And so as I have shown how reasonable it is to hope, I shall (God willing) the next time take a text on purpose to show you how necessary it is to hope; that as from what has been said, you may understand somewhat of the ground of hope in this case, (for you are not to hope without ground,) so you may understand somewhat of the great importance of hope in it too. I shall therefore next (God willing) make it my business to show of how mighty influence hope is, towards bringing about that great work which is to be done upon souls, in order to their eternal well-being. SERMON XIV.* Rom. viii. 24. will ye die, oh house of Israel?" Do you think that God | them all to save souls. Will he then let yours be lost, trifles with men, when he bespeaks them at this rate? Do when you are crying after him, and reaching towards him, not these words carry a signification with them, the most to put yourselves into the hands and arms of his saving pleasant, the most emphatical that can be thought, to any mercy? It cannot be. soul that is inclined to turn to him? They import nothing of encouragement to those that will not turn, or to them that securely and resolvedly go on in the way of their own hearts, otherwise than as they do still invite their return: but supposing no returning disposition, there are other words that speak the mind of God towards that other sort of men "He will wound the hairy scalp of them that go on still in their trespasses," Ps. lxviii. 21. "He is angry with the wicked every day," Ps. vii. 11. "He rains snares upon them, fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest. This is the portion of their cup," Ps. xi. 6. "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." So he represents himself towards them who are resolved to continue the contest with him, and will "rush upon the thick bosses of his buckler," Job xv. 21. But if any will take hold of his strength, and make peace with him, they shall make peace, Isa. xxvii. 4, 5. Fury is not in him, but though he can easily, as a devouring fire, burn up briars and thorns, yet if any will take hold of his strength, and make peace with him, they shall make peace. This is God-like, this is suitable to his present nature, every way suitable to the perfection of the Deity. Consider with what a God you have to do: you have no cause to fear having to do with such a God, as will not let you be lost and perish finally you have no cause to fear that he will, when you find in your heart a disposition to comply with him, and a desire to do so; fain I would do so, fain I would be what he would have me be, and do what he would have me do. It is a blasphemy against the Divine goodness, against the very nature of God, to suppose that he will throw away a soul that so inclines towards him. And, 7. It is against the express word of Christ to suppose that he will let such a soul be lost. "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," Matt. xi. 28. "He that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out," John vi. 37. And what? will you not believe him? What cause did he ever give you to disbelieve him? To whom did he ever show himself guileful or apt to deceive? He that came into this world, full of grace and truth, how horrid is it to take up a suspicious thought of him! And lastly, consider, 8. That it is not only contrary to his word, but it is contrary to his nature and design, to let such a soul miscarry, be lost and perish in his sight, and under his eye, that desires to comply with the methods that he hath prescribed in his Gospel. It is against his nature, his nature is expressed by the divine name which is in him; "My name is in him," as we are told by God himself, concerning Christ, the great Angel of the covenant. Exod. xxiii. 21. "Provoke him not, for my name is in him." And what is God's name? The Lord, the Lord God, gracious,-as you heard before. My name is in him, that is, my very nature is in him, whereof that name is expressive. And it is contrary to his design: for what? do you think he came on purpose into this world to save sinners, and yet to let them be lost, when they are willing to take his prescribed way, and comply with his methods? How can it be so? What, is he not true to himself? Doth he not agree with himself? consist with himself? Hath he forgotten what he died for, what he took human nature for, and what he hung upon an ignominious cross for? All the difficulties he had to contend with for the saving of souls are all overcome and over already. He is to be scourged no more, buffeted no more, crucified no more, to be in travail for souls, and in agonies under the divine anger no more, he hath done all that was toilsome, laborious, and painful, borne all that was grievous and bitter; he hath nothing now to do but what is pleasant work, to emit the influences of life and grace to craving and desiring souls; and so he will do, if the desires of our souls be indeed towards him; he cannot forego himself, and quit his own design; he was so intent upon that design of saving, as to run through the greatest difficulties imaginable; all the terrors of death, and all the powers of hell and darkness, could not stand in his way; no, he would make through * Preached May 17th, 1691. We are saved by hope. I DID let you know the last time, that I intended to speak on these words; that as I had shown you what ground there is of hope for solicitous, awakened souls, that they shall not finally be lost; so they might from thence see of what importance it is to them to hope that they shall be saved. Their very salvation itself depends very greatly upon their hope of it. If there should be any here (which God forbid !) to whom salvation itself is a little thing, the hopes of it cannot but be less. If there should be any with whom it is inconsiderable, and who do not use to trouble their thoughts with any such matter, whether they be saved or not saved; the hope of being saved cannot with such, but by consequence, be very inconsiderable; a thing that will weigh very little with them. But for such whom God hath awakened, and made to bestir themselves, such as are afraid of perishing, and to whom destruction from the Almighty is a terror, such whose hearts tremble within them, to think of any possibility or hazard that they may yet be lost under a Gospel of salvation; to such (methinks) these words should carry a grateful reviving sound. And as they must be supposed to have this their wont, to revive this great question upon their minds, and be at it upon their hearts; What (oh what !) shall I do that I may be saved! Methinks it should be grateful to them to have so apposite and present an answer to their question,—why, you are to be saved by hope. The hope of being saved must do something to save you. We know by common experience, that hope is that mighty powerful engine, which moves all the intelligent world, and rules and governs the whole frame and course of rational nature every where; so as that no design is driven on, no undertaking ever set on foot, but as men are influenced and led on by hope. In reference to any thing whereof they have no hope, they sit still and do nothing. And as it is so in reference to common affairs, it would be proportionably so too, in reference to the affairs of our salvation, if this great engine, which is planted in the very soul of every man, were but rightly and duly managed and turned this way. And so much the more effectual it must be, and work with so much the more energy, by how much the more its ground is better and firmer, in reference to those affairs that do relate to our souls, and to our final salvation. God hath set no such connexion between the most earnest endeavours and answerable success, with reference to external and secular affairs. He hath given men no ground to be confident, that if they labour to be rich, they shall be rich; if they labour to be great and honourable in the world, they shall be so; but he hath given sufficient ground to be confident, that no man that seriously mindeth and manageth the affairs relating to his salvation, shall be lost. Therefore, whereas in reference to other affairs, hope is the causa sine qua non, here it is the causa sine qua non et cum qua; that is, in reference to other affairs, hope is the principle, without which nothing could reckon an effect of the Spirit of holiness, a real part of the new creature, a divine production in the soul. The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, by the power of the Holy Ghost," Rom. xv. 13. There is such a hope as that; and there is also a rational human hope, which may have its exercise about the same thing, about the same final object, and about many things that lie intermediate thereunto, as means Doctrine. That whosoever are finally saved, are saved for the attaining of it; and which, being assisted by the com by hope. And in speaking to this I shall show, mon grace of the Spirit, may end in the former hope, and 1. What this hope is, of which this is said. consequently in salvation. Now it is the former hope that 2. What influence it hath towards our salvation. must be aimed at, and for this latter hope it is neither to be 1. What this hope is. It would be a very useless thing rejected nor rested in. It is not to be rejected-A rational to discourse philosophically to you about hope in general; human hope, as such, when it is employed about divine obwhich every one doth better understand by feeling, by the jects, while we have no more in us, if any have nothing sensation he hath of it in his own mind, than he could do more, yet in him; this he ought not to reject, nor ought he by the most accurate definition of a philosopher. It is easy to rest in it by any means; but labour to cherish it as an to be collected what hope in general is, by considering the improvable thing, as that which by the influence and nature of man, and his present state, in comparison with operation of the Divine Spirit falling in, may be heightenone another. The nature of man makes him covet to be ed and raised up into that which shall be certainly saving happy, and he finds his present state admits of no such hope; or the hope that shall be in immediate next connexthing; whereupon hope is that passion which must of ion with salvation. And both these are very distinguishcourse arise from such a complexion of the rational na-able from the hope that hath no tendency to save, but hath ture, and such a state of the common case of men. "It is a most direct aptitude in it to destroy, ruin, and undo souls that passion of the soul, by which it reaches forth itself to for ever. They are both of them very distinguishable from the uttermost, in the pursuit of somewhat that appears to that. And to speak a little more particularly, I shall be good, and likely to better its state, and that is attainable, therefore here, possible to be attained, but not to be attained without difficulty." This is hope in general. But when we have this account of hope in the general notion of it, we are yet to seek of what hope this is said, that it saves, that we are saved by it. We are sure this is not universally true of all hope. There is much hope in the world that signifies nothing to men's salvation; yea, mach that signifies a great deal to their destruction. Many are not only lost, notwithstanding their hopes, but they are destroyed by them; they might have been safe and happy if they had had no such hope. And therefore, what this hope is, concerning which this is said, we are more narrowly to inquire; and we do not find that the text itself doth suffice to give us a distinguishable account of it. It doth not assign its proper characters; it describes it no way, but only by its remote final issue,-We are saved by it. But since it is manifest that all hope doth not save, and that much hope doth destroy, it is sufficiently intimated to us, that there must be somewhat very particular and distinguishing in the nature of that hope, to which this effect is ascribed, when we are told we are saved by it. It is intimated to us, that there is a hope that is saving. We must consider in what sense therefore hope may be said to be saving. It is in a two-fold sense that hope may admit to have this said of it, in opposition to such hope of which it cannot be said. 1. As salvation hath a certain connexion with it. There is a hope with which it hath a certain connexion; a hope true at first, and which therefore continues, and which being continued, doth terminate upon salvation, and takes hold of it, as all of a piece with it. "Gird up the loins of your minds, and be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that shall be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ," 1 Peter i. 13. When we are there told of "receiving the end of our faith, the salvation of our souls;" (verse 9.) and are told of "them that believe, to the saving of the soul;" (Heb. x. last verse ;) we find this believing, or that faith, described in the very next words, (Heb. xi. 1.)" to be the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen so that faith and hope (we may show you hereafter with what difference) have their exercise upon one and the same object, till they actually end in salvation, with which therefore they have a firm and immediate connexion; even as a thing hath with itself; as that which is begun, and is yet imperfect, has with the same thing having arrived to its consummate and perfect state. But then, 2. Hope may be said also to be saving, not where it hath an immediate connexion only with salvation, but where also it hath a leadingness and tendency thereunto, though that effect may not certainly ensue. And accordingly there must be a two-fold hope. There is a hope that we are to 1. Show you what hope it is that hath not this tendency, and is not like to have this end of saving. And, 2. Then shall show you what it is. 1. What hope is not saving? It is not that which is quite wrong and false, both as to its object, and as to its ground; or in reference to the one or the other of these. Take them distinctively, that hope which is wrong, either as to its object or as to its ground, is none of the hope that hath any tendency to the saving of us. 1. If it be wrong as to its object, its material object, the thing we hope for; if that be quite alien, and of another kind from the business of our salvation, and final felicity, it can contribute nothing thereto all that hope wherein the minds of men do go besides the proper business, and run into things of quite another kind: it is plain that hope can do a man no good, in order to his being saved. That hope whereof the object is a worldly felicity, or prosperity, whether it be for oneself, or whether it be the felicity or prosperity of any party of men in secular respects, to which he hath thought fit to adjoin himself, and to make one with: this can signify nothing, it is plain, to the saving of him. "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable," 1 Cor. xv. 19. This hope doth not only not save, but it destroys, carnalizes men's minds, habituateth them to this earth, and transforms them into the image of it. And do men think to carry a piece of earth with them up into heaven, when that is all their hope terminateth upon, or is concerned about? No; this is so far from helping to their salvation, that it hurts and hinders all that can be. It is by such an inclination of mind as this, that men run themselves into snares and temptations, and come at length to be drowned in perdition and destruction, 1 Tim. vi. 9. The root of all evil is that very desire that is twisted into this hope. And suppose it be a good state of things in this world, from any community or party to which they have adjoined themselves, so as that their minds and hopes fly no higher, but only that things may go well with them and their party, here in an earthly state. This signifies as little to final, eternal salvation: yea, though the party and design be never so right with which any such have united themselves. It is very true, it is no unlawful thing, yea, it is a highly commendable thing, a praiseworthy thing, to have one's mind very much concerned and taken up about the prosperity and success of a just cause, of a good and honest interest in this world, supposing these two things be provided against. (1.) That we do not mind and employ our thoughts and hopes about things of that nature finally and terminatively, so as to exclude the great things of the other world, and that last end that runs into eternity. An everlasting felicity to ourselves and the church of God, wherein he is to have out of us, and from all, his entire, complete, and consummate glory. Supposing that the intention of our minds and thoughts, and the exercises of our hopes about these | wherein men are to be like God, upon their seeing of him temporary things, do not exclude and shut out their higher and more vigorous exercise, proportionably to the higher excellency of the things themselves, about these superior things. Supposing that in the first place. And, as he is; "every one that hath this hope, purifies himself." (2.) Supposing too, that we do not so mind such concernments, as thereby to debase and weaken religion. It is a very usual thing, and hardly to be avoided, and which is actually avoided (I doubt) but by a few, where there is a complication of secular interests and religious interests, together with one another, so to let our minds be involved and run into the one as to look off from the other. And thereby in that very complication, religion suffers, 1st, A debasement; and 2nd, A defilement, an enfeeblement; it is made a weak thing first, and thereupon a feeble and impotent thing. But how few are there in the world that do mind the concernments of it, in reference to the concernments of another world; and that do exercise their thoughts about its present concernments with a universalized mind, a truly enlarged mind, that takes in the interests of God and Christ as the main thing, and the interests of men as men, and of Christians as Christians, under a common notion! But how mean is it, and debasing to the spirit of a man, and how enfeebling to religion itself, when all the intention of men's souls runs about the little separate interests of this or that party, even as it is such, without considering the reference of things to God and the Redeemer! It is this that hath made religion a mean, And whereas Christ hath said, "Except ye repent, ye sordid, terrene, and earthly thing. A political religion is shall all likewise perish," (Luke xiii. 3.) yet men will hope that which, of all things, I cannot but consider with dread, they shall be saved, though they never repent. And according as I find verging, degenerating, and declining whereas Christ hath said, they that believe" shall not more and more into that. Let each orb be kept apart, and perish, but have everlasting life," (John iii. 16.) they will distinct from one another; and religion for the proper ends yet hope to be saved without Gospel faith; and that, notand purposes of religion, to refine men's minds, to bring withstanding the Gospel itself so expressly saith, them nearer to God, to make them capable of his converse that believeth not shall be damned;" (Mark xvi. 16.) and enjoyment, and to fit them for a blessed eternity. Let that believeth not is condemned already;" (John iii. 18.) religion do its own work as such; and let all secular con- "he that believeth not, the wrath of God abideth on him," cernments be only minded in subserviency hereto, as they John iii. 36. And whereas, again, the word of the Gospel serve to promote the interest of such religion, as is really hath said that Christ will be the "author of eternal salvation worthy the name, and will do the work of religion. But to all them that obey him," (Heb. v. 9.) men will yet hope in the mean time, hopes that do fill the minds of men with that he shall be to them the author of eternal salvation, thoughts about, whether their own private, or more common though they continually disobey him, and live in affronts and public secular affairs, so as to eat up the thoughts of to him, to his known laws, and the sceptre of his governheaven, and to emasculate the strength and vigour of their ment; and that, also, notwithstanding he hath so expressspirits, that should work thitherward; all these hopes sig-ly said that Christ will " come in flaming fire, taking vennify no more than a dream towards their salvation; and have no more reference to it, but to prejudice and to hinder our pursuit of it, and our final attaining of it. And, 2. Suppose that hope be placed on salvation itself, (and certainly that hope must subserve to salvation, must be the hope of salvation, as it is called, 1 Thess. v. 8.) yet if the ground of it be wrong, it can signify nothing to this end. If a man hope to be saved upon no ground that will bear the burden of such a hope, or that can rationally support it. That is, (1.) If men do hope in themselves, if they hope to be saved from their own worthiness, through the apprehensions they have, whether of their own excellency, or if it be but of their own innocency; here is a hope that will betray them to perdition, while it is with them the hope of salvation. Or again, He "he geance upon all that obey not his Gospel," 2 Thess. i. 8. Such as do hope for salvation by Christ altogether without ground, are never to think that that hope will save them, but betray them into perdition, or, at length, be the very instrument of a self-destruction to them; their own instrument, and of their own destruction. This is a hope that will never save, but will do more to destroy than to save them. That hope, that is first totally wrong in its object; and, secondly, is altogether without ground, be the object what it will, yet it rests upon no ground that can sustain such a hope. But then, 2. We shall briefly show what the hope must be that hath this tendency to save; hath (at least) a tendency to it. It must, (1.) Be a hope rightly terminated as to its object. As I told you before, it must be the hope of salvation, which (2.) If they hope in Christ, but not upon his terms. is said to be that part of the spiritual armour, which is Many are very full of hopes that they shall be saved; and thought fit to be expressed by the name of a helmet. The confess themselves to be sinners, and pretend to despair of helmet is to defend the head. You all know the head is being saved for their own sakes, or upon their own account; the seat of design, where projects are formed, where counbut it must be for Christ's sake, and upon his account. sels are laid. Now no man (as you heard before) designs But then they hope for it upon none of his terms: as if a for that of which he hath no hope; that confounds all deman hope to be saved by Christ, without ever being made signs. If a man hath formed in his head never so speholy by him. "He that hath this hope, purifieth himself," cious models; when once any thing appears in view which 1 John iii. 3. It must be a hope right, first, as to its end, shows the whole business to be impracticable, so as there as to its final object; that is, a hope of seeing God as he is no hope of succeeding, all those models are confounded is: and then right as to the way; that is, of being made and lost; there is an end of them. Therefore, there needs like him, as that which only can agree with such a vision, a helmet to protect the head, the seat of counsels and deor make the soul capable of it. "It doth not yet appear signs. And this is that which doth it," the hope of salwhat we shall be, but when he shall appear, we shall be vation." If there be a firm, well-laid hope of salvation, like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every one this keeps the mind clear, and in a composed posture, that hath this hope in him, (it may well enough be under-ready still for deliberation, and to contrive the way, and stood of Christ, to have reference to him,) purifies himself, as he is pure:" that hope, it will attemper the soul to the final object. It is exercised and taken up about a state course, and method, that may best serve on the one hand; and to countermine whatsoever may obstruct, and hinder in the prosecution of it, on the other hand. This hope must have for its firal object the divine glory and likeness, as that which we are to behold, as that which we are to bear, as that into which we are to be transformed; as above in this chapter; "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us." And it is the hope of this that saves, taking in the other requisites, of which you will hear more hereafter. So, (Rom. v. 1, 2.) "being justified by faith, we have peace with God, and rejoice in hope"--of what?" of the glory of God." The great thing that terminates this hope must be "salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, with eternal glory." As the apostle conjoins the private and positive expressions there; whereas, when there is no such conjunction, either put alone serves for both, when a man's hope is pitched upon this final term and end; that (as was intimated before) draws his heart, and keeps it under the transforming influence of the object which the Divine Spirit accompanies. The Divine Spirit doth the transforming work, even at first, and progressively afterwards; but it doth it by objects, by glorious objects, by objects blending in the Gospel. We are first changed, and continually "changed into the same image, from glory to glory;" but it is by the Spirit of the Lord," 2 Cor. iii. last verse. And then, 66 when it is so far designedly right, as to its ground. This, in the one sense or the other, is the thing whereof the text speaks; "We are saved by hope." Then, 2. The second thing is, to show the influence that such hope hath upon, and towards salvation; and that would be very easy to show you by representing to you what it is that is necessary to salvation; or what are the certain characters of the saved ones. They do make a select community, distinct from all the rest of the world. The nations of them that are saved, (as they are called Rev. xxi. 24.) they are all gathered into that city of God; they make a very distinct community from all the rest of the world; and must be understood to be distinguished from them by that which is characteristical of them that are saved ones. And so the distinction must consist in something or other that doth notify them to be the subjects of salvation. If it doth appear that such a hope be necessary to that, it must be concluded to be necessary to salvation too. That that is necessary for that which is necessary for salvation, is itself too necessary to salvation: Causa causa est causa causati; do but agree what thing or things are necessary to salvation, and if hope have a necessary influence upon these things, it must itself be in the way to salvation also. And if it be productive of those things, it will be productive of salvation too; and not only be the cause without which salvation cannot be, but by which it will be. Now it is very plain that these two things are necessary to salvation : 1. Thorough conversion; the bringing of a person into a state of grace :- And, (2.) This hope must be right as to its ground, as well as in reference to its object; and that can be nothing else but the covenant of God in Christ,-God in Christ to be apprehended and closed with in a covenant; or, as he is pleased to give a sinner the advantage of taking hold of him, as he hath brought himself under the bonds of a covenant. I will be such and such to you; my Son shall 2. Continual perseverance therein unto the end. Both be such and such to you. I engage in a covenant: it shall these are necessary to salvation. And if such hope as we be so, if you take hold. Here is the only firm, secure have already in some measure described to you be necesground of such a hope; and this is that which the soul sary to both these, it must be necessary to salvation too. actually must do, or must (at least) be actually designing And that is it which, in future discourses, I shall labour to to do: and accordingly may its hope be either certainly show you; that hope is necessary to conversion first, and saving, or have a leadingness and tendency thereunto, as then to perseverance. The soul's conversion; its turning was told you before. If the heart can bear record in the to God in Christ, it is with hope; it is not the act of a sight of God, I have taken hold of the Gospel covenant, despairing soul; it cannot be; it is no more possible for a and therein of God in Christ upon Gospel terms, my heart despairing man than for a despairing devil to repent and regretting nothing of them; but readily, and with good turn to God, and to close with Christ. I do not speak of liking, falling in with every thing; then I have that hope the difference of the law; that signifies nothing in this in me, that, while it lasts, is a piece of salvation; salva-case; but I speak in reference to the complexion of the tion and it are of a piece. But suppose I am not arrived to that pitch yet, that I dare avow it before the Lord, that I have come to such a closure; I am not sure of the sincerity of my own heart; yet, if this be the thing I design, I abandon all other hopes, and all other grounds of hope; and this is that I am aiming and driving at, to come to a sincere closure with God in Christ upon the terms of the Gospel. I do not yet know whether I am come up to it fully or not: but I am aiming at it, making towards it as I can. This, even this is saving hope, in one of the senses before explained; that is, as having a tendency and leadingness to salvation; and which, as it is not to be rested in till it come to a plerophery; so, nor is it to be rejected neither; it is to be cherished and complied with. God may make somewhat of this more trembling hope, though my anchor be not yet so firmly cast within the veil, or I do not know that it is; while I yet abandon and renounce all other hopes, and look to be saved in no other way, and am aiming to be saved in this way, it is a good sign, for there can be no aim without some hope; total despair throweth you off from every thing of endeavour, and every thing of design, for heaven and eternity; gives you up to perish, and delivers you up to eternal perdition. But while you cannot say your hope is saving, as that which will certainly save you at last, yet it may be said to be saving while it is tending towards a state of salvation, and carrying your hearts forwards towards that state. And this account, that is, that though you are not sure you have actually built upon the proper ground, yet you have the proper ground in view before you, and there you design to build, and you will build no where else. Why all this, while there is that hope which hath a leadingness and tendency to salvation, and which ought to be cherished, that it may save. When it is so far (as hath been said) right, as to its object, and * Preached May 24th, 1691. mind and spirit; and in respect of that, despair would as much keep a sinful man from turning to God through Christ, as it doth an apostate devil. SERMON XV.* Rom. viii. 24. We are saved by hope. THAT which I proposed to you in discoursing to you from this passage was, 1st, to show what hope that is of which this is said, inasmuch as it is apparently not to be said of all hope. There is a hope that will not save. There is a hope that will destroy; and to that head we have already spoken. We have shown you what hope it is not; then have positively showed you what hope it is, concernAnd now, ing which this is spoken, that it saves. and 2. Our further business is to show you which way hope doth operate towards salvation, or what influence it hath in order thereunto. We told you (entering on this head last time) that the understanding of this matter will depend upon our conceiving aright what is more immediately and certainly necessary to salvation; for if hope will be found to influence such things as are of most apparent confessed necessity unto salvation, it will be then found to have a necessary influence on salvation too. If it be necessary to that which is necessary, it must be itself also necessary. And it must be somewhat in itself exceeding great, and so that needs all the suitable and proper influences imaginable to bring it about, that shall distinguish them that are saved from them who shall perish; or, in short, the things that are more immediately necessary to salvation, must be understood to be very great things, and things that are not to be wrought at an easy rate, but which will require the help and concurrence of whatsoever may have an apt subserviency thereto; for the differences of them that are to be saved from them that will be finally lost, must be understood to be fundamental to the eternal differences of heaven and hell. And think how vastly different are the states of men hereafter, who shall be plunged and sunk into an abyss of wo and misery to eternity, and of them who shall be eternally rejoicing and exulting in the highest and most perfect felicity and glory. everlasting life," Rom. ii. 7. And they are to continue believing, which sums up the whole of that duty which the Gospel makes necessary to salvation, till they actually receive "the end of their faith, the salvation of their souls," 1 Peter i. 9. "They must not be of them that draw back to perdition, but of them that believe, to the saving of their souls," Heb. x. last verse. Both these are of most absolute necessity to being saved. This is plain, and out of all question; and they are necessary to salvation two ways, both of them, as in their own nature they do dispose and suit the soul for the heavenly state; both for the work, and for the felicity of it. If it were possible that one should come unchanged, unconverted, and unrenewed into heaven, what an exotic thing would he be there? He could have no business there; there is nothing there to be done that he could do; there is nothing there to be enjoyed that he could enjoy. Suppose one in heaven, that were no lover of God, that can take no pleasure in the Divine presence, that hath nothing in him of the Divine image, what could he do there? And if we could suppose the wisdom of heaven to do so inapt a thing as to admit him thither, to what purpose would it be? Therefore, upon the account of internal, subjective quali There is the embryo of heaven and hell in the very hearts of men on this side both; and therefore the differences must be vastly great, even here in this world, between them that are in a state of salvation and them that are not in that state. The inhabitants of the New Jerusalem, that comes down from heaven, they make up the community of them that are to be the saved ones, as was noted from that 21st chapter of Revelations, 24th verse; "The nations of them that are saved do walk in the light thereof." How vastly another sort of men, in all reason, are they to be from the rest of the perishing world, who are to be ex-fication, both these are necessary. empt from the common ruin, who, when the rest of the world must perish in vindictive flames, are to be caught up in the clouds, and meet their Redeemer in the air, and so be for ever with the Lord! How vast (I say) must we suppose the differences between these two sorts of men, when there is the seed, the very primordia of heaven and hell, the very beginnings of heaven and hell, to be found on earth in these two sorts of men! Therefore the distinction of the saved ones must be great and eminent from those that are not to be saved. 1. There must be a new nature given, that such a one be regenerate, born of God, turned unto him with the whole heart and soul. And that there be a new creation raised up in him, to attemper and suit him to the heavenly state; that is, that there be (as it were) the epitome of a new world, new heavens, and a new earth, in that soul which is designed for that blessed state above. A new creation is to rise up, which is to top heaven, to wit, to lift up its head into heaven, and a blessed eternity. That work is to be wrought in him that is a congenerous thing unto heaven; "He that drinketh of the water that I shall give him, (saith our Lord,) shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water, springing And what is their distinction I have generally told you already. It lies in these two things; in thorough regeneration, or conversion to God, by which they are brought into a good and safe state at first; and then, in their per-up into eternal life," John iv. 14. The regenerate frame severance herein unto the end. 1. They are such as are "born from heaven,"-" from above;" and the expression (John iii. 3, 4.) may as well be read "born from above," as "born again;" they are a heaven-born sort of men; a community of persons that are all of a divine family,-of the family of God, to be the sons and daughters of the Most High; not by adoption only, as if their sonship were no more than a relative thing; but by regeneration too, which is a real thing, and which makes an internal subjective change, the greatest that can be wrought in this world upon the subject where it hath place. By that regenerating impression on them they are turned to God; a divine touch upon their spirits inclines them to him; and now they turn to him with all their hearts and with all their souls. By being turned they turn; passive conversion and regeneration are the same thing. That turning influence by which the whole soul is brought about towards God, is nothing else but the regenerating influence that puts a new nature into them; for it is not a violent turn, but a spontaneous turn; a turn from the inclination of that new nature that is now in them; and in respect of this communicated divine nature are they said to be "born of God," to be "children of the Most High;" or otherwise (as the same thing is elliptically expressed) "they are of God;"-" we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness," 1 John v. 19. 2. And being brought into this state, they must persevere in it. It is absolutely necessary that they do so; "he that endureth to the end shall be saved," Matt. xxiv. 13. " They that are born of God must overcome the world;" which, indeed, some way or other, sums up all the enemy's power that they are to contend with; for the great destroyer of souls tempts men by this world, and their own flesh is tempted by it; so that, take one of that ternary of enemies, and you take them altogether. They cannot be severed; and he that is born of God must overcome these; in overcoming one, he must overcome all of this ternary of enemies, these adversary powers; and, overcoming, shall sit down with Christ on his throne, as he overcame, and is 'sat down with his Father upon his throne." They are such, as, by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for honour, and glory, and immortality," till they actually "obtain | and nature is so much akin to heaven, that in nature and And then, both these are necessary, not only in the nature of the thing, as internal qualifications of the subject; but they are also necessary as things required by the tenor of the evangelical law of grace, which entitleth none to heaven but those that are regenerate; those that are born of God; and those that, being so, do continue adhering and cleaving to him to the very end; that is, those (as was said before) who do believe in the very saving of their souls. And you must consider here, that this second necessity of both these things, arising from the Gospel constitution, or the constitution of the evangelical covenant, or the law of grace, it comes in this kind to supervene and to be superadded to the other; to wit, considering salvation at length as the effect of the Gospel grant; for it is not merely to be looked upon as a natural product, (though |