The Souls Vocation, Part 1 (2 of 2)

The Souls Vocation · Part 1 (2 of 2)

p. 90Hindr. 2 Are deſperate diſcouragements, when a poore ſinner is plunged in the apprehenſion of all the evill which he hath committed, and in the aggravation of all thoſe ſins whereby God hath beene diſhonoured; when the ſoule obſerves this, hee thinkes and ſayes, This proud heart will never be humbled, this unregenerate heart will never be ſanctified, the Lord never intends good to my ſoule, it is impoſſible that ſo many corrections, ſo long continued, ſhould ever be pardoned, here the ſoule ſinkes downe in deſperate diſcouragements; now there is none but the Spirit of God p. 91that can let a light into the ſoule, there is none but the hand of the Lord, that can rend, and pluck, and pull a poore fainting, deſpairing, dying, ſinking heart, under the burthen of his manifold abominations, none but the Almighty hand of an Almighty God can doe this; when it is night, all the candles in the world cannot take away the darkneſſe; ſo all the meanes of grace and ſalvation, all the candle-light of the Miniſtery, they are all good helps; but the darkneſſe of the night will not be gone, before the Sun of Righteouſneſſe ariſe in our hearts. Hence it comes to paſſe, that it is a very difficult matter to give comfort to a poore diſtreſſed ſoule, Pſal. 40.1. Marke what a co…le there is to give comfort, all the world cannot comfort them, and perſwade them: I ſhall one day periſh, ſay they, I ſhall one day goe downe to hell, let all the Miniſters under heaven ſay what they will; Comfort yee, comfort yee, ſaith the Lord, as who ſhould ſay, they will not be comforted, they will not thinke, nor be reſolved of it. I mercy? and I comfort? it is a likely matter, it will never be, it never can be, I ſhall never ſee that day: will the Lord pardon me? I doe not thinke it, I cannot beleeve it, God is a juſt God, and a righteous God, and I am a vile wicked wretch, it is mercy that I have deſpiſed and trampled under my feet, and I mercy? no certainly, there is no ſuch matter; this makes the Lord have ſuch a doe, Comfort yee, comfort yee, the third time, and yet they will receive none. We Miniſters of the Goſpell obſerve by experience, that we meet with p. 92ſome ſoules that are gone to the bottome of hell, ſometimes by their diſtempers, and wee make knowne the promiſes, propound arguments, lay downe reaſons, but nothing takes place, nothing prevailes, all is preſently forgotten, and you had as good ſay nothing, all is forgotten; therefore none but Gods Spirit can doe it, hee muſt come from heaven, and ſay, Comfort yee, comfort yee my people: let me therefore ſpeake to you that are Miniſters, you doe well to labour to give comfort to a poore fainting ſoule, but alwayes ſay, Comfort Lord, ſay unto this poore ſoule thou art his ſalvation; Lord ſpeake comfort, and ſay to ſuch a one, his ſinnes ſhall be pardoned, mercy ſhall bee beſtowed upon him, his iniquities are forgiven; it is that wee obſerve in the policie of Satan, Satan hath two Policies:

Policie. 1 Firſt, if he can, hee will keepe a man that hee ſhall never ſee his ſins; therefore hee labours to doe away all plagues and judgements from the apprehenſion of the ſoule; and therefore when the Miniſter comes home to the conſcience, and ſaith, What, you have heaven? what, proud and profane, and oppoſe God and his ordinances, and you goe to heaven? No, no ſuch matter; marke what the Devill ſuggeſts, take thy pleaſure, it is but halfe an houres work when you lie upon your death-bed, if you can but then cry to God for mercy, and for forgivenes, it is enough: this is the firſt Policie to keepe a man from ſeeing his ſins; and thus the ſoule is content to carry hel-gates on his backe, and a thouſand abominations, and is never troubled.

p. 93Well, haply the Lord enlightens the ſoule of ſuch a ſinner, and ſets his ſinnes before him, and ſaith, here are thy ſins, and for theſe thy ſins thou ſhalt be ſent packing to hell; now he cannot look off his ſins, but the Word reveales them, and the Spirit ſettles them, thou maiſt take thy pleaſures, and live in thy ſins, but the end will be bitter, for all theſe ſins God will viſit thee, God will execute judgement upon thee; then the ſoule trieth his heart, examines his paths, and begins to pore on his corruptions; when Satan ſees this, he labours to draw him away, and ſends drunken companions unto him, that they may take his minde off from his ſins.

Policie. 2 But if Satan cannot keepe him from ſeeing his ſins, then he ſhall ſee nothing but ſin: before hee was frolicke, and braved it out, and kickt merciemercy into the kennell, and he would doe what he liſt; Miniſters tell mee of grace? no, no, I will follow my courſe; now it is otherwiſe with him, he can ſee nothing but iudgements, and plagues, and corruptions, and ſo ſinks downe in diſcouragements: as therefore there is nothing that can purſue a ſinner, and make him ſee his ſins, but God; ſo there is none but the Spirit that can let downe a cord of mercy, and draw a poore ſinner out from the bottome of hell; ſo the Spirit knowes the ſecrets of God, if the Spirit once ſettles theſe things upon the ſoule, and takes away all hinderances that doe oppoſe the evidence of Gods favour, then the Spirit muſt only certifie Gods love, and mercy, and goodneſſe, to the ſoule of an humble broken hearted ſinner.

p. 94Vſet. Triall: will you put your ſelves upon triall, will you over-ſee whether you ever had any notice of Gods acceptance? obſerve then the author of it, whence and of whom you had it, this will diſcover the truth of it; when we miſtruſt good newes from a farre Country, we uſe to ſay, it is good indeed, but is it certaine? whence had you it? had you a letter from beyond ſea, or heard you from ſome Noble man, that heard the letter read? then it is certaine: So there be glad tidings of peace and mercy, there is good newes from heaven, God hath pardoned vile ſinners: God ſaves millions of men, good newes, but if your hearts perſwade you for certain, doe you thinke ſo, or doe others tell you ſo? is it nothing but idle ale-houſe talke? hath Gods Spirit ſealed it? doth God ſay to thy ſoule, thou art his ſervant, he thy King, thou his ſon, he thy Father? if it be ſo, thou maiſt pawne thy life on it, truſt to it, the notice is good. If a malefactor were condemned, and a rogue that hath beene burnt in the hand, who goes up and downe with a paſſe, ſuppoſe the one to forge his pardon, the other to counterfeit his paſſe: A wiſe man he knowes and underſtands the falſeneſſe of the partie, and he ſhall never get any good by it, hee will ſtop the rogue with the paſſe in his hand, and hang the traytor with his pardon about his neck. So it is here, wee are all malefactors and poore rogues, running up and downe the face of the earth, and we are walking and looking after another Country; now, what muſt be our paſſe? the evidence of the Spirit, thou that ſaiſt thou doubteſt p. 95not of Gods mercy, and the pardon of thy ſins; under whoſe ſeale haſt thou this pardon? did it come from a right Office, and from a right Seale? then it is good, elſe the Lord will ſtop thee with thy paſſe in thy hand, and hang thee with thy pardon about thy necke.

Queſt. But then you will ſay, how may wee diſcerne the notice of the Spirit of the Lord, from another notice, and how may the Saints of God diſcerne it.

Triall. 1 Differs in theſe three particulars: Firſt, in the ſpecialitie of it, it is an evidence that comes home particularly to the ſoule. Looke as it is in the conveyance of lands and leaſes, by joynt inheritance therein, haply the leaſe was made before the man had a childe, now if afterwards he have halfe a dozen children, every one in particular hath a title to it, intereſt in that land, as though they were mentioned in particular. So the Goſpell propounds grace and mercy to all humbled ſoules, broken hearted ſinners are m…de joynt heires, and inheritors of everlaſting mercy: you that will come out of your ſinfull courſes, and will touch no uncleane thing, thou haſt particular intereſt in Gods mercy, as if thou wert called by name Robert or Richard, &c. Now mark al the notice and evidence that any hypocrite under heaven hath of the freeneſſe of Gods mercy, is this, hee hath only ſome common inkling and heare-ſay of ſalvation, they are within the hearing of the promiſes made to others, and they either not rightly apprehend, or elſe miſ-applying the ſenſe and meaning p. 96of the promiſe to themſelves, they coſen their ſoules, and never have any particular evidence of the truth of it to their ſoules by the worke of the Spirit; there is haply an expectation among the priſoners in Newgate, that there wil be a pardon come cut at the end of the Parliament, and ſome man paſſeth by and ſaith, there is a pardon for Newgate: The priſoners that heare this, it makes them rejoyce; but when the Parliament comes out, there is a pardon only for ſuch perſons, for ſuch facts, of ſuch a quality and nature, and ſo haply he that rejoyced ſo much in the conſideration of a pardon, hath nothing to doe with it; now the generall heare-ſay will doe no good, but the particul…r evidence: ſo it is betweene a cunning Hypocrite and a childe of God, when an Hypocrite hath beene driven to extreme horrour for his ſins, then he lookes out for mercy, his heart is terrified, and his ſoule perplexed, and he heares there is abundance of mercy in Chriſt, and Chriſt came to ſave ſinners; the Hypocrite is delighted with this in the generall, this is only overly, and common, he over-heares a promiſe, and ſo quiets himſelfe therein; but when it comes to the triall, God came to ſave ſinners, but what ſinners? humble broken hearted ſinners: But the Hypocrite is not ſuch an one, therefore it belongs not to him.

Differ. 2 The ſecond difference of the Spirit is ſuch, that it can hardly be raſed out of the ſoule, the teſtimony of the Spirit, brought home to the ſoule, cannot bee taken away, for when the Spirit witneſſeth to the ſoule, it leaves the light upon p. 97the minde of an humbled ſinner, that will never be plucked off, but hee will turne his eye towards it while the world laſts. This evidence that is brought home, and caſt in by the Spirit, it is ſo unexpected, and ſo pleaſing, and ſo incomparably ſtrong, and wonderfull, and withall ſo unconceiveable excellent, that an humbled ſinner when once he ſees the glimpſe and inckling thereof, it will ever be prying and looking that way, nay, in the moſt deſperate diſcouragements that can befall, and in the greateſt deſertions that can betide the ſoule; nay, notwithſtanding all thoſe ſubtilties of temptations that Satan hurries into the ſoule, to make a man at a loſſe, and to make him leave looking after the freeneſſe of grace in Chriſt: yet the poore ſoule will ever be lingring after this Light; looke as it is with a great torch, carry it out of one roome into another by-roome, and though the torch be gone, yet it will leave ſuch a glimmering ſo that a man may follow the torch: ſo it is with the ſoule, truly humbled, it hath received the teſtimony of the Spirit, though the torch, the glory of the teſtimony of this witneſſe goeth aſide a little in temptation, yet the Lord leaves ſuch a kind of glimmering or inkling of goodnes, that the ſoule looks after the lampe & light in this kinde, and followeth it for ever, Ionah 2.4. Ionah was there ſtubborne with the Lord, he was ſent to Ninive, he goes to Tarſhiſh: wel, God ſends a whirlewind after him, and toſſeth him into the ſea, and ſent alſo a great Whale, an unruly ferry-man, to carry him to land: Now being in the belly of the p. 98Whale, hee begins to apprehend himſelfe, and then is joyfull, and there he made a queſtion of Gods everlaſting love; but yet when he was in the belly of hell, and mountaines of water went over him, yet marke how the holy man behaveth himſelfe; I will ſtill looke towards thy holy preſence: He had ſome illuminations of Gods goodneſſe in Chriſt, and howſoever the glory therof was eclipſed, yet there was ſome glimmering left behinde.

But now the flaſhes of the Hypocrite, they are ſudden, the lightning of Gods love that is in his minde, but it paſſes thorow the ſoule ſuddenly; and leaves it in the ſame hazard & ignorance, and at a loſſe, as formerly; for howſoever an hypocrite may have a glimmering, and a kinde of flaſh, and take notice of the powers of the world to come, yet it comes like lightning, ſuddenly come, ſuddenly gone, and it draweth the minde for the while, and the underſtanding for the preſent; but in concluſion, the ſoule is where it was before, when this flaſh is gone, and the lightning is over, it is juſt at the ſame loſſe and danger it was before.

Differ. 3 From this authority of the Spirit, it is of great authority, and of marvellous powerful command, ſo that the whole frame of the ſoule comes to be ordered, and the heart comes to be framed ſutable and agreeable thereon. Looke as it is with a mighty ſtreame, all the leſſer ſtreames runne that way; ſo it is with the bleſſed ſtreame of this evidence of truth: what the Spirit of God lets into the minde of the Saints, it carries all with it, and p. 99beares all before it, and makes the whole ſtreame of the ſoule be anſwerable thereunto: Take notice between the viſion Saint Paul had, and which Balaam had, God let in a light into Balaams ſoule, What, wilt thou curſe Iacob? Oh, the glory that I will beſtow upon them: This made his teeth water at the goodneſſe of the Lord, and he ſaith, Let mee die the death of the righteous, Numb. 24.2. the Text uſeth the phraſe, The Spirit of God was upon Balaam; the meaning is, he intimated the happie condition of the Saints of the Lord, and in ſtead of curſing, he bleſſed them: though this curſed Witch Balaam had this common enlightning to know the excellencie of the condition, yet his heart was never the better, was covetous and malicious ſtill towards Iacob.

But looke Acts 26.19. Saint Paul ſaith, hee was not diſobedient to the viſion, as who ſhould ſay, The bleſſed truth that was revealed to me, the voyce that ſpake to me from heaven, my minde was framed thereby, and anſwerably diſpoſed thereunto, and I ſubmitted and came in at the voyce of the Lord. Hence the phraſe in Scripture, They that know thee will trust in thee, as who ſhould ſay, Grounded knowledge brings in confidence: So Ioh. 4.10. Chriſt ſaith, Hadst thou knowne me; it is not every knowledge that will doe the deed, a man may talke of grace, but hadſt thou underſtood better the evidence, thou ſhouldeſt have asked grace, and received it, this is the reaſon of Iobs ſpeech; when God takes a man in hand, he will command a man to returne fron iniquitie: there is a commanding power in the obedience p. 100of truth: the Lord lets in a commanding power, and turnes the heart from ſin, and makes it yeeld to the obedience of God. Whereas the light of the hypocrite is like lightning in the evening, a flaſh and away, and leaves no heat behinde it: The Sunne doth not only give light, but it leaves a heat behind it; ſo it is with the Spirit of God, when the ſunſhine of the heavenly light comes into the heart, it leaves a heat of holy affections behinde it, framing and diſpoſing the heart of a man to be at the call and command of God. Obſerve when wee lay forth arguments before men, and convince their conſciences, that their courſe is nought, notwithſtanding, whatſoever we can ſpeake they returne to their wicked ſpeeches, and baſe practices, their lives are as wicked, their tongues as prophane as ever; but when the Spirit of God will take thoſe arguments we propound out of Scripture, and make knowne thoſe troubles to the underſtanding, it communicates unto thee and them that power to the ſoule, that it comes to be diſpoſed thereunto.

Differ. 4 The teſtimony of the Spirit goes upon very good ground, it is a wiſe Spirit, and a Spirit of truth, and therefore goes wiſely to worke. Now Hypocrites they beare up their hearts with admirable evidence of Gods love, but aske them what reaſons they have for it, what arguments to maintaine it, they have nothing at all to ſay; this is an undoubted argument of a beſotted, befooled hypocrite. Come to your ancient people, and enquire of them in the time of their ſickneſſe, aske p. 101them if ever they were perſwaded of Gods favour, they ſay they thanke God, they never doubted of it; they reply, they were worſe than Reprobates if they ſhould, but they have no ground at all to confirme this; this is an undoubted argument of a ſoule that never had any ſound evidence of Gods love, for where the Spirit comes, it goes upon good ground.

Vſe 2 Direction and Exhortation; hence wee learne what courſe wee muſt take, what path wee muſt tread in, what meanes we muſt uſe to get this notice, and gaine this evidence of Gods love to our ſoules, learne the ground, get the witneſſe of Gods Spirit, get but the Spirit to ſeale it, and all is thine. It was the ſpeech of Sampſon, when he propounded a Riddle to the Philiſtines, they knew not how to anſwer it, becauſe they underſtood it not before he had told his wife, and ſhee them, then they related the Riddle to them, hee confeſſeth their anſwer to be good, But, ſaith he, had you not plowed with my Heifer, you could not have expounded my Riddle.

I uſe the ſame compariſon for our purpoſe; uſe Gods meanes, if you would know Gods minde, take counſell of him that is privie Counceller of Heaven: would you be perſwaded of Gods love and affection towards you? will you know how your caſe ſhall goe at the laſt day? would you know if your name is written in the Book of life? if you would, why then, know the way to obtaine it, ſeeke it of the Spirit of the Lord, for he ſearcheth the chiefe things of God: conſider what our p. 102Saviour tels you, Luke 11.12. Why then, muſt this Spirit only certifie the pardon of ſin? Why, looke up to heaven then, and plead thus with him, Lord, I am a father, and give my childe what hee wants, and if I ſee him in need, I releeve him; why, I need thy Spirit, Lord, I beg it, thou haſt promiſed it, Lord give that Spirit to the ſoule of thy ſervant, and let it reſtifie to my conſcience, that thou art reconciled to me.

Object. But how ſhall we get the Spirit home to a man in this caſe?

Anſw. The meanes are two:

Meanes. 1 Thou muſt labour to be ſuch a one, to whom the Spirit belongs. Labour to be an humble hearted ſinner, and then the Lord will ſend his Spirit, and give notice to thee of his acceptance, for the Lord doth not paſſe over his comfort, or merciemercy, or compaſſion to any ſoule in the world, but onelyonly to thoſe that are broken hearted before God; there is no mercy for thee that art ſtubborne, no compaſſion for thee that art ſtout hearted; wouldeſt thou have the Spirit make a lye for thee, and come from Heaven to make a new Scripture, to bring a looſe ſtubborne drunkard, or adulterer to heaven? it will not bee ſo, it cannot bee ſo, never thinke to bring the Spirit of the Lord, and make him ſpeake mercy to thee, when it belongs not to thee, 1 King. 14.1, 2, &c. Doe not thinke to complain it with the Lord Jeſus, and put the finger in the eye & weep a few teares, and ſay, I confeſſe my rebellions are ſinful, I am ſory for my ſins, and will repent me of my ſins: the Spirit wil ſay, Come out p. 103thou proud wretched hypocrite, doeſt thou feigne thy ſelfe to be an humble broken hearted ſinner? doe not I know thy reſervations? doe not I know thy by-wayes and back-doores? Come out thou proud wretch and ſturdy hypocrite, I am ſent to thee with heavie tidings, you may cozen man, but you cannot deceive God; therefore never thinke he will give grace and mercy unto thee, unleſſe thou be fitted for it.

Meanes. 2 Be ſure you harken not to your carnall cavils of reaſon, nor to the clamours of a corrupt heart, nor to the bawlings of Satan, all which ſtop and hinder the teſtimony of the Spirit, and with their loud cries drowne the voyce of the Spirit, that it cannot be heard. It is a faſhion amongſt Lawyers, at Aſſiſes or Seſſions, when in their Courts there comes in a wiſe judicious witneſſe, and the Lawyers plead a baſe cauſe, they feare him, and therefore, before he can ſpeak out his tale, one ſpeaks and another ſpeakes, and ſo hinders this that hee cannot bee underſtood; then the man ſaith, hee came for a witneſſe, and not thus to be diſturbed; then the Judge commands ſilence, and then hee hath liberty to diſcover what he knowes, and then the caſe is cleare; ſo it is with the ſoule, and carnall reaſon, and the Devill. The triall is, whether a man hath any intereſt in Chriſt or no. Now the Spirit of the Lord working graciouſly upon the heart, would bring in a faire teſtimony of Gods grace to the ſoule: but when the ſoule commeth to a faithfull Miniſter to tell him how God hath wrought upon him, and met with him, and how p. 104he was burthened with his ſins: Oh, ſaith Satan, you were burthened with your ſins, but you returned to them againe; then the ſoule ſaith he was humbled for his ſinnes, yet the goodneſſe of God was never ſealed to him: aye, ſaith Satan, but you continue in your ſins ſtill: aye, ſaith the ſoule, I am weary of theſe ſins; aye, and you are weary of labouring againſt them too, ſaith Satan. Thus the ſoule is tyred by carnall reaſons, temptations of Satan; now let the evidence of the Spirit bee never ſo plaine, he cannot perceive it; be watchfull therefore in this caſe, if you heare what feare, or feeling, or ſuſpition ſaith; feeling ſaith, I find nothing; feare ſaith, it will never be; ſuſpition imagineth, I ſhall never ſee that day: but now command ſilence to every one, to feare ſuſpition, feeling, and unworthineſſe, and ſay, now ſpeake bleſſed Spirit, then you will ſee the caſe caſt preſently: It is ſaid of Abraham, he conſidered not Sarahs barren wombe; for imagine Abraham had thus reaſoned, I never had childe, for mee to beare a childe, it is againſt nature; ſhall a man that never begat, beget a childe in his old age? I will never beleeve it: If hee had done thus, for ought I know, though hee had lived unto this time, hee ſhould never have had a childe, but he never conſidered of any of theſe things, and therefore the Promiſe was accompliſhed. Therefore be ſure not to hearken what failings, feare and doubt, and corruption ſaith, for they will be ever againſt thee; there is no mercy from corruption, no grace from feare and ſuſpition, but conſider not your dead p. 105barren wretched hearts, but attend upon Gods promiſe, and you ſhall finde Gods Spirit witneſſe unto you the acceptance of your perſons before God.

Object. But you will ſay, may not a man conſider of his ſins, and attend to the corruptions of our owne hearts.

Anſw. I anſwer, a man may, nay muſt, in a fit time, after a right manner, to a good end, for he that never ſeeth his ſins, can never be humbled for them, but this conſideration only fits us for merciemercy, and can never get aſſurance of any intereſt in merciemercy.

1The conſideration of our ſins, will give us notice of theſe three particulars: 1. It gives us notice of our owne vileneſſe and baſeneſſe, the laying theſe upon the ſoule, it is a maine meanes to breake the heart, and bruife a filthy ſtubborne ſoule.

2It gives us notice of the emptineſſe and infirmity of all outward parts, and gifts, and meanes, and helpes to doe us any good.

3It will make us ſee the abſolute neceſſity of a Saviour, and of the great worke of redemption, which Chriſt hath wrought for us; nay, it will drive us out of our ſelves, and force us to fall at the foot-ſtoole of Gods mercy, that ſo wee may gaine Gods favour to us: but it is impoſſible that the conſideration of my ſins, ſhould certifie mee of my intereſt in Gods mercy.

Meanes. 3 Labour to bee informed, and to underſtand aright the language of the Spirit. Looke as it is with a poore man in the Court, a wiſe witneſſe p. 106comes in and ſpeakes plainly, but it will doe the poore man no good to heare the witneſſe, unleſſe he underſtand it: ſo though we heare the Spirit, and doe not underſtand the language of the Spirit, it is as if we never heard it. Now the language of the Spirit is nothing elſe but the tenour of thoſe gracious promiſes, which God hath made to poore humbled ſinners. Now if we be not able to caſt the ſenſe and meaning of the promiſe, it is like an uncertaine ſound, though the witneſſe bee good and plaine, yet I cannot be comforted thereby. 2 Cor. 6.16, 17. This is the language of the Spirit: Now let a poore humble hearted ſoule come and lay his heart levell to the promiſe, one ſaith, it is true, if it were ſo with mee, then God would be my God; that promiſe is made to them that touch no uncleane thing, but I am defiled with ſins and abominations, and carried aſide by them; therefore no ſhare in this promiſe. Now the meaning of the teſtimony is miſtaken, the witneſſe is as good as can be, and will caſt the cauſe on your ſide; but you underſtand not the meaning of the witneſſe, therefore we will ſpell the words, what is it to touch no uncleane thing, it is not to bee lightly acquainted with it; therefore art thou content to ſue out a bill of divorce to all thy ſins, how ever heretofore thou wert married to them, yet now thou art reſolved to bed with them no more: art thou contented God ſhould make knowne what ever is amiſſe in thy ſoule, and ſubdue every diſtemper, that is the meaning of the promiſe, and if it be thus with thee, the promiſe belongs to thee.

p. 107Meanes. 4 Labour to keepe the promiſe by you for ever, and have a readie recourſe thereunto, upon all occaſions forget not the promiſe, be not a ſtranger to it, be not unacquainted, be not unaccuſtomed, to have daily trading with the promiſe, which is ſo profitable to us: Prov. 3.3. marke what counſell God gives by wiſdome, Let not mercy and truth forſake thee: mercy and truth will forſake a man, Satan would plucke them away, but ſuffer them not, ſaith the Text, to depart from thy ſoule. Iob 22.21. ſo the originall hath it; have a daily intercourſe to the promiſe, meditate therein, and muſe thereupon, ſee thou looke a ready way, and have recourſe to the Lord upon all occaſions.

Motive. 1 To perſwade us to uſe theſe meanes, is this, becauſe this moſt concernes our good, if a man had all the good things the world could afford, and his hearts deſire, if he had friends to reſpect him, wealth to enrich him, and honour to promote him, yet if the Lord ſhould ſend this heavie Meſſage into his conſcience, God will curſe thoſe bleſſings, and dam thy ſoule and perſon, that newes from heaven of Gods indignation would take away the ſweetneſſe of all the comforts of this life; but had a man good tidings from heaven, were the Lord pleaſed to give notice of his love and merciemercy in Jeſus Chriſt it would ſupport us in whatſoever miſeries or troubles ſhould befall us, nay, when our owne hearts and conſciences tell us hard tidings, theſe evils thou haſt committed, and they will be thy plague, and for this thou ſhalt be damned, and frie in hell, this is ill p. 108newes; but this will beare up a mans heart, if hee can but looke up to heaven, and take good tidings and notice of Gods favour, this will joy and refreſh a mans ſoule.

Motive. 2 As this moſt concernes us, ſo Satan is moſt cunning to deprive us of the ſame, if hee can ſtop any intelligence, and take away any evidence of Gods love and merciemercy to the ſoule: this is that Satan labours for; for if the heart gets evidence this way, and have notice under the hand of the Spirit, what love, what joy, what power and vertue will be in the ſoule, what courage and undauntedneſſe will be in the heart, to walke in the wayes of godlineſſe; then learne from the Devill himſelfe, he labours to keepe from you what will doe you moſt good; therefore be you as carefull to get this notice of Gods love to your ſoules, from the Spirit in the promiſe, as Satan is to hinder you from the ſame.

Vſe 3 Inſtruction: Hence I conclude, that the pooreſt humbled ſinner, of the mean…ſt capacity, doth know more of ſpirituall truths, concerning grace and ſalvation, and Gods love in Chriſt, than the moſt wiſe and learned in the world that are not humbled. In a word, take the meaneſt Saint, that ever breathed on the earth, and the greateſt ſcholler for outward parts, and learning, and reach and policie, the meaneſt ignorant ſoule, that is almoſt a naturall foole, that ſoule knowes and underſtands more of grace and mercy in Chriſt, than all the wiſeſt and learnedſt in the world, than all the greateſt ſchollers, and moſt p. 109pompous Cardinals, theſe were never humbled. How doe I conclude this? why thus; if Gods ſpirit onelyonly give notice of this favor to the humble, then all other, bee their parts what they will bee, God doth not informe them: the humble are informed, they not inſtructed; therefore the other know not what they cannot conceive. As ſuppoſe one dull blocke, and a quicke wit, are both ſet to one trade, yet if the dullard had an expert maſter, and did beat into him the skill of the trade, and the quicke ſpirit was with a maſter that could not teach him his trade; wee ſee that the dull blocke is more wiſe in his trade than the other: ſo it is here, they have the Lord for their maſter.

Vſe 4 To ſhew us the certainty of the aſſurance of faith, if the ſpirit of God gives notice, and certifie a thing, it muſt needs be certaine: and hence it is, that the aſſurance of faith muſt needs bee infallible, and undeniable, in thoſe that have it. I ground it thus; That which commeth from the notice of the ſpirit, is moſt undeniable; but the aſſurance thereof commeth from the notice of the ſpirit, that faith is moſt undeniable; hence commeth thoſe triumphs: I know my Redeemer liveth, I am perſwaded that neither height, nor depth, &c. ſhall be able to ſeparate me from the love of God in Chriſt.

The worke of God upon the underſtanding, we have ſpoken of at large; now wee come to the worke of God upon the affections: as the underſtanding apprehendeth the truth of the promiſe; ſo the heart looketh at the goodneſſe of the promiſe: p. 110Now therefore the Lord, he muſt teach all the affections to come unto the promiſe, and the firſt affection that commeth next in order, is the affection of hope.

Doctrine. The Doctrine is this; The holy Spirit of the Father doth ſtir the heart of an humbled and inlightned ſinner to hope for the goodneſſe of the Lord: The Lord calleth all the affections; come joy, come deſire, come love; but the firſt voyce is to hope; only obſerve this paſſage, it muſt come from a heart humbled and inlightned, for nothing commeth to the heart to be affected, but onelyonly by the head and underſtanding; therefore before the ſoule can hope, the heart muſt bee humbled, and inlightned: humbled, in regard of preparation, and inlightned in regard of the certification of Gods goodneſſe.

Secondly, it muſt be ſtirred up to doe it; the ſpirit muſt ſtir up the heart unto it: when a poore ſinner is truly abaſed, and cut off from every thing in himſelfe, and is content to be at Gods diſpoſe, yet the ſoule cannot diſpoſe of it ſelfe, it cannot carry it ſelfe to the affecting imbracing of any ſupernaturall grace or good by the power of nature: looke as it is with a wind-mill, it is fitted for to goe, and if the winde blow, it will goe; but now the ſaile will not ſtirre the mill, unleſſe the winde ſtirre the ſaile: So here though the ſoule bee humbled and content to bee at Gods diſpoſe, yet I ſay an humble broken ſelfe-denying heart is not able to ſtirre of it ſelfe.

Thirdly, To hope groundedly, it is not a flaſhy p. 111hope, a vaine hope, an idle hope; as the wicked men, they hope for grace, they hope for mercy, but they have no ground to beare them up, but the hope of ſuch men will periſh: but this hope is upon good ground; the Lord calleth the ſoule to wait upon him, to expect him; this is hope which will not make a man aſhamed, Rom. 5.5. We have a hope as an anchor of the ſoule more ſure and ſtedfaſt; Hebr. 6.19. this is the nature of hope to ſtand ſtill and wait for mercy and ſalvation of God, and to looke when the Lord will have mercy upon the ſoule, and this grounded hope the ſpirit of God muſt ſtirre and worke, or elſe there will never be any hope: the proofe of the point, Lament. 3.24. The Lord is my portion, ſaith my ſoule, that is all the good, and all the comfort I have in heaven and earth; he is my portion; life gone, and health gone, and friends gone, yet the Lord is my portion for ever and ever; therefore will I hope in him, therefore the ſoule expecteth that mercy, looketh after it, waiteth for it, Hoſ. 2.15. I will allure her in the wilderneſſe, and ſpeake comfortably unto her, and give her the valley of Achor for the doore of hope: therefore the Lord will allure her in the worke of humiliation, and did ſpeake comfortably unto her in vocation; thou wanteſt mercy, mercy is prepared for thee; thou wanteſt grace, grace is provided for thee; that ſtaggering ſoule of thine ſhall be ſtrengthned, that troubled ſoule of thine ſhall be pacified; and then the ſoule commeth to hope, when the heart is throughly humbled and abaſed, then followeth hope. Now for the further p. 112diſcovery and explication of the point, wee will ſhew two things.

Firſt, the reaſon why after a ſoule humbled, and the minde enlightned, the Lord worketh upon this affection of hope. Secondly, the manner how the Lord ſtirreth up the heart to hope, what breedeth it, what feedeth it, and upon what it groweth, and what maintaineth it in the ſoule, and then the Doctrine will be very cleare.

1Firſt, the order, why the Lord doth proceed in the next place to ſtirre up hope.

I anſwer, the reaſon is this; becauſe when the Spirit of God hath enlightned the underſtanding, and given evidence, that mercy is prepared for an humbled ſoule: why (brethren) the fitteſt faculty of the ſoule, that ought to bee imployed to lay hold upon this, it is the facultie of hope; it is the maine office of this affection in the heart, to looke and expect for a good to come; for hope is nothing elſe, but that extent of the ſoule, whereby it earneſtly affecteth a good to come: it muſt be a knowne good and to come that hope expecteth: if the good be preſent, wee love it, and joy in it; but if it be abſent, the ſoule looketh out for it, and waiteth for the ſame; it is a fine paſſage of hope, 1 Phil. 20. according to my earneſt expectation of hope: hope is a faculty of the ſoule to looke out for mercy; it is a ſimilitude taken from a man that looketh after another, and lifteth up it ſelfe as high as he may to ſee if any man bee comming neare him, looking wiſhly about him, ſo here the ſoule ſtandeth as it were a tiptoe, expecting when p. 113the ſoule will come: as the man that is to meet another in ſuch a place, they doe ſet the time appointed, and then goeth up to a high hill, and looketh very earneſtly round about him, wondreth he commeth not, and yet he hopeth he will come: ſo an humbled ſinner, when the Lord ſaith, mercy is comming towards thee, mercy is provided for thee; now this affection is ſet out to meet mercy a farre off, namely hope; this is the ſtretching out of the ſoule. O when will it be, Lord? thou ſaiſt mercy is prepared, thou ſaiſt mercy is approaching, the ſoule ſtandeth a tiptoe; O when will it come, Lord. As now ſomething that hath a ſtrong ſent, a man that hath a good noſe, can ſmel a good way off; though it findeth it not, though it feeleth it not, yet it may, and ſaith hope, this ſinful ſoule of mine, it may through Gods mercy bee ſanctified, this troubled perplexed ſoule of mine, it may through Gods mercy be pacified, this evill and corruption which harbour in me, and hath taken poſſeſſion of me, it may through Gods mercy be removed.

Now for the ſecond thing, how doth God ſtir up the heart of an humbled broken hearted ſinner to hope? this is worth a while a little to conſider of the ground to get and maintaine this hope may be referred to theſe three heads.

Firſt, the Lord doth ſweetly ſtay the heart, and fully perſwade the ſoule that a mans ſins are pardonable, and that all his ſinnes may be pardoned, and that all the good things he wanteth, they may be beſtowed; this is a great ſuſtainer of the ſoule: p. 114hope is alwayes of a good to come; now when a poore ſinner ſeeth his ſinnes, the number of them, the nature of them, the vileneſſe of them, the curſedneſſe of his ſoule, that he can take no reſt; he ſeeth no reſt in the creature, nor in himſelfe, though he pray all day, yet he cannot get the pardon of one ſinne: the ſoule is out of any expectation of pardon or power of mercy in any thing he hath or doth; though all meanes, all helpes, though all men and angels ſhould joyne together, yet they cannot pardon one ſinne of his, yet the Lord lifteth up his voyce, and he ſaith from heaven, thy ſinnes are pardonable; this is a voyce a great way off, thy ſinnes may be pardoned in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: Looke as a traitour, that doth apprehend the anger of the King againſt him, and that he is ſent for to be attached, hee and cry is made after him, the Purſevant purſueth him; the poore creature flieth from court to countrey, from countrey to city, and ſo to the ſea coaſt, ſeeking for ſome ſhelter; the Purſevant beſetteth the ſea coaſt for him, the poore ſoule is now almoſt in deſpaire of mercy from the Prince, hee ſeeth no hope of pardon from him; but when he overheareth a man that ſaith, in truth you had better open the doore, and yeeld your ſelfe to the King, there is hope, the poore ſoule is much ſuſtained; What, is there yet hope that my offence may bee pardoned, will the King receive mee to mercy: So when the Lord humbleth the ſoule, diſcovereth his ſinnes, maketh knowne his judgements, theſe are thy ſinnes that thou haſt committed, p. 115and for them thou ſhalt be plagued; the great judgement of the great God ſhall come upon thee, and the great God whom thou haſt diſhonoured will come againſt thee, and to hell thou muſt. Now the poore ſoule ſeeth no hope, no helpe, no means of ſupply; now the poore ſoule heareth a voyce from heaven, there is no hope in thy ſelfe, nor in meanes, yet in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt thy ſinnes are pardonable, thy ſoule may be ſaved, thy heart may be quickned: that place in the Pſalmiſt, Let Iſrael hope in the Lord, for with him is plenteous redemption: this upholdeth and ſuſtaineth the heart of Gods ſervant, yet there is plentifull redemption; and this may diſcover it ſelfe in three particulars.

1The infiniteneſſe of Gods power; though thy ſinnes are many, though the guilt of ſinne is mighty and powerfull to condemne the ſoule, yet when the ſoule apprehendeth an infiniteneſſe in the power of the Lord, to over-power all his ſins, all the guilt of corruption; this lifteth up the heart in ſome expectation, that the Lord will ſhew favour unto a man: though it is a hard thing to hope when the ſoule is thus troubled, can this hard heart be broken, can theſe ſinnes bee pardoned, can this ſoule bee ſaved? now commeth in the power of God; God can pardon them, never meaſure the power of God to that ſhallow conceit of thine, as Chriſt when he had told his Diſciples, it is hard for a rich man to be ſaved; they ſaid, how can any man be ſaved; the Lord Chriſt ſaith, all things are poſſible to God, though not p. 116to men; and it is ſaid of Abraham, hee hoped above hope, he looked to the Lord, that was able to doe what he promiſed, to ſupply what he wanted; he conſidered not that he had a dead body, but he conſidered he had a living God; not Sarahs barren wombe, but the gracious goodneſſe of God, able to make it fruitfull; nay hee beleeved in the God that can make things that are not: thy ſoule is not humbled, the Lord can humble it; thy ſinnes are not pardoned, the Lord can pardon them; thy ſoule is not converted, the Lord can convert it; though I cannot ſee it, though man cannot imagine it, yet the Lord can doe it.

2As the infiniteneſſe of Gods power, ſo the freeneſſe of his grace and promiſe, that is a thing that marvellouſly taketh up the heart, and maketh it hope, for wee are ready naturally to expect no kindneſſe from God; the Lord is able to doe it, that is true, but I am unworthy; the Lord will not bee wanting to them that can deſire it, but I am wanting: now here is comfort, the Lord will not ſell his mercy, his mercy is not to be merited, it is not to bee diſcovered, it is to bee given, and to bee beſtowed: Malach. 7.18. Who is a god like unto our God; we ſay, Oh if I could pleaſe God, if I could walke with God: nay, but God ſaith mercy pleaſeth him, and that place in Eſay, I for my owne Name ſake will doe this, not for thy workes ſake; I for my owne ſake, not for thy obedience ſake: this is certaine, as there is no worke in any poore creature can diſcover any mercy from God, ſo there is no wickedneſſe in the heart of a ſinner, p. 117that can hinder the Lord, when hee will beſtow grace and mercy in Jeſus Chriſt.

Object. But the world will ſay, Then a man may live as he liſt, and doe what he will, if grace be free.

Anſw. No, no; the Lord will pull downe thy proud heart, and lay thee in the duſt; the Lord will abaſe thee and humble thee, before thou ſhalt receive any mercy from him; hee can as well ſit thee for mercy, as beſtow it upon thee.

3The abundance of the riches of Gods goodneſſe, that exceedeth all the baſeneſſe and vileneſſe of man: though thou haſt ſinned againſt heaven, and the Lord in heaven, yet there is mercy above the heaven: bee thy ſinnes and rebellions for the nature of them, for the number of them, for the continuance of them, never ſo hainous, yet they may bee pardoned. Here the ſoule ſaith, My ſins are ſo many, ſo great, of ſuch a nature, what, ſhall I beg mercy, and oppoſe it? ſhall I deſire grace, and reſiſt it? as that place clearly ſheweth, Rom. 5.20. Where ſinne abounded, grace ſuperabounded; hee is the Father of mercy, and the God of all conſolation; Iam. 2.13. there the holy Ghoſt ſaith, mercy triumph above juſtice: juſtice cannot bee ſo ſevere to revenge thee, as mercy is gratious to doe good unto thee; if thy ſinnes be never ſo many, Gods juſtice never ſo great, yet mercy is above all thy ſinnes, above all thy rebellions; this may ſupport the ſoule. So then you have the firſt ground to ſtirre up hope, thy ſinnes are pardonable, this is poſſible; what thy ſinnes be, it skilleth not; what thy iniquities be, it mattereth p. 118not; there is more mercy in God, than ſin in thee, to pardon; more power in God to ſhew mercy to thee, than power in ſin to deſtroy thee.

2The Lord doth ſweetly perſwade the ſoule that all his ſinnes ſhall be pardoned: the Lord maketh this appeare, and perſwadeth the heart of his, that he intendeth mercy; that Chriſt hath procured pardon for the ſoule of a broken hearted ſinner in ſpeciall, and that it cannot but come unto it. So that hope commeth to bee aſſured, and certainly perſwaded to looke out, knowing it ſhall bee accompliſhed: the former only ſuſtained the heart, and provoked it to looke for mercy, but this comforteth the ſoule, that undoubtedly it ſhall have mercy. The Lord Jeſus Chriſt came to ſeeke and to ſave that which was loſt; he came for this purpoſe, it was the ſcope of his comming: now ſaith the broken and humble ſinner? I am loſt, did Chriſt come to ſave ſinners? Chriſt muſt faile of his end, or I of my comfort. God ſaith, Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden; I am weary, unleſſe the Lord intended good unto me, why ſhould he invite me and bid me for to come? ſurely he meaneth to ſhew mercy to me, nay hee promiſeth to releeve me, when I come therefore he will doe good unto me.

3The Lord letteth in ſome relliſh and taſte of the ſweetneſſe of his love, ſome ſent and ſavour of it, ſo that the ſoule is deeply affected with it: marke this, there is yet a further dint, a ſetling, and an aſſured kinde of faſtning of the good unto the ſoule, ſo that the heart is deeply affected with p. 119it, and carried mightily unto it, that it cannot bee ſevered. It is the letting in the riches of his love that turneth the expectation of the ſoule another way, it overſhadoweth all outward good. Looke as the covetous man is up early to contrive his riches, the ambitious man his honour: now Gods letting into the ſoule the ſweetneſſe of his grace, doth turne the whole ſtreame of the ſoule thitherward.

It is a reproofe, and meeteth with two things in wicked carnall perſons: Firſt, thoſe that will caſt off all hope in point of deſperation: Secondly, againſt thoſe that will doe nothing, but hope without ground; and that is preſumption: both are here to be reproved and condemned.

If the Lord ſtirreth up the heart of his to hope groundedly for his mercy; Oh then take heed of that fearefull and unconceiveable ſinne of deſpaire: deſpaire wee muſt in our ſelves, and that is good; but this deſpaire which wee now ſpeake of is marvellous hainous in the eyes of God, and marvellous hurtfull to thy owne ſoule: therefore take heed of it, for ever I ſay this ſin of deſpaire, when a man caſteth away all hope, caſteth away all carnall confidence. This thou muſt doe, and yet thou muſt hope; let Iſrael hope in the Lord, for in the Lord &c. O the Lord taketh this very ill at our hands, thou goeſt to the deepe dungeon of thy corruption, and there thou ſaiſt, theſe ſins can never be pardoned; I am ſtill proud and more ſtubborne: this diſtreſſe God ſeeth not, God ſuccoureth not, his hand cannot reach, his mercy p. 120cannot ſave; now marke what the Prophet Eſay ſaith to ſuch a perplexed ſoule, Eſay 40.27.Isa 40:27Why ſaiſt thou thy way is hid from the Lord? The Lord ſaith, why ſaiſt thou: ſo the young man ſhall faint and bee weary, but they that wait upon the Lord ſhall renue their ſtrength: is any thing too hard for the Lord? nay I ſay you wrong God exceedingly, you thinke it is a matter of humility, you count ſo vilely of your ſelves: can God pardon ſinne to ſuch unworthy creatures? marke that place of the Pſalmiſt, they ſpake againſt the Lord, Can the Lord prepare a table in the wilderneſſe? They ſpake not againſt themſelves, but againſt God; ſo wee ſpeake againſt God, and charge God himſelfe: it is true, ſaith the ſoule, Manaſſes was pardoned; it is true, Paul was converted: it is true, Gods ſaints have beene received to mercy, but can my ſinne be pardoned? can my ſoule be quickned? No, no, my ſinnes are greater than can be forgiven, ſaith the deſpairing ſoule: then mee thinketh Satan is ſtronger to overthrow thee, than God to ſave thee: then it ſeemeth ſinne is ſtronger to condemne thee, than God to doe good unto thee; and thus you make God to be no God upon point, nay you make him to be weaker than ſinne, than hell, than the devill: And this is moſt injurious to God, to make the power of ſinne greater to condemne thee, than the power of God to ſave thee: to make the power of Satan ſtronger to ruinate thee, than the mercy of God to releeve and ſuccour thee: and what can you ſay more? and what can you doe more againſt the Lord? Is not p. 121this to make God an underling to Satan, and to ſinne? this is to ſay, the Almightineſſe of God is weaker than the weakneſſe of ſinne: the Sufficiency of God is weaker than the malice of Satan. It is true, a poore humble ſinner many times will make bitter complaints this way, and they thinke they ſpeake againſt themſelves: No, no, they ſpeake againſt the Lord: they ſpake againſt God, when they ſaid, Can the Lord prepare a table in the wilderneſſe: So you that ſpeake in this deſperate manner, why truth Lord, this proud heart will never bee humbled: if any thing would have wrought, it would have beene done before this day. How many ſermons, how many mercies, how many judgements, how many prayers? and yet this proud heart, this ſtubborne heart, will not be reformed: you thinke you ſpeake againſt your ſelves now; no, no, you ſpeake againſt the Lord, and brethren thinke much of this; thou that thinkſt ſo, that ſaiſt ſo, that concludeſt ſo; this is one of the greateſt ſinnes thou committeſt, to ſay thy ſinnes cannot be forgiven thee.

Secondly, This ſinne of deſperation, as it is moſt injurious to God; ſo in the ſecond place, it is extraordinary dangerous to thy owne ſoule: It is that which taketh up the bridge, and cutteth off all paſſages: and there can no ſpirituall comfort and conſolation come into the poore ſoule of a poore ſinner: Luk. 3.15. Luk. 3.15.Luke 3:15Every ditch muſt be filled, and then all fleſh ſhall ſee the ſalvation of the Lord: what are theſe ditches? why, nothing elſe but thoſe deepe gulfs and ditches of deſpaire, p. 122and unleſſe theſe bee filled, no man can ſee the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. In a word, my brethren, ſuffer me to open my ſelfe; the truth is, this deſpaire of the ſoule is that which cutteth the ſinewes of all mans comfort, and taketh off the power and edge of all the meanes of grace: it daunteth all a mans endevours, nay it plucketh up a mans endevours as it were quite by the rootes: for that which a man deſpaireth off, hee will never labour after. It is here as with a man in pangs of death; unto ſuch a man all means are unavailable for his good, his bed will not eaſe him, meat will not refreſh him, chaſing will not revive; at the laſt, we ſay he is gone, he is a dead man: friends leave him, Phyſitians leave him, they may goe and pray for him, and mourne for him, but they cannot recover him. So this deſpaire of ſoule maketh a man caſt off all hope, and lie downe in a forlorne condition, expecting no good to come: alas, ſaith a man, what skilleth for a man to pray? what profiteth a man to read? what benefit in all the means of grace? the truth of it is, the ſtone is rolled upon me, and my condemnation ſealed for ever: it is ſure in heaven, and therefore I will never looke after Chriſt, grace, and ſalvation any more, and preſſe the means to him: let him come to heare the Word, marke how he caſteth off all the benefit; it was marvellous ſeaſonable and profitable, it was the good Word of the Lord, very comfortable unto ſuch as have any ſhare therein. Why may not you expect good? why may not you receive benefit there from? why, no, ſaith the p. 123ſoule, the time of grace is paſt, the day is gone, and thus the ſoule ſinketh in it ſelfe; if Chriſtians would pray for him, and Miniſters would labour to doe him good, why hee biddeth them ſpare their labour, for hell is his portion, and his condemnation is ſealed in heaven: ſee now and conſider what deſperate danger of deſpaire bringeth to a poore heart, and maketh him to be beyond the reach of merciemercy, that no meanes can come at him. It is a pretty paſſage of David, Pſal. 77.7. Will the Lord caſt me off ever? and will he ſhew no favor? I ſaid this is my infirmitie, ſaith the text, the word in the original, this is my ſicknes; as who ſhould ſay, this would be my death, what, is merciemercy gone for ever? then my life is gone, then is all my comfort and all my hope gone, therefore take heed of this, it taketh off the edge of our endevours, & Gods ordinances that might do us good.

Secondly, it reproveth and marvellouſly condemneth that great ſinne of preſumption, a ſinne more frequent, and if poſſible may be, more dangerous; the preſumption of carnall hypocrites that boulſter up themſelves with marvellous boldneſſe in their courſe; I beſeech you obſerve it, it is true here, as they ſaid, Saul hath ſlaine his thouſands, but David his ten thouſands: deſpaire hath ſlaine his thouſands, but preſumption his ten thouſands: that men may ſweare, and lye, and couſen, and breake all commands, and yet hope to be ſaved, yet they hope grace will ſave them; they reſiſt grace, yet hope Jeſus Chriſt will ſhew merciemercy unto them, they oppoſe Chriſt, this p. 124is that which, I ſay, hath ſlaine many thouſand ſoules amongſt us, and they are few that have not ſplit at this rocke; therefore, I ſay, this ſerveth to reprove the baſeneſſe, the vileneſſe of ſuch Hypocrites that boaſt themſelves, and compare their hopes with the hopes of the Saints: it is true, ſay they, I cannot walke ſo freely, I cannot repeat a Sermon, I want thoſe parts that they have, I walke not ſo curiouſly, yet I hope to be ſaved as well as they: this is that which hath ſlaine many thouſands of ſoules that now are roaring in hell, and they may thanke preſumption for it. Now this hope is not the hope of the Saints; the hope of the Saints is a grounded hope, but theſe hopes meerely hang upon ſome idle pleas and fooliſh pretences, and ſome carnall reaſons: but I tell you they will fall, and their hopes will ſinke, and they into the bottomeleſſe pit before they bee aware: it is the command and counſell of Peter, That every man ſhould be ready to give a reaſon of his faith and hope that is in him; therefore let us ſee the reaſons that carry you, the arguments that perſwade you to theſe groundleſſe and fooliſh hopes; you hope to be ſaved, and you hope to go to heaven, and you hope to ſee the face of God with comfort: let us ſee the ground for theſe hopes of yours, good hope hath good reaſons, grounded hope grounded reaſons; you ſay, you hope to be ſaved, and have no reaſon for it; it is a fooliſh hope, an unreaſonable hope, the grounds therefore of Hypocrites are mainly five:

1The ignorant poore ſilly man, he pleadeth he p. 125can thinke it, hee cannot conceive it, that God hath created any man for to damne him; ſure the Lord is more mercifull than ſo, and therefore though we be ſinfull, and baſe, and untoward, yet the Lord will not damne us: I anſwer therefore, it is true indeed, God did never preſerve men for this ſame end that he might damne them; though it is as true, hee that made men, hee will damne moſt of men in hell for their ſinnes committed againſt him; Narrow is the gate, and ſtrait is the way that leadeth unto life, few there be that finde it: is this the argument of thy hope? marke the folly, and obſerve the weakneſſe of it: if creation bee a good argument, then all the damned ſhould come out of hell and be delivered; nay by this reaſon the Devill himſelfe ſhould be ſaved; they are now in hell, they were created as well as you ignorant ſilly creatures: thinke of theſe things how your hope will ſhatter and breake under you, and you with them will fall together into the bottomleſſe pit, Eſa. 57.11. See how the Lord bringeth this argument and confuteth it, it is a people that hath no underſtanding, therefore he that made them will not ſave them, he that created them will ſhew them no mercy, the text ſaith, the Lord ſaith from heaven, though hee made thee, he will not ſhew thee merciemercy, if thou continue to be wicked and rebellious.

2Another groweth in hope, that God will ſhew merciemercy unto him in regard of Gods favourable dealing with him in things of this life, and hee ſaith and pretendeth great thankfulneſſe for Gods p. 126goodneſſe, and hee praiſeth the Lord hee never wanted any thing, his lot is fallen into a good ground, and therefore he doubteth not, but that God, who hath beene his God from his youth will ſave him, and ſhew merciemercy unto his ſoule; this is the ſecond ground, and it is a poore feeble ground to ſupport the ſoule in ſuch a caſe as this. I anſwer therefore, thou art deceived, thou takeſt that for an argument of Gods love and mercy, which rather may bee an argument of Gods hatred and indignation: Pſal. 92.12, The wicked flouriſh, ſaith the text, then a man may ſay, they will all to heaven, they will all be ſaved if they ſo proſper here, no, ſaith the text, they flouriſh that they may be deſtroyed, and periſh for ever, the oxe is fatted for the ſlaughter, ſo it is here, thou art fatted here, thou haſt more than heart can deſire, thy cups are full, and thy table well ſpread, thy breaſts full of milke, and thy bones full of marrow, it is that thou mighteſt bee deſtroyed, Pſal. 1.5. Proſperitie deſtroyeth the ſoule; it is like poiſon, like ratsbane; now would any man ſay thus, ſuch a man is moſt like to live, becauſe he eareth moſt poiſon? nay rather the contrarie, ſo proſperitie meeting with a ſinfull with a naughtie heart, it is poiſon to him; the text telleth you, when Haman was invited, it was that hee might be accuſed; the truth is, theſe men of the greateſt hope in this life I meane for honour, and pompe, and reſpect, and preferment, many of them are men of the leaſt hope for heaven.

3Others becauſe they have felt the heavie hand p. 127of God, many ſorrowes, many weakneſſes, many troubles in their courſe, many loſſes in their eſtate, theſe ſtayeth up their comforts, and upon theſe grounds they build their hopes; I have had my hell in this life, and I hope to have heaven in the world to come; I hope the worſt is over, now I have beene troubled in this world, I hope I ſhall be comforted in another world, and here is the ground of your hopes: I beſeech you conſider what I anſwer, I ſay this, all the grievances, trouble, ſorrow, ſickneſſes, be they what they will be unleſſe thy heart be humbled by them, unleſſe thou bee brought unto the Lord Jeſus Chriſt by them, they are ſo farre from being an argument of grace and ſalvation unto thee, that they are harbingers of thoſe everlaſting torments, you ſhall endure in hell: Sodome and Gomorrah they burnt in brimſtone, and they ſhall burne in hell; a man would have ſaid they had their hell here, and therefore they ſhould not have it hereafter; why? the text ſaith they ſuffered vengeance of eternall fire; why, brethren, I beſeech you obſerve it, will any man reaſon thus; ſuch a man hath had the earneſt of the bargaine, and therefore he ſhall not have the bargaine? will any man ſay thus, hee that is attached, arraigned, condemned, ſhall not be hanged? nay rather he that hath the earneſt ſhall have the bargaine, he that now is accuſed, condemned ſhall now be hanged, ſo here.

4Others beare their hopes and ſuſtaine their hearts upon the privileges that God beſtoweth upon them, and the meanes they have, and in p. 128regard of the duties they doe diſcharge, and though they thinke they have faire hopes and great hopes of heaven, why, ſay they, God will powre downe his wrath upon thoſe that know not God, and that call not upon his name, but what doe you make of us, are we heathen, are not we Chriſtians, have not wee beene baptized, and the Lord hath inabled us to doe ſomething, wee call upon his name, and ſeeke him by faſting and prayer, and therefore he that hath done ſo much for us, and hath done ſo much to us, ſure hee will give us heaven: I anſwer, that this bottome is not ſufficient to beare up this hope, all the privileges thou haſt, all the meanes, ordinances thou enjoyeſt, unleſſe thy heart be humbled, and thy ſoule brought to Chriſt, all theſe will fall under thee, and thou wilt goe to hell, Rom. 2.28. He is not a Jew that is a Jew outwardly, the Jewes they bragged of this, they were circumciſed, and the Heathen were not circumciſed; they were the ſeed of Abraham, but the Heathen were not; Paul vilifieth all this, he is not a Jew, that is a Jew outwardly; thy baptiſme, thy praying, and thy hearing, there is no profit by them, no comfort in them, if thou maintaine a wicked life, and a naughty heart, therefore this will not ſerve the turne, you know it, and the Scripture ſpeaketh it, Iudas an Apoſtle, Iudas called by Chriſt, he ſat with our Saviour, and dipped his hand in the diſh, he was a Devill then, and is with the Devils now; the fooliſh virgins had a trim profeſſion, as well as the others; thou profeſſeſt, and p. 129heareſt, and prayeſt; thou wilt lye too, and couſen too, and ſweare too, thou art naught, and this bottome will never beare thee up.

5When they ſee all this will come to nothing, then they make a ſhift to plead mercy, and they hope that will ſtand then in ſtead, and doe them good, when nothing elſe will, and therefore you ſhall heare carnall wicked men confeſſe themſelves naught, their ſinnes many, and they vile, but there is merciemercy enough in God to releeve them, and they hope that will ſave them. Brethren, I confeſſe merciemercy is able to ſave thee, and if thy hope can lay hold upon it, it will ſave thee, if thou be ſo within the reach of merciemercy, merciemercy is able to ſave thee, and will ſave many other beſides; but thou art not capable of this merciemercy, thou art not within the roome and compaſſe of merciemercy, what availeth it to talke, and ſpeake and hope for merciemercy, and to ſee a great deale of merciemercy in Chriſt, a great deale of merit in Chriſt, a great deale of vertue in Chriſt, able to ſave thee and a thouſand more, and yet thou not in the compaſſe of merciemercy, not capable of merciemercy, but ſinkeſt in thy owne ſinnes, before thou getteſt any merciemercy from God, Iſa. 27.11. hee that made them will have no merciemercy upon them, as who ſhould ſay, it is true, here is abundance of merciemercy, merciemercy enough, merciemercy that ſaved a poore company of poore Jewes, that crucified the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; merciemercy that ſaved Paul a perſecutour, Manaſſes an Idolater, but I will ſhew no merciemercy unto thee, he that confeſſeth and forſaketh his p. 130ſinnes, ſhall finde merciemercy, merciemercy owneth thoſe, merciemercy doth good unto thoſe, but unto thee that loveſt thy ſinnes, that embraceſt thy ſinnes, that hid…ſt thy ſinnes, the text ſaith it, thou ſhalt never finde merciemercy, delude thy ſelfe thou mayſt, but thou never ſhalt have merciemercy; Luke 14.24. there was a marriage made, and a rich marriage feaſt, enough to have fed many thouſands, but thoſe that were bidden did not come, they ſhall not ſo much as taſte of them, they ſhall have none of them; ſo there are ſweet comforts, ſtrong conſolations, admirable refreſhings, able to ſuſtaine a thouſand ſoules, but you that would keepe your ſinnes, and have the pride of your hearts, but you that ſtand it out with the world, and will not yeeld to the authoritie of the truth, heare what the Lord ſaith from heaven, he that is the God of comfort, thou ſhalt never be comforted; he that is the Authour of ſalvation ſaith it, thou ſhalt never be ſaved, thou ſhalt never have a crum of theſe dainties, nor a drop of theſe ſweet wines of ſpirituall conſolation: what a world now of men are ſhut out by theſe trials, that are found guilty of theſe particulars, you poore ignorant creatures, doe not many of you lift up your heads full high, and many a poore preſumptuous hypocrite beare up themſelves upon rotten hopes? Object. but I tell you, when you come to the day of judgement, all this will faile you; but you will ſay in the former uſe, you laboured us from deſpaire, and incouraged us to hope, and yet now you take away all our hopes, why if neither creation p. 131may comfort us, nor the experience of Gods kinde dealing with us may incourage us, nor the afflictions that wee have endured in this world, nor the privileges that we have enjoyed, nor the merciemercy of themſelves may give us any hope to receive merciemercy, why then it ſeemeth you would have us deſpaire, and caſt away all hope of any good?

Anſwer. The truth is, as I muſt not make the way broader than it is, ſo I muſt not make it narrower than I ought, therefore know theſe two things:

1As long as thou retaineſt and keepeſt a proud, ſtubborne, unconverted heart, there is no hope in heaven or earth, that God ſhould ever ſhew mercy unto thee, and ſave that hard, ſtonie, impenitent, unbeleeving heart of thine, unleſſe thou thinkeſt, that God will bring all thy pride, all thy looſeneſſe, and ſinfull delights unto heaven; God cannot ſhew thee merciemercy unleſſe he will deny himſelfe, and croſſe his holineſſe; follow peace and holineſſe, without which no man ſhall ſee God; God taketh a corporall oath of it, an unbeleeving man that liveth under grace deſpiſing it and contemning it, God taketh an oath he ſhall never be ſaved, now the oath of God ſhall ever ſtand: there be two immutable things, namely, himſelfe and his oath; himſelfe cannot be changed his oath cannot be broken; now the Lord ſweareth, ſuch a man ſhall not enter into his reſt, a man may be ſaved that cannot keepe the law fully of himſelfe, but a man cannot be ſaved that will not humble his ſoule before the Lord, and receive p. 132mercy from him; and hence Epheſ. 2.12. Without God, without Chriſt, without hope; the Lord hath ſaid, the Lord hath ſworne it, that an unbeleeving, an unrepenting ſinner, ſhall never come unto heaven: he cannot ſave thy ſoule, untill he hath humbled thy ſoule; hee cannot ſave thy ſoule, as long as thou retaineſt an unbeleeving ſoule.

2This is that which you muſt take notice of, that I may let in a little creviſe of comfort to every naturall man; that I may ſet open a peepe-hole of mercy; know therefore this, that though the Lord will not, nay the Lord according to his oath cannot ſave a continuing unbeleever; yet here is all the hope thou haſt, and bleſſe God for it, and bee thankfull that thou haſt it; though whileſt thou art an unbeleeving creature, thou canſt have no mercy from God, yet God can make thee a beleever: he can breake that heart, he can make thee good; therefore I ſay, bleſſe God, that thou art yet in the land of the living, and ſay, good Lord, this is mercy, that I am on this ſide hell: if I had died, I had as certainly gone to hell as the coat upon my backe: hath not the Lord ſaid it, did not the Miniſter ſpeake it, and the Word reveale it; that as long as I had a proud, naughty, ſtubborne, wretched heart, I ſhould never finde mercy, unleſſe I ſhould thinke that God would make new Scriptures, turne the courſe of his providence to ſave a company of baſe wretched creatures. Oh my brethren, you that are yet in the gall of bitterneſſe, and bond of iniquity; proud before, and proud ſtill, that live and lie in your p. 133ſinnes, I ſay, every morning, and every evening, that yet you live, thinke with your ſelves, Hath God given me this hope, this liberty, and that my life is continued, why now beſtirre your ſelves to get mercy. I beſeech you thinke o… it, if you be not wrought upon by the Word, if Heaven and Earth ſhould meet together to ſave thee, and an Angell from Heaven would ſpeake comfort unto thee, all would faile: therefore you ſee by this time in what caſe theſe are; goe aſide and mourn for your ſelves and neighbours; this ſay, if you will continue proud and wicked, there is no hope for you, all the hope is this, you are yet alive, the Lord may humble that heart, hee may enlighten your eyes, he may worke upon thy ſoule, elſe there is no mercy for thee.

Vſe 2 It is an uſe of conſolation, and I hope you will be content to heare that. I beſeech you therefore to obſerve what I ſay, take notice here, that every poore broken hearted ſinner may take ſome ground here to ſtay his ſoule, though much diſquieted, though exceedingly perplexed: when the ſoule ſeemeth to be aloofe off from the Lord, when the Lord doth not ſhine abroad the ſweetneſſe of his mercy upon the ſoule, when the Lord withdraweth himſelfe and his grace in aſſiſting and comforting his Saints, when thou haſt no ſenſe, no feeling, thou canſt not bee perſwaded of it, or thy heart beleeve it; canſt thou but looke up to God, and hope, I ſay thy condition is good: thou art a good ſcholler in the Kingdome of the Lord Jeſus, Eſay. 40.18. The Lord waiteth upon p. 134his Saints to doe them good; but marke what the Text ſaith, Bleſſed is every man that waiteth upon the Lord: he doth not ſay, bleſſed is the man that hath ſenſe of Gods favour, bleſſed is the man that hath aſſurance of Gods mercy, but bleſſed is that man that waiteth upon the Lord: thou ſaiſt thou canſt not doe this, and thou canſt not doe that; I ſay if thou canſt but wait and hope for the mercy of the Lord, I ſay thou art a rich Chriſtian: if a man hath many reverſions, though he hath them not for the preſent, men that judge of his eſtate, will not judge him for his preſent eſtate, but for his reverſions which hee ſhall have: haply thou haſt not for the preſent the ſenſe and feeling of the aſſurance of Gods love; away with that feeling, doe not dote upon it, thou haſt reverſions of old leaſes, ancient mercies, old compaſſions, ſuch as have beene reſerved from the beginning of the world, and know thou haſt a faire inheritance: this is obſervable; Rom. 8 28. We are ſaved by hope: now hope that is ſeene, is no hope: for why ſhould a man hope for that which a man hath? wee are ſaved through hope: now if you would have hope to be ſeene, you have no hope in concluſion; though thou haſt it not in thy eye, yet if thou doſt hope, it is enough, that hope will ſave thy ſoule. It is the folly of our ſinfull proud hearts, that ſometimes in the ſenſe of our owne ſinnes and ſight of our owne unworthineſſe, we almoſt diſdaine to looke upon what God hath done for us, and we conſider not the kindneſſe of the Lord. That place in the Pſalmiſt, The eye of the Lord is upon them that p. 135feare him, and wait for him; it is the wretched diſtemper of the ſoule: we can fall out with heaven and our ſelves, becauſe we cannot have what we would; nay we quarrell againſt the means of grace: what availe meanes and helpes as long as I have ſuch a ſtubborne naughty heart: Pſal. 174.1…1. The Lord taketh pleaſure in thoſe that feare him, and wait for his mercy: alas brethren, out of the pride of your owne ſpirits, you fall out with God and your ſelves, and ſo deprive your ſelves of this comfort.

Object. But you will ſay, were my hopes of the right ſtampe, and of the right coyne, then a man might comfort himſelfe therein: though he wanted the ſenſe of Gods love, and the aſſurance of his mercy: but there are many falſe hopes, flaſhy hopes, leane hopes, how ſhall a man know that his hope is ſound and good, and will comfort him?

Anſ. You may know it by theſe foure particulars.

The firſt is this, a grounded hope, it hath a peculiar certainty in it, it doth bring home unto the ſoule in ſpeciall manner the goodneſſe of God, and the riches of his love in Jeſus Chriſt: this ſame grounded hope doth not ſtand upon Ifs and Ands, but it ſaith, it muſt be undoubtedly, it muſt certainly bee mine: and this you muſt know, it is the nature of hope, to make a thing to be certaine. Hope maketh things infallible and undoubted, and withall there is a kinde of ſpeciality, a bringing home of Gods goodneſſe unto the ſoule, in a peculiar manner: hope alwayes if ſound, it hath ſomething to ſay for it ſelfe alwaies, p. 136it hath a ward to hang and hold upon: Pſal. 130.5. I wait upon the Lord, and I hope in his Word: and ſo Rom. 15.4. All things are written for our instruction, that through the comfort of the Scriptures wee might have hope: here is hope, not through your conceits, imaginations and dreames, but through the Scripture: we might have hope, a grounded hope is a Scripture hope, it is a word hope; and therefore thoſe that cannot bring a word, and give a reaſon for their hope, I would not give a ruſh, nor a farthing token for a hundred cart load of ſuch hopes: No, it is Law hope, it is Goſpell hope, Scripture hope, Word hope; ſo that the ſoule can ſay, the Word ſaith, the Lord came to ſave thoſe that are loſt, why I finde my ſelfe to be loſt, and therefore I hope the Lord will ſeeke mee, though I cannot ſeeke him; I hope the Lord will finde me, though I cannot finde my ſelfe; I hope the Lord will ſave me, though I cannot ſave my ſelfe. But the hopes of the wicked hang like a cloud, they are not grounded upon the evidence of the Scripture, they crowd all in the generall; I hope to fare as well as others, and other had mercy, and why not I? And hence the hopes of the wicked are unſtedfaſt and wavering: but a man might here demand, are not the hopes of the Saints ſo too? Doe they not waver and ſtagger many a time? Anſwer, It is true, but with this difference; the hopes of Gods ſervants are like an anchor, which though ſometimes it is ſhaken, yet it holdeth the faſter: but the hopes of the hypocrites are like the waves of the ſeas, and they p. 137come to nothing: Prov. 8.28. The hope of the righteous ſhall be glad, but the expectation of the wicked ſhall periſh; as who ſhould ſay, though the waves be great, and the ſtormes violent, yet the anchor ſhall bee faſt, and the ſhip ſhall come ſafe to haven; but it is otherwiſe with the wicked, their hopes doe periſh. What is become of your hopes now? you thought you ſhould bee ſaved, and that you ſhould doe as well as others; but when the day of judgement commeth, and the laſt great day of account ſhall be, what then ſhall become of all your hopes? You ſhall ſee, it is as if a man ſhould plead for a mans inheritance, becauſe he did dwell in the ſame towne, and were of the ſame name. But now the Saints of God, when they come to lay claime to mercy, they bring a hold, a word, Iſay 61.3. He appointeth them that mourne in Sion: will you have a legacy of joy, mercy, and pitty? here it is, the Lord Chriſt left it you, I bequeath this and leave it to all you broken hearted ſinners, to all you humble mourning ſinners in Sion: this is your legacy, ſue for it in the Court, and you ſhall have it for ever. Hence David ventureth all for this hope, hee taketh this as a childs part, Pſal. 33. the laſt verſe; Let thy mercy come unto us, as our hope is in thee, not according to our ſenſe and aſſurance, but according to our hope; thy deſires may faile, and endevours faile, and the means faile, yet let thy mercy come unto me according to my hope.

2The ſecond is this, a grounded hope is ever of great power and ſtrength, to hold the ſoule to the p. 138truth of the promiſe: the Spirit you know, wee ſhewed, ſtirreth the heart to hope: now hee turneth hope ſo to God, that the eye of the ſoule goeth that way and cannot bee taken from it, but it will goe promiſe-ward, and God-ward. Hence take a poore ſinner, when hee is at the weakeſt under water; when all temptations, oppoſitions, corruptions, grow ſtrong againſt them, the Lord letteth them looſe againſt the ſoule, nay letteth the poore ſoule come to joyne ſide with Satan againſt himſelfe, and the goodneſſe of the Lord; and hee ſaith, the truth of it is, I ſhall one day periſh by the hand of Saul: this proud fooliſh filthy heart of mine, it will be my bane; it had better for me never to have beene, I ſhall never get power, ſtrength and grace againſt theſe ſinnes; here is the loweſt under of a poore ſoule. If a man ſhould now reply, why then caſt off all hope and confidence, reject the meanes, and turne to your ſins; Marke how hope ſteppeth in and ſaith, it is true, what ever I am and doe, what ever my condition is, I will uſe the means, I am ſure all my helpe is in Chriſt, all my hope is in the Lord Jeſus, and if I muſt periſh, I will periſh ſeeking him, and waiting upon him. Why, this is hope now, and I warrant that ſoule ſhall never goe to hell. Pſal. 119.81. My heart fainted, and my hope was in thy ſalvation: Iſay 8.7. I will wait for the Lord, who hath hid himſelfe from the houſe of Iacob: the Lord hideth himſelfe, he doth not ſhew himſelfe, he hath not manifeſted himſelfe, yet I will hope in the Lord, that hideth his face: Pſal. 69.3. But the hope of the p. 139wicked is not ſo: 2 King. 6. and the laſt verſe, this evill commeth of the Lord, and why ſhould I wait any longer? Prov. 14.32. The hope of the wicked is driven away; that though a man ſtood upon his bottome, and all the world could not perſwade him to the contrary, but that he ſhould be ſaved, and hee ſhould goe to heaven, though proud ſtill, though vaine ſtill, but his hope ſhall bee driven away, but the righteous ſhall have hope in his death: friends faile, life faile, and wealth faile, but yet he hath hope in his death.

Signe. 3 As the ſtrength of this hope is great in regard of all oppoſition that commeth to the contrary, ſo alſo the excellency and ſurpaſſing worth of this hope, which overſhadoweth all the hopes in the world, that can be offered, propounded, deſired; all ſeeme nothing to this hope, which the ſoule hath to God; that when the ſoule commeth to be drawne to God, and to hope in him, all other hopes hold no weight: hopeth not for honour, for profit, nor liberty, nor delight; it diſcovereth the baſeneſſe of theſe, ſo that the ſoule careth not for any thing elſe in compariſon. It is in this caſe with the ſoule, as with the hound; the hound haply followeth the game untill hee bee ſpent, and tyred; yet if there come a freſh hare, yet the very ſent of a freſh one will make him leave all: ſo it is here, though heretofore hee hath had many games in the world; he hoped for honour and profit, and his ſoule run all amaine upon them; but when the ſoule hath beene brought to know the riches of Gods mercy in Chriſt, it leaveth the p. 140old profits, the old contents, the old delights that he had; Heb. 11.13. All theſe died in the faith, when they had ſaluted the promiſes. And obſerve here a carnall hearted Hypocrite, his hopes be vaine, idle and uncertaine; the truth is, if the world giveth other hopes of honour, and profits, and delights, he leaveth his hope, and with Demas he embraceth the preſent world; but the Saints of God are not ſo, Heb. 11.25. Moſes might have had great honour, but he forſooke his honour, and had an eye to the recompence of reward.

Signe. 4 The laſt is taken from the vertue of hope, and the ſpeciall fruit and effect that it worketh in the ſoule; A grounded hope it alwayes lendeth ſupply and ſuccour, when all the reſt of a mans abilities faile, and are not able to ſuſtaine and ſupport his ſoule; when deſire faileth, and love faileth, I meane in his owne ſenſe and apprehenſion, I ſay, then hope ſupporteth the ſoule, Pſal. 16.9. My fleſh ſhall reſt in hope, that is, hope will give a man reſt in the moſt miſerable forlorne condition that may be, that when the heart is ready to ſay, where is the meanes that I have had, and the good dayes that I have ſeene? this dead heart cannot bee quickned, I am as dead as the roome where I am, and the bed where I lye; why, hope will give a man reſt in this condition, my fleſh ſhall reſt in hope. Looke as in the ſea when the ſtormes ariſe, and the billowes beat, and the tempeſts rage, then a little hope, yet the anchor holdeth; ſo though the maſt, the ſaile, and all ſinke, yet the anchor holdeth; nay when all give p. 141themſelves for loſt, deſpaire of all helpe, yet the anckor holdeth; and here is the excellencie of an anckor in this particular, that when a man hath nothing to ſuſtaine him, yet commeth in this grace of hope, yet it may be better, and it will be otherwiſe, this upholdeth when nothing elſe can; it is not, but yet hope ſaith, it will be, therefore cheare up that fainting ſoule of thine, that love God will enlarge, that deſire God will quicken, that fearfull heart God will eſtabliſh, that dead heart God will quicken; thus the anckor holdeth ſtill from day to day, hence hope is ſaid to be the nurſe of the ſoule, it nouriſheth faith, and it feedeth faith, hope fetcheth the promiſe from farre, Lord thou haſt ſaid it, and therefore it cannot but be: I beſeech you obſerve, looke as it is with a man that cannot ſee a thing a farre off, yet with a proſpective glaſſe he may ſee it, ſo here, how ever eye cannot ſee it, the heart cannot feele it, yet hope waiteth ſtill, expecteth ſtill, as a man in a ſounding fit, he cannot ſee and heare, yet there is ſome life in the heart, and that bringeth him againe, ſo when a mans heart would faile, and he is overwhelmed with ſorrow and deſpaire, then yet the pulſe of hope beateth ſtill, there is this life of hope left ſtill in the heart of a Chriſtian; but it is not ſo with the wicked, their hopes are not like the hopes of Gods ſervants. It is a fine place, Iob 11. laſt verſe, The hope of the wicked is like the giving up of the ghoſt, that though a man can lift up his head full high, and thinke he ſhall be ſaved and goe to heaven, though he carrieth p. 142a baſe wrethed heart about with him: No, no, when the Lord ſhall come to lay thee upon thy death-bed, let us then ſee your hope, if your hope can now keepe life and ſoule together, if it can cheare, comfort, and refreſh you, let it, nay if all the Miniſters under heaven, and all the Angels in heaven, ſhould come and reveale the promiſes; why, a man will then tell you, Alas! I am a wretch, I never did any thing, never had any thing, but that which curſed carnall Hypocrites have had: I have prayed, and Iudas prayed, and he is in hell, and ſo may I be too, for ought I know: why, but the Miniſter replieth, comfort up your owne heart, cheare up your owne ſoule in expectation of ſome favour from God, why? alas! ſaith the ſoule, there is no comfort for me: why? but ſaith a man, there is merciemercy in Chriſt, it is true there is merciemercy, but alas I have reſiſted merciemercy, I have deſpiſed the offer of grace, therefore there is no hope, he was graceleſſe here, and he ſhall be damned for ever, he was ſtubborne here, and he ſhall be for ever miſerable hereafter: Looke as a tree that is falling, there are ſome ſtrong ſprigs in the root, and that beareth it up, and it bringeth ſometimes a great deale of fruit, ſo it is here, though deſire, endevour be dead unto the word and ordinances, yet there is a ſprig of hope, and that ſupporteth the ſoule, and the ſoule ſaith unto the Lord, thou haſt ſaid, the broken hearted ſinner ſhall have merciemercy, I am ſo, I am wearie and heavie laden, therefore refreſh me, I have a dead heart, Lord, but wearie p. 143of it, Lord, a prophane heart, but wearie of it, Lord.

Vſe 3 The laſt uſe, it is an uſe of exhortation, ſince you ſee the worth of it, and the way thereunto, Exhortat.let every one labour for this hope, Heb. 11.6. there ſaith the Apoſtle, I would deſire you to give the ſame diligence to the full aſſurance of hope; I deſire you, I intreat you, I will not ſay I command you, though this may be enjoyned: if you have any hope in heaven, if you have any treaſure in Chriſt, labour to quicken this affection above all: here I am to ſhew the motives and the meanes.

Motive 1 The firſt motive is this, in truth wee have no more uſe of any thing than of hope, it is a thing that is moſt uſefull for us in all eſtates, in all conditions, what ever we doe, brethren, there is nothing more uſefull than this grace of hope, hope is an univerſall grace: I tell you hoping and breathing are all one, as breath continueth life and ſoule together, ſo doth his hope: the truth is, wee have as much uſe of hoping for God and waiting for his goodneſſe, as the body of breathing and preſerving of life, 1 Corin. 9.10. That hee that ploweth may plow in hope, brethren, all our actions muſt have hope goe along with them, the man muſt pray in hope, preach in hope, and heare in hope; what ever thou haſt, hope ſtill, that God may bleſſe it; what ever thou doſt, hope that God will aſſiſt thee in it: when a man preacheth, hee muſt preach in hope, though hee doth not doe good now this day, nor next day, yet hope what p. 144the Lord may doe, yet hope what the Lord will doe, ſo in the time of our pilgrimage here wee cannot live without this hope, ſo in comming to the word of God, thou commeſt one day, and yet the word of profiteth not, thou commeſt the ſecond day, and yet the word prevaileth not, thou commeſt the third time, yet the word humbleth not; come ſtill, hope ſtill, the Lord may be pleaſed at laſt to ſet home ſome word, that may humble thy heart, and quicken thy ſoule, and ſubdue thy corruptions.

Motive 2 The ſecond motive is this, we have moſt need of it, as nothing is more uſefull, ſo nothing is more needfull for the benefit of the ſoule: you know in warre, thoſe places of the body that are moſt ready to be aſſaulted, they looke to fence that eſpecially, as now the head of every ſouldier, therefore every one getteth a head-peece, and will bee ſure to get a helmet about him: now what a head-peece is to the ſouldiour in warring, that hope is to the Chriſtian in living, 1 Theſſal. 5.8. I beſeech you obſerve it, the Devill fighteth at the head continually, which is the hope of ſalvation, the aſſurance of Gods love, this is the head-peece of a Chriſtian, if once this be gone, the ſoule is gone, and a mans heart ſinketh within him, Sathan intendeth moſt harme this way, and therefore wee ſhould bee moſt carefull to beſtow the more paines for our helpe in this particular: take a poore ſinner, cut off his hope, and you cut off his head, if a mans armes were gone, hee might live, if a man want a leg, he might ſtill continue, p. 145but if his head-peece be gone, all is gone; a Chriſtian may want many inlargements, many comforts, many abilities, but if his head-peece be gone, if his hope be cut off, alas! he hath nothing to ſupport and ſuſtaine himſelfe in the time of trouble.

Motive 3 This hope is that whereby our hearts are kept both in the love of God, and provoked unto obedience unto God, Iude 21. Keepe your ſelves in the love of God, expecting the merciemercy of God; now this is nothing but the worke of hope, and brethren, this is a rule, unleſſe we expect ſome merciemercy from God, we will never looke after him, we will never obey him, never walke with him, but when wee expect ſome good thing comming unto us, then wee love him and follow after him: but ſome might here ſay, it is true, we doubt not of the comfort and benefit that commeth by it, but what meanes are there that might helpe a man to hope in the goodneſſe of God, how ſhall a man uphold his ſoule in ſome meaſure in expecting merciemercy from the Lord? Anſw. The meanes are three.

Meanes 1 Labour above all to caſt out all carnall ſenſualitie, that commonly creepeth upon us, and would prevaile over us; I meane this that wee would faine live by ſenſe, our carnall hearts be ſenſuall creatures, we would faine live by our ſenſe, what we ſee with our eyes, and feele with our fingers, and have in our hands, that we can be ſure of, but wee can have nothing in hope: now when the ſoule is taken up with, and beſtoweth it ſelfe upon the preſent things, then you put hope out of p. 146office: Rom. 8.24. You are ſaved through hope, and hope that is ſeene is no hope; a man doth not hope for a thing that he hath, but hope alwayes expects a good that is to come; this is the marvellous ſottiſh diſtemper of our wretched hearts, that wee will truſt God no further than wee ſee him: Acts 1.9. wilt thou now reſtore the kingdome to Iſrael, juſt now; ſo here, ſaith the ſoule, may I now have grace, may I now have aſſurance, may I now have the evidence of Gods love? but I would have it now, where now is hope all this while? you take away the worke of hope, when you would have things preſent: wee know the childe muſt wait for his portion before hee hath it, ſo you muſt ſtay your time, and be contented with the dealing of the Lord toward you in this kinde.

Meanes 2 You muſt daily attend and labour to bee much acquainted with the precious promiſes of God, to have them at hand, and upon all occaſions, for thoſe are thy conſorts, thoſe are they that ſupport thy ſoule, that looke as the body is without comfort, unfit for any thing, nature groweth feeble and weake, a pale face, a faint heart, a feeble hand, and the like; ſo it is here, unleſſe a man hath that proviſion of Gods promiſes, and have them at hand daily, and have them diſhed out and fitted for him, his heart will faile: Rom. 15.4. What ever was written was for our comfort, that through the Scripture we might hope. Verſe 13. That we might abound in hope through the Goſpell; as who ſhould ſay, it is not in your power to ſupport your hope, p. 147it is not in any power here below, but through the Scripture; yee might have hope, and through the power of the holy Ghoſt: brethren, I beſeech you obſerve it, while wee looke upon our owne infirmities on one ſide, and the feebleneſſe of the meanes on the other ſide, this is the next way to dampe our hope, to dead our hearts, and to take away all our comfort and aſſurance; this is not the way to abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghoſt; I beſeech you obſerve it, all theſe things here below cannot give any comfort, a man may as ſoone wring oile or water out of a flint, as wring comfort out of theſe meanes. In all theſe outward things there is no ſound comfort or hope, there be theſe three things, either wee ſhall not finde comfort or contentment in them, or elſe not ſufficient content, or elſe no conſtant, no continuall content. It is with the hope of a poore Chriſtian, as with Noahs dove, ſhe found no reſt upon the earth for the ſole of her foot; ſo it is with our wretched hearts, wee ſend out our hope to our abilities, to the meanes we doe enjoy, to our prayers and performances wee doe diſcharge, and thus all our hopes breake and faile us, for in all theſe things there is no foot-hold for hope; we muſt ancker our foot-hold in Chriſt, what I want Chriſt can ſupply, what I need Chriſt can give, what is good for me Chriſt can beſtow, what I have done amiſſe Chriſt can pardon; though I barren, he is full, though I dull, he hath enough grace and enlargement for me; it is ſaid of Naamans leproſie, Let him come, and hee p. 148ſhall know there is a God in Iſrael; though the King cannot heale, yet a God can; though the meanes cannot, yet the Lord can; ſo it is here, the hope that a man hath in theſe things here below, and the hope in the Goſpell: A man ſendeth out his hope, having a wounded conſcience, hee now goeth to his gifts, that they ſhould pacifie him, he ſendeth out his hope to his prayers, that they ſhould eaſe him; marke what they ſay, are wee God, we cannot helpe; but heare what the promiſe ſaith, though prayers cannot, though parts cannot, though outward helpe cannot, yet there is a God in Iſrael, there is a promiſe that is able, here is merciemercy enough, here is power and comfort enough.

Meanes 3 Maintaine in thy heart a deepe and ſerious acknowledgement of that ſupreme authoritie of the Lord, to doe what he will, and how he will according to his owne pleaſure; brethren, I beſeech you to obſerve it, this I take to be the ground, why the heart of a poore ſinner is marvellous taken up with paſſion and diſtemper, and a kinde of teachy ſhortneſſe; wee thinke to bring God to our bow, we have hoped thus long, and God not anſwered, wee have ſtood ſo long, and no comfort, and ſhall we wait ſtill? wait? I wait, and bleſſe God that you may wait: if you may lye at Gods feet, and put your mouth in the duſt, and at the end of your dayes have one crum of merciemercy, it is enough, therefore checke thoſe diſtempers, what if God will? when a wretched ſinner wrangleth with God for his dealing with him, Paul cutteth p. 149him ſhort, what if God will? ſo when thou thinkeſt the time long, when Lord, and how long Lord, what if God will? he oweth thee nothing, thou deſerveſt nothing, what if God will damne thee, and will ſend thee to hell? it is a moſt admirable ſtrange thing, that a poore worme worthie of hell ſhould take up ſtate, and ſtand upon tearmes with God, and he will not wait upon God, who muſt wait then? muſt God wait, or man wait? muſt the Creatour wait, or the creature wait? Acts 1.9. wilt thou now reſtore the kingdome to Iſrael, it is not for you to know the times and the ſeaſons; as who ſhould ſay, hands off, meddle with that you have to doe withall, it is for you to wait, it is for you to expect merciemercy, it is not for you to know: ſo I would have you to doe, when you begin to wrangle and to ſay, how long Lord, when Lord, and why not now Lord, and why not I Lord? why? checke thy owne heart and ſay, it is not for me to know, it is for me to be humble, and to be abaſed, and to wait for mercy, but it is not for me to know the time.

Thus much concerning Hope: