Sermons Volume 4, Sermons on Titus · Sermon 12
SERMON XII.
TITUS II.13.
Looking for that blessed Hope, &c.
I Observed, (1.) The Teacher, The Grace of God. (2.) The Lesson, the whole Duty of our Heavenly Calling, To deny Vngodliness, and Worldly Lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly, &c. (3.) I come to the third general Branch, The Encouragements to Learning; here are two, Eternal Life, and Christ's Death. There are two great Principles of Obedience, Gratitude and Hope: Gratitude or Thankfulness, because of the Obligation that is left upon us from Christ's Death; and then Hope, because of the glorious Reward that is set before us. So that whether we look backward or forward, we meet with Obligations to Obedience: Backward, there is an excellent Merit, ver. 14. Who gave himself for us, to redeem us from all Iniquity, &c. Forward, there is a glorious Hope, Looking for that blessed Hope, &c. There is nothing lost by God's Service: the Lord might deal with us out of Soveraignty, and rule us with a Rod of Iron, but he is pleased to draw us with the Cords of a Man, and with Bands of Love, Hos. 11.3. to indent with us, and propound Rewards, as if we were altogether free before the Contract. Men do not use to covenant with their Slaves; we are bound to serve him whether there had been any Reward or no; but the Lord will not leave us without an Encouragement. We are apt to have hard Thoughts of God, and to think him harsh and austere, requiring Work, but not giving Wages. But consider, we have the highest Motives, as well as the noblest Work; we are not only to live soberly, righteously and godly in the present World, but to look to the blessed Hope. Life and Immortality is brought to light by the Gospel. There is no such Encouragement to vertuous living any where as in the Gospel. Lactantius saith of the Heathens, Virtutis vim non sentiunt, cujus premium ignorant; They do not feel the force and transforming Power of Vertue, because they are ignorant of the Reward of Vertue. The Heathens had no such Encouragement as Immortality and Eternal Life, and the happy Enjoyment of God and Christ for evermore.
But to handle the words a little more distinctly: We have here, (1.) the Reward it self, called a blessed Hope. Then, (2.) the time when it shall be accomplished to the full, at the coming of the Lord. Both these things you must look for. Christians, as often as you think of Eternal Life, you must also think of Christ's Appearing. Before we enter into Glory, we must first give an Account. Carnal Men fancy a Heaven without a Day of Judgment; they would be saved, but they would not be called to an audit and reckoning with God. Many can brook sitting upon the Throne with Christ, but not coming before his Tribunal; but they that would live holily, must look for both, the blessed Hope, and the glorious Appearing of Christ. Many Points may be observed out of this Verse.
Doct. I. That looking for the blessed Hope, conduceth much to the Advancement of the Spiritual Life.
I. What this Looking is.
II. What Influence and Power it hath to work us to the Spiritual Life.
I. What this Looking is? It implies Patience, but chiefly Hope.
1. Patience in waiting God's Leisure. Patience is a Grace very needful in our Pilgrimage where we are exercised with so many Difficulties; Heb. 10.36. For ye have need of Patience, that after ye have done the Will of God, ye might receive the Promise: you do not only need Holiness, but Patience. It is long before we can bring our Hearts to do the Will of God; but after that is done, you have need of Patience, that you may wait God's Leisure for your Reward: For the Reward is not given, till there be time for Labour and Exercise; and Troubles coming on, make time seem very long. Whatever Grace we may spare, we cannot spare Patience, if we would persist in well-doing, for we are to wait for the blessed Hope. The good Ground bringeth forth Fruit with Patience, Luke 8.15. Look as the Ground endures the Plough, the Harrow, the Cold, the Frost, that in due time the Seed may spring up; so we have need of Patience, that we may wait upon God for the blessed Hope. And as Patience is very needful in the present Life, so it is inseparable from Hope, 1 Thess. 1.3. it is called the Patience of Hope. To every Grace he gives a proper Action; there is the Work of Faith, the Labour of Love, and the Patience of Hope. Faith propounds Work, Love makes us to labour and sweat at it, and Hope makes us wait with Patience for our Reward and Recompence. Rom. 8.25. But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with Patience wait for it: What we hope for, we wait with Patience for: between Hope and Having there is an intervening time to exercise Patience. There is want of the thing desired, and Delays are troublesome. Now to keep looking, is a Work of Patience.
2. It chiefly implies Hope. This looking for is the formal Act of Hope, an actual Expectation of Blessedness to come. Now because there's a bastard and blind Hope, and there is a regular and good Hope, 2 Thess. 2.16. Who hath given us everlasting Consolation, and good Hope through Grace: therefore let me tell you;
First; What this Expectation is not.
Secondly; What it is.
First; Negatively, what it is not.
1. It is not a blind Hope, such a Hope as is found in Men ignorant and presumptuous, that regard not what they do. Presumption is a Child of Darkness, as Hope is a Child of Light: Presumption is the Fruit of Ignorance and Inconsideration. When Men are once serious, they find it the hardest matter in the World to hope; for guilty Nature in it self is more presagious of Evil, more inclinable to Fear and Sorrow, than to Joy and Hope. But yet a blind Confidence is very common, because Men do not consider what they do, but hand over head make a full account that they shall go to Heaven, without Warrant and without Evidence. And therefore you shall find it is one of the first things God works by the Word, to break down our former carnal Hopes, and make Men see they are out of the way, lost and undone Creatures. Paul in his presumptuous State thought he had as much to shew for Heaven as any Man in the World; Rom. 7.9. I was alive without the Law once; but when the Commandment came, Sin revived, and I died. The Commandment coming in full Conviction upon his Heart, he began to be serious, and then he found himself lost, and obnoxious to God's Judgment. The Excellency of Hope doth not lie in the Strength of Confidence, but in the Clearness of your Ground and Warrant. In Matth. 7. latter end, the Scripture takes notice of two Builders, the foolish, and the wise; there was no difference in the Building it self, both might raise a Structure equally …air; but the difference lay in the Ground-work and Foundation; the one built upon the Sand, the other upon a Rock: therefore you are not to look so much to the Strength of your Hope, as to the Evidence, the Ground, the Foundation of it. Do you know what you do, when you so confidently believe your Salvation? Presumption grows upon Men they know not how, it is not an Act of Advice and Consideration, and therefore will leave us to Shame. A Man had need have good grounds for his Hope. True Hope is a serious Act, arising from Grace, longing after its Perfection; and therefore we are said to be begotten to a lively Hope, 1 Pet. 1.3. Seed desireth Growth; every thing aimeth at Perfection: when Grace is infused, presently there is a Tendency and Motion this way. Others may have strength of Confidence, though a weak Foundation whereon to build it, therefore their Hope comes to nothing but Shame, and the greater Confusion. Iob 8.14. the Hope of the Hypocrite is compared to a Spider's Web: O what a curious Web doth she spin out of her own Bowels! but assoon as the Besom comes, down goes the Spider and the Web too, both are swept away, and trodden under foot. So it is with Hypocrites, they spin a fine Web out of their own Bowels, conceive rash, but strong Hope, a Hope of their own forming and making; but when Death comes, the Man dies, and his Hopes die with him. So Prov. 11.7. When a wicked Man dies, his Expectation shall perish; and the Hope of the unjust Man perisheth. It is not meant only of his worldly Expectations; tho that is true, he that aspired to be great, and to feather his Nest, and excel in the World, when he dies, all his Plots and Projects die with him: but it is meant of his heavenly Hopes: when they come to enter upon their everlasting State, then they are sensible of their Mistake. We are more sensible of what is near at hand, than what is at a distance: Men grow wise when they come to die: Eternity is near at hand, and Men begin to awake as out of their Dream, and lose all their Confidence; and when they thought they were full, they find themselves hungry. Again, the Hope of the Hypocrite is compared to the giving up of the Ghost, Iob 11.20. Their Hope shall be as the giving up of the Ghost. When the Frame of Nature is dissolved, it is done with bitter Gripes and Pain; the Soul in a Moment takes an everlasting Farewel of the Body: so all the Hopes of the Wicked vanish, and are lost in an Instant, and they are full of Horrour and sad Despair. It is the greatest Evil that can befal you, to lose all your Hopes in an Instant. Well then, this looking for the blessed Hope, is not a slender Imagination, an unadvised rash Confidence, such as is lost whenever we begin to be serious, either by the conviction of the Word, or the approaches of Death.
2. It is not some Glances upon Heaven, such as are found in worldly and sensual Persons. Sometimes worldly Men have their lucida intervalla, their good Moods, and now and then have some sober Thoughts of Heaven that rush into their Mind. Balaam had his Wishes, Numb. 23.10. Let me die the Death of the Righteous, and let my last End be like his. And the Apostle speaks of some that had a Taste, Heb. 6.4. snatch now and then some savour of the Sweetness of Heaven and spiritual Comforts. A wretched Worldling, in whose Fancy the World plays all the day, riseth with him, goeth to Bed with him, yet now and then hath his Wishes, and some sudden Raptures of Soul, some Flashes and Motions; but alas, this is not the looking for the blessed Hope, for that is a constant viewing of Happiness to come. Sudden Motions are not operative, they come but now and then, and leave no Warmth upon the Soul; as Fruit is not ripened that hath but a glance of the Sun: and you know a sudden Light rather blinds a Man than shews him his way; so these sudden Flashes, Enlightnings, and heavenly Thoughts, vanish, and leave a Man never the better.
3. It is not a loose Hope, a possible Salvation, that can have such an Efficacy upon the Soul to urge and incline it to the spiritual Life. James 1.8. A double-minded Man is unstable in all his Ways. When a Man is double-minded, divided and distracted between Hopes and Fears, there will be much Irregularity and Unevenness in his Conversation, he will be off and on with God. As their Hearts are up and down, and divided, because the Success is doubtful; so also is their care of Strictness weakned and broken. 1 Cor. 9.26. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the Air. He alludes to the Istmich Games: In an ordinary Race a Man might run, and be out-stripp'd, the Event was very uncertain, he might miss of the Goal; if the other sensibly got ground, then he was discouraged, and began to slack his pace as out of hope: but saith the Apostle, I run not as one that is uncertain; here we are all sure to obtain, tho we cannot keep pace with the foremost: And this is that which quickens Industry, and stirs up those holy Endeavours. The surer your Hope is, the greater Strength you find, and the greater Power upon your Conversation. Thus it is not a blind Hope, or some Glances upon Heaven, and the blessed Things to come, that rush into the Mind of a cursed Worldling, nor a loose Hope and bare Conjecture; a possible Salvation hath not such Efficacy and Power upon the Soul.
Secondly; Positively, what this Expectation is of Blessedness to come. It is an earnest and lively Hope, a solid Expectation of Blessedness to come: and it bewrays it self by three things, serious Thoughts, earnest Groans, and lively Tastes.
1. By frequent and serious Thoughts. Thoughts are the Spies and Messengers of Hope sent into the promised Land, to bring the Soul Tidings of what is to come. It is impossible for a Man to hope for any thing, but his Mind will run upon it, and he will be thinking of it. We find it in all earthly Matters, that Hope sets the Mind on work; and so we preoccupy and forestal the Contentments that we expect; we enjoy them before they come, by serious Contemplation, feasting the Soul with Images and Suppositions of the Happiness we shall have when we come to Fruition. Contemplation of Heaven is the Feast of the Soul. Hope brings in the Image and Suppositions of what is to come, as if it were already present. Certainly whereever the Treasure is, the Heart, the Thoughts will be there. Hope carries the Mind above the Clouds, in the midst of the Glory of the World to come, as if we did see Christ upon his white Throne, and Paul with his Crown of Righteousness, and all the faithful Ones in Abraham's Bosom. If a Beggar were adopted into the Succession of a Crown, would he not please himself in forethinking of the Happiness, Honour and Pleasure of the Kingly State? So we vile Creatures that are adopted to be Coheirs with Christ, if we did hope to be Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven, Heaven would have more of our Thoughts, and take up more of the Musings of our Souls. We should still observe what we muse upon most: carnal Thoughts, and carnal Projects discover a carnal Heart. When we are always thinking of plucking down Barns, and building greater, advancing our Families, and providing worldly Encrease; when we are talking to our selves, as Luke 12.18. He thought within himself, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my Fruits? And he said, This will I do, I will pull down my Barns, and build greater, &c. The word foreign signifies, he was framing Dialogues with himself of bestowing his Goods; this shews a carnal Heart. So Iames 4.13. To day or to morrow we will go into such a City, and continue there a Year, and buy and sell, and get Gain. It is usual with Men to live upon the Reversion of their Hopes, and feed themselves with the pleasure thereof. As young Heirs spend upon their Hopes, and run out their Estates e're they possess them; so doth the Soul either in Matters carnal or heavenly still feed upon its Hopes. And therefore if there be such an earnest Hope, you will be entertaining your Spirits with Suppositions of Heaven, and framing Images of the Glory of the World to come.
2. It bewrays it self by hearty Sighs, and Groanings, and Longings after this Happiness. Rom. 8.23. And not only they, but our selves also, who have the first Fruits of the Spirit, even we our selves groan within our selves, waiting for the Adoption, to wit, the Redemption of our Body. They that have once tasted of the Clusters of Canaan, that have the first Fruits of the Spirit, have tasted of the Goodness and Sweetness of God in Christ, think they can never be soon enough with him in Heaven; When shall it once be? They are still looking out; and the nearer they come to Enjoyment, the more impatient they are of the Want. As natural Motions are swiftest in the end; a Stone the nearer it is to the Center, it moves the faster: so the longer a Christian lives in Christ, the more he sends forth his Desires and Heart after his Happiness, and therefore groans, waiting for the Revelation of the Sons of God, and for this blessed Hope. The Apostle says, The earnest Expectation of the Creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sons of God, Rom. 8.19. The word foreign signifies a lifting up of the Head, as we are wont to put out our Head to see if we can spy a thing a great way off; as Iudg. 5.28. Sisera's Mother and the Ladies looked out at the Window, and cried through the Latice, Why is his Chariot so long in coming? as if they would spy him afar off: So the Soul is still looking out, When will the Change come? when will it once be? They would have a fuller Draught of the Consolations of the Spirit, more Freedom from Sin, and a more entire Love of God: they have had some Taste already, therefore they long for the encrease and full perfection of it.
3. By lively Tastes and Feelings. It is said of a Believer, He hath eternal Life, Iohn 3.36. that is, in the beginnings of it, he hath some Taste here upon Earth. Hope is called not only Living, but lively Hope, 1 Pet. 1.3. because it quickens the Heart, and fills it with a solid spiritual Joy. And Rom. 5.2. We rejoice in hope of the Glory of God. It is a Joy that is for Enjoyment and Possession. In worldly things there is Pain, and Travel, and burdensom Expectation till we come to enjoy a thing; but a Christian rejoiceth in his Hopes. So 1 Pet. 1.8. In whom believing, ye rejoice with Ioy unspeakable, and full of Glory. It is true all feel it not in such a degree, it depends on a Sense of Grace, which all Believers have not always; but all Believers whenever they meditate upon Heaven, they find Sweetness shed abroad in their Hearts when they think what is provided for them by Christ. Worldly Hope is only as a Dream of a Shadow, there is Pain and Travel in Expectation, and there is no Satisfaction when we come to Fruition; but our Hopes in Christ fill the Soul with this lively Joy. Look as the Patriarchs that waited for the Coming of Christ, the Consolation of Israel, they hugged the Promises; O here's a sweet Promise that will yield a Messiah at length, that shall save the World! Thus they rejoiced in what they foresaw concerning Christ in Vision, Type and Figure. So Christians that wait for Happiness and Blessedness to come, how do they find a great deal of Sweetness shed abroad in their Hearts, by meditating upon their Hope?
II. To shew the Influence it hath upon the spiritual Life.
1. It purgeth the Heart from Lusts, and the Filthiness of Sin; 1 Iohn 3.3. Every Man that hath this Hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure. How doth this Hope make him purify himself? Thus; the things we look for are all holy and pure; it is a great part of our Portion in Heaven, to be freed from Sin, to be Consorts of the immaculate Lamb: Now the Soul will say thus, Do I look upon this as my Happiness? Do I hope to be like Christ hereafter, and be freed from the Burden of Corruption, and can indulge and allow these Lusts in my Heart? A Man hopes for nothing de futuro, which he would not presently compass, were it in his Power. We do not look for a sensual Paradise, but for a pure and blissful Estate, that is made up of Sinlesness and Purity; and therefore whoever hath set his Heart upon the Hopes of Christianity, the Vision of God, and Fruition of Christ, he must needs begin here, especially since God hath required Preparation: here we are to be made meet, seasoned and qualified, to accomplish the Months of our Purification, to prepare our selves more and more for these glorious Hopes.
2. It withdraws our Hearts from present things; Phil. 3.20. Our Conversation is in Heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Iesus Christ. A Christian lives in the Earth as if he were in the midst of the Angels. We are weaned from the World by looking for better things, and so the World is out-shined. As a Man that hath looked upon the Sun, his Eyes are dazled, and cannot see an Object less glorious: So when we look within the Vail upon our blessed Hopes, the Glory of the World is obscured. The Apostle renders this as a Reason why Abraham was a Stranger in the promised Land, there where he had most right, yet he dwelt in Tents; Heb. 11.9, 10. For he looked for a City which hath Foundations. Abraham had other Expectations, he did not look upon the walled Cities of the Amorites, but upon Heaven that was founded by God himself; he had other Thoughts. They that live to the World and to the Flesh, never tasted what eternal Life means. Look as the Israelites longed for the Flesh-Pots of Egypt, before they had tasted the Clusters of Canaan: so here, the Heart is carried out after better things; the Soul must have some Oblectation and Delight, for Love cannot be idle; it is carried out to present things if we know no better. See how fitly they are joined together in the Text; denying worldly Lusts, and looking for the blessed Hope; thereby do we come to deny worldly Lusts, by looking for the blessed Hope. We should soon return to worldly Lusts, if we do not often look up and consider what God hath provided for us in Heaven. A Man whose Heart is much in Heaven, his Affections are preingaged, and therefore the World doth him little hurt. Birds are seldom taken in their Flight, but when they pitch and rest: O if we had more of these heavenly Flights, if the Soul did mount upward more, it would better escape the Snares of worldly things.
3. It urgeth to Care, Diligence and Constancy in Obedience. Hope is the great Spring that sets the Wheels a-going; Phil. 3.13, 14.—Forgetting those things that are behind, and reaching forward towards those things that are before, I press towards the Mark, for the Prize of the High-calling of God in Christ. What is the Reason Paul was so earnest, that a little Grace would not content him, but he was striving for more so earnestly and zealously? he was called to injoy a high Prize, a glorious Reward. There is an excellent Glory set before us, this Race is not for Trifles: Christians are the more cold and careless in the spiritual Life, because they do not oftner think of Heaven. The End quickens to the Use of Means; as it is the measure of the Means, so it sweetens the Means, notwithstanding all Difficulty: Why? because it will bring us to such an End; 1 Cor. 15.58. Be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the Work of the Lord; forasmuch as you know your Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. You can never do enough for the Lord: Why? Your Labour is not in vain in the Lord. This will make you to be instant and earnest, and to hold out to the End in the midst of Difficulties; Heaven will pay for all. You have no cause to begrudg God any Service; though it put the Body to Pains and Labours, do not spare it, Christ will honour it sufficiently. The Apostle hath an Expression, 2 Thess. 1.10. That Christ will be glorified in his Saints, and admired in all them that believe. The Soul will remember the Body, as Pharaoh's Butler did Ioseph: How? in Prayer and Fasting, and holy Exercises. And when Christ comes to raise the Body, he will put so much Glory and Clarity upon it, that the Angels shall stand wondring what Christ is about to do with a poor Creature, that is but newly crept out of Dust and Rottenness. Before a Feast we use to take a Walk. There is a World of Glory provided for us in Heaven: though the Work of God be painful, yet it is very fruitful: God will reward you as much as you can desire; and this makes you to be earnest and zealous, and to labour in the spiritual Life. We compare the Pains of Duty with the Pleasure of Sin, but the Comparison is not rightly made; you should compare the Pleasure of Sin with the Reward. I confess you may compare Christ's Worst with the World's Best; the Pains of Duty with the Pleasure of Sin; the former is more sweet to a gracious Heart: but the Comparison should rather be made thus; Compare the base dreggy Pleasures of Sin, with those pure Pleasures that are at God's right Hand, and with the Happiness that is to come, which we expect in Christ.
4. It maketh us upright and sincere in what we do: That's Hypocrisy and Guile of Spirit to look a-squint upon secular Rewards. You know the Hypocrites that Christ taxeth, when they Pray, Fast, and do other Duties to be seen of Men, they have their Reward, Matth. 6.2. They have given God a Discharge, they look for no more than they have already. As hired Servants must have present Wages, and Pay in Hand, they wait not for the Inheritance as Children do: so carnal Affections they look to the Rewards here below: If they may have the World, and live in Honour and Pleasure here, they give God an Acquittance for any thing else. But now this is Sincerity to make God our Pay-master, to do all we do upon the Incouragement of the blessed Hope; Col. 3.24. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the Reward of the Inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ. You have a Master good enough, you need not look else-where for your Wages. And nothing on this side Heaven will satisfy the Soul, nothing but these glorious Hopes.
5. This blessed Hope it supports the Soul under Afflictions and Difficulties that do befal us in a Course of Godliness. We counter-ballance what we feel with what we expect. We feel nothing but Trouble, yet it is not in vain to serve God. I confess we are apt to think so: saith David, Psal. 73.13, 14. Verily I have cleansed my Heart in vain, and washed my Hands in Innocency. For all the Day long have I been plagued, and chastned every Morning. My Innocency is to no purpose. Mal. 3.14. Ye have said, it is in vain to serve God, and what Profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance? It is a usual Temptation; for we measure all things by Sense and Feeling, and Sense makes Lies of God. Ah but consider, that which you feel is not worthy to be named the same Day with that which you hope for; Rom. 8.18. I reckon that the Sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed in us. Glory is revealed to our Ears in the Gospel, but it will be revealed in us hereafter; 2 Cor. 4.17. Our light Affliction which is but for a Moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory. Alas, this light Affliction is but the Scratch of a Pin, compared with the weighty massy Crown of Glory; For (saith the Apostle) we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things that are not seen. Christians, what do you make your Scope? (for that is the word foreign) Is it to preserve your Interests, to live delicately? then the blessed Hope is not for your turn: but when you have fixed your Hopes upon these things, you will see this is but a small matter in comparison of what God hath provided for you. A Christian's Blessings are future, his Crosses are present, therefore we need some Support. Now Hope is of great use in Affliction and Temptation, this appears by the Comparisons that are used; it is called an Anchor in the stormy Gusts of Temptations, and a Helmet in all Spiritual Conflicts. There are Fightings without, and Fears within; here is an Helmet, here is an Anchor, Hope is the Anchor of the Soul; and the Apostle reckons up all the Properties of a good Anchor, it must be firm, sharp and enter into good Ground; so saith he, Heb. 6.19. Which Hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entreth into that within the Vail; here is a sure hold-fast, upon good Ground, it is a weighty Anchor, which will not bow nor break. Mariners when they have cast out a good Anchor, which is fastned to the Ship with a strong Cable, they sleep quietly; tho the Winds blow, and the Storms and Tempests arise, they know the Anchor will keep them from floating and dashing upon the Rocks: So Hope is a good Anchor. Then it is an Helmet, Ephes. 6.17. And take the Helmet of Salvation, that is, Hope; 1 Thess. 5.8. And for an Helmet, the Hope of Salvation. The Apostle reckons up all the pieces of the Spiritual Armour; Faith, that is a Shield for the Body; but Hope that is an Helmet for the Head; as long as we can lift up our Heads, and look up to Heaven, we are safe whatever befals us, it will hold out in the midst of all the fiery Darts that are cast at us.
6. This looking for the blessed Hope is of use to resist Temptations. Sin makes many Promises, and so prevaileth by Carnal Hopes. Balaam was moved to curse God's People against his Conscience; but when he boggled and stuck at it, Come, saith Balac, I will give thee Gold and Silver, this puts quickening into him. The Fool in the Gospel promised himself long Life, Luke 12.19. Soul, Soul, thou hast Goods laid up for many Years, take thine Ease, eat, drink and be merry. So Ier. 44.17. We will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own Mouth, to burn Incense unto the Queen of Heaven, as we have done, we and our Fathers, our Kings, and our Princes, in the Cities of Judah, and in the Streets of Jerusalem; for then had we plenty of Victuals, and were well, and saw no Evil. And so the Devil comes to Christ, and makes the Temptation as strong as he can, Mat. 4.8, 9. He sheweth him all the Kingdoms of the World, and the Glory of them: And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. And Babylon's Fornication was presented in a Golden Cup; there are Baits of Honour and Preferment to draw them to Popery and Heresy. Now Faith sets Promise against Promise, and Heaven against Earth, and the Pleasure at God's Right-hand against Carnal Delight. As one Nail drives out another, so one Hope, and one Promise drives out another. Carnal Motions are defeated by Spiritual Promises, and those Motions that are presented to the Soul.