[2.] He will assure him of his love : John xv. 10, ' If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.' Holiness and obedience, as it is an evidence of our love to Christ, so it is a means of keeping up the sense and assurance of his love to us. Holy walking giveth us a large share of the love of God and Christ ; the Lord delighteth to own such, and to put peculiar marks of his favour upon them. Now it is a com- fortable life to live in the love of God. If all the world loveth you, and God hateth you, you can have no solid peace, for you must at length fall into his hands ; but if you have all the world at will, you may have it with God's hatred, who can make you miserable whenever he pleaseth ; he can blast you with diseases, fill you with disquiets of soul, embitter all your comforts ; but if God loveth you, and assureth you of his love, what is wanting to your satisfaction and peace ? This is enough to support us in all conditions ; one drop of it is enough t(? sweeten all our crosses : Rom. v. 5, ' Hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.' And it is the life of all our comforts : Ps. iv. 6, 7, ' Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and
S5S SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. [SeR. XXIT.
their wine increased;' and Ps. Ixiii. 3, 'Because thy loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.'
3. As Grod will own them so conscience speaketh peace and comfort to them that have their fruit to holiness. Before our full and final reward we have this solace, that our own hearts do not only acquit us, but approve what we do ; and a holy course of life is usually rewarded with peace of conscience ; it is not only without offence : Acts xxiv. 16, ' Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence^ towards God and towards man ;' but it breedeth joy : 2 Cor. i. 2, 'Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world.' On the contrary, men's hearts smite and reproach them for their sins, and the breaches they make in their duty : Job xxvii. 6, ' My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.' The words imply that the heart hath a reproaching and con- demning power ; when we do evil, we shall sensibly find it by accusing thoughts within ourselves : Eom. ii. 15, ' Their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts in the meantime accusing, or else excusing one another.' Conscience must be better used, before it will speak a word of well-grounded peace to a man. They that keep the thorn in the foot will never walk without pain. If you would prevent the checks and upbraidings of your own consciences, you must take away the causes and occasions thereof ; walk so that your hearts may not reproach you. Do you take care of your duty, and God will take care of your comfort ; but if you give way to sin, conscience will awaken upon you.
4. Our title to the heavenly inheritance is more clear, and our right confirmed by holiness. There is fulness of joy reserved for God's people, Ps. xvi. 11 ; and if we look to the end, it must needs make the way the more pleasant and comfortable ; especially when we have by faith a lively foresight of this endless glory and blessedness : Heb. xi. 1 , * Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of thinjjs not seen;' and by hope and love a foretaste of it: Eom. v. 2, 'We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.' Blessed will the time be when ye shall be for ever with the Lord, and see his glory ; and this is the end of the way you walk in. Alas ! others can never have solid comfort ; they know where they are, but know not where they shall be when they die ; they must into an unknown world, and which is worse, to an imknown God, of whose love they never had any taste or experience. But those that live always in the sight of the world to come, and keep themselves in the way that tendeth thither, and look continually when God will translate them into his immediate presence, they have the foretaste before they have the enjoyment : the promise is matter of joy to them, which is God's grant ; Ps. cxix. 11, ' Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart.' The way they walk in is matter of joy to them, because that confirmeth their right: 1 Tim. vi. 12, ' Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold orij eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a gooc" profession before many witnesses.' While they are in the way, thej look to the end of their journey ; while running their race, they see a] crown set before them; the very acts of faith, hope, and love ar