Book III, 75: On the life of Man

A Thousand yeares, with God (the Scriptures say)
Are reckon'd but a Day;
By which accompt; this measur'd Life of our
Exceeds not much an hower;
The halfe whereof Nature does claime and keepe
As her owne debt for sleepe:
A full sixt part or what remaines, we ryot
In more then needfull Dyet:
Our Infancy, our Child hood, and the most
Of our greene youth is lost:
The little that is left, we thus divide;
One part to cloathe our Pride;
An other Share we lavishly deboyse
To vaine, or sinfull joyes;
If then, at most, the measur'd life of Man
Be counted but a Span,
Being half'd and quarter'd, and disquarter'd thus,
What, what remaines for us?
Lord, if the Totall of our dayes doe come
To so-so poore a summe;
And if our shares so small, so nothing be,
Out of that Nothing, what remaines to Thee?