we bestow more abundant honour on those members of our body, which we think less honourable ; so doth Christ with those members of his body, which, by reason of their low place in the world, may be thought to be most despised ; he puts an abundant honour upon them in his promise ; and where hope is raised, the Christian cannot but take sweet satisfaction from the expectation thereof. The poor ploughman that is a saint, and ploughs in hope of reaping sal- vation, is as well contented with his place and work, as the courtier is with his. Think of this, when any of you have a servant to choose ; if you would have your work faithfully and heartily done, employ such about it (if they can be had) as have a hope of salvation : this will not suffer them to wrong you, though they could : their helmet will defend them from such temp- tations. Jacob was a true drudge for his master, Laban, by day and night, though he used him none of the best, in reducing and changing his wages so often ; but Jacob served in hope, and expected his reward from a better master than Laban, and this made him faithfid to an unfaithful man. Joseph would not wrong his master, though at the request of his mistress ; he chose to suffer his unjust anger, rather than accept of her unchaste love. The evidence of this grace in a servant is better security for his faithfulness than a bond of a thousand poimds.
CHAPTER V.
SHEWETH THE MIGHTY INFLUENCE HOPE HATH UPON THE CHRISTIAN TO SUPPORT HIM IN HIS afflictions; in PARTICULAR WHAT HELP IT GIVES, AND HOW.
Thirdly, This hope of salvation supports the soul in the greatest afflictions. The Christian's patience is, as it were, his back, on which he bears his burdens ; and some afflictions are so heavy, that he needs a broad one to carry them well. But if hope lay not the pillow of the promise between his back and his burden, the least cross will prove insupportable ; therefore it is called, ' The patience of hope,' 1 Thess. i. 3. There is a patience, I confess, and many know not a better, when men force themselves into a kind of quietness in their troubles, because they cannot help it, and there is no hope. This I may call a desperate patience, and it may do them some service for a while, and but for a while. If despair were a good cure for troubles, the damned would have more ease : for they have despair enough, if that would help them. There is another patience also very common in the world, and that is a dull, stupid patience, which, like Nabal's mirth, lasts no longer than they are drunk with ignorance ; for they no sooner come to understand the true state they are in, but their hearts die within them. But the patience of hope, which we are now treating of, is a sober grace, and abides as long as hope lasts. When hope is lively and active, then it floats, yea, even danceth on the waters of affliction, as a sound ship doth in a tem- pestuous sea ; but when hope springs a leak, then the billows break into the Christian's bosom, and ho sinks <ipace, till hope, with much labour at the pump of the promise, clears the soul again. This was David's case, Psa. Ixix. 1, ' Save me, O God, for the waters are come in unto my soul.' What means he by coming unto his soul ? Surely, no other than this, that they oppressed his spirit, and as it were, sued into his very conscience, raising fears and per- plexities there, by reason of his sins, which at present put his faith and hope to some disorder, so that he couldliot for a while see to the comfortable end of his affliction, but was as one under water, covered with his fears ; as appears by what follows, ver. 2, ' I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing.' He compares himself to one in a quagmire, that can feel no firm ground to bear him up ; and observe whence his trouble rose, and where the waters made their entrance, ver. 5, ' O God, thou knowcst my foolishness, and my sins are not hid from thee.' This holy man lay under some fresh guilt, and this made him so uncomfortable under his affliction, because he saw his sin in the face of that, and tasted some displeasure from God for it in his outward trouble, which made it so bitter in the going down ; and, therefore, when once he had humbled himself by confessing his sin, and was able to see the coast clear be- tween heaven and him, so as to believe the pardon of his sin, and hope for good news from God again, he then returns to his sweet temper, and sings in the same affliction, where before he sunk.
22^ AND TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION.