One reason partly, because there is a mixture of corruption in us while we live here, and corruption looks to this false principle in us, that will
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 9. 129
never be wrought out with all the afflictions in the world. Till death make au end of corruption, there will be a false trust in ourselves and in the creature. We cannot trust God perfectly as we should do.
Rcamn 1. Again, the reason is, became the thiiujs of this life are tise/ul and co))niin(li(>ii.s unto us, and we are nouzelled* up in the use of them, and when Satan doth amplify them in our fancy to be greater in goodness than they are ; and opinion sets a gi'catcr worth on them, if there were no devil. But he presenting these things in all the lustre he can, he helps the ima- gination, which he hath more to do with than with all the parts of the soul. And the soul looks in the glass of opinion upon these things, and thinks they are goodlv, great matters, learning and wisdom, honour and riches. Looking upon them as they are amplitied by the false fancy of others and the competition of the world wherein we live, eveiy man is greedy and hasty of these things. All men have not faith for better things. There- fore, they are mad of these. So the competition of others and the en- larging our conceits upon them above their worth, these make us put greater confidence in them, and then we come to trust in ourselves and in them, and not in God.
Reason 2. Naturallij ire cannot see the nothingness of the creature, that as it came out of nothing, so it will turn to nothing. But because it is sen- sible, these good things are sensible, and present, and necessaiy, and use- ful ; and naturally we live by our senses. Therefore, we place our dehght in them, that when they are taken away all the soul goes with them. As he that leans upon a crutch, or anything, when that is taken away, down he falls, so it is with a man by nature ; he trusts to these things, and when they go, his soul sinks together with the things. Even as it is with those that are in a stream, when they are in a running stream they are carried with the stream, so all these things go away, they are of a fleeting condition. We see them not in their passage. When they are gone, we see them past. We see not ourselves vanish by little and little out of this life. We see not the creatures present, we see not death, and other things beyond death, as we should by the eye of faith. So things pass, and we pass with them ; the stream and we run together. It must be a great measure of faith that must help this. We are prone to trust to sensible things naturally. We know what it is to live by sense ; but to live by faith it is a remote thing, to lead our lives by reasons di'awn from things that are not seen, to live by promises, it is a hard thing, when things that are sensible cannot work upon us. When we see men die, and see the vanity of things sensible, it will not work upon us ; how then do we think that things that are super- natural, which are remotef fer above sense, should work on us ? It is a hard thing not to trust to ourselves, we are so addicted to live by sense ; and there is some corruption in St Paul, in the best men, to trust to pre- sent things.
Who doth not think but he shall live one day longer, and so trusts to life '? As the heathen man could say, ' There is not the oldest man but he thinks he may live a little longer, one day longer ' (i;). Who makes that use of mortality and the uncertain, fading condition of this life as he should ? And all because of a false trust ; as in other things, so in the continuance of life. We see we are prone to trust, to put base, false confidence in some- what or other while we live in this world.
Reason 3. Again, our nature heinrj vrone to outn-ard things, and sunii deeply into them, it can hardhj hr recovered ; it cannot be sober without much ado * That is, ' nourished.' — G. t That is, ' removed.' — Ed.
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130 COMMENTARY ON
and brought from trusting of present things. You have some men that have things at will in this world. They never know what faith means. All their liic they live by sense. Their conscience is not awaked, and outward afflictions seize not on them and supply of cartlily things they have. Wliat religion means, and what (lod and heaven means, they have heard of them perhaps, but throughly and inwardly what it means they never come to know in this world, without tliere be some alteration and changes. They must have some changes. ' The wicked have no changes,' saith the pro- phet, Ps. Iv. 19. But while they be as they are, they know not God, nor themselves, nor the vanity of earthly tilings. We speak the truth of God to a company ofttimes that are besotted with sensuality, and that have perpetual supply of earthly things. Speak to them of faith, and of things that are remote from sense, &c., they hear them as if they were in a dream. Nature is prone to trust in present things, even in the best, in St Paul him- self.