from God and from the souls knowing its interest in him as his portion are good and strong reasons for our hoping in him and such are the reasons which the Church in my Text gives of their hoping in God They considered Gods All-sufficiency in himself and to every one that hath him for his portion and what interest themselves had in him through faith in Christ and thereupon conclude therefore will I hope in him So may all believers R. 1. From the inseparable connection of hope with faith Faith believes in Christ and in God through Christ upon Gods authority in his word and what faith believes hope expects The reasons for a believers hoping in God are as good and strong as for his believing in him For as naturally beams come from the Sun and branches from the root so by spiritual discourse one truth issueth from another and as the Sun and its beams the roots and branches are all of one nature so the grounds of comfortable truths and reasons taken from those grounds are both of the same divine authority in themselves Though in us discourse is apt to be so troubled in times of Temptation that we cannot see how one truth ariseth upon another yet so far as faith sees God to be our portion the soul sees good and strong reason for our hoping in him for all good that may suit all our needs in the best season R. 2. From the convincing light which the spirit of God bringeth into the soul when he worketh faith and hope in it It is the office and work of the spirit to convince and by convincing to comfort Joh. 16. 7 8. Conviction is a clear and infallible demonstration and comfort is a demonstration with application unto us of better and stronger reasons to raise us up then those are which tend to cast down our souls When the spirit convinceth he bringeth such a full and powerful light into the soul as silenceth all disputes and cavils and causeth the soul to yeeld as overcome by the evidence and authority of the light and truth brought into it Light hath a convincing property and force in it When we see the light of the Sun we know it is day and will not believe those that shall deny it though they were ten thousands because the convinction hereof is undeniable it is an unreasonable thing to deny it So the spirit of God brings an undeniable light into the soul which discovers the vanity of those windings and turnings whereof mens deceitful hearts are so full that there can be no thorough conviction and effectual to salvation without the efficacy of the Holy Spirit A common conviction there may be by the light of nature or of a natural conscience or of some common transient work of the Holy Spirit but that is but weak For either it discovers but little as a little spark shews little light not enough to lighten the room by overcomming the darknesse and turning it into light or the light which it shews it shews but weakly like a flash of lightning or a blaze in straw that is soon out again But saving convinction is a greater and stronger light like the light of the Sun which is a full and powerful light This is onely from the sanctifying spirit of God This light shewes the evil of sin and the good of the contrary in their spiritual nature and compasse and drawes the will answerably from the one to the other by converting grace Acts 26. 18. This light is abiding in the renewed soul Thus the Church in my Text was convinced and comforted in their great distresse by the spirit and word of God so as they could hold forth good and strong reasons whereupon their hope was strengthened and their hearts were comforted in sad houres Vse 1. For Instruction two-fold 1. Learn hence to examine and trie the reasons whereby you are moved to act whether they they be good or not good reason is a beam of Gods light What comes from God carrieth the soul to God Therefore that which drawes the soul from God cannot be a good reason it is not right reason but falsely called reason it is not from faith but from unbelief not good but evil Heb. 3. 12. Hence no good reason can be given for any sâ—nâ— What ever reasons are pretended for it they are not according to Gods Logick but the Devils Sophistrie Jam. 1. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They deceive themselves with false Syllogismes You may find in Jam. 3. 15. three Topicks from whence all such arguings are fetcht the World the Flesh and the Devil the three great enemies of Gods glory and of Christs Kingdom in us yet they will pretend their good intention for Gods honour when they seek no themselves worldly profits by disobeying Gods commandement So did Saul but Samuel refuted all his false pleas 1. Sam. 15. 21 22 23. See how the Scripture reproves such as encourage themselves to do evil that good may come thereon Rom. 3. 7 8. Job sharply took up his friends for this in Job 13. 7. Will you speak wickedly for God and talk deceitfully for him yet thus the Devill deceiveâ—â— his active instruments against Christ the time commeth saith Christ in Joh. 16. 2. that whosoever killeth you will think be doth God service There are that argue from worldly advantages to encourage men to sin Prov. 1. 13. But Christ shews the pernicious delusion of such reasonings in Mat. 16. 26. others from the pleasure of carnal liberty but Peter shews the falsenesse of that plea in 2 Pet. 2. 19. others from worldly preferment of wicked men Mal. 3. 15. which the Prophet confuteth in verse 18. Some from Gods patience which God himself answereth in Psal 50. 21 22. Such as these are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reasonings of natural men Rom. 1. 21. which should warn all men to deny their carnal wisdom which is enmity against God Rom. 8. 7. 2. Learn hence to examine and try the goodnesse and strength of the reasons whereupon it is grounded remembring that rule in 1 Pet. 3. 15. Be ready alwayes to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you You say you hope in God If you have no reason for it it s a foolish unreasonable hope If you have but slight reasons it s a vain hope And such is hope of the most one grounds his hope of salvation upon his creation saying I am Gods creature and he hath not made me to damne me Therefore I hope he will save me See the delusion of this plea 1. Are not the Devils Gods creatures yet they are damned 2. Though Gods end in making you was not to damne you yet your impenitency in sin and unbelief will damne you 3. See the Lords own refutation of this plea in Isa 27. 11. Another grounds his hope of blessednesse upon Gods blessing him as he calls it with worldly successe and prosperity But Christ
God amiable to man who were enemies before by the sin of man 4. That God in Christ is fatherly towards believers in all his Attributes whereby he is described in Exod. 34. 6 7. and other Texts of Scripture all which are in God essential and therefore eternal and infinite 5. That God acteth all these his excellencies by his fatherly providence governing and ordering all things for the good of his people so powerfully that Satan and his instruments in seeking to crosse his revealed will shall and do fulfil his secret will to their own confusion This providence extends as far as the creation all things even the most casual and most disordered things sins and the most free actings of men are ordered by it so that God doth sometimes great things by weak means disabling more likely means Eccles 9. 11. Sometimes without means and sometimes crossing the course of means And when evil is intended God either wholly averts it or limits and bounds it in regard of measure Psal 129. 3. 4. or of continuance Psal 125. 3. Hereby also he causeth and ordereth a cessation of actions that some shall not favour us and others shall want wisdom and ability to help us from Gods with-drawing his concurrence who hath sufficient reason as well not to do what he doth not as to do what he doth The right knowledge of God in his Being is necessary to the well-laying the ground-work of this hope as conducing unto the preparatory purposes and uses 1. To silence all disputes and murmurrings This made Aaron hold his peace Lev. 10. 2 3. And David not to open his mouth Psal 39. 9. 2. To cause the soul to resigne up a mans self to the will of God who worketh all things according to the counsel of his will Eph. 1. 11. So it wrought in Ely 1 Sam. 3. 18. in David 2 Sam. 15. 26. and in the Saints Acts 21. 14. 3. To quicken us to inure our selves to do Gods will that we may be fit to suffer it For passive obedience springs from active Then are mens wills in right order when as God is the highest so his will hath the highest place in our hearts when they are willing to do what God commands to suffer what God inflicts and to be at Gods dispose when this stayeth our hearts in all events that they are in covenant with him who sits at the Stern and hath committed all power to our Redeemer who hath our names in his brest-plate and on his shoulders The second principle to be looked at in God that our hope may be well built on him is a principle of knowing This principle is the written Word whereby God makes himself and his will known unto us without which we have no good ground or warrant to build our hope upon God But that his people may thus hope in him with strong encouragement He gives us his Word that thereby we may know his good thoughts and purposes towards us which is a sufficient ground of hope it being the Word of him that cannot lie and not onely his bare Word but a binding Word his promises which are free expressions of his love with engagement of it unto us nor onely Promises but his Covenant founded upon a full satisfaction made to his justice by our Redeemer as the head of the Covenant and thereunto hath added his Oath Hob. 6. 18. and Seals both outward Rom. 4. 11. and inward Eph. 1. 13. and all this he hath done that our hope might be built upon a strong foundation that believers might be supported in all tempests Isa 54. 9. 10 11. 2. Having such a strong foundation well laid our next duty is to build strongly upon it Which that you may do attend to these directions 1. See that you trust and hope in God by light and strength received from himself 1. By divine light not by meer humane reasons For none can so know God in his truth and goodnesse as to trust and hope in him but by his own light revealing himself to the soul by his Word and Spirit as none can see the Sun but by its own light Psal 36. 9. 2. The divine power must accompany this light For neither education nor examples of others nor our own resolutions can settle our hearts upon God till we find an inward power and authority causing divine truths to shine into our hearts and subduing all our reasonings and thoughts unto the obedience of faith onely that soul which hath found the efficacy of the spirit by the Word in casting it down and raising it up and renewing it can hope in God aright for things of God them and not before a man chooseth God for his portion and cleaveth to him as his chief good then and not before the sweetnesse of Gods love is let into the soul and rellished by it which draweth the whole soul to trust and hope in him Psal 9. 10. 3. Suit the Promises to your several conditions For what ever condition of life any believer is or can be in he hath Promises in the Word suitable to it whether present or possible 1. At present what ever difficulties or impossibilities as to second causes and means appear to sense or reason faith lifteth up the soul above them all to look unto the Promises and power of God and thereby quickneth and strengthenth our hope in him Rom. 4. 19 20 21. Heb. 11. 27. 2. Possible The Saints have found great help to their faith and hope by putting cases and answering their own hearts therein from Gods all-sufficiencies So David Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear none evil for thou art with me Psal 23. 4. Again Though an Host should encampe against me my heart should not fear Psal 27. 3. Again God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble therefore we will not fear though the earth be removed and though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea though the Waters thereof roar Psal 46. 1 2 3. Paul excellently puts other cases of an higher nature than these and triumphs over them all in the unchangeablenesse of Gods love to believers in Christ Rom. 8. 38 39. 3. When your hope is quickened by the Promises look unto God with a single eye trusting and hoping in him alone To trust upon two props of which one is sound the other rotten is the ready way to fall Make use of all helps which God gives you but hope in him alone For hoping in God is a part of that natural worship of God injoyned in the first Commandement which belongs to God alone Mat. 4. 20. and thus to have our eyes towards God alone is the proper effect of true conversion Isa 17. 7 8. 4. See that the dispositions of your spirits be answerable to the relations you have to God when he becomes your portion and the object of your hope He hath 1. The relation of a faithful Creator and
shews the vanity of this hope in that rich man in Hell Luke 16. 25. and by telling us that it is that they shall be destroyed for ever Psal 92. 7. Gods end in prospering such in the world is like Hesters end in feasting Haman Another grounds his hope that he shall have heaven hereafter because he hath had his Hell through afflictions in this life But such consider not what the Word saith concerning Sodom and Gomorrah Jude 7. Suffering the vengeance of eternal fire What misery wicked impenitent sinners suffer here is but a beginning and pledge to them of Hell hereafter Another grounds his hope upon his Christian priviledges and performances But this is plentifully refuted in Scripture by Johns speech to the Pharisees Mat. 3. 9. and Pauls to the Romans Rom. 2. 28. and concerning himself Phil. 3. 7. Others ground their hope upon Gods mercy though they continue in their sins This indeed is a good reason for hope in those that confesse and forsake their sin Prov. 28. 13. But for those that abuse this mercy to the hardning of themselves in sin by it see how the Lord thunders against such in Deut. 29. 19 20. Others ground their hope upon their own self-flattering and self-deceiving thoughts of themselves Such may see their own folly and madnesse by what the Scripture saith in Prov. 28. 26. and Gal. 6. 3. Let all such and the like renounce their ungrounded hope which like that broken reed of Aegypt Isa 36. 6. will at once both fail them and ruin them Till you have an interest in God and Christ as your portion you are without hope Eph. 2. 12. Therefore the first work of the Spirit in the soul by the Gospel and one great end of the ministry thereof is to make way for true faith and hope by casting down those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reasonings and bringing into Captivity every thought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every sophistical reasoning to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. Vse 2. For Exhortation to believers being under temptations and afflictions whether outward or inward to improve the reasons which faith supplieth for the quickening and strengthening of their hope in God For in such times faith is put to it to use reasons Indeed the soul needeth not that help so much when it is in a clear and quiet state for upon its close and sweet communion with God in Christ and from some likenesse between the renewed soul and God it presently and without praevious discourse runneth to God as by a supernatural instinct as by natural instinct the child runneth to his natural parents in danger and distresse with confidence But in dark times of great afflictions and temptations faith is put to use Arguments and reasons to quicken and strengthen hope Accordingly study the grounds of hope and improve them for your help 1. Such as may be supplied from the inward store laid up in the soul as the Church did in my Text. 2. Such as are or may be suggested by others Harken and yield to them and close with them For thus you will shew that you have a frame of spirit suitable to any holy and comfortable truth that shall be presented and applied to it There is a principle in every renewed spirit that closeth with whatever commeth from Gods spirit that readily claimes acquaintance and kindred with it as comming from the same blessed spring the holy Spirit When Asaph found the contrary in himself that his soul refused comfort and he remembred God and was troubled Psal 77. 23. he saw and said this is mine infirmity ver 10. He saw that it arose from a sicknesse a spiritual disease and distemper in his soul While passion and temptation disturbe the soul they hinder the exercise of spiritual reason As we see in David who said in his haste all men are liars Psal 116. 10 11. This he saw afterward when his spiritual reason had recovered it self which before by his distemper was hindred in its working then he admired God for his benefits toward him notwithstanding his provocation of him to have taken a contrary course with him ver 12. Labour therefore 1. That your mind which is the seat of principles be well furnished with divine and spiritual truths For false principles can never produce true comforts As onely truth sanctifieth Joh. 17. 17. So truth onely truly comforteth There is the same reason of both For it is the peculiar office of the Holy Spirit both to sanctifie and to comfort And the Holy spirit is the Spirit of Truth Ioh. 16. 13. Therefore he will not work by a falshood but onely by Truth either sanctification or consolation 2. See that your understanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dianoetical discoursing faculty which is the seat of conclusions be used to deduce from spiritual principles such spiritual conclusions as they are apt to beget For by false reasonings in times of affliction and temptation 1. Believers hinder their faith and hope when they reason too much from sense and present feeling Isa 40. 27. and 49. 14. Ezek. 33. 10. 2. Others have false comforts from the light of a fire kindled by themselves Isa 50. 11. But if renouncing such reasonings you flie to Christ and his righteousnesse alone for your acceptance with God through faith in his blood with true repentance then you may reason with God Isa 1. 18. though not in your own strength or worth Iob 9. 14 15. yet you may reason with him in faithful fervent prayer in Gen. 2. 10 11. 12. whereby he prevailed and got both a new blessing and a new name ver 28. Fervent prayers are strong reasonings with God in Christs strength and for his sake This will be well pleasing to God For as when God cals for our obedience he adds perswasives to his precepts and reasoneth with us as well as commandeth us so he allowed us in prayer to add perswasions to our petitions and to reason with him as well as intreat him Onely it must be our care that we reason from right Topicks and heads of Arguments Such as these 1. From the infinitenesse and freenesse of Gods merccy and grace 2. From the immutable firmnesse of his Covenant and promises in Christ 3. From our indigence and dependance upon him 4. From the concernments of his glory and our necessary good In such reasonings of faith and hope the spirit strength and life of prayer consisteth Such pleadings in the name of Christ God approveth and requireth Isa 43. 26. 3. See that the heart which is the seat of practical knowledge be fitted to order the conversation and practice by sound principles in the mind and right conclusions in the understanding that mental discourse may not vanish in meer empty speculation As in my Text The Lord is my portion is the principle laid up in their mind saith my soul is the proof it the conclusion to be from thence inferred is Therefore it is my duty to hope
in him This knowledge becomes practical when the heart so receiveth it that the will comes to a resolution therefore I will hope in him Which is the next particular to be spoken to Lam. 3. 24. Therefore I will hope in him The reason alledged by the Church is not so much an Argument to convince the judgment though it contains that also as we have before proved as a motive to induce and incline the will to hope in God For trusting and hoping in God being a relying and waiting upon God for future good do especially carry the will to him As the understanding is led with truth so the will is led with the goodnesse of things As the judgment must be convinced of Gods ability so the heart must be sweetned with his love and readinesse to do us good for the future that we may hope in him For meer knowledge and discourse cannot draw the heart to trust and hope in God except it hath a rellish of his goodnesse Therefore David saith O taste and see that the Lord is good Psal 34. 8. Those reasons are most prevailing to incline the will towards God which are drawn from the goodnesse of God whereby the heart is opened and enlarged to expect all good and nothing but good from him who is goodnesse it self and our God and portion in Jesus Christ This rellish is wrought in the renewed soul by the spirit of faith together with a light to discern our interest in God Doct. The reasons whereby believers are quickned and strengthened to hope in God do strongly incline their will to resolve to hope in him This is obvious frequently in Scripture that when the will is inclined to any spiritual good it is upon spiritual reasons the Spirit of God joyning his efficacy therewith and leaving a powerful rellish of that good in the soul This you may see in Psal 40. 8. Cant. 1. 3 4. Ier. 3. 22. and in sundry Texts R. 1. From the different manner of the souls guiding the will and the bodily members The soul swayeth the will and affections as counsellors doe a well ordered state by propounding reasons to them But the soul governeth the bodily members as a Master doth his slaves by meer command The will moves the hands and feet c. by command without giving them Reasons But the will and affections move not without reason or at least a shew of reason God made man an understanding creature indued with rational faculties the understanding to be the leading faculty and the will to be the appetite of the soul according to reason Therefore it moves toward such a good as is presented to it by the illightned mind or understanding as the most 〈◊〉 and unquestionable object of it For the freedom and willing consent of the heart is not without rules to order it but it is therefore said be free because whether out of a true judgment it moves one way or out of a false another way yet in both it moves in a manner suitable to its own condition For this reason it is that God condiscends so far to us in his word as to give us so many reasons to hope in 〈◊〉 that our wils might be drawn thereunto by suitable reasons R 2. From the manner of the spirits putting forth his efficacy to incline the wils of believers to hope in God The heart of man naturally is not apt but averse hereunto even when the understanding sees good reasons for it Therefore the will must necessarily be renewed and changed This change consists in altering the bent and inclination of the will which the spirit of God doth by bringing into the soul a new light and powerful influence 1. A new light whereby we are inabled to see other things or the same truths in a more spiritual and effectual manner those impedimens being removed which might hinder the evidence of spiritual truths and the judgment being fully convinced that we might know things not onely notionally but practically as we ought to know them 1 Cor. 8. 2. This is that illumination and revelation whereof the scripture speaks in Eph. 1. 18 19. 1 Cor. 2. 12. 1 Joh. 5. 20. 2. A powerful influence Jesus Christ both opened the understanding of his Disciples Luke 24. 45. And caused their hearts to burn within them when he spake unto them ver 32. By this powerful influence the spirit makes every faculty and affection of the renewed soul to work unto supernatural ends and objects according to its proper manner As the soul in the bodily eye causeth it to see and in the ear causeth it to hear and in the tongue causeth it to speak c. So the spirit in the mind causeth it to understand aright and in every affection causeth it freely to choose and cleave unto Christ and to God in him and in every affection causeth it to move towards Christ and God in such a manner and way of working as is suitable to its nature This the Holy Spirit doth by creating and implanting in-dwelling lively spiritual gifts of grace in the soul which he thereby sanctifieth and lifteth up unto God in Christ the faculties and affections which were by nature set upon the world and sin and self being now by grace set upon things above and so are said to be quickned and made alive unto God Hence every spiritual gift of grace whereby any faculty and affection of the soul is sanctified is called the spirit of that faculty and affection The sanctified disposition of the mind is called the spirit of a sound mind 2 Tim. 1. 7 The gift of faith is called the spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4. 13. So the gift of love and of fear of the Lord is called the spirit of love 2 Tim. 1. 7. and the spirit of the fear of the Lord Isa 11. 2. Because the Holy Spirit dwelling in the soul infuseth those gifts into it and so reneweth the faculties and affections of it Psal 51. 10. And 2. Quickeneth and exciteth these spiritual gifts and by them the faculties and affections unto spiritual acts Without this quickening influence those spiritual gifts would be in the soul un-acted as the bodily senses are in sleep or as a ship in a calme at Sea Act◠agimus We act but instrumentally subordinately under the spirit who is the principal efficient and agent in all spiritual good We act but not in our strength nor in the strength of grace received but from the quickening strengthening influence of the Spirit As trees though they have in them a seminal vertue yet except they be helped by influence from heaven cannot bring forth their fruits so it is with these spiritual trees of righteousnesse as believers are called in Isa 61. 3. It is God that worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. Vse For Instruction threefold 1. Hence we may learn the true Reason why the sudden resolutions of many to reforme this and that