VER. 166.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 225
doth he meditate day and night.' So Ps. cxix. 1, 2, ' Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord : blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and seek him with the whole heart ; ' and many such places, which intimate that blessedness belongeth to such as are of a holy heart, and entirely give up themselves to a holy course ; that doing the commandments uprightly, and in a gospel sense, is a necessary condition to qualify those persons which shall be saved. And therefore they that live in any sin against conscience may take notice how fearful their estate is for the present, and how needful it is to begin a good course before they can have any hope toward God.
[2.] And partly because true hope is operative, and hath an influence this way. There are two parts in sanctification — mortification and vivification, and true hope hath an influence upon both. Mortification : 1 John iii. 3, 'And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, as he is pure ; ' that when we see God, we shall be like him. He that hopeth for such a pure and sinless estate, either to see God, will he appear before him in his filthy rags ? Joseph washed himself when he was to come before Pharaoh ; so when to appear before God. What ! with this wanton, vain, unclean heart ? We are to be like him ; is this to be like Christ, where there is such a disproportion between head and members ? And if this hope be fixed in our hearts, it will set us a-purifying more and more. So for vivification, it urgeth and encourageth to obedience : Titus ii. 12, 13, ' For the grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, right- eously, and godly in the present world.' Look backward or forward, it urgeth the heart to obedience. Why backward to the duties of holi- ness ? Shall we be lazy in his work when we expect such a great reward ?
[3.] Because there is no such thing to damp hope and weaken our confidence as sin. We cannot trust him whom we have offended freely and without restraint ; and therefore, while we please the flesh, we break our confidence. Sin will breed shame and fear, and it is impossible to hope in God unless we serve him in love, and seek to please him. If we feel it not presently, we shall feel it. Sin, that now weakeneth the faith which we have in the commandments, will in time weaken the faith that we have in the promises. Every part of God's revealed will cometh to be tried one time or another. Our confidence in God's mercy is not earnestly and directly assaulted till the hour of death, or the time of extraordinary trial. When the evil day cometh, then the consciousness of my own sin, whereunto we have been indul- gent, will be of like force to withdraw our assent from God's mercies, as the delight and pleasure we took was to cause us to transgress his commandments : 1 Cor. xv. 56, ! The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.'
[4.] Because our hope is increased by our diligence in the holy life. This fosterethand augments it : Heb. vi. 11, ' And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end.' It must needs be so, for since there is a qualification, the more clear our qualification is, the more full is our assurance of
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226 sermons upon psalm cxix. [Ser. CLXXXI.
hope ; and so far as a man neglects his duty, and abateth in his quali- fication, so far doth his assurance abate. To look on one side of the covenant is a groundless presumption.
2. None do and can keep the commandments but they that hope for salvation. This is plain from the order of the words in the text. First I hoped for thy salvation, therefore done thy commandments ; implying that thereby he kept the commandments. Without this none can have a heart or hand to do anything for God. Peccator, saith Bernard, nihil expectat, indeque peccator est; quod bonis pre- sentibus non modo delectus, sed etiam contentus, nihil in faturum expectat — he that looketh for nothing from God can never be dili- gent in his service, nor faithful and true to him. Hope, it is our strength : Lam. iii. 18, ' And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord.' We first begin, continue, and go on with God upon the hope he ofTereth to us.
Use 1. It reproveth those that hope well, but take no care to do anything for God. Every one will say they must hope in God, but none looketh after this lively and operative hope ; their hope is barren and unfruitful. Who are they that can make application of the promises ? 2 Tim. iv. 8.
Use 2. To persuade us to the coupling of these two. When this conjunction is founded, then are we in a right frame. If we would keep the commandments, we must hope for the salvation of God ; if we would hope for the salvation of God, we must keep the command- ments. This is most acceptable to the Lord: Ps. cxlvii. 11, 'The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, and hope in his mercy.' Such as believe, and fear to offend him, they have acceptable commu- nion with him. It is for your comfort, Acts ix. 31. It is for the honour of religion on the one side to avoid the carnal confidence of Papists, on the other the cold profession of Protestants, if you hope for temporal deliverance. They that make no conscience of obeying God cannot hope for deliverance from him, for his salvation must be expected in the way of his precepts : Ps. xxxvii. 3, ' Trust in the Lord, and do good ; so shalt thou dwell in the land.' So wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land : when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it; then we may commend our- selves and all our affairs to God's care and trust. It becometh them that look for salvation, and to be helped out of their troubles, to be more earnest than others in keeping his law. If you would enjoy the comfortable assurance that you shall be saved at length, live so as you may never mar your confidence : 1 Peter i. 13, ' Be sober, and hope to the end.' Live answerable to your hope, 1 Thes. ii. 12. On the other side hope, study promises : Rom. xv. 4, ' The God of hope fill you with joy in believing.' He is not only the object, but the author of it.