A discourse of Christian religion, in sundry points preached at the merchants lecture in Broadstreet / by Thomas Cole ...

CHRIST THE Hope of GLORY.

COL. I. 27.

That God would make known what is the Riches of the Glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you the Hope of Glory.

IN handling these Words, I shall observe this Me∣thod, (1.) Speak to the Coherence. (2.) Explain the Terms of the Text. (3.) Draw both parts of the Text together into one Doctrinal Observation.

The Coherence lies thus: Colosse was a City in Phrygia in the lesser Asia, where by the Ministry of Epaphras, a Church

was gathered, and soon after troubled by certain Seducers, pressing upon them the Observation of Mosaical Ceremonies, and many Human Traditions. Epaphras goes to Rome to acquaint Paul with the present state of this Church, verse 8. whereupon he, as the great Apostle of the Gentiles, upon whom the Care of all the Churches lay, writes this Epistle to the Collossians; taking notice of their Conversion to the Faith, and giving Thanks to God upon that account, v. 3. Praying for them, That they might be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understand∣ing, that they might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, and be strengthned with all might, unto all patience and long-suffering, with joyfulness, verse 9, 10, 11. Then he takes occasion to set forth the Excellency of Christ preached unto the Gentiles, lay∣ing open the Benefits of our Redeemer, vers. 12, 13, 14. And then he gives an ad∣mirable Character of the Divine Person of the Redeemer, from the 15th verse to the 23d. exhorting them thereupon to perse∣vere, v. 23. by divers Arguments drawn from the Necessity of Perseverance; from the Multitude of those who had embraced the Gospel; from his own Ministry; from the Afflictions they suffered for the Gospel, v. 24. and from that Obligation that lay

upon him to preach the Gospel to the Gen∣tiles, v. 25. extolling the Dignity of the Gospel as a Mystery hid from Ages, but now made manifest to the Saints, v. 26. And in the beginning of this 27th verse, he sets forth the Riches of this Mystery; He shews in the Words of the Text, how all this is contained in Christ, of whom they were now possessed; they had him in their very hearts, dwelling there, which is, Christ in you the Hope of Glory. So much for the Coherence.

I now come to open the Terms of the Text; To shew you what is meant by Christ; and what by the Hope of Glory. And because there is more of Mystery in the first part of the Text, Christ in us; than in the se∣cond part, the Hope of Glory; not but that there is great Mystery in this too, as will appear by and by: But I say, there is more of Mystery in the first part, because we have some Natural Notions of Hope and Glory, that may help to lead us up into the Spiritual Sense of the Apostle here. But we can have no natural Notion of Christ being in us; this is above all the Appre∣hensions of Reason, and must be taken in by pure Faith, from the Word of God re∣vealing it: Therefore I will dispatch the second part of the Text first; and shew,

What we are to understand by the Hope of Glory. First, What by Hope, Secondly, What by Glory.

All Hope presupposes Desire, tho eve∣ry Desire doth not amount to Hope; It must be desire continued. Hope implies that; Desire maintain'd and kept up in the Soul. We may have a sudden liking, a pleasing, transient fancy to such or such a thing from the first glance of the eye upon it; this is not properly Hope. The Mo∣ralists tell us it is durabilis Affectus, a dura∣ble, permanent, fixed, habitual Desire, when the Mind is set upon such a thing, dwells upon it, must have it, is continually reaching out after it from an eager Propen∣sity towards it, so as it cannot be satisfied without it: This is continued Desire, strong Desire; Valdè vult; the Will is bent upon it, cannot be taken off from looking, waiting, and longing after it. And this is the Nature of that Hope in the Text.

Secondly, What are we to understand by Glory, which begets all this waiting and longing Desire? Now, Brethren! I must rise upon you a little: We have a great Subject before us. I will give you first the plainest Exposition of it, and then go as far higher as I can.

By Glory we commonly understand the Happiness of Saints in Heaven; the Per∣fection

of Grace in Glory. It is the high∣est Degree of that Good, that man is capa∣ble of to Eternity. It is the Consummati∣on of Divine Election: The actual accom∣plishment of all that Good that God intend∣ed man from Eternity.

Having given you this plain Account of Glory, let us now look a little further into it, and consider it as flowing from God the Fountain of it. Let us, as well as our weak eyes will bear, look upon this Excelling, Overcoming Object, Heavenly Glory.

It is called Rom. 5. 2. The Glory of God, because God is the Author of it: He is the Fountain and first Subject of it; and there∣fore he is stiled, Acts 7. 2. The God of Glo∣ry; and the Father of Glory, Eph. 1. 17. Compare Matth. 5. 16. with Rom. 8. 30. and you will find that we are said to glorifie God; and God also is said to glorifie us; but with this difference; We glorifie God by declaring those Divine Excellencies that were in God before; God glorifies us, by putting an Excellency upon us which we had not before. We glorifie God here on Earth, God glorifies us in Heaven; as our Saviour saith, John 17. 4, 5. I have glori∣fied thee on earth; now, O Father, glorifie thou me with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. What was that? I wish I were able to tell you: It may be

some of you may think I say too much; and others too little. I desire, as God will help me, to say something of it, that may lead your Thoughts into a further Conside∣ration of this matter: Therefore I shall endeavour to open that difficult Scripture, Glorifie thou me with that glory which I had with thee before the World was, John 17. 5.

I conceive thus; That Christ's Human Nature upon his Ascension to Hea∣ven, was, according to its finite capacity, lifted up by vertue of the Hypostatical U∣nion, into the Essential Glory of the God∣head; which did not so shine forth in the Man Christ here on Earth, as it doth now in Heaven: It was under an Eclipse then in his state of Humiliation; but now this Glory is fully communicated to the Human Nature of Christ, and through Christ unto us, John 17. 22. compared with Joh. 14. 20. I am in my father, and ye in me, and I in you, saith he: I say, the Glory of the Godhead is communicated to the Human Nature of Christ, and through Christ unto us who are united to him: And by vertue of this Union, the other Two Persons of the Tri∣nity, the Father and the Holy Ghost, are said to dwell in us, and to be in us: The Father dwells in us, and we in him, 1 John 4. 12, 13, 16. If we dwell in Love, we dwell in God, and God dwells in us; that

is, we have deep Apprehensions of the Love of God. And the Spirit dwells in us, Rom. 8. 11. comp. with 1 Cor. 3. 16. I speak this, to shew how near we are brought to God in Glory, to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. And thus you see how Saints are glorified in Christ; blessed with all Spi∣ritual Blessings in Heavenly Places in Christ, Eph. 1. 3. And how Christ is glo∣rified in them, John 17. 10. Christ takes the Saints into his own Glory, which is their Glorification, perfective of their Happiness. And this Manifestation of the Glory of Christ in and upon the Saints, is said to be a glorifying of Christ, John 17. 10. The O∣riginal Glory of Christ shining out upon us, is our Glorification; which doth consist in the Beatifical Vision, in beholding the Glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ; we see him face to face, 1 Cor. 13. 12. Mat. 18. 10. We see him as he is; which trans∣forms us into his likeness, 1 Joh. 3. 2. We then appear with him in glory, Col. 3. 4. Joh. 7. 24.

What can we conceive of this Glory? What is this Glory?

The Scripture sets it forth by Allusions to things that are natural; and so shall I.

Glory, then, is a Splendor or Lustre arising up, and resulting from the Beauty and Excel∣lency of a thing above other things. So God outshines all Creatures, being transcendingly

Good. So that Glory, in its perfection, as it is in God the Fountain of it, it is a continual Effulgency and Brightness flowing from God the Perfection of Beauty. He dwells in inaccessible Light. This is called some∣times, The brightness of his glory, Heb. 1. 3. always sending forth resplendent Beams and Rays of Light, which do reach us in Heaven, and do reflect a Glory upon us.

Thus the Glory of God is set forth in Scripture by things that are most glorious in our sight: And I must tell you, That Faith sees something in God, that is beyond all these Metaphors of Light and Bright∣ness; I say, beyond all these Notions of Light and Brightness, a more excelling Glory; in comparison of which, all crea∣ted Glory is no Glory. But the Beatifical Vision is abo••e all the Visions of this Glory, that Faith now gives us, because it fills and satisfies the whole Capacity of our Souls: We are then possessed of all, and desire no more. The School-men tell us, Heaven is Appetitus quietivum, doth satisfie and quiet the Desires of a man. So saith the Scrip∣ture, Psal. 17. 15. When I awake, I shall be satisfied with thy likeness; speaking of the Resurrection. If the Love of the world is in you, the love of the father is not in you, 1 John 2. 15. If we are still flying out in our affections after worldly things, it is a

sign our minds are not quieted and satisfied with God alone. School-Divines say fur∣ther, That in Hell there is fear, but Heaven is above all Hope: And they give this rea∣son for it, Because in Hell there is Successio Poenarum, a Succession of Punishment, which causes Fear; but, say they, in Hea∣ven, Glory is absque Successione, without Succession; i. e. 'Tis all present before 'em. I suppose they mean this, That the Saints above, have a kind of actual Comprehensi∣on of their Eternal Beatitude, in which there is nothing past, or to come, but all as present before them. They don't Hope, but certainly know that their Blessedness doth continue for ever: That is, I say, the Saints above, after the Resurrection, cannot be more happy to all Eternity, than they are the first moment of their Glorification. And this I mean by an actual Comprehensi∣on of our Eternal Beatitude: All is as pre∣sent to Glorified Saints.

Brethren! If these things seem difficult to you, and do pass your knowledge, are above your comprehension, it is your hap∣piness it is so, that there is more Glory re∣served for you, than you can conceive. Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man, the things that God hath prepared for them that love him. Besides, pray consider; we that

are Ministers, do prophesie but in part; we see but through a glass darkly; no wonder then if these things seem abstruse and enig∣matical. The more spiritually-minded you are about these deep things of God, seri∣ously considering the Sufferings of Christ, and the Glory that shall follow, as 1 Pet. 1. 11. the more plain and evident will this Glory be unto you. You will know more of it than the Tongue of Men or Angels can express. There are certain Elevations of an enlightned mind, that do sometimes raise our Apprehensions of Divine Myste∣ries above and beyond our ordinary thoughts of them. The Spirit takes us up into the Mount of Glory, and shews us the things of Christ more demonstatively than any Minister in the World is able to do. When we are heaving at some heavy body, we lift here, and we lift there, and it may be upon some sudden strain, we move it a little, though ordinarily we can∣not stir it: So there are some certain strains of Faith, that give us that discerning of Spiritual Things, that we never had be∣fore, lifting up our heads within the Vail.

Let us then wait upon God for such fur∣ther manifestations of his Spirit, and pray, That he would shine in our hearts the Light of the Knowledge of his Glory.

What shall I say more? Now we live upon Creatures, and have but a remote View of God in them and through them; and this is our Grace. But when we come to Heaven, God will be all in all: We shall stand in no need of Creature-Com∣forts to Eternity, but shall derive all our support, satisfaction, and joy, immediately from God himself. His Spirit will be in∣stead of Meat, Drink, and Cloaths to our bodies, and will to Eternity fill up the Ca∣pacity of our Souls with Ravishing Joys and Delights: And this is our Glory.

The sum of all is, That Christ received into the heart by Faith, as our Jesus, our Redeemer and Saviour, doth beget in the Soul thus relying upon him, an earnest Ex∣pectation, and lively Hope of all that Good that may consummate and perfect mans Happiness to Eternity. And this in the Text is called Glory, Christ in us the Hope of Glory. So much for that part of the Text.

I come now to the First Part of the Text. What are we to understand by Christ in us? And this is Mystery upon Mystery: It is e∣vident, that in Scripture Christ is said to be in us, and we in him; he to abide in us, and we to abide in him. I shall now only give you a more general Exposition of these Words; in the general sense of the Text.

I say, Christ is said to be in us, and we in him; To abide in us, and we in him, John 15. 4. And all this must be spiritually understood; all this is by Believing; by Faith we receive him, and by continued Acts of Faith we do keep him dwelling in our hearts, Eph. 3. 17. We abide in Christ, and Christ in us; we are in him, and he in us, when we do persevere in the Faith; when we have in our hearts an in∣ward belief and persuasion of all the Gospel saith, concerning Christ as our Redeemer and Saviour: He is in the thoughts and imaginations of our hearts continually; and we do act towards him according to what we believe of him; this is believing indeed. And here comes in hope, as most suitable to the apprehensions of our Faith concerning Christ as our Jesus: Christ in you, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; some render the Greek thus, Christ among you, outwardly Preach∣ed to you, is the hope of Glory. This is Doctrinally true; but this is not enough to beget Hope: Many hear, and don't be∣lieve; they have much of Christ without them, but nothing of Christ within them. Hope arises from something within im∣pressed upon the mind; the Soul doth not stir till then, doth not put forth any act of Hope till Faith comes; That sets all the wheels in motion, draws our affections

after him; such is the power of Faith, that we cannot but love and desire what we believe to be so good and desirable. Hope naturally springs out of Faith; and in this Hope you have the comfort of your Faith; you see the benefits of Faith, re∣joycing in what you believe. Gospel truths are very advantageous to a believer, when he sees the advantage that accrues to him by them; and therefore is filled with joy unspeakable, and full of Glory, by believ∣ing. We should be little concerned in our Faith, were it not for the Hope it be∣gets. It is life Eternal to know Christ; in the light of that knowledge you per∣ceive how you live in him, and by him: As Faith carries up our Souls to Heaven, so it brings down all the good things of Heaven to our Souls. Faith is a very enriching Grace; rich in Faith, saith the Apostle; when the Soul takes notice of this, it can∣not but Hope: What Faith hath obtained of God through Christ, Hope goes out after, longs for, and patiently waits for things unseen: Faith hath ensured them, and therefore Hope will expect them. So that Christ outwardly Preached, is the Hope of Glory; that is, Doctrinally so: It is Doctrinally true, but it is not experi∣mentally true to you and me, that Christ is our Hope of Glory, till we do believe in

him: Christ must be ours, before this Hope in the Text can be ours: Christ is not ours, till we receive him by Faith from an inward Revelation of him, Gal. 1. 16. Till then, he is a Christ without us, not in us. With the heart man believes; It is an inward act of the mind to believe in Christ. The Soul doth converse with Christ about its own Salvation; our Thoughts are much taken up in considering him; applying to our selves the benefits of his Death. If Christ be thus in you, you cannot but have Hope.

I am upon the general Exposition, and shall shew you more at large, how Christ is in us by believing.

I say Faith lets Christ into the Under∣standing, Will, and Affections.

Naturally when the Vnderstanding acts upon any Object, it draws the species and image of that Object into its self: Hence they say, Intellectus intelligendo fit omnia; the Understanding is every thing it under∣stands; That is, it takes in the Idea, Shape Image of that thing which it knows, under all its distinguishing Properties; else there would be confusion in the Understanding; we should not know one thing from ano∣ther, which is not to know at all.

So Faith brings in Christ into the Soul under a peculiar Character, as the fairest

of Ten thousand; proposes him as the greatest truth to the Understanding; as the greatest good to the Will, and frames con∣ceptions of him accordingly; thus is Christ formed in us. Faith doth not take in Christ notionally only, to lye by, as other notions do in which we are little concerned; but it takes him in in reference to our selves, as a new Mould into which the Soul is to be cast, as a Spirit and Principle of new life: He comes to rule and reign, and to reduce man to a conformity to himself. And here lies the difference between historical and saving Knowledg; one is purely Speculative, the other is Experimentally Practical; that is, there is always something done upon it, in and by the Soul, 2 Cor. 3. 18. We do behold as in a glass the glory of God, and are chang∣ed. Pray observe that Text: There is a Beholding, and there is a Transformation upon that beholding, a being changed into the same Glory. We do not know Christ savingly, if every thing we know of him doth not help to change us more and more into his Image; I say, we do not know Christ savingly till then. You must judge of your saving knowledge of Gospel Truths, by the lively impressions they make upon your hearts. Are you brought to act, do, think, that which you never did before? Do you find Christ hath had a

quickning influence upon your Hearts? is indeed become your life? He savingly knows Jesus Christ, who doth act towards him according to what he believes of him. Let men talk of this or that concerning Christ, and pretend to understand all Mysteries, to have all knowledge; yet unless they can shew the work of the Gospel written in their hearts, as the Apostle speaks of the work of the Law, Rom. 2. 15. I say, unless they can shew the work of the Gospel written in their hearts, I am sure they are nothing. For it is impossible to receive Christ by the sa∣ving knowledge of Faith, and not to have his Image impressed upon all the faculties of the Soul by that Faith which first brought it in. The very conceptions of Faith concern∣ing Christ, are the very thoughts of a mans own heart; so he is, so he thinks, so he acts, even as he believes. Gospel truths cannot enter into our rational Nature at any other door, than that of Faith: When Faith comes, there needs nothing else to turn that Soul unto God. Every man is an his Faith is. Faith contains the true inward sense of the Soul about Jesus Christ: And God is the Author and Fi∣nisher of this Faith, and understood to be so by all true Believers. Pray let us close up all with this; for I am only now labour∣ing

as well as I can to shew you in general, how Faith lets Christ into the Soul. The main thing in Conversion, is Faith; and the main thing in Faith, is the Power of God in working it. These two things are principally taken notice of by all Believers. They observe them in others, much more in themselves, Acts 11. 17, 18. compared with Acts 14. 23. What notice did they take there of the Faith God had wrought in those? They perceived they had recei∣ved the same Faith with themselves; that God had granted unto the Gentiles, Repentance unto life. Faith is the main thing in Conversion: Christ is the same in himself, both before and after Conversion: So are all Gospel-truths the same in themselves; only then we did not believe them, and now we do. It is Faith makes all the difference; and the principal thing in Faith, is the power of God in work∣ing it. How doth Paul admire the good∣ness of God to him, that he should obtain Mercy, and believe in Jesus! Lord, saith he, What wilt thou have me to do? He ne∣ver called him Lord before: The High Priest was his Lord and Master before, from whom he received his orders what to do against the Saints. Now he is Sick of that imployment; he lays down his Com∣mission at the feet of Christ, and desires

he would give him instructions what to do: None should be his Lord; None should now command him but Christ; Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? The beginning of Faith and Conversion, lyes in looking unto Christ for Power to be∣lieve. And our first Faith usually breaks out in an Outcry to God to help our unbe∣belief. All true Converts are sensible of this, they in Acts 7. 47. How did they Praise God for their Conversion? They ascribe it all to him. I say, our first Faith in the Lord Jesus, comes in with a sense of God's Power in working it; and Faith is known to be the gift of God, by those who have it. They who begin their Faith in the strength of their own Rea∣son, thinking to take in such considerati∣ons of God and Christ, and to draw such arguments from Scripture, as can induce them to believe, will find themselves mista∣ken. I am persuaded the doubts and fears of many Believers have their rise from hence; That they did not begin their Faith in such an humble dependance upon God for strength to believe; they did not, I say, do this as they should. And it ap∣pears that that is the cause of their fears, because nothing but such a dependance upon Christ for Grace does cure them. When once they have learned the right way

of believing and trusting in Christ, they en∣ter into rest, there is an end of all their fears.

There are Promises in Scripture made unto Faith; and there are Promises made of Faith. These, so far as we may be con∣cerned in them, seem to be made to Be∣lievers quite void of Faith: Though to Unbelievers remaining in unbelief, nothing is promised; yet all things are promised to Unbelievers, going out by Faith unto Jesus Christ: Or, if you will, I had ra∣ther express it thus; These promises of our first faith, of the first Grace, of giving the Spirit, and the like, they are made to Christ in the behalf of Unbelievers, such who were from Eternity ordained unto Life; so many of them whose Names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life. The Covenant of Grace made between God and us, doth respect the Covenant of Redemption between the Father and the Son. This first Faith is wrought in us in such a manner, that we are sensible of the Divine Power and Efficacy of God's Grace in working it. Though God doth lead out our Souls into rational considerations of Himself and his Son; yet we find that these considerations do flow into our Minds from an inward Revelation made of Christ. We do know, that such thoughts of God and

Christ, could never have come into our minds, if the Holy Ghost had not suggested them. In his Light we see Light; and our coming to Christ, is always by the Father's drawing.

CHAP. II.

More Particularly, How Christ is in us by Faith: How Faith brings Christ into the Soul: Or, how Christ conveys himself into our hearts through Faith: And also, How we may discern this in our selves.

THis is the Point, and a Point of great∣est concernment it is unto us all: And therefore, I beseech you follow me with your strictest Attention.

First, That Christ may be in us, it is necessary that he should be first outwardly proposed unto us. There is an outward Light of the letter proposing Christ to us; and there is an inward Light of the Spirit revealing Christ in us. It is one thing to speak Notionally, from the outward Light of the Letter; another thing to speak Ex∣perimentally, from an inward Light of the thing it self in our own Souls. Besides the outward Light of the Word, there is in every true Believer an inward Light, flowing through the Word from the Ob∣ject,

or thing spoken of. The Spirit re∣veals Christ the Object, and so making us Light in the Lord, in his Light we see Light. As we cannot see the Sun but by its own Light, so neither can we see Christ but in his own Light. By Faith we go unto Christ, by Faith we go into Christ, and we sit down in his Light, entertaining our selves with Spiritual Contemplations of his Glory. I say, that Christ presents himself to us in a Gospel Promise, as our God and Saviour: He offers himself to us as such; and by offering himself, or under that proposal, he doth act as a Gracious God towards us. Here lyes the Convert∣ing point, the effectual working of the Word; when together with the outward proposal, Christ lets forth some Virtue from himself, to draw in the Heart unto him. When God owns us for his Children, who were not his Children before, yet his Adoption makes us Children; that is the time of our effectual Calling: When under the outward Preaching of the Gospel, Christ doth so powerfully impress his own first act of Love upon us, in dying for us, that we cannot but be sensible of it. His Love is shed abroad in our hearts, we are overcome by it; we cannot but call him Father, who by calling us Children, hath made us so; letting in at the same

time the Spirit of the Son into our hearts. God's owning us for his Children, is a sufficient proof that he is our Father, we cannot but call him so ever after Zec. 13. 9.

Thus Christ makes himself inwardly known to us, by giving us Faith in himself; for there is no other way of knowing Christ, but by believing. Sense and Rea∣son cannot bring Christ into the Soul, but Faith can, giving that account of him from the Word, that is fully satisfactory. How Glorious is Christ in the Eye of Faith! How is a believing Soul taken with him as the Fairest of Ten thousand! And this is the first step, according to the Method of the Holy Ghost, that God takes in bring∣ing Christ into the Soul.

Secondly, Christ is let into the Soul by an appropriating act of Faith, by which we do take him into our hearts as our Jesus: Every Believer saith for himself, the Lord Jesus, my Righteousness, and my Life, and my Salvation, my God, and my Lord! The Soul knows this by that sense that Faith gives of that act by which we do receive him; I say, by that sense that Faith gives of that appropriating act by which we do receive Christ as our Jesus. Those who understand themselves in an act of be∣lieving, know it to be so. Saving Faith, so far as it reaches, is all evidence;

it carries conviction along with it of those Truths which we believe. Heb. 11. 1. I told you the last time, How Faith doth Spiritually draw in the object upon which it acts, into every believing Soul. Faith is in us, Christ is in our Faith, as the ob∣ject of it, always in the view and eye of Faith. Faith hath nothing else to act upon for Justification, but Christ held forth in the Word: Now Faith takes Christ out of the Word into the Heart. And this I would a little open to you; for here lyes the Mystery of your Faith; this is the critical Act of Faith.

I say thus; Faith takes in the Promise, and in and with the Promise, Christ him∣self, who is wrapt up in it. Faith takes in the Promise; and in and with the Pro∣mise, the Mercy it self that is Promised. Our Title to, and Interest in the Lord Jesus Christ, it doth arise out of this Act of Faith. By this Act of Faith, all is com∣pleated both on God's part and our part, that may confirm our Title to Christ. God hath past his word in the Promise, Faith lays hold upon that Promise, receives Christ from the hand of the Father as his Gift, hath it from God's own Mouth that Christ is ours; and Faith doth so interpret the Promise of God to the Soul, by a par∣ticular application of it unto us by Name;

which gives us that security of mind about our real Interest in Christ, that we do no longer doubt of it. We are under a sense of the greatness of the Gift, of the free Grace of the Donor, of our Propriety and Interest in so great a Gift; and all this by our actual receiving the Promise, and in and with the Promise, Christ himself pro∣mised. Faith draws both into the heart together, Christ and the Promise; and Faith keeps them together; it is impossible to have and to hold one without the other. A Promise of Christ, is Christ to a Belie∣ver; Faith takes hold of Christ in and by the Promise. Faith carries in the Promise, as well as Christ, into the Soul: To pre∣vent all after challenges, The Devil is ready to question our Interest in Christ; How came you by Christ? By Peace? And Pardon? What have you to shew that Christ is yours? Then the Soul holds up a Promise. Here is the offer that God hath made of Christ to me, saith a Believer; and what should hinder my acceptance of it? I have accepted it, and I will keep my hold on this Promise; It is the Word of God to me, who cannot lye; and what have you, Satan, to say against this? Thus by resisting the Devil, we make him fly from us. And this Armour of Light doth so dazzle the Eyes of the Prince of dark∣ness,

that he is not able to stand before it.

Many complain that Christ is not theirs, but they do not consider, that it is long of themselves, because they don't receive him: To as many as received him, to them he gives power to become the Childreu of Cod. You will never be able to apprehend your self to be a Child of God, till you re∣ceive Christ; do that, and you will quick∣ly find the Spirit witnessing with your spirit, that you are a true Child of God.

Thirdly, We always have in this appro∣priating act of Faith, by which we take Christ into our Souls, a respect and re∣ference to Christ without us, to him as actually Incarnate, according to the Word, and personally Glorified now in Heaven, yet Spiritually present in us. I speak this against a late Generation of Men, who speak so much of the Light within them, and would seem to understand the same that we do by Christ in us; though it is evident they put a mere natural Principle for Christ; it is not the Person of Christ as God-Man who dyed at Jerusalem, and is now Glorified in Heaven, and in our Nature in Heaven; it is not this Christ whom they rely upon, but a Principle of Light in themselves, which they call Christ; a mere imaginary Christ.

If our Faith doth not terminate upon the Person of Christ without us, and fix distinctly upon him, observing what was done in, by, and upon his Person, as Dying for us; Rising, Ascending up to Heaven, continually making Intercession there for us: I say, if our Faith doth not begin with the Person of Christ, and end in the Person of Christ, we may be mista∣ken in all our seeming Spiritual apprehensi∣ons of Christ. The Spirit of Christ is the Spi∣rit of a real Person, of the second Person in the Trinity, who is very God and very Man. To talk of the Spirit of Christ, without any relation and reference to the Divine Person of Christ, is mere Enthusiasm, and over∣throws the foundation of Christian Religi∣on. When the Scriptures speak of Christ as dwelling in us, it still refers to the Person of Christ, to what was really done, and acted by, and upon that Person. Rom. 8. 11. His Spirit dwells in you, i. e. the Spirit of him that Rose from the Dead, and is now Alive in Heaven. When we speak of Christ being in us, we do not mean his Cor∣poral, Personal Presence, but his Spiritual Presence. If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his, so saith the Apostle, Rom. 8. 9, 10. Though his Per∣son be taken away from us, Acts 1. 11. and is contained in Heaven till his second

Coming; Yet the Life, Power and Spirit of Christ doth dwell in us now; and this is the Spiritual Presence of Christ in the hearts of Believers now; this is a good proof of Christ being in us of a truth, in power and spirit, 2 Cor. 13. 3, 4, 5.

Fourthly, Christ appears to be in Belie∣vers by the inward Communion they have with him, by the daily moving of their hearts towards him; the Soul gathering up it self more and more into Christ, often revolving what Christ hath done for them. Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. We have fre∣quent serious Thoughts of Christ: That which is in you, is in your Thoughts, must be in your Thoughts, you are full of him. Some can think of nothing but the world, and the things of the world; and it is a sign Christ is not in them: That's the Fourth.

Fifthly; By the suitable actings of the Soul towards Christ in the most proper and seasonable Exercise of those Graces that such or such a Manifestation of Christ unto us, may call for.

A Soul in communion with Christ, is very observant of him, very attentive to him, eyes him strictly; As the eye of the servant looks unto the hand of his master, and the eye of the maiden to the hand of her mi∣stress,

so do our eyes wait upon thee, O God; Psal. 123. 9. You would take it ill, and count it a great neglect in a servant, if while you are speaking to him, he should look another way, not minding what you say: And so doth Christ: If you will not keep him company when he comes to visit you; if you will not sit with him, and converse with him, and perform your part of Communion with him, readily answer∣ing to his Call, making suitable Returns to all the Motions of his Holy Spirit, you of∣fend the Holy Ghost, and give him just oc∣casion to leave you to your worldly, sullen frame of Spirit. See what the Spouse in the Canticles lost by such a carriage, chap. 5. 2. She was in a sleepy frame when Christ came to visit her, not at all disposed to en∣tertain him: He calls, and knocks at the door, uses many loving compellations to al∣lure her to open to him: Open to me, my love, my dove, my sister, my undefiled. What kind, soft words are here! Christ would fain have had Admittance; tells her how long he had waited, that he was now be∣nighted, and suffered the injury of the weather, was wringing wet: Nothing would do; she is loth to rise; I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on; I have washed my feet, and how shall I defile them? What! set her naked feet upon the bare ground! not

she; tho but a step or two to the door. Af∣ter she had paused a while, she bethought her self, and arose; I rose up to open to my beloved, and my beloved had withdrawn him∣self, and was gone: And well he might after such ill usage. If Christ be in you, be sure you use him well, lest he withdraw from you. They who know what it is to have Christ within them, unless it be under some such Temptations as the Spouse was assaulted with, they will do all they can to keep him dwelling in their hearts: They study to please him; their Carriage towards him is suitable to the Apprehensions their Fath hath of him. There are many things in Christ, that fall under the consideration of a Believer, some at one time, and some at another; some upon one occasion, and some upon another, as the matter they come to Christ about, may require; and as he is pleased to let out himself more or less to us: This must be attended to: We must answer the Call of Christ, by stirring up that Grace by which we may best expe∣rience the sense of what Christ is to us, doth for us, requires of us, at such or such a season, under such or such circumstances, in reference to this or that particular disco∣very Christ makes of himself unto us. Sometimes our duty lies in acting this Grace, sometimes in acting that Grace;

whether it be Faith, Love, Fear, Joy, &c. Tho we cannot act one Grace aright, but we must in some degree act every Grace; for all Graces run into that one, which bears the name for the time, as most suited to the present occasion we have for the Exercise of our Grace. Hence the Saints sometimes speak of one Grace, and sometimes of ano∣ther Grace. Sometimes it is Faith, some∣times it is Love, Zeal, Joy. I protest by our rejoicing in Christ Jesus. Sometimes it is this, sometimes it is that Grace, that their Souls are most taken up with. There is that in Christ that will draw out every Grace in its season; and we should at all times be in the actual exercise of some Grace: If you ask, Which? I say, That which best suits the present occasion that is given for the exercise of your Grace. We should labour to pitch our Thoughts upon that in Christ, that doth most directly re∣late to our present case; and many are the cases of our Souls; God hath ordered it so, that we might have recourse to all his At∣tributes, sometimes to one, sometimes to another: God hath suited our dependance upon him to his several Attributes, and to the several Properties of his Name, and of his Son's Name. He expects our Faith in him should be always grounded upon that in Christ, which we see makes most for

our present Relief: Whether we want Wis∣dom, Righteousness, Strength, Patience, Pardon, Comfort, we must eye that in Christ that is the next immediate Encou∣ragement to our Faith for that thing.

In the next place I shall shew you the ne∣cessity of Christ being in us; and that upon a double ground.

First; Because otherwise there can be no Vital Union between Christ and us; no real Communion with him, no saving Ap∣plication of him to our Souls; no Commu∣nication of Life and Grace to us. A Branch can't bear fruit, unless it abide in the Vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me, John 15. 4. He saith further, Every branch that brings not forth fruit, v. 2. (A dreadful Text; it should make Professors tremble at the reading of it); every branch in me that brings not fruit. No wonder to hear of fruitless Professors out of Christ; but to hear how fruitless many are who are in Christ, that is outwardly by Profession! We may seem to be in Christ, when Christ is not really in us. The unfruitfulness of many Professors, gives sad Demonstration of this Truth. When Christ is really in us, we must needs be in him; there is a mutual in-being in each other, John 17. 21. That they may be all one, as thou Father art in

me, and I in thee, that they may be one in us. This is meant, not of a Personal, but of a Mystical Union, a Spiritual Union, Christ letting in the Virtue, the Power of his Re∣surrection upon us,* 1.1 so purging our hearts from corruption, and redeeming us from our vain conversation.

Secondly; Christ must be in us, because Christ hath much to do within us. He hath a kingdom to set up, Luke 17. 21. Many strong holds of Satan to pull down; the strong man to cast out; many lusts and corruptions to mortifie; many Graces to raise up and strengthen: He sanctifies us throughout, not only in Body, but in Mind and Spirit; and therefore he must deal in∣wardly with us: He takes away an heart of stone, and gives an heart of flesh; and this is inward work: The Spirit of Christ strives with our Spirits about this; deals with the hearts of men to turn them unto himself. Many Checks, many Calls, many Pangs, many Throws, before Christ be formed in us, Gal. 2. 19. He is a Jew, who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, Rom. 2. 29. This inward man is renewed and strengthned day by day, by Christ living in us, Gal. 2. 20. comp. with 2 Cor. 4. 16. Tho Christ hath done much without us, in dying for us, yet if he did not come into

us by his Spirit, we should be little the bet∣ter for all he hath done without us. Christ is a Saviour out of us by his Merit, and in us by the Virtue and Efficacy of his Spirit. He makes a powerful entrance at our first Conversion; he creates new Principles, by which he works further and further up∣on the heart, till he hath reduced it to per∣fect conformity to himself.

Now here may come in a Query; Possi∣bly some may say, Could not Christ have done all within us? What need he do any thing without us? Might he not come and live in us, without dying for us? Might he not enter in the Soul, and sanctifie us, though he had not first suffered outwardly for us?

I answer, No;

1. Because the Justice of God had been then unsatisfied: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, were all unsatisfied: They could have nothing to do with fallen Man in a way of Mercy, till Satisfaction was made to Divine Justice.

2. Supposing such a Sanctification, man must be damned notwithstanding, for his former sins. Now no man will be at the pains to wash and cleanse a Vessel that must presently be broken in pieces, and thrown away. What Christ did in Person in our

Nature without us, that he doth Spiritual∣ly in our Hearts. As he suffered on the Cross for us, truly so he suffers much in us, and by us, meets with much opposition from in-dwelling Corruption: The Fight of Faith is great and long, even to our lives end; our Warfare is not accomplished till then. Tho Christ hath satisfied the Law and Justice of God in dying for us, yet the same power must be put forth to make us believe this, as in raising up Christ from the dead. Christ meets with a Legal Con∣science in every man, that will not readily admit of the Grace of God, till it be over∣powered by the Spirit of Christ, and sprin∣kled with his Blood. It is a mighty work of Divine Power, to bring over a trem∣bling, convinced sinner, to trust in Christ for the Pardon of all his Sins. There are many carnal Reasonings against this, many thoughts and imaginations that do with a great deal of confidence exalt themselves against the Mystery of God's Grace in Christ. Now all these Thoughts must be brought into Captivity to the Obedience of Christ: And this is a mighty work of Divine Power, like levelling of Moun∣tains, and breaking Rocks asunder, giving hearts of Flesh, that may take in Impressi∣ons of God's Love to us in Christ, and thankfully accept of Eternal Life, as the

Free Gift of God. When it pleases God to open the wonderful Mysteries of his Grace to us, by shining into our hearts, he doth at last fully convince us of that which we could never believe before Were there more of this inward Religion among us; more of the Power and Efficacy of the Gospel experienced in the hearts of Profes∣sors, the savour of it would be much stronger in our lives. Christ within makes every thing in the Soul bow down before him.

Let us not then keep at a distance from Christ, but gather up nearer and nearer to him by Faith, till we are united and joined to the Lord in one Spirit, and then the Power of Christ will rest upon us, 2 Cor. 12. 11. We shall be strengthned with might in our inward man, Eph. 3. 16, 17. It must needs be so, if Christ be in us. How strong is the Devil in the hearts of Wicked Men? How doth he rage and rule in the children of disobedience? Eph. 2. 2. Let Satan enter into Iudas, what bold Attempts doth he make upon his Master? How ready to be∣tray him? Thus when the Devil is in men, how mad are they? How doth he hurry them on to all manner of Wickedness; till Christ, who is stronger than this strong man, enters in and binds him, casting him forth, Matt. 12. 25. Unconverted men act

like so many mad-men; the Devil is in them; Satan reigns in them; and it will never be otherwise, till Christ comes into them: The Power of Satan's Kingdom is founded in the Darkness of our Minds; and when one beam of Saving Gospel-Light shines in upon us, we are turned from the Power of Satan unto God, the whole Soul is subjected to him; every re∣bellious Thought is captivated to the Obe∣dience of Christ. Till we feel Christ thus living in us, we know not where we are, nor what our state is. If Christ be not in you, I am sure you are not in Christ; and what the sad consequence of that is, you may see Ephes. 2. 12. At that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the common-wealth of Israel, and strangers from the co∣venants of promise; without God in the world, having no Hope: But Christ in us is our Hope of Glory.

CHAP. III.

I Shall now draw both Parts of the Text into one Doctrinal Observation, which is plainly this, That Christ in us is our Hope of Glory; or Christ dwelling in our hearts by Faith now, is the only sure ground and foundation of our Hope of Glory hereafter.

And therefore (1 Tim. 1. 1.) Christ is called our Hope. Why he is so called; and how our Hope is grounded upon him, I am now to shew;

(1.) From the Nature of Faith, by which we receive Christ. And

(2.) From the Object of Faith, Christ received, or, Christ in us.

I shall shew you, How Faith, by recei∣ving Christ into the Soul, begets Hope: And also, How Christ received, doth feed, nourish, and maintain this Hope, keep it up.

I begin with the

First, To consider the Nature of Faith, as it is a Cause of Hope. When the Apo∣stle saith, Christ in us is the Hope of Glory; he means Christ received by us, or Christ believed on: For nothing but Faith can raise up Hope; no, not from Christ him∣self. Faith is before all other Graces, is the Mother of them all. Hope, Love, Fear, Joy, Zeal, and the like, are but the several Motions of the Heart towards Christ, as he is represented to us by Faith. Faith raises and sanctifies our Affections; lets them out upon Christ, so leading out our Souls towards him, by all those holy Passions that may be any way expressive of the high Veneration we have for him. Our

Affections do express the sense of our Souls, whether we like or dislike; how we stand affected towards any thing proposed to us.

My business is, To shew how Faith be∣gets Hope; how naturally Hope rises out of Faith, and is founded upon it. And I shall argue from the Nature of Faith, as it stands in relation to Hope; so it is spoken of, Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. It is the Substance, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Quasi fulcrum rerum sperendarum. It is Calvin's Notation upon the word, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Institut. lib. 3. c. 2. Sect. 41. Faith is that which under-props Hope, and there∣fore rendred the substance of things hoped for; à substando, denoting not only the subsi∣stance of the things hoped for, in the Un∣derstanding of a Believer, but also the help that Faith gives our Minds to conceive of things to come, as if they were now be∣fore our eyes, and in our hands. Faith is Hypostasis, that which under-props our Hope, that which Hope stands upon. Faith bears up Hope; Hope stands upon the shoulders of Faith, and looks over into Eternity, upon things to come, which are lifted up as it were by Faith, out of their Futurity, and rendred as present to us in their very substance; that is, The Objects of a lively Hope do affect the Mind of a

Believer, as much as present Objects do our Senses. Hence Faith is also called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the Index, Ostension, Probation, or Conviction of things hoped for; that is, it is the evidence of things not appearing; the sight or intellectual Vision of things not seen; it is the Perspicuity or plain Ap∣pearance of things obscure; it is the pre∣sence of things absent; the demonstration of things occult and hidden; and all this, because Faith doth secure to us what is hoped for from the Promise of God: Evi∣dence is a rational, intellectual thing, the demonstration of something to our Under∣standings: But the Substance of a Thing is the Thing it self, it is as if it were so, to a Lively Hope thus raised and influenced by Faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. Besides, Faith sees that in Christ that answers all Objections against our Hope. His Power and Ability to save, is unquestio∣nable to every true Believer; whether he will save such vile sinners as we are, many doubts may come in at this door; but it is of the Essence of Saving Faith to believe the Power and Ability of Christ to save to the uttermost; there can be no Faith till then, neither weak nor strong. Where there is nothing to relye upon, there can be no reliance. That which we rely upon

must be sure and certain in it self. Hence Christ is compared to a Rock, to a Founda∣tion, to a Corner-Stone that bears up the Weight of the whole Building. He is one mighty to save, and must be looked upon as such, before a poor trembling Sinner will venture to trust in him. I grant, they who don't question his Power, may doubt of his Will; as that Leper, Matth. 18. 2. If thou wilt, thou canst make me whole. Yet when things come to extremity between God and a Sinner, Faith in the Power and Ability in Christ to save us, will carry it against all surmizes of any unwillingness in him to save us: When we are put to it in∣deed, Faith will make the venture; the Consideration whether he will or will not save thee, is out of doors then; you'll cast your selves upon him at all adventure; if I perish, I perish; tho thou killest me, I will trust in thee: To whom should we go? with thee only are the words of eternal life. There is no other name under heaven, salvation is in no other, Acts 4. 12. There is many a soul goes o Christ for Salvation, who at the same time may fear, and think, and it may be, say, That Christ will not save them, will not own them, nor look upon them; but having none else to flye unto▪ to him they must, and to him they will go at last, if they belong to God; Lord save

us, we perish, say they. They come to Christ under fears of perishing, as appears by their Outcries; and yet not without some hope of Deliverance, as ap∣pears by their Coming. I am persuaded many a dear Child of God goes out of the world, under such a trembling Act of Faith; and blessed are they that do so; for certainly that is dying in the Lord. It may not be so comfortable, yet it is a safe state. And this may be not only the concluding Act of Faith in a dying hour, but Faith may and doth so act in weak Christians at other seasons; it brings them to the feet of Christ full of Fears and Doubts, and there they lye, and there they will lye, till help comes from the Lord. They are long a coming to Christ, but come they will, first or last; It shews they have some hope, more it may be than they themselves take notice of: They express it rather by their Actions than by their Words: They act like those who have hope, tho they speak like those who have none; Master, save us, we perish! I must allow something for these doubts and fears of our Acceptance with God upon the account of our own unwor∣thiness, as consistent with the Nature of Saving Faith in the main: Yet whatever shew of Humility they have, they are but a proud piece of Unbelief: And I will fur∣ther

say, That these distrustful Thoughts of Christ's Willingness to save us, are most directly opposite to the Hope in the Text, and do arise, I am persuaded, from a secret Distrust of his All-sufficiency and Power; tho we may not discern this in our selves. That act of Unbelief that is uppermost, and most palpable, goes for all the Unbe∣lief that is in our heart, when it is quite otherwise, if they were searched to the bottom. Unbelief hath many Strings and Fibres; it is a complicated thing, all evil is in it, even Atheism it self; let us carry it how we will, it is a denial of God. See how the Psalmist, Psal. 77. 7, 8, 9. under a fit of Unbelief, doth not so much questi∣on himself, as God's Faithfulness and Truth; Is his Mercy clean gone? doth his promise fail for evermore? hath God forgot∣ten to be gracious? He had forgot himself, and he thought that God had forgot him∣self: But as I told you before, Faith in the Power of Christ, will carry it at last against all our fears: At what time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. As there is some∣thing in Fear that makes us draw back from God, so there is something in it that puts us forward. The greater the extremity is, the more apt we are to venture. As a man pursued by an Enemy, and running for his life, tho he may boggle at some difficult

pass, he tries, and tries again; draws back his foot, thinks he feels the ground sink under him; but the Enemy being now at his heels, he must through, or Perish; and so he ventures without any more ado, and glad he is to find firm ground under his feet; he did not think so, till he was upon it. And so it is with a weak Believer; Faith doth not presently drop all its fears when it is coming to Christ. Act reliance upon Christ, and you will find support, which was the thing you doubted of; by taking hold of Christ, you will stay your selves, and feel your selves upheld. A Soul when actually come to Christ, is rid of many fears it was under all the while it was com∣ing, and lives under a more comfortable Hope ever after.

Thus you see how Faith begets Hope, how naturally it arises out of Faith.

In the Next place, I shall shew you, how Christ received; or, Christ in us, doth cherish, maintain, and keep up this Hope in Believers: Christ in us, the hope of Glory, saith the Text.

Brethren! Glory is a great thing, and the Hope of Glory is a great Hope: And great hopes must have a great foundation to support them. There must be that in the ground of my Hope, that will, at least, make it probable to me, that the thing I

Hope for, is attainable that way, else it is not a rational ground of Hope. Now I will make it evident to you, That a Be∣liever is the most rational man in the world in all the actings of his Faith and Hope. He goes upon sure ground, he hath the clearest Evidence, the fullest Conviction, the most demonstrable Proof on his side, that can be, which heightens his Hope ex∣ceedingly. Do you make good the foun∣dation, that Christ is in you of a truth; and I will make good the Hope built upon it; and prove it to be sufficiently grounded, provided you are grounded, and setled, and stablished in the Faith. Col. 1. 23. comp. with Col. 2. 7. I am sure you will not be moved away from the Hope of the Gospel.

I shall shew you, that Christ is the only foundation of a Christians Hope of Glory: I prove it many ways.

First, Christ removes all that may ob∣struct our Hope of Glory.

Secondly, He hath done all that may raise and strengthen our Hope of Glory: All that conduces to it, that any ways tends to in∣vest us in it, and make it ours.

Thirdly, Christ hath given us a famous instance of the full actual accomplishment of his whole Undertaking for us in him∣self.

Fourthly, He hath given us some pre∣sent earnest of all this in our selves.

Fifthly and Lastly. Lest Death should dash all our Hopes, he hath assured us of a Glorious Resurrection.

If I make out all this to you, there will be no scruple left in the Case, you must needs be convinced, That Christ in you is your hope of Glory. I begin with the First, Christ hath removed all that may obstruct our Hope of Glory.

1. He hath overcome the Devil, that grand Adversary to our Souls. The strong man is bound, Matth. 12. 29. Captivity is led captive, Ephes. 2. 4, 8. Satan falls like lightning from heaven, Luke 10. 18. He that had the power of death is destroyed, Heb. 2. 14. The prince of this world is cast out. Joh. 12. 37. Principalities and powers are spoyled, triumphed over, Col. 2. 15. And thus the head of the old serpent is bruised, Gen. 3. 15. We are turned from the power of Satan unto God, Acts 26. 18. And for this very purpose, the Son of God was manifest, that he might destroy the works of the Devil, 1 Joh. 3. 8.

You see how full, how particular, the Scripture is in setting forth the Victory that Christ gained over the Devil: And all, that he might secure unto us this Hope of Glory. The devil was once in Hope to

bring us all into the same place of Torment with himself; but Christ hath appeared, and hath destroyed, and overcome that great destroyer of Souls.

2. Christ hath freed us from the Curse of the Law, and the Wrath of God. Gal. 3. 13. comp. with 1 Thess. 1. 10. He hath redeemed us from the curse, being made a curse for us; and hath delivered us from the wrath to come. He was wounded for our transgressions: He was made under the law, Gal. 4. 4. He fulfilled all righteousness, re∣quired in the law. Matth. 3. 15. And

3. Christ hath taken away all Sin, that causes shame, and is therefore directly op∣posed to this Glory in the Text. Sin is a reproach to a man, it fills him with shame and confusion of Face, is a blot upon him, leaves a note of infamy upon him: Now Jesus Christ he bore our Sins in his own body on the tree, 1 Pet. 2. 24. That we being dead to sin, might live to righteousness. While we live in Sin, and live unto Sin; we live to the dishonour of God, to the reproach of our Profession, and of all the pretended Hopes that we were under of our Eternal Salvation. He was made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the Righteous∣ness of God in him, 2 Cor. 5. 21. He gave himself for us, to redeem us from all iniqui∣ty, Tit. 2. 14.

Thus you see how Christ hath removed all that may obstruct our Hope of Glory.

Secondly; He hath done all that may raise and strengthen our Hope of Glory: All that conduces to it, that any way tends to invest us in it, and make it ours.

1. He satisfies the Justice of God in order to the free Remission of our Sins. We are justified freely by his Grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus, Rom. 3. 24, 25, 26.

2. Christ doth not only justifie us, pro∣cure Pardon of our Sins; but he also recon∣ciles us to the Holiness of God, by his san∣ctifying Spirit. Before, we were Enemies to God in our minds by wicked works; but being justified, God doth immediately be∣gin to sanctifie, to reconcile us to himself, to the Power, Purity, and Strictness of Gospel-Holiness; he transforms us more and more into his own Image from Glory to Glory; (all this tends to Glory you see) by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. 3. 8.

God's Holiness inclines him to hate Sin, and his Justice to punish it: And till these Two Attributes of God be for us, there is no Hope of Glory. Christ by taking our Nature, put himself into a capacity of suffering for us. He took not on him the Nature of Angels; this is some ground of

Hope to Man; and having drawn his heart to believe in him, rely upon him, it is a sure sign he intends good unto him. Christ be∣ing become Man, he doth through our own nature, convey himself to us in the most intimate, familiar manner that can be. His Spirit enters into us, passes through all the Faculties of our Souls, leaving a Spiritual Inclination in them all towards God, which by degrees prevails over all the sinful incli∣nations of our corrupt natures, making us at last perfectly conformable to the Son of God; and this is our Sanctification. Christ in us demonstrates the Love of God to us, sheds it abroad in our hearts by his Spirit. We hope for little from those who have no kindness for us, no love to us: But the love of God most eminently appears to us in Christ; Ephes. 2. 4. God having given us his Son, how shall he not with him give us all things? There is ground enough for Hope. Faith having Christ, raises our Hope for every thing else: If Christ be ours, all is ours.

Thirdly; Christ hath given us a famous Instance in himself, of the full actual ac∣complishment of his whole Undertaking for us; which I find insisted upon in Scrip∣ture, as an Encouragement to Believers. Saith the Apostle, Heb. 2. 9. There are many Promises and Prophesies not yet come

to pass, many things we do not see fulfil∣led: But do we see nothing fulfilled? Ay, saith he, we see Jesus entred into Glory, that is enough for us, so 1 Pet. 1. 21. saith he, God hath raised up Christ from the dead, and given him Glory; to what end, pray? That your Faith and Hope might be in God. Believers by virtue of their Union to Christ, their Head and Repre∣sentative, they are in Heaven already, made to sit together in Heavenly places in Christ, Ephes. 2. 6.

All is already fulfilled in Christ that you hope for. You hope for full pardon of Sin, full sense of Comfort, full sense of your Justification; you hope for tho∣rough Mortification of your Sin, perfect Sanctification; you hope for full delive∣rance from all afflictions, for a Resurrecti∣on from the Grave; you hope to ascend up to Heaven, to be Glorified there: All this is past upon Christ already; he hath finish∣ed Transgression, as to what concerns the business of our sins, Christ hath finished it; he hath finished Transgression, and brought in Everlasting Righteousness: It is not a thing to be done, but already actually done; he hath finished Trans∣gression. Sin when finished brings forth death, saith James, this is the perfection of Sin, in the utmost extent of its fatal Energy

and Efficacy; when it is finished it brings forth Death. But Christ's finishing Sin, was to prevent Death, the dispatching it out of the World. He by finishing Sin, utterly abolished Death, and Sin too, by the infinite Merit of his precious Blood. Christ's finishing Transgression, was the blotting it out, the undoing and reversing of all that Evil that Sin had brought upon us, that it might not be able to bring down a Curse upon us any more.

The consideration of this famous in∣stance, is a wonderful support to our Faith. Let me tell you this, that a bare word of Promise concerning things to be done for us, by God, without this famous instance of their being done and actually accom∣plished in the Man Christ Jesus, would not have been such a confirmation of our Faith, tho in it self it ought to be; yet through our weakness and infirmity, it would not have been such a convincing confirmation, as now it is in conjunction with this undeniable instance. It strength∣ens the very Word of God, and helps us with more confidence to settle upon it. There is nothing we hope for, but the Man Christ Jesus is already possessed of; he is Risen, he is Ascended, he is sate down at the right Hand of God upon his Throne, he is Glorified in our Nature; and what is done to man, may be done again.

So that Christ is the most rational ground of a Christians Hope that can be.

Fourthly, Christ hath not only given us a famous instance in himself, of the coming to pass of all that is promised to us; but in the Fourth place, he gives us present earnest of all this in our selves. We have the first fruits, the earnest of the spirit in our hearts, 2 Cor. 1. 22. We are sealed by the holy spi∣rit of promise, which is the earnest of our in∣heritance, Ephes. 1. 13, 14. They who are so sealed, do walk in the comfort of the Holy-Ghost, Acts 9. 31. as well they may un∣der so great an Assurance of Glory here∣after. Some Rays of this Glory do shine in upon the hearts of Believers here: A spi∣rit of glory rests upon them now, 1 Pet. 4. 14.

Now from these Beginnings we may hope for all that is to follow. Our Light is come, and the Glory of the Lord is risen upon us in some measure already, and is continually rising higher and higher to∣wards a Noon-day Light, which is our perfect day. Thus we are transformed now from Glory to Glory. Believers find it so in themselves: And therefore experi∣ence should beget Hope, Rom. 5. 4. And then,

Lastly: Lest Death should dash all our Hopes, Christ hath assured us of a Glorious

Resurrection: If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most misera∣ble, 1 Cor. 15. 19. Christ hath taken off this Objection, that we might not be in bon∣dage through fear of death, Heb. 2. 16. It is evident he hath power to raise the dead, as he hath raised himself from the Grave. They deny matter of Fact, who deny the Resurrection. 1 Cor. 15. 13. If there be no resurrection, then Christ is not risen; but that is matter of fact, he is risen; we know it: Christ is the first fruits of them that sleep in the Grave: The first begotten of the dead, Rev. 1. 5. The first who rose from the dead, Acts 26. 23. He is the first-born from the dead, Col. 1. 18. And he will change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like to his glorious body, Phil. 3. 21.

See what ground there is for your Hope of Glory, from the Resurrection of Christ. That which is sown in dishonour, shall be raised in glory, 1 Cor. 15. 43. This still main∣tains your Hope of Glory. Therefore my be∣loved brethren, saith Paul, be stedfast, un∣moveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know your labour is not in vain in the Lord, v. 58. Were there no Resurrection, all the pains we take in Religion, would be labour in vain; but we know our labour is not in vain.

Thus you see how Christ in us, is our Hope of Glory; because Christ without us, is now personally in Heaven: And if since his Ascension and Glorification, he is plea∣sed to descend down into us by his Spirit, and dwell in us, this is a sure sign he in∣tends to bring us to the same place of Glo∣ry with himself. Christ was to bring many sons to glory, Heb. 2. 7. And he sends his Spirit as an earnest to assure us of this. The Spirit never quite leaves that soul, into whom he once comes. He abides with us for ever, John 14. 16. He comes to take pos∣session for Christ; he enters in in his name, he sets his mark upon the Soul; casts out the Devil, seals up the Soul for Christ; Thou art mine, saith the Spirit of Christ: The Spirit it self bears witness with our spi∣rits, that we are the children of God, Rom. 8. 16. Saints are sensible of this, and do give themselves unto the Lord: As Christ gives himself unto the Saints, so they give themselves unto the Lord. My beloved is mine, and I am his; they do mutually own each other. And this is the happy day of our Espousals; we are married unto the Lord, and he is become an husband to us, and ever after we dwell comfortably toge∣ther in Love.

Brethren: If we set our minds to know these things, the Spirit will shew us out of

the Word, what Christ is now doing for us in Heaven; That he is gone to prepare a place for us, John 14. 2. To make intercessi∣on for us, Rom. 8. 34. He is entred in for us as a forerunner, Heb. 6. 20. that we may follow after. He will come again, and receive us to himself, John 14. 3. We shall partake of his glory, Joh. 17. 22. We shall sit down with him on his Throne, Rev. 3. 21. These are good grounds of Hope; we should se∣riously weigh and consider these things, we should ponder them well in our hearts. Some apply themselves with great earnest∣ness to outward Duties of Religion: O∣thers, they study the Controversial part, and rest in an Orthodox Judgment, in the bare knowledge of the Truth: And may be neither the one nor the other do attend to the acting of their Faith upon Christ, which only brings down Religion to our selves, engages our Hearts and Consciences in it: And I am sure till then, let our Pro∣fession and Knowledge be what it will, we are not real Christians in the sight of God; Christ is not in us of a truth.

I see many Professors wrapt up close in their several Forms, crying, Lo here, and Lo there; each one contending for his own Opinion, pleasing themselves with their different ways and methods of outward Devotion: Here they rest, and are no fur∣ther

concerned in Religion, than to join to such or such a Party, going under such or such a Name. We may see many Profes∣sorts of all sorts and forms, walking softly to Hell, talking of Christ all the way they go. This is Truth; This is Gospel; This is the Protestant Religion; This and that is a good Sermon: And yet it is visible, that the most important Truths of the Go∣spel have not that weight with them as they should: They do not carry on the grand design of their Profession: They don't live and walk as if they really belie∣ved what they so solemnly profess. This is the Charge I have against the Professors of this Age; I am afraid of them; I am a∣fraid of you, I am afraid of my self. Let every one examine himself. If you know these things, happy are ye if you do them. Let us either resolve to live up to our Chri∣stian Principles, or lay aside that Name to live, by which we deceive both our selves and others. Let us lay aside all Hope of Salvation by Christ; or study Christ more who is the only sure Ground and Foundati∣on of our Hope of Glory.

CHAP. IV.

THAT I may take occasion to look a little further into the Text, I shall put this Query from the running of the Words as they lye before us, Christ in us, our Hope of Glory. The Query is this:

If Christ be in us, can we hope for any thing more? If Christ be ours, all is ours; How then can Christ in us, beget Hope of any thing further? Is there any thing more than Christ? Can Christ be nearer to us, than to be within us? Is any thing beyond Christ? Any thing more desirable than Christ? One would think that Christ in us, should compleat our Fruition, and not lead out our Souls to a Hope and Expectation of something else. This is the Query.

I answer; We must distinguish between the Spiritual and Personal Presence of Christ: Christ is present with us in Spirit here; but he will be personally present with us in Glory hereafter. It is a great deal more; or, as the Apostle speaks, far better for us to be with Christ; that is, with his Glorified Person, than for Christ to be in us now by his Spirit. This is in order to that; to fit us for himself, and to make us

meet for the inheritance of the saints in light. All is ours, if Christ be ours: All ours; How? Not in hand, not in full possession; but only in Hope, in the account and reck∣oning of Faith; all is made over and secu∣red to us; our Title is firm and good to the whole Inheritance, and all that God hath promised; but still the Inheritance is reserved, 1 Pet. 1. 4. We are not yet entred into it, are not yet invested with all that belongs to us. God hath begun a good work here, which he will not finish till the Re∣surrection.

Our Grace lies in the Spiritual Presence of Christ in us here; our Glory lies in the Personal Presence of Christ with us in Heaven hereafter. We must speak of these things as men, and you must bear with our infirmity, and with the weakness of our expression. I beseech you consider what I am now saying: The Glorified Person of Christ will not bear that which the Spirit of Christ bears now in the Saints. The Spirit comes to sanctifie us, comes where Sin is, and casts it out. Tho the Spirit ne∣ver mingles with our Sins, yet the Spirit will hold Communion with those in whom Sin dwells, which the Glorified Person of Christ will not. No unclean thing shall en∣ter Heaven: We must not think to come so near to the Person of Christ, till we are

perfectly sanctified. We must be without spot, or blemish, or wrinkle, or any such thing, before we can have immediate Fel∣lowship with the Father and the Son in Glory.

The Presence of the Spirit now, tho it be an inward, intimate Presence, yet it is but a mediate Presence through the Word, through Gospel-Ordinances: But the mu∣tual Presence of God and the Saints with each other in Heaven, is an immediate Presence, face to face. We had need have no spot upon our face then, but be through∣ly washed and cleansed, that no filth may be found in our skirts. Christ hath espoused us now by his Spirit to himself here under all our Infirmities: And he sends his Spirit to put a Beauty and a Comeliness upon us, to adorn the Bride, to clothe her with beau∣tiful garments against the day of his com∣ing, that she may be fit to stand in the Pre∣sence of the Bridegroom, as the king's daughter, all glorious within, and without too; then, being perfectly sanctified both in Body, Mind, and Spirit. The Spirit of Christ gives us access now into the Grace of God; but nothing but the glori∣fied Person of Christ can gives us access in∣to the Glory of God; Come ye blessed: All are admitted into Heaven by the glorified Person of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of

Christ acting now through the Word, in the Absence of the Person of Christ, pre∣pares us for his coming, keeps us waiting for that blessed day: Rev. 22. 17. The spirit and the bride say, Come. The spirit saith so in the Word, saith so in the hearts of the Saints, that is, makes them to say so: The whole Church, and every particular Mem∣ber saith the same thing for himself, Amen, so come Lord Jesus, come quickly. If Belie∣vers were asked one by one, Whether they desire the Coming of their Lord, they would all agree with John, and say, Amen, so come Lord Jesus; they care not how soon, Come quickly. They are all of a mind in that thing. The earnest longings of every gracious Soul after Christ, are from the Spirit of Christ breathing in Believers, kindling and keeping up strong desires in them after Christ: They retain these de∣sires in their Spirits after death. The Souls under the Altar cry out, How long, Lord, holy and true, &c. Rev. 6. 9, 10. We are still to conceive of the Spirit, as the Spirit of Christ. It is Christ in us shedding a∣broad his Love in our hearts, uniting them to himself: He will see we shall not forget him; therefore he dwells in us by his Spi∣rit, to keep up love in our hearts to his Per∣son. And is not this a good ground of hope, That Christ and Saints shall have a joyful

meeting ere long, who do thus continually remember each other: The heart of Christ is towards them, and their hearts are to∣wards him. They are joined together in one spirit now. The Glory of the Saints lies in beholding the Glorified Person of Christ, because in him they see the Human Nature so highly dignified and exalted in the Divine Person of Christ. They see the express Image of God in Christ shining out in the brightness of Glory: They see the Image of Christ in themselves, shining out in the Perfection of Grace. When he shall appear, they shall be like him, which is their Glory.

Thus Christ dwelling in us now by his Spirit, raises our Souls to the Hope of this Glory in the Text.

The Application contains a Threefold Exhortation:

(1.) That you would be persuaded to examine and prove your Hopes, Whether they be well grounded, yea or no.

(2.) If you find them otherwise, not sufficiently grounded upon Christ, that you would be persuaded to throw away those vain Hopes, to lay them aside. And

(3.) That you would earnestly labour every one of you, to come under the Power

of this true Christian Hope in the Text; and then you will know where you are.

I begin with the

First: Let us examine and prove our Hope to be well-grounded upon Christ within us. 2 Cor. 13. 5. Know ye not your own selves, how that Christ is in you of a truth, except ye be Reprobates; that is, such (who dying in that state) God will reject at the last day. We should do all we can to secure our Hopes, lest our Crown be taken from us. Hope rises out of Faith; yet we must not so take it upon trust, as not to be able to give a Reason of it, 1 Pet 3. 15. Hope without Faith, is Presumption, Hope without Faith, is without a Reason, a foolish Hope. Till we are justified by Faith, we can have no Hope, but we lye under all the damning Circumstances of our sins, exposed to the Wrath and Ven∣geance of God. To be without Christ, implies all misery: Then we have no hope, Eph. 2. 12. He that hath the Son, hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life, nor shall ever see life, 1 John 5. 12.

We should not rest till we know this, because it may be known. The Spirit is gi∣ven us to this very end, 1 John 3 24. To shew us that we are in Christ, and Christ in us, John 14. 20, 21. Such a manifestation of Christ to us, is a great Argument of

his love to us, ver. 21. The Spirit doth testi∣fie of Christ, John 15. 26. Besides, it is a Glory to Christ, to make him our Hope of Glory. We render him great in the eyes of men, when we look upon him as one who makes us great. The generality of men know nothing of Christ, but what the Faith and Hope of Christians speak him to be. They understand the Language of your Hope, who have none themselves. How mean thoughts soever they have of Christ, yet they cannot but look upon him as one greatly admired by others, whose expectations from him are so high. Ambi∣tion is natural to men; all would have Glory, tho few take the right way to ob∣tain it. The present satisfaction men take in sins, may be great, yet their Hopes of any future good from them, are very small: When they give themselves time to think, they are usually surprized with some fear of the ill consequence of their sins; they are under some secret bodings of some evil that will follow: Let them ask their Con∣sciences if it be not so. Therefore that you may have more solid grounds of Future Blessedness, search for Christ within you; rest not till you feel the quicking Influences of his Divine Power and Spirit in your selves; till you feel Christ living in you. It is one thing to walk as men, another thing

to walk as Christians, in the Spirit of Christ. Did we pray more to the Father to reveal his Son in us, form Christ in us, make us Partakers of the Divine Nature; waiting for the coming down of the Spirit upon us; we should be endued with Power from on High, we should know what it is to do all things in the strength of Christ, to have all our Works wrought in God: What it is to act supernaturally, which every Christian should aim at, experimentally to know what it is to act supernaturally: They who do so, will know that they do so; They cannot be well ignorant of that which is so new, so much another thing from all that is Natural. They are lifted up above themselves, they are carried away by the Spirit of God, and they may know that they are in that Spirit; every such appea∣rance of God in the Soul, is a manifestation of the Spirit; not only to others, but more especially to our selves. The Spirit bears Witness, that the Spirit is truth; The Spi∣rit witnesseth with, and to our Spirits.

When the Spirit comes as a witness, he stands forth distinct from our Spirit, that the joynt Testimony of the Spirit of God with ours, may be discerned from the single Testimony of our own Spirit, which could not be, if the Holy Ghost when giving in his Witness, laying down his propositi∣on,

did not stand forth by himself, in di∣stinction from the spirit of a man, that the truth may be confirmed out of the mouth of two Witnesses, at least in the Con∣science of a Believer.

Some of the Heathen of old had their Extasies and Raptures, were sensible they were acted by a spirit higher than their own, and thought themselves Divinely In∣spired, when they were under the greatest Infatuation of Satan imaginable. But it doth not hence follow, that those who are truly inspired by God, may not know it: Were Christ in us of a truth, we should find our selves strong in the power of his Might. He that is in us, is greater than he that is in the World; could we take hold of this great one, and go forth in his Name, Spi∣rit, and Strength, we should do great things; I can do all things, saith Paul, through Christ that strengthneth me; what do we then in the strength of Christ, which we know we could not do of our selves? I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. We should labour after some experience of this in our own selves, not to rest satisfied till we can experimentally say it of our selves: Without this experience, we live but at a low rate, do no more than others, and sometimes not so much neither; whereas we should hold forth Christ, and

walk in his Spirit, having our conversation more in Heaven, resisting the Devil, over∣coming the World, denying our selves, as those who are strengthned by Christ in our inward man so to do.

While I am putting you upon this search to feel for Christ within you, as the Ground of your Hope; I shall lay down Two Cau∣tions:

1. This Mystical Union between Christ and Believers, this Spiritual In-being of Christ in our hearts, is a great Mystery. We cannot fully comprehend it in this world. Some experience we now have of such a thing in our selves; but a perfect, distinct knowledge of these deep Mysteries, is re∣served for Heaven. Then we shall have a clearer Revelation of the Mystery of the Trinity: At that day, saith Christ, you shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you, John 14. 20. At that day, but not before: In that day you shall know it perfectly; now you know something, you see something, tho but darkly; and we must be content.

2. Never take that to be from the Spirit of Christ in you, that leads you from the Scripture, and would make you wise above what is written. Some have run into strong delusions this way, fancying every thing

they do or say, to be by Divine Inspiration. What tho some are deceived in thinking they have the Spirit of Christ, when they have him not? It doth not therefore fol∣low, that those who have the Spirit indeed and in truth, may not know that they have him. One man's Error in this case, cannot overthrow another man's Experience. He that hath not the Spirit, may think he hath him; but he that hath the Spirit indeed, may know he hath the Spirit. Because some men mistake the Truth, it doth not follow therefore, it cannot be known by any. When you seek for Christ in your selves, and for further Teachings of his Spirit, you should always pray over some Word; have your eye upon some Scri∣pture which you beg a right understanding of; for no inward Revelation is now to be expected; but only of things already re∣vealed in the Word, which the Spirit opens to us; that is, Christ in us doth this. But in Heaven we have an Intuitive Know∣ledge of the things themselves in God, who is the First Spring, the First Cause, the Fountain of all supernatural Truths contained in the Bible. In Heaven we shall know the Truth only as it is in Jesus; now we know it as it is in our Bibles; we know it by the Word, as a Sign and Sym∣bol of the Will of God, from whence we

abstract all our knowledge of Divine things in a discoursive way. But Intuitive Know∣ledge in Heaven is another thing; there needs no written Word, no other Bible in Heaven, but Christ the Essential Word of God, who will shew us all in himself, all Gospel-Truths do center in him; which shews, that for us to be with Christ in Glory, is more than for Christ to be in us by his Spirit here.

Secondly; Let us lay aside all vain Hopes, that confound and make us ashamed, Job 6. 20. The Vanity of Hope lies not so much in the Object of Hope, as in our Hope it self: The Object may be real, to wit, Life and Eternal Glory: They are gay things, desirable things, and they are real things too: But we must see that our Hope be well-grounded: If the Grounds be weak, such as by no just Consequence of Reason will bear what we infer from them, then our Hope is vain; we must give a rea∣son of the hope that is in us; and such a rea∣son as may answer all Objections against our Hope. The Object of Hope is Bonum arduum futurum, sed possibile: If there be not a possibility of obtaining what we hope for, upon the ground we go upon, our Hope is vain, and will certainly make us ashamed, the issue not answering our ex∣pectation, Job 11. 20. comp. with Prov. 10. 28.

There are Two Things which men ground their vain Hope of Salvation, of Heaven and Glory upon; in both which they overlook Christ, and pass him by.

1. Their own Righteousness, so far as they can pretend to any, they make the most of it, grow proud of it, look to be considered by God for it; as if he was be∣holden to them for their good Lives, and inoffensive Carriage; that they run not in∣to the same excess of Riot with others. But alas! what a sandy foundation is this to build our Hope of Heaven upon!

Be not offended at what I am saying, but weigh it well in the Balance of the Sanctua∣ry; consider it strictly by Gospel-Light: I say this; We may as soon be saved in our Sins, as by our own Righteousness. It is as contrary to the Gospel to trust in our own Righteousness, as to the Law, not to do it. Our Sins are not more opposite to the Holi∣ness of the Law, than trusting in our own Righteousness is to the Free Grace of the Gospel. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mer∣cy he saveth us, Tit. 3. 5. It is true, a Holy Life becomes a Christian; we cannot be Christians without it; but it doth not make a Christian: Nothing but Faith in Christ doth make a Christian, from whence

all true Holiness found in Believers, doth spring. I have sometimes told you, That Preaching of Holiness, pressing Holiness with little or no mention of Christ, will never bring men to Christ; but Preaching up Christ will bring men to Holiness; that is the right spring and root of all true God∣liness. It doth as much belong to Christ to Sanctifie us, as to Justifie us. We must go out of our selves for Sanctification, as well as Justification. Who shall bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one: None but God. No unjustified person can be sanctified.

He whose sins are imputed to him, must needs be under the power of them: Sin will live under its own Guilt: If that be removed, sin dies presently. If it cannot kill us, it ceases to reign over us. The strength of sin is the law. When the Law cannot by any Act of Justice belonging to it, curse us for our sin, sin in us grows weaker as to its own Acts hereafter; be∣cause we are no longer under the Law, but under Grace, which teacheth us to deny-un∣godliness. A man will never be brought off from his own course, by all the teachings of the Terrors of the Law, till the Grace of God begins to tutor him, to instruct him. The Law was not intended to be our Teacher, but our Judge: It was given to man in his Perfect State, who knew the

whole compass of his Duty, had the Law written in his heart. The breach of the Law left him under the Curse, where he doth, and will lye, till free Grace relieve him, and brings him under the Blessing of the Gospel. The Law shews fallen man his Transgression, but cannot shew him any Righteousness in himself, because there is nothing exactly answering the Law found in man fallen. Malum est ex quolibet defectu; The whole Action is sinful, be∣cause imperfect.

The Righteousness of the Law, in a strict Legal sense, (for I must be forced to distinguish; I know many in this Age will not understand me; but they that have ears to hear, let them hear: I say, The Righte∣ousness of the Law in a strict Legal sense) admits of no degrees; it must be perfect or none: It is true, a gradual tendency to∣wards the exact Righteousness of the Law, is commendable in any; but because it is not a fulfilling of the Law, the Law will not reward it, but punish that man as a Sin∣ner; not because he goes so far in his Obe∣dience, but because he goes no further. A man may do many things, but if he doth not always do every thing that is right in the Law, the Law will curse that man, and his former Righteousness shall not be re∣membred.

2. The second false Ground of hope, is the Gracious and Merciful Nature of God. How is this cried up! his Philanthropia, God's Love to his creature man! And this they think will make God unnatural to himself, and cause him to lay aside his Ju∣stice, that he may shew kindness to them who have acted so contrary to him. And therefore they hope God will have as little regard to his own Justice and Holiness, as they have had.

All I shall say is this; That those who reject the only way of Salvation by Christ, in whom the Justice and Mercy of God are reconciled, will find it a hard matter to plead the Mercy of God for themselves in a direct Opposition to his Justice: Whe∣ther they can dye in Peace under these Thoughts, let them see to that. Men may talk what they will of their Good Works, and of their inherent Holiness; but sure I am, Nothing but the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us, will remove that Guilt that cleaves to us in every thing that we do; and you will never be Justified till that be done. What is all your Duties, Per∣formances, all Holy Works, What is all this to the Pardon of thy Sin, Man? God ne∣ver absolves the sinner, never looks upon him as Righteous, till he be found in

Christ, not having on his own Righteous∣ness.

CHAP. V.

Thirdly; Let us labour to come under the Power of this Christian Hope.

WHether I shall Prophesie good to you, or evil, from this Text, I know not, it is according to the frame the Word finds you in, which I am now to de∣liver to you. If in this life only you have hope in Christ, you are of all men and wo∣men the most miserable. But I hope better things of you, of every one of you, tho I thus speak; knowing that you all have im∣mortal Souls, that cannot always live upon the Bodies portion; I am jealous over you with a Godly Jealousie, and would pro∣voke you to give a reason of the hope that is in you; not so much to satisfie me, as to sa∣tisfie your selves: Give such a Reason as may satisfie your own Consciences: And this is all I aim at.

All of us must be either under Hope, or under fear, or in a dead, stupid, senseless frame: I will suppose you are all under some hope of Eternal Glory; for rruly I see little else appear in the Faces of Profes∣sors.

They all hope to be Saved and go to Heaven; I am not willing to weaken your Hopes, nor disturb you in them, unless I see cause: And truly I wish, that this Hope do not prove a presumptuous Confi∣dence in some, arising from carnal securi∣ty. But be it what it will, let us look into the matter, it may be while I am speaking of the Power of Hope, some of you may be made sensible of the weakness of your Hope.

Hope hath powerful influences upon the Mind of a man, makes strong impressions, and gives a sense of it self unto those that have it: we can't but take notice of our own Hopes: Many pretend to this Hope, say they have it, who have it not: They are willing to deceive themselves, to flatter their own Souls, to think better of their State than it is; but can give no reason that will hold, why they think so: And yet they will not be persuaded otherwise; they take it ill to be suspected by those who see further into their State than they do; till a through conviction of Sin and Wrath come upon them, they will never be otherwise minded. But then all their Hopes vanish, their Light goes out in utter Darkness, their Spiders Web breaks and becomes vain when they lay any stress upon it; their Hope is as the giving up of the Ghost,

which makes them ashamed, fills them with Confusion of Face. Whereas a true lively Christian Hope, will carry us through Death it self, Prov. 14. 32. This Hope in the Text is not an empty name, but a real thing, a real Grace, and hath real effects that may be felt, and will be felt by those who are under the Power of it. You know what it is to be in fear, how discompos'd and cast down, how perplexed and troubled, how pale and wan. By the contrary frame, you may know what it is to be un∣der the Power of Hope, which is so revi∣ving, and begets such strong consolation, Heb. 6. 18. It is a blessed hope, Tit. 2. 13. It will comfort us in a Dungeon, there we may sing as prisoners of hope, Zech. 9. 12. It is an helmet to receive all Blows, securing the head from hurt, Ephes. 6. 17. It is an an∣chor to keep the Soul steady in a tempestu∣ous season, Heb. 6. 19. Great is the pati∣ence of Hope, 1 Thes. 1. 3. It bespeaks a troubled Soul, as Psal. 42. Why art thou cast down, O my soul, why art thou disquieted within me: Hope thou in God. There is little comfort for a Christian in this world, if the hope of eternal life be cut off, 1 Cor. 15. 19.

First, The usual Effects of this Hope, when it is in any other Power, are these:

1. Hope of Glory, and an earnest ex∣pectation of the coming of Christ, are joyned together, and indeed they are al∣most the same: Waiting for his Coming; looking for and hastning to the Coming of the Day of the Lord: Christ was called the hope of Israel, Acts 28. 20. Because our Fathers looked for his first Coming; and so he is now called the Hope of Glory, be∣cause the Saints do so earnestly look for his second Coming. 1 Cor. 17. 2 Pet. 3. 12.

2. This Hope and Prayer go together. The Schools tell us, that Petitio is Inter∣pretativa spei; we cannot better express our Hopes, than by wishing, Praying, and earnest breathing after what we Hope for. Would you know, whether you shall enter into Glory, and be Eternally Saved? If you have the Spirit of Prayer, you will certain∣ly be Saved: But mistake not the gift of Prayer (which may be nothing but words) for the grace of Prayer, that lies in the in∣ward earnestness of the heart, sometimes in Groans that are unutterable: If you can pray inwardly in the frame of your Hearts, with Fervency and Affection in the Name of Christ, this is Praying in the Holy Ghost; let your words be never so few, and your expressions never so broken and im∣perfect, if the desire of your Souls be af∣ter Christ, it is laid down as an infallible

Mark of your title to Heaven. Gal. 4. 6, 7. Because you are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore we are no more servants but Sons; and if sons, then heirs of God through Christ. The Spirit of Prayer is a convincing Evidence to those that have it, or else the Spirit of God would miss of his end, if he did not assure us by that assuring act which is put forth for that very purpose: Therefore be much in Prayer. If you are not in that measure of lively Hope as you would, be much in Prayer for Hope. Saints can't but Pray much under Hope. Hope invites to Prayer, and disposes to it, if it be but to tell God what we Hope for, which we cannot do but under some present renewed Acts of Hope, which possibly we may not perceive in our selves. Yet however, Pray under all your despondencies for Hope, that God would raise it, and kindle it in you. Though you pray but faintly, weakly, through fear and diffidence, yet pray on: God usually comes in with strengthning Grace in the time of Prayer: He saith to the fearful Soul, Fear not; there is a sudden reviving, a shedding abroad of the Love of God in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. We may be under dismal apprehensions of of the Wrath of God in the beginning of

Prayer, and yet conclude with rejoying and triumphing in his Grace towards us. There are many instances of this in the Psalms. Faith, if it be right, knows not how to conclude a Prayer, till it hath taken some hold of Christ for relief; we cannot say Amen, till then, we cannot come to the conclusion till then; and then the Soul rises up in a comfortable frame under some Hope of Mercy.

Thus Hope is raised, nourished, and in∣creased in us by earnest fervent Prayer.

3. Hope of Glory and Mortification of Sin go together. He that hath this hope, saith the Apostle, purifies himself as God is pure, 1 Joh. 1. 3. Every Sin in any mea∣sure Mortified, brings on a further degree of Glory upon us, and leaves a deeper im∣pression of the Image of God upon the Soul; you resemble him more, which brings you nearer to your Heavenly State, when you shall be exactly like him.

4. Hope of Glory, and Chearfulness under all outward Afflictions, go together. 2 Cor. 4. 16, 17, 18. We faint not, because of that far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory. You should always hold fast the re∣joycing of your hope firm unto the end, Heb. 3. 6. Gird up the loyns of your mind, be sober, and hope unto the End; for the Grace that is to be brought unto you at the Re∣velation

of Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 1. 13. We are often assaulted by Temptations, out∣ward Afflictions, and inward Desertions are ready to sink our hope: We say some∣times as the Church did, Lament. 3. 18. My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord. Our hopes seems to be plucked up even by the roots, as a tree that is removed, Job. 19. 10. yet revives again, and springs up as God turns his face towards us, filling us with joy and peace in believing; then we abound in hope tbrough the power of the Holy Ghost. Rom. 15. 13.

Directions how to get under the Power of this Cristian Hope; for a Power it hath, and it is nothing to us, till we come under that Power.

1. Labour to understand your Hopes; What it is you look for from Christ, how great the inheritance is. A Minor under Age, who is born to a great Estate, is little affected with it, till he comes to know what he is Heir to; what Houses, Man∣nors and Lordships belong to him, then he counts himself rich indeed: The Apostle prays for this, Ephes. 1. 17, 18. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The

eyes of your understanding being enlightned, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the Glory of his inheri∣tance in the Saints. Did you know what a rich, Glorious Inheritance is reserved for you, this would mightily raise, quicken, strengthen your Hope: You would count your Hope something then, and rejoyce more in it.

That is the First Direction; Labour to understand your Hopes: Read over the Inventory of God's Gifts bequeathed to you in the Covenant of Grace, till you can say, This is mine, and that is mine, and all is mine through Christ.

2. Call over former experiences. What God hath already done for you. Experience be∣gets Hope, as in Jacob, Gen. 32. 10, 11, 12. With my staff did I come over this Jor∣dan, and now I am become two Bands; Lord, I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies, deli∣ver me from the hand of my Brother Esau: Thou that hast done such great things for me, go on and deliver me. Be not afraid of pre∣sent danger, but remember what the Lord hath done for you; suppress all discou∣raging thoughts that may arise in thee. Deut. 7. 17, 18, 19. If thou shalt say in thine heart, these Nations are more than I, how shall I dispossess them? Thou shalt not be afraid of them, but shall well remember what

the Lord thy God did to Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt Thou shalt not be afrighted at them, for the Lord thy God is among you, and he will put out these Nations by little and little, v. 21, 22 We complain, things go on but slowly, there is little done; God chuses to do things by little and little; consider what hath been done, and don't make it less than it is; it may seem little in comparison of what shall be, yet in it self, as it is, 'tis very great. And therefore let us argue as David did, 1 Sam 17 37. Psal. 3. 7, 8. Psal. 9. 10, 11. Psal 143 5, 6, 7, 8. so Jehosaphat, 2 Chron. 20. 7, 9, 12. so Paul, 2 Cor. 1. 10. God that hath delivered, and doth deliver, and we trust will yet deliver. The remembrance of what God hath done, and doth do, will strength∣en our Hope in him for the future.

3. Converse much with the Scriptures, espe∣cially with the Promises, that through Pati∣ence and comfort of the Scriptures you may have hope, Rom 15. 4. How did David raise his Hope from the Word of God, Psal. 119. in many places, v 42, 72. and elsewhere in that Psalm? When a man gives his word to us again and again, we believe him, and reckon our selves sure of what we ask, having so many repeated promises that it shall be done. The Word of God is a living Word in this respect, because as of∣ten as we mingle it with Faith, it repre∣sents

God speaking afresh to us in particu∣lar: Faith hearing this again and again, is more confirmed. Faith at first came by hearing, and the oftner it hears God speaking in his Word, the more it is strengthned in a lively Hope of all that God hath promised.

4. Look upon it as your Duty to Hope in God. He hath commanded us, because he knows we are apt to doubt and question his Promises. It is not presumption, but Duty to Hope in God, relying upon his free Grace, and not upon our own deserts; which never begets a true humble Christi∣an Hope, but a proud, arrogant Confi∣dence in a mans self: Whereas the fiducial Confidence of Hope is always derived from Faith, Eph. 3. 12.

5thly. and Lastly. Look unto the God of Hope. Live in a constant dependance upon his Spirit to work it in you. It is through the Power of the Holy Ghost we a∣bound in hope, Rom. 15. 13. That we are brought under the Power of a Christian Hope, which arises from such hidden causes, such deep grounds, not known to flesh and blood, that none but God can demonstrate the reasonableness and certain∣ty of our Hope. He knows how to beget us again to a lively Hope by the Resurrecti∣on of Christ from the Dead, which is

more than a Promise: It is the actual ac∣complishing of that in another, that makes it credible to us, that God can raise the Dead, and that as he hath raised up Christ, so he will also raise up us at the last Day.

To the former directions add these Two things following.

If you would ground your Hope aright upon Christ within you, so as to come un∣der the Power of it. Then

1. Consider well, whether Christ be in∣deed in you; whether you have felt the quickning influences of his Spirit in your own Souls. Christ is your life, Col. 3. 4. comp with John 11. 25. Consider then whether he be indeed your Life; use all your Spiritual senses about this; it is no easy matter to understand this Mystery. There are many who lead a Natural, Ra∣tional, Moral Life under a Christian Pro∣fession, and may be estranged from the Life of God all their Days. You see how Paul distinguishes in the case, lest he should mistake himself, or be mistaken by others. Gal. 2. 20. I live, saith he, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And so may a Saint now say, I understand Gospel Mysteries, yet not I as a man, by the Light of my own Reason, but as a Man in Christ, in the

Light of Faith; by which I know, not only that such things are revealed in the Word, but also, that they shall be accom∣plished unto all those who rely upon Christ: Neither can I give any other rea∣son for their accomplishment, but so it is Written, and thus saith the Lord. This is to speak like a Christian, when we re∣solve all into Christ, becoming fools in our selves, that we may be wise in him. The Life I now live in the Flesh, saith he, I live by the Faith of the Son of God; take away that Faith, and all my Hope as a Christian vanishes away.

You had need have a true Spiritual Light rightly discerning of Spiritual things, to know that Christ is in you, as your Life; It cannot be known but by Faith. Though Faith be very rational in all its arguings from Gospel Principles, yet Faith it self is not properly an act of Reason, but rather an act above Reason; it carries the Under∣standing above its Reason, to act my Un∣derstanding so, as to assent to that which I have no Natural Reason for: This is the knowledge of Faith; a strange way of knowing, which the world counts Foolish∣ness.

Supernatural truths don't rise up into our Minds, as the product and consequent of our Reason; this is humane knowledge

according to our Logick. But all super∣natural truths are let down through the Word by the Spirit of God into our Under∣standings; they are too deep, too mysterious and profound to be conveyed to our Under∣standings by the ordinary course of Rea∣son: And therefore God opens another door, and lets them into the Soul by Faith. Thus he writes his Law in our Hearts, puts his Truth into our inward parts; Where is the Scribe? Where is the Wise? Where is the Disputer of this World? How doth God confound the Wisdom of the Wise, from whom he hides these things, which he reveals to Babes and Sucklings: Poor hum∣ble Souls, they have the knowledge of the Heavenly Mysteries, and the World knows not how they came by it. Whence hath this man this wisdom, and this knowledge, having never learned? say they of Christ, Matth. 13. 54. comp. with John 7. 15. They wonder'd that any, not brought up in their Schools, should be more knowing than themselves. It is an astonishment to the World, to consider what knowledge poor humble Saints have of things, which they do in no wise understand.

2. Have a care of too gross conceptions of Christ within you. You must understand the Text Spiritually: As Reason brings Natural things into your Minds, and gives you an

Intellectual Vision of them; So Faith brings Heavenly things into your Minds, and gives you a Spiritual Vision of them. Christ is first known to us by Faith: There is no knowing him but by Believing in him; no coming to him, no seeing of him, but as the Soul moves towards him in the Light of Faith. God shines in our hearts, saith the Scripture, the Light of the knowledge of his Glory in the face of Jesus Christ; and this Light of know∣ledge is Faith. When we Believe, we know Christ, we See him, we Come to him, we Rely upon him, Rejoyce in him, we Love and Obey him; all the act∣ings of the Soul towards Christ, they are from Faith, representing him to us out of the Word. And when we believe the Re∣port of the Gospel concerning him, we are persuaded, and must be persuaded of the Truth of that which by a present Act of Faith we do Believe: There goes no more to your knowledge, persuasion, and satisfaction, than real Believing. Faith in its own Nature, is all Evidence; though Flesh and Blood do contradict this Evi∣dence, seek to cast clouds over it, yet those doubts that arise, they come not from Faith, but Unbelief that accompanies it more or less in every act we perform.

The more Faith, the more Hope; the more Unbelief, the less Hope. Hope will be in a proportion to the degree of our Faith: The Spirit works Faith in us, and then shews us Christ in the Light of it. Christ is let into the Soul by Faith, there he is, and there he dwells, transforming us into his own Image by our Faith in him. As Faith works by Love, so the Spirit works by Faith; I mean by our Faith in him. The Spirit knows how to improve our Faith in Christ, to draw ar∣guments from thence, to bring us to any thing which the Gospel calls for.

I am persuaded I speak to many who have Christ within them, who would not quit their Interest in him for Ten thousand Worlds; if so, you must fetch the reason of this from your Hope in Christ: What! Not part with Christ upon any terms, and yet Hope for nothing from him; not part with Christ upon any terms, and yet get no∣thing by him! He doth not offer himself to you upon these terms, but that ye may be enriched by him in all things. You dishonour Christ, and forget your Faith, when you don't Hope for great things from him. I Beseech you, Sirs! Bethink your selves a little of your standing in Christ; what hold you have taken of Eternal life in him; and don't after all say, I have no

Hope. Neither would I have you con∣tent your selves in bare saying you have Hope: But stir it up, act it, shew it, re∣joyce in it daily. Hope to the end, that others may see, how happy you count your selves in Jesus Christ; tell every one you meet, That Christ in you, is your hope of Glory. We often Preach and Hear of Faith and Hope, but we practice those Graces at leasure. Sermons of Faith and Hope, don't beget these Graces in us, nor draw them out into act: Pray consider of this; were our hearts changed under the Preaching of the Word, into a frame suita∣ble to it, this would be a token for good unto us, that the Lord is indeed among us. If Sermons of Hope did end in lively act∣ings of Hope, we should all go home Re∣joycing, Blessing and Praising of God for his abundant Mercy towards us. Great Hopes can't easily be forgotten; we natu∣rally run into our Hopes; we are fond of them, they present themselves to our Thoughts continually, have easy access to us, they take up our Minds daily, making pleasing representations to us of the Good that is coming towards us: I would leave you under the Contemplation of these things. Did we converse more with our Hopes of Heaven and Glory, this would keep sorrow from our hearts, and cause

us always to rejoyce in the Lord. Here is a present Cordial for the Poorest, the most Afflicted and Disconsolate Soul. How uncomfortable soever your present circum∣stances may be, if you would get up into this Hope, what happy Men and Women would you be! you would count your selves happy, and be filled with joy un∣speakable, and full of Glory. None of your wants would pinch you, you would be lifted up above the afflicting sense and smart of any outward Cross that may now lye heavy upon you: All your Afflictions would be light, if compared to this Eternal weight of Glory, which weighs down all troubles, and doth wonderfully alleviate and moderate all your Griefs. You may be AS sorrowful in the Judgment of others, and yet always rejoycing in your own Spirits from the Power of Hope.

It may be some will say, How can this be? Were we never so high in these Hopes, yet we should grow weary and restless under them, because all is put off to the Resurrection, till the Coming of Christ; and who can tell when that will be? Hope deferred makes the heart sick; we may faint under our desires before they come to pass, Prov. 13. 10.

I Answer; In worldly hope it is so; worldly hope is not so strengthned, is not so established, hath not that overcoming Power and Virtue in it, as this Christian Hope hath; for these Two Reasons:

1. Because of the firm Assurance we have of the certain Accomplishment of our Hopes; which cannot be said of any out∣ward, humane, worldly hope. As Chri∣stians, we know our hope will not make us ashamed, Rom. 5. 5. comp. with Rom. 8. 38, 39. A Christian knows his Hope is founded upon immutable Promises, and this doth strangely animate the Power of a Christian Hope.

2. We cannot flag in our Christian Hope, because of the present satisfaction it gives us: Wordly Hope is but a lank thing, pro∣mises fair, but hath little present influence upon the minds of men to give them any real satisfaction; but a Christian Hope doth give present satisfaction: There is always something in hand, some pledges, some earnest of all that is to follow; and this is sufficient for our present occasions, to serve the turn till we have finished our Pilgri∣mage here below. They that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength; they shall mount up as with eagles wings; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint,

Isa. 40. 31. There is a strange Strength and Virtue in a Christian Hope. The Hope of a Christian is a feeding Hope, a Soul-satisfying Hope; there is no languishing under it, it feeds upon the present over∣flowings of the Promise. Tho the thing it self is not yet brought forth out of the Promises, yet the Actings of Faith and Hope do cause a strange present overflow∣ing from the Promise, that drops into the heart like Oil to refresh it: I say, the Pro∣mises are continually dropping in fresh Comforts, giving us fresh Tastes of the Love and Goodness of God. Now under this satisfaction, our expectation is raised; and this again heightens our present satisfa∣ction; we have enough now, are full, are rich, have all our hearts can now hold; and yet we do see more a coming, with a further Capacity, Skill, and Wisdom to improve it. I shall see him, but not now, Numb. 24. 17.

The Soul cannot bear more of God in this world, than what comes in by Faith and Hope; and tho we are satisfied in our present state, yet we wait for a change. The Husbandman is satisfied to see the Seed sown, coming up in the green tender blade; but the joy of Harvest is another thing, Nothing but the full Fruition of all that good you are capable of to Eternity, can

swallow up our Faith and Hope, which will be continually reaching out after those things which are before, till we have attain∣ed them. In Heaven there will be no need of Hope; but prize it while you live upon the earth, at a distance from your Heaven∣ly Countrey.

If you would know, Whether indeed you are under the Power of Christian Hope, then try the Strength of it in your selves, What it doth in you; How it sup∣ports and comforts you.

1. Under all delays of Providence in fulfilling the Promises, can you wait the Lord's leisure, and not make haste, but patiently wait for what you yet see not? this is a sign of Hope in Power, Rom. 8. 25.

2. Doth your Hope support you, not only under delays, but when God seems to act contrary to his Promises, to let out his Anger against you? It is no easie matter for us to turn towards God by Faith and Hope, when God turns away in Anger from us, hiding his face. It was well said of the Prophet, I will wait for the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

3. When things seem desperate as to all second causes in the judgment of man, can

you then count upon the Truth and Cer∣tainty of the Promise? And

4. When you are actually surprized with Fears, what doth Hope do then? Doth it check your fears? Doth it raise you above them? Psal. 56. 3. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In the 4th. verse it is read thus, What time I am afraid, I will not fear: A brave Resolution: I will not fear what man, what flesh can do unto me: What is man? What is flesh to the great God of Heaven and Earth? What time I am afraid, I will not fear. If God be for me, it mat∣ters not who is against me.

When you can thus reason your selves out of all your carnal fears, it is a sign you are under the Power of Christian Hope. When Grace doth master that sinful Passi∣on that is contrary to it, that is Grace in Power, reigning Grace; it keeps Sin un∣der, it shall not have dominion over us.

CHAP. VI.

How Hope rises from Christ in us higher and higher, till we abound in Hope, and come more fully under the Power of it.

FIrst, viz. By a frequent serious Conside∣ration of Christ in his Divine Person and Offices; what his end was in coming

into the World, in taking our Nature upon him, and in dying for us in that Nature. We should ponder these things in our minds, and be intent upon them. We are exhorted to this in order to hope, Heb. 3. 1. and 6. verses comp. Therefore, holy bre∣thren, partakers of the heavenly calling, con∣sider the Apostle and High-Priest of our Pro∣fession, Jesus Christ: To what end? That you may hold fast your confidence, and the re∣joicing of your hope, firm unto the end, v. 6.

There are Two Effects of this serious and frequent Consideration of Christ. (1.) We shall know him better; what he is in himself. (2.) We shall better under∣stand our own Interest in him, what he is to us; which will mightily raise our Hope.

1. We shall know what he is in himself; I say we shall know this better, the more frequently and seriously we consider of him. This was that which raised Paul's Hope, 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I have be∣lieved, and am persuaded he is able to keep that which I have committed to him. They that know thy name, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 9. 10. will trust in thee. By reflecting often upon Christ in us, and conversing much with him, we see further and further into the Mystery of the Gospel; Christ opens

himself more to us, shines in more clearly upon us; gives us a fuller discerning of the deep things of God, which lye at the bot∣tom of the Covenant; we must dig deep to find them out. When we set our selves to it in good earnest, praying the Father to reveal his Son in us, Christ will further manifest himself unto us, Joh. 14. 21. That is not spoken of the first saving discovery of Christ in Conversion, but of a further Revelation of Christ to a Soul after Con∣version. He that keeps my commandments, and loves me, to him will I further manifest my self. So v. 23. If a man love me, and keep my words, we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. It is not meant of his first coming to a Soul in Conversion, but of an after-Visit that God will give every Converted Soul who waits for him. His Spirit shall teach us all things, and bring all things to our remembrance. The Spirit seldom makes any Repetition of a Sermon in our Consciences, but it is with further light, clearing up matters to us, that which we did not so well understand before. When we act our Faith afresh upon any Gospel-Truth which we have formerly heard and believed, we grow more expert in the knowledge of that Truth; we dis∣cern that by an after-Act of Faith, which we could not discern by all former Actings

of our Faith: And thus it pleases God to supply what is wanting in our Faith, and raise it up by degrees to an higher pitch, making us to grow and encrease in our knowledge of Christ, which makes Hope to grow and encrease in us: We abound more and more in Hope, the more we know of Christ.

2. Secondly, We shall better understand our own Interest in him, get a greater As∣surance of that which strengthens our Hope exceedingly. Whilst we are under doubts about our Interest in Christ, questioning our state, our Hope is small, it runs very low: Our fears being greater than our Hopes, we are much dejected; there is not that holy boasting and glorying in God, as heretofore; the Soul is now under a Cloud, sits in darkness, sees little or no light. And it is a great Work of the Spirit of God, as a Comforter, to revive our Hopes. Faith may hold out in some Spiritual Reasonings and Arguings from a bare Promise, when Hope may fail as to any present comforta∣ble Influence upon the Soul. Faith may keep some hold of the Promise, when Hope is ready to let go the things promised, or at least, to put them afar off from us. Tho it is not impossible, yet, saith a droop∣ing Soul, it seems to me very improbable, that such an one as I should be saved. Here

is Hope at a very low ebb, labouring under those Difficulties and seeming Improbabili∣ties that shake us exceedingly: But God orders the matter so, that a weak Hope puts us upon labouring after a stronger Faith. When you find yonr Hopes sink∣ing, then look to your Faith, for the fault lies there; raise that, and Hope will quickly recover it self. By often proving and examining our selves about our Interest in Christ, we come to know it more per∣fectly, to be assured of it. Want of Assu∣rance doth come from the want of Light in the Understanding; hence that Phrase, Col. 2. 2. The full assurance of understanding. When we have intire satisfaction in our Judgment and Understandings, that things are so and so, we know that Christ is in us of a truth. We had need make good proof of this, for all depends upon it: It is a Truth Saints are apt to question, when a good Work is begun in them, which they and others take to be Conversion, and which indeed is so, yet the Devil labours to persuade them otherwise; puts in many Exceptions: Tho he knows he cannot overthrow their state, yet such is his Ma∣lice, he would rob them of the comfort of it, and hide it from them if he can. He seeks to blind the minds of men, to keep out the Light of the Gospel from shining

in upon us; and when it doth shine in, he raises all the Mists and Fogs he can to ob∣scure it; he would fain turn day into night, and draw a Cloud over that Day-star that is risen in our hearts; and therefore we had need have recourse to Christ within us. We should often have recourse to Christ within us, look well upon him, and consider him; comparing Christ in our hearts, with Christ in the Word; for we may take a false Christ into our hearts, an Idol instead of the true Christ; as the Galatians, chap. 1. 6. They had another Gospel quite different from what Paul preached to them: There was no such Christ, no such Gospel as they fancied to themselves: They had a wrong notion of things; thought they must join something to Christ, did not stick to say, Unless they were circumcised, they could not be saved; Christ himself could not save them without Circumcision. We should examine our selves about this, Whether our sole dependance be upon Christ, or whe∣ther we join any thing with him in Justifi∣cation, piecing up a Righteousness partly from Christ, and partly from our selves. I am not against Works of Holiness and Go∣spel-Obedience; but if we do not warily and wisely distinguish between Faith as Justifying, and Faith as it orders and go∣verns the Life according to the Rule of Go∣spel-Obedience,

we shall run into endless Disputes, and never understand one another. Therefore, I say, let us consider whether or no we rely upon Christ and his Righte∣ousness for our Justification in the sight of God. We should examine the Principle by which we are carried out to holiness of life afterward. We may know this by search∣ing our hearts, and putting close Questions to our selves, Whether our whole Trust and Confidence be reposed in him alone? Whether we desire to be found in him, not having on our own righteousness? If we are clear in this, and can say from the bottom of our hearts, None but Christ, None but Christ, is the stay and prop of our Souls; we have nothing else to trust in, or rely up∣on; then all our Hope of Eternal Life must needs flow from him, and be grounded up∣on him only. Here we fix, and are im∣moveable from the Hope of the Gospel all our days.

Secondly, By imploring the help of the Spirit to shew us those things of Christ which we read and hear from the Word. Without this, all our Reasonings and Con∣siderations of Gospel Mysteries will come to little; we shall not have one right thought of him; We are not sufficient of our selves, as of our selves, to think a good thought, 2 Cor. 3. 5. As of our selves, i. e.

not by our own Wit, Parts, and Learning; He speaks this chiefly of Ministers. And if They stand in need of help from God to guide their Thoughts and Meditations of Christ, certainly private Christians do. The Spirit shall teach you all things, Joh. 14. 26. He will guide you into all truth, John 16. 13. He shall receive of mine, and shew it unto you, v. 15. And therefore when you set your selves to think of any Gospel-Truth, be sure you look up to God to en∣lighten you, and to give you good Under∣standing of that Truth as it is in Jesus; or else all your Reading, Hearing, Studying, Discourse, and Thinking, will come to nothing.

The Help of the Spirit lies in Two Things: (1.) In Teaching. (2.) In Te∣stifying.

1. In Teaching. The Teaching of the Spirit, and the Testimony of the Spirit, are Two Things: We are Taught, that we may Believe; but we are sealed after we believe, Ephes. 1. 13. For the Spirit bears witness, not only to the Truth of the Word, but to the Truth of a Work of Grace in our hearts; and that must be wrought, before the Spirit can witness to it; and therefore Sealing comes after Anoint∣ing, and is distinguished from it, 2 Cor. 1.

21, 22. He that anoints us is God, who also hath sealed us, and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Who also hath sealed us; he speaks of it as a distinct thing, as a further work of God upon the Soul; first Anointing, then also Sealing, giving us the Earnest: There seems to be some diffe∣rence between these Two Phrases, Sealing, and giving Earnest; who also hath Sealed us, and given us the Earnest of his Spirit in our hearts. Sealing implies bare Assurance; but the Earnest so assures us, as to put part of the Inheritance into our hand: An Earnest is something in hand; but Sealing is a de∣monstrative Evidence of the Truth and Certainty of a Thing to the Understanding only; 'tis all Intellectual.

I shall first shew you, How we are led to the Knowledge of Christ in us, by the Teaching of the Spirit; and then shew, How we are confirmed in that Knowledg, by the Testimony of the Spirit; and both in order to the raising and strengthning our Hope.

1. The Spirit shews us Christ within, formed in our hearts; then teaches us to ar∣gue from Christ within us. Consider that Scripture, Rom. 8. from 10. to 17. and see what work Paul makes of it; how he ar∣gues from Christ within; If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the

Spirit is life, because of righteousness. If the Spirit be in you, then you are assured of the resurrection of the body. If the Spirit of Christ be in you, then you are led by the Spirit, then you know that you are the children of God; and if children, then heirs, joint-heirs with Christ, that we may be glorified together. So you see he argues up to a lively Hope of Glory; as if he had said, All this doth na∣turally follow from Christ being in you: He that hath the Son, hath life, 1 Joh. 5. 12. Believers may have Christ, and may have life in him and by him, and yet not know that they have it. These things have I writ∣ten to you, (v. 13.) that believe in the Name of the Son of God, that you may know that ye have eternal life. John wrote this Epistle purposely to satisfie weak Believers, that whatsoever they thought of themselves, they had Eternal Life, and he would have them know as much. Put then the Trial of your state upon this very point, Whe∣ther you have Christ, and in him Eternal Life: Do you make good the former, and we who are Ministers of the Gospel, may, by the Blessing of God undertake to prove the latter, to your great Comfort and Satis∣faction. These things have I written to you that believe, that you may know you have eternal life. Then Believers themselves stand in need of such Writings, and Ser∣mons

as may help to open the Mysteries of Christ to them; and to this end is a Gospel-Ministry appointed to make manifest a sa∣vour of his knowledg in every place, 2 Cor. 2. 14, 15. We are a sweet savour of Christ unto God, in them that perish under our ministry, saith he. We must seek to please God in our Preaching, and not men, whatever the issue be. Men have no savour, don't savour such Sermons and Gospel-Discourses that do lead them into the Mysteries of the Gospel; they are for a more Rational way of Preaching; they love Moral Preaching; but this Mystical, Mysterious Preaching of Christ, and Faith in him, and Union to him, this they count foolishness; they don't savour it; but, saith he, we are a sweet sa∣vour of Christ to God, even in them that perish.

2. The Spirit doth not only teach us to know Christ in us, but confirms us in that knowledge, by an after-Testimony, bearing witness with our spirits, that so it is. This fixes and settles our minds in a firm persuasi∣on of the Truth. Had we no other witness but our own Spirits, we should vary and fluctuate in our minds about these great Points of the Gospel; we should be of one mind to day, and of another to morrow. Reason is not always consistent with it self; varies in its apprehensions of things, argues

pro and con, according to the different ap∣pearance of things, the different Impressi∣ons that contrary Reasonings make upon our unstable minds; I say, all these things make Reason very uncertain. Fancy and Imagination are very uncertain and va∣riable, and do strongly influence mens un∣derstandings: It is hard to know whether Sense or Reason do lead us; but the Testi∣mony of the Spirit of God is a more uni∣form Testimony, doth never vary from it self, always passes the same Judgment about the same point: It is not yea and nay; it doth not say and unsay, but stands to the first judgment; it is purposely given to te∣stifie of Christ, and of the infallible conse∣quents of our Faith in him; which must needs beget Hope. The oftner we appeal to this witness, and hear the Testimony of the Spirit in our hearts concerning Christ, the more are we confirmed in our Faith and Hope. They who are full of the Holy Ghost, they are full of Faith and Hope. When we have found out Christ within us, we should appeal to the Spirit of God, Whether it be not so indeed? Whether Christ be not in us of a Truth? None knows the Son, but the Father; and it is by his Spirit he reveals him in us. Ask the Spirit then, Whether this be the Christ of God, which your Faith hath taken hold of, and

brought into your Soul, to Live, Rule, and Reign there. Did we live in more Com∣munion with the Holy Ghost, we could not be so much estranged from the Life of Christ, we should not be so unacquainted with Christ. No man can say, That Jesus is the Lord, but by the Spirit. Say what you will of Christ, you understand not what you say, till the Spirit reveal him in you. There is no thinking, talking, no meditating on Christ in our own Light and Strength, if the Holy Ghost doth not help us. Believers have a sense of this, that God hath taught them, and shined into their hearts; it is in his Light they see Light, and have a true Spiritual Discerning of the Mystery of God in Christ. You know in the first days of the Gospel, the Spirit bore witness unto the Divine Person of Christ, That he came from God, and was God; for the world could believe neither, John 15. 26, 27. comp. with Acts 5. 32. It was the great business of the Spirit, I say, to testi∣fie to the world, That Christ was sent of God, and that he was very God. This the Holy Ghost did by many signs, and won∣derful effects of the Divine Power of Christ, wrought through Faith in his Name. And so ever since, the same Spirit breathing in the Consciences of Believers, doth testifie of Christ in them, with that Evidence and

Power, that they cannot withstand, they are convinced and satisfied, That Salvation is only by him; and that relying upon him, their Souls are secured to all Eternity. This begets Peace in their (before affrightned) Consciences.

If you ask, how doth the Holy Ghost bring over the Mind of a man, to be so fully persuaded of the truth of that which Flesh and Blood cannot reveal unto him?

I Answer; The Holy Ghost doth this as a Spirit of Power, Luk. 24. 49. Christ is said to Teach us as one having Authority: There is Power and Authority, as well as Teaching, Reasoning and Objective light. I say, the Spirit acts as a Spirit of Power, impressing a sense of God's Love so upon our Hearts, that we cannot but count upon it, rejoyce in it, feeling it shed abroad into our Hearts. The Testimony of the Spirit, is a convincing, undeniable Evidence, able to persuade of the truth of that he bears witness to, against all surmises of Flesh and Blood. Were not the Spirit of Christ, a Spirit of Power, it would be impossible he should ever establish such a a Doctrine, so contrary to all the sentiments of Nature, and to all rational Inferences men can make from any principles of Rea∣son. The Spirit comes as a Spirit of Pow∣er,

will have the Heart open, will bring over Man to assent, though it be to what his Understanding cannot reach; and this the Spirit of God doth, by particular Ap∣plication of the Blood of Christ to us by Name; so revealing Christ in us, that we cannot but feel the Virtue of his Blood in our Conscience, cannot but know him, and own him as our Jesus. In all Hope there is a peculiar Application of Promises to our selves; He that believes, hath eternal Life, John 3. 36. Is not only persuaded there is such a thing, but that he hath it al∣ready begun in him, and shall be further let into it ere long; We shall be like him, 1 John 3. 2. We shall be made heirs accord∣ing to the hope of eternal life, Tit. 3. 7. For the hope which is laid up for you, Col. 1. 5. There is a particular Application to our selves, of those things we Hope for. It is impossible for a man to Hope, and be no way concerned in his Hope; it is impossi∣ble to leave himself quite out of his Hope.

If Christ in you, be your hope of Glory; Then look upon him as the only sure bot∣tom and foundation of all your Hopes, you will prize him the more: We natu∣rally love and esteem that which gives us hope of any goood coming towards us. The Reason why Christ is so little regard∣ed, so lightly set by, is because men are

afraid they shall be losers by him: Go and sell all, and follow me; this is an hard saying to such as understand not the gain of God∣liness, the excellency of Christ, that he is able to do more for them, than all the World can. Paul was so persuaded, Rom. 8. 37. Nothing could separate him from the Love of God in Christ Jesus; Neither life nor death, nor all evils that it was possible for men and devils to bring upon him: In all these things, saith he, we are more than conquerors. As if he had said, we are so far from being losers, that we are great gainers, come off with advantage. Thanks be to God, who hath given us the victory, 1 Cor. 15. 57. Thanks be to God who also causes us to triumph in Christ, 2 Cor. 2. 14. Thus he overcomes the world, who believes Jesus is the Son of God, 1 John 5. 4, 5. Quenches all the fiery darts of the wicked one, Eph. 6. 16. Overcomes by the blood of the Lamb, Rev. 12. 11.

But after all this, If any should Object and say, We cannot rejoyce in this Hope of Glory by Christ; we cannot bring our hearts under the Power of this Hope, as you have been persuading us to do.

I Answer; You cannot, but God can; God by his Spirit of Power, can do this in you, and upon you. We have a cloud of Wit∣nesses to this, in all those Saints in former

Ages, who have gone Triumphing to Heaven in a Joyful Hope and Expectati∣on of Eternal Glory; and you will find it so in your selves, when the Spirit of God comes upon you, as a Spirit of Power. Let me tell you, The impressions of the Spirit, are strange things, till you come under them; then you feel the powerful effects of them in your own Souls; will see that done which you thought could never have been done; find that made easy to you, which you thought was impossible. And thus it will be when you are begotten again to a lively Hope. Many Professors have a dead Hope of Eternal Life and Glory, which make no impression upon them; but a lively Hope, hath lively Effects that will be felt.

It may be you will further Object, and say, It is true, there are some who have this Hope, and this Joy; But may not all this be a Delusion upon false Grounds?

All I shall say in Answer, is this: I wish you would make the same Objections a∣gainst your Worldly Hopes, as you do a∣gainst this Christian Hope; I am sure you have more cause. How prone are men to Object against the Hope of the Gospel? And how willing are men to be flattering themselves with all Worldly Hopes! they follow them, are mightily pleased with

them, they all run well, and are well founded. But this Hope of Glory by Jesus Christ, that is an ignote thing, they know not what to make of it. Look to it, Those who are willing to nourish vain Hopes now, will have Hope little enough ere long; they will be Punished with Everlasting Despair in Hell. But alas! with what confidence and security do Men Hope in the Creature! but with what trepidation and doubtfulness do some Trembling Souls Hope in Christ! Me∣thinks their Reason might instruct their Faith, to argue otherwise from Gospel Principles, the consequence of which, Sanctifi'd Reason may discern, and ought to attend unto: You find a Thousand In∣stances in every Age of such whose World∣ly Hopes have disappointed them, and made them ashamed: But never since the World began, could there be one Instance produ∣ced of any Believer, whose Hope in Christ hath made him ashamed: It is strange that we should rejoyce so much under that Hope, which seldom or never answers our expectation; and be so much cast down and dispirited under those Hopes of Glo∣ry that never fail: I wish you would but ask your selves the Reason of this: It is a sign we are rather Carnal than Spiritual, and savour more the things of this Earth,

than the things of Heaven. It is a shame to think how little Influence this Hope of Glory hath upon us. We usually count our selves the better for our Hopes; but it seems the Hope of Glory adds little to us; we lay it by, as that which speaks of some∣thing to come, a great while hence, in ano∣ther world, we know not when; we cannot get our minds to attend to it, and look for the accomplishment of it. And thus we bereave our selves of much good, by suffer∣ing our Hope to languish, as it will do, if we don't take comfort in it, and daily solace our selves with the thoughts of it. To think of our Hopes, is enough to revive us at any time, especially when we count them sure and certain.

I know not whence it is, but you may observe many Christians to be more in the Exercise of Faith and Love, than of Hope. We reverence the Word, and dare not dis∣believe that, when we are under little or no Hope of what is promised to us in the Word. A little Fear drowns our Hope: We believe the Truth of the Promises, but in modesty suspend the application of them to our selves; as if it were a piece of Hu∣mility to Believe much, and Hope but little. God is good, and gracious, and faithful, saith the drooping Soul; here is Faith: But I am unworthy, I am less than the least of all his

mercies, unfit to receive any thing at his hand: Thus by sinking our Hope, we do in∣sensibly weaken our Faith; for a weak Faith doth always follow a languid Hope; the Promises will grow out of credit with us, when in an affected Despondency we hu∣mour our selves too much, in refusing our own Mercies. It would make our hearts ake, if God should take us at our word, and say, Because you will not have this or that Mercy, you shall not have it; because you will not have life by applying this and that Promise to your selves, I reverse it, call it in, declare, you shall never have that Mer∣cy; I say, it would make our hearts ake, if God should take us at our word, when in a froward, sullen fit of Despondency. It is a slight to his rich Grace, to be so shy of it, to take but little, when much is offered. Express then the greatness of your Faith, by the greatness of your Hope. As God hath abounded, yea, superabounded in his Grace towards you, so do you abound more and more in your Hope in him. Faith is but a Notion, a mere empty Speculation, when the good things of the Promise are not brought down to our selves, by a lively Hope; that we may taste and see how gracious the Lord is: We never suck the sweet of a Promise till then. Therefore judge of your Faith by your Hope, and judge of your

Hope by your Faith; Whether it be well grounded upon the Word; if it be, it can never rise too high; otherwise Hope is an aspiring Passion, and usually flies too high, when it is not fixed upon a right Object; the Soul is overset by it. How are some men intoxicated and drunk with their vain hopes? There is no fear of any such excess in true Christian Hope. No man was ever questioned by God for having too much Grace; we may all complain of too little: More Grace, is the constant Desire of eve∣ry holy Soul; as there is a Propensity in God to give it; To him that hath, more shall be given: God loves to accumulate his Fa∣vours, to load us with his Benefits; he gives liberally, that he may draw out our Hope to follow him for more and more still. Let us then abound in Hope, holding fast our Con∣fidence firm unto the End.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tit. 2. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 18.