The Natural Mans Case, Part 1 · Sermon 14
SERMON, XIV.
EPHES. 2. 12.
—Having no hope—
WE come now to the laſt prop that wicked men doe build their hopes of heaven upon, which is this, if you beat them off from all the former props, from their ſmall ſins, from the mercies of God in generall, from their good duties, and good meanings, &c. then they run to this laſt plea; ſay they, Have not we reaſon to nouriſh hopes for heaven; for we have been preſent with dying men, that have been as bad as wee in their life time, and yet they have had very ſtrong hopes for heaven, and ſtrong hopes in God: and you know dying men will ſpeak the truth, and therefore why may not we nouriſh hopes for heaven, as well as they? This is a very ſtrong prop wicked men build their hopes upon: but I ſhall ſhew you the rottenneſſe and inſufficiency of it in theſe three or four particulars.
1. You muſt know that it is one thing to die ſtupidly, and another thing to die hopefully and peaceably: indeed, the worſt men in the world, may die ſtupidly, their conſciences may not doe its office when they die: they may have their conſciences feared as it were with a hot iron, and think they are going to heaven, and never think otherwiſe till they drop down into hell; but now the godly, they die full of peace and comfort, as in Pſal. 37. 37. Mark the upright man, and behold the Pſal. 37. 37.juſt, for the end of that man is peace; but there is no peace, ſaith my God, to the wicked, Eſai. Eſa. 57 41.57. 41. There may be a fearedneſſe of conſcience, and ſtupidity of heart, but they cannot die peaceably and in hope.
2. You that make this a prop for your hope, becauſe you have ſeen wicked men die peaceably like Lambs; let me tell you thus much, that it is the greateſt judgement in the world, for a wicked man to die peaceably, and quietly, in deluſions, and conceits of going to heaven; when they are tumbling down headlong to hell: it were better for him, that God did let the flaſhings of hell fire to flie in his face: it were better for him that his conſcience did tell him his danger, and his doom, then thus to die in a ſtupid manner. In Job 21. 23. it is ſaid, that a wicked man dies in his full ſtrength, being wholly at eaſe and quiet: no ſin troubles him, nor no danger makes him afraid: ſo in Pſal. 73. 4, 5. they have no bands in their death, but their ſtrength is firm; they are not in trouble, as other men, neither are they plagued as other men; they have no trouble in their life time, and no bands in their death: now this is rather to be looked upon as a judgement upon them, and not as a mercy.
3. If this peace and quietneſſe in a wicked mans conſcience, did ariſe from any grounded aſſurance, or hope of heaven, then it might be lookt upon as a bleſſing; but when it doth ariſe meerly from the deluſions of his own heart, then it is nothing but as it were a golden dore to let him into hell: it ſhall be with him as in Eſai. 29. 8. An hungry man dreameth, and behold, he eateth: but he awaketh, and his ſoul is empty: ſo a wicked man dreams he is going to heaven, when he is falling down into hell.
4. There may be great hopes of heaven expreſt in a dying mans words, when there is not ſo much peace and quietneſſe in his heart, as in Prov. 14. 23. In the midſt of laughter, the heart is ſorrowfull. In the midſt of a wicked mans boaſting, there is a fear of hel.
5. Though you have ſeen ſome men that have dyed with ſtupidity of heart, depart quietly; yet there are other wicked men, whoſe conſciences are awakened, that die full of horror, and terror, and amazement. When their conſciences tell them, they have dyed ſwearers, or lyers, or drunkards, or adulterers, &c. they are filled with horror, and terror of conſcience; that though he thought all his life time he ſhould goe to heaven, yet he now fears he is going down into hell.
And thus I have done with the third Queſtion, in ſhewing you the reaſons why, (ſeeing the Scripture ſaies that a wicked man hath no hope) that of all the men in the world, wicked men do nouriſh greateſt hopes for heaven in their hearts; there are only two queries more to handle, and then come to the fifth branch of mans miſery.
Queſt. 4 4. The fourth Query in order is this; that ſeeing the Scripture ſayes a wicked man hath no hope, and eſteems of their falſe and preſumptuous hope, to be as good as no hope; then how ſhall we know the difference between thoſe well grounded hopes a godly man hath, and thoſe preſumptuous and deluding hopes wicked men have?
Anſw. Anſ. I ſhall here give you ſix apparent differences between them.
1. The hopes of a godly and regenerate man for heaven; it is gotten by, and grounded upon the word of God: and therefore it is called the hope of the Goſpell, becauſe Col. 1. 23.it is gotten by the Goſpell as the means, and grounded upon the Goſpell as the end: that we (ſayes the Apoſtle) through the comfort of the Scriptures might have Rom. 15. 4hope: a godly man hath his comforts from the Scriptures. Pſal. 119. 49. Good is the Pſal. 119. 49.word of the Lord, wherein thou hast cauſed thy ſervant to hope. But now the hopes of wicked men, as they are gotten they know not how, ſo neither do they know upon what they are grounded, and this is the reaſon why they are called preſumptuous hopes; for this is preſumption, when a man does beleeve a thing, when he can have no viſible nor likely means, to ground or bottome his hopes upon.
2. True and patient hope is bottomed upon the mercies of God, and the merits of Jeſus Chriſt; and hence it is, that Chriſt is called our hope, becauſe he is the 1 Tim. 1. 1.foundation on whom beleevers do build all their hopes for heaven; ſo likewiſe they build their hope on the mercies of God, in Pſal. 147. 11. The Lord taketh pleaſure Pſal. 147. 11. Pſal 33. 18.in thoſe that fear him, in thoſe that hope in his mercy: and again in Pſal. 33. 18. The eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that truſt in his mercy: and ſo in Pſal. 52. 8. ſaies David there, I truſt in the mercies of God for ever and ever. A godly man he is caſt out of himſelf, and out of an opinion of his own righteouſneſſe, and his hopes are only built upon the mercy of God, and on the merits of Chriſt. But now the falſe and preſumptuous hopes that wicked men have, are not built ſo much upon Gods mercy as their own duties, and not ſo much upon the merits of Chriſt, what he hath done for them, as upon their own duties what they have done for themſelves.
3. True hope doth comfort and bear up the heart under all the diſcomforts, that it meets with in the world: as David ſaies, I had fainted under my afflictions, but Pſal. 119. 81.that thy word is my hope: and hence it is that you have thoſe two admirable expreſſions put together, Rom. 5. 2, 3. Rejoycing in hope, Rom. 5. 2, 3.and glorying in tribulation; theſe are put together to ſhew, that when a man can rejoyce in hope, he can glory in all the tribulations, he meets with in the world. But now preſumptuous hopes, are like lead, and ponderous weights, that will make you ſink under every affliction. It is only a true and ſaving hope, that will enable you to hold up your heads under all afflictions and troubles.
4. True hope does as well act for heaven, as hope for heaven; but a preſumptuous hope, that hopes for heaven as its end, but yet never acts holineſſe as its way to heaven; true hope as it hopes for heaven, ſo it labours to work out its ſalvation with fear and trembling; You have an admirable paſſage for this in Pſal. 119. 166. Pſal. 119. 166.ſaies David there, Lord I have truſted in thy ſalvation, and I have done thy commandements: here is both hoping and acting for heaven put both together, wicked men they hope for heaven, but they do not do Gods commands, and ſo in Pſal. 37. 3. Truſt in the Lord Pſal. 37. 3.and do good, ſaies the Pſalmiſt, here is truſting and doing put together, true hope doth act for heaven as well as hope for heaven; but falſe hope doth hope much and act little; wicked men will hope for ſalvation, but not work out their ſalvation; hope for heaven, but not labour for heaven: this is the fourth difference.
5. That man that hath true hope, he makes conſcience to keep his heart pure, and free both from the love of ſin, and from the dominion of ſin, while he lives here in this world; you have a plain text for this in 1 Joh. 3. 3. He that hath this hope in him, purifieth 1 Joh. 3. 3.himſelf even as God is pure; he doth labour and endeavour to keep his heart upright, and pure, and free from ſin. But now a falſe hope will hope for heaven, though they walk on after the imaginations of their own hearts, as in Eſai. 51. 10. Thou haſt walked in the greatneſſe of thy wicked Eſai. 51. 10.wayes, yet ſaidſt thou not, there is no hope: though they had great ſins, yet they had great hopes for heaven; if thou art ſuch a one as is mentioned in Deut. 59. 18. that ſaieſt, Thou ſhalt have peace, though thou walkeſt Deut. 59. 18.after the imaginations of thy own heart, to adde drunkenneſſe to thirſt, if thou art ſuch a one, thy hope is only a preſumptuous hope.
6. True hope flowes from a long and well grounded experience; this is the reaſon of that expreſſion in Rom. 5. 4. Patience worketh experience, and experience hope: Rom. 5. 4.True hope flowes from a long and well grounded experience in the waies of God; and from an experience of the grace, and bounty, and love of God to his ſoul: and from experiences of the goodneſſe, and mercy, and promiſes of God: and likewiſe from an experience of his own heart, in withſtanding temptations, ſubduing corruption, and performing holy duties. Such experiences as theſe are inlets to a well grounded hope for heaven; but now the hopes of wicked men, are only the reſults of ignorance, they that never had any experience of themſelves, nor of the waies of God; they have moſt hopes, but their hopes are only deluding, and preſumptuous hopes: wicked men that do ſo quickly get into a ſtate of hope, without any former experiences of the wayes of God, it is a ſign that their hopes are only vain and empty hopes; they are but pithy hopes: juſt like your pithy trees, as Elders, and Withies, and ſuch like trees, they ſhoot up faſteſt, and grow up ſooneſt; whereas the more firm and ſtronger wood, as Oaks, and Elme, and the like, are a great while longer in growing, before they come to maturity; why, ſo it is a great while before a Godly man can get a well grounded aſſurance of his hopes for heaven.
Uſe. And thus I have done with the Doctrinall part of this fourth branch of mans miſery, (without hope) we come now to the application, and the Uſe that I ſhall make of it ſhall be threefold.
1. For conſolation.
2. For terror: and,
3. For inſtruction.
1. For conſolation, to the people of God, though the Scripture ſaies a wicked man hath no hope, yet it ſayes otherwiſe of you that are a people of God, the Scripture tels you that your hope is laid up in heaven Col. 1. 5. Jer. 17. 17. Pſal. 71. 5.for you; and the Lord is your hope; though wicked men have no hopes for heaven, yet you have grounded, and aſſured, and certain hopes for heaven: your hope is laid up for you in another world; the wicked have only their hopes in this life, and when they die, their hopes ſhall Job 8. 13.periſh, as in Prov. 11. 7. When a wicked man dyeth, his expectation ſhall periſh, and the hope of unjuſt men periſheth; but it is not ſo with you, for the godly hope in their death. And Prov. 14. 32.this hope of a godly man, is not as the Papiſts hold, for though they grant a beleever hath hope, yet they deny that any have aſſurance, they ſay that all a beleevers evidence for heaven is only a hope, a p…l adventure, (a moſt uncomfortable tenent;) whereas the Scripture ſayes, there is as full an aſſurance of hope, as of faith, in Heb. Heb. 16. 11.16. 11. ſaies the Apoſtle, uſe all diligence to the full aſſurance of hope unto the end, and ſo in Rom. 15. 5. Your hope is ſuch as will not make Rom. 15. 5.you aſhamed; your hopes are not like the hopes of men that hope for dead … ſhoes (as the proverb is), for they may go on barefoot before they die, but Christ, who is our hope, he hath dyed already, and riſen again; he hath made his will and teſtament; and hath left us legacies, and be queathed riches to us: our hopes are well grounded hopes, not as other mens are, that will leave them, when they have moſt need of them.
Uſe 2 Uſe 2. The ſecond Uſe ſhall be by way of terrour, to ſhew you the miſery of thoſe men, that have only preſumptuous hopes for heaven.
1. You are in a ſtate of unlikelihood to be converted, more then any other men in the world; and this is the reaſon why the Scripture tels us, that whores and harlots ſhall go to heaven, before the Scribes and Phariſees, and yet they were a very ſtrict people, and did walk very outwardly holy; and the reaſon is, becauſe it is an eaſier matter to convince a harlot of her ſins, then to convince a proud Phariſee, that thinks himſelf as good as the beſt, and hath lived in peace all his life time.
2. Let me tell you thus much, that your hopes will leave you, when you have moſt need of them. Prov. 11. 7. the place before quoted; The hope of the wicked ſhall be cut off, and when he dies, his expectations ſhall periſh: he looks for heaven, but he ſhall be diſappointed; as in Job 8. 14. His confidence ſhall be cut off, and his truſt ſhall be ſake a Spiders web, as the Spider wraps himſelf in his web, and dwels there ſecurely all the week long, but at the end of the week, when the maid comes to ſweep the windowes, ſhe ſweeps down the web, and the Spider both; juſt ſo the hopes of all wicked men ſhall come to nothing: and ſo in Job 11. 20. The eyes of the wicked ſhall fail, and they ſhall not eſcape; and their hope ſhall be as the giving up of the ghoſt. As a dying man, a little before his death, is pretty joyfull and merry, and entertains ſome hopes of a longer life, but when his eye-ſtrings crack, and the tokens of death appear upon him, then his heart fails him, and all his hopes are daſht in pieces, and taken from him; juſt ſo it is with wicked men, they are full of hopes for heaven, till they come to dye, but then their hopes leave them, and all their expectations periſh.
3. Your harbouring falſe and preſumptuous hopes for heaven, does produce this threefold miſerable and unavoidable effect upon you: 1. Fruſtration: 2. Vexation: and 3. Damnation.
1. It produceth fruſtration and diſappointment of all your hopes: when you are a dying, you hope that after death, you ſhall lanch forth into a ſea of joy and pleaſure, when on the contrary you ſhall lanch forth into a river of brimſtone, which the breath of the Lord ſhall kindle: you hope it may be, that after death, you ſhall be carryed by Angels into Abrahams boſome, when you may be carryed by the Devils into Beelzebubs boſome: you it may be hope that death ſhall be a dore to let you into heaven; when it ſhall be only a back dore to let you fall down into hell.
2. It ſhall produce in you vexation. Now vexation ariſeth either from diſappointment, or revenge: why, ſo wicked men ſhall not only have a privation of happineſſe, but a vexation in the loſſe of happineſſe. And hence it is, that ſome Divines give the reaſon why it is ſaid in Mat. 8. 12. that in hell there ſhall be weeping and gnaſhing of teeth; Some are of an opinion, that as our fire burns hot, ſo the fire of hell ſhall burn cold, but that is but a fancy: our Divines ſay, that there ſhall be gnaſhing of teeth in hell, in token of that vexation of minde that ſhall be in wicked men, becauſe all their hopes are ſo fruſtrated and diſappointed, they ſhall gnaſh their Luk. 13. 28.teeth for vexation of minde, when they ſhall ſee Abraham, and Iſaac, and Jacob, and all the Prophets in the Kingdome of God, and they themſelves thruſt out.
3. Theſe falſe hopes will likewiſe produce your damnation: a wicked man that harbours falſe hopes for heaven in his heart, is like a man ſleeping upon … Maſt of a Ship, who (it may be) is dreaming a very pleaſant and delightfull dream, and upon a ſudden comes a blaſt of winde and blowes him into the Sea; ſo a wicked man he is but in a golden dream on his death bed, and he hopes that he is going to heaven, till he be plunged down into hell: all this repreſents to you the dreadfull condition of thoſe men that have onelyonly preſumptuous hopes for heaven.
Uſe 3 We come now to the third uſe, which ſhall be for inſtruction; and if this be ſo, then this may teach us theſe two or three leſſons.
1. Let us take heed leſt we run into this eaſie deluſion, there are ſome in the world that doe fall into it, and therefore why may not we as well as others? therefore take heed that you doe not fancy to your ſelves falſe hopes of heaven.
2. Doe you that are godly take heed that you do not caſt off all your hopes for heaven: doe not you ſay that hope is cut off from you; as wicked men are apt to harbour groundleſſe hopes for heaven, ſo good men are too apt to caſt off grounded hopes for heaven; therefore do not ſay there is no hope for you, for there is hope for you.
3. Do not harbour in your hearts, common and ordinary conceits of this grace of hope, as if it were ſo eaſie a matter to obtain it; It is naturall for men to think that this grace of hope is very eaſie to be gotten, for ſay they, were it not for hope the heart would break; wicked men are ready to thinke that this grace of hope is eaſie to be gotten by any body, and to be had of all, therefore take heed of this, and conſider that there is the ſame certainty, the ſame excellency, and the ſame efficacy, in this grace of hope, as there is in faith.
1. There is the ſame certainty in it; Heb. 6. 11. it is called the full aſſurance of hope.
2. There is the ſame excellency in it, Tit. 2. 13. it is called a bleſſed hope: and,
3. There is the ſame efficacy in it, as in the grace of faith, in Act. 15. 9. it is ſaid Act. 15. 9.there, that Faith purifieth the heart, and ſo likewiſe does hope, 1 Joh 3. 3 Every man that 1 Joh. 3. 3.hath this hope in him, purifieth himſelf, even as God is pure: And,
4. There is the ſame difficulty in getting hope as in getting faith: for 1. this is gotten by the word of God, Rom. 10. 17. and ſo is hope too, Col. 1. 23. it is gotten by the …aching of the Word.
2. Faith is wrought in us by the power of God: Heb. 12. 2. Chriſt is the author and finiſher of our faith; and ſo is hope likewiſe wrought in us by the power of the holy Ghoſt, Rom. 15. 13 that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghoſt. So that hereby you ſee that you ought not to have ſuch low thoughts of this grace of hope, as if it were an eaſie matter for every man to get it; for there is as much certainty, as much excellency, as much efficacy in this grace, and as much difficulty in getting this grace of hope, as there is in faith. And thus I have done with the 4. branch of an unconverted mans miſery, that hee is without any well grounded hopes for heaven.