Chip. 41. ,/fn Expolition upon the Book of Jo B. Verf,9. 685 Hencenote ; It io a vain thing to go about that, which we feenoground of hope tohavefuccefs in,to dogood upon,or to get anygoodby. As the Apoffleexhorts us, 7a befledfait and unmoveables al- ways abounding in the warn, of the Lord, forafnouch ws we know (true believers do know, and all men fhould know) that our la- bour le not in vain in the Lord ; fo we have ground enough to de- boa all men from tholc works, which we know, or may know,will be in vain. And if fo, Then, Firfi,,How vain a thing is itforany man to fan ?. Is.the re any thing to be gottenby fin ? I may well fay to finners, as the Lord faith co Job, in the latter end of the 8th verfe, Do nomore, fin no more ; your hope is in vain that think to gain by fin, that hope tomake our (elves rich, great or happy, by fin; `o nomore, your hope is in vain. The Apofile puis the queftion (Rom. 6. 2 a.) What fru t had you then in thole thngr, whereof ye are now afhamed ? Hive you got any benefit by them ? have you got any thing worth the getting ? Ail that is gained by fin, will turn to lofs at lafl. Samuel charged the Ifraelites upon this account (a Sam. 12. s t.) Turn ye not afde (that is, do not fin, do not turn from the Law of the Lord, do not depart fromGod, why ?) for then fhouldyou goafter vain things, which cannot profit nor de- liver, for they are vain. If you turn afide from the wayes of God, to by-wayes; from the truths of God,toerror;from the true wor- fhipof God,to idolatry; and from communion with God, to crea- ture-comforts and contenttrìents; you go after vain things which cannot profit. To be vain, and to be unprofitable, are the fame thing. Take heed of fin, for you cannot make anyprofit of it, you cannot raife any true revenue out of ir,you will one time or other be afhamed (as the Prophet (peaks) of all thole revenues; your hope char way is vain. Secondly, Then how vain a thing is it to .oppofe the Church of God! Why? becaufe there is no ground of hope for fuccefs-in that attempt. Theworld bath been upon it all along, but they could never effeet nor accomplifh what they have imagined ; theyhave done all, but profper in it ; they never had their end, which is the end or total defiruaion of, the Church. 'Pharaoh would op- pole and vex ¡Pad, the Churchof God, and keep them low ; but he
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