Page:Laird of Cool's ghost (NLS104186838).pdf/23

23 out of a mountain without hands, smote the feet of this prodigous statue, which were of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces ; not only the iron and the clay were broken, but also the gold, the silver, and the brass, and it all became as chaff which the wind driveth away, Psal. i. 4. For what is all the pomp, glory, power, and dignity of this life, but a smoke driven with the wind and a vapour that soon vanishes? It is like a shadow that flies from us, or a dream that quickly fades away. When man, who was created in the image of God, makes his appearance from the dust, he struts about a little while, and becomes formidable; but as soon as death strikes at his earthly parts, and begins to break his flesh and his bones, all the pomp and power all the glory and magnificence of the richest, most victorious and most terrible monarch is changed into a lothsome stench, turns to ashes, and is reduced to nothing, "vanity of vanities, all is vanity."-Eccl. i. 2.

Since therefore Death is so cruel as to spare none, and its power so great that none can either escape or resist, it is no wonder that it becomes so terrible, and fills with fear, anguish, and despair, the minds of all such as have not settled their faith and hope upon God. There is no criminal so hardened but trembles, and is seized with horror, when he sees the scaffold erecting upon which he is condemned to be broken upon the wheel, or when he sees in the fire the red-hot irons with which be is to be pinched to death.

In the midst of a sumptuous banquet, king Belshazzar saw the fingers of a man's hand writing these words npon the wall of his palace, ment, mene, tekel, upharsin ; which is thus interpreted by the prophet Daniel; mene "God hath numbered thy kingdom and fished it." tekel, “thou art weighed in the balance, and are found wanting,' peres, or upharsin,