Learning to Count

As Moses in this psalm perceived that what he had hitherto taught is not comprehended by the understandings of men until God shine upon them by His Spirit, he now sets himself to prayer. It indeed seems at first sight absurd to pray that we may know the number of our years. What? since even the strongest scarcely reach the age of fourscore years, is there any difficulty in reckoning up so small a sum? Children learn numbers as soon as they begin to prattle; and we do not need a teacher in arithmetic to enable us to count the length of a hundred upon our fingers.

So much the fouler and more shameful is our stupidity in never comprehending the short term of our life. Even he who is most skilful in arithmetic, and who can precisely and accurately understand and investigate millions and millions, is nevertheless unable to count fourscore years in his own life. It is surely a monstrous thing that men can measure all distances without themselves, that they know how many feet the moon is distant from the center of the earth, what space there is between the different planets; and, in short, that they can measure all the dimensions both of heaven and earth; while yet they cannot number threescore and ten years in their own life. It is therefore evident that Moses had good reason to beseech God for ability to perform what requires a wisdom which is very rare among mankind.

The last clause of the verse is also worthy of special notice. By it Moses teaches us that we then truly apply our hearts to wisdom when we comprehend the shortness of human life. What can be a greater proof of madness than to ramble about without proposing to one's self any end? True believers alone, who know the difference between this transitory state and a blessed eternity for which they were created, know what ought to be the aim of their life. No man then can regulate his life with a settled mind but he who, knowing the end of it, that is to say, death itself, is led to consider the great purpose of man's existence in this world, that he may aspire after the prize of the heavenly calling.

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