Life is not alike to all men: To such a wicked wretch as I am, the best had been, that I never had been, and the next best were to live long; in this condition, it was ill for me that I was born, worse for me that I must die: for without unfeigned repentance, this dying life will bring me to a living death; whereas a good man is otherwise minded, he counts his end the best of his being, for that brings him to the fruition of his hope: could death end misery, it should be the greatest happiness I would wish: but my conscience will not let me lye, for I fear the end of my present miseries will be but the beginning of worse; yea, such as death it self cannot terminate. Now came into my mind the consideration of Eternity: and with it, I remembred how it was represented by the Ancients, which very much helpt my present Contemplation; which was thus: A vast Den full of horror, round about which a Serpent winds it self, and in the winding bites it self by the tail. At the right-hand of this Den, stands a young man of a most beautiful and pleasant countenance, holding in his right-hand a Bow and two Arrows, and in his left an Harp. In the entrance sits an old man opposite, and having his eyes very intent on his Table-book, writes according to the dictations of the young man standing by. At the left-hand of this Den, sits a grave Matron gray-headed, and having her eyes always busied. At the mouth hereof, are four stairs ascending by degrees; the first is of iron, the second of brass, the third of silver, and the last of Gold: On these are little children sporting up and down, playing, fearless, and inapprehensive of falling. The sight of this Emblem of Eternity inculcated into my thoughts this interpretation: The Den, which was bottomless, signified to me the incomprehensibility of Eternity; the circumferating Serpent, Time; the young man, Nature: on Earth and Hell are her arrows fastned; but in Heaven there is the Harp, fulness of joy, and pleasures inexpressible: The old man I lookt upon to be Fate; the grave Matron, Providence; the Stairs, distinct Times and Ages; the Children running up and down the Stairs without fear of danger, do signifie foolish Man and Woman, who regardless of their salvation, sport and play with it so long, till they slipt into Eternity. So have I been careless of that which should have been my greatest care, though I knew (but would not know) that the least and lightest touch of death were sufficient, in a moment to translate me from Time to Eternity. Were we all to live a thousand years (whereas the Executioner is to put a period to my life in one day longer) we should before we had ran half our course, in our very non-age, apply our selves to repentance and newness of life. Now, now is the time, every hour, every moment: now one part of an hour (as I am informed, to my great comfort) may obtain pardon here, which all Eternity cannot hereafter. Therefore, let this now be my time (this one day I have left me) to