V er. 9. Fi fth Chtlp. 2d Ep. to the C O R I N T Hl. a affarañce that loth increafe it. 'Tis eafie to convince men, that Heaven is the only Happinefs; butis it thy Happinefs ? Though the knowledge of excellency and fui- tablenefs, may flit up that love which worketh by degrees, yet there mull be the know- ledge of our intereft to fet a -work our complacency and delight. We cannot fo delight- fully and cheerfully expect our change, till our title be fomewhat cleared. 'Tis fad with a man that is uncertain, whither he isa going. Ufe. Let us labour f r this confidence, an holy and well built confidence. For he is not hit the bell Condition, that hathleaft trouble about his everlafting elate, but he that bath Leal caufe. Many t hat have been confident of their integrity and fäfety, have mifcarry- ed forever ; yea, that have had a great name in the Church, Matth. 7. 22. Many will fay unto me in that day,Lord,Lörd,we have prophelted in thy name; and in thy name have raft out `Devils : Andin thy name done wonderful things. Yet Chril faith, I know you not, in the next verfe. And Luke 13. 25, 26. When once the mailer of the House is rifen up, and hathJhutto the door, andye begin to /land without, and to knock at the door, Paying, Lord, Lord, oxen to us ; and he/ball fay untoyou, I know yen not whence ye are. Then (hall ye be- gin to fay, we have eaten and drunk in thy piefence, and thou hail tdught no an our fireets. So Troll. 14. ix. There is away that feemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of Death. The Foolish Virgms,Matth. 25. Made full account to enter into the Nuptial Chamber, but were shutout. Many now in Hell little thought of coming thither, thofe not only ef the bruitith multitude, but of great note, that have lived ih the light of the Gofpel, and heard the differencebetween the wicked and the Godly. .2. There is no true confidence,but what groweth out ofa confiant, uniform, felf deny ingobedience, Matth. y. 21. Not every one that faith unto me, Lord, Lord, /hall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: But he that loth the willof my Father which is in Heaven. And 1 John;. 18. My little Children,let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed, and in truth. And Rom. 8. 5, 6, 7. SERMON XII. 2'Cor. 5.9. Wherefore The labour, that whetherprefent or abfettt; toe may be accepted of the Lord. `q His verfecontaineth a praaical Inference, out of the whole foregoing difcourfe. That which was before fpoken, may be reduced to there three heads. 1. A certain knowledge and confidence of a Bleffed estate; We know, and we are always confident. z. An earnest deftreexpre ed bygroans and vehement longings after it. 3. Awillingnefs and holy boldnefs to venture upon Death its felf, upon this Hope. Now thefe do infer One another, Becaufe we know we delire, becaufe we delire this happy elate, we are willing rather, /. c. So they all infer this effect mentioned in the Text. We labour becaufe we know, we labour becaufe we delire, we labour becaufe we are willing rather; yea this effe6t feedeth and maintaineth all the former difpofitions in life and vigour, and alfoevidencèth the ftncerity of them Surely we know wedefre, we are willing rather if in life, in Death we Judy to approve our felves to God; wherefore we labour, that whether prefent or abfent, &c. This verse containeth a Chrifüans fope, and a Chriflians work. r. His ('cope ; to be accepted with God. 2. His work; we labour, that whether prefent or abfent. a. His Scope. The fope of the Chriftian life, is to approve out felves to God, while we are prefent in the Body to do things pleafingin his fight, Col. a. to. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord, unto allpleafsng. And i Mel: 4. i. As we have learned how to walk, and how to pleafe God, fo abound tbefein more and more ; when abfent or gne out of the Body, that we may be found in a late of well pleafednefs and acceptation, t Pet. 3. 14. Be found of him in peace, Heb. 1 i. 5. He had this Teflimony, that he ?leafed God.
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