life; as perfeverance therein to the end, notwithstanding all the difficulties that are in the way: Rom. viii. 38. "And we know, that all things work together for good to them that love God, and are the called according to his purpofe." Though the grace of God in him be like a spark of fire in an ocean, he ought firmly to hope, that the fame heavenly breath that kindled it will keep it in to the end. (3.) The mercy of all other good things, fc far as God fhall fee the bestowing them on us for his own glory, and our good. There are many particular things good in themselves, which we know not whether they will be so to us or not; for example, deliverance from fuch a trouble; therefore it is not to be abfolutely hoped for, but under this qualification, that God fees it to be good for us.

(3-) For the antecedent of this hope; that is faith, which is the evidence of things hoped for, Heb. xi. 1. There can be no true hope without faith; where faith does not open the door, hope cannot enter. Faith embraces the mercy in the promise of God, and hope waits for the accomplishment of the promise; fo that one cannot truly hope for that which God has not promifed, neither can one hope for the accomplishment of that promife which faith does not believe.

Lastly, The ground of this hope is God's free grace in Chrift and his faithfulness: 1 Pet. i. 13. "Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind, and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jefus Chrift." The mercy promised is quite above the finner's deferving; but he confiders the fulness and freedom of God's grace, and withal how unalterably he is to his word, and therefore hopes upon having that word made good to him.

A fecond question is, How may the hope of mercy be known to be prefumptuous? Ans. Prefumption is the foul-ruining plague, whereby a perfon affumes to himself what God has, by no teftimony of his word, declared to be his, and which alters the beautiful order of mercy eftablished by God, joining together what God has feparated, and feparated what he has joined. Upon this I obferve,

21.

1. That hope is prefumptuous, which is not founded on the Lord's word. Such hope is brifk in the dark, but lofes all its luftre by the light of God's word brought in upon it: John, iii. 20. "For every one that doth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, left his deeds fhould be reproved; but he that doth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifeft, that they are wrought in God." God's word is a friend unto his grace, but an enemy to delufion; it is the touch-stone that discovers the true metal and also the counterfeit. You hope for falvation, in what word of God is your hope founded? Does the Lord's word, fearchingly applied, ftrengthen or weaken your hope? Say you, The general invitations are the ground of my hope? Thefe may be grounds of hope that ye may get eternal life, if you will take God's way: But do you not hope that you fhall get it, without a due confideration of this? Now, these can never be the grounds of a folid hope, for all that hear the gospel are comprehended in thefe, as well as you.

(2.) That hope is prefumptuous, which overlooks and neglects the means appointed by God for the attaining of his mercy unto eternal life: 1 Pet. i. 3. "We are begotten by God to a lively hope, by the refurrection of Jefus Chrift from the dead." The way thou art to be happy for ever is, that thou be united to Chrift by a true faith,

that

that thou be a new creature, that tho lead a holy Doft thou neglect thefe, and yet hope all will be well? Thy hope is prefumption, and will ruin thee, Deut. xxix. 19. 20.

Laftly, That hope is prefumptuous, which is built without erafing the old foundation, Luke, xxxiv. 48. Many have hopes of heaven which grow up with themselves, they were never shaken out of themselves, nor had the naughtiness of their hopes difcovered, and fo never were led to Jefus Christ, to build on him by uniting with him.

A third enquiry may be, How may the hope of mercy be known to be true hope, which God will take pleasure in? In anfwer to this, it may noticed,

be

1. True hope is founded on the free grace of God in Chrift, 1 Pet. i. 13. quoted already. The fcriptures are written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of them, might have hope, Rom. xv. 4. Hope is not built upon our good difpofitions, good works, external and common benefits which we enjoy, for these are but a fandy foundation, unable to bear this weight; but the anchor of hope is caft fo as to fix upon the immoveable ground aforefaid, Heb. vi. 19. It is true holinefs difcerned by us in ourselves, as an evidence, that doth help us to a firm hope; but the ftrefs of hope lies not upon it as a ground-work.

2. True hope is a lively principle of fanctifition, 1 John, iii. 3. " And every man that hath this hope purifieth himself, even as he (God) is pure ;" and therefore it is called a lively hope, 1 Pet. i. 3. As a spring by degrees does work out the mud that is in a well, fo hope of mercy does work out corruption; as the profpect of the marriage-day makes the parties to be taken up in preparing for the marriage, fo the true hope of eter

nal

nal life puts one to be preparing for it, Rev. xix. 7. That hope which fuffers fm to lie untouched in heart and life, that does not put on a person to mortify fin, is a dead hope; and true hope carries to univerfal holiness, even as he is pure.

Laftly, It makes one diligent in the use of means appointed by God, Heb. x. 23.-25.; but withal not to reft on the means, but on the Lord. To hope, without using the means appointed and required, is prefumption; to reft on the means is a fpice of atheism. But that is true hope, which makes the foul delight in all duties and ordinances, to leave no appointed means uneffayed, in order to attaining the bleffed end; and then, when all is done, to place all confidence of fuccefs on the Lord.

With a view to prefs this holy lively hope, I would mention the following MOTIVES.

1. It is not only our comfortable attainment, but a duty required of all that believe, 1 Pet. i. 13. "Gird up the loins of your mind, be fober, and hope to the end." And therefore the apostle Paul preffeth diligence in seeking after it in full meafure, Heb. vi. 11. " And we defire that every one of you do fhew the fame diligence, to the full affurance of hope unto the end," and he prays for it, Rom. xv. 13. "Now, the God of hope fil you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the holy Ghost." It is a duty that is in a special manmer comfortable.

2. It is most neceffary; hope is as neceffary to a Chriftian, as a head-piece to a foldier in a battle, ■ Theff. v. 8.; as neceffary as an anchor to a ship, Heb. vi. 19.; yea, fo neceffary, that we are faid to be faved by it, Rom. viii. 24.

Laftly,

Laftly, It is a great friend to holiness, and perfeverance in the ways of God, I Cor. xv. 58.As it honours God's grace and goodness, so it ftrengthens the foul, and animates it to all duties, to fight against corruption and temptation, and to purfue holiness.

III. LET all be exhorted to entertain a holy fear of God, together with a holy hope for his mercy. Mix these, and balance your fouls with them, whatever your cafe be. While you are going through the world, keep your course in the middle between the two rocks of Prefumption and Defpair. For this purpose,

1. Beware of defponding or despairing of the mercy of God in Chrift. There is an allowable defpair, which all ought to entertain, in order to their getting their hope fixed on God, viz. a quitting of all hope in our own fufficiency, or ability to make ourselves happy by ourselves, or that ever we fhall be well, while we continue in a state of black nature. But what we call defpair is a giving over all hope in God, which is a horrible fin. There is a threefold defpair you fhould beware of, as ye would not ruin your own fouls.

(1.) A fenfual despair, which arifeth from an exceffive love of the profits and pleasures of this world, with a fecure contempt of spiritual and external good in another world, I Cor. xv. 32. "Let us," say they," eat and drink, for to-morrow we die." Alas! how many are there plagued with this? Their fouls are feftered with the defire of prefent good, which is their all, and, having no hope of better after this life, they give the fwing to their lufts after these.

(2.) A fluggish despair, Prov.xxii. 13. "The floth

ful