2. There is no true confidence but what groweth out of a constant, uniform, self-denying obedience: Mat. vii. 21, 'Not every one that saith unto me. Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven ; ' and 1 John iii. 18, 'My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed, and in truth ; ' and Kom. viii. 5 — 7.
VeR. 9.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHL^NS Y. 35
SERMON XIL
Wherefore ive lahoitr, fliat icliether present w aJjsent, we may he accepted of the Lord. — 2 Cor. v. 9.
This verse containeth a practical inference out of the whole foregoing discourse. That which was before spoken may be reduced to these three heads —
1. A certain knowledge and confidence of a blessed estate ; we know, and we are always confident.
2. An earnest desire, expressed by groans and vehement longings after it.
3. A willingness and holy boldness to venture upon death itself upon this hope. Now these do infer one another. Because we know, we desire ; because we desire this happy estate, we are willing rather, &c. So they all infer this effect mentioned in the text. We labour because we know, we labour because we desire, we labour l^ecause we are willing rather ; yea, this effect feedeth and maintaineth all the former dispositions in life and vigour, and also evidenceth the sincerity of them. Surely we know we desire ; we are willing rather if in life ; in death we study to approve ourselves to Ood ' Wherefore we labour, that whether present or absent,' &c.
This verse containeth a christian's scope and a christian's work : —
1. His scope. To he accepted icitli God
2. His work, We labour, that whether iwesent or absent.
1. His scope. The scope of the christian life is to approve our- selves to God ; while we are present in the body to do things pleasing in his sight: Col. i. 10, 'That ye might walk worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing;' and 1 Thes. iv. 1, 'As ye have learned how to walk, and how to please God, so abound therein more and more ;' when absent or gone out of the body, that we may be found in a state of well-pleasedness and acceptation : 2 Peter iii. 14, ' Be found of him in peace;' Heb. xi. 5, 'He had this testimony, that he pleased God.' Our great inquiry is whether our state be pleasing or displeasing to him, and our great aim is that it may be pleasing.
2. A christian's work, ' We labour, that whether present or absent.' There take notice of two things ; —
[1.] Their earnest and assiduous diligence. In the word, ^CKotl- fMovfxeOa, we are ambitious of this honour ; the word is used in two other scriptures : Eom. xv. 2(>, ' Striving to preach the gospel where Christ was not named;' and 1 Thes. iv. 11, 'Study to be quiet.' Afiect this honour, or pursue after it, as men do after preferment, honours, and dignities in the world. So that tliis word is three ways rendered, labour, strive, studTj. Ambition mightily prevaileth with sensual men, and maketh them restless and unwearied in their pur- suits, till they get at top. This is the holy and laudable ambition of a christian, to stand right in the favour of God, and be accepted with him at the last.
[2.] The several states in which this design must be carried on — ' Whether present or absent.' Whether we be at home, and continue
36 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeR. XII.
in this earthly body of ours, or whetlier we be gone out of the body, the happiness of this world and the next lieth in our acceptance with God. Living and dying, a christian must see that he be in a state of well-pleasing, Eom. xiv. 7, 8. Our hearts are pretty well at ease while we are in the body, if we may know that we are accepted of God. However, that must be our scope ; now it must be the design of our obedience, and hereafter it will be the grounds of our reward ; it will be our solace in our pilgrimage, and it will be our happiness when we die and go out of the body, if Christ will own us at the last.
Doct. The great ambition, design and endeavour of a true Christian is, that, living and dying, he may be such as God may like and well approve of.
1. I shall give you the emphasis of this point as it lieth in the text
2. Some reasons of the point.
First, Let me illustrate this point as it lieth in this scripture. Mark, this must be our great design and scope, we must not only do things which are Deo grata, acceptable to God for, the matter, but this must be our fixed end and scope which we must propound to ourselves. Christianity and true godliness are set forth in scripture by three things. Sometimes by the internal principle of it — the Spirit of God, or ' the divine nature,' 2 Peter i. 4, or the ' seed of God abiding in us,' 1 John iii. 9. Sometimes by the intention of the true end, which is the pleas- ing of God, and the fruition of God with Christ and his blessed ones for ever in heaven, when the heart is set upon that: Mat. vi. 20, 21, ' But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also ;' and 2 Cor. iv. 18, 'While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen : for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal' Sometimes by the reception of the true rule, when that is engrafted in our hearts, and so impressed upon our hearts that it cannot be defaced : Heb. viii. 10, ' I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts ;' and Ps. xxxvii. 31, * The law of God is in my heart.' I now am to speak of the second, which is the true aim, scope and tendency of the life of godliness, or of those who profess faith in Christ, namely, that we may be so approved of God that we may enjoy him for ever among his blessed ones. I shall prove it by three arguments, that this must be our constant scope, taken from the many advantages which redound to us thereby.