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1. AND yet wee say, Time is long, and, time is short: though neyther doe we speake this, but of the time passed or to come. A long time past, (for example) wee call an hundred yeeres since: and a long time to come, an hun∣dred yeeres hence. But a short time passed, wee call (suppose) ten dayes since; and a short time to come, ten daies hence. But in what sence is that eyther long or short, which at all is not? For the
passed, is not now; and the future, is not yet. Let vs not therefore say, It is long; but of the past time let vs say, It hath beene long; and of the time to come, It will bee long. O Lord my God, my light, shall not thy truth laugh at man for this? For what pas∣sed time hath beene long? when it was already passed, hath it beene long, or when it was yet present? For then was it in best possibility to be long, when that was in present being, which should bee long. As for the passed time, it was now no longer; wherefore had that no possibility to bee long, which had at all no be∣ing. Let vs not therefore say, Time passed hath beene long: for wee shall neuer finde, what hath beene long, seeing that euer since it was past, it is no more. But let vs say, That present time
hath beene long: because, when it was present, then was it long. For hauing not hitherto passed away, that so it could not bee; euen therefore had it such a pre∣sent beeing, as was in pos∣sibility to haue beene long: whereas after it was once past, that terme at once ceased to be long, which ceased to be at all.
2. Let vs see therfore, O thou soule of man, whether yet the present time may be long: For to thee it is giuen to be sensible of the distances of time, and to measure them. What now wilt thou an∣swer me? Are an hundred yeeres in present, a long time? See first, whether an hundred yeeres may bee pre∣sent, or no. For if the first of these yeeres bee now a run∣ning; that one is present in∣deede, but the other nine∣ty
and nine bee to come, and therefore are not yet. But if the second yeere be now cur∣rent, then is one past already, another in present being, and all the rest to come. And if we suppose, any middle yeere of this hundred to bee now pre∣sent; all before it, are past, all after it, to come. Wherefore an hundred yeeres cannot pos∣sibly bee present. See againe, whether that one which is now a running, bee now pre∣sent; seeing that euen of that, if the first moneth bee now a running, then are all the rest to come. If the second, then is the first past, and the rest not yet come on. Therefore, neyther is the yeere now a spending, all present together: and if it be not all present, then is not the yeere present. For twelue months are a yeere; of which that one now a run∣ning, is present; all the rest
eyther past, or to come. Al∣though neither is that moneth now a running, present; but one day of it onely: if the first, the rest are to come; if the last, the rest are past: if any of the middle, then is that betweene the past and the fu∣ture.
2. See how the present time, (which onely we found meete to bee called long) is now abridged to the length scarce of one day. But let vs examine that also; be∣cause not so much as one day is wholy present. For foure and twenty houres of night and day, doe ful∣ly make it vp: of which, the first hath the rest to come; the last hath them passed: and any of the middle ones hath those be∣fore it, already past, those behinde it, yet to come; yea, that one houre is wasted out,
in still-vanishing minutes. How much soeuer of it is flowne away, is past; whatso∣euer remaynes behinde, is to come. If any instant of time be conceiued, which cannot bee deuided eyther into none, or at most into the smallest par∣ticle of moments; that is the onely it, which may bee called present; which little yet flies with such full speede from the future to the passed; as that it is not lengthened out with the very least stay. For leng∣thened out if it bee, then is it deuided into the past and the future. As for the present, it takes not vp any space: where then is the Time, which wee may call long? Is it to come? Surely we do not say, that that is long; because that of it is not yet come which may be long: but say, It will be long. When therefore will it bee? For if euen then, seeing that is yet
to come; it shall not euen then be long; because that of it which may bee long, shall not be yet come. But if it shall onely then bee long, when from a time to come (which is not yet) it shall begin now to be; and shall be made pre∣sent, that so it may now bee, that which may be long; then does the present time cry out in the words aboue rehear∣sed, That it selfe can neuer be∣come long.