CHAPTER XV.

Two other inferences, from the consideration of the season of this blessedness: The former, that inasmuch as this blessedness is not attained in this life, the present happiness of saints must in a great part consist in hope. The latter, that great is the wisdom and sagacity of the righteous man, which waves a present temporary kappiness and chooses, that which is distant and future.

Inasmuch as the season of this blessedness is not on this side the grave, nor expected by saints till they awake; we may further infer,

9. That their happiness in the mean time doth very much consist in hope; or that hope must needs be of very great necessity and use to them in their present state for their comfort and support. It were not otherwise possible to subsist in the absence and want of their highest good, while nothing in this lower world is, as to kind and nature, suitable to their desires, or makes any colorable overture to them of satisfaction and happiness. Others (as the psalmist observes) have their portion in this life; that good, which as to the species and kind of it, is most grateful to them, is present, under view, within sight; and (as the apostle Rom. 8. 24.) Hope that is seen is not hope, for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for it? But those whose more refined spirits, having received the first-fruits of the Holy Spirit of God, prompt them to groan after something beyond time, and above this sublunary sphere; of them the apostle there tells us, that they are saved by hope. They (as if he should say) subsist by it; they were never able to hold out, were it not for their hope; and that a hope too, beyond this life, as is the hope of a christian; if in this life only we had hope in Christ, &c. 1 Cor. 15. 19. The hope of a christian, as such, is suitable to its productive cause, the resurrection of Christ from the dead; begotten to a lively hope by the resurrection, &c. 1 Pet. 1. 3. Thence is it the hope of a renewed, never-dying life, the hope of a blessed immortality; whereof Christ's resurrection was a certain argument and pledge.

Indeed the new creature is, ab origine, originally, and all along a hoping creature, both in its primum and its porro esse; It is conceived, and formed and nursed up in hope. In its production, and in its progress towards perfection, it is manifestly

influenced thereby. In the first return of the soul to God, hope being then planted as a part of the holy, gracious nature, now manifestly discovers itself, when the soul begins to act, (as turning after the reception of the divine influence, is its act) hope insinuates itself into (or induces rather) that very act. Returning is not the act of a despairing, but hoping soul. It is God apprehended as reconcileable, that attracts and wins it; while he is looked upon as an implacable enemy, the soul naturally shuns him, and comes not nigh, till drawn with those cords of a man, the bands of love. Hos. 11. 4. While it says, there is no hope, it says withal (desperately enough) I have loved strangers, and after them will I go. But if there be any hope in Israel, concerning this thing: if it can yet apprehend God willing to forgive, then let us make a covenant, &c. Ezr. 10. 2. 3. This presently draws the hovering soul into a closure and league with him. And thus is the union continued. Unsteadfastness in the covenant of God, is resolved into this not setting, (Psal. 78. 7—13.) or fixing of hope in him, or (which amounts to the same) setting of hope in God is directed as a means to steadfastness of spirit with him, and a keeping of his covenant. Revolting souls are encouraged to return to the Lord upon this consideration, that salvation is hoped for in vain from any other. (Jer. 3. 22. 23.) the case being indeed the same, in all afterconversions as in the first. God as multiplying to pardon, and still retaining the same name, the Lord, the Lord gracious and merciful, Exod. 34. 6. (which name in all the severals that compose and make it up, is in his Christ) invites back to him the backsliding sinner, and renews his thoughts of returning. And so is he afterwards under the teachings of grace led on by hope, through the whole course of religion towards the future glory. Grace appears, teaching sinners to deny ungodliness, &c. (Tit. 2. 11. 12. 13.) and in the looking for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of the great God, &c. So do they keep themselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Thus is the new creature formed in hope, and nourished in hope, and if its eye were upon pardon at first, it is more upon the promised glory afterwards. And yet that last end hath in a degree its attractive influence upon it, from the first formation of it; it is even then taught to design for glory. It is begotten to the lively hope, (where though hope be taken objectively, as the apposition shews of the following words, to an inheritance, yet the act is evidently connoted; for the thing hoped for, is meant under that notion, as hoped for :) and its whole following course is an aiming at glory; a seeking glory, honor, immortality, &c. Rom. 2. 7. Thus is the work of sanctification carried on; he that hath this hope purifieth himself. 1 John. 3. 3. Thus are losses sustained; The spoiling of goods taken joyfully through the expectation of the

3.

better and enduring substance. Heb. 10. 34. The most hazardous services undertaken, even an apostleship to a despised Christ,—In the hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie hath promised. Tit. 1. 1. 2. Tit. 1. 1. 2. All difficulties encountered and overcome, while the helmet is the hope of salvation. 1 Thes. 5. All worldly evils are willingly endured; and all such good things quitted and forsaken, for Christ's sake and his elects'. And if the question be asked, (as it was once of Alexander, when so frankly distributing his treasures among his followers) what do you reserve for yourself? The resolved christian makes (with him) that short brave reply, HOPE. He lives upon things future and unseen. The objects any one converses with most, and in which his life is as it were bound up, are suitable to the ruling principles of life in him. They that are after the flesh, do savour the things of the flesh; they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. Rom. 8. 5. The principle of the fleshy life is sense: The principle of the spiritual life is faith. Sense is a mean, low, narrow, incomprehensive principle, limited to a point, this centre of earth, and sò vũv this now of time; it can reach no higher than terrene things, nor further than present things: so brutish is the life of him that is led by it; wholly confined to matter and time. But the righteous live by faith. Their faith governs and maintains their life. They steer not their course according to what they see, but according to what they believe: and their daily sustenance is by the same kind of things. Their faith influences not their actions only, but their comforts and enjoyments. They subsist by the things they believe, even invisible and eternal things; but it is by the intervening exercise of hope, whose object is the same. The apostle having told us from the prophet, that the just shall live by faith, (Heb. 10. 38.) presently subjoins a description of that faith they live by, namely, that it is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen; (Heb. 11. 1.) it substantiates and realizes, evidences and demonstrates those glorious objects, so far above the reach and sphere of sense. It is constantly sent out to forage in the invisible regions for the maintenance of this life; and thence fetches in the provisions upon which hope feeds, to the strengthening of the heart, the renewing of life and spirits. Our inward man (saith the apostle 2. Cor. 4. 16. 18.) is renewed day by day; while we look, or take aim (which is next in the series of the discourse, for the intervening verse is manifestly parenthetical) not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen; for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal. And the word dxorovov bere rendered look doth plainly signify the act of hope as well as that of faith; for it doth not import a mere intuition or beholding, a taking notice or assenting only that there are such things, but a designing or scoping at them (which

is the very word) with an appropriative eye; as things that notwithstanding their distance, or whatsoever imaginable difficulty, are hoped to be attained to and enjoyed. And here are evidently the distinct parts of faith and hope in this business; faith, upon the authority and credit of the divine word and promise, persuades the heart that there is such a glorious state of things reserved for the saints in general, (faith can go no further for the word of promise goes no further) and so serves instead of eyes in the divine light, to view those glories; or it presents them (as so many substantial realities,) demonstrates them, submits them to view, whence hope reaches forth to them; contends against and triumphs over all attending difficulties, and possesses them; gives the soul an early anticipated fruition of them, for its present support and relief. So that it rejoices in the hope of the glory of God. Rom. 5. 2.-12. 12. It might well therefore be said, I had fainted, if I had not believed, (Psal. 27. 13. 14.) or who can express how sad my case had been, if I had not believed? for there is an elegant aposiopesis in the Hebrew text, the words "I had fainted" being supplied in the translation. If I had not believed, what had become of me then? As though he had said, Inasmuch as faith feeds, as it were, those hopes which more immediately the Lord makes use of, for the strengthening his people's hearts, as it was intimated in the following words, compared with Psal. 31. 24. In the present case; faith ascertains the heart, of the truth of the promises, so that thus the soul states the case to itself; Though I have not walked to and fro in those upper regions, nor taken a view of the heavenly inheritance; though I have not been in the third heavens, and seen the ineffable glory; yet the gospel-revelation, which hath brought life and immortality to light, the word of the eternal God, who hath told me this is the state of things in the other world, cannot but be true; my faith may therefore be to me instead of eyes; and the divine testimony must supply the place of light; both together give, methinks, a fair prospect of those far distant, glorious objects which I have now in view. Now this awakens hope, and makes it revive, and run to embrace what faith hath discovered in the promise: In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie hath promised. Tit. 1. 2. Psal. 119. 49. It is the word of God that causes the soul to hope, (that is believed, for disbelieved, it signifies nothing with it) and that not only as it contains a narration, but a promise concerning the future estate. I may without much emotion of heart, hear from a traveller the description of a pleasant country, where I have not been; but if the Lord of that country give me, besides the account of it, an assurance of enjoying rich and ample possessions there, this presently begets a hope, the pleasure whereof would much relieve a present distressed estate; and which nothing, but that of actual possession can exceed. That it is not more so with us

here, admits of no excuse. Is God less to be believed than a man? Will we deny him the privilege of being able to discover his mind, and the truth of things credible, which we ordinarily allow to any one that is not a convicted liar? Christ expects his disciples should very confidently assure themselves of the preparations made for them in another world, upon that very ground alone, that he had not told them the contrary: 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. I go to prepare, &c. (John 14. 1. 2.) intimating to them, they ought to have that opinion of his plainness and sincerity, as never to imagine he would have proselyted them to a religion that should undo them in this world, if there were not a sufficient recompense awaiting them in the other, but he would certainly have let them known the worst of their case much more might he expect, they should be confident upon his so often and expressly telling them, that so it is. If his silence might be a ground of hope, much more his word. And surely so grounded a hope cannot but be consolatory, and relieving in this sad interval, till the awakening hour.

10. Since this blessedness of the righteous is, as to the season of it, future, not expected till they awake, we may infer, that it is great wisdom and sagacity that guides the righteous man's choice; while he waves a present and temporary, and chooses this future and expected blessedness. It is true, that philosophy hath been wont to teach us, that choice or election hath no place about the end, because that is but one, and choice always implies a competition. But that very reason evinces, that in our present state and case, choice must have place about the end. That philosophy might have suited better the state of innocent Adam; when there was nothing to blind and bribe a man's judgment, or occasion it to deliberate about the supreme end, (then it might be truly said, deliberation itself was a defection,) nor to pervert and misincline his will; and so its action, in proposing its end, would be simple intention, not choice. But so hath the apostacy and sin of man blinded and befooled him, that he is at a loss about nothing more than what is the chief good. And though saint Augustine (De Civit. Dei. lib. 19.) reduce Varro's two hundred and eighteen differing sects about it to twelve, that is enough to prove (but daily experience doth it more convincingly and sadly) a real, though most unjust competition. Therefore a sinner can never be blessed without choosing his blessedness, and therein it highly concerns him to choose aright, and that a spirit of wisdom and counsel guide his choice. While man had not as yet fallen, to deliberate whether he should adhere to God or no, was a gradual declension, the very inchoation of his fall; but having fallen, necessity makes that a virtue which was a wickedness before. There is no returning to God without con