88 Chap. 27. An'Expofition upon the Book of Jo . Verf.8. the commandment of God, fhould dye in obedience to the de- cree of God. Secondly, He hath no footing in, or affurance of a better life ; he never took holdof eternal life, therefore he can never willingly let go his hold of a temporal life. No man willingly parts with what he huh, until hebath fome evidence and affu- rance, at teal} fome good hope of that which is better ; or whkh he (at teali) conceives to be better than what he bath. Aman will not readily giveup his poffeffion of a fmoaky Cottage, when he fees,if he leave it,he mu& be expofed to all the injuries of wind and weather, of froth and fnow, in the open aire, So then, He that bath not in him a principle of obedience, whilehe lives, nor a well-grotinded hope ofhappinefs when he dyech,cannot dyewit- lingly. And therefore, that is verified upon everywicked man in the world when he deeth, which is Paid to the worldly rich man, ( Luke 12. 2o.) 71ìh night [hall thyfoul be required ofthee ;, His foul is required, not rehgned,'cis taken away, nor given up ; and though he fay, he defireth to be diffolved, yet to be diffolved is none of his defire ; Hemay choofe death ( according to his cor- rupt Judgment) as the lell'er evef, but he never choofeth it as that which leadeth to the greateli good. Thus we have feen fomewhat of 3-o6s mind in afferting the fincerity of his foul towards God, by his hope inGod when his foul fhould leave his body, while he in 'a way of diminution puts the queftion, What is the hope of the hypocrite, thoughhe hathgai- neel, when God takftb army bie foul ? JoBa
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