238 SERMONS upon Serm.XXXII now prefumption is moil incident to young men who arenot acquainted with the world, and promife themfelves great things, without confidering what may be Paid to the con- trary, or what is needful to obtain their; difficulty there is in every bufinefs; if only confidered, it breedeth defpair ; if overlooked, it breedeth prefumption; but hope be- tween both apprehendeth Inch difficulty as calleth for diligence, and filch pcflibility as every crois accident may not make us give over the attempt : it holdeth good in Religi- on ; the difficulties mull be fuf iciently underflcod, for Chrift will have us fit down and count the charges, and yet not fo regarded as to difcourageus in our duty ; we muff ftand all hardfhips as good Soldiers of Jefus Chtift, and preis towards the mark of our high calling in Jefus Chrift, whatever it colts us. 2. As 'tis a Jpiritualgrace. There the objed of hope is fome good, future and unfeen. But other qualifications are neceffary beyond there already mentioned. T. it muff be fomething promifed ly God. 2. Believed by us, be fore we can hope for it. I. Such future things as God hash promifed to beffow upon ús. There are the matter. and objed of our faith and hope ; the promife giveth us notice, and the promife giveth tiè affurance. Fitt}, Notiee: Wecan have no other certain knowledg of their futurity, but by Gods promife ; the light of nature or reafon, giveth a fhrewd guets at a future eftate, but the certain knowledg we have by Gods Word ; there life and immòrtality is brought to light, 2 Tim. r. to. He brought life and immortality to light through the Gof- pel. There we have the clear profped of it the Heathen had nothing bur the light of nature to guidethem, fpake doubtfully of a future eflate.5 like men travelling on the hills, and fee the fpire of a fleeple at a diftance, fometimes they have a tight of it, and prefently they lofe it, and fo cannot certainly tell whether they faw it, yea or no but all is clear,full and opera in Gods promife. 2. Certainty and affurance ; for it conveyeth a right to us upon certain terms ; for he that believeth on the Son o, f God bath everlafling life, John 3. 36. Hath it in theoffer and promife of God, if he will fulfil the condition required ; not only (ball have it at the clofe of their days, but they have the grant al. ready ; anti therefore wait for the fruition ;as we are fulfilling the conditions, we gain more fecurity and confidence that we (hall have it, s Tim. 6. 12. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life. v 19. Laying up in Fiore for then/likes a good foundation, that they may lay hold on eternal life. The meaning is, challenge it for theirs : In fhort, our expectation mutt be grounded on fome promife, or elfe'sis but a fancy and prefump- tion. 2. The thing hoped for mutt be believed by us; For there can be no cxpatation of things not feen, till there be faith, which is the evidence of things not feen, Heb. I I. I. Firtt, There is a firm affent by faith; we are as confident in fome meafure of thole things, as if we faw them with our eyes, or as we are ofthofe things which we daylie fee; then after this affent, there followeth eat-nett expectation; For hope maketh the affent pra- ctical. Though God promife never *much, yet if we believe him not, we expel no- thing; therefore faith is neceffary; look; as to bodily fight, there needeth an objed to be feen, and an eye by which we fee ; fo in fpiritual fight, the promife Pets the objed before us, Heb. I2. 2. Looking sotto jefses ;and Heb. 6. 18. lay hold of the hope jet before us; But the eye is faith, which though it cannot give us fight, it giveth us fore fight; we have heard of it, though yet we have not feen it, and fee it by the eyes of the mind as it is con- tained in the promife of the everlalting God, though we do not, and cannot fee it with the eyes of the body. Compare it with reafon; By reafon we apprehend more than we fee, for we fee effects in their caufes, but that is but probable forefight, for many things intervene between the caufe and the effect; by faith we forefee the bleffing in the pro- mile ; by reafortwe fee things beyond fenfe fo far as natural probabilities will carry us; by faith we fee things beyond reafon fo far as the promifes of good invite us to a better hope. But how can we furely hope for that we le. e not, which neither fenfe, nor reafon can in- form us of? Anfwer I. This glory is not a fancy, 'tis feen by many in our nature that now pol -. fefs it, and by the word of God you are invited to follow them in the fame courte of holinefs and godlinefs, that you may in time fee it allot Heb. 6. 12. be ye followers of them who through faith and patience have inherited the promifed; propound the lame noble end, and the fame holy courfe, and matters of faith will in time become matters of fenfe. Now though the end be unknown, the way is fo good, and holy, and juflifìable by rea- fon,
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