Page:Great importance of a suitable preparation for death (1).pdf/9

( 9 ) Caution 1. Thy desire to live (when thou art ſummoned to die) ſhould not be peremptory, but with ſubmiſſion to the will of God, that if it be his pleaſure to remove thee preſently out of time, thou ſhouldſt be content to die.

Caution 2. Thy deſire to live ſhould have gracious principles, and alſo a very gracious end, as is moſt clear from David, Pſalm xxxix. 13. where he ſaith, “O ſpare me a little, that I may recover ſtrength, before I go hence, and be no more.”— His deſire to live was, that he might have victory over his idols. As if he had ſaid, My deſire to live is, that I may have ſtrength to with, and overcome my idols. And, without all controverſy, Hezekiah’s deſire was a moſt precious and well grounded deſire. However, I would ſay this unto thee, that thou ſhouldeſt examine thy deſires to live (as much, if not more) as thy deſire to die; for, we are ready to ſhun death, if we could, but he is that univerſal king unto whom all of us muſt be ſubject ere long.

Now, in the words which are read unto, you, there are theſe ſix things, which might be clearly obſerved from them.

I. That it is a moſt clear and infallible truth, that all perſons ſhall once ſee death; as is clear in theſe words, Who is be that liveth, and ſhall not ſee death?