but hope will. Hope makes it to dissolve, makes it to relent; he puts his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope, Lam. iii. 29. Is there hope for me ?-then I care not how low I lie; then let me humble myself to the lowest that is possible at the footstool of the mercy-seat; for I see there is hope for me. Despair would harden the heart, and render it as a rock, impenetrable, inflexible. But hope makes it to melt and dissolve. There is the greatest horror (to be sure) in hell itself, where there is the most absolute perfect despair; and so that fire, even the fire of the infernal pit, that scorches, that enrages, that exasperates, that enflames the soul with enmity, malignity, and hatred against the very Author of its being. But it is another kind of fire that melts. Hell fire will scorch, but it will not melt. It is the spirit of divine love in the Gospel that only melts; and if it melts it gives ground of hope, as God is revealed reconcileable and willing to be at peace. When the Gospel saith so, and the Spirit breathes in that Gospel, and declares to the soul immediately, God is reconcileable; now is the heart clothed with shame and confusion, and lies low in self-abasement, even to the very lowest it can lay itself; "that thou mayest be ashamed and confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord," Ezek. xvi. latter end. That is, when I have shown thee how willing I am to be reconciled, revealed myself so pacifiable, reconcileable, and given thee hope of pardon, mercy, and grace, then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I have discovered myself so placable towards thee, and so willing to be reconciled. And again,

"been begotten (saith the apostle) to a lively hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away." This was in their very regeneration; this was among their natulitia, the principles of their birth, their new divine birth. A certain hope of better things than they were to lose for the sake of Christ and the Gospel. They were to lose all their earthly inheritance; no matter for that, we are begotten again to a lively hope" of such an inheritance; and we shall be kept to it," kept by the mighty power of God through faith to salvation;" as there it follows in the same context. And,

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(5.) Here must be in this work of conversion a serions, solemn taking of God for our God, when the soul is so far loosened and unhinged from sin, and from this world, to which it did cleave by sinful inclination. Then are things so prepared and made ready for its unitive closure with that great object, from whom it hath injuriously withheld itself all this while; and unto whom, out of the state of apostacy, it must now betake itself, and is now betaking itself. Now having thrown off this world, and being loosened, and saving myself, by the help and power of thy grace, from the bands and cords of my own iniquity, I come, blessed God, to accept of, and unite with thee, to take thee for my Lord and my God. Here is the term to which the soul turns, when sin and the world were the terms from which it did turn. But now, I pray, do any of you think that a soul ever took God for its God with despair ?—or doth it ever take God for its God without hope? To be without God, and with nt hope, they come together; and to be with God, and with hope, must parineam be joined together too. "Ye are without hrist and without God in the world," (saith the apostle to the Ephesians, referring to their natural unconverted state, Ephes. ii. 12.) without God, then it is no longer without hope. It would be without God, if it still were without hope; but it having conceived a hope, that God is graciously and most condescendingly willing to be embraced by such a poor wretched thing as I am, he will permit himself to be embraced; I hope he will, I say; because it hopes, therefore it chooses, therefore accepts him, therefore it takes him. This God shall be my God; he takes him under hope; he covenants with him under hope.

(3.) There is in this converting work, a mortification endured and undergone, even of the most connatural corruptions and evil inclinations. The soul endures the cut-when the case herein is changed, that the soul is no longer ting off the right hand and the right foot, and putting out the right eye; and submits to the command, Ure, Seca, as that Father is brought in saying, Lord, burn me, wound me, cut me, so thou wilt but save me! I matter it not. What? cutting off the right hands and feet, and p'ucking out the right eyes?-this would never be endured if it were not for hope. Here is in this turn a denial of all ungodliness and worldly lusts whatsoever, under the instruction of grace, under the instruction of that grace, which appears bringing salvation, and that teaches us this denial of all ungodliness and worldly lusts. And how, and in what way?" Looking for the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ." While I yield and submit to such things as these, to be pulled away from all ungodliness, and to have all my worldly lusts torn from me, it is in the contemplation of that blessed hope. Oh, how comfortably shall I behold Christ, and will he behold me, who have endured all this for his pleasure! The pleasures of sin are abandoned, which are but for a season. And why ?-Because there is an eye had to the recompense of the reward; and because that faith begins now to take hold of the soul, that is, "the substance of things hoped for," Heb. xi. 1. compared with what is mentioned in the 26th and 27th verses. And again,

(4.) There is in this work of conversion a forsaking of all the world; that is the term the soul turns from, when God is the term it turns unto; a forsaking of all this world, as a most despicable thing, a composition of idols; and what have I to do with idols? saith the turning, the returning soul. What have I any more to do with them? "Love not the world, nor the things of the world; if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him," 1 John ii. 15. And what can make a man abandon a thing he hath loved, but the hope of a better?-I shall meet with something better, something that will be a rich compensation for all that I abandon and throw away. We find those converts to whom the apostle Peter writes his first epistle, that they were thrown out of all for Christ and the Gospel's sake; elect strangers, scattered throughout the several quarters of Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, and wherever else scattered they were; driven from their own home and inheritance. And how came they to yield to all this; to quit all they had in this world, and betake themselves to wandering? Why, it was for the sake of Christ. You have

You see how the case was with apostate Israel; they were gone off from God, and he threw them off, when he abandoned them to the captivity. Well, he hath, at length, gracious inclinations towards them, and within the appointed limits of time revisiteth them, releaseth them, and bringeth them back into their own land. And then the great assembly of them, in the posture of penitents, (as you read in the tenth of Ezra,) is gathered together; and the result is, "Come, now, and let us make a covenant with God." They are for covenanting with him; they have a mind to have this God for their God again. But how is this introduced? Now, because "there is hope in Israel concerning this thing," therefore let us make a covenant; since there is hope, let us do this; since there is still some ground for hope, that God is taking up the controversy, and will not abandon us finally, and quite throw us off, and cast us away from being his people; "because there is hope in Israel concerning this thing, therefore let us make a covenant." Every particular soul, upon its return to God, hath in it the epitome of this very case; I have been a wandering wretch, a revolted creature, an apostate rebel; God hath discovered himself, however, placable and willing of my return, and that I strike a covenant with him anew; and he hath published this to be the tenor of his covenant, "I will be your God;" and I am to give my consent to it, and take him hereupon for my God. Now this (I say) the soul only doth because there is hope; 1 will make a covenant because I see there is hope in this thing. If I make none, I am lost; if I do not covenant. I am undone; if I will be still a stranger to God, there is no way but to periih. But because there is hope I will covenant, I will take him for my God; because there is hope he will accept a poor returning soul. And,

(6.) In this work of conversion there must be an absolute self-denial, self-abnegation, and abandoning oneself. This is the plain state of the case; conversion being tha.

by which the soul enters into the Christian state of discipleship to Christ; and Christ himself hath determined the matter; Except a man deny himself, he cannot be my disciple;" he can be no disciple of mine except he deny himself; because Christ's business with all that he christianizeth, that he admits and takes to be his disciples, is but to take and lead them back to God: and that they are never capable of till he takes them off from their rival god. Self is their rival god; and in this converting work the soul must abandon itself, must deny itself, so as no longer to live according to its own will, as its rule; nor for its own interest, as its end. I am to live (saith the soul) a selfgoverned, a self-designing creature no longer. I told you before of a very lawful and necessary self-love; that is, a love to a man's soul, and a true desire of his own felicity; but that self that is to be denied is a carnal self, a brutal self, that is now become ourselves, become the whole of us; and so it comes to this with every returning soul; I am not I; Ego non sum Ego. There is a self to which it doth adhere, and there is a self the which it doth abandon and forsake; but, through the influence of hope, because I have hope in losing myself, I shall find myself; because I have hope, that, in throwing away this base, sordid self, I shall find and gain a rich glorious hope, self-conformed to the Divine likeness; and, finally, made happy in him. Therefore I endure such severities as these; and I do endure all in hope.

Here is in all this sowing to the Spirit, which sowing requires the breaking up the fallow ground beforehand, and the tearing out of weeds and roots, that did infest. And this is in order to such sowing to the Spirit, and that is with expectation of reaping of the Spirit what shall be suitable to it; and "they that sow to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." But now you know, (as the apostle teacheth us to conceive, and to speak elsewhere upon another account,) every one "that soweth, soweth in hope; and he that plougheth, plougheth in hope," that he may be partaker of his hope, I Cor. ix. 10. When I give over sowing to my own flesh, pleasing and indulging of that, and begin to sow to the Spirit, as my ploughing before was ploughing in hope, my sowing now is sowing in hope. I would neither plough or sow, but only in hope; so it is in a spiritual sense. And hereupon,

also I have afresh given up myself. Those that know, not only what it is to leave the ways of sin, but their accomplices in wickedness, do know withal that there is difficulty in it, to which they need this powerful inducement of hope, that there will be that at length which will recompense and make up all to me.

SERMON XVI.*

Rom. viii. 24.

We are saved by hope.

THERE is one and a main thing yet behind, which I reserved to the last place, because there is most to be said to it. That is,

(10.) That in this converting work there is a solemn closure with Christ; a passing quite into a vital union with him, so as that the soul comes thereby to be in him, and Christ comes to be in the soul. And this transaction could never be brought about but under hope. Christ will never come to be in that united state with you by your own consent and choice, if he were not eyed by you under this notion, "Christ in us the hope of glory;" Christ is to be mine, as my great hope, for eternity, and another world. And this transaction and contracting with Christ I reserved to the last place, not as if it were the last in time in the great work of conversion, but as that which I design to speak more largely unto.

As for the method and order wherein all these mentioned things lie to one another, and wherein they may be effected and wrought in the souls of men, it may vary, and not be always the same. Some thoughts may be injected into some minds first, and others first into others. And though suitable and correspondent impressions be made according to injections of thoughts, yet the Spirit doth not always keep one way; though some things must, in their own nature, precede, yet there is certainly an intention of an end always before the use of the means. With all (7.) There is in this work of conversion, a giving one-rational agents and movements the end must be propoundself up quite unto God, absolutely to be his: you have taken him to be yours; you abandon self thereupon, and therewithal; and now you give up yourself to be his. And is this an act of despair, when a man gives up himself to God? "Yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead," as the charge is, Rom. vi. 13. Is this giving or yielding ourselves to God a yielding oneself to perish ?—or is this the act of a despairing soul, when it saith, I will be the Lord's? Though he saith, absolutely, Let him do with me what he will, yet it always apprehends he will not destroy me. When I yield myself to him, when I put myself into his hands by my own act and deed, by my free and voluntary surrender, I know he will never destroy what I so voluntarily resign. And again,

(8.) There is hereupon a resolution of walking in the way of holiness; I have chosen the way of truth; that I will do whatever it cost me. And this cannot be but in hope neither. I shall find a pleasure in this way, though it seem uncouth at the first; I shall find safety in it at length, at the latter end. Because I hope, therefore I choose. And there is, hereupon,

(9.) An abandoning of all associates that any have united themselves with in an evil way; a forsaking of them all; a breaking off from them. They that have been my companions in wickedness shall be my companions no longer, unless they will accompany me in the ways of God. This cannot be but in hope. There is an irksomeness in it, narting with those with whom we had all pleasantness of wit and raillery, and a delicious conversation, according to the gusts and relishes of impure imagination. And these relishes cannot be forsaken and abandoned, but upon the hopes of better. Now I shall be the associate of the bessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to whom by baptismal vow I have been given up, and to whom now * Preached April 28th, 1691.

ed that they design for; and then the way taken that is accommodated to that end. And so the eye of the soul must be towards God finally; first, as him that I am to return to, and then come to a closure with him, in whom he only is accessible. In reference to that, singly considered, that peculiar method is observed, though there are other things that have been mentioned which may partly precede and partly follow.

But this is that I would now insist upon, and make out to you, that as in the work of conversion and regeneration, the soul is brought to an agreement with the Son of God, as the Redeemer, Saviour, and Ruler of sinners; so it is brought to this by the influence and power of hope; and it could never come to this agreement with Christ otherwise, but as its hope doth influence it hereunto. Most plain it is, that, wheresoever a work of conversion is brought about, and any do become Christians, indeed, they are brought into Christ, they are brought to have an in-being in Christ, (as the Scripture phrase is, and that we must keep to, and labour to understand the mind and meaning of the Spirit of God in it,) Christ is nothing to us, till we be in him; "Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, sanctification, and redemption," 1 Cor. i. 30. That is, he is every thing to us that our case requires and needs, if once we be in him; and nothing if we be not in him whereas we are foolish creatures, he is made to us wisdom: whereas we are guilty creatures, he is made unto us righteousness; whereas we are impure creatures, he is made unto us sanctification; and whereas we are enslaved creatures, he is made unto us redemption, if we be in him; but nothing of all these if we be not in him. When God deals with souls in order to the renewing of them, they are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, to walk in them, Eph. ii. 10. When he creates the new creature, it is said,

'If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things | tells us in that great transport of spirit, "This is a faithful are done away, and all things are become new," 2 Cor. v. saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus 17. This is the great thing that is brought about in the came into the world to save sinners." But see (I say) how work of conversion or regeneration, or the work of the new he begins that very chapter and epistle; "Paul, an apostle creation, which are various Scripture expressions of the of God, and of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God, same thing. The giving the soul an in-being in Christ; and our Saviour, who is our hope." His heart was full of inverting, implanting it into him, or (which is all one) this thing,-That Christ was the great hope of sinners ;bringing about a union between Christ and the soul; in and naturally breaks forth into such expressions as those respect whereof that union is so intimate, that he is some- that do afterwards follow: and being replenished with this times said to be in it, and it is sometimes said to be in sense, having his heart full of it, saith, "This is a faithful him. They are mutually in one another. This we must saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ consider is the thing effected in conversion, and which we came into the world to save sinners." He is represented and are to show you, cannot be effected but by the influence held forth in the Gospel, under such a representation as of hope. doth signify him to be the great and only hope of souls: so he is closed with, so he is received, so the soul resigns and gives up itself at length unto him.

Nothing can be more suitable to the apostle's present scope, than to insist upon this, and evince it to you; for do but observe how he begins this chapter, and take notice how the whole series of his discourse proceeds upon the supposition of this one thing, their being in Christ; having spoken in the foregoing chapter, of the conflict, the war that is between the fleshly principle and the spiritual principle; and the victory of the Spirit over the flesh, in all that are sincere, and where there is a thorough regenerating work wrought, thereupon he begins this chapter thus, "There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit;" whereby he plainly signifies to us, that the fleshly principle ceaseth to govern, and it ceaseth to condemn at the same time; when sin doth no longer reign, it no longer condemns. This mighty turn and change is brought about in the state of such a person, and in the frame and temper of such a one's spirit, at one and the same time; to wit, he is now no longer condemned for sin, and he is no longer governed by it. There is no condemnation, and they no longer walk after the flesh, but after the Spirit. But whence is it, that he hath this double privilege, or that this mighty turn and change is made in the state of his case? Why, now he is in Christ, he hath been instated in Christ, and now he is neither condemned for sin, nor governed by it.

We see that under that notion, he is laid hold on. Look to that; Heb. vi. 18. "By two immutable things, by which it was impossible for God to lie, (to wit, the oath of God added to his word,) the heirs of promise might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before them." An allusion to the manslayer, one that had by casualty (but within the meaning of the law that gave immunity in such cases) slain another, for whom the cities of refuge were appointed and provided, with respect to the several tribes. This is the representation of the case of a sinner frighted and pursued by the vindicta of the divine law and justice; such have no way of escape remaining to them, but to fly for refuge to that hope that is set before them: that is, to Christ, the great antitype to those types,-these cities of refuge were so many types of him. But where is he to be eyed and followed now? He is entered as a forerunner into the holy of holies, he is gone within the veil, and thither our hope must follow him, as you may see in the close of that chapter; "Which hope we have, as an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast, entering into that within the veil; whither Jesus our forerunner is for us entered." I can have no hope (saith the pursued soul) but in Christ. But where will you find him? He is gone far enough out of sight, he is entered within And upon this supposition of persons being once in the veil, the heavens have received him. But yet (saith the Christ, proceeds all the following discourse, through the soul) I mean to follow him thither, and my hope shall residue of this chapter. So that now take such a one, enter there, even within the veil, whither Christ is for me suppose him giving (as it were) his account, standing on entered; I will not be held off from him. So this laying the brink of that rapid gulf, out of which he newly emerg- hold upon this hope is to be understood; hope is obeth, and by grace enabled to spring forth, and make his jectively taken there, the hope set before them; it is escape; suppose we such a one, giving an account of his coming to an agreement, a contract with Christ. It is that deliverance, and how it was brought about: You that were by which we actually become entered into the covenant of plunged in so deep and horrid a gulf, and so dreadful God by Christ, we can take hold no other way but by the impurities, how comes it to be otherwise with you now? covenant; taking hold of the covenant, and taking hold of Why, I have been brought into Christ, and so, through him, whom that covenant doth (as it were) inwrap and the grace of God, is my state safe and comfortable. I was give us the hold of; they are equivalent expressions, and tossed in the common deluge and inundation of wicked-mean one and the same thing. But then understand under ness and wrath, that had spread itself over all this world; what notion is he to be taken hold of; you see that text and this was my case, till I came to be in-arked in Christ, speaks the matter plainly; he is to be taken hold of, under and so I became safe. But how caine you unto him? or the notion of the hope set before them. And so when the what made you offer at any such thing? Why, I can give soul comes into such a union with him, as to have his enyou but this account in the general, I am saved by hope: trance into it, so as that he is said to be in the soul, to be, if I had no hope, I had been lost, sunk, and perished for by an internal presence, actually indwelling in it: under ever; but here was the offer made me of a Redeemer and what notion is that? Why, that scripture tells us, Col. i. Saviour, and I hoped it was by one that had no design to 27. "Christ in you." How is he in us, under what nodeceive me; and there I cast my anchor, and I am come tion is he in us? As the hope of glory, he makes his way to an agreement with the Son of God, the Saviour! And into the soul, under the notion of the soul's hope. The soul thus I come to be in this safe state. Safe I am through receives him, admits him, unites with him under that nograce, and I own it, I am safe through hope.-I had been tion as its great hope; Christ who is our hope, as that lost else, if I had no hope, and should never have looked mentioned introductive passage of the epistle to Timothy after Jesus Christ ;-but I had hope when the Gospel dis- speaks. covery and representation, and offer of Christ, was made to me, that it was by one that could not fail, and would not deceive; one that was not impotent, and too weak to save me, and one that would never be false and untrue to me, if I ventured upon him; and because I had hope, therefore I ventured, and so I am come to this safe state. It is by the influence of hope, that souls are brought into that agreement with the Son of God, upon which their eternal salvation and well-being depends. This is that I have to make out to you, to wit, that the soul in its first eyeing of Christ, doth eye him as the only hope of sinners. It is observable how the apostle begins that first epistle of his to Timothy, in which a little after the beginning, he

And here I must note to you, that speaking of the influ ence of hope, upon this great transaction of the soul with Christ, I speak not of the hope which doth follow the receptive act, or the self-resigning act, but of a hope that doth precede it. It is true, there is a hope which follows it, by which every believing soul is to continue hoping to the end; often repeating that act, through its whole aftercourse. But there is a hope that doth precede it, of which I now speak, that is, that leads to this reception of Christ, and self-resignation to him; and under the influence whereof, the soul doth receive Christ, and resign_itself, and which therefore must be understood to precede: and that is only the immediate product of the Gospel re

presentation that is made of Christ; he is discovered to us in the Gospel in those capacities, and under those notions, in which he is to be received. This representation of him, so believed on, I believe (saith the soul) this is true, which the Gospel speaks concerning Christ, I assent to the truth of this word. Hence ariseth this hope in the soul, which intervenes between the assenting act of faith, and the relative act of faith; the soul having thus assented to the truth of the Gospel revelation, it hereupon hopes, surely I shall run no desperate hazard if I do receive Christ, and resign myself to him according as the Gospel doth direct; and so by the influence of this hope accordingly doth receive, and doth resign.

And so the matter being so far stated before us, which we are to clear to you; I shall first argue it out by some more general considerations very briefly, and shall in some particular heads that do concur in this transaction with Christ, discover to you the influence of this hope to this purpose, the bringing about such an agreement and closure of the soul with Christ.

1. It may be argued out to you, from such general considerations as these.

(1.) That the soul's contracting, or coming to such an agreement with Christ, is most certainly a very wise act, the wisest thing that ever any soul did for itself in all this world. As certainly they cannot but be great fools, who when the Gospel reveals a Saviour, will perish by neglect | of him; will rather perish than receive him, when they have the Saviour in view, and the terms in view upon which he is to be received.

(2.) Wisdom in any such action is to be estimated by the reference thereof to the end, which is to be designed therein. There is no wise action, but is designed for some end or other, as aptly serving and contributing to the attaining of that end. That is a succedaneous consideration, which is plain in itself. And then add,

(3.) That the proper end, which in such a reception of a Saviour must be designed, is salvation. Nothing can be plainer, than that the end I am to design in receiving a Saviour is, that I may be saved by him. What else can it be? To which I subjoin,

2. I shall go on to show, from several particulars, which Jie within the compass of this great work of transacting and agreeing with Christ according to the terms of the Gospel covenant, upon each of which it cannot be but hope must have influence. As,

his twig, but in order to a surer hold of something that may be stronger, and that he may better trust to it. If men have nothing else to rely upon, but their own imagined innocency, or their righteousness, or their performances, that they have performed such and such things in a way of duty, or withheld themselves, and abstained from such and such things in a way of sin. If men have nothing else to rely upon here, they will hold till they have a better hold. It must be the influence of a better hope, some better hope introduced, that must make the soul willing to let go this hold: they will never quit the twig, till they have in view somewhat better and stronger to take hold of. There must be this, in the first place, in the soul's transacting with Christ, a renouncing of any other Saviour, or any other way of salvation.

(2.) There must be the taking on of Christ's yoke; in this transaction with him, the soul must agree to take his yoke upon it, submit its neck thereunto. The Gospel is plain and express in this, even in those words of grace themselves, than which the Gospel did never breathe sweeter and more grateful ones; Come unto me, all ye that are weary, and heavy laden, and I will give you rest; learn of me, and take my yoke upon you, and you shall find rest to your souls, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." But such as it is, take it you must; or you are never to expect rest from me, safety, or relief from me. If I give, you must take. If I give you pardon, if I give you peace, you must take my yoke, my burden, upon your necks and shoulders; in short, the soul must submit to be governed by Christ, subject itself to his governing power, and the sceptre of his kingdom. This must be its fence, "Other lords have had dominion over me, but now I will make mention of thy name, of thine only." It must be subject to the government of Christ, both negative and positive; that is, must submit, and be bound up from every way of sin, and it must submit and yield to be bound to every way of duty: and this is taking up of Christ's yoke, and this it can never do but with hope, but under the influence of hope.

It is upon the declining of this, that many a soul comes to break with Christ after a treaty begun, and (it may be) (4.) That there can be no design without hope. It is carried on far; they may be content to entertain those naturally impossible to me to design my own salvation by pleasant thoughts which the Gospel gives some intimation receiving of a Saviour, but it must be with hope of success of, and by its first overtures doth (as it were) suggest and in this way. There can be, in all the world, no such thing offer to the soul, of having sin pardoned, and God reconas a design laid without hope of compassing it; no end pro- ciled, and being saved from the wrath to come, and of posed without hope and expectation, that at last it may be being entitled to future felicity, and a blessed state. These brought about. It is not needful that there should be a are pleasant thoughts, and the first aspect of the Gospel certainty that it shall, but there must be a hopefulness doth suggest them; and while the soul looks upon these and probability that it may, otherwise there can be no de-alone, and doth not look upon what there is of conjunct sign at all. It is not agreeable to the human nature to duty with it, it may go on far, and there may seem to be design for that, of which there is no hope. These are ge- an agreement entered, or very near to be entered, or which neral considerations, which do plainly enough evince, that the soul is in a great disposition to enter into with Christ, this transaction of the soul with Christ, in order to its own while it is only expecting much from him, and thinks of salvation, must be under the influence of hope. But, bending itself in nothing to him. But when that part comes to be reflected on too, then the soul begins to recoil, to revolt, and to fly off. It can be contented with every thing but to be yoked, to come under restraints from such and such ways; No, (saith the soul,) I will never endure to be yoked, to come under obligation to such and such things as have displeased me, and I could never yet like. Yes, but this Christ insists on. If ever you expect rest from me, I expect you will take on my yoke; that you willingly submit to be yoked by me; it is indeed an easy yoke, and I would have thee understand the matter so, and thou wilt find it an easy yoke, when once thou hast tried it; but a yoke it is, and as such it must be received. But here is the great matter of hesitation, the wretched soul sticks at this, No, I will not endure thy yoke! It is as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke, as Ephraim is represented, Jer. xxxi. 18. and if ever they come to be made sensible, they will speak that sense truly, "I was like Ephraim, thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised; I was as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke; turn thou me, and I shall be turned." This is their sense, if ever they become truly and thoroughly sensible; but in the mean time, here is the stick, because they have not been accustomed to the yoke, and cannot endure to be yoked, therefore doth many a one part with Christ, and give up all; all treaty is quite broken off between Christ and them

(1.) In such a transaction with Christ, or when the soul is coming to an agreement with him upon Gospel terms, it must renounce any other saviour or way of salvation that either is co-ordinate with him or much more that shall be opposite to him; whatsoever indeed shall be subordinate must be taken in, but to think of any thing co-ordinate of any such thing, there must be a most absolute renunciation. The soul must speak its own sense in such words as the church speaks here; "Asher shall not save us, nor will we say to the works of our hands, ye are our gods; for with thee the fatherless find mercy." There must be an exclusion of all things else, that shall be co-ordinately joined with Christ, or that shall be brought into any kind of competition with him, in this his saving work, and offer. I abandon all other saviours, (this is the language of the soul,) and all expectations from any other.

Now, whereas it is manifest the soul must be brought to this, if ever it come to a closure and agreement with Christ, so it can never be brought to this, but by the influence of hope concerning him. A drowning man will never let go