And this is one part, one main branch of our corruption, wherein it shews itself strongly, that we live in an estate that we are ashamed to die in. Come to sonic men, and ask them, how it is with you ? have yon repented of your sins past? have you renewed your puqioses for the time to come ? Yes ; we do it solemnly at the conmiunion. liut we should re- new our repentance, and renew our covenants every day, to please God that day. Do you do so now? If God should seize upon you now, are you in the exercise of faith ? in the exercise of repentance ? in the exercise of holy purposes, to please God ? are you in God's ways ? do you live as you would be content to die ? But Satan and our own corruption be- witcheth us with a vain hope of long life, we promise ourselves that, that God doth not promise us ; we make that certain that God doth not make certain. Indeed we are certain of death, but for the time, and manner, and circumstances we know them not. Sometimes we think we shall die when we do not, and sometimes we die when we think we shall not.
Oh, will some say, if I knew when I should die, I would be a prepared man, I would be exact in my preparation. Wouldst thou so ? thou art deceived. Saul knew exactly he should die. He took it for exact when the witch in the shape of Samuel told him that he should die by to-morrowthis time, and yet he died desperately upon the sword's point for all that. He did not prepare himself. It must be the Spirit of God that must prepare us for this. If we knew never so much, that we should die never so soon, we cannot prepare ourselves. Our preparation must be by the Spirit of God. Let us labour continually to be prepared for it.
And let no man resolve to take liberty a rhoment, a minute of an hour to sin. God hath left it uncertain the day of death. What if that moment and minute wherein thou resolvest to sin should be the moment of thy death and departure hence ? for it is but a minute's work to end thy days. What if God should end thy days in that minute ? Let no man take liberty and time to sin, when God gives him no liberty in sin. If God should strike thee, thou goest to hell quick, thou must sink from sin to hell. It is a pitiful case, whenas eternity depends upon our watchfulness in this world. But to come to the end and issue, why he was thus dealt with by God, carrying him through these extremities.
' That we niir/ht not trmt in ourselves, but in God that raiseth the dead.' Here is the end specified that God intended, in sufiering him to be brought so low, even to death's door, that there was but a step between him and death. The end is double, ' That we should not trust in ourselves, but in God that raiseth the dead.' It is set down negatively and positively. First, ' That we should not trust in ourselves,' and then that we should * trust in God.' And the method is excellent. For we can never trust in God till we distrust ourselves, till our hearts be taken off from all confi- dence in ourselves and in the creature ; and then when our hearts are taken off from false confidence, they must have somewhat to rely on, and that is God or nothing; for else we shall fiiU into despair. The end of all this was, that ' we might not trust in ourselves, but in God that raiseth the dead.'
The wisdom of heaven doth nothing without an end proportionable to that heavenly wisdom ; so all this sore affliction of the blessed apostle, what aimed it at ? To pull down, and to build up ; to pull down self-
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VKR. 9. 127
confidence, ' Th.it we ini<:,'lit not trust in ourselves ;' and to 1)uild up con- fidence and afliance in God, ' but in God that raiseth the dead.'
We being in a contrary state to grace and communion with God, this order is necessary, that God must use some way that we shall not trust in ourselves ; and then to bring us to trust in him. So these two arc sub- ordinate ends one to another. ' We received the sentence of death, that we might not trust in ourselves.'
From the dependence this may be observed, that
Doct. Tlie certain aceoiiiit of death, is a means to icean vsfrom ourselves, and to make us trust i)i God.
The sentence of death, the assured knowledge that we must die, the certain expectation and looking for death, is the way to wean us from the world, and to fit us for God, to prepare us for a better life. You see it follows of necessity, ' We received the sentence of death, that we should not trust in ourselves,' &c.
The looking-for of death therefore, takes away confidence in ourselves and the creature. Alas ! in death, what can all the creatures help ? "What can friends, or physic, or money help ? Then honours, and pleasures, and all leave us then.