SIX DIRECTIONS how we may strengthen our hope 6/7

           Suppose a poor cripple should be sent for by a prince to court, with a promise to adopt him for his son and make him heir to his crown, this might well seem incredible to the poor man, when he considers what a leap it is from his beggar’s cottage to the state of a prince.  No doubt if the promise had been to pre­fer him to a place in a hospital, or some ordinary pen­sion for his maintenance, it would be more easily credited by him, as more proportional to his low con­dition; yet, the greatness of the prince, and the de­light such take to be like God himself, by showing a kind of creating power to raise some as it were from nothing unto the highest honours a subject is capable of—thereby to oblige them as their creatures to their service—this, I say, might help such a one think this strange accident not altogether impossible.  Thus here.  Should a poor soul spend all his thoughts on his own unmeetness and unworthiness to have heaven and eternal life conferred on him, it were not possible he should ever think so well of himself as that he should be one of those glorious creatures that were to enjoy it.  But, when the greatness of God is believed, and the infinite pleasure he takes to demonstrate that greatness this way—by making miserable creatures happy, rather than by perpetuating their miseries in an eternal state of damnation—and what cost he hath been at to clear a way for his mercy to freely act in, and, in a word, what a glorious name this will gain him in the thoughts he thus exalts; these things —which are all to be found in the word of promise —well weighed, and acknowledged, cannot but open the heart, though shut with a thousand bolts, to enter­tain the promise and believe all is truth that God there saith, without any more questioning the same. A taste I have given in one or two particulars, you see, how the promises may be suited to answer the partic­ular objections raised against our hope.  It were easy here to multiply instances, and to pattern any other case with promises for the purpose; but this will most effectually be done by you who know your own scru­ples better than another can.  And be such true friends to your own souls, as to take a little pains therein.  The labour of gathering a few simples in the field, and making them up into a medicine by the direction of the physician, is very well paid for, if the poor man finds it doth him good and restores him to health.

           Sixth Direction.  File up thy experiences of past mercies, and thy hope will grow stronger for the fu­ture.  Experience worketh hope, Rom. 5:4.  He is the best Christian that keeps the history of God’s gracious dealings with him most carefully, so that he may read in it his past experiences, when at any time his thoughts trouble him and his spiritual rest is broken with distracting fears for the future.  This is he that will pass the night of affliction and temptation with comfort and hope; while others that have taken no care to pen down—in their memories at least—the remarkable instances of God’s love and favour to them in the course of their lives, will find the want of this sweet companion in their sorrowful hours, and be put to sad plunges; yea, well, if they be not driven to think their case desperate, and past all hope.  Some­times a little writing is found in a man's study that helps to save his estate; for want of which he had gone to prison and there ended his days.  And some one experience remembered keeps the soul from despair —a prison which the devil longs to have the Christian in. ‘This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope,’ Lam. 3:21.  David was famous for his hope, and not less eminent for his care to observe preserve, the experi­ences he had of God's goodness.  He was able to re­count the dealings of God to him. They were so often the subject of his meditation and matter of his dis­course, that he had made them familiar to him. When his hope is at a loss, he doth but rub his memory up a little and he recovers himself presently, and chides himself for his weakness.  ‘I said, This is my infir­mity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High,’ Ps. 77:10.  The hound, when he hath lost the scent, hunts backward and so recovers it, and pursues his game with louder cry than ever. Thus, Christian, when thy hope is at a loss for the life to come, and thou questionest thy salvation in another world, then look backward and see what God hath already done for thee in this world.

SIX DIRECTIONS how we may strengthen our hope 5/7

  Sometimes the Christian is at a stand when he remembers his past sins, and his hope is quite dashed out of countenance while they stare on his conscience with their grim looks.  Now it were excellent for the Christian to pick out a promise where he may see this objection answered and hope triumphing over it. This was David’s very case, Ps. 130.  He grants himself to be in a most deplored condition, if God should reckon with him strictly, and give him quid pro quo—wages suitable to his work.  ‘If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?’ ver. 3.  But then, he puts his soul out of all fear of God’s taking this course with poor penitent souls, by laying down this comfortable conclusion as an indubitable truth.  ‘But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared;’ ver. 4, that is, ‘there is forgiveness in thy nature; thou carriest a pardoning heart in thy bosom; yea, there is forgiveness in thy promise, thy merciful heart doth not only incline thee to thoughts of forgiv­ing, but thy faithful promise binds thee to draw forth the same unto all that humbly and seasonably lay claim thereunto.  Now, this foundation laid, see what superstructure this holy man raiseth, ‘I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope,’ ver. 5.  As if he had said, ‘Lord, I take thee at thy word, and am resolved by thy grace to wait at this door of thy promise, never to stir thence till I have my promised dole—forgiveness of my sins—sent out unto me.’  And this is so sweet a morsel, that he is loath to eat it alone, and therefore he sets down the dish, even to the lower end of the table, that every godly person may taste with him of it—‘Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.  And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities,’ ver. 7, 8.  As if he had said, ‘That which is a ground of hope to me, not­withstanding the clamour of my sins, affords as solid and firm a bottom to any true Israelite or sincere soul in the world, did he but rightly understand himself, and the mind of God in his promise.  Yea, I have as strong a faith for such as my own soul, and durst pawn the eternity of its happiness upon this princi­ple—that God shall redeem every sincere Israelite from all his iniquities.’  This, this is the way to knock down our sins indeed.  And Satan, when he comes to reproach us with them, and, by their batteries, to dis­mount our hope, sometimes a qualm comes over the Christian's heart merely from the greatness of the things hoped for.  ‘What!’ saith the poor soul, ‘seems it a small thing for me to hope, that of an enemy I should become a son and heir to the great God! What! a rebel? and not only hope to be pardoned, but prove a favourite, yea such a one, as to have robes of glory making for me in heaven, where I shall stand among those that minister about the throne of God in his heavenly court, and that before I have done him any more service here on earth?  O, it is too great good news to prove true.’  Thus the poor soul stands amazed—as the disciples, when the first tidings of the Lord’s resurrection surprised them—and is ready to think its hope but an idle tale with which Satan abuseth it, ut præsumendo speret et sperando pereat —that he may presume to hope, and perish with his presumption.

           Now, Christian, that thou mayest be able to stride over this stumbling‑block, be sure to observe those prints of God’s greatness and infinitude that are stamped upon the promise.  Sometimes you have them expressed, on purpose to free our thoughts, and ease our hearts of this scruple.  When God promised what great things he would do for Abraham, to make them more credible, and easily believed, he adds, ‘I am the Almighty God,’ Gen. 17:1; and so, Isa. 55:7, ‘Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’  But how can this possibly be done, that in the turn of a hand, as it were, such a great favour can be obtained, which among men could hardly be done in a lifetime spent suing for it?  O that is easily answered.  He tells you he is not a sorry man, but a God, and hath a way by himself in pardoning wrongs, which none can follow him in; for it is as far above our ways as the heavens are above the earth. This, Christian, observe, and it will be a key to unlock all promises, and let you in unto the untold treasures that are in them; yea, [will] make the greatest prom­ise in the Bible easy to be believed.  Whenever you read any promise, remember whose bond it is—the word of no other than God.  And when you think of God, be sure you do not narrow him up in the little compass of you finite apprehensions, but conceive of him always as an infinite being, whose center is every­where, and circumference is nowhere.  When you have raised your thoughts to the highest, then know you are as far yea infinitely farther, from reaching his glory and immensity, than a man is from touching the body of the sun with his hand when got upon a hill or mountain.  This is to ascribe greatness to God,’ as we are commanded, Deut. 32:3.  And it will admirably facilitate the work of believing.

SIX DIRECTIONS how we may strengthen our hope 4/7

           Third Direction.  Resort to God daily, and beg a stronger hope of him.  That is the way the apostle took to help the saints at Rome to more of this pre­cious grace.  ‘Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost,’ Rom. 15:13.  God, you see, is the God of hope; and not only of the first seed and habit, but of the whole increment and abounding of it in us also.  He doth not give a saint the first grace of conversion, and then leave the improvement of it wholly to his skill and care; as sometimes a child hath a stock at first to set up, and never hath more help from his father, but, by his own good husbandry, advanceth his little beginnings into a great estate at last; but rather as the corn in the field, that needs the influences of heaven to flower and ripen for harvest, as much as to quicken in the clods when first thrown in.  And therefore, be sure thou humbly acknowledgest God by a constant wait­ing on him for growth.  ‘The young lions,’ are said to, ‘seek their meat from God,’ Ps. 104:21.  That is, God hath taught them, when hungry, to express their wants by crying and lifting up their voice, which, did they know God to be their Maker, they would direct to him for supply; as we see the little babe that at first only expresseth its wants by crying, doth, so soon as it knows the mother, directs his moan to her.  Thou knowest, Christian, that thou art at thy heavenly Fa­ther’s finding.  He knows indeed what thou wantest, but he stays his supplies till thou criest, and this will make him draw forth his breast presently.  Doth God take care for the beasts in the field?  Surely then much more will he for thee his child in his house, and for thy soul above all.  Thou mayest possibly pray for more riches, and be denied; but a prayer for more grace is sure to speed.

           Fourth Direction.  If you would strengthen your hope, labour to increase your love.  There is a secret, yet powerful, influence that love hath on hope.  Mo­ses, we will easily grant, greatly befriended the Israel­ite, when he slew the Egyptian that fought with him. Love kills slavish fear—one of the worst enemies hope hath in the Christian’s heart—and thereby strengthens hope’s hand.  He that plucks up the weeds helps the corn to grow, and he that purges out the disease makes way for nature’s strengthening.  It is slavish fear oppresseth the Christian’s spirit that he cannot act hope strongly.  Now, ‘love casteth out fear,’ I John 4:18.  The free‑woman will cast out the bond-woman.  Slavish fear is one of Hagar’s breed —an affection that keeps all in bondage that hath it. This love cannot brook.  ‘Shall I,’ saith the loving soul, ‘fear he will hurt me, or be hard to me, that loves me, and I him so dearly?  Away, unworthy thoughts, here is no room for such company as you are in my bosom.’  ‘Love thinketh no evil,’ I Cor. 13:5. That is, it neither wisheth evil to, nor suspects evil of, another.  The more thou lovest Christ, the less thou wilt be jealous of him; and the less jealous thou art of him, the more strongly thou wilt hope in him, and comfortably wait for him. Hence, these two graces are so often mated in Scripture.  ‘The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ,’ II Thes. 3:5.  Love him, and you will wait for him.  So, ‘keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life,’ Jude 21.

           Fifth Direction.  Be much in the exercise of your hope.  Repeated acts strengthen habits.  Thus the little waddling child comes to go strongly by going often.  You have no more money in your chest at the year’s end than when you laid it there; nay, it is well if rust or thieves have not made it less.  But you have more by trading with it than your first stock amoun­ted unto.  ‘Thou oughtest to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury,’ said Christ to the ‘slothful servant,’ Matt. 25:27.  Now the promises are hope’s object to act upon.  A man can as well live without air, as faith and hope without a promise; yea, without frequent sucking in the refreshment of the promises.  And, therefore, be much in meditation of them; set some time apart for the purpose.  You that love your healths, do not content yourselves with the air that comes to you as you sit at work in your house or shop, but you will walk out into the fields some­times, to take the air more fresh and full.  And if thou beest a wise Christian, thou wilt not satisfy thyself with the short converse thou hast by the by with the promises, as now and then they come into thy mind in thy calling, and when thou art about other employ­ments, but wilt walk aside on purpose to enjoy a more fixed and solitary meditation of them.  This were of admirable use; especially if the Christian hath skill to sort the promises, and lay aside the provision made in them suitable to his case in particular.

SIX DIRECTIONS how we may strengthen our hope 3/7

2. End.  Having found what is the condition of the covenant, rest not satisfied till thou findest this condition to be wrought in thy own soul, and art able to say thou art this repenting and believing sinner.  A strong hope results from the clear evidence it hath for both these.  We read in Scripture of a threefold assurance.  (1.) An assurance of understanding, Col. 2:2.  (2.) An assurance of faith, Heb. 10:22.  (3.) An assurance of hope, Heb. 6:11.  And it is a good note which an acute doctor of our own hath upon them, ‘That these three make up one practical syllogism; wherein knowledge forms the proposition, faith makes the assumption, and hope draws the conclu­sion’ (D. A. Tac. Sa. p. 126).  ‘I do,’ saith the Christian, ‘assuredly know from the word, that the repenting believing sinner shall be saved; my conscience also tells me that I do unfeignedly repent and believe; therefore I do hope firmly that I shall, however un­worthy otherwise, be saved.’  Now we know there can be no more in the conclusion than is in the premises; so that, as the force is, which the Christian puts forth in his assent to the truth of the promise, and the evi­dence which he hath, that the condition of the prom­ise—viz. faith and repentance—is wrought in his soul, so will his hope be, weak or strong.  Indeed it can be no otherwise.  If his assent to the truth of the promise be weak, or his evidence for the truth of his faith and repentance be dark and uncertain, his hope that is born—as I may so say—of these, must needs partake of its parent’s infirmities, and be itself weak and wavering, as they are from that which it results.

           Second Direction.  Wouldst thou have thy hope strong? then, keep thy conscience pure.  Thou canst not defile this, but thou wilt weaken that, ‘Living godly in this present world,’ and ‘looking for that blessed hope’ laid up for us in the other, are both conjoined, Titus 2:12, 13.  A soul wholly void of godli­ness needs be as destitute of all true hope, and the godly person that is loose and careless in his holy walking, will soon find his hope languishing.  All sin is aguish meat; it disposeth the soul that tampers with it to trembling fears and shakings of heart.  But such sins as are deliberately committed and plotted, they are to the Christian's hope as poison to the spirits of his body, which presently drinks them up.  They, in a manner, exanimate the Christian.  They make the thoughts of God terrible to the soul; which, when he is in a holy frame, are his greatest joy and solace.  ‘I remembered God, and was troubled,’ Ps. 77:3.  They make him afraid to look on God in a duty, much more to look for God in the day of judgment.  Can the servant be willing his master should come home when he is in his riot and excess?  Mr. Calvin, when some wished him to forbear some of his labours, es­pecially his night studies, asked those his friends, ‘whether they would have his Lord find him idle when He came?’  O, God forbid!  Christian, that death should find thee wanton and negligent in thy walking; that he should surprise thee lying in the puddle of some sin unrepented of!  This would be a sad meet­ing!  O how loath wouldst thou then be to die, and go to the great audit where thou must give up thy ac­counts for eternity!  Will thy hope then be in case to carry thee up with joy to that solemn work? Can a bird fly when one of her wings is broke?  Faith and a good conscience are hope's two wings.  If, therefore, thou hast wounded thy conscience by any sin, renew thy repentance, that so thou mayest act faith for the pardon of it, and, acting faith, mayest redeem thy hope, when the mortgage that is now upon it shall be taken off.  If a Jew had pawned his bed‑clothes, God provided mercifully, it should be restored before night: ‘For,’ saith he, ‘that is his covering, wherein shall he sleep?’ Ex. 22:27.  Truly, hope is the saint’s covering, wherein he wraps himself when he lays his body down to sleep in the grave.   ‘My flesh,’ saith David, ‘shall rest in hope,’ Ps. 16:9.  O Christian! bestir thyself to redeem thy hope before this sun of thy temporal life go down upon thee, or else thou art sure to lie down in sorrow.  A sad going to the bed of the grave he hath, that hath no hope of a resurrection to life.

SIX DIRECTIONS how we may strengthen our hope 2/7

  (1.)  There is a covenant of nature, or law-covenant, which God made with innocent Adam; and the condition of this was perfect obedience of the per­son that claimed happiness by it.  This is not the con­dition now required; and he that stands groping in at this door in hope to enter into life by it, shall not only find it nailed up and no entrance that way to be had, but he also deprives himself of any benefit of the true door which stands open, and by which all pass that get thither.  ‘Whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace,’ Gal. 5:4.  You must therefore inquire what the other covenant is; and that is,

           (2.) A covenant of grace, as that other was of na­ture; of reconciliation to make God and man friends, as that was a covenant to preserve those friends who had never fallen out.

           Now the condition of this covenant is, repen­tance and faith.  See for this Luke 24:47; John 3:36; Acts 2:38; 5:31; 20:21; Gal. 5:5.  Labour therefore to give a firm as­sent to the truth of these promises, and hold it as an indisputable and inviolable principle, that ‘whoever sincerely repents of his sins, and with a ‘faith un­feigned’ receiveth Christ to be his Lord and Saviour, this is the person that hath the word and oath of a God that cannot possibly lie, for the pardon of his sins and the salvation of his soul.’  What service a strong assent to this will do thee towards exerting thy hope thou wilt by and by see.  It is the very basis thereof.  The weight of the Christian’s whole building bears so much on it that the Spirit of God, when he speaks in Scripture of evangelical truths and prom­ises, on which poor sinners must build their hopes for salvation, doth it with the greatest averment of any other truths, and usually adds some circumstance or other that may put us out of all doubt concerning the certainty and unalterableness of them.  ‘Surely he hath borne our griefs,’ Isa. 53:4.  There is no question to be made of it; but it was our potion he drank, our debt he paid.  What end could he have besides this in so great sufferings?  Was it to give us a pattern of pa­tience how we should suffer?  This is true, but not all; for some of our fellow-saints have been admirable instances of this.  ‘He carried our sorrows,’ and ‘was wounded for our transgressions.’  This, this was the great business worthy of the Son of God's undertak­ing, which none of our fellow-saints could do for us. So, ‘This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all accep­tation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,’ I Tim. 1:15. As if he had said, ‘Fear no cheat or imposture here; it is as true as truth itself; for such is he that said it.’  If you believe not this you are worse than a devil.  He cannot shut this truth out of his conscience, though the unwelcomest that ever came to his knowledge.  ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,’ I John 1:9. What can the poor penitent fear when that attribute is become his friend that first made God angry with him.  Yea, so fast a friend as to stand bound for the performance of the promise, which even now was so deeply engaged to execute the threatening on him? ‘Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath,’ Heb. 6:17.  What security could we have asked more of a deceitful man, than the faithful God of his own accord gives?  The Ro­mans did not give their magistrates oaths—supposing the dignity and honour of their persons and place were bond strong enough to make them true and righ­teous.  Surely then God's word would have deserved credit, though it had not an oath to be its surety, yet God condescends to this, that he may sink the truth of what he saith deeper into our minds, and leave the print fairer and fuller in our assents to the same when set on with the weight of asseverations and oaths.

SIX DIRECTIONS how we may strengthen our hope 1/7

           First Direction.  If thou meanest thy hope of salvation should rise to any strength and solidness, study the word of God diligently.  The Christian is bred by the word, and he must be fed by it also, or else his grace will die.  That is the growing child that lies libbing oftenest at the breast.  Now as God hath provided food in his word to nourish every grace, so in the composition of the Scriptures he had a particu­lar respect to the welfare and growth of the saint’s hope, as one principal end of their writing.  ‘That we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope,’ Rom. 15:4.  The devil knows this so well, that his great labour is spent to deprive the Christian of the help which the word is stored with; and indeed therein he is not mistaken, for so long as this river is unblocked up which makes glad the City of God, with the succours which are brought in to them on the stream of its precious promises, he can never besiege them round or put them to any great straits.  Some, therefore, he deprives of their relief by mere sloth and laziness.  They make a few fruitless complaints of their doubts and fears, like sluggards crying out of their wants and poverty as they lie in bed, but are loath to rise and take any pains to be resolved of them by searching of the word for their satisfaction; and these sell their comfort of all others the cheapest. Who will pity him, though he should starve to death, that hath bread before him, but loath to put his hand out of his bosom to carry it to his mouth!  Others he abuseth by false applications of the word to their souls, partly through their weak understandings, and troubled spirits also, which discolour the truths of God and misrepresent them to their judgments, whereby they come to be beaten with their own staff —even those promises which a skilful hand would knock down Satan’s temptations withal.  The devil is a great student in divinity, and makes no other use of his Scripture-knowledge than may serve his turn by sophistry to do the Christian a mischief, either by drawing him to sin, or into despair for sinning; like some wrangling barrister, who gets what skill he can in the law merely to make him the more able to put honest men to trouble by his vexatious suit.  Well, if Satan be so conversant in the word to weaken thy hope, and deprive thee of thy inheritance, what rea­son hast thou then to furnish thyself with a holy skill to maintain thy right and defend thy hope?  Now, in thy study of the word, propound these two ends, and closely pursue them till thou hast obtained them.

1. End.  Labour to clear up thy understanding from the word, what are the conditions required by God of every soul that hath his grant and warrant to hope assuredly for life and salvation in the other world.  Some conditions there are required to be found in all such is without all doubt, or else it were free for all, be they what they will, and live how they list, actually to lay claim to a right in heaven and sal­vation.  If God had set no bounds at Sinai, and said nothing who should come up the mount, and who not, it had been no more presumption in any of the company to have gone up than in Moses; and if God requires no conditions in the person that is to hope, then heaven is a common for one as well as other to crowd into; then the beastly sinner may touch God’s holy mount as well as the saint, and fear no stoning for his bold adventure.  But this sure is too fulsome doctrine for any judicious conscience to digest.  Well, having satisfied thyself that if ever thou hast true hope thou must also have the conditions, inquire what they are.  Now the word holds forth two sorts of conditions according to the two different covenants.

Arguments why we should STRENGTHEN OUR HOPE with directions 3/3

SECOND ARGUMENT Continued....

 When David’s faith and hope were under a distemper, then he falls out with all.  The prophet himself that brought him the news of a kingdom cannot escape his censure, and all because the promise stayed longer before it was delivered than he expected —‘I said in my haste, All men are liars,’ Ps. 116:11 —whereas the promise went not a day beyond its due time, but he missed of its true reckoning through his inordinate desire.  But take David in his healthful temper—when his faith and hope are strong—and he is not so hasty then to call for a mercy out of God’s hands; but thinks his estate in God’s hands as safe as if it were paid into his own.  ‘Praise waiteth for thee, O God,’ or, ‘praise is silent for thee,’ so the Hebrew, %-%( %*/$ (dumiyah thehillah), will bear it, Ps. 65:1. As if the holy man had said, ‘Lord, I do quietly wait for a time to praise thee.  My soul is not in an uproar because thou stayest.  I am not murmuring, but rather stringing my harp, and tuning my instrument with much patience and confidence, that I may be ready to strike up when the joyful news of my deliverance first comes.’  You have much ado to make the child quiet till dinner, though he sees preparations for a great feast; but one that is grown up will be soon pacified when he is kept a little longer than ordinary for his meal upon such an occasion.  O Christian, it is our childishness and weakness of grace—especially of our hope—that makes us so soon out of patience to wait God’s leisure.  Strengthen hope, and patience will grow with it.

           In a word, Christian, thou hast great trials and strong temptations to conquer before you enter heaven gates and be clothed with your garments of salvation there.  Now defend thy hope, and that will defend thee in these; strengthen that, and that will carry thee through them.  The head, every member is officious to preserve it.  The hands are lift up to keep off the blow, the feet run to carry the head from danger, the mouth will receive any unsavoury pill to draw fumes and humours from the head.  Salvation is to the soul what the head is to the body—the principal thing it should labour to secure; and hope is to our salvation what the helmet is to the head. Now if he be unwise that ventures his head under a weak helmet in the midst of bullets at the time of battle, then much more unwise he that hazards his salvation with a weak hope. Know, O Christian, the issue of the battle with thy enemy depends on thy hope; if that fail all is lost. Thy hope is in conflicts with temptations and sufferings, as a prince is amidst his army, who puts life into them all while he looks on and encourageth them to the battle, but if a report of the king’s being slain comes to their ears, their courage fails and hearts faint.  Therefore Ahab would be held up in his chariot to conceal his danger from the people, the knowledge of which would have cast a damp on their courage.

           Thy hope is the mark Satan’s arrows are leveled at.  If possible keep that from wounding.  Or if at any time his dart reacheth it, and thy spirit begins to bleed of the wound which he hath given thee by questioning ‘Whether such great sins can be pardoned as thou hast committed? such old festered sores as thy lusts have been can be ever cured? or afflictions that are so heavy and have continued so long can possibly be either endured or removed?’  Now labour, as for thy life, to hold up thy hope though wounded in the chariot of the promise, and bow not by despairing to let the devil trample on thy soul.  So soon as thy hope gives up the ghost will this cursed fiend stamp thee under his foul feet, and take his full revenge of thee, and that without any power of thy soul to strike a stroke for thy defence.  This will so dispirit thee that thou wilt be ready to throw up all endeavour and attendance on the means of salvation; yea, desperately say, ‘To what purpose is it to think of praying, hearing, and meditating, when there is no hope?’  What! should we send for the physician when our friend is dead?  What good will the chafing and rubbing the body do when the head is severed from it?  The army broke up, and every one was sent to his city, as soon as it was known that Ahab was dead.  And so wilt thou cast off all thought of making any head against sin and Satan when thy hope is gone, but fall either into Judas’ horror of conscience, or with Cain, turn atheist, and bury the thoughts of thy desperate condition in a heap of worldly projects.

           I come now to give a few words of counsel, how a Christian may best strengthen his hope.  Take them in these six particulars following.  1. If thou meanest thy hope of salvation should rise to any strength and solidness, study the word of God diligently.  2. Keep thy conscience pure.  3. Resort to God daily, and beg a stronger hope of him.  4. Labour to increase your love.  5. Be much in the exercise of your hope.  6. File up thy experiences of past mercies, and thy hope will grow stronger for the future