23o S E R 1V! Q N S upon Serm. XX,XII: blafphemy, rather than an a&R of worfhip; a believing Satan rather than God ;or hoping in God, who bath declared the flat contrary in his word, t Cor. 6. g, to. Knowye not that the nnrighteons [hall not inherit fipe kingdom of God? Be not deceived ; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate nor abuJers of theisfelves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkurds, nor revilers, nor extortiners, flall in- herit the kingdom of heaven. 2. There is a rational hope, which is built upon folid grounds, probabilities, or cer- tainties. t. There is a rational probable hope. For hope is fometimes taken for a probable expeûation, t Cor. 13. 7. Hopetb all things. It meaneth there, not a Divine, but a charitable prudential hope 5 we hope well of others, whofe hearts we know not as long as nothing appearethto the contrary ; charitygoeth upon probabilities, therefore hopeth all things, 2 Cor. t. 7. Our hope of yen it lledfaff, that as you have been .par- takers of the fa fferings of the gofpel, Jo (hall ye be alto of the confolation. So towards God, t Cor. 9. to. He that plougheth,plougheth in hope :a man hath no promife ofa good Crop; but the ordinary providence of God giveth him a probable hope of fuccefs. In temporal things, when we know not what the event will be, fuch a kind of hopewe have ;.there is no exprefs promifes but fuch is the Lords Power and Goodnefs com- monly excrcifed in his providential government, that we have no reafon to defpair, and fay it [hall not be ; yea, much reafon to believe that God will give fuccefs to our en- deavours, for his glory in the world,conflderingwhat hath ufually befallen his fervants in like cafes; tho we cannot draw a firm and certain Argument from thence, yet 'iis probable, for the molt part 'tis fo ; but in matters that concern eternal life, fome- what of this hope may be obferved; as before conversion, when we begin to be ferious, and feek after God ; we cannot fay certainly God will give us converting and Cav- ing grace 5 we mutt follow God, tho we know not what will come of it, as Abraham did , Heb. t t. 8. there the rule in fuch cafes is, I mull do what he bath commanded ; God may do what he pleafeth. Yet 'tis fome comfort that we are in a probable way. Nay, after convertion, fuch hope men may have as to their own interest in eternal fat - vation. They cannot fay Heaven is theirs, or that God will certainly keep them to his Heavenly Kingdom; yet they darenot quit their hopes of Heaven for all the world, nor ceafe to walk in the way of falvation 5 'cis probable they are Gods Chil- dren. 2. There is a firm and certain hope, when we have affurance of things hoped for, by the promifes and offers of theGofpel, as Aas 24. t5. have hope towards God, that there (hall be a refurretlion both of the full and nnjufl. Without this hope, a man can- not be a Christian. We mull certainly expeet the promifed blefliog to be given to thofe that are capable, and duly qualified; andr'all that are inliightned by the fpirit, do fee it, and expefi it, and politively conclude, that verily there is a reward for the righteous, Pfal. 58. Taft. This hope is the life of Religion, and doth excite us to look after it by due and fit means; their eyes are enlightned with fpiritual eye- falve, - that they get a fight of the world to come, Eph. I. 18. The eyes of your underflànding being enlightned, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and the riches of the glory of bis inheritance in the faints. And if they believe the Gofpel, it cannot be otherwife. I am certain there is fuch a thing, Col. t. 5. For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereofye beard bef re in the word of the truth of the gofpel. There this truth is made known; all that dole with the Gofpel, receive it, and by it is this bleffed hope of Glory wrought in us. 3. There is a two fold certain hope, one fort nece /ry, the other very profitable, but not abfolutely neceffary to the life and being of a Christian ; the first fortis the fruit of faith, the fecond the confequent of affurance. The first grounded meetly upon the of- fers of the Gofpel, propounding the chiefeft good to men, to excite their defires and endeavours ; the other is grounded on the fight of our own qualification, as wellas the offers of the Gofpel; the one is antecedent to all aas of Holinefs ; the other,followeth after it; an antecedent hope there mull needs be, before the effea of the Holy Life can be produced; for fnce hope incourageth and animateth all human endeavours, no man will engage in a Pula courfe,difpleafing to flefh and blood, but he mull have Tome hope, and this hope the conditional offers of the Gofpel doth beget in us, and all ferions creatures have it, that mind their proper happinefs. itejoyceing in hope, is the fame with ex ,:encicsat Heb. 3, 6, 14. 'Tis the firff tall we have of the pleafures of the world to come. Keep up this gulf and tail, and you are fafe. But
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