Life Is Short
“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a time, and then vanisheth away.” ~James 4:14
“If life is short, then moderate your worldly care and projects; do not encumber yourselves with too much provision for a short voyage. A ship goes more swiftly if it is less burdened; people take in too much lading for a mere passage…
Devote yourselves more to spiritual projects, so that you may lay up a foundation for a longer life than you have to live here; do a lot of work in a little time. Do we want to lose any part of what is so short? Do we want our short life to make way for a long misery?
The apostle says, ‘Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance’ (2 Peter 1:13). We are all shortly to take off the outer garment of the body; let us do all the good that we can…
You have only a short time, so be all the more diligent.”
~Thomas Manton, from his commentary on James
