To silence and quiet your souls under the afflicting hand of God, dwell much upon the brevity, or shortness, of man’s life - Thomas Brooks (Puritan Quote)

To silence and quiet your souls under the afflicting hand of God, dwell much upon the brevity, or shortness, of man’s life. This present life is not life, but a motion, a journey toward life…. Thou hast but a day to live, and perhaps thou mayest be now in the twelfth hour of that day. Therefore, hold out faith and patience; thy troubles and thy life will shortly end together. Therefore hold thy peace: thy grave is going to be made, thy sun is near setting, death begins to call thee off the stage of this world, death stands at thy back, thou must shortly sail forth upon the ocean of eternity. Though thou hast a great deal of work to do, a God to honor, a Christ to close with, a soul to save, a race to run, a crown to win, a hell to escape, a pardon to beg, a heaven to make sure, yet thou hast but a little time to do it in. Thou hast one foot in the grave. Thou art even a-going ashore on eternity, and wilt thou now cry out of thy afflictions?

- Thomas Brooks in Mute Christian on the Puritan Hard Drive