DireEiions againjl: finfi;l Hopzs. Tit. 5· DireEiions again(t ftnful Hopes. H 0 P E is nothing but a Defiroru expe[iation: Therefore the Direllion1 given before againO: fin ~o~:~t:t;h::~;n . ful Love and_ D_efire may fu_ffice alfo againfi: fin(ul Hupe~, favc only for rbe expeW;rg part. Hop; there were ta· JS finful, I· When lt IS placed ultimately upon a forbuidm ob)tU ; as to ljope for for.ne evil• to your ken out of felves which you rnifiakingly think is good: To hope for felicity in the creature, or to hope for m~ns m~n~ls, more .from it, rha~ it can afford you? To hop~ ~or the hurt of other men ; for the ruine of your fl:~m o_ptmons, enem1es; for the hmdrance of the Gofpel, and InJury to the Church of Chrifi:. z, When you hope h~~~::nt~lft: for a Goc·d tbin$ by evil meaJtJ ; a~ ~o Hope to .pleafe God, or to comet? Heaven by perfecuting his fer~ ~:alu:~._rio~s, vants, or by z.gnorancc o_r fieptr(htwn., or .(Chifm, or Hcrejie or ~ny hn. 3· To Flope ungroundedl.J unae;m:au?ns, for that from God, which he never promJfed. 4• To Hope decttr[ufly for that from GiJd which he &c. Si' '.' hath declared he will never give. All thefc are ji~tful Hopet: But it is not thefe lafi that I fhall hm ~~umin~:'~fa fay much to, becaufC J. have faid fo much already of them in many other writings. numb~r 13£ men, poor ilirunl.en things, full of melancholy :md indifpofition, and uncomfortlble tothem~lve5.• l ord B.zctnJ Effl_v. of lies, l>irett. 1. Dire[i.2. Di,.e/1· 3· Dirt11·4• Diro/1. 5· , Direl/. 6. Dire/1. 7• ~· 2· Dire&•.'. Hope for nothing from God agai11j1 f~it/1 or without faith; that. i1, for 1totbi 11 g n:htcb he bath fatd he.wtU not g1ve, nor for ~ny thz.ng whtch he bath not_ promife~ to gtve, or givm jJu fome reafon to rxpel1. To hope fer thlt whtch God hath told us he will not g1ve, or that which is againfi the Holinejf and Jujliceof God to give, this is but to H'~pe rhat God will prove a Jyer, or un-o holy or 11njt~jl, which are wic~d and bia[pheaming hopes• . Such are the H pu which abundance of ig· nor11nt and ungodlJr perfons have; who hope to be .faved nmhout regeneration, and Without true Ho!i~ neji of heart or life; and hope to be Caved in their willful impenittllCC and beloved fins ; who hopt that God [orgiveth them thofe fins;' which they hate not, nor will not be perfwaded to forf1ke: And hope that the faying over fome words of prayer, or doing fomething which they call a good work,, !hall f•ve them though they have not the fpirit of Chri1\ : Or that hope tn be faved, though they arc unfanctifiLd, becaufe they are not fo b1d as fome others, and live not in any J10torious dif~ graceful fin : All thefe believe the Devil who tells them that an z<nholy perfon may be faved, and be– lieve that the Gofpel is fal[e which faith, without Holinefi none jhaU fee the LIJrd, Heb. 12. 14. and they Hope thlt God will prove unholy, :<njujl, and falfe to fave them, and yet this they call aHopi•g in Gcd. Hope fi.r th.zt which God hathpromi[ed, and fpare not; but not for that which he hath faid he will not do, yea protefied c.nnot be? J ohn 3· 3, 5· ~· 3. Direct. 2· l'Yhm thou Hopejl for a1ry evil to otherI, or tby fi.lf, remember wbtJt tf monftroU! thing it iJ to nuk.._e evil the obje{i of thy Hope, and how thofe Hopu are bm tby h.tjlnilJg ttmo cbofen mi[try, and contradili themfelvu. For thou Hoptfl for it as Good, and robe greedy for evil on fuppolition that its good, cloth fhew thy folly that wilt t•y no better the objects of thy Hopet: Like a fick man rhat longs and hopetbfor that which if he take it wiU be his death : Thus finners ·hop< for the poyfoned bait. ~· 4· Direct. 3· Vnderfttt;td how. m!tch of tbe root of w3rldli1ttji coJtfljleth in yottr worl4ly Hoper. Poor wot.'dlingJ have little in poffethon to deligbt in: but they keep ~tp a Hope of more within them. Many a covetous or ambitioJa wretch, that never reacheth that which he ddin:th, yet liverh upon rhe Hopu of it: And Hupe is it that fctteth and keepeth men at work in the fcrvice of the world, the fie.fh and the Devil ; as Divine Hope doth fet and keep men at work, for Heave1t, for their foulJ, an.J for Jefus Chrifl. And rpany an Hypocrite that lofeth much upon the account of his Religion> yet fheweth his rottennefs by keeping up his worldly hopu, and going no further than will iland with thofe. ~· 5· Direct. 4• Hath n01 the world deceived all th>t have hoped in it unto thi< day: Confider what is become of them and of their Hopu ? What hath it done: tor them, and where hath it lefr them ? And wilt thou place thy Hopu in that which hath deceived fo many generationsof men already. ~ . 6. DireCt. 5· Renumbertb.zt thy worldly Hupes are a fin fo fub) co11denmed by n:Jtttral demonjra~ tion, that thou art11tter!y left without txcufr. Thou art certain ~efore-hand that rhou mull die : Thou Jtnowtft how vain the world will be then to thee; and how liule it can do for tlu:e; And yet art thou Hoping for more of the world ' . ~· 7· Direct. 6. Ccnfidcr that tlJt world declartth its VJnity i~t the Vff)' Hopt! of worldlingr. In t~~t 1t is Hill drawing them by H pe1, and never giveth them [atiJf.ztlion and content. Ahnolt all rhe hfe of a worldlings pleafure is in h<S H.epe1: The very thing which he hopeth for, doth not prove fo fweer to him in the po!Tdfion, as it was in his hopu. AHoping and Hoping flill for that which they never fhall arrain, is the worldlings life. ~· 8. Dire&. 7· 0 tum your fo«ii to tbofe birffed Hope1 of life etcrn.zl, which aft fim you from H<a· Vtil by Je[U! Chrijf, and {et before you i;~ the holy ScrlptttrtJ, and prccltJimed to yore by tht meffingers of groce. Doth God offer you fure weU-groundtd hopes, of living f11r ever in his Joy and. GlJry l And _do . you neglect them, and lie hoping for that feliciry in the world which cannot be arramed, ~nd wh1~h will give no content when you Jhave attained it? This is more foolifh than to toyl and Itnpovenlh your felvcs in Hope to tind the Philofophers fione, and refufe a Kingdom freely olfmd. Tit.6.
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