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it; and made over to Christ, the Mediator, that it should be put into his hand to perform it to us. And it is unchangeable, as is all the truth of God: for "he cannot lie," neither is there any shadow of change in him. What can we desire more? Carry this evidence along with you, and show it to yourself upon every disquietness and deep plunge of heart; and how can you choose but convince yourself that your melancholy and distrust is causeless? "The hope of the righteous shall be gladness. And "we rejoice in hope." The design of hope is considered four ways: First, it intends unto that which is good;—which makes a difference between hope and fear; for we hope for that which is good, we fear that which is evil. Secondly, it is not that good which is present, but absent; and this makes a difference between hope and fruition. "Hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?" Thirdly, though it be a good absent, and not yet obtained, yet it is possible; which is the difference between hope and despair: but we have no colour for despair, since all things are possible to God. Fourthly, it is a possible good, but bonum arduum,' to be gotten with difficulty and pains; which puts a difference between the diligence of hope and careless security. These are the four promontories of hope, and a good wind blows. from every quarter.

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I. First, it is good for a man to hope, since we hope for that which is good, so good that it exceeds all that eye hath seen: for as yet we see not God but in his creatures. Nor ear hath heard it, that is, in its full, unutterable excellency, which the words of holy Scripture cannot express to our imperfect Then "neither can it enter into the heart

reason.

Prov. x. 26.

+ Rom. xii. 12.

Rom. viii. 24.

of man :" for things can seem no greater than words can utter. "We know as yet but in part, hereafter we shall know as we are known." If we have boasted to the heathen, that we look for a kingdom and a crown of glory, we are sure we shall not be ashamed of that hope.* We may be ashamed that we have doted upon petty things, out of which we have devised felicity, and they have failed and deceived us: but our treasure laid up in the heaven is so sure, that in the end, and in the day of trial, none shall insult over our hope, and say, 'Where is now the Lord your God?' If a mortal man detain the wages of the labourer, it is a sin: therefore, it cannot be incident to God, "who is not unrighteous to forget our work and labour of love."† "We shall not always be forgotten our expectation shall not perish for ever."‡ The judgment of a good eyesight is to see afar off; so, in the judgment of a good hope, to remark the unspeakable reward of a better age to come. Whereupon it hath sufficient satisfaction and content to leave or to lose all it hath, things "not worthy to be compared to the glory which is revealed in us."§ The rich mines and golden trade of both the Indies are on the other side the line: so the rich trade of hope is in the other world. Change your poor freight which is your lading in this vessel of clay, and barter it for an immortal possession.

Hope that is not under the embers, but mounts up into a trembling flame, reckons not what it is worth by a very little which it hath in hand, but by its share which is reserved in the storehouse of God's eternal recompense. Now I am abased; but there is mine honour, a far more abundant exceeding weight of glory. Now I carry about a crazy, sickly body; there it shall be immortal, and incident to no dis

* Rom. v. 5. Heb. vi. 10. Psalm ix. 18. Rom. viii. 18.

temper. Now my neighbours and acquaintance despise me, and run far from me; there I shall be enrolled with angels and saints, and "with the church of the first-born, and with the spirits of just men made perfect.' ." Now I live in all disorder of church ordinances, in distraction of schisms, in the filthy stench of old and new heresies; but there is the New Jerusalem, where all things set forth the glory of the Lamb, in beauty, and holiness, and truth. Now I must die, and deliver up my body unto the dust; but Christ died and rose again the third day, and will bring again with him, in due time, all those that sleep and "comfort one another with these words," saith St. Paul.† And as when Christ ascended into heaven," he went up with a merry noise, and the Lord with the sound of the trumpet;" so let every heart break out into praise and gladness, whose hope flies up unto the Lord in his holy places : "holding fast the confidence, and the rejoicing of hope firm unto the end."§

II. Stay yet, and consider it is a good which is absent, that we hope for: when it is come, and brought to pass, hope is at the journey's end. "Say to the righteous, it shall be well with him, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings."|| It shall be well; 'dixit, erit.' It is not paid down, as we say, in ready money, but we have a good bond for assurance. Let one object upon this, 'Doth not hope deferred afflict the soul?' Yet be not disheartened; it is better than so. For first, we have somewhat in hand; because that which faith lays hold of, is really and actually its own: now hope is faith's rent-gatherer, and takes up that which faith claims upon the bargain, which Christ hath made for us.

To be clearer yet: "We are sealed with the Holy

* Heb. xii. 23. § Heb. iii. 6.

+ 1 Thess. iv. 14.

Isaiah iii. 10.

+ Psalm xlvii. 5.

Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance."* You see then, that though we have not the inheritance as yet, we have the earnest of it; and an earnest penny is more than nothing. Here I must distinguish between a pledge and an earnest. A pledge is laid down for assurance to repay that which was lent; but an earnest is given upon a bargain, to keep that till the rest be brought in. Now the earnest we receive of the kingdom to come, is the seal of the Spirit, an imprinted comfort that it shall be ours, a seal that cannot be defaced, a comfort that cannot be taken from us. So much as you have of that seal, so much you have of the earnest: therefore, you cannot say that hope hath quite nothing to stay its longing. The blossoms of the spring do not only promise, but are God's earnest, to represent the fruits which will wax ripe in autumn.

I will make it out in another similitude. He that is in a merchant's warehouse, where spices are stored up, shall have some taste of them in his palate by their strong scent, though he put not one corn into his mouth so we taste heaven, because the Spirit that comes from heaven, dwells in us, and gives many delightful signs of a glorified reversion.

But to go forward: it may not be denied but that hope is anxious and restless, till it come to enjoy. How tedious a thing it is to stay long without the company of them whom we entirely love! and can it be otherwise than irksome, to be so long absent from the vision of God, and of Christ compassed with innumerable angels? St. Paul says no less: "We that have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body." Here are groans and sighs indeed; but we shall never be sea-sick with that easy tossing, having "hope as an anchor of our souls."

*

Eph. i. 13, 14.

+ Rom, viii. 23.

Heb. vi. 19.

Hope of the right stamp, looking for the appearance of God, and the reward that he brings with him, hath a good mate that goes together with it, and that is patience. In the saddest book of the Scripture,* it is written, "It is good that a man should hope, and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord." Which, that it may not be wanting, we must contend for it in prayer, as it is "The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and the patient waiting for Christ." And it is no difficult thing to be persuaded. For when we are held off for a while from the inheritance of heaven, do we not attend God's leisure? And will the handmaid wait for her mistress, being in some degrees of place above her? And shall not the creature stay the leisure of the Creator, so infinite above us! Beside, the expectation of the recompense will increase the recompense, and make it more superlative; therefore, "let not him that believes make haste." Nay, so your spirit will be patient, the Lord will allow you your importunity to call upon him to hasten: My strength, haste thee to help me." Finally, stay for that contentedly, which, when it comes, it comes but once, and shall abide for ever.

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III. Another degree upon which hope steps higher, is this, that her aim is possible. I have said how that which is proposed to it, is good; that it is not disconsolate, though it be in futurition, and not yet obtained (for it is too good to be yet obtained ;) if patience have its perfect work, it can attend cheerfully. My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from him." || Strike we therefore pleasantly upon this third string, that the past object of divine hope is to be accomplished. "For I run not as uncertainly, I fight not as one that beateth the air."¶

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* Lam. iii. 26. Psalm xxii. 19.

+ 2 Thess. iii. 5.
|| Psalm lxii. 5.

1 Isaiah xxviii. 16.

1 Cor. ix. 26.

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