to-day, dry to-morrow; a wind and a shadow that flies quickly away; a smoke and a vapour that appears for a little time: hear these things, all ye nations; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world: all you that are earthborn, and you sons of men, both rich and poor together: young men and maidens, let the old with the younger hear the words of my mouth, for you lie all of you under one immutable sentence of death: it is appointed to men once to die, and, after this, the Judgment.[1] You must all be manifested before my Judgment-seat, and that sooner than you think, that every one may receive according as he has done in his body, whether it be good or evil.[2] Now I judge each one such as I find him to be when I cite him to my Tribunal by my satellite, who is Death.
Rejoice, therefore, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart be in that which is good in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thy eyes. But know that for all these God will bring thee into judgment.[3] Now, then, if thou art wise, take order with thy house, for thou shalt die, and not live. Neither hast thou any cause to trust to thy strength or to thy age. Seest thou not that even strong and vigorous young men, nay, that poor persons and little infants, die daily, often too, from a trifling cause or accident? The vessel of earthenware or of glass, whether it be new or old, is equally fragile; if it fall upon the ground it is broken. It is in vain for thee to expect white hairs, since the greater part of mankind attains them not.
Man. O my God! thou hast created man to thy own image; thou hast crowned him with glory and honour, and hast set him over the works of thy hands; and wilt thou cause me to return suddenly to dust, and cut me off, whilst I am yet but beginning?[4] Remember, O Lord, what my substance is; for can it be that thou hast made all the children of men in vain? Behold, we all die, and, like waters that return no more, we fall down into the earth![5]
Christ. Who is the man that lives, and shall not see death, — that shall deliver his soul from the hand of hell? But be it that I fill him with length of days, what will he be at the last? If a man live many years, and have rejoiced in them all, must he not remember the darksome time, and the many days, which, when they shall come, the
