2. It is eminently The hope; therefore the Apostle calls faith the fubftance of things hoped for, that which makes them be before they be, gives a folidity and fubftance to them. The name of hope, in other things, scarce fuits with fuch a meaning, but founds a kind of uncertainty, and is fomewhat airy. For, of all other hopes but this, it is a very true word, that hope is the name of an uncertain good *: But the gospel, being entertained by faith, furnishes a hope that hath substance and reality in it; and all its truths do concentre into this, to give fuch a hope. There was in St Paul's word, befides the fitnefs for his ftratagem at that time, a truth fuitable to this, where he affigns his whole caufe for which he was in question, by the name of his hope of the refurrection, Acts xxiii. 6.

And, indeed, this hope carries its own apology in it, for itself and for religion. What can more pertinently answer all exceptions against the way of godliness than this, to reprefent what hopes the faints have, that walk in that way. If you afk, Whither tends all this, your precifenefs and fingularity? Why cannot you live as your neighbours, and the rest of the world about you? Truly the reafon is this, we have fomewhat further to look to than our prefent condition, and far more confiderable than any thing here; we have a hope of bleffednefs after time, a hope to dwell in the prefence of God, where our Lord Chrift is gone before us; and we know that as many as have this hope, must purify themselves even as he is pure, 1 John iii. 3. The city we tend to is holy, and no unclean thing shall enter into it, Rev. xxi. 17. The hopes we have cannot fubfift in the way of the ungodly world; they cannot breathe in that air, but are choked and ftifled with it; and therefore we must take another way, unless we will forego our hopes, and ruin ourfelves for company. 66 But "all that buffle of godlinefs you make, is but often

*Spes eft nomen boni incerti. Sen.

ation

"tation and hypocrify." That may be your judgment; but, if it were fo, we had but a poor bargain, Mat. vi. They have their reward, that which they defire (to be feen of men) is given them, and they can look for no more; but we fhould be loath to have it fo with us. That which our eye is on, is to come; our hopes are the thing which upholds us. We know that we shall appear before the Judge of hearts, where fhews and formalities will not pafs: And we are perfuaded, that the hope of the bypocrite fball perish, Job viii. 13.; no man fhall be fo much difappointed and afhamed as he; but the hope that we have makes not afhamed, Rom. v. 5. And while we confider that, fo far are we from the regard of mens eyes, that, were it not we are bound to profess our hope, and avow religion, and to walk like it, even before men, we would be content to pass through altogether unfeen, and defire to pafs as if it were fo; as regardless either of the approbation, or of the reproaches and mistakes, of men; as if there were no fuch thing, for it is indeed nothing.

Yea, the hopes we have make all things fweet. Therefore do we go through difgraces and fufferings with patience, yea with joy, because of that hope of glory, and joy, laid up for us. A Chriftian can take joyfully the fpoilings of his goods, knowing that he bath in heaven a better and an enduring fubftance, Heb. X. 34.

It is, as we faid, The hope. All the eftate of a believer lieth in hope, and it is a royal eftate; for outward things, the children of God have what he thinks fit to ferve them, but thofe are not their portion, and therefore he gives often more of the world to those that shall have no more hereafter: But all their flourish and luftre is but a bafe advantage, as a lackey's gaudy clothes, that usually make more fhew than his that is heir of the estate. How often under a mean outward condition, and very despicable every way, goes an heir of glory, born of God, and

fo royal; born to a crown that fadeth not, an estate of hopes, but fo rich and fo certain hopes, that the least thought of them furpaffes all the world's poffeffions. Men think of fomewhat for prefent, a bird in hand, as you fay, the beft on it: But the odds is in this, that when all present things shall be paft and swept away, as if they had not been, then fhall these ho pers be in eternal poffeffion; they only fhall have all for ever, that feemed to have little or nothing here.

Oh! how much happier, to be the meaneft expectant of the glory to come, than the fole poffeffor of all this world. Thefe expectants are often held fhort in earthly things, and, had they the greatest abundance of them, yet they cannot reft in that; yea, all the spiritual bleffings that they do poffefs here, are nothing to the hope that is in them, but as an earnest-penny to their great inheritance. So, indeed, it confirms their hope, and affures it unto them of that full eftate, and therefore, be it never fo fmall, they may look on it with joy, not fo much regarding it fimply in itself, as in relation to that which it feals and afcertains the foul of. Be it never fo fmall, yet. it is a pledge of the great glory and happiness which. we defire to share in.

It is the grand comfort of a Chriftian to look often beyond all that he can poffefs or attain here; and as to answer others, when he is put to it concerning his hope, so to answer himself concerning all his present griefs and wants: "I have a poor traveller's lot here, little friendship, and many ftraits, but yet I "may go cheerfully homewards: For thither I fhall

46

66

come, and there I have riches and honour enough; "a palace and a crown abiding me: Here nothing "but depth calling unto depth, one calamity and "trouble (as waves) following another; but I have "a hope of that Reft that remaineth for the people of "God, Heb. iv. 9. I feel the infirmities of a mortal "ftate, but my hopes of immortality content me un

❝ der

"der them. I find ftrong and cruel affaults of temp"tations breaking in upon me, but for all that, I "have affured hope of a full victory, and then of "everlasting peace. I find a law in my members re

;

belling against the law of my mind, Rom. vii. 23. "the worst of all evils; fo much strength of corrup"tion within me: Yet there is withal a hope with"in me of deliverance, and I look over all to that "I lift up my head, because the day of my redemption "draws nigh, Luke xxi. 28. This I dare avow and proclaim to all, and not be ashamed to anfwer, con"cerning this bleffed hope."

66

But then, 3dly, For the manner of this, it is to be done with meekness and fear. Meeknefs towards men, and reverent fear towards God.

1. With meekness. Not therefore bluftering and flying out into invectives, because he hath the better on it, against any man that questions him touching this hope; as fome think themselves certainly authorifed to rough speech, because they plead for truth, and are on its fide. On the contrary, fo much the rather ftudy meeknefs, for the glory and advantage of the truth. It needs not the fervice of paffion; yea, nothing fo differves it, as paffion when fet to ferve it. The Spirit of truth is withal the Spirit of meekness, the Dove that refted on that great Champion of Truth, who is the Truth itself, and from him is derived to the lovers of truth, and they ought to feek the participation of it. Imprudence makes fome kind of Chriftians lofe much of their labour, in fpeaking for religion, and they drive thofe further off, that they would draw into it.

And, 2. This defence is to be made with fear. Divine things are never to be spoke of in a light perfunctory way, but with a reverent grave temper of fpirit; and, for this reafon, fome choice is to be made both of time and perfons. The confidence that is in this hope makes the believer not fear men, to whom he answers, but ftill he fears his God, for whom he anfwers

answers, and whose interest is chief in those things he fpeaks of. The foul that hath the deepest fense of fpiritual things, and the trueft knowledge of God, is moft afraid to mifcarry in fpeaking of him, most tender and wary how to acquit itself when engaged to speak of and for God.

4thly, We have the faculty of this apology, be ready. In this there is implied knowledge, and affection, and courage. For knowledge is not required of every Chriftian, to be able to profecute fubtilties, and encounter the fophiftry of adverfaries, efpecially in obfcure points; but all are bound to know fo much, as to be able to aver that hope that is in them, the main doctrine of grace and falvation, wherein the most of men are lamentably ignorant.

Affection fets all on work; whatfoever faculty the mind hath, it will not fuffer it to be useless, and it hardens it againft hazards in defence of the truth, and produces that undaunted courage which this readiness expreffes.

But the only way fo to know and love the truth, and have courage for it, is that, to have the Lord fanctified in the beart. Men may difpute ftoutly against popery and errors, and yet be ftrangers to God and this hope. But fure it is the livelieft defence, and that which alone returns comfort within, when it arises from the peculiar intereft of the foul in God, and in thofe truths, and that hope, that are queftioned. It is then pleading for the nearest friend, and for a man's own rights and inheritance, and these will animate and edge it, when you apologize, not for a hope you have heard or read of barely, but a hope in you; not merely a hope in believers in general, but in you, by a particular fenfe of that hope within.

But, although you find it not fo ftrong in you for your particular intereft, yet, Are you feeking after it, and defiring it mainly? Is it your chief defign to attain unto it? then forbear not, if you have occafion,

to.