John Trapp on Psalms 146:4

Verſ. 4 His breath goeth forth] It is but in his noſtrills at beſt; every moment ready to puff out: ceaſe from him therefore, Iſa. 2. Man, ſay the Rabbines, Naz. is but a bladder full of air, which can ſtand on no ground: but prickt with a pin, it ſhriveleth to nothing. Man, ſaith a Father, is nothing elſe but Soul and Soil, breath and body; a puff of wind the one, a pile of duſt the other, no ſolidity in either.

He returneth to his earth] Of which he was made, and to which hee is condemned, Gen 3. and upon which hee hath too much ſet his affections, being totus terreus, and ſo the ſooner forfeiteth all. It was therefore good counſell that One once gave to a great man, who had ſhewed him his ſtately houſe and pleaſant Gardens. You had need make ſure of Heaven, my Lord, or elſe, when you dye, you will bee a very great loſer. But this, few Princes think of; which made the Spaniſh Frier ſay, there were but few Princes in Hell; for why? there were but few in all.

In that very day his thoughts periſh] His golden thoughts, his white-ſhining thoughts, irritae diffluunt, come to juſt nothing. Princes may haply have in their heads whole Common-wealths, and the affairs of many Kingdomes; as Alexander had, and Tamberlan, who dyed of an ague in the midſt of his great preparations for the conqueſt of the Greek Empire. Or, his thoughts (ad [illegible: 1 word] benefa[illegible: 1 letter]iend[illegible: 1 letter]s, as Aben-Ezra expoundeth it) of doing thee and others good; theſe fall to the ground with him. Great mens words are like dead mens ſhooes, ſaith one; hee may go barefoot that waiteth for them. Wherefore