THe Condition of Man in this World is such, that he often meets with many things which cause trouble and vexation of Spirit; and the best of Men are not secure from such evills, but as liable as others to be afflicted with them. The Wisdom of God sees it fit very frequently to lay heavy burdens of afflictions upon his own Servants, to let [Page 2]them be intangled in the nets of wicked Men, to be caught in the Briars of Tri­bulation, and to make them pass through the Fiery Trial of Persecution: And were it not that they had a prospect of Deliverance from such Miseries, and of a Blessed Reward, after they have pati­ently endured for a while, they would sink under the weight of such Calamities: but when they consider that the things wherein they find present trouble, and sorrow, are design'd for their Advantage another way, that they will have a speedy and a happy end; and that God has pre­par'd unspeakeable Joy, Rest, and Peace, to succeed these Miseries, and to reward the Courage and Patience of those, who bear them with Submission and Resignati­on to his will: These thoughts beget joy and comfort in their Souls, and make them esteem themselves happy in those circumstances, wherein to the Eye of the World they appear most miserable. The hope of what is to come makes their pre­sent afflictions seem light and turns their heaviness into Joy. The Expectation of [Page 3]Gods gracious Deliverance out of their troubles, and the blessedness of a future Life which they are assured of, does over­ballance all the thoughts of their present hardships and ill treatments in the World, and makes them look on 'em as matter of Joy; and not of grief.

Such a hope as this, which causeth Re­joycing, is that which St. Paul speaks of in this place; a hope of heavenly Felicity wherewith God hath promised to reward the good Services, the Sufferings, and Con­stancy of pious Christians. With this hope he bids these Christians to comfort themselves, and rejoyce in it. And this Advice was very proper for their conditi­on: for they had then many Enemies and Persecutors who hated them and their Re­ligion, and brought great calamaties up­on 'em, not suffering them to rest and en­joy a peaceable Life, because they had embrac'd and did constantly profess the Doctrine of Christianity which by the Ig­norant and unconverted World was then every where spoken against.

In this afflicted persecuted State they [Page 4]had need of encouragement, to make them to persevere in the Love and professi­on of that Truth, for which they then suf­fered. And how does the Apostle en­courage them? He bids 'em Hope, He advises 'em to look forward upon the Blessedness of a Future Life, the Joys and Glories of Eternity, and to expect them as their portion, and Reward of their Suf­ferings: And so in respect of this Felicity to come, which God had assur'd them of, to rejoyce in the midst of all their world­ly troubles, knowing that these would not last long, and that the End of 'em would be peace.

One would have thought it a very un­reasonable Exhortation, to bid those Christians Rejoyce, who had then so much Cause to be sorrowful; when they suffer'd so many reproaches, underwent so many hardships, and were in all re­spects so spitefully treated by their Ene­mies. But in the worst of times and Conditions, Christianity has wherewithal to comfort its Professors, and make their Hearts joyful: and this is one of those [Page 5]Spiritual Comforts; viz. the Hope of E­verlasting Happiness, this outweighs the heaviest burden of worldly Calamities, and gives us a chearful Spirit in the midst of our greatest Sufferings. For, when we have this hope, we consider, not so much what we are at present, as what we shall be; we are the less concern'd at the Evils we suffer in this World, be­cause we see beyond 'em, and do expect a Blissful State where we shall suffer no more; where we shall have no more Sorrow, and where all Tears shall be wip'd off from our Eyes.

Since therefore such a hope as this is so useful and beneficial to us in our Christi­an course, I shall make it my business at this time to shew you,

First, The Nature of it.

Secondly, What you must do to get it.

And Thirdly, Of what use and advan­tage it will be to you at all times, but especially in Adversity, and when you are under such Trials as these Christians heretofore were.

I. Hope (as it is a Christian Grace) is nothing else but a comfortable Expe­ctation of the fulfilling of Gods Promises, belonging to this life, or that to come. Here in my Text the Apostle speaks of hope as it respects the Promises of God belonging to a future Life.

By this Description of Hope which I have given you, the Nature of it does appear, and also the objects and the ground of it.

As for the Nature of it, 'tis an expecta­tion and earnest looking for of something to come. For hope that is seen is not hope, (saith the Apostle) for what a Man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Rom. 8.24, 25. So that it must be somthing Future, about which our hope is employed.

And then for the Object of it, that is always some good thing, which we be­leive we shall be the better for, and will, in some measure conduce to our happiness for we never hope for things that will hurt us, and make us miserable; but [Page 7]on the contrary deprecate all such evills, and wish they may never come upon us. Again.

If we consider the ground of this Hope, it is built upon the promise of God, which he has made to pious Men concerning things to come, concerning the Felicity of a Future State; Now these Promises of God being a most sure and certain ground, our hope that is built upon them must be so too. And herein this Grace of Hope differs from all other expectations, which have no other Foundation but the words or Promises of Men, who somtimes want Power, and somtimes Will to perform what they promise: and so the hopes of them who depend upon them must needs be uncertain. But God is pow­erful to do whatever he promises, and he is true and just and will never fail nor deceive those, who put their confidence in his word. Thy word is true from Everlasting, says the Psalmist. He is faithful that hath promised, says the A­postle So that the Hope of Christians [Page 8]for Heavenly bliss is as well grounded as it can be, in that it is bottom'd upon the most sure and infallible promises of God.

Now an Eternal heavenly Life being the best thing we hope for, we are most unwilling to be disappointed of it, because such a disappointment of the greatest Felicity would make us most miserable. We therefore desire to have it secur'd to us, and made as certain as possible: and so it is; we are as certain of it as the Promises of God can make us; and if there be nothing of Fallibility or deceit in them (as certainly there is not,) then are we as sure as we can be of Future happiness, and our hopes grounded upon those promises are most rational, certain, and full of Comfort.

Take away this hope from Men, and and what are they then but wretched Creatures, tho they have all the felicity this World affords? for 'tis not all the wealth and glory of the Earth, that can bear up Mens Spirits, and make them comfortable, under a despair of Heaven. [Page 9]The thoughts of not inheriting the King­dom of Heaven will take away all the delight and comfort of Earthly possessi­ons. Whatever we have here, 'tis as nothing to us, if we have not hopes of enjoying somthing better hereafter. Yea, when this hope of Heaven is not quite destroyed, but only lessen'd or weak­en'd by some doubts and fears; what a trouble is this to us, and how witless are our minds, whilst those doubts and Fears remain! my next work therefore is to shew you, how to have the joy and comfort of a sure and well grounded hope.

II. You have heard that the Promises of God are the ground of this hope of Everlasting Life: Now, that which gives us a right to those Promises and an int'rest in them, does also make us partakers of this hope. How then do we come to have an int'rest in the priviledges of Felicity, but by performing the conditi­ons upon which those promises are made. Those Conditions are propos'd to us in [Page 10]the Gospel, viz. Faith, Repentance and Christian Obedience: In general a pious and Religious Life answerable to the Gos­pel Rules. Upon Condition of such a Christian behaviour God hath promis'd us Eternal Life, and if we are qua­lifi'd with such a behaviour, we may hope; and be confident, that God will perform his promise of Blessedness to us.

But, because men are apt to de­ceive themselves with false hopes of heart, it concerns us to know, when this hope is true and when 'tis false.

For our Direction and Information in this particular, St. John has given us a certain rule, whereby to know this. E­very man that hath this hope purifieth himself. 1 Ep. 3. V. 3. i. e. He lives a pure and virtuous life, abhorring the filthiness of Vice and Impiety. For he considers that the promises of Felicity are conditional, and that God is not bound to perform them unless they do their Duty; and so they endeavour to discharge that by li­ving as purely and piously as they can, [Page 11]that nothing may be wanting on their parts to hinder them from obtaining the promised happiness of the World to come. Thus a true hope is discernible from any other, by a holy Christian conversation which always attends it.

So that when a man reflects upon his Life, and finds that he sincerely endea­vours to please God by holy obedience, by a strict, innocent pure conversation, and upon that, hopes to be sav'd, and enjoy the promis'd Reward of Gods hea­venly Kingdom, his hope is then sure and well grounded, he hopes for nothing but what the Gospel encourages, and God commands him to hope for.

But, that others do hope for Heaven and the glories of it, who have not sufficient ground and warrant for such an expectation, is certain, and com­monly to be observ'd. Men that do not purifie themselves, nor take any care to reform their lives, and adorn them with Christian vertues; but on the con­trary indulge themselves in all vitious impurities and Unchristian practices, even [Page 12]these do hope nevertheless to be sav'd, and boldly lay claim to the promises of Eter­nal happiness.

But tho these do so, their Claim is not just, nor their hope rational: yea, 'tis not so properly Hope, as Presumption; an expectation of some good, which a Man has no good ground nor Reason to expect. Such is the hope of all un­godly Men, that take pleasure in Sin, and hate to be reform'd, and we are expresly told in Holy Scriptures that their Hope shall perish.

What good then can it do them to hope for that, which they are never like to obtain, and that which it is a­gainst all Reason for them to expect. They do but deceive themselves by such false and groundless hopes; and this is a ve­ry pernicious way of deceiving them­selves too: for when they presume they shall be happy and go to Heaven, tho they live impiously; They go on in that Presumption, and never take care to reform their lives; and so at last come to a fearful end, and dye in their Sins.

And therefore such persons as are thus bold and forward to declare their hope of Heav'n, should consider the Danger of such a destructive confidence, and not run themselves into ruine by a false and flattering hope of being sav'd.

Methinks it should be easie to reason such Men out of their vain Confidence, yea, they might easily reason themselves out of it. For thus a Man might say to himself I am told in Holy Scriptures, ‘that there is such a blessing as Eternal Life. I find every where that God has promis'd this Blessing only to them that live piously. If then I am none of those pious ones, to whom those promises are particularly made; how can I expect to have a share in that Felicity? If God has promis'd it to none, but to such as Love and Obey him; He has not not promis'd it to me who am none of that Number: And if I am none of that Number included in the promise, I am very unreasonable to think or hope I shall be happy with them; I am Presumptus to expect the Blessing [Page 14]without performing the Duty requir'd in order thereunto. I promise my self that I shall be happy, but my promise is nothing without Gods promise: This I have not, therefore the other can do me no good, I do hope, but I have no ground for my hope; and so it can be but a vain expectation, and I shall surely deceive my self by it, and instead of a Blessing I shall in the end meet with a miserable Disappointment. Yea, it is yet more reasonable for me to think so; because I hope not onely without any promise of God to encourage me, but also against the Express Word of God in his many Threatnings and De­nuntiations of misery to such wretched and Unreform'd Sinners as I am: Ei­ther God saies true, in those threat­nings, or he does not: If he does, (as is most certainly to be believ'd) then what reason can I have to hope, I shall be sav'd, tho I continue in my Sins, when God saies the contrary? Can I be happy whether he will or no? Can I force my way into Heaven? And [Page 15]take possession of that glorious Inhe­ritance? I cannot be so foolish to think so, and therefore the result of all is this, That before I can have a sure, and rational, and well-grounded hope I must reform my wicked life, and re­solve to serve God in Holiness and Righte­ousness all my daies; then, and not till then, shall I be able to hope for Hea­ven with any Comfort and Assurance.’ After this manner therefore let us reason with our selves, and by this means we shall perceive our Folly and Danger, in re­lying upon weak and unwarantable Foun­dations, and in flattering our selves with vain hopes of Heaven, while our viti­ous Conversations carry us directly to­ward Hell.

By what I have said so plainly on this point you cannot but understand, when your hope of Heaven is true and when false; when it has good Founda­tion, and when it has none. And therefore unless you are willing to cheat your selves you cannot be deceived in this matter. Consider your lives what they are, and [Page 16]thence judge of your hope: If they be good and comformable to the Rules of Christian Piety, then is your Hope war­rantably grounded; if they be wicked your hope is vain and deceitful. 'Tis, true wicked men may hope for the Fru­ition of a better life, but it is upon this supposition, that they first change their manners and live Religiously: but while they remain wicked, and resolve never to be otherwise, their trusting in God, and hoping for his mercy and Salvation, is no Virtue, but a great Sin, 'tis a pre­sumptuous dependance which God is ne­ver pleas'd with. It is a peice of high Injustice to expect and lay claim to that whereto they have no right. Let us be sure therefore to lay a good Foundation for our hope, that in the end we may not be disappointed. 'Tis of the great­est concernment to us to endeavour not to be deceiv'd in this matter. He that lives well may hope well; as for o­thers, their Expectations are Vain.

III Let us now see of what use this [Page 17]Christian hope is to those that have it, and what advantages men receive by it. It serves to many good purposes:

First, At all times it encourages men to serve God diligently, chearfully, and constantly: For when we have a pro­spect of so great Happiness as is pre­par'd in the Kingdom of Heaven, and have hope of enjoying it, upon Condi­tion we carefully perform our Christian Duties. We think it well worth our la­bour to qualifie our selves for that high­est Felicity, by conforming to God's Will in all points of holy obedience. For the hope that is set before us, we think it not reasonable to grudge the perform­ance of any thing that is in our power: This makes Religious Duties more easie and pleasant to us: We set about them with chearfulness, when we hope for so great a Reward after we have done 'em. Thus as a good Life encourages us to hope, so that hope encourages to persevere in a good Life.

2. The Hope of Heaven and Eter­nal Joys makes men put a just estimate upon things here below, and not to overvalue, or too much love this present World. For, when men have such ex­cellent and eternal enjoyments in their Eye and Expectation, they make no great account of earthly transitory things, nor settle their affections upon them, but passing by these lesser matters, as­pire with the greatest ardour of affecti­on after those enjoyments wherein they are sure of perfect Satisfaction, and of which they are never to be dispossess'd.

Whereas we see other men whose hopes of future blessedness is either very languishing, or who have none at all, to be very so licitous about the World, to love it excessively, and to prize it as their chief Felicity. They mind not the things of Eternity, because they want this hope to elevate their minds and draw them off from the World. Happy then are they, who have this hope, which makes them mind and regard most the things that are most regardable, and [Page 19]keeps them from being Slaves to the World, and overprizing Vanities and trifling enjoyments.

3dly. In all afflictions and worldly adversities this Hope comforts and sup­ports us: Whatever our condition be, how deplorable soever our circumstances in the World; yet we are not dejected, we cannot think our selves unhappy, while we have this Hope. For what­ever our troubles and sufferings are, our hope of being deliver'd from them, and enjoying a State of perfect Peace and Happiness afterwards, makes us bear 'em patiently and chearfully. If we are hated and evil-entreated in the World; if we Suffer Poverty, Shame, Re­proach, or any thing else, that the ma­lice of wicked men can bring upon us, we are the less mov'd at these things, because if we suffer 'em upon a good account, we are sure we shall be gainers by 'em, and in that respect we can look upon 'em as matter of rejoycing, as the A­postles and primitive Christians did who [Page 20]rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer in a good cause, for the Name of Christ, and the Sake of true Religion. This St. Paul declares, Rom. 5, 2, 3, 4, 5. We rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God. And not onely so but we glory in Tribulation also, knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience, and Patience Experience, and Experience Hope; and Hope maketh not ashamed.

Men who have this Hope of the Glory of God will never be ashamed of those Sufferings, which they know are the way to it: But for the Sake of that eternal weight of Glory, which they hope for, will rejoyce in them. And thus St. Paul advised these Christians, To rejoyce in this Hope, and to be patient in Tribulation, both which are here joyn'd together. This was nothing but what their Saviour had done before, who for the Joy that was set him, endured the Cross despising the shame. And unless we take up our Cross and follow him, (When 'tis necessary so to do,) He tells us we are not worthy of him. To him therefore [Page 21]let us look in all our Sufferings as to the Author and Finisher of our Faith, as to the true Promiser of Heavenly Glory, and not be ashamed to tread in those holy Steps of his which will surely lead us to a blessed Eternity, and bring us to Sit down with him at the right hand of God. If ever we should come to be in such Circumstances as these Christians were, when St. Paul gave 'em this Exhortation, if we should be persecuted for Christs Sake, and Suffer the Hatred of the World for our ad­herance to the truth; if we should be depriv'd of our Goods, of our Liberty, and all that we esteem of in this World: Let us not be asham'd to Suffer, nor murmur at our Condition, but on the contrary, rejoyce and glory in such sufferings, which are indeed the shame of our Enemies, but our glory who endure 'em. Let us hope, to the end and Comfort our selves with the many promises of a Blessed Reward. Holding fast the Pro­fession of our Faith without wavering, know­ing that he is Faithful that has promis'd, and [Page 22]being well assur'd, that he will abundant­ly recompence all that we Suffer for him, And for our light afflictions which are but for a moment, will reward us with an eternal and exceeding weight of Glory.

Now to, &c.