■ of the reward of godliness ex parte Dei; no, I know they are sure and steadfast by the promise ; but my own qualification is not so sensible and clear that I can positively determine my own right ; but I have support and comfort in this way : 1 Cor. ix. 26, ' Eun not as one uncertain ; ' for I have reward in my eye.
(4.) There is actual certainty of our interest, as being qualified. Which admits of a latitude ; for it may be full or not full, firm or not firm : Heb. vi. 14, ' And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope to the end ; ' it may be interrupted or continued ; the full hope removeth all doubts and fears ; that which is not full hath some doubts accompanying it ; but the certainty prevaileth, and is more than the doubting. This is comfortable, to sail to heaven with full sails, rather than make an hard shift to get thither by many doubts and fears ; and it is a blessed thing when we can say, 2 Cor. v. 1 , ' For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens ; ' 2 Tim. iv. 8, ' Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.' In short, the more we address ourselves to our duty, the more we put ourselves in the way to receive the promise.
SERMON XXXII.
For ive are saved by hope ; but hope that is seen is not hopie ; for what a man seefh, why doth he yet hope for? — Rom. viii. 24.
2. We must distinguish of hope. There are several kinds of hope. (1.) There is an hope in the creature, and (2.) an hope in God.
First, All things besides God are false confidences. Carnal men hope for that in the creature which is only to be found in God ; dream of an uninterrupted tenor of worldly felicity in present enjoyments ; therefore their hopes are compared to a spider's web, which is gone with the turn of a besom. Job xiii. 13, 14. They lay their designs in their minds as curiously as the spider's web is woven ; but the besom of providence cometh, and spider and web are both swept away, and trodden underfoot. By the prophet Isaiah it is compared to a dream: Isa. xxix. 8, ' As when an hungry man dreamcth, and behold he eateth ;
206 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. XXXII.
Tjut he awaketh, and his soul is empty ; or as a thirsty man dreameth, and hehold he drinketli ; but he awaketh, and behold he is faint, and his soul hath appetite.' A false hope is but a waking dream, which faileth in extremity, and giveth hut an imaginary refreshment and satisfaction. This may befall God's children who fall asleep in the midst of worldly prosperity : Ps. xxx. 6, ' In my prosperity, I said, I shall never be moved.' It is hard to keep from sleep when we lean our heads upon a soft carnal pillow, and in our sleep we have many fantasies and dreams ; this is hope in the creature.
Secondly, But then there is an hope in God, whose immutable mercy and truth maketh him a fit object for hope : Ps. cxxx. 7, ' Let Israel hope in tlie Lord;' so Ps. xlii. 5, ' Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him.' He hath the sovereign command of all things ; and in vain do we look for good apart from him ; if the creature say yea, and God no, all the promises of the creature prove but a lie. Hope in God is that which we press as our respect to him as God ; for faith, hope, and love are duties of the first commandment ; negatives include their positives ; if no other god is before him, then we own the true God for our God. The positive duties of the first commandment are cultiis naturalis, non tnstitutus, such as are our duty to God as God, though he give no direction about them ; if God be our God, then hope in him : Lam. iii. 24, ' The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him ; ' that is, expect all my happiness from him.
Hope in God is twofold, either irrational and groundless, or a rational hope that is built upon solid grounds.
1. There is a vain and groundless hope, which is irrational, such as is in carnal and careless sinners, who say they hope well ; but their hope will one day leave them ashamed, Kom. v. 5. For it is not an hope built on the word of God ; though they live in their sins, yet they hope they shall do well enough, though they be not so strict and nice as others are. Like condemned men in bolts and irons, that dream of crowns and sceptres when they are near unto, and ready for their execution ; so they hope for heaven with as much confidence as the holiest of them all, though God hath told them, Heb. xii. 14, that ' without holiness, no man shall see the Lord. ' This hope is but a vain dream, and an awaken- ing time will come ; this hope is not only without faith, but against faith; this hope is nothing else but a confidence that God will prove a liar ; so that it is a blasphemy, rather than an act of worship ; a believ- ing Satan rather than God ; or hoping in God, who hath declared the flat contrary in his word : 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10, ' Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God ? Be not deceived ; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor efi'eminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of heaven.'