6oS H 0 P E COMPARED TO AN A N C H 0 R. BookiV. Obje£1. But it is through Faith they fland, an(! their Faith may fail? /lnfw. Chrift, as I lbewed before, bath prayed, that their Faith fail 110t ; and be– fides, he is the Author, Increafer, and Finifher of it. He that bath begmz a good JVor* in you, will perform it unto the Day of Cbrifl, Phi/. i. 6. 'J'welfthly; Regeneration is a fure Ground of Hope. 'That which is bom of the Flefb, is Flejb; that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit. John iii. 6. Being bom again, not of corruptible Seed, but of incorruptible, &c. I Pet. i. 23. Such as is the Seed, fuch is the ProduCt of it: The Seed being immortal; by which the Saints are regenerated ; fure this may be fure Ground of Hope, that they fhall not perifh. There is in them an holy and divine Principle, fo that they cannot fin unto Death, or lofe eternal Life. Let us now put all thefe together, and then doubtlefs we lball conclude, that the Saint's Hope of Heaven is no Fancy, but like an Anchor that is both fure and ftedfaft. N F E R E ~ t E ~ p!RS'J', examine yourfelves, what Hope you have; there is a falfe Hope, as well as a true. What is the Ground of thy Hope ? . I. Some Men ground their Hope of Heaven upon outward Profperity. This is the Worldlings Hope. They conclude God loves them, and will give Heaven to them, becaufe he hath given them fo much of the Earth, not remembering, that God gives fome Men their Portion in this Life: Remember Son, thou in thy Life-time receivedfl Jby good 'J'hings, &c. Luke xvi. 2. So(lle ground their Hopes of Heaven upon Civility, and external Righteouf– nefs: T hey live fober and honeft Lives, and are not guilty of any grofs Sins. This is the moral Man's Hope, the Pharifee's, the young Man's in the Gofpel; the fooliih ,Virgins had this Hope, and yet loft Heaven. 3· Some ground their Hopes of Heaven upon the Merits of their own vVorks. This is the Papift's Hope; for though they place fome Hope in Chrift, yet they put Confidence in their own 'Vorks. Now this is to caft Anchor on the Sands. Firft; That which merits muft be our own; but none of our good Works are our own. They are our own fubje&live, becaufe wrought in us, and they are ours in regard of the Benefit of them ; but in refpetl: of the Original they are none of ours, they are the Fruits of the Spirit ; it is.God hath wrought all our Works in us. Secondly; Thq mull: be complete and perfect, or not meritorious ; but the beft '"~orks performed by us are both impme and imperfect, more Drofs than Gold. Thirdly; That which merits mull: not be due upon any other Account; paying Debts is not meritorious: Now there is nothing that we do, or can do, but it is due, it is a Debt we owe to God; we owe him all we have, are, or can perform: Therefore faith Chrift, Whm you have done all, fay, yott are unprofitable Ser·vants. Secondly, It fhews, that the Hope of Believers is a glorious Hope, the Apoftle faith , a blejjed Hope, that is the Stay or Anchor of the Soul, &c..'Iit. ii. 13. 'J'hirdly, All thofe that have !lOt this precious Grace, are at prefent in a hopelefs Condition. Qt.tefl. How may a Man know whet ha he bath a true and well-grozmded Hope? .Anf.v. I. If thou haft a lively Hope, thou art born again; the new Birth entitles to a new Hope. 'What Hope can a Man have of Heaven, if he be not converted? Unlefs a Man be born again, he cannot fee the Kingdom of God, 1 Pet. i. 3· John iii. 3· 2 • A true and well-grounded Hope is attel}ded with a Train of other Graces. 'J'ribulatio11 worketh Patimce, and Patience Experience, aud Experimce Hope, and Hope– maktth not ajbamed, why? becaufe the Love of God is Jbed abroad in o11r Hearts by the· Holy Ghofl, Rom. v. 3, 4, 5· Thofe that have the Grace of Hope, have the Grases of Faith and.Love, and all other Fruits of the Spirit, more or lefs, in them. 3 . Hope purifies the Heart: He that bath this Hope in him, purifietb bimfelf, evetl as be is pure, 1 John iii. 3· If thou hall: •n unfanEtrlied Heart, never boall: of thy Hope; it makes not only the Heart holy, but the Lrfe alfo. 4· H ope of Salvation is grounded upon the Promifes of God. The Promifes give Intereft, and trpon Intereft arifeth Hope ; therefore he that hath not took hold of God's Promife by Faith, is deftitute of Hope, the Anchor of the Soul. Remember thy Word unto thy Servant, upqn which thou b~fl caufed me to hope, Pfal. cxix. 49· 3 5· Hope
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