England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 81
COLOS. 1.27.
Hope of glory.
DIvine things at a diſtance have their influence upon the ſoul; a word of heaven ſets the ſoul a longing and looking after it, and this is called hope. Hope ſpeaks an heire under age, knowing his inheritance, and expecting poſſeſſion; writings are throughly read, propriety plainly found out, evidence about the man, yea evidence in him to ſhew: Chriſt [in you] the hope of glory.
As corporall nouriſhment paſſeth through ſeverall concoctions, and the laſt the nobleſt, ſo doth ſpirituall nouriſhment: Hope is the laſt concoction of the ſoule, the laſt digeſtion of words and workes, by which pure bloud, ſpirits, ſubſtance and ſtrength is delated and defuſed all over the ſtate. The Scripture makes three concoctions, as Nature doth corporall, and Hope is the laſt; Tribulation worketh Patience, Patience Experience, Experience Hope: and now the ſpirit hath ſpirit, hath it ſelf, ſtrength, ſetledneſſe, therefore it followes, and hope confounds not. Providence toumbles the ſoule, and the ſoul toumbles providence, and the firſt reſult of this is patience, the ſecond reſult experience; what God is at preſent; and in the breaſt of this ſits hope, what God will be, and ſmiles: till things worke to this laſt iſſue, the ſoule is confounded, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks.
Hope ſucks the ſweet of the words and works of God to the bottome: that which lyes in the bottome of all, God ſaith and doth to a Chriſtian, is heaven, what ever lyes utmoſt; the end is eternall life ſtill to a Saint, what ever things are a this ſide. Things looke variouſly ſometimes to a neare ſight, and explicite repugnancy betwixt words and works, between ſuch an end, and ſuch meanes ordained to it, and yet all in an ultimate interpretation, carry an exact ſubordination to the ſoules higheſt good. Hope is a great Peere privy to the depth of wiſdome, to the intentions and reſolutions of God, and to the harmony of all changes and turnings, how, when, and where they will meet in ſuch a bleſſed end, and lies, and bathes, and ſports her ſelfe in the conſiſtances of all varieties with and towards her prime good: 'tis a grace to which felicity is alwayes in view, a halcyon that findes out a quiet place upon the moſt moving and boyſterous body, to wit, the ſea.
Hope, tis a ſoul free from a Conſumption, fat and merry, eates not out its owne ſpirits, nor its owne marrow. Some kinde of Spiders eate out the Dam which ſits upon them, as ſoone as hatcht: ſo do the thoughts and apprehenſions of ſome ſouls kill the minde and ſpirit that brings them forth, they are ſuch poyſonous and eating things, they are ſo venemous, ſo fiery, ſo dark, ſo gnawing, ſo voyd of heaven, of any glimpſe of it, and ſo full of hell, I reckon upon my afflictions from morning to night, ſaith Hezekiah, and I have cut off mine own life; his ſoule hatched ſuch thoughts in time of diſtreſſe, as did gnaw out the bowells and. life of it ſelfe, that affliction became as death, and death as hell, which is the property of deſpaire and unbeliefe, to render perſons as deſtroyed and damn'd already, as that expreſſion is. As there be ſoules damn'd already, and in hell already, ſo there be ſouls ſaved already, and in heaven already: in heaven, whilſt looking for it, apprehenſion of it in Chriſt ſo ſtrong, ſo clear, what ever accidentals turmoile the outward man the while. Accounting that the long-ſuffering of the Lord [is] ſalvation, 2 Pet. 3.15. tis a ſoule that hath ſo clear an apprehenſion, of the iſſue of all ſufferings for Chirſt, that the iſſue of them is in him already: what he expects is to him already in a degree, in judgement and account, judging that the long-ſuffering of God [is] ſalvation; yea not onelyonly in judgement, not onelyonly in ſtrong evidence and conviction, but in ſweet contemplation, delectation and fruition, for 'tis a grace that ſpeaks the love of God ſhed abroad in the ſoule; and experience hope, and hope makes not aſhamed: why? becauſe the ſoule now hath a good part what it hopes for; Becauſe the love of God is ſhed abroad in our hearts, by the holy Ghoſt which is given to us, Rom. 5.5.
Ʋſe. Our felicity lies in noble principles: 'twere well if we had an impregnable eſtate in theſe times. Every thing is unſetled and almoſt hopeleſſe, how is your ſpirituall condition? Every thing without hath made its will, and bequeathed it ſelfe to Death, Devills, Ruine, have your ſoules made their will, and bequeathed themſelves to Death and Devills too? Ah my ſoule! what a ſad ſtate is this! Sinne reignes, though every thing runne to ruine, this doth not. The Sword of the Spirit can kill no ſinnes, therefore it doth ſoules. O how conſciences bleed! how ghaſtly are many ſoules now! more to ſeek for eternall ſafety then temporall. I know not what theſe wretches will doe, God and man are upon you, and againſt you, whither will you flee? what will you doe for relief? Nothing deſtroyes hope, like an evill conſcience. Now ſinners tell me what is ſinne now to you? Where is that ſweet that did ere while ſo extraordinarily take you? what is that in your ſinne that did hold you ſo faſt and ſo long from Chriſt? Shew me now the kirnell of your courſe: You have been cracking ſhells a great while, and what now is the in-ſide of all? nothing but Death and Hell? and in ſtead of your wonted joy, an afrighted ſoule, and a fearefull looking for of judgement, and fiery indignation? Now that which you choſe ſhould ſtand you in moſt ſtead, doth it thus cheat you? then write upon thy ſinne, Vanity; upon thy heart, Thou haſt deluded me.
I know not what will be the iſſue of theſe evill times, death is gathering to the heart apace, to the heart of Kingdomes, Eſtates, and the like; if it be there already in order to your ſoules, truly Juſtice is quicke with you, and you had neede looke about you. In ſwoning fits cordials be neceſſary, ſomething to be taken inwardly, that is Chriſt, he fetches life and hope: Chriſt [in you] the hope of glory. Sinfull fearefull wretches, there is nothing in you, but nature and the old man, therefore are you ſo weake and wicked in your courſe, ſo dreadfull in apprehenſion about the end. Men would do much ſometimes in their owne ſtrength, when a lively word takes hold on them, (but this cannot be) never conſidering how deſolate all within is. Your eyes are not in your head, as the wiſe man ſpeaks, that is, they are not in your heart, you ſee nothing within as you ſhould. When conſcience is fired by the word, you thinke to do this and that preſently and then all will be well; and then fayle in the action, and ſo increaſe the flame. Conſcience when a fire muſt have ſomething dropt in to it, (things done without are nothing) to wit the bloud of Chriſt. Not a ſparkle of hell is alayed without bloud, without the bloud of Chriſt, or the bloud of the ſoule. Application of remedy muſt be as the diſtreſſe lies, your hell is within you, and Chriſt muſt deſcend into hell, to do a ſinner good, to ſet his ſoule in reſt and hope, he muſt goe into the World, to ſave it, foreign, Heb. 10.5. Chriſt muſt come into this World, and then into the heart of man that is in it, into the great World, and then into the little World, which he is willing to doe, and ſo expreſſeth himſelfe, Heb. 10.5. When be in-entereth the World, ſacrifice and offering thou wouldſt not, but a body haſt thou fitted mee. Chriſt is fitted and ready to make in entrance, and this in-entrance is that, which makes peace and hope in the ſoule. Chriſt centered in the heart is at reſt, when Chriſt is at reſt in us, wee are at reſt in him.