is to be in hope, Rom. xii. 12. It is hope that feeds joy | useless grace in the soul. We are told, "They are blessed in reference to things, while we are in this present state that fear always; (Prov. xxviii. 14.) but he that hardens which doth not afford much of immediate enjoyment, his heart, (that is, in opposition to such a fear,) shall fall otherwise than that we have by anticipation. It is hope into mischief." And elsewhere we find such oppositions that directs to that which is within the veil, (Heb. vi. 19.) of fear to hardness of heart, made to one another. Why takes hold of invisible things, and so is as "an anchor to hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our the soul, both sure and steadfast." The soul rejoiceth to hearts from thy fear?" Isa. Ixiii. 17. and we are directed find itself upon sure terms, rejoiceth in hope, in the strength to "perfect holiness in the fear of God," 2 Cor. vii. 3. and power of that hope, which, as its anchor, is thrown and warned "not to be high-minded, but fear," Rom. xi. within the veil, and takes hold of the unseen things there. 20. and charged "to work out our salvation, with fear and "The God of peace fill you with all joy and peace in be- trembling," Phil. ii. 12. Even they are so charged, whom lieving," (Rom. xv. 13.) as the apostle prays for the Chris- the apostle had a little before expressed his confidence tian Romans. The more joy, the more vigour in your concerning them, that "God that had begun a good work course, the joy of the Lord will be your strength; and the in them, would perfect it unto the day of Christ," Phil. i. 6. more hope, the more joy. And yet he requires and charges them in his name, and by his authority, whom God had exalted to so high a pitch, as to give him a name above every name, wherefore, (saith he hereupon,) this charge I solemnly give you, that his name and authority may be owned, not only in my presence, but much more, being absent, you work out your salvation, with fear and trembling." You see these many ways hope cannot but have an influence unto Christians' perseverance in the way and course, into which regeneration and converting grace hath brought them. The next thing will be to show you, what encouragements a Christian hath thus to hope for, while his hope is to be sufficient for him all along in his course, something or other must be sufficient unto it, something or other must sustain it, that doth sustain him. SERMON XIX.* Rom. viii. 24. We are saved by hope. HAVING Shown what advantages hope gives a Christian's progress in his way, we now come to let you see what ground a Christian hath for such a hope, to wit, that by the grace of God, and the assistance to be given continually from him, he shall be kept and preserved from the great danger of fatal, destructive backsliding and apostacy from God, and a departure from his ways; from turning aside into crooked paths, with the workers of iniquity: (Psal. cxxv. 5.) and from returning into those ways at length, "which take hold of hell, and lead down to the chambers of death," Prov. v. 5. But before I come to show you what ground a serious Christian hath for such a hope, something I must premise unto you. As, 1. That the grounds which he had for his former hope before his conversion, and which had influence thereupon, do still remain, and are equally grounds to him of this continuing hope that is to influence his whole after-course, and with much more advantage. We are not to suppose that the grounds of the hope that I am now speaking of, do make the former grounds cease. The grounds of the former hope, that which I told you might be only (and indeed must be before conversion) no more than a rational human hope, assisted by common grace; what ground there was for that hope doth still remain, and is still improvable to more advantage: and the grounds of this following hope are not, in reference to those grounds, privative, but cumulative, (as is wont to be said in such cases,) that is, they do not take away the former, but add thereunto. Whatsoever ground of hope there was before, for a poor wandering sinner to return, and come back to God, and seek reconciliation and peace with him, to wit, from the gracious nature of God, from the rich fulness of Christ's sacrifice, from the freeness of the Gospel tender, and invitation, and from the power, and grace, and office of the Holy Ghost: these grounds do still remain, in reference to the present case, and are improvable, even with more advantage, as you will see in reference thereunto. And again, 2. This is to be noted by way of premise, That the hope which they are to take encouragement for, is not to be a ash, fearless hope. It is not to be a hope without fear, pray do not mistake the matter as to this, we are not to aim at any such hope as shall be exclusive of fear, or that shall make that a useless thing, a useless principle, a Preached June 28th, 1691. There is no such state of a Christian attainable in this life, that ought to make fear a useless thing, and to supersede it. I say there is no such state as this; no, nor undoubtedly in heaven itself, where reverence of God is higher than now we are capable of, infinitely, unspeakably, exceedingly higher. It will be part of that homage, that we shall be eternally paying to his throne, and part of our felicity too, because of the pleasantness of that temper, the suitableness and congruity of it to a right mind, apprehensive of what is due to the Eternal Being; and besides, we are told this is the very means of our preservation. He that hath promised to keep his, hath promised to keep them thus, "I will put my fear into their hearts, and they shall not depart from me." I mean to make use of that as the great preservative principle in them, Jer. xxxii. 40. Ezek. xxxvi. 27. Indeed the understanding of all this doth but depend upon one plain thing, that it is fit and needful that every one should have a distinct notion of in his own mind, to wit, how vast the difference is between fear and fear;-the fear of reverence, and the fear of horror, (as I may fitly enough distinguish it,)—the fear of a saint, and the fear of a devil: the fear of heaven, and the fear of hell;-so vastly different they are. The one fear doth involve hatred in it essentially odiumus quem mehamus, we hate him whom we so fear, we cannot but do so; but the other doth essentially carry love in it. The fear of reverence carries a complacency in the dignity, honour, and exaltation of him, towards whom we exercise this affection; and yet it hath a collateral and secondary respect to our own interest too, and so ought to have, and must have; as the love we bear to God, and our true love to ourselves; the love by which we design glory to him, and the love by which we design blessedness in him, are the same love. That therefore is a further thing, that thereupon we are to consider. Again, 3. We must hereupon note this too, That the hope unto which we are to be encouraged of being kept from apostacy, and enabled to persevere, and hold on in the ways of God to the end, it must consequently be such as shall admit of, as shall not exclude, but infer all the subsequent cares and endeavours, that are most agreeable and correspondent to such a fear, as hath been before expressed, to wit, our continual watchfulness over ourselves, our abstaining from known gross evils, our endeavour to repress the beginnings, the first motions and stirrings of sin, our giving ourselves to prayer, our meditating upon the things of God, our attending duty, and waiting on God in his ordinances, our avoiding temptations, and shunning the society of them that walk in pernicious and destructive ways. Our hope of being kept, it must not exclude, but infer, all this care and endeavour of our own, in order to our being so kept. As a man's hope of having his natural life, and health, and strength, and soundness preserved, ought to be with a conjunct care of himself all along. It were a mad hope, if a man should then hope that his life, strength, and soundness, should be preserved, if he starve himself, or stab himself, or poison himself, or run into houses infected with the plague, or associate himself with persons that have pestilential diseases upon them, and the like: this were a mad hope, that I should be kept well at this rate. And it is easily apprehensible how this is to be applied to our present case; we are to hope we shall be kept, but we are not to hope we shall be kept in a continual neglect of ourselves; if we will famish and starve our souls, if we will stab them in a liberty of known acts of sin, if we will infect them by running into contagious company, if we will associate with such, and familiarly converse with them, that have the plague upon them, if we are not afraid of drawing contagion from so mortal breath, our hope will be a very foolish hope, and not the hope I am now to encourage. And, and without God in the world," Ephes. ii. 12. All the while that you were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and from the covenant of promise; all the while that you were as a people of another country, (as the expression signifies,) in being "strangers to the covenant of promise, and without Christ;" you were without hope too, and "without God in the world;" atheists in the world. The ground of the Christian's hope as to perseverance, is the Gospel covenant, Christ being the great agent that was to bring about a relation; and in order thereunto to bring you into covenant with God through himself. If you know nothing of the covenant of promise, you are without hope. This is the sum of all; here must your hope be laid, upon this great foundation. แ 4. We must note further, that, supposing that many, or And this is not a new thing, but as old as faith hath been any be in doubt whether they have yet a holy, good princi- in the world, and as holiness hath been, or any thing hath ple in them; whether they are yet come into the regenerate been of the divine life. This covenant of God in Christ, state, have that already inlaid in them, which the Scripture it is said even to be but confirmed when the law was given calls the seed of God, and a divine nature; if (I say) any by Moses on mount Sinai; the covenant that was conbe in doubt about it, it is not needful that they should stay firmed of God in Christ to Abraham. It was even confor a resolution, in order to the receiving any encourage-firmed before to Abraham; it received a new confirmation ment from what I am further to say; though they cannot there; it was not made with Abraham then, Gal. ii. 16. so certainly say that the things that are after to be said do It was then but confirmed to Abraham. This covenant of concern them as regenerate persons, as those that are al- God in Christ being of a much more ancient date. David, ready in a state of grace: yet they will find that there may when he lay a dying, here was the ground of his hope; be encouragement taken from thence, though not so di-"Thou hast made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered rectly in order to the bringing of them into it; and so none in all things, and sure; and this is all my salvation, and should think that what is said doth no way concern them, all my desire, although thou make it not to grow;" (2 because they are not yet certain that they are regenerate. Sam. xxxiii. 5.) to wit, his house, spoken of before, alWhatsoever is received, is received according to the dis- though my house be not so with God." God had said position of the recipient. If there be a regenerate princi- many things to him about his house and family heretofore, ple, that will so much the more readily entertain and close a great deal more distinctly and expressly than he doth with what is spoken for its own strengthening, and further usually to men about their houses and families, when they invigorating, and for its nutriment. But if there be not, are to be extinct and gone. But David's mind was upon yet if there be a tendency that way, any seriousness of something else, something greater and more considerable spirit about any such thing, and with reference thereunto than ail this; "Although my house be not so with God, we must know that is a true maxim in spirituals, as well (come of my house and external concernments what will,) as in naturals, Eisdem nutrimur exquibus constamur; we here is "all my salvation, and all my desire," that thou are nourished, and do consist of the same thing, the very hast "made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in same thing. And that which is suitable to the maintain- all things and sure;" which had an aspect upon higher ing, enlivening, improving, and growth of a principle of and greater things than that of a temporal kingdom in this divine life in the soul, is suitable, in some measure, to the world, how big soever that may look in many an eye. begetting of it too. Even the same word, in the sum and substance of it, by which we are to grow, and which we are to receive as "sincere milk," for that design, that we may grow, and may be strengthened by it; by the same word, also, are we "begotten again by the word of truth," James i. 17. And by "the incorruptible seed," the "word of God," 1 Pet. i. 20. "Sanctify them by thy truth; thy word is truth," John xvii. 17. And, concerning David's understanding and knowledge in the mystery of Christ, (as I may use those words well enough in reference to him,) when we hear him speak so often of his hoping in the word of God, this must be the word which he is to be understood principally to mean, the word of this everlasting covenant; "I had fainted for thy salvation, but I hoped in thy word," Psal. cxix. 49. Intent he was upon salvation; and sometimes being ready to Now these things being thus forelaid, all that I shall say faint about it, his hope in God's word kept him from faintfor the encouragement of such a hope as I am now speak-ing; Thou art my hiding-place and my shield," Psalm ing of, will be reduced, and is fitly enough reducible, one cxix. 114. I do hope in thy word. You have that which way or other, to this one ground, the Gospel of the cove- is agreeable, in another place, where he again professeth nant of God in Christ. That lays before you the firm and his hope in God's word, and invites all Israel to join with sure foundation of such a hope; and it will indeed some-him in waiting for the Lord, (Psalm cxxx. 6, 7.) from day what diversely give encouragement according to the differ- to day, more than that they wait for the morning; ent states of men, (though principally I intend now the Israel wait on the Lord, for with him is mercy and plenregenerate state,) if you do but accordingly consider the teous redemption, and he will redeem Israel from all his different notions under which we may look upon this cove- iniquities." This is the summary thing, the Gospel of the nant; in short, we may look upon it either as proposed, or covenant of God in Christ, which is the great ground and as actually entered. As proposed, so it gives a ground of foundation of this hope. hope to enter it; and thereupon gives a ground for all the consequent hope whereof I am speaking. But if it be actually entered, and that can be distinctly and with clearness reflected upon, then you have the nearer, the more immediate, the firmer and surer ground, for such a hope as I am now to speak of. And your hope ought to arise to proportionable degrees of life, strength, and vigour in you. But the great foundation of this hope lies here in the Gospel covenant, whoever of you have any concern for your souls; whoever of you are bethinking yourselves how not to perish, how at length to be saved; lo, here you lay your hope upon the Gospel covenant, the covenant of God in Christ. For do but consider, that the apostle, speaking of the case of the infidel pagan world, and of the case of the Ephesians, when they were such, he saith, "Ye were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenant of promise; and without Christ, and without hope, "Let But to speak more particularly and distinctly to it, you will have several grounds of hope some way or other reducible hither, if you will but consider sundry things that we have to reflect upon relating and belonging to this covenant. As, 1. The Author of this covenant is to be considered. It is God's own covenant; he is not only a covenanting party, but he hath formed the covenant, and is the first in the covenant. It is he that hath ordained and contrived the model of it; and doth propose it to us, and enjoin it upon us, as to what is our part in this covenant of God in Christ. And concerning him, though I might insist upon many things, I shall only mention these two, to show how firm a ground of hope yon have from the Author of this covenant, to wit, his all-sufficiency, and his faithfulness. (1.) His all-sufficiency. When he was drawing Abra ham into the covenant, or designing to confirm him in a covenant state, so he mentions himself, I am God all-suf ficient; that was enough for his part. "Walk before me, and be thou perfect," (Gen. xviii. 1.) that would be also enough for Abraham on his part; as you know, if you have occasion to transact affairs with a man, to contract a covenant with him about matters of importance to you, the great thing you will have your eye upon is, Is the person I deal with sufficient? If you are sure that he is, you traffic with much more security, he being a man of known sufficiency. Saith God, I am an all-sufficient God; come, who hath a mind to deal with me? to transact with me, and traffic with me? who will come into my covenant? And, (2.) His faithfulness is a most firm foundation of hope: such faithfulness as wherewith consists no possibility of being false;" In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie hath promised,” Tit. i. 2. "And by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, the heirs of promise might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before them," Heb. vi. 17, 18. You say you shall one day sink, you shall fail, you shall perish, you shall be lost after so many stops in the ways of God. Think who hath promised you. The God, all-sufficient: and that he is faithful that hath promised. And consider these things in reference to one another, his faithfulness to his all-sufficiency: he is therefore faithful because he is all-sufficient. It is a great matter, rightly to understand this. It is impossible to the perfection of the Divine nature to lie, because he is God all-sufficient. Honesty, veracity, and truth, are not things of so ill repute among men, but that men would preserve their credit in the world, if they were not put to shifts, if they were not reduced to straits. They are commonly false, because they know not how to compass their ends; either they have not wisdom enough, or they have not power enough; but he that is all-sufficient hath nothing to tempt him to falsehood. His perfect nature abhors it;-his all-sufficiency speaks his universal perfection, as you have formerly, at another season, been told. The matter is obvious, if we do but allow ourselves to argue upon it, (though indeed the thing little needs it,) even upon grounds that will be clear to every body. There is no intelligent agent that doth any thing without design. As an intelligent agent, every human action is done for an end, for a proposed end. He that is the most perfectly intelligent Being, can do nothing but for some end. Now what end can he propose to himself to deceive a creature that he made out of nothing, but the other day, and can throw into nothing, the next moment, if he pleaseth? What end can he propose to himself, in deceiving a creature that he hath absolutely in his own power? Those words of our Saviour, how much of spirit and life do they carry in them! "Let not your hearts be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; If it were not so, I would have told you." You may trust me; do you think I intended to make fools of you, when I persuaded you to be Christians? Have I made you leave all this world, and made you give up yourselves to me, and put yourselves under my conduct, in expectation of great and glorious things hereafter, in another state? I tell you it is as I have said, "In my Father's house there are many mansions, and if it were not so, do you think I would not have told you?" would not I have been honest to you? would I have cheated you into a vain and false hope? so much reason you have to believe me from my word, that you may even believe from my silence; "if it had not been so, I would have told you;" I never yet said to you, shift for yourselves, I have never a heaven for you, I have never a ground of eternal hope for you: all that is banished and gone. "No, if it were not so," as I say, I would have told you." The divine all-sufficiency, and his fidelity, taken together in the consideration we have of him, as the great Author of his covenant, upon which you must depend for eternity, how firm a foundation of hope is this! and whatever of encouragement it gives to them who have entered this covenant, and can say, This God is now in covenant with me, and I in covenant with him. They have proportionable encouragement who are invited to enter it, for if I close with this offer, this is my case presently, and I have the same inter est that any other hath had before me, who hath entered into it before. But again, 2. Consider the Mediator of this covenant. It is a covenant established in the hands of a Mediator, contracted by a Mediator, on purpose that it might be sure and firm; that it might have more stability, and might better hold than that covenant made with God immediately, or without a Mediator coming between God and man. And we are to consider Christ the Mediator of this covenant, as giving stability to it, and giving us ground of firm hope from it, under a three-fold notion, to wit, As dying for us; As living in us; And as gone into heaven before us. 1. Consider him as dying for us. And if his death be considered in respect to this covenant, so it may be looked upon two ways, as principium essendi, and as principium cognoscendi; it may be looked upon as a ground of the being of this covenant, and it may be looked upon as a ground of the knowledge of it, that knowledge which we may have concerning it; both which are necessary to be the foundation of our hope. (1.) As a ground of the being of this covenant. If it had not been for the death and sacrifice of the Son of God, there could not have been such a covenant, Psalm 1. It is a covenant by sacrifice. As covenants have their ratifications, even among men, by sacrifice, and the Jews have a notion de sanguine sancisa sunt non abroganda, those arguments that are ratified by blood, become most sacred and inviolable, never to be abrogated. The blood of Christ is called the blood of the covenant again and again: "And have counted the blood of the covenant an unclean thing," Heb. x. 29. "Our Lord Jesus Christ, who offered himself to God, by the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect," Heb. xiii. 20, 21. And when he instituted his own supper, he calls it the cup of the new testament in his blood. The word testament is the same used for covenant. How firm a covenant is that, that bath its foundation in the blood of the Son of God! His blood, who is the great Emmanuel, "the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person," who came down on purpose into this world, and united himself with the nature of man, purposely that he might have somewhat mortal about him, somewhat that could die, and that by that death of his, he might ruin the designs of him that had the power of death; and might procure that stability should be given to the covenant of life and peace, even this covenant. And then, (2.) The death of Christ is not only a principle, or ground of the being of this covenant, but of our knowledge of it too; upon which also depends our hope therein; that is, we know, being informed concerning the death of Christ, how it comes to pass that there can be such a contract and agreement between an offended God and offending creatures. How comes it to pass? how was it brought about? Why, God hath set him forth, "to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness; (to testify to all the world his righteousness ;) that he may be just, and the justifier of them that believe in Jesus," Rom. iii. 25. This powerfully controls the objection of any unbelieving heart. How can it be, that the just and holy God, and glorious Majesty of heaven, should be offended by an impotent worm, and should threaten death for the offence and yet forgive it? How can it be? Why, God hath set forth his Son, to be a propitiation, to declare his righteousness, to let all the world know, that now he can righteously pardon sin, and be reconciled to sinners, and take them into favour. What an encouragement is this to a returning soul, a returning soul, a soul that hath returned, or that hath a disposition or mind to return! God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation, he lifted hiri up upon the cross, and he is lifted up in the Gospel dispensation, to tell the world, Now, sinner, the matter shall not lie on me, or on my part; if there be still a breach between me and thee, it is not because I cannot be reconciled, but because thou wilt not be reconciled; I can be reconciled, I have my satisfaction in my Son, and if there be a continuing breach, it is because thou refusest, and despisest the terms of peace that are offered, and dost trample upon the blood of the covenant, as if it were a profane thing. But to a serious considering soul, one that hath returned, or is upon his return to God in Christ, how firm a foundation of hope is this! I know the justice of God, (the only thing I had to dread, as that could never be reconciled to me,) is satisfied if I return, and shall never have any quarrel with me, if I keep on in the prescribed way that leads to life. Saith the apostle, "Abide in him, (that is, in Christ, who is the great reconciling sacrifice,) that when he shall appear, you may have confidence, and not be ashamed at his coming," 1 John ii. 20. But then, 2. Consider Christ the Mediator of this covenant, as living in us, as well as dying for us. He gives stability to this covenant, and so is the ground-work of our hope, as he hath been pleased to unite himself with our souls and take up an indwelling and abode there. "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that you being rooted and grounded in love, may comprehend with all saints the height, and breadth, and depth, and length; and may know the love of Christ, that passeth knowledge," Eph. i. 3, 17, 18, 19. He testifies his own love by his indwelling presence, and that way he secures you, that the covenant remains stable and firm between God and you. I dwell in you, to keep this always a clear and indubitable thing with you, that God is yours and you are his, by the tenor of his own covenant. And again, you are to look upon Christ in reference to this covenant, 3. As ascended, and having entered the heavens on our behalf, upon our account, together with all that is connected therewith, and consequent thereupon. "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died; yea, rather, that is risen again, and is at the right hand of God; who also maketh intercession for us," Rom. viii. 33, 34. "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," 1 John ii. 1. So he is said to mediate for us, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life, Heb. vii. 18. And it is said, "He is able to save to the uttermost all them that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." Being seated and enthroned in glory, with that very design, that though there may be many offences on our part against the tenor of our covenant, yet they shall not make a final breach; but that still the returning soul shall find mercy, and that still that mercy shall be free. "Return, ye backsliding children, for I am married to you, I will heal your backslidings, and receive you graciously, and love you freely," Jer. iii. 12, 14, 22. I might add, 4. The immediate Agent for bringing of souls into this covenant state, and continuing them there. And how great a ground have you of hope from thence; that is, that the Holy Spirit is appointed purposely by office, to transact this affair with souls; at first to bring them into covenant with God in Christ, and then, from time to time, to confirm their standing, and preserve them in the covenant state. This is that to which he is appointed, to which his very office leads to; that which we find him concerned to do, not occasionally, not on the by, but ex officio. A greater ground of hope cannot be conceived than this. How intent is God upon it, that his covenant with souls shall be a firm, stable, continual thing! SERMON XX.* Rom. viii. 24. We are saved by hope. It remains now to show you, that the influence which hope hath to this purpose, it is not merely necessary to a Christian's better progress in his way and course, but to his progress at all, to any progress which he could make in such a course; to wit, it is not only requisite to the better being, but to the being itself, of continued Christianity, so that without hope, there would certainly be a failure; and God who hath absolutely determined this end, (that nis elect shall hold out through the whole of their course,) * Preached July 12th, 1691. hath also determined this means, viz. that he will preserve and maintain that hope in them throughout, by which they shall be enabled to hold out to the end: and therefore the certainty of the necessity of the influence of hope to that purpose, is what we have now to make out to you. And in order thereunto, we need but to consider in general, 1st, The course of our own operations, such as are internal, and wherein our spirits within us do exert their power and vigour day by day. And then, 2dly, to consider the special and most natural and proper work of hope. If we do but consider our own nature, and most connatural operations; and if we do but consider the nature of hope, and what its special and connatural work is, it will be plain, that such a continued course could not be held, but by the influence of hope. 1. Let us reflect upon the proper connatural operations of our own spirits. This will be of real use to us, not only as it serves the present purpose, but as it may give us a clearer and more distinct notion of ourselves, which we do need to have our minds furnished with. There are many that do use this body, (for a whole life-time that they live in it,) and the several parts and members that do belong to it, they do their proper offices with them day by day, and yet seldom, or ever, allow themselves to make a reflection, what a sort of creature is this body of mine? and how, and by what means, do the several parts of it serve for those several purposes for which I use them daily? Among all those that do use the body, and the several organs and instruments of action that do belong to it, how seldom do the most that do so, ever take notice what a sort of structure this is, and how it comes to be framed for such uses as the several parts of it serve for! That argues a great deal of stupidity among us, that we should move our hands, and feet, and eyes, as we do from day to day, and never consider with ourselves how these come to be moving things, or which way, or by what means, they are moved; as to think of the many instruments of this body that serve the purposes of motion, with what curiosity all those muscles are contrived and framed, without which there could be no motion, and which if there were not such variety of them, there would not be that variety of motion that we find, so many several muscles, no less than six belonging to each eye, that it may be capable of moving this way and that way, upward, downward, obliquely, and transversely. There could be no motion, if there were not such instruments lodged and placed on purpose to subserve this end. And as little do the most consider the movements of their own spirits, of their inward man; what kind of inducements they are that the mind of man is carried by, this way and that; how it is enabled to form designs and to contrive methods for the accomplishment of them, and to take such and such courses to bring them about. We use these noble powers and faculties every day, which we never consider, never contemplate. If we did allow ourselves to reflect and look a little inward upon ourselves, especially upon the powers of our own minds and spirits, and consider how they come to be engaged in action, this way and that, it were impossible but that such contemplation as that would carry up our souls to adore their own Father, the Father of spirits, and the Father of lights: He that had the fashioning of the spirit of man within him, and who doth order the course and current of all its motions, together with the inducements by which it should be made capable of moving this way and that, with so singular and profound wisdom, as that, if we did but more in this respect consider ourselves, we could not but more admire him, But this is plain and evident, that whether you look upon the spirit of a man as rational, or as regenerate and holy, it cannot but move towards an end. There is nothing that a man doth as a man, no human action, (as such,) but is done for an end. And there is no end that any can propose to himself, but under the notion of attainable; and there is nothing that a man can design or project as attainable, but it must be also inasmuch as it is attainable and hopeful; hopeful, inasmuch as hope hath reference to that which is good, and that which is future; inasmuch as that which one proposeth to himself, under the notion of an end, must be a good. That which is apprehended as | Christian's hope is to contend with, and must conquer for an evil, we avert, we shun, we fly from naturally, by the him, that he may be finally saved. As, natural constitution of our own souls; and that which we apprehend as good, we pursue and press towards it. Hope having for its object only that which is good, and that which is future, a distant good that I am not possessed of yet. It is impossible I can propose any thing to myself as my end, but at the same time, when I make it my end, I make it the object of my hope; and while I am pursuing it, all the series and course of the actions which I do in the pursuit and prosecution of it, I do continually, as having my mind all along influenced and animated by the hope of attaining it; for if I did not hope, I would give it over, never make one step more towards it. That whereof I simply despair, I must by the necessity that my own reason lays upon me, (as I am a reasonable creature,) give it over, and do no more towards it. This is the state of things with man as he is a reasonable creature. Look upon his soul as it is rational; thus it is with him; and look upon it as regenerate and holy, that spoils nobody's intellectuals. A man is not less rational for being regenerate, but the more; it mends his intellectuals. Them that were before foolish, and deceived, and disobedient, and serving divers lusts and pleasures, when by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, they are (as it were) new made; now they recover their understanding, and a rectitude of mind to that degree, that they now act more like men than ever they did before. And therefore, whether you look upon the soul of man as rational, or as regenerate, the influence of hope is of most absolute necessity to his pursuing any end or design whatsoever. But then, 2. If you do also consider the nature of hope, and its most proper and connatural work, to wit, to bear up the soul in a continual conflict with the difficulties it meets with, or is liable to meet with, in the way to its end. Therefore (as I told you before) as the objects of hope is somewhat good and future, so it is also attended with difficulty. So moralists usually give the notion of hope, and add that as the proper distinction of it from mere desire; for the object of desire is also somewhat good and future, appearing to be good and at a distance. If it were good, and not future, it would be the object of delight and joy; that is the exercise of the soul towards a present good, and wherewith it hath actual union already. But a distant good, both that which is apprehended to be in itself good and desirable and good for me, and which is at a distance, the affection that the soul exerciseth towards it, is desire, unto which if you superadd that further character of the object, to wit, an arduousness and difficulty of attaining the thing I purpose to myself, then it becomes the object of hope. It is the proper and connatural work of hope to contend with difficulty in attaining, or in the way towards the attaining that good, which we propose to ourselves to enjoy. Therefore now, this being the office and work of hope, its proper and specifying work, that by which it is distinguished from mere desire, to cope and contend with difficulties that lie in the way of attaining my end; the many difficulties that do fall into the course of a Christian, do give him that constant exercise through the whole of his course, that if there be not a hope maintained in him, proportionable to those difficulties, and that may enable him to keep on the conflict with them, the whole design of Christianity must needs be laid aside, and given up. It is not possible, that according to the constitution of the human nature, (and especially taking it in its regenerate state, which makes it so much the more reasonable and intelligent thing, than it was before,) I say, it is impossible it could hold on that course, were it not by the influence of this hope. And that leads me to consider, particularly, the many difficulties that occur in the course of a Christian, which are only superable by that principle of divine hope which God hath planted in him for this very purpose, to keep him in that course which he himself hath prescribed to him, and which leads to that glorious, blessed end, his own salvation. I shall but mention to you, to this purpose, some of the greater and more observable of those difficulties which a Difficulty 1. The invisibility of those objects, about which he is to be principally exercised through the whole of his course. When this is the state of one's case, that the objects wherewith we must have most of all to do; and wherein the sum of our felicity lies, and from whence all our present vigour and liveliness, and the continued strength of our souls for all the exercises of the Christian life, is to be drawn forth; when they are all things that lie quite out of sight with us, what should a man do in this case if it were not for hope? That hope which has a preapprehension of such things, and makes a representation of them to me, though they are unseen things. Herein lies the peculiarity and glory of hope, that it can do so. With that sort of objects doth its chief business lie. As in the remaining part of this verse, "We are saved by hope; but hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for ?" If there were not such a principle and power in a Christian as hope, referring to things unseen, whereas all his support, and all his vigour, and the liveliness of his spirit, through the whole of his course, must be derived and drawn from such things, what would become of him, if he had not that principle in him, by which he could converse with things that are out of sight? You have been formerly told, that hope, in all its exercises with reference to the final felicity of a saint, it grounds upon faith. I first believe the divine word, and that word becomes to me a clear and vivid representation of all things whereby the soul goes forth, in all the power of hope, to contend forwards towards them. It reaches forth to them by hope, when once it hath believed the reality and truth of them by faith. And so you come to have these two twisted together. Their object is the same, and their exercises conjunct, though they are distinct. "Faith is the substance (the hypostasis) of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen," Heb. xi. 1. To tell a Christian that hath engaged in a new and distinct way from that which is held by the universality of men besides, "You are now launched out upon a peculiar bottom of your own, pray what are the things that you design to entertain yourself with from day to day through the whole of your course? Why, they are things (saith he) that lie quite above this sphere,-things quite out of sight to you, and things that are quite out of sight to myself, as to any such eye as is common to me and to you. But, then, how will you come at these things?-What commerce have you with them? Why, I have that hope within me, grounded upon a steadfast belief of the Divine revelation of such things as I am sure cannot deceive me, by which my view of these is as clear as the things that are seen are clear to your view. And I should disdain to have my principal converse with them, or that they should be the chief object of the exercise of this soul of mine, now by Divine grace renewed, filled with new light, and with new inclinations, if they were not things of that peculiar and distinct kind that they are of, that is, invisible. If they were things that could be seen; if they were things that lay obvious to the notice of so mean a principle as your sense is, they would be too base things for me, I could not tell how to warrant myself, to justify myself; I could not answer it to myself, much less to him that hath given me the new law that I am to be governed by, if I should longer confine myself to so mean things: but because they are things not to be seen, quite out of sight, therefore doth my soul choose that noble employment, to be taken up about these things peculiarly from day to day. If they were not so high as to be quite out of sight, they were too low and too mean for me." So saith the renewed soul. But here is a difficulty not superable by any thing but a divine hope; that the best of the things which the soul is to be conversant about, and taken up with every day, lie quite out of sight; what could we do in such a case, it it were not for such a hope as can see, and discern, and anticipate, and give a preventive enjoyment of things that cannot be seen? And, Difficulty 2. The suitableness and gratefulness of things of sense, of sensible things, is another great difficulty, that |