5 18 fhap.3 t. An Expoftion upon the Book of J o Verf.24. Hope Le anaftlion ofthe mirdputforthor ailed upon good,fu- ture'andpsffible. Tha ob;ed of hope ( according to this definiti- on) is Goodunder a two fold notion Hope lookes to that which is good ; no man everdid or canhope for that which is evil) in it fclfe, and to him, ifit appeared fo co him, though many have ho- ped for that which indeed is fo, and bath proved fo to them in the event. And as the objedof hope is forne good thing ; to it is good Firft, as future and to come ; for that which a man hath in his poffeílion, or loth already injoy, hecannot hope for : in. joyment (wallows up hope, or rather perfects it. Secondly., the objed of hope is Come poffi de good, or filch agood as we have grounds toattains. Impofliblesare rather theobjed of defpaire then ofhope. But though this be thenature of hope fiddly ta- ken, that it refpefls only good future or attained and poflïble or attainable : yet Gold already attained andpofîeffed is as much theobject ofhope in the fence ofthis text, as that which is only attainable and unpoffefs'd.And as men hope to get Gold,fo they make the Gold which they have gotten their hope. There is a great difference between hoping for gold, and ma- king gold our hope. Wee may hope forgold or anyofthe good thingsof this life,but we muff not make gold or any thingof this life our hope. To make gold eyther gotten or tobe gotten our hope, imply- eth there foue things. Firft, An high elimationofit, as that which can doe great things for us,or Rand us in (lead beyond anyother thing,tomake us happy. Secondly, A longing defire after it; There is alwayes fo much defire of that wehope for, that the thing hoped for is fometime expreffed bydefire (Pro. r 3.a z.) Hope deferred nnaketh the heart ficke, but when the de/re(that is, the thinghoped for) cometb, it is a treeoflife. Thirdly, Utmoft earned endeavours toobtaine it ; that which aman makes his hope he will make his worke, and never ceafeth worlsing,eyther till he bath attained it,or is convinced that there is no poflibilityofattaining it. Fourthly , Tomakegold our hope , implyeth much trouble and anxietyofminds, when once we fee our endeavours ineffe- duali and unfaccelfefull about the attaining ofir. If hope defer- red
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