Gospel Revelation, Treatise 3 · Sermon 8
The Eighth SERMON ON The Excellency of the Soul.
Matthew 16.26. For what is a man profited if hee ſhall gain the whole world, and loſe his own ſoul?
Queſt. NOw you will ſay, What is it in the Goſpel, and in the Covenant of Grace that wee muſt labour to inform our ſelves in, that wee may bee ſaved?
Anſw. Firſt, Thou muſt labour to inform thy ſelf of the abſolute neceſſity of ſatisfaction to divine Juſtice, that is revealed in the Goſpel, and that thou muſt come to know, I am a ſinful wretched creature, my ſoul is in a damnable condition; now that that muſt ſave mee muſt ſatisfie Gods infinite Juſtice, I may not bee ſaved meerly by my crying to God for mercy; no, if there were nothing elſe but my crying to God for mercy, yea, put all my good deeds into the ſcale, put what I have done, what I can do, what I can bee inabled to do, all my prayers, my cries, this will not do. — It is true, there is not enough in mee, but will not Gods mercy eke it out? — No, it is neither what thou doeſt, or canſt do, or canſt be inabled to do, and put Gods mercy meerly without any more, that doth it, but it is a ſatisfaction to juſtice, a price paid for the ſoul; no ſoul is ever ſaved, but it is ſaved in the way of a price, that is paid for it; and this thou muſt acquaint thy ſoul with, which thouſands of people are ignorant of; yet they hope to bee ſaved, but how? they will pray to God that they may bee ſaved, and that God would have mercy upon them; and is here all? certainly this is not the way of the Goſpel; but the way of the Goſpel it is that that reveals unto the ſoul the price that is paid for a ſoul, even the blood of Chriſt: That in Chriſt the great Mediatour of the ſecond Covenant, there is a perfect ſatisfaction to Gods Infinite Juſtice; this indeed is a great part of the Myſtery of the Goſpel; this is the ſaving truth of the Goſpel, and thou muſt acquaint thy ſoul with this truth if thou bee ſaved. — And when thou heareſt of this truth, perhaps thou canſt not underſtand it for the preſent, Oh then thou hadſt need go to God in ſecret, and bee crying to him that hee would reveal this truth unto thee. — But you will ſay, it is not our crying; — It is true, it is not meerly our crying, but there is ſomething of God further: But God hath made many gracious promiſes of anſwering our cries, and now that ſo hee may make good his promiſes, hee will further reveal this Myſtery of the Goſpel to thee, that there is a neceſſity of ſatisfaction to divine Juſtice for thy ſin that hath brought thy ſoul into a loſt condition.
Secondly, And further, A neceſſity of a perfect Righteouſneſs; wee will not ſpeak of any thing controverſal about it, which way it comes to bee applied; but this all will grant, that there is a perfect Righteouſneſs that wee have need of; the way of ſalvation is a perfect Righteouſneſs, thou muſt have a ſurety that muſt have a perfect Righteouſneſs for thee.
Thirdly, And then the way of ſalvation is this, it reveals an abſolute neceſſity of the Application of the ſatisfaction and Righteouſneſs of Jeſus Chriſt; the Application of that, that it muſt bee made thine ſome way, that thou muſt have thy part and ſhare in it, by thy union unto Chriſt; and by being made one myſtically with him through Faith, ſo that the ſoul is not meerly ſaved through mercy: Nor thus, that Chriſt hee hath come and done ſuch and ſuch things, and therefore ſaith God the Father, for the ſake of Jeſus Chriſt I will ſave thee, for hee hath ſatisfied mee by what hee hath done: No, but there is ſomewhat more; I confeſs it is true, in the concluſion wee are ſaved for the ſake of Chriſt, but it is by our union with Chriſt, wee are united to Chriſt, and made one with him, and ſo what Chriſt hath done for our ſalvation, is tendred up to the Father as ours, wee being one with Jeſus Chriſt: ſo that now, if thou ſhouldeſt know thy miſerable eſtate by nature, and thereupon inquire after ſalvation, and cry to God that hee would bee merciful unto thee; that is not enough, but the Goſpel reveals further. Suppoſe thou comeſt to know more than thou canſt underſtand by the light of nature, but yet the Goſpel doth reveal to thee, that not onelyonly thou muſt bee ſaved by Chriſt, but thou muſt bee united to Chriſt by Faith; there muſt bee a ſpiritual marriage between the Son of God, and thy ſoul; thou muſt have Chriſt to bee a head, and thou a member; hee thy husband, and thou his Spouſe; thou muſt inquire after this union, and that is the way of beleeving, and the ſubſtance of the Apoſtles words to the Jaylor, when hee cryed, what hee ſhould do to bee ſaved, why ſaith hee, Beleeve in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and thou ſhalt bee ſaved: It muſt bee through Jeſus Chriſt, the great Mediatour of the ſecond Covenant, by thy beleeving in him, and being made one with him that thou muſt come to bee ſaved.
Fourthly, And then the Goſpel it reveals further as neceſſary to ſalvation, a neceſſity of Regeneration, of being born again, of having the Image of God renewed in the ſoul, by the Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt, of being a new Creature, the want of which, if the ſoul ſhould now depart, it muſt certainly periſh under, but now if it come to bee ſaved, it muſt have this revealed to it; for in the Goſpel there is held forth the great work of God in begetting that ſoul anew to himſelf, that hee doth intend to ſave, in putting a new life into it, in ſending the Spirt of Jeſus Chriſt into it, whereby it lives, and acts, and works, being now carried on, not by its own ſpirit, but by the Spirit of the Son of God; this is neceſſary to ſalvation, to do acts of Regeneration: ſo Chriſt tells Nicodomus, hee muſt bee born again, and this onelyonly the Goſpel reveals; and thus our ſouls ſhould labour to acquaint themſelves with the great things of the Goſpel; and as the wiſe man ſaith concerning inſtruction, in Prov. 4.13. Take faſt hold of inſtruction, let her not go, keep her, for ſhee is thy life. So I ſay of theſe inſtructions that are revealed in the Goſpel, keep them, for they are your lives; do not think that God, though hee is infinitely merciful, yet that hee will ſave ſouls any other way, for God hath ſet this way, and it is an infinite mercy that wee are to admire at, and adore, and praiſe his Name for, that there may bee ſalvation any way; and if there may be ſalvation any way, oh you poor wretched children of men! know, that you ſhould be reſtleſs, till you come to underſtand further that one way; Oh that wee could make it to bee the great buſineſs of our lives, to ſearch into the Goſpel, and finde out theſe things, for it is through this that we come to have eternal life.
Fifthly, A fifth rule for the ſalvation of your ſouls, (If God hath put it into your hearts to ſeek to have them ſaved) you muſt walk with fear and trembling before the Lord all the daies of your lives; the fear of God muſt bee mighty and ſtrong upon your ſpirits, if you would bee ſaved, and you muſt labour to keep the fear of the great God upon your ſpirits; that place is famous for this, in Phil. 2.12. Work out your own ſalvation with fear and trembling; for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do, of his own good pleaſure. As if the Holy Ghoſt ſhould ſay, you had need walk with fear before the Lord, for the truth is, hee hath you at ſuch infinite advantage, as you are not able to ſtir one foot to do any thing for the deliverance of your ſouls from eternal wrath, without the work of God upon you; you had need take heed what you do, that you do not provoke this infinite God that hath you under his feet, that you are able to do nothing towards your ſalvation if hee withdraw himſelf from you.
I appeal to you, ſuppoſe you did ſo depend upon any one man in the world, that your life lay at his mercy, and if hee ſhould but ſpeak a word you were a dead man or woman, would you not when you come into his preſence come with fear, leſt you ſhould diſpleaſe him? would you ſay, what do I care for him? let him bee pleaſed or not pleaſed, what is that to mee? you would not dare to do it: Now, ſhall wee have leſs fear, becauſe hee with whom wee have to do is the Lord? if wee had dependence upon any man in the world, as wee have upon God, wee would fear him: Now I ſay, ſhall God have the leſs fear, becauſe hee is a God? hee ſhould have the more fear; Fear him, ſaith Chriſt, that when hee hath killed the body, can likewiſe kill the ſoul; Yea I ſay unto you, fear him; Chriſt puts an I ſay upon that; and truly, that ſoul begins to bee in a way of ſalvation, that begins to have the fear of the great God to fall upon him. Moſt people in the world they walk boldly, and preſumptuouſly in the preſence of God, as if God had nothing to do with them, and as if they had nothing to do with God. Alas! theſe go on in the waies of death and deſtruction: but that ſoul that God hath a purpoſe to ſave, hee begins to reveal his glory to it, and to ſhine upon it, as hee did upon Saul, when hee did ſhine from Heaven in a glorious manner, and ſtopt him in his way when hee was riding poſt unto Hell and deſtruction; hee cries to him, I am hee that thou haſt ſinned againſt, I am hee that thou perſecuteſt, then Saul falls down trembling, and ſaith, Lord, What wi…t thou have mee to do? as if Saul ſhould ſay, Lord, I did not know thee, but I ſee thee now to bee a great and a dreadful God, I ſee that I am in thy hands to ſave or deſtroy, as thou pleaſeſt; and therefore Saul comes with a trembling heart, and cries to God, Lord, What wilt thou have mee to do? I, hee was in a good way of ſalvation; and ſo when a vile ſinner that hath gone on without the fear of God upon him, ſhall now come in trembling, beholding the dreadfulneſs of the Infinite God, that eternal firſt-beeing that it hath to deal withall, and now ſhall have his fear ſtrike into it, this ſoul is in a good way of ſalvation, it is ſtopt in the way of deſtruction, and it is in a good way of ſalvation; and that is very obſervable further in the Text, Work out your own ſalvation with fear and trembling, for it is God that works in you. That is a place that many people groſly abuſe, they think they need do nothing; but mark how boldly do theſe people croſs the Spirit of God in the Text, for the Spirit of God makes this Argument, do you work out your ſalvation, becauſe God works, and ſay they, It muſt bee God that works, and therefore I will do nothing; Oh! if you ſhould wilfully go on in waies of provocation to God, and upon your ſick-bed, and death-bed, cry, Oh Lord! that now thou wouldeſt bee pleaſed to work upon my ſoul, as thou uſeſt to work upon thoſe that thou intendeſt to ſave; If God ſhould make this anſwer, Thou a bold wretch, that haſt provok'd the eyes of my glory all thy daies, and doſt thou now cry to mee to do it? If any of you do think that there will ever bee a time when you will ſtand in need of Gods mercy to ſave your ſouls, you had need walk with fear and trembling before this God; Now I put this to the ſoul of every one here, doſt thou not think, O thou ſinful ſoul, that there will bee a time that thou ſhalt ſtand in need of the mercy of God? and what courſe doſt thou take now before-hand? is that courſe that thou takeſt before-hand a continual provocation of God? is that a good preparation to that time? if there were a man that you lived neer, though for the preſent you care not for him, but ſlighted him, yet if you knew that there would bee a time that you muſt ſtand in need of that man, ſo as if hee ſhould forſake you, you would bee a loſt man, would you dare to provoke that man? wee all know what need wee ſhall have of the mercy of God, and therefore wee had need walk with fear and trembling before him.
Sixthly, Further, If thou wouldeſt have thy ſoul ſaved, attend upon thoſe means that …od hath appointed to ſave ſouls, wait at wiſdomes poſts. Now this one direction being clearly ſhewn out of Scripture, will be enough to confute all that talk againſt doing: If God hath appointed means to ſave, then ſurely hee hath appointed that wee muſt attend upon thoſe means. Now in Rom. 1.16. The preaching of the Goſpel there is called, The power of God to ſalvation. Now if you would bee ſaved, you muſt bring your ſouls under that which is the power of God to ſalvation. Becauſe the Lord in the Miniſtry of the Goſpel doth uſe to put forth his Almighty Power for the ſaving of ſouls, therefore it is that the Goſpel is called the power of God to ſalvation; you cannot be ſaved without the Almighty Power of God, and where is that put forth but in the preaching of the Goſpel? To whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed? That is, the Arm of God in the preaching of the Goſpel; ſo you know what the Apoſtle ſaith, in Rom. 10. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
You will ſay, can wee do any thing towards our ſalvation? yes, you may hear, it is the duty of us as creatures to come and hear the Word; and Faith comes by hearing: ſo then Faith comes by ſomewhat that wee do, but not ſo that God hath tied himſelf to give Faith to every one that hears, I would not bee underſtood ſo: But thus, God hath appointed, that hearing ſhould bee a means for the working of Faith; It is true, it is the bleſſing of God in hearing, but hearing is the way that God hath ſet; God indeed can convey Faith from Heaven to any ſoul immediately; I but where there is the preaching of the Goſpel, there do I expect that theſe creatures that do intend that I ſhould work Faith in them, ſhould come and attend upon the preaching of the Goſpel: Chriſt could have opened the blind mans eyes, without ſpitting upon the clay, and anointing his face, but hee would have that done, and that muſt bee the means by which hee will open his eyes: So if God will have hearing the Word of the Goſpel to bee the means by which hee will work Faith in the ſoul, take heed how this bee neglected, Act. 20.18. Paul was ſent to preach, to what end? To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkneſs to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveneſs of ſins, and inheritance among them that are ſanctified by Faith that is in mee. Saith the Lord Chriſt to Paul, I will ſend thee to open the eyes of men, and to turn them from darkneſs unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveneſs of ſins; and this is the great ordinance that I intend for this end, and that I will accompany to thoſe that I purpoſe to ſave at any time. Therefore when you come to hear the Word, you ſhould come to it as the great Ordinance that God hath appointed to ſave ſouls by. Is there any ſoul that begins in this Congregation to bee awakened, and to think with it ſelf, Oh Lord, What ſhall I do to bee ſaved? I tell thee, that every time thou comeſt to hear the Word preached, thou ſhouldeſt come to it with ſuch thoughts as theſe; Now am I going to that great Ordinance that the Lord hath appointed to convey his power thorow, to the ſalvation of thoſe ſouls that are appointed to eternal life; I am going to the Pool of Betheſda, and there will I wait until the Lord ſhall bee pleaſed for to ſend his Angel to ſtir in my heart, and I have begun to feel ſome power of Chriſt already, which doth incourage mee to hope for further power; There is many a ſoul hath met with Jeſus Chriſt, and hee hath brought it from the power of Satan, to his own Kingdome of light, and why may not my ſoul meet with the ſame power of Jeſus Chriſt? however, I am reſolved, that as long as I live, I will wait upon God in the way that hee hath appointed; Oh the Word it hath a great deal of efficacy for the ſalvation of ſouls, therefore if thou wouldeſt have thy ſoul ſaved, attend upon it for that end. I ſhall apply one Scripture, which may bee for the preparation to what remains.— You are about inquiring how you ſhould bee ſaved, and wee are about anſwering, Oh take heed that you bee not found in this, like unto thoſe wretched Jews (which God forbid that there ſhould bee any one in this place found like unto) that would fain have the Prophet Jeremiah be inquiring what the mind of God was concerning them, and they profeſt, that whatſoever the Lord ſhould reveal by him, that they would do, but when it came, loe they fling off all, and it was to no purpoſe; the Scripture is in Jer. 42.5. Then they ſaid to Jeremiah, The Lord bee a true and a faithful witneſs between us, if wee do not even according to all things, for the which the Lord thy God ſhall ſend thee to us. Wee deſire thee to go and know the mind of God, and tell it us, and here wee profeſs and call God to witneſs, that wee will do what lies in us to perform all that the Lord thy God ſhall require; This was a very fair promiſe, and I hope there are ſome ſouls, if not generally all of you, have ſuch a kinde of diſpoſition. Oh let his ſervant ſearch his Word, and finde out what ſhould be done, and whatſoever hee ſhall ſpeak according to his Word, that will wee do, and God forbid it ſhould bee otherwiſe; it were juſt with God that our ſouls ſhould periſh, if wee ſhould do otherwiſe; but there is a mighty deal of deceitfulneſs in the hearts of men; Jeremiah went, and did as they deſired him, but mark, chap. 44. 16. and you ſhall ſee what a different diſpoſition there was in them, to what there ſeemed to bee before; firſt you ſhall finde in chap. 43. they begin to wrangle at what Jeremiah ſpake to them, all the proud men began to wrangle at what Jeremiah ſpake, mark, it is all the proud men, they are proud ſpirits that do contend with Gods Word, but mark, firſt they wrangle, chap. 43.2. and then they grow reſolute and ſtubborn, chap. 44.16. As for the word that thou haſt ſpoken to us in the Name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee; why, what, are theſe the men that called God to witneſs, that whatſoever Jeremiah ſhould declare in the Name of God, they would do it? and yet now, firſt they wrangle at what he ſaith, and then they reſolve, that as for what hee hath ſpoken to them in the Name of the Lord, they will not hear it: Now God forbid that ever there ſhould bee found among any of you ſuch wrangling ſpirits with the Word of God; certainly God will juſtifie the words of his ſervants that they ſpeak in his Name one day, and will make them good upon you, and they may lye heavy upon the ſoul that ſhall neglect them; but then where there is firſt wrangling at the Word of God, there uſually grows an impudent, proud, ſtubborn, caſting off the Word of God; As for the word that thou haſt ſpoken unto us in the Name of the Lord, wee will not hearken unto thee. Why ſhould not wee do what wee have a mind to? why ſhould not wee take our liberty on the Lords day, as vvee vvere vvont, and follovv our buſineſs as vvee vvere vvont? let them ſay vvhat they vvill, vvee vvill do as vvee vvere vvont to do, and vvee vvill keep our company, as vvee vvere vvont to do; let them ſpeak vvhile their heart akes; this vvas the very guize of this people that made ſuch a profeſſion before the Lord, but oh the Lord forbid that it ſhould bee ſo vvith any of you.
But Seventhly, If thou vvouldeſt have thy ſoul ſaved, thou muſt take heed of reſting upon falſe hopes of thy ſalvation, you muſt raſe down even to the very ground all your falſe hopes of ſalvation; there is nothing in the vvorld hinders the ſalvation of ſouls more than falſe hopes; vvhen men dare build their eternal ſalvation upon every ſleight and vain hope that they hold, The hope of the Hypocrite, the Scriptuie ſaith, is like the Spiders-webb, ſpun out of thine ovvn conceits, but every little touch is enough to ſtrike it dovvn again: Oh the poor things that people thus venture their ſouls upon! I ſhevved you in the opening of vvhat did cauſe the loſs of ſouls, that one thing vvas by venturing, and their vain hopes vvas one; novv theſe muſt bee ras'd dovvn; you vvill ſay, vvhat are thoſe vain hopes that muſt firſt bee ras'd dovvn? and vvhat do you mean by raſing of them dovvn?
That I may ſpeak plainly in this thing, that concerns the pooreſt and meaneſt, that is of the meaneſt capacity in the world, as well as the moſt able or learned (for the pooreſt hath a ſoul to ſave, as well as the richeſt, and the weakeſt, as well as the learnedſt) if ſuch a one ſhould ſay, What are thoſe things that are to bee raſed down? to that I anſw….
Firſt, Such hopes as are not Scripture-hopes, if they bee not Scripture hopes, they muſt bee raſed down; Rom. 15.4. Whatſoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that wee through patience and comfort of the Scripture might have hope. Wee have hope through patience and comfort of the Scripture; how doth the hopes of thoſe that ſhall bee ſaved ariſe? — Why, they riſe thus, either by reading, or hearing ſomething out of the Word of God, and God darting ſome light, ſome truths into their ſouls through his Word, they come to receive it, and there it lies working in them, till at length their ſouls reliſh it, and they taſte the ſweetneſs of the Word, and come to have comfort in it, and ſo through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, their hope comes to bee raiſed; the Scripture in raiſing hopes, firſt it works patience, it uſually beats down the ſoul firſt, and ſpeaks hard things to it, and the ſoul that God over-powers to himſelf, it is willing to lye under the power of the Scripture, and bee patient, notwithſtanding the Scripture doth reveal ſuch hard things, and puts it upon never ſuch hard duties, the heart, I ſay, yeelds to it, and at length the ſoul comes to finde ſweetneſs out of the Scripture, and ſo hopes comes to bee raiſed, that is, the ſoul ſees ſome eternal truth out of the Word of God, the truth of God himſelf that is eternal, a divine truth that it dares venture its eternal eſtate upon, and upon this it doth raiſe its hope; it is able to give an account from ſome place of the Scripture, upon what grounds it doth hope. — I hope that God will ſhew mercy to mee, and ſave my ſoul in the day of Chriſt; will ſome ſay, I but what ground have you for your hopes? Now, if your hopes bee right, then there is ſomewhat in this Book of God to bee ſhewed as the ground of this; and indeed you can have but little comfort of your hopes, except you bee able to hold forth ſome Scripture of other upon which you build your hopes, for when you ſay you hope, you may not mean that you think and a…e perſwaded that it is ſo, but what Scripture have you for i… you will ſay, what Scriptures have any to ground their hop…s of ſalvation upon? what Scriptures? a great many; I will give you but this one that many have to ground their hope… upon, Rom. 8.1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Chriſt Jeſus, who walk not after the fleſh, but after the Spirit. Upon this now ſaith a ſoul that God brings to himſelf; What do…h God ſay in his Word (that word upon which my ſoul ſtands, and muſt bee caſt one day for eternity) that thoſe that are in Chriſt Jeſus, ſhall never bee condemned? I but who are they? ſuch as walk not after the fleſh, but after the Spirit, ſuch as the bent of whoſe hearts, and the indeavours of whoſe ſouls are not after fleſhly things, the comforts of this world, but after ſpiritual things; ſuch whom the Lord hath made to be ſenſible of ſpiritual things, and ſuch as the Lord doth act and guide by his holy Spirit in their waies and converſations, God ſaith, ſuch ſhall never be condemned; then upon this I will build my hopes, for I feel that the Lord hath been pleaſed to work ſo on mee, as to bring mee to Jeſus Chriſt to ſee him, to cloſe with him, and to relye upon him, and I feel the fruit of the Spirit of Chriſt in mee, that whereas before I walked after the fleſh, and ſpiritual things I did not ſavour, now I finde that the luſts of the fleſh are mortified, and I ſhould wrong the grace of God, if I ſhould deny the actings, and the guidings of the Spirit in my ſoul; and therefore I will build my hopes, and reſt upon this Scripture. — And the more any ſoul reſts upon any Scripture (if it reſts truly) the more ſhall it finde the power of that Scripture upon it: — Therefore you ſhall know the difference between an hypocrites reſting upon Scripture, and one that reſts through the work of Gods Grace; an Hypocrite reſts upon ſuch a Scripture, and conceits that his heart is according to the Scripture; but now hee doth not finde, that the more hee reſts, the more his heart is wrought upon by the Scripture, and daily grows to bee liker and liker to the Scripture, to come nearer and nearer to what is required in the Scripture; but now when a gracious heart doth reſt upon Scripture, it findes that daily it doth grow nearer and nearer to the Scripture, and that works daily more and more upon it; and indeed this is the way to grow in ſanctification, and to make our hearts like to the Scriptures. Fall upon ſeveral places, and let your ſouls reſt upon them for eternity, and ſo you will finde your hearts to grow more and more like to thoſe Scriptures, and the power of thoſe Scriptures will appear more and more in your hearts and converſations. This is the way of the Saints that have hopes to bee ſaved.
Secondly, Again, thoſe hopes that are to be raſed, are hopes that are not wrought in the ſoul by the power of the Holy Ghoſt: in the forenamed Chapter, The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in beleeving, that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghoſt. That hope that is right for ſalvation, is ſuch a hope as is wrought through the power of the Holy Ghoſt: Now then, that hope that is in men and women, which is born with them, and hath lived with them all their daies, that ſprings from the root of nature, for ſo that that is born with us, and grows up with us all the daies of our lives, I ſay, it ſprings from a root of nature, and ſo the hopes of moſt people, they are no other but ſuch as ſprings from a root of nature; come from one to another, and ask them, do you think to bee ſaved? I, I hope ſo; how long have you hoped ſo? ever ſince I can remember, I thank God; I, I thought ſo; it is a hope that ſprings out of the root of nature, and therefore you have had it alwaies, whereas the true hope of the godly for ſalvation, it is a hope wrought in their hearts by the Almighty power of the Holy Ghoſt.
And I appeal to you now, what Almighty power of the Holy Ghoſt have you felt in your hearts to raiſe up thoſe hopes that you have in you? — For certainly the grace of hope hath a difficulty in it, as well as any grace whatſoever; now all people almoſt finde an eaſineſs in that; but here the Scripture makes it to bee the glory of the Holy Ghoſt, to raiſe hopes in any creature; therefore thoſe hopes that ariſe from a root of nature, that are not wrought by an Almighty power of the Holy Ghoſt in the heart, muſt bee raſed down. — Do but put your ſouls to this queſtion, I have hopes to bee ſaved, but Lord, how are they wrought? what power of the Holy Ghoſt hath been in my heart to raiſe theſe hopes? Suppoſe there were no Holy Ghoſt (as they ſaid in the Acts, that they had not ſo much as heard whether there were any Holy Ghoſt or no) yet might not I have ſuch a hope as I have in Gods mercy? Oh the hope that will bring to ſalvation is ſuch a hope as is raiſed by the power of the Holy Ghoſt. — Now if our hopes bee raiſed by the power of the Holy Ghoſt, then they will have much of the Holy Ghoſt in them, and ſutable to your hopes, ſo doth the Holy Ghoſt come into your hearts, and dwell in your hearts, and if it comes in and dwells in your hearts, then it doth inlighten your hearts, it doth act and guide you, you are lead by the Holy Ghoſt in your way; Now, can you ſay, that in the courſe of your lives, it is the Holy Ghoſt that guides you, that you are carried on by the Holy Ghoſt, and not by your own ſpirits; It is true, the beſt of all may bee acted by their own ſpirits, in ſome time of temptation, but for the courſe of their lives they are acted and guided by the Holy Ghoſt, their lives are ſuch, as thoſe that live by them may ſay, here is one that is acted and guided by the Holy Ghoſt; Now, can you ſay ſo? certainly if you have true hopes for ſalvation, it is raiſed by the Holy Ghoſt, and if it bee raiſed by the Holy Ghoſt, it doth act your lives in the waies of holineſs.
Thirdly, Thoſe hopes muſt bee raſed down that are not lively hopes, and purging hopes, I will put them both together. — That are not lively, that you have in 1 Pet. 1.3. Bleſſed bee the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt from the dead. Here is a great deal in this Scripture; Firſt, that the hopes of the Saints are lively hopes, that is, a hope as is mightily working in them, it will not ſuffer their hearts to lye dead in any way of wickedneſs; Indeed, it may bee with the hearts of the Saints, as it is with a fountain of living water, that may have ſome dirt caſt into it, but it being a living ſpring, it works out that dirt; ſo the children of God that have ſome lively hopes, may have ſome dirt caſt in by temptation; ſome ſin, I, but if their hopes bee lively, it will work it all out. — And mark, you are begotten, therefore you ſee that the hopes of life and ſalvation it is that that is not bred with us (as I ſpake before) but it is that that follows from our new birth. — And this is by the reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt from the dead. The power and the virtue of the reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt from the dead being in the ſoul, and putting a new life into the ſoul, begets it to this lively hope.
And then it is a purging hope, 1 John 3.3. And every man that hath this hope, purifieth himſelf even as hee is pure. Mark, you think, what need men bee ſo pure and ſtrict? are there none of you that ever have ſcorn'd at purity, and preciſeneſs, and holineſs? if you have, conſider of this text upon which your ſouls lies; every man that hath this hope, that is, to ſee Jeſus Chriſt, and bee made like unto him, hee doth here in this world purifie himſelf, as Jeſus Chriſt is pure, that is, hee doth make Jeſus Chriſt to bee his pattern in all that hee doth, and aims at no leſs purity, than the very purity of the Son of God; hee doth aim at it, hee makes it his work, though hee cannot come fully to it, and that very hope that is in him doth work him to this; Now what hopes you have had that are not ſuch, muſt bee raſed down to the ground, if ever you would bee ſaved at laſt.