2. The proof
[1.] By a reason taken from the nature of hope ; it is conversant about things unseen : ' Hope that is seen is not hope ; ' eK-rrh ^Xeirofievr] is the thing hoped for ; the act is put for the object ; as also Col. i. 5, ' The hope which is laid up for you in heaven.' Hope is wrought in our hearts, but the thing hoped for is reserved in heaven for us. ' Is not hope ; ' there it is taken for the act of hoping — is not hoped for. The meaning is, things liable to hope are not visible and present, but future and unseen ; for vision and possession do exclude hope.
[2.] From the absurdity of the contrary supposition ; ' for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for it;' that is, things enjoyed are no longer looked for. To see is to enjoy ; as also 2 Cor. v. 7, ' We walk by faith, and not by sight ; ' that is, we believe now, but do not enjoy. So here, wliere the thing hoped for is possessed already, it is said to he seen. Otherwise if yo.u take seeing properly, a man may hope for that which he seeth, as the wrestler or racer hatli the crown in view; but whilst he is wrestling and racing he hoi)eth to have it, but hath not yet obtained it. Well then, the apostle's meaning is, who
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VeR. 24.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 197
would look for that which he hath in his hands ? It is foolish to say he hopeth for it, or looketh for it, when he doth already enjoy it.
Doct. Hope is one of the graces necessary to ohtain the great salva- tion promised by Christ.
First. For explication :
1. Hope is a desirous expectation of some promised good. The act is a desirous expectation ; the object is some promised good. Of the act I shall speak afterwards ; the object I shall consider now. It is some good ; for evil is not hoped for, but feared. And a good promised ; for hope, the grace, is grounded upon the word of God : Ps. cxxx. 5, ' I have hoped in thy word.' And the apostle telleth us that the heirs of promise being secm-ed by two immutable things, God's word and God's oath, do fly for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before them : Heb. vi. IS. The promise doth both declare and assure ; declare what we may hope for ; the apostle saith it is set before us ; not before our senses, or the eyes of the body, but before our faith, the eyes of our minds, in the gospel; and withal doth assure us in hoping; for we have the word of God, who is the supreme verity, that neither can deceive nor be deceived ; and the promises of the gospel are ratified by the solemnity of an oath ; the more to excite our drowsy minds to consider upon what sure grounds we go upon. Well then, there is some word of promise assented unto by faith, before we expect the good promised. Promises are the holdfast we have upon God, and the sure grounds of raising hope in ourselves, or pleading with God in prayer. We may plead them to ourselves if we would have strong and solid consolation : Ps. Ivi. 4, ' In God I will praise his word ; in God have I put my trust ; I will not fear what man can do unto me.' Thus did David rebuke his fears. The fidelity of God in his promises is matter of firm confidence and hope to us. Only we must not make promises to ourselves, lest we become false prophets to ourselves, and build up our own dreams. So in pleading with God we have free leave to challenge God upon his word : Ps. cxix. 45, ' Kemember the word unto thy servant, wherein thou hast caused me to hope.' Our necessities lead us to the promise.?, and the promises to Christ, in whom they are yea and amen ; and Christ to God, as the fountain of grace ; there we put these bonds in suit, and turn promises into prayers.
2. Tlie promises do concern either this life or that which is to come : 1 Tim. iv. 8, ' Godliness is profitable to all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and that which is come.' There are supplies necessary for us during our pilgrimage ; therefore God hath undertaken not only to give us heaven and happiness in the next world, but to carry us thither in a way best pleasing to himself, and conducible to our good ; that we may serve him with comfort and peace all the days of our lives. Therefore there is an hope in God's promises for what we stand in need of by the way ; and God delighteth to train us up in a way of faith and hope in expecting our present supplies, that by otten trying and trusting him for these things, we may the better hope for the great salvation ; as men practise swimming in the shallow brooks before they venture in the deep ocean. But temporal things are only promised so far as it may be for God's glory and our good ; we must