine knowledr concerning the 
 Period of Hem me Life is infallible 
 and certain, if it he not founded upp/i 
 th? Cure Bifis of an ab(olute decree. 
 This obje&ion I have partly remo- 
 ved already^ while I (hewed that 
 H 3 God 
 
to8 Of the period 
 
 God knows what foe ver is true;be- 
 caufe his cognifance is Infinite » 
 wherefore it is unreafonable to 
 think that God could not have a 
 petfeft comprehenfion of things ; 
 if hip had not decreed them abso- 
 lutely. Now to make this yet more 
 plaih, I fhall prove by inftances 
 ironi Scripture, that God hatha 
 certain knowledg of thofe things 
 which he never decreed : as abib- 
 lutely future. And Firjl\ It is a 
 very remarkable inftance which 
 we have, i . Sam. 23.11,12 .where 
 David hearing that Saul was to 
 Come to Keilah, he earneftly be- 
 ieecheth God to tell him,if the merj 
 of Kedih will deliver him and his 
 men into the hand of Saul % and if 
 Saul will come down. To both 
 which he gets this anfwer, ihat 
 Saul will come down ; and that the 
 &e Hit es will deliver him up .And yet 
 the Event fliews that none of thofe 
 came topafs, becaufe the fulfilling 
 of both did depend upon Davids 
 
 ftay- 
 
of Humane Life. I op 
 
 flaying in KeiUh. And yet God 
 certainly knew, that if David had 
 not departed from KeiUb , they 
 fliould have delivered him into the 
 hands of Sa ul, And farther it is very 
 evident, that David was not inqui- 
 ring what were the prefent propen- 
 fions, and inclinations of the Kei- 
 litest, but what iliould be the event 
 of his flaying, and accordingly he 
 receives an anfwer from God. Ano- 
 ther Inilance we have 2 Kings, 13. 
 1 p. where Elijha the Prophet is ve- 
 ry wroth with Joajb King oflfrael, 
 becaufe he did not fmite upon the 
 ground five or fix times 5 and the 
 reafon the Prophet adds,is } for then 
 hadjl thou [mitten Syria till thou 
 hidfi con fumed iti Which makes it 
 as evident as any thing can be^that 
 God foreknew that Joafh fliould 
 have fmitten Syria till he had con- 
 fumed it, if he had fmitten upon 
 the ground five or fix times. It* 
 .were no difficult task to prove this 
 vy a multitude of inftances from 
 H 4 Scrip- 
 
no Of the Period ' 
 
 Scripture, but I think I need add 
 no more for the fatisfa&lon of con- 
 fidering Men-and for others, a Mil- 
 lion of demonftrations will be ur- 
 ged to no purpofe. And thus I have 
 done with the Second thing I pro- 
 pofed, that God hath not by any 
 abfolute or inconditionate Decree 
 fatally determined the Period of 
 every Mans Life. 
 
 - 1 rroceed to the Third thing pro- 
 po 'ed namely, \\ hether the Period 
 of every Mans Life be mutable. 
 And before I prove it to be fa, I 
 mull premife two cautions. Firjl y 
 wh; j n w£ fay the Period of every 
 Mans Life is mutable, we mean no 
 more but that it may be ftiortned 
 by ut intemperance, or negleft of 
 the meansjin i be .extended by our. 
 good managery and religious man- 
 ner of living. Secondly, When I fay 
 the Period of every Mins Life is 
 ^moveable,, the meaning is not that 
 ■ ■ it is neceflarily fo, and that it can- 
 not be otherwifc $ for this would' 
 
 not 
 
of Humxne Life. 1 1 1 
 
 not be confident with our depen- 
 dent condition • therefore there is 
 allowance to be made to extraordi- 
 nary cafes. The ads of Divine pro- 
 vidence in the government of Hu- 
 mane affairs, are (bmetimes extra- 
 ordinary, and therefore it muft be 
 left to his Infinite Wifdom and 
 Goodnefs, to make what refer ved 
 cafes he thinks fit from the general 
 rule, Yet for ordinary the Period of 
 Humane Life is mutable- and God 
 doth not exclude the power of fe- 
 cond caufes in governing the 
 World. 
 
 Thefe things being premifed, I 
 doubt not but to offer fuch argu- 
 ments for the proof of the mutabi- 
 lity of the Period of every Mans 
 Life, as (hall be fufficient for the 
 convi^ion of any man who is not 
 blinded by prejudice^orprepoiTelTed 
 with fome contrary notion. And 
 
 Firft, Upon the obfervance of 
 the Divine laws^ there are many 
 promifes in Scripture affuring us of 
 
 length 
 
lis , Of the Period 
 
 length of days ; and on the other 
 fide, there are many threatnings of 
 cuting (hort the days of the wicked, 
 Thus God promifes length of days 
 to obedient Children. E- od.20.12. 
 Honor thy Father and Mother, that 
 thy days may he long upon the land, 
 which the Lor d thy God giveth thee. 
 Dettt. 4. qOoThottfbalt keep therefore 
 his Statutes and his Commandments 
 which I command thee this day, that 
 it may go well with thee, and with thy 
 Children after thee, and that thou 
 mayejl prolong thy days upon the 
 earthy which the Lord thy God giveth 
 thee. And particularly the Lord 
 tells Solomon^ l King* 3.4. if ^thou 
 wilt walk in my ways to keep my 
 Statutes and my Commandments, as 
 thy father David did walk /hen / will 
 lengthen thy days. The Pfalmift en- 
 eourageth men to confider the cafe 
 of the poor upon this Motive. Pfah 
 42. 1 3 2 . Bleffed is he that confider eth 
 the Poor, the Lord will pre ferve him 
 dnd keep him dive j cjrc And upon 
 
 this 
 
of Humane Life. 113 
 
 this account the Wife-Man alfo 
 perfwadeth men to obferye and 
 keep Gods laws. Prov. 3. i> 2. My 
 Son forget not my law y but let thine 
 heart keep my Commandments ; for 
 length of d.tys, and long life, and 
 peace (hall they add to thee. 
 
 How m uch the obfer vance of th^ 
 duties of Religion conduce to our 
 health, is a thing daily experience 
 attefts$ and therefore the Apoftle 
 very excellently exhorts Timothy, 
 to exercife himfelf unto Godlinefs y 
 for it is profit able unU all things, ha- 
 ving promife of the Life that now is, 
 and of that which is to come, 1 Tim. 
 4.8. Religion is as 3 bridle to keep 
 men within due bounds in their 
 eating and drinking ; it forbids all 
 manner of excefs which impares 
 our bodily health, and obliges men 
 to make ufe of lawful means for 
 their prefervation and recovery. If 
 we confult experience, we (hall 
 . find thefe to be the men who for 
 ordinary enjoy the longeft lives : it 
 
 is 
 
1 14 Of the Period 
 
 is true fome good men may be na- 
 turally of a brittle conftitution,and 
 others God may remove for fecret 
 ends known to hinifelf- yet for or- 
 dinary,the Godly man^whofe natu- 
 ral temper is ftrong, hath the ad- 
 vantage of the wicked man. and 
 certainly Religion in its due ten- 
 dency prefcribes the beft rules for 
 long life. 
 
 As Right eoufne[s tendeth to life y 
 fo he that pur p^eth evil{tk the Wife- 
 Man tells us ) purfueth it to his own 
 deaths Prov. Ji. ip. We have a 
 large Catalogue of the Punish- 
 ments infllfkd for fin, Exod.i6> 
 Where more particularly v. id.the 
 Lord threatens to appoint over thofe 
 who obey not his Laws /err ,r \confum- 
 pion, and the burning ague: and that 
 Men may not- foolifhiy think all 
 thefe are but threatnin^s which 
 God intends not to inflid upon 
 poor Man, the Prophet ifdiab tells 
 Mssfye refufe andrebeLyz (ball be de- 
 vour edwith the Smrdfox the Mouth 
 
 of 
 
of Hum we Life. 1 1 51 
 
 of the Lord hath fpoke n it.lfa. 1.20. 
 And the wife-man concluds it as 
 czrum y Pre r j. 1 0.17. The years of the 
 wicked (ball befhortned: and to con- 
 clude, the Pfalmift alfo tells us, 
 bloody a*d deceitful men [hall net 
 live out half their days. PfaL 55.2^, 
 which the Poet very well expref- 
 feth. 
 Ad Generum Cereris^ fine cade a;: 
 
 fanguine pauci^ 
 Defendant Reges 3 & fie ex mortc 
 . Tyrannic 
 
 And the truth of this may be e* 
 vident likewife from common Ex- 
 perience, by which it will appear, 
 that no men are fo obnoxious to 
 Difeafes as the wicked, who fpend 
 their time in chambering And wan- 
 tonne />, in riot and excels, jvho huh 
 woe I who h.tth forroW< who hath 
 wounds without caufe i they that tar- 
 ry long at the wine y Vrow 23. 29,30. 
 What the Wife-man fays of one 
 kind of Vice, may be faid of ail, 
 They lead down to the ch tracers of 
 
 death. 
 
1 1 6 Of the Period 
 
 deatbyVxov. 7. 2 7. But thefe things 
 are fo obvious, that I need not to 
 enlarge upon them. I fhall con- 
 clude this Argument with this 
 confideration, that fince God Al- 
 mighty promifes to extend and 
 lengthen out^or prolong their life; 
 who walk pioufly and obferve his 
 Statutes, and threatens to ihorten 
 the days of the wicked, whore- 
 fufe to obey his Laws, it cannot 
 be rationally imagined that the 
 Period of every Man s Life is abfo- 
 lutely determined. 
 
 Another Argument to confirm 
 our Aflertion, may be taken from 
 the pious ancklevout prayersof the 
 righteous, and their turning from 
 their fins by an hearty repentance, 
 both which conduce to the length- 
 ening out of their days. I put Re- 
 pentance and Prayer together, be- 
 caufe of their near affinity to one 
 another. Now that both thefe 
 may be the Moral Caufe of extend* 
 irig our Lives, may appear to be 
 
 true 
 
of Humane Life. 117 
 
 true from common Experience 5 be~ 
 fides the many Aliertions and Pro- 
 miles in Scripture to this purpofe. 
 Firft, The truth of this may be e- 
 vident from Experience., by which 
 it will appear, that if Men had 
 hearkned to Noah's Dodrin^if they 
 had repented of their wickednels 
 "within the fpace allowed to them, 
 they had not perifhed in the Pe- 
 luge of Water. Of repenting Nine- 
 veh we read , That God fatp their 
 works y that they turned from their 
 evil way^and God repented of the evil 
 he had [aid that he would do unto 
 them, and he did it not, Jonah 3. 
 10. It was HezekiaFs Prayers and 
 Tears that prolonged his, life. Go 
 (faith the Lord to his Prophet jjai- 
 ah ) and fay to Hezekiah, Thus faith 
 the Lor d^ the God of David thy Fa- 
 ther \ 1 have feen thy tears^ behold 
 I will add unto thy days fifteen jears y 
 Ifa.38.5. And if Prayer w r ere of no 
 force,to what purpofe were men Co 
 carneft in their ficknefs, to beg the 
 
 prayers 
 
Ii8 Of the Period 
 
 prayers of others on their behalf; I 
 confefs if the Period of every Mans 
 Life were fatally determined, our 
 Prayers iliould be very needlefs.For 
 can we be fo fenflefs as to imagine, 
 that our Prayers can move God to 
 changeliisunalterableStatutesand 
 Decrees. 
 
 But befiJes common experience, 
 the truth of this is likewife atteft- 
 ed by plain evidences from Scrip- 
 tuTQ.Jt what infant I ft all [peak con- 
 cerning a nation, and concerning a, 
 kingdom, to pluck upland to pull down, 
 and to dcjhoy it : if that Nation afs 
 gainfl whom I have pronounced, turn 
 from their e #/, / will repent of the 
 evil that I thought to do unto them. 
 A^dat irh.it infiant iftallfpeak con- 
 cer t -ing a kingdom to plant it; if it do 
 ivilm my fight ■,- that it oteynotmy 
 voice y then will I re; ent of the good 
 therewith I [aid I would bene lit them y 
 Jcr. 1 8. % 8, 9} io. Methinks this 
 is fo plain an evidence of the effi- 
 cacy of repentance, tharnoreafo 
 
 mbk 
 
Of Humane Life] 119 
 
 nable man can have any doubt 
 concerning it. But alas,ifGodhad 
 from the outgoings of Eternity fa- 
 tally determined the deftrudion of 
 Nations and Kingdoms by anabfo- 
 lute and inconditionate decree, 
 Repentance could never alter the 
 determination. ? 
 
 It is the Apoftles advice Jam. $1 
 1 4. Is any Jick among y off? let him caM 
 1 for the Elders of the Churchy and let 
 them fray over him. I know there 
 are other means to be made ufe of 
 in order to the procuring of health 
 than repentance and prayer, and of 
 thefe we fhall fpeak anon : but yet 
 this I think may be truly faici, that 
 fometimes, when all other reme- 
 dies have been either ineffectual or 
 not to be had, repentance and pray- 
 er have done the bufinefs,and corn- 
 pleated the cure. And furely thefe 
 are duties profitable at all 
 times. 
 
 I know the Church of Rome tell 
 us many extravagant Storiesof the 
 I wonders 
 
140 'of the Period 
 
 wonders and miracles that have 
 been performed by the prayers of 
 Holy Men : thofe I ihali not now 
 mention, only I (hall fay, that al- 
 though it is not credible that the 
 Prayers of Saints upon the Earth, 
 do either mitigate and alleviate the 
 pains of thofe that are in Hell 5 or 
 free them from that miferable 
 fhte,(as fome men have confident- 
 ly enough reported : )yet it is fuffi- 
 ciently credible that the effectual 
 fervent prayer of the righteous av ail- 
 ethmmhy Jam. 5.16. 
 
 A Third Argument to prove that 
 cur lives may be extended or fhort- 
 ned, may be taken from the ufe of 
 medicaments.Common reafbn will 
 teach Men, that it is needlefs to 
 prelcribe any Medicine to thofe 
 that are dead • and truly the cafe 
 would be much alike,if the Period 
 of every Mans Life were determi- 
 ned by aninconditionate Decree. 
 For although men might then 
 make ufe o£ medicaments, yet I 
 
 think 
 
of Hum Am Life. x t i 
 
 think I may truly fay that their o 
 peration fhould be very ineffectual. 
 But that men may to good purpofe 
 employ the Phyfitian when they 
 are fick, and exped by the bleffing 
 of God, benefit by the ufe of Medi- 
 caments applied by the art of Phy- 
 fick, no reaionable man can doubt. 
 That the lives of many have 
 been lengthned and prolonged by 
 the excellent remedies, applied by 
 the expert and skilful Phyfitian, 
 is a truth fo obvious to common 
 experience, that I need not enlarge 
 upon it. And on the other fide> 
 how many have died before their 
 time, only by their imploying ig- 
 norant Phyfitians ! It is a famous 
 inftance that we have recorded of 
 one Mane s^ the Father of the Ma- 
 nkheesy who having returned into 
 Perfia at that time when the Kings 
 Son lay fick of a dangerous diieafe, 
 he amongft many other Phyfitians 
 v/as prefent: all the others plain- 
 ly declared that the diieafe was 
 I z dange- 
 
122 Of the Period 
 
 dangerous 5 but Manes^ who was 
 only a pretended Phyfitian, con- 
 fidently defired that they might be 
 all removed, arid he would take 
 care of the Kings Son, and withal 
 promifed to reftore him to health 
 in a fhort fpace-,but the event was 
 quite contrary, for within a (liort 
 time the Kings Son died ; which 
 did fo provoke the King oiPerfia, 
 that heinftantly caufed Manes to 
 be put to a miferable Death.What 
 mifchfef has been done by unskil- 
 ful Phyfitians, too many fad ex- 
 amples do daily atteft ; but yet if 
 the Period of every Mans Life were 
 determin'd by an abfolute and in- 
 eonditionate decree;, no man could 
 blame the ignorant Phyfitian, nor 
 needs any perfon be troubled if 
 they negleft the means ; for God 
 had determined they fhould do fo. 
 which indeed makes Marthas 
 fpeech to our Lord Chrift to be ri- 
 dk ulous., if thou hadjl been here my 
 Brother had not died. 
 
 That 
 
of Humane Life. 123 
 
 That Naaman the Syrian (hould 
 wafh himfelf in the River of Jor- 
 dan fevm times, and then be clean 
 of his Leprofie, was indeed mira- 
 culous : But yet it is plain, that if 
 he had not done lb, his Leprofie 
 had remained. 
 
 Whether that cuftom in the pri- 
 mitiveChriftian Church of anoint- 
 ing the fick with Oyl was miracu- 
 lous, or not, I (hill not difpute- but 
 this is certain, that it was then a 
 means ufed for the recovery of the 
 Sick. 
 
 There is one objection which, 
 fome men very impertinently urge 
 agiinft what I have been fpeaking, 
 and that is, Afa his going to the 
 Phyfitians, which the Scripture 
 feems to difallow'.To this I anfwer, 
 that King A fa is not therefore re- 
 prehended,becaufe he asked advice 
 of the Phyfitians, but becaufe he 
 trufted only in them.and fouahtnot 
 the Lord:zs it is very plain from 2 
 chron* 16,12, And fure no reafona- 
 I 3 blc 
 
124 .Of the Period 
 
 ble man will have any doubt but 
 
 this was a very culpable negle<a in 
 
 Afa, 
 
 Fourthly, Nothing is more evi- 
 dent than that there are feveral 
 things which have a Phyfical effi- 
 cacy in the fhortning of Mens lives; 
 as all kinds of exceis, namely im- 
 moderate eating and drinking \ all 
 inordinate paffions of mind, &c. 
 as alfo the bad and unwholefome 
 conftitution of a Kingdom. And 
 on the other fide, there are many 
 things which eflfe&ually conduce 
 to the lengthning of our days ; 
 namely all kind of moderation and 
 temperance- the wholfomnefs of 
 the region wherein we live^ and 
 our good managery. What kind of 
 perfons are thole who for ordinary 
 live longeft i are they not thofe 
 who carefully moderate their fen- 
 fual appetites, and who govern 
 their paffions, and who live in the 
 •wholeibmeft places? We common- 
 ly fay that Men who live in a Po- 
 pulous 
 
of Humane Life. 125 
 
 pulous City are fhorter lived than 
 thofe who live in the Country. I 
 have already fhewed how fome vi- 
 ces in their proper tendency flior- 
 ten Mens Lives, and that in fome 
 Nations and Kingdoms men live 
 much longer than in others : all 
 w hich methinks plainly tells us the 
 Period of every Mans Life is not Fa- 
 tal but Mutable, according as men 
 are careful or negligent of them- 
 felves. 
 
 I (hall only add another confide- 
 table argument, and lb draw this 
 difcourfe to a conclufion. And that 
 is,don'c we evidently perceive that 
 many men had lived longer if they 
 had not wretchedly and unreafona- 
 bly expofed themfelves to danger ; 
 and is it not evident that many 
 Millions who have died in battle 
 would have had their days prolong- 
 ed if they had never defcended into 
 battle? That God hath from the 
 outgoings of Eternity by an abfo- 
 lute and inconditionate decree de- 
 I 4 teraiiawd 
 
125 Of the Period 
 
 termined both the time and man- 
 ner of of every mans death, this is 
 more than we can learn from Re- 
 velation 5 and niethinks it is very 
 inconfiften t and irreconcilable with 
 thofe many plain texts that fliew it 
 is lawful in time of eminent dan- 
 ? ger to flee for our fafety, in time of 
 Famine, and when any egregious 
 contagion, fuch as the Peftilence, 
 fpreadeth in any place. How many 
 Hundreds prolonged their lives by 
 their flight from battle? If David 
 and his Men had remained in Keilah 
 it is certain they fhpuld have been 
 delivered up into the hands oisml^ 
 and what the Event fhould have 
 been we may eafily conjedure, if 
 God by a fpeciai providence had 
 not interpofed for their fafety. But 
 befides the many inftances we 
 might produce, we have a pofitive 
 precept to flee from any eminent 
 danger, Mat, 10. 23. when they 
 -persecute you in this City flee into 
 ■another % Which plainly (hews that 
 
 this 
 
of Him me Life, 127 
 
 this is a lawful means of prolong- 
 ing our lives in fuch cafes. It is 
 a notable inftance we have, Jer. 
 27.18. Thus faith the Lord, behold 
 J [et before you the way of life, and 
 the way of death : he that abideth 
 in this City [hall dye by the Sword y 
 and by the Famine, and by the Pejli- 
 lence f but he that goeth out and 
 falleth to the Chaldeans that be fiege 
 you, he fhall Ik e, and his life jh all 
 (?e unto him for a frey. Which 
 place plainly (hews, that God had 
 not decreed the Period of theirLives 
 by any inconditionate decree ; for 
 the means both of prolonging and 
 ofcuttingfliort their Liveware put 
 in their choice. And this is all that 
 I (hall fay to the Third thing I pro- 
 pofed to fpeak,concerning the mu- 
 tability of the Period of every Mans 
 life for ordinary. 
 
 All that now remains is to con- 
 elude with fome pra&ical reflexi- 
 ons upon what hath been faid. And 
 fir ft) whatever debates there 
 
 may 
 
123 Of the Period 
 
 may be concerning the Period of 
 every Mans Life, yet there is no 
 doubt but Mans Life hath a Period. 
 ' It is appointed for all men once 
 to dye, and from this warefare there 
 is no difcharge. Pray what is be- 
 come of all thofe who lived in for- 
 mer ages t have they not gone the 
 way of all living < and ihall- we 
 think to fliun the approach of this 
 laft Enemy^may not the multiplied 
 experiences we have of other Mens 
 frailty and mortality, convince us 
 that wearebrittle,and muft return 
 to the duft < we are of the like con- 
 stitution that they were of, and we 
 cannot expeft to be otherwife dealt 
 withjF/W man is he that liveth and 
 foallnctfee deatfc-md yet many men 
 live as unconcerned as if they had 
 the perpetuity of their beings en- 
 fured to them and had concluded an 
 agreement with peat h > and had fe- 
 cret intelligence with the Grave. 
 
 It is truly a bufinefs worthy to 
 be regrated that men who are liv- 
 
of Humane Life, ng 
 
 ing, as it were in the Houfe of 
 mourning,daily vifited with pains 
 and difeafes, and have nopromiie, 
 at leaft, for one moments iecurity, 
 yet live unconcerned and never 
 mind thofe pleafures. It was in- 
 deed a praife worthy and comment 
 dable cuftom amongft the Jews, to 
 build their Sepulchers in their Gar-^ 
 dens(as we may guefs from Job, 19* 
 41. )that fo in the midftof iheir 
 pleafures, they might behold Mo- 
 numents of their mortality. 
 
 Truly if we did frequently me* 
 ditate upon our latter eru we 
 ihould live more like ChriiUar-s 
 than we now do. The end hath 
 ia very great influence upon 
 mens endeavors 5 hence is that 
 general Maxim , Finis ultimus 
 jtr<e[cribat regulas totius vita. And 
 it feems that the Pfalmift upon this 
 account prays. Lord make me know 
 mine endy and the me a fur e of my 
 daysy that 1 may know how frail 
 / am* It is not to be doubted 
 
 but 
 
i jo Of the: Period 
 
 but we fhould order our conver- 
 fation aright, If we had this con- 
 fideration in our view. We ihould 
 have but low and contemptible 
 thoughts of the periftiing pleafures 
 which we now fo much delight in. 
 Then we fliould be argued out of 
 our folly in fpending our years 
 as a tale that is told. 
 
 It is threatned a fad Plague to 
 the oppreiTor, that the number of 
 hu years are hidden from him % 
 Job. 15. 20. He i-s a perfoa that 
 never confiders that his appoint- 
 ed time approacheth, and that 
 God will bring him into the Grave, 
 the place appointed for all living ; 
 and it is laid down as the caufe 
 why 'Jerusalem came down won- 
 derfully ) that /he. remembred not 
 her lift end. Lam. 1. 9. And truly 
 it may be alfo reckoned as the 
 caufe why Chriftians live fo con- 
 trary, to the commendable rules 
 oftheGofpeithey profefs. If we 
 did but entertain fomewhat more 
 
 familiar 
 
of Humane Life. 13* 
 
 familiar thoughts of our appointed 
 time, we could not but rectify 
 thofe abufes we are guilty of. But 
 alas, all the paffages of our time 
 are filled up with cares about 
 things that perifh : we can walk to 
 the Grave with our friends, whom 
 we once loved as intirely#as our 
 own lives, and reap as little advan- 
 tage by their death as if we had ne- 
 ver been acquainted withthem,ne- 
 ver remembring, that we muflgo to 
 them but they cannot vet urn to us. 
 
 But Secondly •, although the Pe- 
 riod of every Mans Life is fixed 
 in re i peel: of the Divine foreknow- 
 ledg, yet to us it is uncertain • we 
 know not when this Enemy may 
 furprife us. Of this we may fay 
 what ouf Lord Chrift faith of the 
 day of judgment, but of that day 
 and hour we know not. When we 
 leaft fufpevft its approach it may 
 call us to go hence and be no more. 
 How many millions of itrange and 
 unexpe&ed accidents attend us* 
 
 the 
 
13* Of the Period 
 
 the Peflilence walketh in dark* 
 nefs^ and Veflmctt-on wafteth at 
 noon-day 7 aftonilhing dirpeniations 
 may allatm us by night, and the 
 devouring Arrow fleeth by day, 
 Pfal. 91 y 5. 6. When wegoa- 
 broad, we cannot promife to our 
 felvts % fate return, and at home 
 when we put offour cloths, we 
 cannot tell if we ihall ever put 
 them on again: the Grave is al- 
 ways ready for us. What ftrangc 
 kind of unknown difeafes doth 
 our age produce, from which we 
 cannot promife to our felves any 
 exemption * We live amongft cru- 
 el and mad Men, and do we know 
 but thofe Beads of prey may de- 
 vour us < When we look for peace, 
 deftrudion may come. This was 
 the Rich Mans Fate, who while 
 he was promifing himfelf reft for 
 many days, that fame night his 
 Soul was required of him. We 
 are always apt to put the thoughts 
 of this day far .from us 5 when 
 
 we 
 
of Humane Ltfel 133 
 
 we enjoy health we never think of 
 any change , and that ficknefs 
 may feize upon us and put a Period 
 to our lives. We live indeed at a 
 great deal of uncertainty 5 manalfo 
 knoweth not his time^aithe Fijhes that 
 are taken in an evil Net 3 and as the 
 Birds that are caught in the fnare: fo 
 are the fons of men fnare d in an evil 
 time y when it falleth fuddenly upon 
 them y Eccl.9. n. We look upon 
 Death as the unfaithful Servant 
 did upon his Matters coming, we 
 think Death doth delay its coming - 
 but if we were not fools we fhould 
 always realize the quicknefs of its 
 approach.May be we are young and 
 ftrong, how many fuch have been 
 called away in the morning of their 
 age < Goo too now ( faith the Apoftle 
 James ) ye that fay to day or to mor* 
 row we will go into fuch a City 
 and continue there ayear>andbuy and 
 fell and get gain 5 whereas yg 
 know not what jhall be on the 
 morrow^ Jam. 4. 13, 14. Alas 
 
 our 
 
Y34 Of the Period 
 
 our days at beft are but labor 
 and farrow, for they are foon cut 
 off, and we flee away. When a 
 few years are gone, Wee muft go 
 the way of all flefh : and yet upon 
 the happy improvement of thia 
 depends our everlafting happinefs 
 or mifery ; for there is no work^ 
 nor device^ nor knowledge nor wif* 
 dom, in the Grave whither rve are 
 goings Eccl. p io* 
 
 V I N 1 S> 
 
ERRATA- 
 
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DEFENCE 
 
 AND 
 
 CONTINUATION 
 
 Of the Difcourfe concerning the 
 
 PERIOD 
 
 O F 
 
 HVMANE LIFE. 
 
 BEING* , 
 
 A Reply to a late Anfwer 3 ? 
 
 Entituled , k_A Letter to 
 
 & Gentleman, &c. 
 
 To which is added , 
 
 AH APPENDIX, 
 
 Wherein feveral Objections urged in 
 private , are confidered , and Mr. 
 1 Gales fevere, but groundlefs Charge 
 is Examined. •' 
 
 LONWON, 
 
 Printed,and are to be fold by Snoch Wyer^ 
 
 at the White Hart in St. Paid* 
 
 Church-Yard i 167$* 
 
i 
 
C^9efcem^«feefe.^i **» «** «*» £** 
 
 THE 
 
 PREFACE, 
 
 Reader, 
 
 IF Cuftom bad not made it 
 common to prefix Epiftles 
 to 'Books, I had freely 
 permitted thee to' read the fol- 
 lowing T>ifcourfe without the 
 trouble of a preliminary Salu- 
 tation:, hut the tmth is, I like 
 not to be either Singular or Un- 
 civil : 
 
 And yet, I confefi I have 
 but very r m i e t0 acimittt ^ 
 
 Tnthx for as., 1 intend not to 
 court your kind acceptance of 
 the following Vifcourfe , fo 
 
 neither 
 
The Preface, 
 
 neither do 1 dejigne to dijparhge 
 it, or difcour age thee from pe- 
 rujing \t. 
 
 Only if I can prevail, I 
 heahity Ibi/l? thou wouldeft read 
 without prejudice , and with 
 that Candor that becomes an 
 impartial and difcireet Reader : 
 and then, either give, or deny 
 it entertainment as you think fit ; 
 for I ajfurethee The Author 
 dejires to impofe nothing Upon 
 thy faith , but what tf able to 
 abide the teji. If he has erred y 
 he is only ambitious to hdVe no 
 followers. 
 
 When I gave Wy to the 
 publi[hing of the former Vifcourfe, 
 1 expetted not to have met Tbitb 
 fo many Enemies. !But I fet 
 the dd faying holds good, Ve- 
 ritas 
 
The Preface. 
 
 ritas odium park. As for 
 thofe fever e cenjures fame men 
 have urged , 1 have endeavoured, 
 to remove them p\ the fodoloing 
 Difcourfe , efyecially in the Ap- 
 pendix. For perfonal reflections 
 (the only weapons others have 
 made ufe of- although they be 
 as Ignorant ipho I am, as 1 
 dejire thy fhould he , ) thefe 
 J may Very rationally contemn, 
 without the fear of cenfyre from 
 the flriBefl Zoilus. 
 
 I confejl next to no adverfary, 
 a fair and ingenuous one is the 
 moji deferable-, but whether it 
 has been my Good fortune (or 
 if you pleafe to fay Fate ) to be 
 bleffed loith fuch , after thou 
 hafl perufed hot:? ^vhat they and 
 J Jay thou wilt be able to 
 judge o t And\ 
 
The Prcfacec 
 
 And upon this account (though 
 not only) 1 heartily wijh thou 
 Tt?ouldeJi he pleafed to compare 
 the Reply and Anfwer, and 
 both with the Firft Difcourfe, 
 which accidentally ( I ajfure thee 
 not dejignedly ) gave birth to 
 them • in doing of Ttohich if 
 thou reapefi no advantage thy 
 
 filf* y et ' am f ure ^ m fod>t 
 oblige the Bookfellers to give 
 
 thee thanks. 
 
 Farewel. 
 
 » 
 
CD 
 
 «$» *$* 2&1. *^ **» **» l&L J$i *&» JSfe 
 
 ^ cvo cvp cv,o cS ow «*£ 3E5 QT 
 
 es« caw csa^ SS SS fc§« *£a £$< 
 
 DEFENCE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 BOOK, 
 
 ENTITULED- 
 
 i£ Difcourfe concerning the Teriod 
 0/ Humane Lif e. 
 
 Ttiere never wasi any 
 age in which the itch- 
 ing humour of writing 
 many Books was more 
 truly vifible, thaftintheprefent ": 
 we may now with the Poet re- 
 grate , that , Scribimm indotli 
 dociique , every man thinks hirii- 
 felf fit enough to fpiri out, i 
 
 a m 
 
(i ) 
 
 difcourfe for the Prefs • henee is 
 it , that the World is even ready 
 to complain of the Burden. I 
 know it is ufual to pretend the 
 importunity of neceflity, a very 
 fair and fpecious pretext 5 but I 
 much doubt , if it be always real 
 and true. 
 
 BUT leaf!: I feem acceflary to 
 the fault I fo much condemn^ I 
 here enter my folemn proteft$ 
 that as it was no piece of vanity 
 that engaged me to write the for- 
 mer difcourfe ; Co neither am I 
 now acSed by that principle to 
 defend it : If it had been any un- 
 worthy motive that did firft ani- 
 mate me,I fhould now have appea- 
 red, in Sackcloth 5 with a free and 
 ingenuous confeffion of the crime. 
 
 BUT having in the Preface to 
 that difcourfe already fatisfied the 
 World concerning the defign , 
 both of the Author , and of the 
 Book : I fhall now forbear to give 
 a more tedious account. 
 
 AND 
 
(3 ) 
 
 AND becaufe I promifed if the 
 judicious (hould diflike any thing 
 in the Book, either to fatisfic them, 
 or yield to the force of their clea- 
 rer difcoveries: I am now come 
 to tell them , that I will keep my 
 promife 5 and ftand to that engage- 
 ment. 
 
 MUCH has been faid in private 
 Cabals againft both Author and 
 Book : that the Author is an o<fr* 
 minim , is but a moddt cenfure b 
 which I affure them does not in 
 the leaft offend me. As for their 
 more fevere thundrings , in con- 
 demning the Book to the flames 3 
 and the Author to the Pillory 5 
 it is good their power is not able 
 to effedt what they pleafe. I fee 
 if they cannot anfwer the Book, 
 they are refolved to make both it 
 and the Author odious enough* 
 But all the (landers that mahce 
 can invent , fhall never difcou- 
 rage me from defence of the 
 Truth, 
 
 Aa IP 
 
(4) 
 
 I F the great Captain of our 
 Salvation was laid to be a Sam m i- 
 tan, and to have a Devil: It is but 
 a fmall matter that I ihould meet 
 with difingenuous men, who yet 
 brand me with more gentile 
 crimes. If my own familiar 
 friends fliould carry themfelves 
 demurely towards me , this is no 
 harder meafure than what better 
 men than I have experienced. It 
 is an old, but true faying, Vert- 
 tits odium far it. The great Apo- 
 ftle of the Gentiles did find it lb , 
 Am I become your Enemy because I 
 tell you the truth * And fince this 
 isalfo my lot, I (hall bear thofe 
 various cenfures very patiently, 
 not intending to render reviling 
 for reviling , but Blelling for 
 Curfing ; Lord, forgive them , for 
 they know not what they do, 
 
 BUT that I may not be further 
 tedious, I fhall pafs by all private 
 cenfures , and now only confider 
 an Anfwer, which. was fent me 
 : by 
 
( J ) 
 
 |by the Gentleman who publiflhed 
 my former Books , with the fol- 
 io wing Letter. 
 
 S I R, 
 
 BEing informed that there was 
 an An fiver to your late difcourfe 
 concerning the Period of Humane 
 Life, intended for the Prefl; I ceafed 
 not 'till I had [poke with the perfon 
 that had it : \Jdnd although I had but 
 [mall acquaintance with him , yet his 
 ingenuity was juch , that I obtained 
 a fight of it ; but finding it fo long 
 that I could not then perufe it , / ear- 
 nejlly defired to know if he had the 
 confidence to trujl me with it ; freely 
 adding , that I knew how to commu- 
 nicate it to you ( not telling who you 
 were , ) at fir ft he feemed to re fife, 
 but after I had /hewed him the reafe- 
 nableneft of my defire , he condefcen- 
 ded. Sir, The Anfwer is thought to 
 be no ways dejpicable ; therefore if 
 your affairs of greater concern can 
 A 2 allow, 
 
&llovc , lajfure you your fteedy anfrver 
 to ; and return of theje Papers , will 
 be very acceptable to; 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Your obliged Servant. 
 
 I have here fet down this Let- 
 ter , that men may know by 
 what means I obtained a fight of 
 the anfwer before it was Printed; 
 
 The REPLY- 
 
 Sir, 
 
 SOME few days ago I received 
 yours, with the bundle of 
 Paper. I heartily thank you for 
 the pains you have taken in that 
 particular, I have now perufed 
 thofe Papers, which I find are 
 bespattered with 'very much Gall 
 
 2nd 
 
( 7 ) 
 and bitternefs- it is a fevere chal- 
 lenge , that I b.ive fatten upon very 
 bad principles , and, maintam a t op- 
 tion contrary both to the Doclrin of 
 our Church x and of all fiber and 
 Orthodox Divines. If this were 
 true as it is falfe,the Author might 
 be excufed for his over much zeal - 
 but fince the cenfure is altogether 
 void of truth , he muft pardon 
 me to fay , that the calumny is 
 inexcufiible : but I love not to fiing 
 Dirt upon thole , who take the 
 liberty to befpatter me with it 5 it 
 were eafie to recriminate •, but our 
 great Mailer never taught any 
 iuch lelfon. 
 
 BUT as I do not know of what 
 Church the Author is a Member, 
 ( for it may be 5 I oppoie , that 
 D dun that is hotly taught in 
 fome particular Churches) lb nei- 
 ther do I know what Divines may 
 be Orthodox in hi r account: Sure 
 lam, that both the v-ftand molt 
 learned Wrucrsof thi- ,ndf;;r ec 
 ' A 4 ages. 
 
(8) 
 
 ages j have maintained the fenti- 
 nlents I have embraced. 
 
 WHETHER the Authors opi- 
 nion or mine does beft agree with 
 the humours of bad men , needs but 
 very little judgment to determin. 
 Pray,how can it gratifie any wick- 
 ed man to tell him>that he may pro- 
 long his days ( a thing the moffc 
 vitious and apteft to wiih) if he 
 would obey the Laws of Heaven? 
 And upon the other hand 5 that 
 his days fhall be (ho'rtened (a hea- 
 vy and unpleafant meffage to bad 
 men 5 who have no other heaven 
 but what they enjoy upon Earth) 
 if he continues in his wickednefs ? 
 Methinks this principle is To far 
 from encouraging men to fin, that 
 it quite oppofeth it 5 affording 
 men molt excellent encourage- 
 ments to promote' piety, and to 
 fhun all manner of vices, which 
 had down to 'the chambers of 
 'Death. 
 
 BUT if we no\v enquire how 
 
 r 1 ,; m 
 
(9 ) 
 
 the Do&rin of .abfolute and irre- 
 fiftible decrees do encourage men 
 to be holy v we (hall weary our 
 felves e're we find one reafon to 
 prove it. There can be no Do- 
 ctrine more pleafing to bad men , 
 for indeed hereby they labour to 
 excufe themfelves, telling us, that 
 God has from Eternity abfolutely 
 determined every thing they 
 thould do 5 and therefore they can- 
 not help it. O how lufcious is 
 the high reliih of this Do&rin to 
 bad men ! 
 
 FROM all this it may appear , 
 that the Gentleman might have 
 very well fpared that Pathetick 
 Query. Shall we let it abroad to infect 
 me n Without ever discovering the dan- 
 ger of it ? No fure Sir, that were a 
 great fault •, pray involve not your 
 ielf (by afinful filence) in fo much 
 guilt: But alas! if I fhould put 
 the Author to tell me wherein lies 
 the danger, I could hazard ten to 
 one that he ihould be puzied to tell. 
 
, ( io ) 
 
 But this muft pafs for current 
 Coin, and be as (trongly believed, 
 as if it were proved by ten thou-- 
 fand Mathematical Demon ftrati- 
 ons-, elfe we will be called credu- 
 lous, and not having fo much 
 Faith, as a Grain of Muftard- 
 Seed. 
 
 I CONFESS the Author pre- 
 tends to be very unwWMngJo engage 
 in the nice peculations of controversial 
 Divinity ; but yet it feems he is of 
 fo good and condeicending a na- 
 ture, that he cannot refill the 
 great importunity of a noble 
 Friend-, he will rather hazard 
 one Angle look into things that ( as 
 he fays) are hid, than difoblige 
 his Friend, or (and indeed this is 
 a ftrong reafon ) fuflfer the good 
 caufe to be ruined by his filence. 
 And thus we fee that by his gra- 
 cious condefcenfion , he luckily 
 beiiows a couple of favours, one. 
 upon his friend , and the other 
 upon truth. Sure never was there 
 
 any 
 
( II ) 
 
 any man more fortunately happy, 
 but I forgot it was his rate to do 
 To , and no thanks to him for all 
 this. 
 
 THE Gentleman needed not, I 
 think,have troubled himfelf much 
 withtheftateof the controverfie > 
 fince I had done it plainly enough $ 
 and I leave you to guefs if the 
 Author has done it more clear- 
 
 BUT paffing lefler circumftan- 
 ces , I come now to examin the 
 Arguments he brings , to prove, 
 that the Period of every man s life 
 is unalterably fix'd by the Divine 
 Decree: this is the grand point he 
 maintains 5 a Do&rine long fince 
 introduced by the Stoicks^ and of 
 a later date , efpoufed by Mahomet 
 and his followers. 
 
 AND yet if we will believe the 
 Author, this D.o&rin is every 
 whit confonant to Scripture, and 
 undoubtedly proved by reafon : 
 Well then > let us follow the Au- 
 thor 
 
( 12 ) 
 
 thor in his fearch , and fee whe- 
 ther fuch an uncouth notion has a 
 favourable afpeft from either of the 
 two. 
 
 AS for Scripture, i. he tells 
 US , there are many plain Texts 
 which do upon that account , exprefi a 
 kind of propriety , that men may 
 claim in this loft Period. O won- 
 derful fubtle difputer! I know no 
 man could argue fo profoundly if 
 not a Difciple of Foetius: but let 
 us confider the Texts of Scripture 
 he brings to prove this- the firit 
 is EccL 9. 12. <yifan alfo knovceth 
 not his time. Now the Author 
 makes this to be the import of 
 the words: The Period (fays he) 
 of man s life is fixed by one absolute 
 Decree , and therefore he may call it 
 I his time. ] This is indeed a very 
 ingenious Comment , only it is 
 faulty in that it is lingular-, fori 
 dare promife , few men ever 
 thought this was the meaning of 
 the Text : If I had been in the 
 
 Pulpit 
 
( h ) 
 
 Pulpit I had readily raifed this 
 Dodrin • that the time of our Dying 
 U very uncertain , and I had proved 
 it by Solomons words , man a/fo 
 knoweth not his time. ^Another 
 Text he brings, is Pfal. 39. 5. 
 Lord, make me to know mine end, 
 and the measure of my days. But 
 I remember I have already (hewed 
 how ftrangely this Text is brought 
 to confirm a Dodrin it is utterly 
 unacquainted with 3 fee The Period 
 of Humane Life^ fag. 109. Edit. 1. 
 by this brief reply the Author 
 may eafily guefs what ftrengthis 
 inthefeorthe like Phrafes to con- 
 firm his opinion. 
 
 THE next argument he urgeth 
 is every whit as impertinent- for 
 it is an old and true faying, Omnis 
 fimilitudo claudicat : this the Author 
 feems to fmell- but he pretends 
 that he is fo wife , as to prefs them 
 no farther than the fcope of the 
 comparifons lead him- but whe- 
 ther this be fo or not, I (hall briefly 
 
 examin. 
 
( H ) 
 
 examin. Firft, Scripture (he fays) 
 frequently compares the life of mm 
 to the Graf; the purifying and de- 
 caying of which , is fixed and deter* 
 mined. i^Snfw. It will trouble 
 the Author to prove, that all 
 Grafs doth flourifh in the Morning, 
 and decays in the Evening. But 
 I (hall grant that there are fome 
 Flowers that do- yet this can 
 never prove that the Period of 
 Humane Life is fatally determi- 
 ned. If I remember well, Com- 
 mentators fay , fuch fimilitudes 
 are made life of to denote the 
 brevity of man's life. I fhall in- 
 ftance but one facred Text, to 
 prove this is the import of the 
 fimilkude-, the place is Job 14. 
 i, 2. ^Man that is born of a 
 Woman, is of few days and full of 
 trouble , he cometh forth as a Flower, 
 and is cut down. Secondly y IJe 
 tells us , that the life of man is 
 compared to a Race , Heb. ii. 1. 
 ^infw. It is fo, and that very 
 apttv i 
 
t.tf ) 
 
 aptly • but not becaufe the bounds 
 are unalterably fixed , but becaufe 
 of the noble price that is appointed 
 for thofe who obey the Divine 
 Precepts, and who do not faint 
 in welldoing., and the only intent 
 of the comparifon is, that if we 
 expeft that Heavenly reward, we 
 muft perfevere in well doing . as 
 thofe who run in a Race do not 
 faint and give over, if they ex- 
 pe& to obtain the price. Thirdly , 
 The life of man ( fays he ) is com- 
 pared to ajhadow. {^fnfrv. I know 
 it is 5 but lure not becaufe it hath 
 determined limits , but becaufe of 
 its duration • for as a fhadow 
 quickly pallet h away , fo the days 
 of man are but few. Hence job 
 tells US, He fleet b as ajhadow. cap. 14, 
 2. and the Pfalmift fpeaking of 
 himfelf fays , / am gone like a (ha- 
 dow -when it declineth. But I have 
 infifted too long in anfwering fucli 
 trivial arguments. I will now 
 view if the plain ( as he calls 
 
 them* 
 
( i« ) 
 therri > implying that the former 
 were not) Texts of Scripture he 
 brings, be urged to any better pur- 
 pofe. 
 
 THE firft plain text is Job 14. 
 5. Seeing his 'days are determine a ' 7 
 Sec. this is indeed the moft re- 
 markable place of Scripture we 
 have feemingly (landing againft 
 us ; but in my former difcourfe I 
 have fully fliewn, that it does no 
 way contradid: any pofition I de- 
 fend. I fhall therefore now only 
 confider what he urges againii 
 what I there replied , and judge 
 you which of us does fuc- 
 cumb. 
 
 I cannot (fays he) but admire 
 the ^4uthor y s impudence in making 
 this fext the Jafis of his difcourfe. 
 Good Sir , is this the effecS of a 
 mild and gentle Spirit? but ill 
 pardon this , fince may be it is 
 the refult of your holy zeal • but 
 if you be not refolved to be an 
 admirer , I will endeavour to 
 
 cure 
 
(17) 
 cure that diftemper. The reafoti 
 thea why I made choice of that 
 Text was , becaufe I judged it the 
 ihain place urged in defence of the 
 opinion you maintain ; add if this 
 were well cleared and duly explai- 
 ned, and made to make nothing 
 for you, I eafily forefaw how little 
 difficulty there would beinanfwe- 
 ring other Texts. 
 
 LET us now view how artifici- 
 ally he draws Job's words in a 
 Syllogyftick fear ,' If God (fays he) 
 has fo determined man s days , that 
 he cannot paft thofe prefixed bounds > 
 then the Period of Humane Life is 
 not mutable ; but the firjl is unque- 
 Jl ion able. Ergo. ^Anfw a If the 
 Author had but retiieiiibred how 
 he had ftated the cafe , he had ne- 
 ver made ufe of this argument ; 
 for he grants , that both he and I 
 may maintain [ that the Period of 
 Humane Life is both mutable and 
 immutable. I did riot deny but 
 our days are determined,feej?>*g.8i» 
 E and 
 
( 18 ) 
 
 and the Author muft know ] that 
 all the debate is concerning the 
 
 TO ifrlQTl. 
 
 But ( fays the Author ) I am 
 heartily glad that he acknowledged 
 the infinity of the Divine knowledge. 
 When I firft did read this, I 
 thought the Author had forgot 
 himfelf , for he is but feldom in fo 
 good an humour $ but when I 
 again viewed what follows, I faw 
 all was fpoken Ironice • which 
 will make me ever afterwards 
 fufpeft his Complements: And 
 if he kifs again , I fhall be upoia. 
 my Guard that he do not bo. 
 tray. 
 
 HOW the Divine knowledge 
 is not conjectural , although it be 
 not founded on an abfolute De- 
 cree, has been briefly manifefted 
 in the firft Difcourfe. But becaufe 
 I muft follow the Author , I fhall 
 forbear to fpeak of it here, becaufe 
 it comes afterwards to be confi- 
 dered. 
 
 A 
 
( 19 ) 
 
 A SECOND plain Textof 
 Scripture is tfif, 90. 3. Thou tur- 
 nefl man to deflruclion ,j and, fayejl , 
 return ye children of men. I am 
 the mod deceived , if this Text 
 proves what it is brought for: Sure 
 the only intent of the Royal Pfal- 
 mift here is to fliew , that God 
 is the fupream Lord and Mafter of 
 the Univerfe 3 who £xercifeth an 
 uncontrolable Dofninion 5 and 
 who can according to his pleafurfc 
 either fhorten or prolong the 
 days of man $ but there is ndt one 
 word here of any abfolute De- 
 cree. > v 
 
 A THIRD plain Text equi- 
 valent to the former is Pfal. 68. 
 20. Unto God the Lord belong the 
 paffage to Death* Now let us hear 
 the Author's Comment > that u 
 ( fays he) the Period of every mans 
 life is in the hand of God. Now 
 this is indeed very well faid- but 
 he fees better than his Neigh- 
 bours j who fays it is fpoken to 
 B % the 
 
( 20 ) 
 
 the ptirpofe. But further , what 
 if he and roetius have given a bad 
 Tranllation of the Text , if I 
 might hazard to our Engli(h\ 
 (which I think is one of the beft 
 Tranflations ) I dare fay it is fo ; 
 for there we read, Unto God the 
 Lord belong the [ijfues from ] 
 Death. 
 
 THE laft plain text is A&. 
 17. 26. He hath determined the 
 to unds of our Habitation, Strange ! 
 the Author can never find the 
 word determine , but he inftantly 
 concludes , that we are to under- 
 ftand an abfolute and irrefpe<5Hve 
 Decree, He knows well enough 
 that I grant that the Period of 
 Humane life is determined , why 
 then does he urge thefe Texts 
 againft me £ 
 
 IN the next place, the Au- 
 thor brings a great many inftan- 
 ces to prove the Period of thofe 
 mens lives, who dye a cafual and 
 violent Death 3 is fixed and deter- 
 mined* 
 
;( 2i ) 
 
 mined • but he needed not to have 
 put himfelf to fo much trouble , 
 fince I never maintained, that the 
 World is left to its own cafual re- 
 volutions. If he hadpleafed, he 
 might have viewed pag. 76. where 
 he will find , I grant , that the 
 moji feemingly ufual periods of men, 
 are ordered by an infinite Wifdorw , 
 and fall under the Divine Rule and 
 Dominion. 
 
 NEITHER needs the Au- 
 thor redouble his NOW, NOW. 
 vve have the ^Author yielding ; be- 
 caufe I faid 5 we never doubted, 
 but the great Governour of the 
 World may make what refer ved cafes 
 he pleafes from the general Rule , 
 and the ordinary courfe of things^ 
 fag* in. This methinks is a 
 very plain Truth •, but that I may 
 do all I can to fatisfie the Author, 
 I fhall add , that the reafon why 
 fome mens lives may be unalte- 
 rably determined, and yet the 
 Period of other mens may for or- 
 B 3 dinary 
 
( 2% ) 
 
 dinary be left mutable, i$, becaufe 
 the fupream Governour of the 
 World thinks fit it (hould be fo. 
 If this will not fuffice the Aur 
 thor , let him choofc as he thinks 
 beft. 
 
 BUT to proceed , fines the 
 firjl fiep ( fays he ) and moment of 
 cur Beings is determined, it is but 
 reasonable to think that the LJl is 
 alfo fixed, <^fnfvp. It is extream- 
 ly reafonable , only we muft take 
 heed that we do not wreft Scrip- 
 ture to patronize our own felf- 
 chofen opinions : Now the T§xt 
 brought to prove that the firft mo- 
 ment of our Being is determined, 
 is Pfal. 139. \6. which is a very 
 odd Paraphrafe of the Author's, 
 for the Pfalmift there is not fpea- 
 kingof the Divine Decrees, but 
 of the infinity" of the Divine 
 knowledge, which is a depth he 
 confefFes he cannot Fathom. Now 
 that God doth know both the firft 
 andlaft moments of our life, is a 
 
 Truth 
 
( *3 ) 
 Truth I am as ready to defend as 
 the Author. 
 
 BUT I fee the Author isre- 
 folved to difpute with me , as if 
 I were an enemy to a particular 
 Divine Providence $ elfe to 
 what purpofe does he bring his 
 following troop of Arguments? 
 As 
 
 1 . A H the affions and works >all the 
 ways and flefs of man , are ordered 
 by God. i^sfnfw. All this is con- 
 fefled by me . if he urgeth them 
 againft any other, let thofe con- 
 cerned make anfwer. 
 
 2. o/// other animate Beings (fays 
 he) are determined. ^Anfw. To 
 what and how are they determi- 
 ned? I know they have a Being^and 
 that they are all dependent Crea- 
 tures. But do you ferioufly think 
 that God from Eternity did by an 
 abfolute Decree determin the Pe- 
 riod of every Creature? Can you 
 without a certain relu&ancy fay, 
 that the fupream and adorable 
 
 B 4 Being 
 
( ?4 ) 
 
 Being of whom we ought to en- 
 tertain noble and becoming 
 thoughts , did by an abfplute 
 Decree determin the parti- 
 cular Period of every Fjea t 
 Pray confide.r, Sir, what you 
 fay. 
 
 §. Inanimate Beings (fays he) are 
 alfo limitted. Anfvc. When God firft 
 Created the World , he put every 
 thing in a fit and convenient Sta- 
 tion 5 and fo exa&ly ordered every 
 piece of the Creation , that it 
 fhouldbe fubfervient to the whole. 
 Hence he fet bounds, to the Wa- 
 ters, and appointed the Sun , 
 Moon, and Stars, to be for Signs, 
 and for Seafons, and for Days, 
 and Years; and according to the 
 Primitive Precept, every thing 
 {Angels and Men excepted) ftands 
 according as he ordered. But 
 yet thefe inanimate things are 
 not fo fixed , as that upon extraor- 
 dinary occafions he cannot alter 
 tBeir co.urfe. 
 
 4. T>$ 
 
( *5 ) 
 
 4. Do we not (fays he) read of 
 the determined Period of Kings and 
 Kingdoms? ^Anfw. Undoubtedly 
 we do 3 but what then? Do you 
 imagin that God, by an abfblute 
 Decree did d^termin the Periods of 
 particular Kings ^nd Kingdoms ji 
 Pray confider what the Majefty 
 of Heaven hath faid , i Kings g. 
 4, 5, 6, &c. if thou wilt keep my 
 Statutes and Judgments,, then I mil 
 ILjiablifh the Throne of thy Kingdom 
 upon Ifrael for ever ; but if you 
 will not keep my Commandments 
 and my Statutes, then will I cut off 
 Ifrael , &c. Surely the moft 
 High ruleth in the Kingdom of 
 pien , he putteth down one , 
 ^nd fetteth up another , and ac- 
 cording as men obey his Statutes, 
 fo he difpenfeth his favours to 
 them. 
 
 5. It is a dangerous thing (fays 
 he) to grant , that the moft incon- 
 fiderable thing is exempted from the 
 Hand of Divine Providence. i^4n[w. 
 
 I 
 
( 26 ) 
 
 I am very far from thinking, that 
 the Author is an Enemy to the 
 Divine Providence 5 but truly of 
 the two opinions, that which he 
 maintains feems to enervate it 
 more than mine; for if God has 
 from Eternity absolutely decreed 
 every thing, then a particular 
 providence whereby he fuperin- 
 tends and governs all things,(eems 
 not to have any place 5 but the opi- 
 nion I maintain puts all things in 
 the hands of God , who may do 
 in Heaven and in Earth as he 
 thinks fit. He may fhorten or 
 prolong my life \ he may do with 
 me as he pleafeth , for he is our 
 Maker , and we the work of his 
 own hands. This encourageth 
 me to wait and depend upon him , 
 becaufe I know he is the Cover- 
 nour of the World , and has fo 
 abfolute a Dominion, that none 
 can ftay his hand , or fay unto 
 him, what doft thou? 
 
 HENCE not only thofe 
 
 things 
 
<*7 ) 
 
 things which fuftain and uphold 
 men in Being , but alfo the Pe- 
 riod of every man's life depends 
 upon God: As he may either 
 give or deny thofe neceffary things, 
 To may he alfo ftiorten or prolong 
 our life. And thus there is no need 
 of running to the abfolute De- 
 cree. 
 
 <5. // is (fays he J an old andun* 
 questionable Maxim of PbiUfophers, 
 cujufque contradicJionis altera pars 
 determinate vera efl , altera falfa. 
 <^s4nfvp. The Maxim is very true, 
 but not very pertinently applied. 
 For fuppofing there had never 
 been a World , and fo no Decree 
 concerning any thing future 5 yet 
 this had been true, both parts of a 
 contradiction cannot be true. But 
 now if the Author means , that 
 the operations of free Agents are 
 all abiblutely determined • this he 
 muft prove by fome other medium 
 than that Philofophick Maxim , 
 -which only infers that one part 
 
 of 
 
(*8) 
 
 of the contradi&ion is true , but 
 leaves us ignorant which of the 
 two. 
 
 AFTER all this he comes at 
 length to Catechife me moft fe~ 
 verely. mil ye (fays he J have 
 your recourfe to a Stoical fate , or 
 Turkilh neceffity? No, good Sir, 
 I allure you I will not > but I am 
 afraid fome others may. will ye 
 plead (fays he) from the fortui- 
 tous concourse of Epicurean Atoms ?■ 
 Or — Pray Sir hold , for it is 
 fo long fince I was laft exami- 
 ned, that I have almofl: forgot 
 the trick of anfwering. If I 
 fhould permit you to proceed , I 
 could only fay No to all your 
 Queftions . and I believe you 
 knew well enough that I was as 
 much an Enemy to all thefe as your 
 felf. 
 
 BUT I fee what you have. 
 yet faid are but flender attempts , 
 and only in order to a more noble 
 and grand defign. It is well 
 
 your 
 
C i9 ) 
 
 your frtiall Shot, difcharged irl 
 thefe light Skirraiflies , have not 
 hurt us. Come let us pro- 
 ceed , and fee the event of the 
 fight, 
 
 if God ( fays he ) has not by an 
 absolute Decree determined, the Pe- 
 riod of every mtm's life ; how can 
 the certainty of the Divine foreknow- 
 ledge be defended? K^infw. Could 
 the Author be contented with it as 
 the Scriptures leave it , there need 
 be little debate in the cafe. The 
 Gentleman is pleafed to fay , that 
 I feem to be like a Ship tolled with 
 a great Storm 5 but he might have 
 more truly faid, that I think that 
 it is a bold enquiry which concerns 
 not us to know, the depths of the 
 Divine Wifdomare too profound 
 for Mortals to meaiure 5 andfince 
 Sacred Writ calls it a depth , lam 
 fure it is fafeft to break out into 
 that extafie of admiration with 
 the Apoftle, Rom. n. 33. O the 
 defth of the Riches, both of the Wisdom 
 
 and 
 
( 30 ) 
 
 and Knowledge of God! how un~ 
 fearchable are his Judgments, and 
 his ways fajl finding out / For 
 who hath known the mind of the 
 Lord 3 or who hath been his Coun- 
 feller? 
 
 I F God had ever defigned that 
 we ftiould know thofe fecrets, he 
 had certainly difclofed them in 
 his revealed Word * but fince 
 Scripture is filent , it is our Wif- 
 dom to forbear a curious fearch 
 into things which he hath refer- 
 ved within his own peculiar Jurif- 
 di&ion. 
 
 BUT I fee this will not ferve 
 the Author's turn > he will have 
 the very manner of Gods know- 
 ledge of future things determi- 
 ned- and if I cannot tell , yet he 
 can unfold this Secret, by faying, 
 that God has from Eternity absolutely 
 Decreed every thing , therefore he 
 certainly knows every thing. And 
 now becaufe this is the grand 
 Do<5trin he always repeats 5 I (hall 
 
 with* 
 
(3i ) 
 
 without being very tedious » firfl: 
 fliew him,that we have no ground 
 to believe that every future a&i- 
 on is abfolutely decreed. And 
 feeondly , I fhall endeavour to 
 fhew, that the Divine knowledge 
 is notwithftanding certain and in- 
 fallible. 
 
 i. WE have no ground to 
 believe, that every future a&ion is 
 abfolutely decreed , becaufe God 
 does certainly know all finful and 
 criminal a&ions , and yet we can- 
 not rationally conclude that he has 
 abfolutely decreed thofe actions, 
 for this doth neither agree with 
 the juftice nor goodnefs of God. 
 Do you think that ajuft and good 
 God ( who is the Judge of all the 
 Earth ) would punifti men with 
 everlafting Torments 5 if he had 
 by an abfolute decree determined 
 that they fhould commit all thefe 
 Sins < Methinks if this were the 
 cafe of thefe mifcreants , they 
 might reafonably excufe them- 
 
 felves 
 
( ji ) 
 
 felves before their Judge , by al* 
 ledging , that they could not do 
 otherwise. But triily there is no 
 ground for this plea , for he hath 
 left men inexcufable, and doth 
 not teiiipt any mad to Sin. 
 
 BUT I remember the Author 
 diftinguifheth between an effe- 
 ctive and permijfive decree. Anfw. 
 I could never yet well underftand 
 what they mean by a fermiffive 
 decree: If they fay, God ohly per- 
 mits Siri, they fay right- but 
 from thence they can expeft tip 
 fandhiary, for this cannot accor- 
 ding to them be a ground to infer 
 any certain knowledge $ for to 
 permit Sin, is in this cafe only i 
 not hindering of men in their 
 wicked coutfes arid ways. If you 
 .yet add, that in that permiffive 
 decree , the will of man , with 
 all the circumftances of time and 
 place are included. I Anfwer , 
 that the decree is not then abfo- 
 litte but refpe&ive , fince both 
 
 perfons 
 
<33 ) 
 perfons and their qualification^ 
 are confidered : And I muft con- 
 fefs this is very agreable with fc- 
 veral phrafesof Scripture, parti- 
 cularly with that Rom. 8. 29. For 
 whom he did foreknow , them aljb he 
 did predejlinate. So that if we 
 even run up to the knotty point of 
 predeftination , we fhall find that 
 the Decrees, both of election and 
 reprobation confider the qualifica- 
 tions of perfons , and that fore- 
 knowledge proceeds any Decree : 
 and indeed this was the opinion of 
 all learned men before S.i^Jugu- 
 
 jlins time. Serif tores veteres (faith 
 CM elancthon , c i t ed by Epifcopiw^ i n 
 his fecond Epiftle to Bererovicim) 
 omnes prefer umm Auguftinuni > 
 pHtarunt aliquam cattptm elecJionis 
 in nobis effe. 
 
 , 2. WE have clear evidences 
 from Scripture informing us , that 
 God did certainly know many 
 things which fliould have been 
 really future 3 if the conditions 
 C updri 
 
( 34) 
 upon which their futurition depen- 
 ded had been placed/ Our Savi- 
 our Chrift tells us, that if the 
 mighty works which were done 
 in Chorazin and Bethfaida , had 
 been done in Tyre and Sidon, they 
 had repented. God knew that if 
 Cain had done well , he fhould 
 have been accepted. The whole 
 tenor of the Scriptures abounds 
 with many fuch like inftances. 
 If Nineveh had not repented, God 
 knew that they (hould have been 
 deftroyed. It is not abfurd to 
 think that God would have 
 threatned to inflid that punish- 
 ment which he did not know 5 as 
 certainly he would not, if their 
 Doftrin concerning the abfolute 
 Decrees be true. But I remember 
 I have in the former difcourfein- 
 fifted upon this argument $ I 
 (hall therefore only now con- 
 sider what the Author anfwers 
 to the Texts of Scripture there 
 cited. 
 
 THE 
 
( 35 ) 
 THE firft Text is i Sam. 23. 
 ii, 12. which plainly (hews , 
 that God did certainly know, that 
 if David had not departed from 
 Keilah , the Kcilites had delivered 
 him into the hands of Saul. To 
 this he anfwers ,-. That David was 
 not curioufly inqutfitive concerning 
 the Divine Will, for that was a 
 Secret. Re fly. This is a ftrange 
 fancy, for is it not as certain as 
 any thing can be , that David 
 enquired of the Lord whether 
 Saul was come to Keilah , and if 
 the Kcilites would deliver him up 5 
 which David bad.rnpt known 
 ('till it may be , too late) if God 
 had not revealed both. But he 
 fays , there was no prediction of 
 any thing which (houtd be. <^sfnfw. 
 It's true , Saul, did not come to 
 Keilah, but certainly he fhould 
 have come, if David had remai- 
 ned. And thus the prediction is 
 of what fhould have happened . 
 if David had not left Keilah, 
 C i And 
 
( J* 3 
 
 And do you think that God would 
 have foretold any thing but what 
 he certainly knew ? Again he 
 adds 3 that the prediction was not con- 
 cerning DavidV being delivered up, 
 tint concerning the inclinations of the 
 people. Kjfnfrv. The Text Tpeaks 
 nothing of the inclinations of the 
 people, but of a thing future 5 
 'they vpill deliver you up , viz. if 
 you ftay with them : and fo 
 David does not inquire if Saul in- 
 tends to come up, neither does the 
 Anfwer he receives imply any fueh 
 
 fl E other Text is 2 King. 13. 
 19. where the Prophet is angry 
 \vith the King of Ifrael, for frui- 
 ting upon the ground but thrice $ 
 telling him, that if he hadfmit- 
 ten five or fix times, he had 
 fmitren Syria, till he had confu- 
 med it. To this he anfwers, that 
 is is altogether groundlefi to in? agin ? 
 that God had decreed that Joafli 
 (hould [mite the Ground more than 
 
 thrice. 
 
(37) 
 thrice, o//z/n\ We do not* fay 
 that God had abfolutely ; decreed 
 how oft he fliould finite the 
 Ground. Scripture makes no 
 mention of any Decree, only 
 this he tells us , that if Ioaflj had 
 fmitten five or fix times, Jie had 
 totally fubdued Syria. And truly, 
 fince we find the Prophet angry 
 with him becaufe he only fmotQ 
 thrice 5 w r e may rationally fuppofe 
 that God had not abfolutely de- 
 creed that he fliould finite no 
 oftner. To fuppofe that the Re : 
 velation was general, is only a 
 may be- and we may morewar- 
 rantably fay , what if it was not 
 general ? 
 
 3. LET us now come to ex- 
 amin the dangerous eflfe&s of this 
 Dodlrin of this abfolute and un- 
 conditional Decrees, and the bad 
 confequences which naturally 
 proceed from it. 1. I have 
 fhewed that it deftroys the free* 
 dom of Humane nature. And 
 C 3 2. That 
 
( 38 ) 
 
 2. That it makes all lawfull means 
 unneceflary - fee the Period of Hu- 
 mane Life, pag. 103. 3. It leaves 
 no place for praile to the learned 
 Phyfician , nor for difpraife to the 
 unskillful Empyrick> fag. 105. 
 And 4. If this Do&rin be pur- 
 fued to the uttermoft , it enga- 
 ges men to expofe themfelves 
 like fools or mad men to any dan- 
 ger. 
 
 BUT 2, Although God has 
 not abfolutely Decreed every fu- 
 ture a&ion , yet he. hath an uni- 
 verfal and certain cognifance of 
 everything. For 1. That I may 
 argue (as they fpeak) ad hominem, 
 I hope the Author will not deny 
 that God knows every thing that 
 ispoffible, and yet no man ever 
 faid , that God decrees what 
 things are poffible 3 and what not. 
 God knew how to raife up Chil- 
 dren unto ^Abraham out of the 
 Stones , and yet I think there was 
 no Decree concerning this. 
 
 2. God 
 
( 39 ) 
 2. God knows whatfoever is true, 
 but all future adions are true 5 
 if it be true that Trims died this 
 day , in fuch a place , and of fuch 
 a malady • this was from Eternity 
 true , that he fliould dye this day , 
 and in fuch a place. But ye fay , 
 an aftion is not future , but be- 
 caufe it is decreed. K^infw. That 
 I may quickly difpatch this , I 
 fhall now freely impart what has 
 fully for a long time fatisfied 
 me. 
 
 THE great and wife Creator, 
 out of his meer pleafure, freely 
 Created this World, and furni- 
 flied it with varieties of Crea- 
 tures , of different natures $ 
 amongft thofe , Man made after 
 the Image of his Maker, was 
 created a free Agent. Now 
 fincc the Eternal Wifdom thought 
 it expedient , that there fhould be 
 fuch a Creature as Man - we mult 
 not take from him that free prin- 
 ciple bellowed upon him in his 
 C 4 Crea- 
 
(4o ) 
 Creation : And fince it is the 
 good pleafure of Heaven , that 
 Man in all his a&ions fhould a& 
 freely and without conilraint , 
 what reafon have we to think 
 that there is any abfolute Decree 
 which is inconfiftent with this 
 freedom i <^Aad thus , that there 
 ever was fuch a Creature as Man, 
 this is the meer refult of the Di- 
 vine Will • that Man a<5ts freely 
 and without conftraint, this is 
 alfo the effed: of Divine Good- 
 nefs; and thus all things depend 
 upon the Divine Will. And be- 
 caufe the Divine Knowledge* is 
 infinite, he therefore knows every 
 thing that Man is to ad: ^ for 
 whatfoever he a&s is true, and 
 fo confequentially was from Eter- 
 nity true. This methinks is 
 a plain and eafie way , to fe- 
 cure both the certainty of 
 the Divine Knowledge , and 
 the freedom of Humane Na- 
 ture, 
 
 HA- 
 
( 4i ) 
 
 HAVING thus difpatched 
 thefe two things I propofed , I 
 now return to the Author 5 where 
 firft we find him fighting luftily 
 with CftioliriA and Fonfeca , and 
 Curfing their Biftard ( begotten, 
 he fays , in the dark, pardon this 
 innocent piece of Drollery ) Sci T 
 entia, media, withe's imprecati- 
 on. 
 
 ALTHOUGH it be a di- 
 greflion to difcourfe of this , yet 
 iince the Author thinks he has 
 thereby ruined and undermined 
 all I have faid, I (hill follow the 
 Author , and briefly examin his 
 arguments he urges againft this 
 Doftrin. » 
 
 THE firft afluult he makes, 
 is , That J have reconrfte to the 
 Jefuitical Port. ^Anfo. He ha- 
 ving before compared me to a 
 Ship toffed with a great Storm , 
 it is no wonder though I be glad 
 to get to any fafe Haven 5 if it 
 belongs to the jefttit.es, the b.ufi- 
 
 nefs 
 
( 4* ) 
 nefs is not great 3 fince the Port 
 is fecure. And I am fure the 
 Author's Do&rin of Phyfical pre- 
 determination is the invention 
 of the Dominicans ; jam \umus ergo 
 fares. 
 
 BUT are there no Vroteflant 
 Divines, who own and main- 
 tain, that God knows that many 
 things fliould have been future , 
 if fuch and fuch conditions had 
 been placed? Does the Author 
 know , that Gomarus , Walem , 
 and many other Foreign Theologs, 
 have recourfe to Scientia media ; 
 And at home , how many lear- 
 ned Dodors do defend it i Nay 
 indeed your own D. Twifl, who 
 feems to be one of the greateft 
 Enemies to it, yet maintains a 
 notion every whit as unconcieve- 
 able (as you are pleafed to call 
 this ) his Deere turn generate de 
 ciendis Creatures Agere , congru- 
 enter ipfarum naturis , is , may be, 
 not much different from this. 
 
 BUT 
 
(43 ) 
 v BUT if the opinion be true, 
 it matters not much who defends 
 it. Let us now hear what he 
 Objefts. I jhall (fays he) only in 
 a word or two manifefl the nncon- 
 cicveablenefi of this pofttion. Anfw* 
 I dare hazard for all this promife, 
 he fliall have thirdly beloved, 'ere 
 he has done. His firft word is , 
 Since antecedently to the Decree all 
 things are purely poffible , bow can 
 God know that fuch things are either 
 absolutely or conditionally future * 
 <J*nfw. i. I confefs God always 
 knows things as they are , fo that 
 if there be nothing future, he 
 could not know them to be fu- 
 ture. 2. I grant that it is only 
 therefulcof the Divine Goodnefs, 
 that there was ever fuch a Crea- 
 ture as man. Yet 3. Since God 
 did make man a free Agent , and 
 gave him power to aft without 
 conftraint} not Hhyfically prede- 
 termining his Will , nor by any 
 abfolute Decree fatally over- 
 powering 
 
( 44 ) . . . 
 powering his inclinations, lea- 
 ving him no liberty for choice; 
 Hence it is , that all and every 
 ad that man elicits, is certainly 
 fore-known, although not abfo- 
 lutely determined. For by vertue 
 of that Primitive Precept, men a& 
 as freely, as rational Agents a<ft ne- 
 cefTarily. 
 
 AND thus that grand Obje- 
 ction does not militate againft us. 
 For we grant that antecedently to 
 the Decree , Man , and all his 
 future a&ions were only poffible 5 
 but after Almighty God had de- 
 creed or purpofed to piake Man , 
 all his future a&ions, although 
 not abfolutely determined , were 
 yet certainly known : and the rea- 
 ion of both, is, becaufe Manbe- 
 ing made a free Agent , there can 
 be no abfolute Decree everting 
 and overthrowing his nature; 
 and fince he was to eled fuch and 
 fuch aftions, an infinite under- 
 ftanding behoved to know them. 
 
 HIS 
 
( 45 ) 
 
 HIS fecond argument is, That 
 all knowledge depending upon condi- 
 tions , U firfifujp ended, and fecondly 
 conjectural. Cdnfrv. We do not 
 fay that Divine Knowledge does 
 depend upon conditions s all that 
 we claim , is , that God knows 
 that many things fhould have 
 been future, if the conditions 
 had been placed: And this we 
 judge is altogether agreable to 
 Sacred Writ. So that it is only 
 the futurition of things, and not 
 the Divine Knowledge , that de- 
 pends upon conditions. 
 
 'T IS true, man being a free 
 Agent, he may either aft or not 
 a&, even then when all things 
 requifite for afting are placed: 
 but yet it muft be granted , that 
 the Will cannot always hang in 
 an tquilibrio; fince it is a felf- 
 dctermining principle , it muft 
 either will or nill the doing of 
 fuch a thing, and this an infi- 
 nite intellect doth certainly know. 
 
 3. HE 
 
( 4«) 
 
 J. HE Objefts, There is no- 
 thing conditionally future in rejpeci 
 of God: For either the Condition is 
 to he placed , and fo it becomes abfc- 
 lutely future ; or elfe it is never to 
 be placed , and fo it is only fojjible. 
 ^infve. 1 have frequently heard 
 this argument urged > as if it 
 were uoanfwerab!e ; but I muft 
 confefs, if my judgment be any 
 ways regardable , it is the only 
 refutt of ignorance. For firft 5 
 thofe who urge it., feem to miftake 
 what is meant , when men di- 
 ftinguifh betwixt things abfolute- 
 ly and conditionally future. 
 Things absolutely future , are thofe 
 things which do not depend upon 
 any condition: but things condi* 
 t ion ally future , are iuch things as 
 are really future, if th^ conditi- 
 ons be placed; and fhould not have 
 been future > if they had not been 
 placed. 
 
 NOW although the condition 
 be not placed 5 yet they differ 
 
 hugely 
 
(47) 
 hugly from things which are 
 meerly poffibles for the things 
 mcerly poflible, are not future 
 upon the placing of whatfoever 
 condition: but things conditio- 
 nally future, ftiould have been 
 really future , if the conditions 
 had been placed. 
 
 BUT the Author adds ? That 
 all conditions are included in the 
 absolute Decree. K^infw. If there 
 be any conditions included in the 
 Decree , it ceafeth to be abfolute, 
 as every mans reafon will eafily 
 teach him. 
 
 AFTER all this the Author 
 tells me , it is not in his power to 
 reconcile me with my felf. Strange ! 
 what an unknown quarrel is this < 
 alas ! have I been fo unwary as 
 to contradict what I had formerly 
 faid ; and is the Author willing , 
 but unable to take up the diffe- 
 rence f Since he pretends he is 
 not, I will effay what may be 
 done. Firft, we have no ground 
 
 n 
 
( 48 ) 
 
 to think that God decrees every fu- 
 ture action. And the. reaibri I 
 laid fo , was , becaufe there are 
 many finful actions which the 
 Majefty of Heaven forbids , aod 
 therefore does not abfolutely De- 
 cree them ; And yet I grant, that 
 the moft contingent actions defend 
 immediately upon the Divine Will: 
 Becaufe the reafon why Man was 
 made a free Agent, and ads with- 
 out conftraint \ is , becaufe God 
 did Will both. 
 
 AND thus I have examined 
 what the Author brings in defence 
 of his own opinion. I come 
 now to furvey what he an- 
 fwers to what I urge againft it. 
 And 
 
 i. I TOLD, That this Dd- 
 c7rin is a good flea for wicked men* 
 To this he Anfwers, that in the 
 Schools they Jpeak of a two-fold De- 
 cree , the one ejfeclive , the other 
 permijjive. Reply. I have already 
 difcovered the infufficiency of 
 
 this 
 
this Anfwer, and therefore ihall 
 riot repeat. ... 
 
 2. I TOLD, That it is in r 
 conffient with the freedom of Hu- 
 mane nature. In Anfwer to this 5 
 he alledgeth , That the decree does 
 not hinder > but helps Men to aci 
 freely. Reply. Let us examin if ii- 
 be fo 5 you affirm that God has 
 by an abfolute t)ecree, determi- 
 ned the Period oi.Titim his Life, 
 and that he has alfo as abfolutely 
 decreed every thing that he fliall 
 do • now I defire to know of tV- 
 tttu's who is a free Agent, that 
 can do any other thing but what 
 is decreed , or if he can do other- 
 wife^ If you fay he cannot , 
 then pray how is he left a free 
 agent , fince he muft do all that 
 is decreed , ahd can do no other 
 thing. 
 
 BUT he fays, ui/Z kinds of 
 
 neceffity are not ipconfiftent with 
 
 liberty, i^fnfw. What then, is 
 
 tliere no kind of necefTity ihtori- 
 
 D Mini 
 
( 5o ) 
 
 fiftent with it? And is not Man 
 become a neceffary Agent, if he 
 cannot but aft fo andfo < Is there 
 any refitting of the decree * But 
 he adds, We only plead for a de~ 
 termination of events, K^infw. 
 The Will is. then left free , and 
 God -only determiqs the thing, 
 but not the Will. Pray how ab- 
 furd is this in this Authors own 
 judgment. 
 
 3. I TOLD, That this opi- 
 nion leaves no place for praife to the 
 learned Phyjician , nor for dijpraife 
 to the unskilful Empyricki ,He 
 Anfwers , That the Phyficians de- 
 ferve praife , becaufe they ai~i as 
 freely as if there were no Decree. 
 Reply. The Author had done well 
 if he had made this plain, for 
 that which he alledgeth is all 
 along denied by us . and the rea~ 
 fon we gave, was, becaufe if die 
 Phyfician does only prefcribe thofe 
 Medicaments , he was absolutely 
 decreed to ordain 5 and if he can 
 
 pre- 
 
( 5* ) 
 prfefcribe no other i then life deft^* 
 veth : no praifc , fince he does 
 ho more but what lie cduld'nit but 
 
 do. 
 
 4.. I TOLD ,( That tU opi : 
 mm hy a ^eWS^V^^^^^ 
 
 ce\h fn?H to expofe themfclves to any 
 danger : ■ For 1 if the r L er minted v it & 
 eft' imtriobilis \ what need men 
 fear to rurt updn'tfte rridiSth 0$ 
 the rdaring Cartoon-; if it be 
 their fate to- dye, they cannot by 
 all their Art and Sldll'evite death 9 
 if it be not fatally determined "=, 
 then let us face any danger, we 
 have good enough proof againft 
 it. To this he anfwers, That it 
 is juji like' that argument which Sa- 
 tan propounds to our Lord Chrijl , 
 March. 1 4. 6. Reply: I am not ad- 
 vifing any Man td caft liimfelf 
 upon thofe dangers , only I tell 
 what is the T *c6nfequence.of this 
 Do&rin. Now' our bleffed 'Ma- 
 tter is juftly offended with Satan^ 
 beeaufe of his fnalicious'defign iri 
 X> % urgiiig 
 
( 5* ) 
 
 urging that argument. But there 
 is no queftion but the argument 
 was ftrong 3 and thisChrift does not 
 challenge. 
 
 But (fays he) we mufi not make 
 the fecret determinations of the Di- 
 vine Councel our rule. Reply. If 
 they be fecret Councels 3 we can- 
 not make them our rule : But fure 
 they can no more be faid to be fe- 
 cret, fince fo many Men pre- 
 tend to know , that God has 
 abfolutely determined every 
 thing, 
 
 I HAVE quickly difpatched 
 his Anfwers, becaufe they are in- 
 deed flight and inconfiderable. 
 Now let us hear how he viodi- 
 cates his opinion from that unjuft 
 ( as he calls it | imputation! have 
 caft upon it ; namely 3 that I fay^ 
 it is only the opinion of the Stoicks, 
 dreffed up in better apparel: The 
 word Fate is hateful ( fays he ) in 
 the Chrijlian Schools. Reply. May 
 
 be the Author will find faimfelf 
 
 t© 
 
. ( 53 ) 
 
 to be in a miftake here : I fliall 
 only recommend to him an Au- 
 thor, with whom he feemstobe 
 intimately enough acquainted - 
 and that is , Voetiw de vit& ter- 
 mino; in Anfwer to Objedh 6. 
 K^ipud- Philofophos ( fays he ) vari* 
 occur runt fati expire at tones , quarum 
 aliqu£ a veritate & pietate nihil 
 
 alienum fonant. Nee defunt 
 
 inter antiques et recentiores veri 
 Bocii qui Stoicorum p/acitum in 
 dextram partem interpretentur. 
 
 AND indeed any man that 
 compares the two opinions 3 will 
 find them to be upon the matter 
 the fame: the difference that the 
 Author gives betwixt the two, 
 is the very fame that I mentioned 
 and told him 6ft But it is need- 
 lefs to infift here , for the thing 
 is palpable and cannot be deni 
 ed. ' 
 
 IN the laft place the Author 
 
 comes to anfwer thofe arguments 
 
 I Urged in defence of the mutabi* 
 
 D 3 lity 
 
hty of the Period of Humane life. 
 My tirft argument was , upon the 
 observance of the pivine Laws 7 
 there are many promises in Scripture 
 aff tiring m of length of days j and 
 en the other fide , there are many 
 threat nings of cutting jhort the days 
 of the mcked. In Anfwer to this, 
 the Anthor alledgeth many 
 things, 
 
 i. HE tells us, The words pro- 
 long , fjorten , &c. do not properly 
 fignife to make longer or floor ter , but 
 only imply length cr fhortnefS of days. 
 Reply. I confefs I do not well un- 
 derstand this djfiindion^ butfup- 
 pofe the words were to be under- 
 wood as the Author takes them , 
 yet all we plead for ftands firm : 
 for thofe that obey the Statutes 
 (hall live long , which ( with 
 the Author's leave) is the fame 
 with having their days prolon- 
 ged. t 
 
 2. In thefe promises (fays he) 
 God deals with jfrlen , as Parents 
 
 ufe 
 
( 55 ) 
 
 ufe to deal with their ftck children : 
 They promise them many things , 
 rather to encourage them to take the 
 hitter potion prefer ibed , than out of 
 a real intention to beflovo fuch 
 things. Reply. This Anfwer is in- 
 deed unworthy to be confidered, 
 fince it fo much refle&s upon the 
 Divine wifdom and goodnefs 3 of 
 which we and all men ought to 
 entertain generous and becoming 
 thoughts : His promifes and 
 threatnings too, ate real and fe- 
 rious. It is not to allure or flat- 
 ter Men to live holily , that he 
 promifeth to lengthen their days 5 
 when he well knows he had abfo- 
 lutely fixed the Period of their 
 life. 
 
 3 . HE fays , o^ good life is a 
 long life , and that Abraham died 
 in a good old age , because he was a 
 good Man. Reply. I know not 
 whether I fliould fmile at the wit 
 and ingenuity of this Anfwer , 
 on commend the Author for 
 D 4 his 
 
( 56 ) 
 
 bis happy invention : But it mat- 
 ters not which of them we ad- 
 mire. 
 
 4. The wicked ((ays he) are f aid 
 not to live out half their days , be- 
 caufe according to the ordinary course 
 of nature , the date of their lives 
 might have been longer. Reply. But 
 if the Period of their lives be 
 abfolutely determined > this fuper- 
 venient Decree takes away that 
 fappbfed poffibility of their living 
 longer. 2. This Anfvver is lb' 
 flight and inconfiderable as to the 
 end for which it is produced , 
 that it does not in the leaft agree 
 with the words of the Text 5 for 
 in this fenfe, many godly Men 
 may be faid not to live out half 
 their days. But the Pfalmift by 
 fuch a pbrafe -holds' out,' that the 
 impiety of the wicked is the caufe 
 that their days are fhortened •' 
 which he could not have faid, if 
 their days had been abfolutely de- 
 termiaedo '.' • ' ■?.'•' 
 ; k. HE 
 
( 57 ) 
 
 j. HE fays, The wicked may 
 he [aid not to live out half their 
 days y in refpeff of their hopes and 
 expectations. Repty- The facred 
 Text makes no mention of the 
 hopes and expectations of the 
 wicked ; nor does this Paraphrafe 
 any ways agree with the Pfalmifts 
 intention. 
 
 i. THE Pfalmifts intention 
 was to (hew,that wickedriefs is the 
 reafon apd caufe of Mens fhort 
 lives. >Jow if he had only meant 
 their hopes and expe&ation , he 
 needed not have made any men- 
 tion of . the wicked • for this 
 might have been applicable to the 
 mod part of. Men , both good and 
 bad. 
 
 2. IT agrees not with the 
 Text , for if their days be deter- 
 mined , they live out their whole 
 time, let them dye whenfoever: 
 So that he could never have faid, 
 ihey {hall not live out half their 
 days, And indeed this had been 
 
 np 
 
k 5® ) 
 
 no "great punifliment infli&ed upon 
 the wicked for their Sins 3 if it 
 mem only their hopes-, for good 
 Men may thereby be as well in- 
 cluded : and the wicked are not a 
 w T hit more unhappy than others , 
 if the cafe be.fo. 
 
 THE Author is angry with 
 me, becaufe I faid, That if* we 
 cenfkit experience , roe fhall ftndihe 
 Religious and Pertuotts Men enjoy 
 ordinarily far the hnge ft lives. Truly 
 I fee no reafon to repent what I 
 faid, nor does the wife Man's 
 Obfervation any ways contradidl 
 this ^ for all that he aimyat there, 
 is to fliew , that a good Man's 
 Righteoufnefs will not be able to 
 defend him from the malice 
 and cruelty of the Wicked , 
 and that Wicked Men may 
 pais on in their Sins without con- 
 troll. 
 
 THAT the Divine promifes 
 are notable encouragements to 
 live Holy and devoutly , is very 
 
 plain 
 
( 59 ) 
 
 plain and undoubtable: But yet 
 it may be queftioned whether > 
 according to fome Mens princi- 
 ples, they be ufeful for the forefaid 
 end. 
 
 A SECOND argument 
 I did urge , was taken from the 
 pious and devout Prayers of the 
 Righteous , and their turning from 
 their Sins by an hearty Repentance. 
 To this he Anfwers , That the Di- 
 vine Statutes , although they be irre- 
 pealable y yet do not exclude the ufe 
 of Prayer , because it is included in 
 the Decree. Reply. I have already 
 told if there be any condition , 
 the Decree is not abfolute: But 
 becaufe I find the Author has al- 
 ways recourfe to this fancy , I 
 (hall briefly evidence, that the 
 Author cannot make ufe of fuch 
 an e v a fio n . Prayer and Repentance 
 (fays the Author) are conditions 
 absolutely decreed , and therefore 
 they are neceffary. Reply. The 
 stoicks may have recourfe to this, 
 
 as 
 
(60 ) 
 
 as well as you : For Prayer and 
 Repentance are hereby made ne- 
 ceffary, not becaufe Men elicit 
 thofe ads as parts of their duty, 
 but becaufe they cannot do other- 
 wife. And thus the Prophet 
 Dmiel could not but pray , that 
 Gods anger fliould be removed 
 from his people Ifrael ; becaufe it 
 was abfolutely before decreed. 
 The like was David's cafe, and 
 others, mentioned by the Au- 
 thor. 
 
 BUT by this means, the pro- 
 mifes of Scripture can be of no 
 ufe to induce us to live holily , 
 for they are not conditional : 
 Thus , if you obey the Divine 
 Statutes, ye (hall live long ; and 
 if ye rebel , ye fhall be punifhed. 
 But you (hall obey the Divine pre- 
 cepts, and live long-, and you (hall 
 live wickedly, and have your days 
 fhortned. 
 
 THAT Prayer and Repen- 
 tance have been the means of pro : 
 
 longing 
 
( 61.) 
 
 longing many Mens lives , is ob- 
 vious to experience 5 fome few 
 inftances to confirm fo plain a 
 truth, I laid down'in the firft 
 difcourfe. I ffaall therefore now 
 only examin the Author's An- 
 fwer. 
 
 THE firft inftance was con- 
 cerning the cafe of Nineveh , 
 where I told , That their Repen- 
 tance did prevent the Execution of 
 the threatned 'judgment. To this 
 he afifwers$ i. That Prayer and 
 Repentance do net move God to change 
 his Decree. Reply. We do not fay 
 that they do , only we fay , thejre 
 was no abfolute , but conditional 
 Decree in the cafe. 2. He fays , 
 That their Repentance was from 
 . Eternity decreed. Reply. How then 
 could the threatning be ferious f 
 Do you think that a holy, wile, 
 and juft God would threaten to 
 irkfliii a Judgment upon a people, 
 vtfhen he had abfolutely decreed 
 that fuch a Judgment fhould not 
 
 be 
 
( 62 ) 
 
 be infli&ed? To this^ which he 
 could not but take notice of, he 
 anfwers , That fuch threonines 
 only imply > that the nature of the 
 crime deserved to he'pknifbed'witff' 
 this Judgment. Reply. I know the 
 merit of every Sin is death, but 
 this is no Anfwer to the difficulty, 
 for the threatning not only implies 
 the demerit of the offende, but 
 alfo exprefty declares , that the 
 Judgment threatned ihould be 
 inflidted , if they did not by their 
 Prayers and Repentance prevent 
 the Execution of it. 
 
 A SECOND inftanceX 
 urged, was Hezekialfs recovery , 
 &c. To this he Anfwers, i.That 
 we muft dijiwguifh between the 
 threatmngs and decrees of God. 
 Reply. Wsll, we fhall obfervethis 
 caution , but upon this provifo , 
 that the Author will not make • 
 the threatning- inconfiftent with 
 the Decree : for if God had abfo- 
 lutely decreed that Hezehah fliould 
 
 not 
 
( 6.3 ) 
 
 not dye 'till the fifteen years were 
 expired , then how could the 
 threatning., Thou fbaltfurely dye and 
 not. live fas ferious? But that the firft 
 was not, abjolutely decreed ap- 
 pears to be plain 5 for other vdfe , 
 how could the fifteen years be 
 faid to have been added to his 
 life* 
 
 2. HE fays. The. denunciation* 
 of death was a conditional comrni na- 
 tion abfolutely propounded, inducing 
 Hezekiah to Repentance , having 
 no refpeff to the abfdute Decree. 
 Reply. This Anfwer is not con- 
 formed nor agreeable to the Au- 
 thor's principles 3 for he alledg- 
 eth that both the threatning and 
 Repentance are abfolutely decreed: 
 now if the threatning had been 
 an argument to engage Hezekiah 
 to Repentance, wemuft fuppofe 
 that Repentance was not abfo- 
 lutely decreed 3 but a thing depen- 
 ding upon Hezekiah's will • other- 
 wile both the threatning and 
 
 Repen- 
 
( *4 ) 
 Repentance were flight ] and oF 
 no force : Nay indeed , fince the 
 Commination was only a Moral 
 ad:, it might have been ah ineffi- 
 cacious motive. But fince it had 
 ( as the Author will fay ) its effi- 
 cacy from the internal operation 
 of the holy Spirit , hence is it , 
 that Repentance can be no con- 
 dition required on Man's part, 
 fince it is hot in his power not 
 to Repent when God works it iri 
 him. Arid truly this makes 
 the threatning ridiculous, for 
 how Can it be a motive to induce 
 .to Repentance, fince Repentance 
 is abfolutely decreed , and in time 
 by a Phyfical predetermining a£t 
 wrought in Man nill H6 will 
 he. 
 
 HOW the Author will be 
 able to abfolve himlelf from ha- 
 ving any refpeft to the two dan- 
 gerous opinions , he fays we muft 
 by all means avoid , I wifh he 
 tvbuld ferioufly corifider. 
 
{65 ) 
 
 I D O not well underftand the 
 meaning of one phrafe the Au- 
 thor ufeth , viz,. That God did not 
 Will that Hezekiah (hould dye when 
 he threatned him ; only he voided 
 that there (hould be fitch a threat- 
 ning. This is indeed pretty fub- 
 tile 3 but I know not for what end 
 it was brought : Sure it is not very 
 pertinently alledged , if he thinks 
 hereby to prove 3 that there is no 
 oppofition between the Decree 
 and the threatning 5 as may ap- 
 pear by what I have already 
 faid. 
 
 3, WE muft difiinguijh (fays 
 he) between the conjectural certain- 
 ty of death , inferred from the fatal 
 events which frequently accompany 
 danger 'out Difeafes . and the infallible 
 certainty of death, inferred from the 
 Decree. Reply. The diftin&ion is 
 without controverfie good, and 
 it is but reafon we believe it 5 
 but I affure the Authors appli- 
 cation is not always allowable. 
 
 E I 
 
{66) 
 
 I Jhall make this out by confidenng 
 how he applies this diftin&ion* 
 In rejpetl of the firjl ( fays he ) 
 Hezekiah'i death might have been 
 faid to be certain. Re fly. We are 
 not to debate what might have 
 been, but what really was. Now 
 that denunciation 5 Thou £h alt cer- 
 tainly dye and not live « was no 
 conje&ure taken from the danger 
 of the difeafe , but a prediction or 
 prophecy revealed hy God to his 
 fervant Ifaiah. 
 
 ANOTHER inftance I ur- 
 ged, was Jer. 1 8. 7, 8. where 
 we have a lively proof of the 
 vertue and efficacy of Prayer and 
 Repentance. To this he repeats 
 his old anfwer, That they are there- 
 fore efficacious because included in 
 the Decree. Reply. If they be in- 
 deed as abfoiutely decreed as the 
 end , then they are truly efficacy 
 qus, but not as conditions requi- 
 red of us to perform , but be- 
 paufe they cannot but be effi- 
 ■il, * cacious 3 
 
( e r ) 
 
 cacious, becaufe decreed: And 
 thus all things come to pafs fa- 
 tally. 
 
 A THIRD argument to 
 prove that our lives may be ex- 
 tended or fhortened, I urged from 
 the ufe of Medicaments. To this 
 he Anfwers > That it is a precari- 
 ous principle to feparate the means 
 from the end , fince the Decree is of 
 both. Reply. If the Decree inclu- 
 ding both be abfolute \ then both 
 the means and the end muft be : 
 But then , as I already told 5 the 
 means are placed not in reference 
 to the end , but becaufe they 
 could not but be placed. There 
 were but two confequences which 
 we have always alternatively ur- 
 ged 5 namely , if the Period of 
 Humane life be abfolutely deter- 
 mined , then either Humane care 
 and induftry is needlefs , fince all 
 the Medicaments of the World 
 cannot prolong our life one mo- 
 ment beyond the Divine decree • 
 E 2 nor 
 
( •** ■ > 
 
 nor the oeglcft thereof fhor^n 
 our ine : Or elfe thofe Medica- 
 ments we muft ufe are likewife 
 abfqluteiy decreed,, and then .we 
 rauft of neceaky ufe them : And 
 thus all care and choice , all con- 
 futation and del iber anon is quite 
 defrroyed. The skillful Phyfitian 
 upon this account deferves no 
 praife 3 nor the ignorant any chal- 
 leng 5 for the neceflaty that is pla- 
 ced excludes both. 
 
 NOW if the opinion the Au- 
 thor maintains does not condemn 
 the ufe of Medicaments 5 y$t it 
 introduceth a fatal neceffity,which 
 is every \yhit as repugnant a$ the 
 former, and inconfiltent with the 
 principles of Reafon and Religi- 
 on. 
 
 AND thus ^Abrahdm could 
 not negledi the care of his Son 
 Jfaac 5 and Hczekiah could not but 
 life the means, notwithftanding 
 tie knew fifteen years ftould be 
 added to his life ; for ia the Au- 
 thors 
 
{69 ) 
 
 thor's judgment both were abfai 
 lutely decreed. 
 
 4. I TOLD , Nothingis more 
 evident , than that there are fede- 
 ral things which have a Phyfical 
 efficacy , both in the prolonging and, 
 Shortening of our lives. He Afl- 
 fwers, I. That God does not hin- 
 der fecond causes from atliug , accor- 
 ding: to that power he hath implan- 
 ted in them. Reply. Although this 
 be no Anfwer to the argument ? 
 yet I fhall take notice of it, as I 
 have done of many things which 
 did not much defeirve to be regar- 
 ded. And 1. That God does 
 not for ordinary hinder iecond 
 caufes from aftftg 3 according to 
 that power implanted in them in 
 their Creation , is true : But yet 
 in extraordinary catfes^the fupreme 
 Governor of the World may 
 overpower the Wills of the free 
 Agents , and hinder them front 
 a<aing what their Wills are bent, 
 to commit, and he may impede 
 E 3 natu- 
 
( 70 ) 
 
 natural Agents in a&ing what na- 
 turally they are determined to do* 
 But 2. How can the Author ima- 
 gin this to be reconcileable with 
 his opinion ? For it is the nature 
 of a free Agent to elicit a&ions 
 freely- but if God has from the 
 out-goings of Eternity abfolutely 
 decreed every thing they fliall do 5 
 they are no more left at liberty to 
 dod or not do 3 but they moft of 
 neceflity elicit the ad they are de- 
 termined to. But the Author 
 adds 5 That all things which con- 
 duce, either to the prolonging or fhort- 
 ning of our life ; are include A in the 
 Decree. Reply. If they be indeed 
 included in the Decree , then it 
 is not abfolute but conditional, 
 and upon fore-fight of mens being 
 placed in thole circumftances ; 
 but if he fay that all circumftances 
 are abfolutely decreed, then I again 
 tell him that he muft (hew us how 
 .all things come not to pafs by a Fa- 
 tal neceflity, 
 
 THE 
 
( 71 ) 
 
 THE laft argument I urged; 
 Was , r That many sJMen had lived 
 longer y if they had not foolishly ex- 
 posed themfelves: to danger. To this 
 he Anfwers , That <Mens exposing 
 themfelves to danger was included in 
 the Decree. Reply. If the Author 
 means that God didforefee all the 
 circumftances which Men are pla- 
 ced in, in time, and then decreed 
 the Period of their life 5 he may 
 indeed fay, that Mens expofing 
 of themfelves to danger is inclu- 
 ded in the Decrees But if he 
 thinks that God did decree that 
 Men fliould be expofed to thofe 
 dangers which put a Period to 
 their lives , then he entertains 
 unbecoming thoughts of God; and 
 wherever he learqed this Do&rin, 
 I am fure it hath no Foundation 
 in Scripture. See this more fully 
 cleared. Period of Humane Life> pag, 
 
 THERE remains no more 
 now , but that I conclude with 
 
 E 4 my 
 
( 7V) 
 
 my earned intreaty, that Men 
 would heartily comply with the 
 laft words of the Author's dif- 
 courfe- namely 5 That it is our 
 wifdom and advantage to live as 
 thofe y who know that e*re long a 
 Period JhaH be pat to their Beings. 
 If the Author be offended that I 
 have confidered his Anfwer 5 I 
 hope I fliall pleafe him by fay- 
 ing* 
 
 Non equidem vellem> fed me me a 
 Fata trahebant. 
 
 V IN IS. 
 
 AN 
 
(73) 
 
 iliiilfMillSllsllil 
 
 A N 
 
 APPENDIX- 
 
 WHEREIN SEVERAL 
 
 OBJECTIONS, 
 
 URGED 
 In private Conferences, are examined. 
 
 TOGETHER WITH 
 
 A Survey of Mr. Gal e's 
 fevere, but groundkfi charge. 
 
 TH E great defire I have 
 to clear all doubts 
 which can be urged a* 
 gainft the opinion I de- 
 fend , has engaged me in feveral 
 private conferences to try what 
 arguments men of better judg- 
 ment 
 
(74) 
 
 ment than my felf can pro? 
 duce. 
 
 But the truth is , inftead of ar- 
 guments , all I could hear urged 
 was odious cenfures , which as I 
 have always accounted uriquefti- 
 onable evidences of a bad caufe , 
 fo do I apprehend that method 
 very incongruous , either to con- 
 vince others 5 or to find out the 
 truth. 
 
 And although I have no great 
 clefire to put my hand into a Hor- 
 nets Neft , yet becaufe I now in- 
 tend to put a clofe to this debate, 
 I (hall briefly examin all thofe par- 
 ticular charges 1 have met with, 
 hoping that henceforth meh will 
 fliew more candor and ingenuity, 
 and not rafhly and inconfiderately 
 calumniate an Author they know 
 Jiot, nor condemn an opinion 
 with hard words, when they can 
 urge nothing of reafon againft 
 it. 
 
 [The 
 
(75 ) 
 
 The firft heavy charge I met 
 with , is , that the opinion I de- 
 fend is not Orthodox > and that the 
 Author is an Arminun ; this cen- 
 fure I have in part already confide- 
 red , I (hall therefore now only de- 
 fire to know by what rule they 
 tneafure an opinion to be true or 
 falle * If they will make Scripture 
 judge , I am fure their charge is 
 falfe- fee Period of Humane Life , 
 pag. n8, up, &c Nay, if 
 they will but ftand to the determi- 
 nation of reafon , they will find 
 themfelves at a lofs • but if they 
 run from Scripture and reafon, 
 and make their own crooked fancy 
 the rule, I cannot help the mat- 
 ter. 
 
 Common experience convin- 
 ced us , that the moft uncouth 
 notion is judged Orthodox by fomc 
 men , and that the beft opinion 
 has not had the good hap to be en- 
 tertained by all men • but the odi- 
 ous cenfpres of men is not enough 
 
 to 
 
( 7* ) 
 
 to make a good opinion bad, other- 
 wife we fhould be continual feek- 
 ers , but never find one Truth. 
 
 I confefc they are but little ac- 
 quainted with the Writings of 
 Orthodox Divines, who fay they 
 oppofe the mutability of the Pe- 
 riod of Humane Life • for my own 
 part I could never find any con- 
 demn it but the S torch of old 
 and of late Mr. Hobbs > and his 
 Difciples , and thofe who run up 
 to the abfolute decrees of Ele&iort 
 and Reprobation. And although 
 it be reje&ed and difallowed by 
 fuch , yet I hope they are not the 
 only Orthodox Divines. 
 
 The prefent age (God be thank- 
 ed) is wiler than to be affrighted 
 with the word ^Arminian ; thole 
 who ufe fuch Obje&ions may 
 pleafe themfelves to difpute with 
 Children- but if they combat 
 with Men, they will be but jeered 
 and contemned. I confefs fome 
 few years fince it was fcandal 
 
 enough 
 
(77) 
 enough to be called an ^irmini- 
 an \ but thofe darfcdays are gone , 
 and I hope in after ages that which 
 fome men account an opprobrious 
 charge 3 fliall be efteemed Honou- 
 rable, 
 
 Notwithftanding all this , I 
 do not fay that I am an <*Armi- 
 nim , nor am I offended at others 
 who call themfelves Cahinijls : 
 But methinks it were more Chri- 
 ftian like to rejeft all fuch names 
 which keep up differences a- 
 mongft us , than to fay , J 'am of 
 Paul , and I of Apollo, and a third 
 diftindi: from both , 1 Am of Ce- 
 phas. 
 
 2. Some men have told me, if 
 the fhortning or lengthening out 
 of our life doth depend upon our 
 ufe, or negled of the means, then 
 Gods particular providence in Go- 
 verning the World is enervated, if 
 not quite deftroyed, 
 
 <^Anfw. I have been far rather 
 induced to believe , that the An- 
 
 tithefis 
 
(78) 
 tkhefis of the : opinion we defend, 
 oppofeth the Divine providence ; 
 for truly if all things are fatally 
 fixed from Eternity by an abfolute 
 Decree, whether there be any 
 providence or not , things muft 
 come to pafs according to that 
 fempiternal feries and concatena- 
 tion of caufes* but by maintai- 
 ning the mutability of the Period 
 of Human Life , the Divine pro^ 
 vidence doth moft confpicuoufly 
 appear, fometimes in removing 
 thofe things which fhould have 
 put a Period to our Beings • fome- 
 times permitting us to beexpofed 
 to unfeeq and unexpe&ed dangers. 
 O how wonderful, wife, and 
 myfterious are the ways of God! 
 His Providence is univerfal, and 
 extending to the moft inconfide- 
 rable a<5Hons. But yet we muft 
 not fooUilily imagin ; men are 
 a&ed like meer Machins. The Di- 
 vine providence doth not deftroy 
 the innatq freedom of Human 
 
 natures. 
 
(79) 
 natures. It is indeed evident by 
 the light of nature, that the great 
 Creator qf the World fhould er- 
 der and govern it. No Parent is 
 fo regardlefs of his Children as to 
 expofethem to the dangers of the 
 World. The very Brutes by a 
 natural inftind: guard, fecure, 
 and take care of their young. 
 And can we think that our kind 
 Creator who has implanted thefe 
 principles of Care and Kindnefs in 
 his Creatures towards their off- 
 fpring , {hall be lefs regardlefs of 
 his own Creatures. 
 
 We then heartily accord that 
 the Divine providence is vigilant 
 and universal , and the opinion 
 we maintain gives us all the en- 
 couragements that can be, to en- 
 tertain fo noble and generous 
 thoughts of that adorable Being , 
 who upholds us in Being. How 
 frequently had a Period been put 
 to our lives , if his watchful eye 
 stnd careful providence had no$ 
 
 fecu- 
 
(8o ) 
 
 red us from imminent dan- 
 gers. 
 
 When I confider that the Peri- 
 od of my life is not immutably 
 and abfolutely fixed, but may be 
 Millions of ways fhortened , this 
 e: ranges me to caft my felf up- 
 on the Divine care and provi- 
 dence. But for others who are of 
 a contrary opinion, I confefs I 
 cannot fee how they have any mo-" 
 tive to do fo , for they being once 
 confirmed in that opinion , that 
 their days can neither be extended 
 nor fhortened , they need ufe no 
 diligence for their fafety 5 they 
 cannot be* encouraged ta addrefs 
 themfelves to their Heavenly Fa- 
 ther by Prayer,fince ai! Care,Dili- 
 gence. Prayer,, e^r. are ineffe- 
 ctual , and cannot alter the deter- 
 mination. 
 
 3. Others have told me, that 
 I make the Creature independent. 
 
 o4fc/5r. They may as well fay, 
 I make the Creature the Creator , 
 
(8i ) 
 for both are equally falfe. I confefs 
 it is not in my power to keep 
 men from deducing illegal con- 
 fequences, and leading an opi- 
 nion with inferences it is ut- 
 terly unacquainted with: yet, 
 fince they are pleafed to obferve 
 this method, I will firft vindi- 
 cate my own opinion , add then 
 examin whether theires can be 
 more juftly condemned. 
 
 Firft, then altho I grant that 
 the Period of Humane Life , is 
 for Ordinary > Mutable $ yet, I 
 conftantly affirm , That God is 
 the Supream Moderator and Go- 
 verner of the world , and is this 
 to make the Creator independent? 
 nay , Almighty God not only 
 adhibets a general concurfe, but 
 he alfo in a more fpecial and 
 particular providence , either af- 
 fords or withdraws occafions of 
 Safety : It is in his power to 
 Shorten or Prolong our lives , 
 and this he does many different 
 F wayes , 
 
( U) 
 
 .wstyes., which becaufe they are 
 fom.dtimes ordipjary and common , 
 we but feldom 'regard them, but 
 when by an extraordinary pro- 
 vidence lie affords us unexpe&ed 
 deliverances, we are then more 
 SenGble that his hand brought 
 u$| help. 5 And is all this a dei- 
 fying f qt the Creature.? . 
 
 That Man j Created a free a- 
 gent flioujd be abfolutely and 
 Phyjipally predetermined to . aft, 
 i$ a liarih notion quite contra- 
 di&ory to the: common fanti- 
 ments jof mankind, and yet by 
 oppofmg this Predetermining: in- 
 flux, I do not make maa>an in- 
 dependent Creature j) for an in- 
 dependent Creature is a plain 
 contradiction ^ but it is evident 
 enough , that it implyes no con- 
 tradiction, for God to Create a 
 free agent , i who (hall not ftand 
 in need to be Phyfically prede- 
 termined to every ad. Now 
 this once being admitted, it 
 
 may 
 
itoi 
 
 may. eafily appear, that th? 
 Period of Humane Life is Hot 
 immutably fixt 5 for fince man 
 adts freely, he may either chuje 
 or reject, this or the other .means jj> 
 upbri which the extention, ab- 
 breviation, of his> Life confifts. 
 
 And yet Man is, not hereby 
 made an independent being; fo* 
 as God hath fet: bounds to him , 
 over which he cannot pafs > It 
 being, appointed fw]a[l men opce to 
 dte ; So hath he alio abfoluie 
 rulfe of him, and , may fay, - re- 
 turn bjfc Children] of men." And 
 thus although man is made a, free 
 agent, yet he is not exet&pjed 
 from the Diving Providence. 3 
 
 But , Thofe who! defend the 
 contrary opinion , although they 
 grant that man does in all his 
 anions depend upon God, yet, 
 th£y of neceffity muft deny that 
 he immediatly depends upon him : 
 for, Befides the Divine eternal 
 Volitioa, they more oyer add a 
 F 2 Phyfical 
 
(34) 
 
 Phyfical predetermining influx,' 
 efficacioully and irrefiftably mo- 
 ving the will , which muft ne- 
 ceflarily mediate between the 
 Creator and Man. 
 
 And thus, although God has 
 not abfolutely decreed the Period 
 of every Mans Life, nor does 
 by a Phyfical predetermining 
 impulfe move him to ad, which 
 fhould make him rather a Ma- 
 chin than a Man, yet Man is not 
 independent in ading, but de- 
 pends immediately upon the Di- 
 vine Will , as I have already ex- 
 plained. 
 
 Indeed he who thinks the 
 Creature is independent , if it 
 be not Phyfically predetermined 
 to ad, entertains a ftrang no- 
 tion of independency: for it is 
 certain that the Humane Will is 
 not thus predetermined to finful 
 ads , and I alfo defire to know if 
 neceffary agents be thus aded : me- 
 thinks fuch a fuperadded deter- 
 mination 
 
( 8j ) 
 mination is very needlefs fince 
 that natural propention, which 
 the great Creator endued them 
 with, is fixed and permanent 
 and fufficient enough to de- 
 termin them to aft : for in- 
 ftance the Fire 5 by it's natural 
 determination neceffary burns the 
 wood , and it needs no impulfe 3 
 or fuperadded motion to determin 
 it , and yet neither the Human 
 Will nor free agent are indepen- 
 dent beings. 
 
 But not to infift in the refuta- 
 tion of fuch trivial cenfures , 
 which the Authors can never form 
 in mode and figure againft what 
 I have laid down in that difcourfe , 
 I (hall now in the clofe examia 
 Mr; Gales fevere charge laid 
 down in his Court of the Gentiles 
 part 3. page. 
 
 As an Appendix ( Says he ) to 
 natural Philofophy , we may add 
 Medicine which has had a power- 
 full influence upon Atheifae in 
 F3 this 
 
( 86 ) 
 
 this regard, becaufe thefe proud 
 Naturalifts obierving by long ex- 
 perience many excellent quali- 
 ties , virtues and Medicinal in- 
 fluences, in feveral Minerals , 
 Stones, Plants, Animals, crc. 
 hence would fain perfwade them- 
 felves and the World , the term 
 of Mans Life was not fixt but 
 variable and determinable by 
 their art and Medicaments , which 
 piece of Atheifm continues to 
 this very day very common. 
 
 Methinkes Mr. GaU if he had 
 been fo good natured , might 
 have very well fpared this Scan- 
 dalous language and not have 
 treated thofe Learned men fo 
 contemptuoufly • but I fee it is 
 his humor to make every thing 
 have an influence upon Atheifm, 
 and to quarrel with all Philofophy 
 but his own Reformed Scheme: 
 and yet it is # ten to one if fome 
 ill natured Inquifitive men find not 
 but fome vanity, and malignity in 
 
 his 
 
( &7 ) 
 his own, which Whether it may 
 arife from the vanity and malig- 
 nity of the obje<ft. Or 2. From 
 the vanity and malignity of the 
 fubjeft. Or 5 3. from the eurfe of 
 God or both 5 is an Enquiry I 
 (hall -not determining till 1 better 
 underftand what fence thefe phra- 
 fes can admit. 
 
 But methinks it is a Arrange 
 thing w 7 hy he is fe much offended 
 with Pagan Philofophers, fince he 
 alleadges as a prime cauie of vain 
 Philosophy, the innate \ con- 
 genite darknefs or the native 
 ignorance of the undcrftanding- 
 now how unrealbnable is- It tb 
 challenge men for erring' if ig- 
 norance be cong^nite or "native 
 to the understanding? He rrity 
 as well be angry with them be- 
 came they had not thefe dear 
 revelations of the Divine mind 
 we are now bieffed with. ; 
 
 And yet, although thdre were 
 
 numy errors in their Philofophy,, 
 
 F 4 we 
 
(88) 
 
 we rpuft not therefore copdemij 
 natural Philofophy nor rejedi all 
 thofe arts and fciences which have 
 errors neceffary ( in this imperfeft 
 ftate ) annexed to them • if we do 
 fo we muft reje<5t all arts and fcien- 
 pes and even his ( I had almoft mif- 
 taken and faid j own reformed 
 philofophy. That Idolatry, Athe- 
 lfm, &c. are the effe&s of natural 
 Philofophy, is a dangerous pofition 
 of the Authors, for by the dark 
 light of nature mep may know 
 that there is a God and that 
 Divine worfhip and adoration is 
 only to be given to that Supream 
 and Adorable Being , and if natu- 
 ral philofophy be rejected ho\y 
 (hall we be able to difpute with 
 Atheifts who wickedly deridp 
 Sacred Writ. 
 
 But as natural Philofophy hath 
 fiq powerful influence upon A- 
 theifm, fo neither hath Medi- 
 cine, which he adds as an ap- 
 pendix to i\\Q forjner \ hpwever 
 
 thq 
 
( Bp ) 
 
 tfie Authors unbounded Zeal 
 tranfports him beyond the juft 
 bounds of civility and modera- 
 tion. 
 
 And now 9 that I may more par* 
 ticularly examin this cenfure, I 
 {hall firft (hew that Mr. Gales me- 
 mory is as weak as his judgment ,' 
 and that he has quite forgot that he 
 makes this piece of Atheifm the ef- 
 fe<ft of Pagan Philofophy. Second- 
 ly, I fhall make it evident that thofe 
 proud (as he imprudently and 
 with more arrogance calls them) 
 Naturalifts were neither proud 
 in there obfervations he con- 
 temns, nor proud in the infe? 
 rence deduced from thence: and 
 Thirdly, I fhall make it plain 
 that Mr. Gale may be juftly 
 charged with maintaining more 
 dangerous opinions. 
 
 I begin with the Firft, to 
 {hew that Mr. Gale elfewhere 
 feems to condemn himfelf for 
 laying 3 that it i§ the sffe#: of 
 
 Pagan 
 
( 90 ) 
 
 Pagan Philofophy to fay, the 
 Period of Humane Life is va- 
 riable; to make out this I (hall 
 only defire him to review part 4, 
 page 455. where he will find 
 himfelf faying / am not ignorant 
 ( the words are Mr. Gales ) how 
 much fome of late , as well Divines 
 as Phiftians , have ejfayed to exempt 
 the Period or term of Humane Life 
 from the immutable determination 
 of Divine providence ; but how 
 much this hypothecs contradicts both 
 Pagan and Sacred Philofophy , will be 
 more fully evident % by what fo Howes. 
 Now r , methinkes the Author 
 took too much pains to note , 
 that an effed: of Pagan Philofo- 
 phy, which he confefleth, is 
 contradi&ed by if: but not to 
 take any more notice of the 
 Authors fighting with himfelf: 
 I (hall proceed to the Second- 
 Namely, that Phifitians; were 
 neither Arrogant in there obfer- 
 yations. he is pleafed to men- 
 tion 
 
( 91 ) 
 
 tton none yet in that inference 
 deduced from hence, 
 
 Firft they were nor proud in 
 their obfervations $ for to take 
 notice of the excellent qualities 
 and virtues of Herbs , Minerals , 
 Animals,' &c. is fo far from 
 being difcommended and repre- 
 hended, that it is rather to be 
 regrated , that men of learning 
 and abilities fhould want encou- 
 ragements to proceed in fuch en- 
 quiries: and truly thofe who layout 
 there time in fuch a commend- 
 able ftudy, will unqueftionably 
 be celebrated by pofterity , when 
 the names of thofe who difcou- 
 rage them, (hall be unfavory if 
 not extinguished. 
 
 Can it be queftioned by any, 
 who pretends reafon , that there 
 are excellent noble and fpeci- 
 fick vertues in fome Plants, 
 Animals , and Minerals aga- 
 inll feveral deftempers i if this 
 be doubted common experi- 
 ence 
 
Im ) 
 
 rience will abundantly atteft it* 
 but fince this is (6 plain and 
 evident is it not lawfull from 
 hence to infer that the Period 
 of Human Life, is not abfolutely 
 fixt: for if this were true it 
 were needlefe to fearch out the 
 vertues and effe&s of thofe 
 things, which can be ufed to 
 no purpofe. 
 
 But the great charge is, that 
 to affirm the term of Mens lives 
 is mutable , is a piece of Athetfm. 
 
 To prevent fuch calumnies 
 there is no help but according 
 to the old faying ft accufajfe sat 
 ejfet quis foret innocem i And I 
 am fure the Scriptures teach us 
 another leflbn and right reafon 
 too; as for Pagan Philofo^hy 1 
 confefs I am not fo much con- 
 cerned to examin it. I Know 
 he has the Stoick Philofophers 
 Patronizing his notion , while in 
 health, but I doubt if ficknefs 
 does not alter there judgments.' 
 
 It 
 
( 9) ) 
 
 It is indeed good company to 
 fee the mod drift Scoick and 
 thofe of that perfwafion 3 poll 
 away meflingers for the Phifi- 
 tian when under difeafes $ which 
 is evidence enough that they do 
 not believe the truth of what 
 they maintain. 
 
 That the Hypothefis we defend 
 contradi&s neither natural nor Sa- 
 cred Philofophy , has been plainly 
 enough demonftrated in our for- 
 mer difcourfe > neither doth Mr. 
 Gale for all his promife , urge it 
 with any argument , but in ftead 
 of doing fo he himfelf feems to 
 be guilty of that which he in- 
 jurioully blames in others: And 
 thus I am led to the third thing 
 propofed to be difcuffed • namely, 
 that Mr. Gale may be juftly 
 charged with maintaining more 
 dangerous opinions $ and to make 
 good this charge I fliall only 
 (becaufe of the intended brevity ) 
 mention two particulars. 
 
 The 
 
< 94) 
 The firft is laid down in the Court 
 of the Gentiles page 367. where 
 diftinguiiliing Gods Juftice in 
 Abfolute and Ordinative he adds 5 
 that God by his abfolutejujlice and do- 
 minion can inflitf the greatefl tor- 
 ments even of He IL it felf on the 
 mofl innocent Creature* This is 
 indeed a mbriel which fober men 
 cannot well fwallow 5 - it being 
 fo quite contrary to that com- 
 mon notion which all mankind 
 entertain of God, and to thofe 
 excellent attributes of his glori- 
 ous nature , by which he has dif- 
 covered himfelf to the world 
 both by his word and workes* 
 
 That Almighty God is to be 
 admired for his excellent power 
 and works of wonder , no fober 
 man ever doubted, but to ad- 
 mit an unlimitted power in- 
 compatible with the principle 
 attributes and perfections of his 
 Glorious nature, fuch as his 
 Goodnefs ? Holinefs 7 Mercy and 
 
 Juftice , 
 
(95 ) 
 
 Juftice 5 this were inftead of 
 exalting his excellent power > a 
 denying of a Deity or at lead 
 a making him, who is altoge- 
 ther Holy, merciful and Good, 
 feem ( it is horrid to fpeak it ) 
 Savage and Cruel. The Divine 
 goodnefs, truth and fanftity affure 
 us that he can do nothing that 
 is unbecoming his Glorious na- 
 ture nor repugnant to his chiefe 
 perfe&ions difplayed in his Sa- 
 cred Word and dayly evident 
 by his Workes. 
 
 Let us here appeal to judicious 
 Mr. Calvin lib. de Etern. Dei 
 p rede ft. Sorbonicum illud dogma, 
 in quo fibi plandunt Pafales Theolo- 
 gafiri (let eft or > quod potentiam ab- 
 folutam Deo affingit : Soils entrn lu- 
 cem a c a lore eve Here facilim erit ? 
 quam Dei potentiam feparare a jttf- 
 tia and page ipi. facejfant ergo 
 procul a pijs mentibus 5 monjlrofce* 
 illee Speculations > plm a liquid 
 Deum poffe quam convent of 7 vel eum\ 
 
 fine 
 
(96) 
 
 fmemodo acratione quicquam agere\ 
 Sec. 
 
 Surely if to diftroy the righ- 
 teous with the wicked tem- 
 porally was rejefted by Abraham 
 as a piece of injuftice, unbecom- 
 ing the Divine goodnefs. Gen. 
 1 8 25. That be far from thee to 
 flay the righteous with the wicked , 
 Shall not the Judge of all the 
 Earth do right : how much rather 
 may we fay fo , when men tell 
 us that God can inflift the great- 
 eft torments even of Hell it (elf 
 on the moft innocent Creature; 
 it were eafie to anfwer all the 
 filly inftances brought in defence 
 of this horrid Doflrin, but I 
 have faid enough in the pafling 
 againft it, only I muft add that 
 this is a moft dangerous opinion 
 inclining men to entertain un- 
 worthy conceptions of a Deity. 
 Plutarch lib* de Superfl. di£ 
 courfing of the folly of the Pa- 
 gans, to pacifie there offended 
 
 Cods 
 
( 91 ) 
 
 Gods Sacrificed men and women 
 to them , adds that Diagora* , and 
 his Followers more reasonably 
 maintained the Being of fucti 
 Gods than thofe > who ' confefled 
 a God , and believed they could 
 be appeafed by fuch Savage cru- 
 elty.' 
 
 The Second particular- I fliall 
 inftance, is laid down pag 483. 
 and frequently elfe where 5 Gad 
 (fays he) is the frime^ efficient 
 cAitfe of the material ent&tfoe a£t 
 of Sin. I know fome others have 
 undertaken the defence of this 
 infamous Tenet, but patronize 
 it who will, k is an uncouth 
 opinion and chargeth the Holy 
 Lord, who is not a God that 
 hath pleafure id wickednefs , with 
 Mens Sins. 
 
 I confefs , I could never yet un- 
 derftand what more was afferted 
 by thofe blafphemdus Hereticks , 
 who boldly affirmed that God 
 was the Author of Sin $ for 
 G whichi 
 
(9% ) 
 
 which pious antiquity did jointly 
 condemn them * for if the evil or 
 obliquity of Sin be (as they fay) ei- 
 ther privation or relation , it is 
 evident that they necefTarily refult 
 from the placing of fuch a&ions 
 and cannot but follow their a&s. 
 
 It is indeed pity, that our Refor- 
 med Divines fhould be all blamed 
 for the faults only of a few who 
 have imbibed this Dominican ve- 
 nom , and I have often regrated to 
 fee the $efmts fo miferabiy baffle 
 men , maintaining this odd and 
 uncouth notion 7 and yet it is but 
 unhandfom dealing to charge that 
 notion upon all reformed churches, 
 which has been alwayes con- 
 demned by the moft Judicious 
 Writers we have. 
 
 But todifpatch this as quickly 
 as I can , Ifliall only defire a fatif- 
 fa&ory Anfwer to the few fol- 
 lowing Queries. 
 
 Firft, If God be the prime 
 efficient caufe of the material 
 
 entitive 
 
( 99 ) 
 
 entitive aft ( that I may ufe his 
 phrafe ) of Sin , does not God 
 neceffitate the Will to Sine' fince 
 Man is hereby made the Inftru- 
 mental caufe and God the prin- 
 cipal overruling efficient caufe; 
 and do you think that the Inftru- 
 mental caufc , can refift when the 
 principle caufe irrefiftably deter- 
 mins it to aft? 
 
 Secondly , Is not the aft pre- 
 fcinded from the objeft? A meer 
 fancy and notion : Can there be 
 either Love or hatred when their 
 is no objeft to terminate them 
 upon i 
 
 Thirdly , If the material aft 
 of Sin be Good, is not every 
 finfull aft Morally Good as well 
 as Morally Evil. 
 
 Fourthly, When we enquire 
 if there be any thing in the 
 hatred of God that is good , da 
 we not Speak of a particular aft 
 terminat upon its objeft , and not 
 of a Chimerical aft which can 
 have no being e G 2 Fifthly 
 
( ioo ) 
 
 Fifthly, Is not that Sinfull 
 which is prohibited i but the ad 
 it felf is forbidden Men, or for- 
 bidden ro do fuch and iuch things , 
 and their doing or. ading makes 
 them lyable to puniftiment. Da 
 not Men by doing or omitting 
 that which the Divine precepts 
 forbid, become guilty < Is not Sin 
 a tranfgreflion of the Law, and 
 do not men tranfgrefs and violate 
 the Divine precepts when they 
 either commit or omit the forbid- 
 den adion? Hence is it that very 
 many Learned Men rationally 
 conclude that Sin is not a priva- 
 tion , but a pofitive thing , fince 
 the ad is alwayes forbidden, and 
 therefore it muft be formally evil 5 
 and I confefs it is a hard matter 
 to conjedure what can be the 
 foundation of that privation; or 
 if the ad be placed, how the 
 obliquity does not neceflarily 
 refult. 
 Sixthly , To permit is properly 
 
 ft 
 
( IPI ) 
 
 a not hindringor impeding Men 
 to a<ft- therefore the a<ft is permit- 
 ted, tor what can be hindered 
 cannot be properly faid to be 
 permitted 5 but the obliquity is 
 fuch. 
 
 Seventhly , If it were the ob- 
 liquity and not the a<5t that is 
 permitted , then neither Devils 
 nor Men could tempt us to Sin 5 
 for they cannot do any more but 
 Intice and Allure us to the com- 
 mitting or omitting of the Acfts, 
 which being placed, the obliquity 
 does neceffarily refult. 
 
 Eigthly, Are Man any other 
 waies faid to be hindered from 
 Sinning 5 buftbedaufe they are im- 
 peded from corn-miring the Ad; 
 how then can ihe HolyLurd $ be 
 the prime efficient caufe of the fub- 
 ftrate matter , or materia! enti- 
 tative.AA of Sin i 
 
 I hive indeed feen an excellent 
 M, S s. where this odious opi- 
 nion : which has made our Church 
 G 7 infamous 
 
( I02 ) 
 
 is folidly reje&ed 5 till fuch time 
 as that become pubiicfc, thefe 
 few Arguments I have pitched 
 upon 5 may be of qfe to convince 
 ps that Mr. Qde is in a mif 
 take. 
 
 I Ihould now have proceeded 
 to the confideration of thofe Ar- 
 guments he brings in defence of 
 his opinion 3 but I find this will 
 j)e more pertinent afterwards, 
 when a more fit pccafion may 
 offer. 
 
 Now to conclude, it is my 
 hearty defire that we may not, 
 while we are difputing about the 
 Period of our Lives , forget our 
 Mortality. Ere it be long a Pe- 
 riod will be put to our beings* 
 and is it not our greateft concern- 
 ment to mind this in time , that 
 when this Life is ended we 
 may be admitted into that glori- 
 ous affembly of the Saints above 5 
 who Live 3 but can die no more ? 
 
 FINIS. 
 
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