The Government of the Thoughts, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. Of Hope.
HE is not living in the World that is void of Hope: The Child hopes to arrive to Manhood, the Aged to linger out a Year longer: The Poor hopes for Wealth; the Sick for Health: The Imprisoned for Liberty: And the Afflicted that Joy may be the Scene of the Morning: Hope induces the Husband-Man to Sow, and Manure his Ground, the weary Traveller to endure his tedious Ways, and the Experienced Swimmer to spread his tyred Arms upon the Death-threatning Waves: Thus is the whole Span of Man's Life Employed, in Suffering and Hoping.
2. BUT in Hopes, there's a vast difference: As for Example, the Human vain Hope is of all others the most pernicious: Such a Hope is but the Denomination of an uncertain Good; 'tis a treacherous Guide, leading to desperate Precipices; the Ignis fatuus of the Mind and the Waking Man's Dream. It was the Tempters Artifice first to assail Man's Innocency, with vain hope grounded on a lying Promise; without this flash of Vanity, Satan had never gain'd so many Vassals. Imprimis, He sheweth the forbidden Fruit; and in a wicked Elegancy Preached this Doctrin, In the day ye Eat thereof ye shall be as Gods, Gen. 3.5. Thus was unhappy man caught by this alluring Bait.
3. SO he Accosted the Second Adam, the Lord of Glory, when he represented to him the Kingdoms and Glory of the World, Matth. 4.8. Satan still makes it is his Business to give us a Prospect of false Heavens, to precipitate us into a true Hell; suggesting vain hopes that he might deprive us of the real: There is none commits the least sin, but a Train of vain Hopes attends it: Several instances we have, as in Cain's Murder, Amnons Lust, Judas's Treason, or Achitophel's Despair: The Sinner many times hopes for some other product of his Resolutions, than from the Sin he transacts.
4. THE worst have not lost their hopes of some good; but all their wishes are in vain: For the hopes of the Wicked are often frustrated, but the Justice of the most just Judge cannot. We must expect from Reason's Providence; and when Time's Glass is fully run, there must be something future, all which carries the face of Goodness; yet so flattering a Liberty is Self-hopes, that every man, especially the Juvenile, who are least acquainted with Fascination, and Constant Inconstancy of the World, relying much on hope, and depending little on Memory, promise themselves great things: But when the Malignants Sing Requiems to their Souls, sudden Destruction is the more terrible in its assault, by Reason it poured upon them unsuspectedly; The Hypocrites hope shall perish; their hope shall be Sorrow of Mind, Job 11.20.
5. AND truly such is Worldly Confidence in an Evil Conscience: However it may appear to have purchased thee A Covenant with death, and an Agreement with Hell, Isai. 28.15. yet it will deceive thee: However it fawns, and promises long Life, and vigour in an Arm of Flesh, and the vain Councels of Men, raising thy Hopes to high Flights; yet they are but Phantasms of deluded Men, and create an Eruption in the midst of their full Career, delivering up their Mind to dangerous Convulsions; and by the Ascent, is cast down from so high a Pinacle, as renders the Fall the more desperate: How often do despairing Wretches wish they had never hoped, when the vanity of it is plainly Demonstrated, like Pharoah's Chariot-Wheels, they fall off, where they are most deeply engaged, between Floods of returning Miseries, Exod. 14.25.
6. NOW I come to shew you, there is a hope of the Righteous, which never fails; this is a prudent Expectation of future Happiness; fulfilling of his Promises who is Yea, and Amen, both in this Life, and that which is to come. This is a Vertue infused into our Hearts by Gods Holy Spirit, who cannot deceive, as the Psalmist confirms it, Psal. 31.24. Be of good Courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. The Eye of the Lord is upon them, Psal. 33.18. And they trust in him▪ who will certainly perform his Promise And thrice happy are they in whom the Lord taketh pleasure, their Expectation shall be Gladness.
7. SOLOMON says, They have hope in death, Prov. 14.33. And the Apostle tells you, they are saved thereby, Rom. 8.24. Hopes in any Creature may be frustrated, but hope in God maketh not ashamed; for he is good to all them that trust in him, Lam. 3.24, 25. This hope is not Humane, or Conjectural, liable to Fraudulency, but Theologically grounded on the infallible Word of God, in whom is only our Confidence, Psal. 119.81. Now the Object of this Hope, is what God has promised; Remission of Sins, Grace, Glory, and all things necessary for this present Life, and the future; and the instrumental Motive is justifying Faith, from whence it springs; for the Apostle tells you, Heb. 11.1. Faith is the Substance of things hoped for. The supream end, God's Glory; the subordinate, our own Salvation, and present Comfort, whereby we may effectually offer up our Thankfulness to God to who begetteth us again to a lively hope in Christ, 1 Pet. 1.3.
8. St. John tells you in his first Epistle, 3.3. That he which hath this Hope is purified; and the Psalmist animates you, saying, It is an Expulsion of servile Fear, Psal. 5.6.4.5. As also a dependance on God, and casting all our Care upon him, a Fortitude in bearing Afflictions, and a Joy in Adversity. The Subject of this Hope, are God's Saints; Faith and Hope accord in the Cause, and God's Spirit giveth both; and in the certainty, as we believe, so we hope. All they differ in is this, That Faith begetteth Hope, whereby Faith hath the Preference. Secondly, Faith beholdeth the the verity of God's Promises, Hope on the Goodness of them; as Faith can entertain nothing but infallible Truth for its Object, so Hope can enjoy nothing but Goodness. Faith apprehendeth the Truth, and Hope patiently expects the fulfilling of it. Now the Object of this Hope hath four Qualifications, Good, Future, Difficult, and Possible.
9. GOOD: Whatsoever is contrary to it, may be an object of Fear, which has no coherence with this Hope. Now whereas there is a real Good, so there is an appearing or seeming one, which being not sincere, creates a vain, or impious Hope; as if a Man hopes for Ease, Pleasure, Riches and Honours: These are not Verities, nor good of themselves, but in their use; and so their hopes may be vain and of no duration. A Man hopes a Revenge on his Enemy, a Satisfaction of his Lusts, or the like. This Hope is impious, and not durable; and must in the end render a Man unhappy. But if we hope for the Glory of God, our Soul's Health and Comfort, or what is really good in it self; this is true Hope, and shall attain to that heighth of Perfection, tho to transitory Eyes it seems not to be durable; as when we invocate for some Temporal Things, which Omnipotency discerneth not to be agreéable to our Necessities, or for him to grant; as when Christ prayed that the Cup might pass from him; and when Moses hoped to go into Canaan, Christ was heard, and Moses not defeated of his hope, because in both God decreed that which was best; and that is ever consistent with true Hope, which gives not the Deity Prescriptions, but confidently expecteth, either what it hopeth, or something better.
10. FUTURE Rom. 8.24, 25. Joy is of things Present, or so represented; as when we rejoice in Hope, Rom. 12.12. Hope maketh that present, by a Prepossession of that which is to come; for Hope acts contrary to that which is present. Difficult: Such are all things Excellent; perhaps deluded Hope makes it an easie step to Heaven and Salvation. But they that indeed go that Path, shall find it narrow, and inviron'd with a World of Difficulties. Lastly, Possible; That which is impossible to Carnal Reason, may be hoped for, because 'tis possible to God; therefore Abraham believed above Hope: And we expect the Resurrection of the Dead; and some things which sinful Men think possible, are impossible.
11. ALL things are possible to Omnipotence, which he'll perform; and he will perform what he has Promised. But some things he disannuls, and so are impossible. Omnipotency will not lie, nor be unjust; for that importeth Impotency, and is a declining of his Attributes: To hope that those Asseverations God hath pronounced concerning Supine Sinners, shall not be accomplished, is a Hope altogether vain and fruitless; for it is impossible for the Divine Majesty to be untrue: To be resolute in Sinning, and yet to hope for Pardon, is a frivolous Hope, because it is impossible for God to be unjust; a severe Lesson for Presumptuous Sinners, who resolve to enjoy their Lusts and Pleasures, glut themselves with Revenge, and yet hope when this Life's Scene is ended, the few Petitions of their Epilogue shall purchase favour.
12. IF thou goest on in this Career, thou wilt be guilty of a gross Absurdity; for if thou resolvest to Sin, and invocatest the Almighty to be Merciful, thou dost in effect beseech God to unthrone himself of his Justice, and to be indulgent to an Impenitent Sinner. This being impossible, it concerns thee, to arise from sleep, and shake off all vain and deluding Hopes, that thou mayst fix on the true and never failing, which is the Anchor of the Soul, a laying hold on the Land of the Living; it is the ease of Sorrows, Grief's Asswager, Affliction's Comforter, and Despair's Antidote. Again, it is Faith's Perspective; the Nebo where we take a view of the Promised Rest, and the Faithful Spy to discover the Holy-Land, bringing us the Tastes from Escoll, the Fruits of the Spirit, the Possession which they hold, who enjoy no more, and yet are Rich in all Things.