46 S ER MO N S upon the Serm: VIII. day offudgment. We hand before his Tribunal, that we may have confidence, and° not be aJbamed before him at bit coming, I John 4. I. That we may have boldnefs at the day i f yudgment. Death is your fummons, a Kings 21. 3. Lord thou knoweJl that I have walked before thee with a true and perfea Heart. z. The oppofites of it are disquieting doubts and fears. I. Doubts are often oppofed to Faith, not only as 'tis a ftrong affent, but as 'tisa quiet dependance upon: Gods Nature and word, as yam. I. 6. Let him ask in Faith, nothing wavering, for he that wavereth is like a Wave of the Sea, driven with every wind andto(/ed, I Tim. z. 8. Lift ùp Holy hands without wrath and doubting, Rom. 4. W. He flaggered not at the promifè through unbelief, but hoped again/! hope, Matti'. 14. 3 I. O thou of little Faith, wherefore didfl thou doubt ? Becaufe he could not reff upon Chrifts word. a. So fears are oppofite to this quiet and fteady dependance, Matth. 8. 26 Why are ye fofearfùl, 0 ye of little Faith ? In Luke 'tis, Where is your Faith? In Mark 'tis, .Hew is it that you have no Faith ? Luke 8. So. Fear not, believe only. Now the oppofites of any grace do thew the Nature of it. If doubts and fears be fo direótly oppofite to Faith, therefore Faith is a confidence as well as an affent. Now, thefe doubts and fainting fears are every where oppofed to Faith, Pfa. 17. 13. I hadfainted, unlefs I had believed to fee thegoodnefs ofthe Lord in the land of the living. Gods Children are very obnoxious to Temptations of fainting fears, and diffidence, when fharp troubles do afiault them, and therefore they ought to ftrengthen their confidence. Strength ofaff nt may remove `Speculative doubts, or errours of the mind; but ftrength of confidence, or quiet depen- dance, doth only remove praflical doubts ; which arife from the fears and terrours of fenfe, which may fometimes forely {hake us. 3. The immediate effells are fuchasare comprized in the very Nature ofit,as an Holy boldnefs and courage, which is thevery notion, and the fame importance, of the Word in the Text, We ary confident, or of good cheer adf courage. This is feen in four things. r. In our continuing faithfulwithChrifl, andprofejinghis truth and waies, notwithJland- ing oppofttion, in a bold profefíìori, without any fears of perfecutions and fufferings, as Heb. ;. 6. Whofe Houle we are, if we hold fall the confidence, and the rejoicing of bepefrm to the end. And in the 14. vole. For we are made partakers of Chrifl, if we holdthe begin - ning -ofoar conftdencefledfafl unto the. end. And again, Heb. to. 35. Cali not awayyour con- fidence, which hath great recompenfe of reward In all which places confidence, noteth a bold owning, and avowing o£Chrift, or fearlefnefs and courage in our Chri£tian profeßìon, arifing from our certain perfwafion of and dependance on Chrifts rewards in another World, The great ufe ofFaith is to fortify us againft all Temptations, and difficulties, and incollveniencies, that we meet with in our paffage to Heaven, even againft Death it felt. Then are weconfident, when born up againft all dangers and fufferings. There is a like word ufed, Sohn 16. 33. Be of good cheer, I have overcome the World. Gods Children may bebold or of good cheer, in the midit of all their afietions, for Faith affureth them, the end flail be Glorious. Therefore we are bold, perform our duty and pals on in our pilgrimage, with a couragious and quiet mind. This contagious, confident encountering with trouble, is the immediate fruit of Faith. Be- caufe Faith inableth us to look to the end oftrouble, and our Salvation as lure and near. z. 'Tis feen allo in a generous contempt, of all the baits, and pleafures of fenfe; and the delightful things in this World, and cheerfully carrying on our duty, though. the AA wouldtempt us to thecontrary, Faith is an obedienrial cohfidence, and the firength of it is Peen in checking of Temptations : Or an affiance on God, as it draweth our hearts after better things than that the world offereth. We can more eafily want and mils the con - tentments of the flefh, and the pomp, and eafe, and gratification of the prefent Life. So that to be confident, is to be prepared, and refolved to do thofe things which God com- mandeth, though with'denialof thofe fenfual good things, which the flefh craveth; as to endure whathappeneth in the way to Heaven, fo to refufe and rejefk what hindreth us from it. For we are exercifed with tryals, both on the right hand, and on the left ; and we need the Armour of Righteoufnefs, both on the right hand, and on the left, z Cor. 6, 7. Our way to Heaven lyeth per blanda 'afpera. As the terrours of fenfe are a difcouragement to us, fo the delights of fenle are a fnare to us; confidence hath an influ. ente upon both, it breedeth a weanednefs from the baits of the flefh, and a reje&ion of what would divert us from the purfuit of Eternal Life, and is much Peen idmortification, 1 Cor. g. s 6, v7. I run not as one that is uncertain, therefore I keep under my Body. As if he had laid. I am confident, therefore I am mortified, contemn the allurements offenfe : As they dyeted themfelves for the Iflhmick games. Hope to get a Crown of Laurel made them
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