England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 58
COLOSSIANS 1.23. From the hope of the Goſpel.
HOpe is a glad expectation of good; ſomething at a diſtance pleaſing, now and then ſmiling upon the ſoule, and the ſoule upon it. Man ſince his fall, hath but little in poſſeſſion, not enough to quiet his heart a moment. When I ſay, man hath but little, I doe not meane of the things of this life, (though all this world be nothing) he hath but little of God. Many have nothing of God; they that have moſt, have but drops, and a thirſt for flagons; in ſuite for much, enough to ſtay and quiet, Stay me with flagons, this is the panting of perfection here; and when the ſoule can conclude its ſuite takes above, and can ſweetly lie downe and looke for a returne, then it hopes.
Joy comes not in by viſion here as it doth above, but by expectation: fallen things as they lie, can glad no underſtanding man to look upon. All the things in this world, will not make up matter ſufficient for a ſmile, if rightly underſtood: one may gather it from the compoſed countenance of Chriſt, all the time he was upon earth. This world is a big vaſt roome, full of broken ciſternes, and man the prime veſſell, moſt broken: ſuch a forlorne ſight, can it be matter of joy? And yet there are no other proſpects here below; take what houſe, what place, what advantage you will, to look abroad upon things here below, you cannot look beſides ruine and deſolation: that this ſhall be repaired, and all theſe broken ciſternes mended and filled, and all made to run eternally into my ſoule, this may doe ſomething upon the ſoule, when it can riſe and reach ſo high, and this is hope. My [fleſh] ſhall reſt in hope. Hope is a ſoule at reſt concerning all things within and without, concerning ſpirit and fleſh, that they ſhall be all perfectly well.
The ſoule of man naturally ſits up much now; diſtracted creatures, can take little reſt; this is not well, that's not well, all will be worſe: the world will ſinke, and I ſhall be undermoſt: you may gueſſe by deſpaire, what hope is. Deſpaire is a ſoule wracking it ſelfe with what is,Job 13.14. and with what will be: 'Tis one taking his fleſh in his teeth, torturing and tearing all, under his own apprehenſion of things. God is gone; he will never returne; if he doe, 'twill but be to ſend me to my place. Hope is the correction of theſe diſtempers. God is hid, he is not gone; I ſhall ſee him, though not now; every bone that is broken, ſhall rejoyce; every filthy iſſue in my ſoule, ſhall be dryed up. I will waite upon the Lord that hideth himſelfe from the houſe of Jacob, and I will look for him: this is hope, hope has the command of her ſelfe, but will not have the command of God. Shee has every thing that would rebell at her foote, but Chriſt in the higheſt eſteeme, of any of his daughters. Can he give bread? Will he give a crum to me? No, I ſhall eate this morſell and die, groane this groane, and my heart-ſtrings will breake: You never heard hope ſpeake ſuch a word; ſhee is a childe that ſpeakes juſt like her father. Our God is not come indeed yet, but he will come, and he will not tarry: though he puls down quickly, yet he takes time to build up, and this time haſtens. Deſpaire looks upon mercy at a ſtand, hope ſees it coming, and coming a great pace. My beloved comes skipping upon the mountaines. (i) Certainly coming, and ſwiftly coming.
Hope hath but bad externall feeling, but all other ſenſes moſt acute. Shee can ſee a great way, heare a great way, and the like. In a dark day, when fogs are never ſo thick, ſhee can look through them, and behold the land that is far off: When ſhee is in the belly of hell, ſhee can look towards Gods Temple. When burthens preſſe, that ſenſe hath nothing but torture, nothing but devils to ſhake hands with, yet then ſhee can ſee a God, amongſt a thicket of Devils, though ſhee cannot come at him as ſhee would: though I cannot come to him, he will come to me where ever I am; though thouſands incompaſſe me, yet I will not feare, that is, I will not deſpaire of one to come to relieve me. Hope will carry more burthens then any grace, without ſinking. In perils by ſea, in perils by land, &c. In povertie, in nakedneſſe, diſtreſſed in all kinds with a witneſſe, but not caſt downe. Hope is never caſt downe; ſhee will caſt downe any thing, men, devils, but is never caſt down her ſelfe; Hope is a hardie long-lived grace, 'twill live in famine, when 'thath not a bit of bread; 'twill live in ſickneſſe, in warre, in death; The righteous hath hope in his death: Hope was never knowne to have her heart-ſtrings breake, 'tis ſemper vivens. Death is the King of feares, and yet it pales not the countenance of hope; hope walks in the valley of the ſhadow of death, and feares none ill, (i) expects no hurt: Hope can fee no ill, no hurt in any thing, not in death, not in the grave; that houſe is ſomething darke indeed, but I ſhall not alwayes lie there, ſaith hope. Thou wilt not leave my ſoule in grave; though thou kill me, I will hope in thee; though thou burie me, I will hope in thee: I ſhall riſe as Chriſt did, this vile body ſhall be changed, and made like Chriſts glorious bodie, and then ſet for ever where his is. The fleſh doth reſt in hope.
Hope is converſant about no ill, but about all good, and moſt about that which is nobleſt, 'tis appetitus excellentis boni, cum fiducia obtinendi: therefore is hope ſo often put for heaven, it doth ſo often goe to heaven, and is ſo much taken up there. Looking for that bleſſed hope, and for the glorious appearing of that great God, and our Saviour, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, Tit. 2.13. and ſo by the Author to the Hebrewes urged. To lay hold on the hope that is ſet before us. You ſee hope is put for heaven, and the reaſon is, becauſe ſo much converſant there. Hope feeds delicately, ſhee hath a table below, and this is nothing but the word of Chriſt. My ſoule hopeth in thy Word. Shee hath a table above, and this is nothing but Chriſt himſelfe, and the ſtate he weares above; this ſhee looks upon oft, and ſmiles to her ſelfe, when no ſoule alive is aware: Rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God. The two termes of hope, are hell and heaven; ſhee goes from the one to the other, and in this way turnes the one into the other, and this is all her worke; ſhee goes into every houſe of mourning where Chriſt is, and takes exact notice of every diſtreſſe corporall and ſpirituall, and then bids the mourner be chearfull, all teares ſhall be wiped from thine eyes; there is a houſe eternall in the Heavens, though this cracke and moulder, and there thou ſhalt ſigh no more. Hope is that good Angel, that carries Lazarus and lays him in Abrahams boſome; 'tis that grace which makes heavie afflictions light, long afflictions ſhort, by ſhewing the ſoule what they worke about, a far more exceeding, and an eternall weight of glory. Hope can ſpeake nothing but Heaven, and glory, to a diſtreſſed heart. I conclude as I began, Hope is a glad expectation of good, (i) of all good, but eſpecially the higheſt and the nobleſt good.
Drooping hearts, thinke of this point, how uſefull is this grace for you? you have taken a houſe by the borders of hell, continually affrighted with evill ſpirits, that walke up and downe in your ſoules, and yet you love to dwell here. Terrors take hold ſometimes, 'tis a heavie ſtroake, then the ſoule refuſeth comfort Senſe of fin is good, but its a wound of it ſelfe, that muſt be carefully dreſt oft with the leaves of the tree of life, 'twill rankle and kill elſe. Sinner, doſt thou know thy ſtate? Yes. Doſt thou know it exactly? Yes. Why, whither ſhalt thou goe when thou dieſt? To Hell. Haſt thou no hope of any other thing? No. Why wouldeſt thou ſtand ſtill all this while, and let thy ſoule bleed to death? Was there no Balme in Gilead? No word in all the booke of God that might ſpeake matter of hope to thee? Deſpaire in ſtrength, is very peremptory in concluſions, but never deliberate in examinations of grounds. 'Tis a ſoule ſo toſſed and tumbled between Satan and conſcience, day and night, that it hath no power to ponder any thing.Preſſus ab exemplo, diſcat ſperare ſecunda. Thou ſhalt goe to hell, O my ſoule, when thou dieſt: Why? I have ſinned. So did all the Saints that are in Heaven when they were in earth; as now thou art; did not David ſin much in life, and yet what a brave hope had he in death? Sin enough in life, to make him a type of Satan, for bloud and unmercifulneſſe; and yet hope enough in death, to make him a type of Chriſt. Thou wilt not leave my ſoule in grave. Yea, but ſome perſons ſins, have a very ſad conſideration over others have. This is a truth, but no ſin or miſery muſt have any ſuch conſideration, as to ſinke the ſoule.
Hold this poſition, all that God doth is to bring us nearer to him. If he whip us, and ſtrike never ſo hard, or never ſo ſtrangely, 'tis to bring us nearer him, not to drive us further from him. If he ſtrike the body or the ſoule, if he let looſe Satan to tempt, and let looſe the heart to fall, 'tis to bring the ſoule nearer to God: God doth nothing to drive away thy ſoule from him, nor would he have any thing elſe doe it: and wilt thou doe it thy ſelfe, by every thing thou ſeeſt, heareſt, feeleſt, &c? Deſpaire makes uſe of externall ſenſes all together, more then of the Bible, and conſtrues all things amiſſe: it harpes much upon the intention of God. God intends my death, he holds me for his enemie; fury guides him in all that he doth about me, one may run and read his frownes in all his actions. Thou frowneſt alwayes, O tempted ſoule, and thou thinkeſt God doth ſo. Thy ſoule is precious to Chriſt, he doth not deſire its death; 'tis more precious to Chriſt then to thy ſelfe; Chriſt would ſave it, and thou wouldeſt deſtroy it; he meanes nothing elſe in the blackeſt ſaddeſt things that are upon thee, but love and mercy, therefore be not prejudized concerning his intention; the ſaddeſt things that are upon thee, if thou couldeſt but turne them upſide downe, thou ſhouldeſt ſee in them the ſmiling face of God.
Hold one poſition more, that Gods intentions toward us, are accompanied with the readieſt means to accompliſh them in us. Good is long a coming: this principle ſwallowed, is deſtructive to Hope; the next ſtep will be this, 'twill never come; Chriſt long a coming, the next croſſe makes the ſoule conclude, he will never come. Wee may not conſtrue Chriſt tedious in his motion; and yet 'tis hard to doe otherwiſe, when much put to it: when tryals are ſharpeſt, mercy and deliverance is neareſt. The Heathen rage. The Lord of hoſts is with us, ſaith the next verſe. Hold faſt, I come quickly. When 'tis as much as ever one can hold, tryall being ſo ſtrong, then Chriſt makes haſt, and ſalvation is neare. This principle well laid into the ſoule, would make one hope to the end, hope to the laſt man in a battell, to the laſt breath in a ſickneſſe. Jacob comes hindermoſt of the company. Chriſt comes after all means are done. Iſaac, which ſignifies laughter, is a childe of old age: Chriſt comes out of a withered womb; the man-childe that makes us laughter, comes out of means given up as barren. When Chriſt throwes a man downe, and throwes him very low, then is he about to raiſe him. When Chriſt kills, then is he readie to make alive. If this were received, who could deſpaire? Who would not hope of life, when every one gives him over? Yea of eternall life?
Finally, hold one poſition more, that Satan and thine own unbelieving heart, conſpire againſt thy tranquilitie; hope is the joy of a mans life, Satan hath none, and it addes to his ſorrow, when he ſeeth any elſe have joy, it greatens his hell, when he ſees any elſe have but a little of Heaven: Finall deſpaire ſhuts up that curſed ſpirit, and all thoſe that are with him: the worme that gnawes me, will never die; the fire that burnes me, is unquenchable; the chaines that hold me, are everlaſting chaines; the pit I am in, is bottomeleſſe, no poſſible paſſage from hence; not a drop of mercy falls in here, to cole any ſcorched creature, in the ſpace of eternitie; this is the tone of Tophet, theſe are the diſmall complaints, which thoſe reſtleſſe ſoules below throw out, as they role to and fro in that fiery furnace. Deſpairing ſinner, Satan is fallen in with thy conſcience, to conjure thy ſoule into this condition. Thou art in hell upon earth, as that other phraſe is, of her that is dead while ſhee lives. Tell me. How doſt thou ſleepe? How doſt thou eate? How doſt thou walke? How doſt thou talke? How doſt thou looke? Is not thy moiſture turned into the drought of ſummer? Thy body turned into skin and bones? Alas for thee, poore ſoule, God never made ſuch a way as this to Heaven, 'tis Satan and thy owne deſpairing heart, one evill ſpirit tormenting another, juſt as they doe below; and the deſigne is, to ſeale the ſoule up for wrath: deſpaire is the black ſeale of the bottomleſſe pit.
Lay all this together now, and doe but thinke how unkindly you deale with Chriſt for all his love and paines, which hath done ſo much for the tranquilitie of your life, to make you hope here, and poſſeſſe hereafter. Chriſt hath taken upon him your debts, there is not a ſin that ever you committed, not a treſpaſſe againſt any rule, but he will be accountable for it, and in your ſtead, and all to make you hope. Some friends will undertake for part of ones debt, to make one chearfull, and this is much love, too much to be ſlighted; but then there remaines ſomething behind, and that ſads and ſinkes the heart. How ſhall I pay that? Bleeding ſoule, Chriſt leaves thee no debt to pay, no ſin to anſwer for. 'Tis lively ſet out in that Parable, Luk. 18.32. O wicked ſervant, I forgave thee all that debt, becauſe thou deſireſt it; ſhouldeſt not thou alſo have compaſſion on thy fellow-ſervant? What ſhould make feare, when all is diſcharged? If I did know it were ſo. Doſt thou not deſire it ſhould be ſo? Wouldeſt thou not have all right and ſweet, between God and thy ſoule, rather then any thing? Yes. Why, this may be a demonſtration to thee, that all is right and even, between God and thee. Did I not forgive thee all thy debt, [becauſe thou deſireſt me?] God forgives debts to Chriſt upon exact ſatisfaction, but Chriſt forgives debts to us, upon complaining of them, and groaning under them, and deſiring their diſcharge; upon a heart panting to be clean, the voice goes forth from Chriſt, I will be thou cleane. Panting languiſhing ſoule for mercy, thou haſt obtained mercy; thou deſireſt to be cleane, why thou art clean; Shall Chriſt doe all this for ſo little, and wilt not thou hope, and chearfully expect the ſweet of that which he ſo freely gives.
Finally, Doe but thinke, what a double miſerable life thou wilt have in theſe times, if this grace of hope lie ruinous in thee, through any wile of Satan. Thou wilt be as a Ship without an anchor, toſſed terribly, and no poſſibilitie of ſtaying thee. Which hope we have us an anchor of the ſoule, both ſure and ſtedfaſt. If a man cannot ſtay upon God in diſtreſſe, he can ſtay no where; a ſoule that can ſtay no where, will hardly ſtay in his wits, when ſtormes grow very great. What is by ordination a center and reſt for ſuch and ſuch a bodie, a light body, or a heavie bodie, that and no other thing will give reſt to it. Chriſt is by divine ordination the center of ſoules; were there a thouſand rockes to caſt anchor upon, yet no rocke like this, the ſoule will not reſt upon any elſe. Their rocke is not as ours, themſelves being judges. All men finde this by experience, that what ever they pitch upon beſides God, to ſtay and relieve themſelves, it doth not doe it. O that the war were ended, that the war were ended. Fearfull ſoule, if this war were ended, thou haſt a war within thee, which will never end, till thy deſpaire end: fighting without, and fighting within; others killing my bodie, and my ſelfe killing my ſoule: what a wofull life is this! Hope alive, this is the ſweet courſe of the ſoule, to wit, when all is black, deadly, and diſmall without, then the ſoule drawes the curtaine, and withdrawes from all theſe lower roomes, and walkes in upper chambers, where no noiſe is, views the Citie and Country above, and the inhabitants and priviledges thereof. Hope enters within the vaile, Heb. 6.19. Yet I know a Country where no war is, an inheritance where no plundering is; neighbours and Citizens that doe not kill one another, but love one another dearely; that have not their ſwords in one anothers breaſts, but each other & Chriſt; there I ſhall be quickly, and the ſooner, that theſe miſeries below are ſo heavy on mee.