Institutions, essays, and maxims, political, moral, and divine divided into four centuries / by the Right Honoura[ble] L. Marqu. of H[alifax]

MAX. 55.

Look upon thy burning Ta∣per, and there see the Emblem of thy Life: The flame is thy Soul; the Wax thy Body, and is commonly a span long; the Wax, (if never so well tem∣per'd) can but last his length; and who can lengthen it? If ill temper'd, it shall waste the the faster, yet last his length; an open Window shall hasten either; an Extinguisher shall put out both: Husband them the best thou canst, thou canst not lengthen them beyond their date: Leave them to the inju∣ry of the Wind, or to the mercy of a wastful hand, thou

hastnest them, but still they burn their length: But puff them out, and thou hast short∣ned them, and stop'd their pas∣sage, which else had brought them to their appointed End. Bodies according to their Con∣stitutions, stronger or weaker, according to the equality or inequality of their Elements, have their dates, and may be preserved from shortning, but not lengthned. Neglect may waste them, ill Diet may hasten them to their Journey's End, yet they have lived their length; a violent hand may interrupt them; a sudden death may stop them, and they are shortned. It lies in the power of Man, ei∣ther permissively to hasten, or

actively to shorten; but not to lengthen or extend the Limits of his Natural Life. He only (if any) hath the art to leng∣then out his Taper that puts it to the best advantage.