The Natural Mans Case, Part 1 · Sermon 11
SERMON, XI.
EPHES. 2. 12.
—Having no hope—
WEE come now to fall upon the fourth part of an unconverted mans miſery, (which you will think to be a very ſtrange one) that he is without hope; while theſe Epheſians were in a ſtate of Gentiliſm, unconverted to the Faith of Chriſt, they were without hope, & the reaſon of it was, becauſe they were without Chriſt, who is the way, the truth, and the life, there is no other way to heaven but onelyonly by Jeſus Chriſt, and ſeeing they were out of the way to heaven, they muſt needs be without any hopes of coming to heaven; it was the firſt branch of their miſery, in being without Chriſt that expoſed them, and made them lyable to all the reſt, becauſe they were without Chriſt, therefore they were aliens to the Commonwealth of Iſrael, & therefore they were ſtrangers to the Covenant of Promiſe, and without hope, and without God in the World.
Object. Ob. But here ſome will be ready to ſay, How can this be that the Apoſtle ſhould ſay, they were without hope, when were it not for hope, the heart would break; and therefore it is not poſſible, they ſhould be without hope?
Anſw. I anſwer, it is true, they had a hope, but it was a vain hope, an ungrounded and a deluding hope, and this kinde of hope is no better then no hope at all, ſo that the Apoſtle might well ſay they had no hope, that is, no good nor well grounded hope for heaven, they had onelyonly a preſumptuous hope, ſuch a hope as would make them aſhamed in the latter end, they had only the hope of the hypocrite that ſhall periſh, and therefore when the Apoſtle ſayes, that theſe Epheſians during their unregeneracy, were without hope, his meaning is, that they were without any wel grounded hopes for heaven, they had no Scripture grounds, to bottome or build any hopes upon, that God would bring them to heaven; this is a very ſad and dreadfull point I am now upon, in ſhewing you this part of mans miſery, without hope; the Obſervation I ſhall draw out from hence ſhall be this;
Doctr. That all men during the ſtate of their unregeneracy, are without any true, or well grounded hopes of heaven.
In the handling of this I ſhall firſt prove it in the generall, and then improve it; firſt to prove it, an unconverted mans condition, in reference to his hopes for heaven, is juſt like Pauls, and thoſe Mariners that were with him in the ſhip ſailing towards Rome, Act. 27. 20. when neither Sun Act. 27. 20.nor Stars appeared, but the winde and waves did beat upon the ſhip, inſomuch that all the hopes they had of being ſaved were quite taken away; ſo it is juſt your caſe that are without Jeſus Chriſt, there is neither Sun nor Star does ſhine upon you, if Chriſt does not ſhine upon you, you are like Paul and the other Mariners in the ſhip, all hopes of your being ſaved, is quite taken away from you. I ſhall confirm this truth to you by three or four demonſtrations, that a wicked man is without any hopes for heaven.
Reaſ. 1 1. An unregene rate man muſt needs be without hope, becauſe he is without Chriſt who is the foundation of a chriſtians hope, Wherefore remember, ſayes the Apoſtle, that at that time ye were without Chriſt, and therefore he tels them afterward, that they were without hope, in Tit. 2. 2. Chriſt is there called Tit. 2. 2.our hope, Chriſt is that perſon in and upon whom we are to build all our hopes for heaven, and therefore he is called our hope, and this is the meaning of that expreſſion, Christ in you the hope of glory, intimating that you cannot hope for glory, but in and through Jeſus Chriſt; that man that is a Chriſtleſſe man, muſt needs be a hopeleſſe man, that is the firſt demonſtration.
Reaſ. 2 2. A man without Chriſt, muſt needes be without hope, becauſe he is without a title to any promiſe of life and ſalvation, which is the onelyonly ſupport and prop of mans hope; you would count this a very fond and vain hope, for any man to hope that ſuch a rich man would make him heir of all he hath, though hee never promiſed him one foot of Land; why juſt ſo vaine are the hopes of wicked men, but now the Word of Promiſe is like a pillar of marble to bear up the hearts of Gods people, as in 1 Tit. 2. In hope of eternall 1 Tit. 2.life, which God that cannot lye, promiſed before the World began, the promiſes doe ground that man that hath intereſt in them, to a hope of eternall life, he that is without the Lord Jeſus Chriſt the foundation of hope, and without the promiſes which is the pillar of hope, muſt needs be without all true hopes of heaven.
Reaſ. 3 3. He cannot but be without hope, becauſe he is without Faith which is the ground of hope, as in Heb. 11. 1. Faith is Heb. 11. 1.the ground of things hoped for, the evidence of things not ſeen: where no true Faith is there can be no hope, for Faith is the Mother, and Hope is the Daughter, Hope is begotten by Faith; an unregenerate man muſt needs be without hope, becauſe he is without Chriſt the foundation of hope, and the promiſes the pillar of hope, and Faith the ground of hope.
Reaſ. 4 4. It appeares that he is without hope, becauſe when hee leaves the world, his hopes leave him, whereas the hope of a godly man never leaves him till it brings him to heaven; when a wicked man dies his hopes are gone, and leave him when he hath moſt need of them, had his hopes been well grounded hopes, they would never make him aſhamed of them.
Thus you ſee I have onelyonly in the generall confirmed the point to you. I come now to ſpeak of ſome more particular inquiries in the proſecution of this Doctrin, (Beloved) wil you lend me your thoughts a little, in the handling of theſe five inquiries? As
1. I ſhall ſhew you the nature of this hope that unconverted men are without.
2. I ſhall ſhew you what are the characters of thoſe men that are without any well grounded hopes for heaven.
3. I ſhall ſhew you the reaſon, why (ſeeing the Scripture ſayes that a wicked man hath no hope) that of any men in the world, a wicked man does nouriſh in his heart the greateſt hopes for heaven.
4. I ſhall ſhew wherein lies the difference between thoſe that have onelyonly a preſumptuous hope for heaven, and thoſe that have a true and well grounded hope for heaven; And
Laſtly, I ſhall ſhew you the great miſery of thoſe men that have onelyonly preſumptuous hopes for heaven.
Queſt. I will begin with the firſt of theſe, to ſhew you the nature of that hope, that unconverted men are without.
Anſw. Take this plain deſcription of it, that true hope which wicked men are without it is a well grounded and patient expectation for the accompliſhment of all thoſe ſpirituall and eternall good things, which God hath promiſed through Jeſus Chriſt, and which Faith beleeves. I call it a well grounded expectation to diſtinguiſh true hope, from thoſe preſumptuous hopes that wicked men have: I call it a patient hope to diſtinguiſh it from a raſh hope, in wicked men: and I ſay it is a patient expectation and looking for the accompliſhing thoſe ſpirituall and eternall good things, which God hath promiſed in Chriſt, becauſe that this is the ground of hope, it is called the hope of glory and the hope of eternall life, and the like; Thus you have the nature of this hope that wicked men are without, when the Apoſtle ſayes, they were without hope, his meaning is, that they were without any hope of thoſe ſpirituall and eternall good things, which God hath promiſed to beleevers through Chriſt.
Queſt. 2 Queſt. 2. What are the Characters of thoſe men, that have no hopes for heaven, or if they have, it is onelyonly a deluding and a preſumptuous hope, a hope no better then no hope at all? (nay it were a great deal better to have no hope then a preſumptuous hope, but that I ſhall ſpeak to afterward.)
Now before I ſhall lay down theſe characters by way of diſcovery, I will onelyonly premiſe four or five particular concluſions, which are very neceſſary to prevent wicked men from running into miſtakes concerning their hopes for heaven. 1. Take this concluſion, that this grace of hope may as well be counterfeited as any other grace, there is a lively hope in a Beleever, and a dead hope in a wicked man, there is a faigned hope as well as a true hope, a counterfeit hope as well as a good hope, and therefore it is ſaid in Joh. 8. 13. The Joh 8. 13. Prov. 10. 20.hope of the hypocrite ſhall periſh; and in Prov. 10. 28. The hope of the wicked ſhall periſh.
2. Take this concluſion, that thoſe men, that have leaſt grounds to build hopes of heaven upon, doe yet nouriſh moſt confident hopes of heaven in their hearts; I ſhall give you two notable places of Scripture to prove this, in Prov. 14. 16. it is Prov. 14. 16.ſaid there that a wiſe man feareth and departeth from evill, a wiſe man is jealous over his own heart, what followes? but ſayes he, A fool, that is, a wicked man, he rageth, and yet is confident, he runs on in wicked wayes and practiſes without any remorſe or ſorrow, and yet he is a confident man, that hee ſhall goe to heaven as well as the beſt; A wiſe man feareth and departeth from evill but a wicked man rageth, and yet is confident, thoſe that have leaſt cauſe to hope, doe yet harbour the greateſt hopes for heaven in their hearts. A like place to this you have in Pſal. 36. …2. The tranſgreſſion Pſal. 36. …2.of the wicked ſayes in his heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes, and yet the next words are, he flatters himſelf in his own eyes, though his iniquities are found worthy to be hated; wicked men are very apt to have good conceits of themſelves, and you ſhall finde it ordinarily, that a poor ſoul that walks conſcionably before God, and neglects no known duty, and mortifies every known luſt, and walkes humbly before God, this man is full of feares and jealouſies, and doubts that all things are not well between God and his ſoul; and yet you ſhall finde another ungodly wretch that gives way to all manner of sin and uncleanneſſe, and fulfills the luſts of his fleſh and of his minde, and this man is very confident of his going to heaven, and that all is well with him when he is running headlong to hell. Here then you ſee the ſecond concluſion that thoſe men that have leaſt grounds to build hopes of heaven upon, doe yet nouriſh ſtrongeſt hopes for heaven in their hearts.
3. Another concluſion is this, that a man may live and dye with very ſtrong hopes that he ſhall goe to heaven, till he bee throwne downe into hell; hee may have no other thoughts but that hee ſhall goe to heaven till hee bee caſt head-long into hell. I ſhall give you ſome plain text to prove this, as Job 21. 23. Job 21. 23.Job ſpeaks there of a wicked man, ſayes he, one dies in his full ſtrength being wholly at eaſe and quiet; A learned Divine ſayes upon this place, that it is the note of a wicked man, when he lies upon his death bead, if you come to him and ask him if hee hath any hopes that he ſhall goe to heaven, hee will anſwer, that hee hath very ſtrong hopes of it; and if you ask him, whether my ſin troubles him, he will tell you no, bleſſed be God I have no ſin troubles me now, nor ever did all my life time; What, does nothing at all diſquiet you? No, I am wholly at eaſe and quiet; he hath no ſinne troubles him, nor no miſgiving thoughts, but that hee ſhall goe to heaven: But when a wicked man dies, Prov 11. 7.then his expectation ſhall periſh, and not till then: Now Beloved me thinkes this concluſion ſhould a little ſtartle you, and make you look about you to take heed leſt you run hoodwinkt to hell, that you doe not live and dye in hopes of heaven, and never think otherwiſe till you drop down into hell.
4. To you that doe lay claim to ſtrong hopes for heaven, let me tell you thus much, that you are not to hope for heaven, unleſſe you can render a reaſon or ground of your hopes. Beloved it is not naturall for every man to hope for heaven and to be ſaved, and you ought not to hope for heaven unleſſe you can give ſome grounds for it, as the Apoſtle ſayes, But ſanctifie the 1 Pet. 3. 15.Lord God in your hearts, and be ready alwayes to give an anſwer to every one that asketh you a reaſon of the hope that is in you, with meekneſſe and fear; Now examine your ſelves, what grounds can you give for your hopes of heaven, have you a promiſe for it? or one Scripture ground for it? or the witneſſe of the Spirit for it? if not, then doe not nouriſh any hopes of heaven in your hearts. Thus I have laid down theſe four concluſions, I come now to handle the query it ſelf which is this.
Queſt. Queſt. What are the characters whereby it may be knowne whether you are ſuch a one that hath no hopes for heaven, or a meer deluding, an ungrounded and preſumptuous hope, as good as no hope?
Anſw. The hearts of all the ſons of men are deſperately wicked and deceitfull above all things, man is a proud creature and apt to have proud and high conceits of himſelf, and therefore I ſhall give you five diſtinguiſhing characters, whereby you may know whether your hopes for heaven be true, and well grounded hopes, or no.
1. That man that nouriſheth in his heart great hopes for heaven, and yet at the ſame time foſters and favours great luſts and ſins in himſelf, that man hath no true hopes for heaven. I ſhall give you a clear place to prove this, Deut. 29. 15. And it Deut. 29. 15.come to paſſe when hee heareth the words of this curſe, if he ſhall bleſſe himſelf in his heart, ſaying, I ſhall have peace though I walk after the imaginations of my heart, to add drunkenneſſe to thirſt, &c. The Lord will not ſpare ſuch a man, but the anger of the Lord and his jealouſie ſhall ſmoak againſt that man: and ſo in Eſay 57. 20. ſayes the Prophet Eſa. 57. 10.there, Thou art wearied in the greatneſſe of thy wicked wayes, yet ſaidſt thou not, There is no hope, it is a very ſtrange place, as if the Prophet ſhould ſay to them, you walk in a great courſe of ſin and wickedneſſe, and yet you flatter you ſelves, you will not ſay there is no hope for you, you that doe nouriſh great ſins and wickedneſſe in your boſomes, and allow your ſelves in the practiſe of great ſins, you ſhould ſay, there is no hope for you to goe to heaven, for God does here charge it upon you, that notwithſtanding you walk on in wayes of ſin, yet you ſay not, there is no hope; but are rather very confident you ſhall go to heaven for all that; and ſo in Pſal. 36. 1, 2. The tranſgreſſion of the wicked ſaith in his Pſal. 36. 1, 2.heart, there is no fear of God before his eyes, and yet ſayes the Pſalmiſt, he flatters himſelfe, with vain hopes of heaven; wicked men have heaven and the hopes thereof in their eyes, when they have ſinne in their hearts, and this ſhews that their hope is onelyonly a deluding and a vain hope.
2. That man hath no true hope but onelyonly a preſumptuous and vain hope for heaven, that is ſtrong in his expectations of heaven as his aim and end, but ſlow in his actions and endeavours after holineſſe as his way: he that can with Baalam deſire to dye the death of the righteous, but never care nor deſire to live the life of the righteous, that mans hope is but a vain hope, as the Pſalmiſt hath it in Pſalm. 119. 155. Salvation Pſal. 119. 155.is farre from the wicked, for they ſeek not thy ſtatutes, and if ſalvation be far, the hope of ſalvation is as far; but why is ſalvation far from the wicked? becauſe they ſeeke not Gods ſtatutes, thoſe men that hope that ſalvation is neer them, when they are far from ſeeking after Gods ſtatutes, and endeavouring after holineſſe, as the way to happineſſe, theſe men are far from ſalvation, and the hope of ſalvation too.
3. That man hath only deluding hopes for heaven, that is unwilling to have his hope tryed, examined, and come to the touchſtone, thoſe that will not, as the Apoſtle, bids us, be ready to give to every man 1 Pet. 3. 15.that asketh you a reaſon of the hope that is in you, with meekneſſe and fear; now let me ask you what ground you can give for your hopes in heaven, have you the teſtimony of Gods Spirit for it, or the teſtimony of a good conſcience. that in ſimplicity and godly ſincerity, you have had your converſation here in this world? have you a promiſe or any ground in ſcripture for your hopes? if you have no ground for your hopes, and cannot indure to come to the triall or touchſtone, it is an argument that you are counterfeit metall that you have no reall hopes for ſalvation and happineſſe in another World.
4. That man that builds his hopes for heaven more upon his own performances then upon Gods promiſes, his hope is only a deluding hope: this is that ſandy ground Chriſt ſpeaks of in Matth. 7. ult. To Mat. 7. ult.build your hopes of heaven upon any ſervices you doe, or any duties you perform, it is all one, as if you ſhould goe about to build a houſe upon the ſand; ask a wicked man whereon he grounds his hopes for heaven; he will tell you that he does the works of charity, he gives every man his due, and he lives honeſtly, and civilly amongſt his neighbours, hee hears and reads the Word, he prayes and receives the Sacrament, he does ſuch and ſuch good duties, and this is that which they build hopes for heaven upon, they think that Chriſt is eſpouſed for them, becauſe they are bidden to the Wedding Supper, for the Ordinances of Chriſt are his marriage ſupper, they are ready to ſay with thoſe in Luk. 13. 26. We have eaten and drunken in they preſence, Lord, Lord open to Luk. 13. 26.us. I doe not deny but a man may have evidence from his graces, & from the work of God upon his heart, but the great pillar of Marble, that muſt bear up thy hope, muſt be the promiſe of God in Chriſt; he that builds his hopes for heaven only upon his own performances and good duties, his hope is a vain and deluding hope; I doe not deny but the graces of Gods ſpirit are reall evidences of. Gods love to the Soul, as the Apoſtle ſayes, By this we know that we are tranſlated from death to life, becauſe 1 Joh. 3. 14.we love the Brethren, and again, By this we know that we are of God, becauſe of his ſpirit which he hath given us; but I ſay this is not the main pillar and ground of our hope: we ſhould be ſo fervent in prayer, and diligent in the performance of holy duties, as if we did expect to be ſaved by our duties, but when we have done all that we can, we muſt lay down all at the feet of Chriſt, and conclude that our beſt righteouſneſſe is but as filthy rags, and when wee have done all that we can do, we are unprofitable ſervants, and we muſt wholly and only depend upon the merits and mercies of Chriſt for ſalvation and comfort.
5. That man that thinks, there is neither difficulty in getting this grace of hope, nor efficacy in keeping of it, that man hath no true hope. 1. Thou that thinkeſt there is no difficulty in obtaining this grace, thou never yet hadſt it, for the leaſt grace is beyond the power, and capacity of any man to get of himſelf, thou that thinkeſt it an eaſie matter to hope for heaven, thou never yet hadſt a true hope, for it muſt be God that muſt work this grace in us, as the Apoſtle ſayes in Rom. 15. 13. Rom. 15. 13.Now the God of hope fill you with all peace and joy in beleeving. 2. Thoſe that think there is no efficacy in keeping this grace of hope, thoſe have no true hope, for whereſoever true hope is, it hath theſe properties with it.
1. It hath a purifying vertue with it, as in 1. Joh. 3. 3. Every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himſelf even as God is pure.
2. Hope hath a pacifying property with it, It is the Anchor of the Soul, both ſure and 2. Heb. 16. 19.ſtedfaſt; though the World, and the Devill trouble and diſquiet you, and afflictions and temptations moleſt and diſturbe you, yet this grace of hope will quiet and pacifie you, thoſe that hope in God ſhall be ſecure and at reſt.
3. Hope it hath a painful property with it, it is never a ſluggard, where there is an impoſſibility, there hope is cut off. But that which a man hopes for, he will labour and endeavour after: as he that ploughs does plough in hope, ſo the hopes of heaven will make you plough up the fallow ground of your hearts, and make you indefatigable in your labours after heaven, ſo that you ſhall take a great deal of pains and uſe all your endeavours for it.