Let us see how this false hope of the wicked differs from the true hope of God's children.
1. This hope is not indeed built upon God, God hath the name, but indeed they trust upon other things ; as those women the prophet speaks of, Isa. iv. 1, ' AVe will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel ; only let us be called l)y thy name, to take away our reproach.' So they call their hope after God's name, but their hearts are borne up with other things, as ajipears ; because when outward things fail they are at a loss, and begin to awake out of their dream, especially in a distressed case when it pincheth hard.
2. It is not a serious and advised trust, but a slight and superficial hope, that grows upon us we know not how, a fruit of ignorance and incogitancy ; when they are serious they begin to feel it a foolish kind of presumption, upon which no account can be given, 1 Peter iii. 15. Plow can they give a reason of their hope ? But gracious souls, the more they consider their warrant and the promise of God, the more their hope is increased.
3. It is a dead and a cold hope, not a lively hope, 1 Peter i. 3. They have no taste, no groans, no ravishing thoughts about the ha})]uness which they expect, no strong desires after the thing hoped for : Ilom. xii. 12, ' Pejoice in hope,' saith the a})ostle ; they have but cold a])pre- hensions of such great things. And the hope that we expect is so excellent, that it should stir up the greatest longings, the greatest waiting, and put us upon earnest expectation.
Vers. 116, 117.] sermons upon psalm cxix. 201
4. It is a weak inconstant hope, a loose fond conjecture, a guess rather than a certain expectation : 1 Cor. ix. 2G, ' I therefore so run, not as uncertainly,' not at random, but upon sure and soUd grounds. A chikl of God hath a due sense of the difficulty, yet withal an assur- ance of the possibility and of the certainty of it; and therefore it continues ; he presseth on, if it be possible he may attain to his great hopes, the resurrection of the dead.
5. It is a lazy loitering hope. Carnal men would have heaven and happiness, but they make no haste towards it, they give no diligence to make sure of it ; it is but a devout sloth. Whereas he that hath a true hope is pressing forward, Phil. iii. 13, and hastening and looking for the coming of Christ, 2 Peter iii. 12,
But then there is a true hope in God, both for final deliverance, present support, and present mercy, that will never leave us ashamed : Ps. xxii. 5, ' They that hope in thee are not confounded ; ' and Ps. xxv. 2, 3, ' Let none that wait on thee be ashamed : 0 my God, I trust in thee, let me not be ashamed.' What is a true Christian hope ? It may be discovered by tlie grounds of discouragement, but most sensibly by the effects.
1. By it the heart is drawn from earth to heaven, earthl}' desires and hopes abated : Phil. iii. 20, ' For our conversation is in heaven, whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.' They live as tliose that within a few days expect to be with God. Christ in heaven hath a magnetic virtue to draw up the hearts of believers thither ; as a man tliat hath looked steadfastly upon the sun can for a great while see nothing else.
2. By it the heart is enlivened in duty, and quickened with diligence in the business of salvation. Hope apprehends the difficulty, as well as the excellency and possibility, of salvation ; therefore what a man truly hopes for in tliis kind he makes it his business to get it, and look after it : Phil. iii. 13, ' This one thing I do, forgetting those things Avhich are behind, and reaching forth unto those which are before.' They mind it seriously, and not superficially, by the by.
3. It engageth the heart against sin, 2 Peter iii. 11. We that look for these things, ' What manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness.' Holiness implies purity, and godliness dedication to God. Now a false hope is consistent with the reign of sin, suffers a man to be vile, carnal, careless, neglectful of God, full of malice, envy, pride, but without any serious and solid ground ; it is but a lying presumption. Now, this hope that is thus fixed upon God will never disappoint us. For — •
[1.] The fruition will ever be more than the expectation. God doth for us above what we can ask or think, Eph. iii. 20. Wlien the pro- digal son came and said, ' Make me as an hired servant,' the father brought forth the fatted calf, and put a ring on his finger, &c. Solo- mon asked wisdom, and God gave him riches, honour, and great abundance. But much more in the world to come will the fruition be above expectation ; for prophecy is but in part ; we are not now cap- able to know what we shall then enjoy ; we have but childish thoughts of things to come, as a child comes short of the apprehensions of a man, 1 Cor. xiii. 9-11.