2. As it is a spiritual grace. There the object of hope is some good, future and unseen. But other qualifications are necessaiy beyond these already mentioned.
[1.] It must be something promised by God. [2.] Believed by us, before we can hope for it.
[1.] Such future things as God hatb promised to bestow upon us. These are the matter and object of our faith and hope ; the promise giveth us notice, and the promise giveth us assurance. (1.) Notice. We can have no other certain knowledge of their futurity but by God's promise. The light of nature or reason giveth a shrewd guess at a future estate, but the certain knowledge we have by God's word ; there life and immortality is brought to light : 2 Tim. i. 10, ' He brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.' There we have llie clear prospect of it. The heathen had nothing but the light of nature to guide them, spake doubtfully of a future estate ; like men travelling on the hills, and see the spire of a steeple at a distance, sometimes they have a sight of it, and presently they lose it, and so cannot certainly tell whether they saw it, yea or no ; but all is clear, full, and open in God's promise. (2.) Certainty and assurance ; for it conveyeth a right to us upon certain terms ; for he that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life, John iii. 36 ; hath it in the offer and promise of God, if he will fulfil the condition required ; not only shall have it at the close of their days, but they have the grant already, and therefore wait for the fruition. As we are fulfilling the conditions, we gain more security and confidence that we shall have it : 1 Tim. vi. 12, ' Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life;' ver. 19, 'Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation, that they may lay hold on eternal life;' the meaning is, challenge it for theirs. In short, our expectation must be grounded on some promise, or else it is but a fancy and presumption.
[2.] The thing hoped for must be believed by us, for there can be no expectation of things not seen till there be faith, wliich is 'the
218 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. XXXIIT.
evidence of things not seen,' Heb. xi. 1. First, there is a firm assent by faith ; we are as confident in some measure of tliose things, as if we saw them with our eyes, or as we are of those things which we daily see. Then after this assent there foUoweth earnest expectation ; for hope maketli the assent practical. Though God promise never so much, yet if we believe him not, we expect nothing ; therefore faith ig necessar^^ Look as to bodily sight, there needeth an object to be seen, and an eye by which we see ; so in spiritual sight, the promise sets the object before us : Heb. xii. 2, ' Looking unto Jesus ; ' and Heb. vi. 18, 'Lay hold of the hope set before us.' But the eye is faith, which, though it cannot give us sight, itgiveth us foresight ; we have heard of it, though yet we have not seen it, and see it by the eyes of the mind as it is contained in the promise of the everlasting God, though we do not, and cannot see it with the eyes of the body. Com- pare it with reason. By reason we apprehend more than we see, for we see effects in their causes, but that is but probable foresight, for many things intervene between the cause aud the effect. By faith we foresee the blessing in the promise ; by reason we see things beyond sense, so far as natural probabilities will carry us ; by faith we see things beyond reason, so far as the promises of good invite us to a better hope.
But how can we surely hope for that we see not, — which neither sense nor reason can inform us of?
Ansiver 1. This glory is not a fancy ; it is seen by many in our nature that now possess it, and by the word of God you are invited to follow them in the same course of holiness and godliness, that you may in time see it also : Heb. vi. 12, ' Be ye followers of them who through faith and patience have inherited the promises ; ' propound the same noble end and the same holy course, and matters of faith will in time become matters of sense. Now, though the end be unknown, the way is so good and holy and justifiable by reason, that we should venture the imitation of them, not their holiness only, but their faith, Heb. xi. 13 ; they lived and died in this faith ; their life was holy, and their death was happy, that are gone into the other world. But you will say, If we could talk with any of these that are gone into the other world: Luke xvi. 30, 31, 'And he said, Nay, Father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they would repent : and he said unto him. They have Moses and the prophets, and if they will not hear them, neither will they be per- suaded if one should come from the dead.' They are out of the sphere of our commerce; their testimony is not convenient for the government of God, who will not govern the world by sense, but by faith ; and besides, you have better hopes, Moses and the prophets ; there is more reason to persuade a man the scriptures are true, than to believe a message brought him from one among the dead.