The Beatitudes, Appendix · Sermon 7
The ſacred Anchor.
Titus 2.…3.
Looking for that bleſſed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt.
A Chriſtians happineſs is in reverſion, it is yet behind; a Saint in in this life is aeternitatis candidatus, a candidate and expectant of heaven; he hath little in hand, but much in hope; ſo ſaith the Text, Looking for that bleſſed hope, &c.
There is enough to mak us breathe after that hope▪ if we look either Intra, or Extra.
1. Intra, if we turn our eyes inward and behold …ur ſins. This made Paul himſelf cry out, O wretched man that I am, Rom. 7.24. A Chriſtian hath two men within him; fleſh and Spirit; this may make him look for that bleſsed hope, when he ſhall be diſintangled of his ſins, and ſhall be as the Angels of God.
2. If we look Extra, if we caſt our eyes abroad, the world is but our ſojourning-houſe, it is a Stage whereon vanity and vexation act their part, and the Scene ſeldom alters: Depart, this is not your reſt, Mich. 2.10. all which conſidered, may make us look for that bleſsed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour.
In which words there is, 1. The Act, looking. 2. The Object; which is ſet down,
1. Emphatically, that bleſſed hope.
2. Specifically, the glorious appearing of the great God, &c.
I begin with the firſt, the Act, looking, foreign. There is a threefold looking.
1. A looking with deſire, as the ſervant looked for the year of Jubily and releaſe, Lev. 25.40. or as the Bride looks for the marriage day. Now it is a time of abſence from our Husband Chriſt; therefore we are dreſſed in mourning, and hang our Harps upon the Willows; but how doth the Spouſe deſire the marriage day when the Nuptials ſhall be ſolemnized! at that wedding the water ſhall be turned into wine: How doth the pious ſoul cry out in an holy pang of deſire, uſque quo? how long Lord! why is thy Chariot ſo long a coming? why tarry the wheeles of thy Chariot? it is the Vote of the whole Church; Rev. 22.17. Come Lord Jeſus, come quickly.
2. There is a looking with joy; Rom. 5.2. We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God. There is terror in a ſinners looking, it is called foreign, a fearful looking for of judgement, Heb. 10.27. as a man indebt looks every hour when the Serjeant ſhall arreſt him, but the Saints is a joyful looking; as a man looks for a friend, or for one that is to pay him a great ſumme of money. So Moſes looked with joy to the recompence of reward, Heb. 11.26.
3. There is a looking with patience; as a man caſts his ſeed into the earth, and looks with patience till the Crop ſpring up: Jam. 7.5. Behold the Husbandman waiteth for the pretious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it; be ye alſo patient, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. So much for the Act, looking.
2. The Object, that bleſſed hope; where we are to conſider,
1. What hope is.
2. What a Chriſtian hopes for.
1. What hope is. I anſwer: Hope is a Theological grace planted in the heart by the Spirit of God, whereby a Chriſtian is quickned to the expectation of thoſe things which are held forth in the promiſe: Rom. 8.25. If we hope for that we ſee not, then do we with patience wait for it. Aquinas deſcibes hope thus; Spes eſt circa bonum arduum, futurum, & poſſibile.
1. Hope is circa bonum, it looks at ſome good, ſo it differs from fear; fear looks at evil, hope at good.
2. Hope circa bonum futurum, it looks at ſome good to come; ſo it differs from joy; joy is exerciſed about ſomething preſent, hope about ſomething future. So Clemens Alexandrinus defines hope, foreign.
3. Hope is circa bonum arduum, it looks at ſome good which is difficult to attain. So hope differs from deſire; deſire is weak and tranſient, it is ſoon over; hope is reſolute and fixed, it wraſtles with difficulties, and will not give over, till it hath the thing hoped for.
4. Hope is circa bonum poſſibile, it looks at ſome good which is feaſible, and which there is poſſibility of obtaining. So hope differs from deſpair; deſpair looks on things with black ſpectacles, and gives all for loſt; hope is like Cork to the Net, which keeps the heart from ſinking in deſpair. Thus you have ſeen what hope is.
Here a Queſtion may be moved, how hope differs from Faith?
Anſwer; Theſe two graces, foreign, Faith and Hope are ſo like, that they have been taken one for the other; there is ſuch a near affinity between them that (ſaith Luther) it is hard to find a difference: But though they are placed near together as the two wings of the Cherubims on the Mercy-ſeat, yet they are not the ſame. Indeed, in ſome things Faith and Hope do agree; both feed upon the Promiſe; both help to ſupport the ſoul in trouble: Faith and Hope are like two bladdars put under a Chriſtian, which keep him from ſinking in the waters of affliction; both of theſe graces like cordial-water comfort the fainting ſoul: There is joy in believing, Rom. 15.13. Rejoycing in hope, Rom. 5.2. Faith and Hope like thoſe two golden Pipes, Zach. 4.12. empty their golden Oyle of joy into a Chriſtian; but though in ſome things theſe two graces agree, and are alike, yet in ſome things they differ.
Faith and Hope differ, 1. Ordine, in order and priority; Faith doth precede and go before hope, it is the Mother grace; Faith is foreign: The ground if things hoped for, Heb. 11.1. The Promiſes are precious; they are like the Ark which had Manna laid up in it; but we muſt firſt believe the things contained in the promiſe, before we hope for them. Therefore Hierom ſaith well,*Spes eſt expectatio rerum qua… in fide h… bemus. Faith lights the Lamp of Hope, as the fire of the Altar lighted the Lamps of the Sanctuary. Thus theſe graces differ in Priority; Hope is the Daughter of Faith.
2. They differ Naturâ, in their nature, and that two wayes.
1. Hope only looks forward at things to come; Faith looks backward aſwell as forward; it looks at things paſt aſ well as future: Faith believes Chriſts Paſſion and Reſurrection, as well as his coming to glory.
2. Hope looks at the excellency of the promiſe, Faith looks at the certainty; *Fides intuetur verbum rei, ſpes vero rem verbi. Alſted.Hope reads over the writing of the promiſe, Faith looks at the ſeal of the promiſe: Titus 1.2. In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lye hath promiſed. That which Hope looks at is eternal life; that which Faith looks at is the infallibility of the promiſe, God which cannot lye hath promiſed. In a word, Faith believes, Hope waits; Faith ſhows a Chriſtian the land of promiſe, Hope ſails thither with patience. Thus you ſee how Faith and Hope differ, but theſe Twins muſt not be parted; Faith ſtrengthens Hope, and Hope comforts Faith; as Elm ſupports the Vine, and the Vine loads the Elm with its fruit: Faith is the Cable, and Hope the Anchor, and both theſe help to keep the ſoule ſteady, that it doth not daſh upon Shelves, or ſink in the Quickſands. Thus much for the firſt, what hope is.
2. What a Chriſtian hopes for: This is ſet down,
1. Emphatically, foreign: That bleſſed hope. Hope here is put by a Metonymie for foreign. The things hoped for. That bleſſed hope, is the hope of bleſſedneſs. A Chriſtians hope is not in this life, then he were in the Forlone-hope; here is nothing to be hoped for, but viciſcitudes, all the world rings changes; but, looking for that bleſsed hope. This is the difference between the Seamans Anchor, and the Believers Anchor: The Seaman caſts his Anchor downwards, the Believer caſts his Anchor upwards in heaven, looking for that bleſſed hope. The Believer is a rich heir, Hebr. 6.17. and he waits till the Crown-royal ſhall be ſet upon his head. According to our Common Law, there are two ſorts of Free-holds: There is a Free-hold in Deed, and a Free-hold in Law; a Free-hold in Deed, is when a man hath made an entrance upon Lands and Tenements, and is actually ſeized of them; but a Free-hold in Law, is when a man hath right to Lands, but hath not yet made actual entrance upon them. Heaven is a Believers Free-hold in Law, he hath a right to it, it is promiſed by the Father, it is purchaſed by the Son, it is aſſured him by the Holy Ghoſt; but he hath not the Free-hold in Deed, but waits Gods leaſure, and looks for that bleſsed hope, till the time comes that he ſhall actually enter upon poſſeſſion of the inheritance.
2. The Object of a Chriſtian hope is ſet down Specifically, The glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Chriſt. Where by the way, the Deity and Godhead of Chriſt is ſtrongly proved from hence againſt the Arrians, as Hierom and Chryſoſtom well obſerve: The Apoſtle ſhows who this▪ foreign, this great God is, it is (ſaith he) our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt; but that only in tranſitu.
To ſpeak then of the Object of a Chriſtians hope, ſet down here Specifically, foreign: The glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour. There is a threefold Epiphany, or appearing of Chriſt.
1. There is an appearing of Chriſt to us; as when he was Incarnate: Iſa. 9.6. To us a Child is born. This was a happy appearing when this morning Star appeared, then ſalvation appeared to mankind; when Chriſt took fleſh, he did marry our humane nature to the divine nature. The Virgins womb was the place conſecrated for the tying that knot: Great is this Myſtery, God manifeſt in the fleſh, 1 Tim. 3.16. 'Tis ſuch an aenigma as the Angels adore, 1 Pet 1.12. God ſaid, the man is become as one of us, Gen. 3.22. but now we may ſay, God himſelf is become as one of us; he made foreign, in the likeneſs of men▪ Phil. 2.7. This was Chriſts firſt appearing.
2. There is an appearing of Chriſt in us, that is, when he appears in our hearts, which is called a forming of Chriſt in us, Gal. 4.19. Chriſt is ſaid to appear in us, when by the operation of his grace he transforms him into his own image: In the Incarnation Chriſt made himſelf like to to us, by Sanctification he makes us like to him, holy as he is holy, and this is a comfortable appearing. What are we better for Chriſts appearing in our fleſh, unleſs he appear in our hearts? what are we the better for a Chriſt without us, unleſs we have a Chriſt within us? Col. 1.27. Chriſt in you the hope of glory.
3. There is an appearing of Chriſt for us; and that two wayes.
1. Chriſt appears for us as an Advocate: Hebr. 9.24. He is entred into heaven, there to-appear in the preſence of God for us. 'Tis a Metaphor borrowed from our Law-Courts, where the Atturney pleads for the Client; ſo Chriſt pleads as an Advocate for the Saints. Satan is the accuſer, but Chriſt is the Advocate, he anſwers all bills of Indictment brought in▪ and he appears, ſaith the Apoſtle foreign, in the preſence of God for us; the High Prieſts under the Law appeared before the Ark and the Mercy-ſeat, which was but a Type of Gods preſence; but Chriſt appears in the very preſence of God for us, foreign, in the face of God; he ſpreads his merits before his Father, and in the vertue of his bloody ſufferings pleads for mercy: and if Chriſt appear for us in heaven, ſhall not we appear for him upon earth.
2. Chriſt appears for the Saints as a Judge, and this appearing is meant in the Text, looking for the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour.
Chriſts firſt appearing in the fleſh was dark and obſcure, his beauty was vail'd over, Iſa. 53.2. all that ſaw the Man, did not ſee the Meſiah. But his ſecond appearing as our Judge will be a glorious appearing, like the Sun breaking out of a Cloud*Tunc ejus ſ…lgor & Majeſtas omnibus inn…reſcet. Eſti.; it will be a glorious appearing both in reſpect of Chriſt and the Saints.
1. In reſpect of Chriſt himſelf, and that thee manner of wayes.
1. His Perſon will be glorious. That light which ſhone upon Saint Paul ſurpaſſing the glory of the Sun, Acts 26.13. was but a part of Chriſts beauty, as a ſparkle of the Sun of Righteouſneſs; what will it be when he ſhall appear in all his Spiritual embroidery?
2. His throne will be glorious, he ſhall ſit foreign, upon the throne of his glory, Matth. 25. he ſhall have his Chair of State ſet him more rich than Ivory or Pearl, a Throne moſt ſublime and magnificent.
3. His attendants ſhall be glorious: Matth. 25.31. When the Son of man ſhall come in his glory, and all the holy Angels with him. The Angels are the Courtiers of heaven, they are compared to lightning, Matth. 28.3. in regard of their ſparkling luſtre, and theſe glorious ſublimated ſpirits ſhall be Chriſti ſatellitium, part of Chriſts Train and Retinue, accompanying him to his Throne; thus it will be a glorious appearing in regard of Chriſt.
2. It will be a glorious appearing in regard of the Saints. Chriſt will appear to do three things.
1. Chriſt as a Judge will appear to acquit his people, and that is by pronouncing the ſentence, Come ye bleſſed of my Father. The debt-book ſhall be croſſed in the blood of the Lamb.
2. Chriſt as a Judge will appear to vindicate his people. The names of the godly many times lie buried in reproach; but at that day; they ſhall (as Bernard ſaith) Fragrare unguentis optimis, Chriſt will give them a new name; he will call them his friends, his Spouſe, the apple of his eye, their names ſhall flouriſh with honour, and give forth their perfume as the wine of Lebanon.
3. Chriſt as a Judge will appear to crown his people, when body and ſoul ſhall be reunited and perfected in glory. Chriſt will take his people into his ſweet and everlaſting embraces, he will lay them in his boſome he will ſet them upon his Throne, he will fill them with the Inebriating wine of his love to all eternity. And thus you ſee what is the Saints hope, namely the glorious appearing of Chriſt, when he ſhall appear as a Judge to acquit, vindicate, crown them.
Uſe 1 1. See here the miſery of a wicked man, who hath all his hope in this life;Informat. he makes the wedge of gold his hope, he caſts his Anchor downwards; he can have no hope of Chriſts appearing; he fears Chriſts appearing, he doth not hope for it; he is like a Priſoner that fears the Judges coming to the Bench. Chriſts appearing will be a diſmal appearing to him; when Chriſt ſhall appear, where ſhall the ungodly and the ſinner appear? 1 Pet. 4.18. a wicked man is like a Mariner at Sea that hath no Anchor; like a man in a ſtorm that hath no ſhelter; where is his hope when he ſhall come to die? It is with a ſinner as it was with the old world when the flood came; the waters did ariſe higher and higher by degrees. Firſt the waters came to the Valleys, but they encouraged themſeves in the Hills; then the waters came to the Mountains; I, but there might be ſome Trees upon the Hills, and they would climb up to them; then the waters prevailed and roſe to the top of the Trees, now they had nothing to truſt to; all hopes of being ſaved were gone. So it is with a ſinner, if one comfort be taken away, he hath another left; if a Relation be gone, he hath an eſtate left; if one Crutch be broken, yet he hath another to lean upon; I but ſickneſs comes, and he ſees he muſt die, and appear before his Judge, now he hath no hope, he dies deſpairing, he muſt lie for ever in the boyling furnace of Gods wrath*In inferno nulla eſt redemptio; qui illic damnatuus & demerſus fuerit, ulterius non exibit. Aug. in Serm. ad Erem..
— In cava Lethaeas dolia portat aquas. —
2. Put your ſelves upon the tryal; Have you this bleſſed hope of Chriſts appearing, and of your appearing with him in glory? come almoſt to any man, and you Uſe 2 ſhall hear him ſay, he hopes to be ſaved; well then,Trial. let every ſoul put it ſelf upon the tryal. I ſhall ſhow you four differences between a ſound Hope, and a ſandy Hope.
1. True hope is quickning; it ſets a man a working for heaven*Addit conatum quendam, & elevationem animi. Aquinas; it is called a lively hope, 1 Pet. 1.3. it puts life into a man; hope is a Spur to duty, a Whetſtone to induſtry. Hope of victory makes the Souldier fight, hope of gain makes the Merchant runthrough the ſeveral Zones. Divine hope is as Wind to the Sails, as Wheeles to the Chariot, it makes a Chriſtian active in Religion, he runs the wayes of Gods Commandements. *foreign. Macar.Hope is circa arduum, it cuts away through the Rock; it wraſtles with difficulties, it deſpiſeth dangers, it marcheth in the face of death. True hope never gives over till it hath the thing hoped for. He who hath Divine hope, will have Chriſt though it be in a Furnance; he will profeſs the truth, though the next word Chriſtiani ad Leones. The Romans as Tertullian obſerves, would endure all kind of hardſhip, they would fight with cold, and hunger, and run any hazard for hope at laſt to be Conſul, which was (ſaith Tertullian) unius anni gaudium volaticum, honour but for a year. Oh then, what pains will he take who hath hopes of heaven, where he ſhall be Crowned with a Garland of glory for ever; doth that man ſay his hope is in God, who ſtands all the day idle? Prov. 19.24. there is a faint velleity in Hypocrites, they would be ſaved, but ſit ſtill and do nothing; their hope is not a a lively hope, but a dead hope; foreign. True hope is in the ſoul like fire, which is an active Element, it is ever ſparkling, or flaming.
2. True hope is purifying; 1 Joh. 3.3. He that hath this hope in him, foreign, purifying himſelf. Hope is in the ſoul as lightning is in the Aire, it clears the Air; he who hath hope in Chriſt, ſets himſelf againſt all ſin, both in purpoſe and practice; he is a conſecrated perſon, there is engraven upon his heart, Holineſs to the Lord; hope is a Virgin-grace, it lives in the ſoul tanquam ſcintillatio in fomite, tanquam ramus in radice *O quam multi cum vanaſpe deſcendunt ad inferos! Aug.. St. Bernard compares holineſs to the Root, and hope to the Branch; true hope flouriſheth upon the root of holineſs; now then try your hope by this Scripture Touchſtone. The hypocrite ſaith he hath hope, but is he a purified perſon; what, an unclean perſon and hope to go to heaven? nothings enters there which defileth, Rev. 21.27. what, a drunkard and hope to be ſaved? doſt thou think to go reeling to heaven? what, an Apoſtate and yet hope to be ſaved? as if there were any going to heaven backward.*O quam multi cum vanaſpe deſcendunt ad inferos! Aug. The wicked man is not ſure of happineſs, but ſecure.
3. A true hope is a good hope; 2 Theſ. 2.16. foreign, Who hath given us good hope through grace. A wicked mans hope is as far from being good as his heart; the Hebrew word for hope foreign ſignifies both confidence and folly, it is fitly applyed to a wicked mans hope, his confidence is folly; the hope of a godly man is compared to an Anchor, Hebr. 6.19. the hope of a wicked man to a Spiders Web, Job 8.14. And the ſinners hope is fitly reſembled to a Spiders Web three wayes.
1. The Spiders Web hath no foundation; ſuch is the hope of the wicked; it is a pleaſing thing, but it hath nothing to reſt upon: A godly mans hope is built upon a double Baſis.
1. The Word of God: Pſal. 130.5. In his word do I hope. The Word ſaith, Let the ſinner forſake his way; and the Lord will abundantly pardon: The Word ſaith, Hereby we know that Chriſt abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us, 1 Joh. 3.8. Now a child of God finding theſe qualifications wrought in him, he builds his hope for heaven upon them; In his Word do I hope.
2. The hope of a godly man is built upon experiences: Rom. 5.4. Experience worketh hope. A Believer can bring in a Catalogue of experiences; Pſal. 119.65. Thou haſt dealt well with thy ſervant. So can a Believer ſay, God hath dealt well with him: In ſeveral caſes he hath had experiences of God; when his ſins and tentations have been ſtrong, God hath come in with Auxiliary Forces, and his grace hath been ſufficient. When his heart hath been ſinking under fears, God hath boyed him up out of quickſands, and lifted up his head out of deep waters: Pſal. 3.3. Thou art O Lord my glory, and the lifter up of my head. When his heart hath been dead in duty, the Spirit of God hath been ſweetly tuning of his ſoul, and now he makes melody in his heart to the Lord, Epheſ. 5.19. A godly man hath many ſignal experiences of Gods favour to him, and experience breeds hope: So that a godly mans hope hath a foundation, it is a well-built hope; that hope muſt needs ſtand ſtrong, which ſtands with one foot upon a promiſe, and with the other foot upon an experience: But a wicked mans hope is tela aranea, a Spiders Web, he hath nothing to ground his hope upon, his hope is an impoſture, a golden dream; Iſa. 29.8. It is as when an hungry man dreameth, and behold he eateth, but he awaketh and his ſoul is empty. The hope of a ſinner is like a dying mans will, that hath neither ſeal ſet to it, or witneſſes; in the will he promiſeth to bequeath ſuch a Mannor and Lordſhip, ſo many thouſand pounds to ſuch a one; but the will being without ſeal and witneſſes, it is null and void in Law; juſt ſuch is the hope of a wicked man, his hope promiſeth him great matters, that Chriſt is his, and all the priviledges of heaven are his, but alas it is a meer deluſion of his falſe heart; when things come to be examined, he wants both ſeal and witneſſes; he wants the ſeal of the Word to confirm his Title, and the witneſs of the Spirit, Plurimi ſpe periclitantur; *Aug.this is a ſad thing for a man to go to hell with the hope of heaven; foreign.
*Eurip.2. The Spider ſpins the web out of her own bowels; ſhe fetcheth all from her ſelf. The Bee fetcheth all from without; the matter of her Comb and Honey the ſucks from the flower: The Spider fetcheth all from within her ſelf. A true Chriſtian like the Bee fetcheth all from without, he ſucks from the ſweet flower of Chriſts Righteouſneſs; Iſa. 45.24. In the Lord have I righteouſneſs and ſtrength: But a wicked man like the Spider fetcheth all his hope from within; …he ſpins the thread of his hope out of himſelf, his duties and moralities; thus his hope is like the Spiders Web.
3. The Spiders Web is but weak, the leaſt blaſt ſhakes it, the leaſt touch breaks it. Such is the ſinners hope, the leaſt terror of Conſcience ſhakes it: Job 8.14. whoſe hope ſhall be cut off: commonly before a wicked mans life is cut off, his hope is cut off. The godly man hope is a good hope, it is ſolid and ſcriptural, the other is a ſpiders Web.
4. A true hope is a Perſevering hope: Heb. 3.6. Whoſe houſe are we if we hold faſt the confidence of hope firm unto the end. True hope doth not faint, it is not broken with affliction, it is an Adamantine grace, foreign. Hope makes us endure; therefore it is compared to an Anchor which holds the ſhip in a ſtorm; and to an Helmet, 1 Theſ. 5.8. The Helmet keeps off the blow of the ſword, or arrow from entring: So hope as an helmet keeps off the ſtroke from a Chriſtian that it ſhall not hurt or diſmay him. In time of publick calamities, hope keeps the ſoul from ſinking; Joel 3.16. The Lord ſhall roar out of Sihon; the heavens and earth ſhall ſhake, but the Lord will be the hope of his people. Though heaven and earth be ready to come together, yet a Believers hope abides. — Sola ſpes in miſeriis conſolatur.*Cicero. A Believer doth never caſt away his Anchor. The Jews were priſoners in Babylon, yet priſoners of hope: Zach. 9.10. Turn to your ſtrong hold, ye priſoners of hope. When a Chriſtan is on his death-bed, and all hope of life is taken away, yet his hope in God is not taken away.
3. What unſpeakable comfort is this to a child of Uſe. 3 God, that upon a ſerious trial finds he hath a well-built hope,*Solamen vitae mortalis eſt ſpes vitae immortalis. Auſtin. when Chriſt ſhall appear,Conſolation …t will be a glorious appearing to a believer;
— Credula vitam
— ſpes fovet.
A Chriſtian is like a rich heir that hath great Lands in Reverſion; he hath much in hope. Alexander having given away almoſt all he had in Greece, and being asked what he had left for himſelf, anſwered, Hope; his meaning was, he had hope to conquer more Kingdoms, as afterwards he did: So if a Chriſtians outward comforts were taken away, and one ſhould ask him what he had left, he might ſay, The Anchor of hope; he hath a confident hope of thoſe eternal Manſions which Jeſus Chriſt is gone to prepare for him, John 14.2. When Chriſt who is his life ſhall appear, then ſhall he alſo appear with him in glory, Col. 3.4. Oh what comfort is this, how may this lighten, and ſweeten the croſſe? after the waters of Marah, comes the wine of Paradiſe; after a wet Spring, a joyful Harveſt.
Uſe 4 1. Be exhorted to chearfulneſs: Rom. 5.2. We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God. Exhort.Timor… contriſtatur animum; Branch. 1 fear begets ſorrow, hope begets joy. Spes non poteſt eſſe ſine gaudio; Divine hope (ſaith Auſtin) cannot be without ſome mixture of joy; hath a Chriſtian hopes of heaven, and not rejoyce? Prov. 10.28. The hope of the righteous ſhall be gladneſs.
Object. Object. But may ſome ſay, It is long before we ſhall enter upon poſſeſſion of heaven, and hope deferred makes the heart ſick, Prov. 13.12.
Anſw. Anſw. It is not long, Rev. 22.12. foreign, Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me. This glorious reward we hope for is quickly in faiths account; faith makes things future preſent; what hope ſaith ſhall be, faith ſaith it is already: Chriſts coming is at hand, the bright morning Star begins to appear; as a Perſpective glaſs makes thoſe things which are a good way off, ſeem near to the eye. So faith makes Chriſt, and heaven, and the day of recompence ſeem to be near, it gives a kind of poſſeſſion of them in this life; Oh then Chriſtians rejoyce, turn your lamentations into Halelujahs, it is but a while, and you ſhall be made partakers of thoſe bleſſed things you hope for; think of the certainty of Chriſts appearing, Behold I come; and think of the celerity, I come quickly.
2. Maintain your hopes againſt all diſcouragements Branch. 2 either of fear or tentation; Chriſtians, let not the Divel diſpute you out of your hopes. — foreign. A Souldier that hath the higher ground, and is gotten upon an hill, he will not let the enemy beat him off his ground, but will keep it to the laſt breath. Hath God ſet you on the higher ground? hath he raiſed your hopes as high as heaven? be not beaten off your ground, maintain your hopes to the laſt, pray to God that he would further clear your Title to heaven, that you may be as Mount Sihon which cannot be moved.
3. How ſhould this make us abound in the work of Branch. 3 the Lord.
— Spes ſulcis credit aratis
Semina, quae magno foenore reddet ager.
He who hath a well-grounded hope of heaven, how fervent ſhould he be in duty, how zealous in the cauſe of God! the hope of glory ſhould ſpirit and animate a Chriſtian. If there could be grief in heaven, ſure it would be that we have done God no more ſervice; what an infinite diſproportion is there between our work and reward! Let Divine Hope be as Oyle to the Lamp, as Wind to the Sailes, to excite and to blow us forward in holy activity for God; we ſow in hope: Gal. 6.9. Let us not b… weary in well-doing, for foreign, in due ſeaſon we ſhall reap if we faint not.
Branch. 4 4. Let us live ſuitable to our hopes in an holy Angelical walking. They who have heaven in their hopes ſhould have heaven in their lives; let us walk after that golden pattern whith Chriſt hath left us, 1 Joh. 2.6. As we hope to have Chriſts death for our juſtification, we muſt have his life for our imitation. I will conclude with that, Philip. 1.27. Only let your converſation be as it becometh the Goſpel of Chriſt.