This is the glory of a good life, that whether a man look above him, he hath God to witness for him. Or whether he look to the world, to right judging persons, he hath them to judge for him. He dares appeal to their conscience. Or whether he look within him, he hath a good witness from
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his own conscience. Which way soever he looks he hath comfort. ' You have acknowlcdj^ed me,' and you shall acknowledge : I know God will not leave mo for the time to conio. So that which makes up a complete f;(ood conscience, is the looking to the time to come, as well as to the time past and present. A good conscience that is purged by the blood of Christ from the guilt of former sins, shall alway have grace to stablish the heart in good resolutions. For where there is a cleansing from the guilt, where there is pardon of sin, there is alway given a power against sin for the time to come.
We usually say in divinity, that the grace of God, and a purpose to live in any sin, cannot dwell in one heart ; and it is true, if there be not a purpose to obey God in all things, to ' leave every wicked way,' Isa. Iv. 7, if there be an inclination to any iniquity, the heart and conscience is not good. A good conscience gives testimony of the time past, present, and to come.
And always, as I said, remember to take God in all your resolutions, or else you are liable to St James his exception in a higher degree. * Go to now, ye that say. We will do this, to-day and to-morrow,' James iv. 13, and that in strength and confidence of your own, not remembering the un- certainty of human events, how many things may fall out that God may cross it. If it be a presumptuous speech m matters of this life, how much more in matters of grace for the time to come, which God only hath in his keeping, and ' gives the will and the deed according to his good pleasure,' Phil. ii. 13. Therefore we should ' make an end of our salvation with fear and trembling,' Eph. vi. 5.
Let us do as St Paul did, trust in God. My trust and dependence on God is this, that I shall do so ; because I have a constant resolution to be so to my life's end.
Therefore join them both together. Every day renew our dependence on God, and his promises. The life of a Christian is a life dependent. Salvation is wrought out of us by Christ, procured by him : and our car- riage to salvation is wrought oiat of us by grace coming from Christ. He keeps the fountain, and he lets out the streams more or less as we humbly depend on him. So that both salvation is out of us, and the carriage to salvation is of gi'ace ; all is out of us. How should this make us carry our- selves humbly, in a dependence on Christ for salvation, and the carriage of it ! And therefore resolve not to oflend God in anything, but to trust in God, and to look to his word. To trust in God and his word is all one, Ps. cxxx. 5. Thus we should take St Paul's com'se, to trust in God, and renew our purposes every daj-.
And then take St Paul's comfort to yourselves, persuade yourselves, that ' neither things present, nor things to come,' as St Paul saith, Rom. viii. 38, nothing shall intercept your crown. For what he said here beforehand, that he experimentally saith of himself, 2 Tim. iv. 7, seq., a little before he died (which was the last epistle that ever he wrote), he saith here, they should acknowledge him to the end ; and there, when his end was come, what saith he of himself? 'I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith, I have run my race ; now henceforth is laid up for me a crown of ri<yhteousness,' &c. Before this time, I depended upon God, that he would carry me to my end, as he hath done ; and now I am to close up my days, and my sun is to set : all this I have done ; God, that was with me from the beginning, is vsdth me to the end : I have done all this, and what remains now but a crown of righteousness ?
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 13. 811
Therefore, I beseech you, take in trust the time to come, as well as any time past ; resolve well, and trust with your resolution ; live by faith and obedience — join them both together, the one to be the evidence of the truth of the other : then, take in trust for the time to come all the good that you can promise yourselves from God. You cannot honour him more.
' I trust you shall acknowledge to the end.' St Paul saith of himself, that the grace of God should lead him to his end, and that they should acknowledge it. You shall not acknowledge me to the end to be rich, or to be in favour, &c., but this you shall acknowledge, that I shall be the like man. It is uncertain for anything in the world. We cannot promise our- selves, nor others cannot promise for us ; but you shall acknowledge this, that I will be as I have been to the end. ' You have acknowledged, and you shall acknowledge,' &c.