1. It must be a serious and earnest expectation : Phil. i. 20, ' Ac- cording to my earnest expectation, that in nothing I shall be ashamed.' Earnest expectation is that which exciteth the heart to be ever looking and longing for the things promised. Our eyes are always looking to heaven, which is the seat and solace of our happiness. David describeth his earnestness notably: Ps, cxxx. 5, ^, 'I wait for the Lord ; my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning ; I say, more than they that watch for the morning.' The priests, that officiated in their turns, never missed the performance of their daily offices there. So David was still awakening his desires, continuing his daily attend- ance on God, and renewing his longings and hopes.
2. It is a lively expectation : 1 Peter i. 3, ' Begotten again unto a lively hope.' It is called lively from the effect, such as will put life into us in our damps of spirit and greatest discouragements, quickeneth us to hasten home apace, being animated by some cheerful foretastes of what we expect.
3. It is a constant and unconquerable expectation, not broken with present difficulties, but sustaineth the soul, till our full and final deliverance cometh in hand : Ps. cxxiii. 2, ' As the eyes of servants look unto the hands of their masters, and the eyes of a maiden unto the hands of her mistress ; so our eyes wait on the Lord our God, until he have mercy on us.' They never give over waiting and look- ing till God show mercy : 1 Peter i. 13, ' Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;' and Heb, vi. 11, ' And we desire that every one of you do show the same dili- gence, to the full assurance of hope unto the end.'
4. It is a sure and certain hope, as being built on God's truth and faithfulness : it is compared to ' an anchor sure and steadfast,' Heb. vi. 18. AVhy ? Because of God's word and oath. God is the supreme verity, who can neither deceive or be deceived ; therefore we should rest satisfied with his promise. To a promise, that it be certain and firm, three things are required, — that it be made seriously and heartily,, with a purpose to perform it; that he that promiseth continue in this
VeR. 82.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 365
purpose, without change of mind ; that it be in the power of him that promised to perform what is promised. Now of all these things there can be no doubt, if we believe the scriptures to be the word of God.
[1.] Certainly God meaneth as he speaketh when he promiseth to give eternal life to the faithful servants and disciples of Jesus Christ. There is no question but that he is so minded, when he who is truth itself hath told the world of this ; for what needed God to court the creature, or tell them of a happiness which he never meant to bestow upon them ? If an honest man hath promised anything in his power, we look he should be as good as his word. Yea, we have his oath, which is Trepa? dvTLko'yia<;, and fxe^/ia-rrj irapa dv9p(o77oi<; TrtcrTt?. He sent his Son with a commission from heaven to assure us; he is, * Amen, the faithful witness,' Kev. iii. 14. He wrought miracles to confirm his message, died, rose again, and revived: 1 Peter i. 21, ' Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God.' This message afterwards was confirmed by all kinds of signs and wonders, wrought by them who went abroad in his name to assure the world of this. Not to believe God is serious, is to make him a liar.
[2.] That God doth continue his purpose, there can be no doubt in them who consider his unchangeable nature ; he may change his dis- pensation, but not his purposed will: James i. 17, * Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometli down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning ;' Mai. iii. 6, ' I am the Lord, I change not; therefore the sons of Jacob are not consumed.'
[3.] That he is able to perform it, since he can do what he will : Eom. iv. 21, ' And being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was also able to perform.' So Phil. iii. 21, ' According to the work- ing whereby he is able even to subdue all things to liimself.' The most difficult tiling in our hope is the raising of our bodies after being eaten by worms and turned to dust. It is a thing incredible, and to flesh and blood wholly impossible ; but nothing is impossible to God. It is within the reach and compass of divine omnipotency. Well, then, the thing is sure in itself ; let us labour and sufier reproach, wait with patience, renounce the desires and delights of the flesh, and with patience continue in well-doing, and then we may lift up our souls to it. Our reward is sure.