Chapter 15: The Present Happiness of Saints Consists Largely in Hope

Two other inferences from the consideration of the season of this blessedness. The former, that inasmuch as this blessedness is not attained in this life. The present happiness of saints must in a great part consist in hope. The latter, that great is the wisdom and sagacity of the righteous man, which waives a present temporary happiness, and chooses that which is distant and future.

Inasmuch as the season of this blessedness is not on this side the grave; nor expected by saints till they awake, we may further infer;

Ninthly. That their happiness in the meantime does very much consist in hope. Or that hope must needs be of very great necessity, and use to them, in their present state for their comfort, and support. It were not, otherwise, possible to subsist in the absence, and want of their highest good, while nothing in this lower world is, as to kind and nature, suitable to their desires, or makes any colorable overture to them of satisfaction, and happiness. Others (as the Psalmist observes) have their portion in this life; that good, which as to the species and kind of it, is most grateful to them, is present, under view, within sight; and (as the Apostle) hope that is seen is not hope, for what a man sees, why does he yet hope for it. But those whose more refined spirits (having received the first fruits of the Holy Spirit of God) prompt them to groan after something beyond time, and above this sublunary sphere; of them, the Apostle there tells us, that they are saved by hope. They (as if he should say) subsist by it; they were never able to hold out, were it not for their hope. And that a hope too, beyond this life, as is the hope of a Christian; if in this life only we had hope in Christ, etc. The hope of a Christian as such is suitable to its productive cause; the resurrection of Christ from the dead; begotten to a lively hope by the resurrection, etc. From there is it, the hope of a renewed, never dying life; the hope of a blessed immortality; of which Christ's resurrection was a certain argument and pledge.

Indeed the new creature is, ab origine, and all along a hoping creature both in its primum, and its porro esse. It is conceived, and formed, and nursed up in hope. In its production, and in its progress towards perfection, it is [reconstructed: manifestly] influenced thereby. In the first return of the soul to God, hope being then planted as a part of the holy gracious nature, now manifestly discovers itself, when the soul begins to act, (as turning, after the reception of the divine influence, is its act) hope insinuates itself into (or induces rather) that very act. Returning is not the act of a despairing, but hoping soul. It is God apprehended as reconcilable, that attracts and wins it: while he is looked upon as an implacable enemy, the soul naturally shuns him, and comes not near, till drawn with those cords of a man, the bands of love. While it says, there is no hope, it says with all (desperately enough) I have loved strangers, and after them will I go. But if there be any hope in Israel concerning this thing. If it can yet apprehend God willing to forgive, then let us make a covenant, etc. This presently draws the hovering soul into a closure, and league with him. And thus is the union continued; unsteadfastness in the covenant of God, is resolved into this not setting, or fixing of hope in him, or (which amounts to the same, setting of hope in God is directed as a means to steadfastness of spirit with him, and a keeping of his covenant.) Revolting souls are encouraged to return to the Lord, upon this [reconstructed: condition], that salvation is hoped for, in vain, from any other. The case being indeed the same, in all after conversions as in the first. God, as multiplying [illegible] pardon; and still retaining the same name, the Lord, the Lord gracious, [illegible] (which name in all the [reconstructed: severals] that compose and make it up, is in his Christ) invites back to him the backsliding sinner, and renews its thoughts of returning. And so is he afterwards under the teachings of grace led on by hope, through the whole course of religion towards the future glory. Grace appears, teaching sinners to deny ungodliness, etc. in the looking for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of the great God, etc. So do they keep themselves in the love of God; looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. Thus is the new creature formed in hope, and nourished in hope. And if its eye were upon pardon at first, it is more upon the promised glory afterwards. And yet that last end has in a degree, its attractive influence upon it, from the first formation of it, it is even then taught to design for glory. It is begotten to the lively hope (where though hope be taken objectively, as the apposition shows of the following words, to an inheritance, yet the act is evidently connoted, for the thing hoped for, is meant under that notion, as hoped for.) And its [reconstructed: whole] following course is an aiming at glory; a seeking glory, honor, immortality, etc. Thus is the work of sanctification carried on. He that has this hope [reconstructed: purifies] himself. Thus are losses sustained; the spoiling of goods taken joyfully, through the expectation of the better and enduring substance. The most hazardous services undertaken, even an apostleship to a despised Christ — in the hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie has promised. All difficulties encountered, and overcome, while the helmet is the hope of salvation. [illegible] things reserved for saints in general (faith can go no further, for the word of promise goes no further) and so serves instead of eyes, in the divine light, to view those glories; or it presents them (as so many substantial realities) demonstrates them, submits them to view; from which hope reaches forth to them, contends against, and triumphs over all attending difficulties, and possesses them; gives the soul an early, anticipated fruition of them, for its present support, and relief. So that it rejoices in the hope of the glory of God. It might well therefore be said, I had fainted, if I had not believed (or who can express how sad my case had been, if I had not believed? for there is an elegant Aposiopesis in the Hebrew text, the words [I had fainted] being supplied in the translation; if I had not believed, what had become of me then? — that is to say.) Inasmuch as faith feeds, as it were, those hopes which more immediately, the Lord makes use of, for the strengthening his people's hearts, as it is intimated in the following words, compared with (Psalm 31:24). In the present case; faith ascertains the heart, of the truth of the promises: so that thus the soul states the case to itself; Though I have not walked to and fro in [illegible] upper regions, nor taken a view of the heavenly [illegible], though I have not been in the third [illegible], and seen the ineffable glory; yet the [illegible] which has brought life, and immortality to light, the word of the eternal God, who has [reconstructed: told] me this is the state of things, in the other world; cannot but be true; my faith may therefore be to me instead of eyes, and the divine testimony must supply the place of light; both together give, it seems to me, a fair prospect of those far distant glorious objects, which I have now in view. Now this awakens hope, and makes it revive, and run to embrace what faith has discovered in the promise — in hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie has promised. It is the word of God that causes the soul to hope, (that is, believed for disbelieved, it signifies nothing with it) and that, not only as it contains a narration, but a promise, concerning the future estate. I may without much emotion of heart, hear from a traveler the description of a pleasant country, where I have not been; but if the Lord of that country give me, besides the account of it, an assurance of enjoying rich, and ample possessions there; this presently begets a hope; the pleasure of which would much relieve a present distressed estate; and which nothing, but that of actual possession can exceed. That it is not more so with us here, admits of no excuse. Is God less to be believed than a man? Will we deny him the privilege of being able to discover his mind, and the truth of things credibly? which we ordinarily allow to any one that is not a convicted liar? Christ expects his disciples should very confidently assure themselves, of the preparations made for them in another world, upon that very ground, alone, that he had not told them the contrary. Let not your hearts be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's House are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare, etc. Intimating to them, they ought to have that opinion of his plainness, and sincerity, as never to imagine he would have proselyted them to a religion, that should undo them in this world; if there were not a sufficient recompense awaiting them in the other; but he would certainly have let them know, the worst of their case; much more, might he expect they should be confident, upon his so often, and expressly telling them that so it is.

If his silence might [reconstructed: be] a ground of hope, much more his word. And surely so grounded a hope, cannot but be consolatory; and relieving in this sad interval, till the awaking hour.

Lastly, since this blessedness of the righteous is, as to the season of it, future, not expected till they awake, we may infer. That it is great wisdom, and sagacity, that guides the righteous man's choice; while he waives a present, and temporary, and chooses this future expected blessedness.

It is true, that Philosophy has been wont to teach us, that choice or election, has no place about the end, because that is but one; and choice always implies a competition. But that very reason evinces that in our present state, and case; choice must have place about the end. That Philosophy might have suited better the state of innocent Adam; when there was nothing to blind, and bribe a man's judgment, or occasion it to deliberate, about the supreme end (then it might be truly said, deliberation itself, was a defection) nor to pervert, and misincline his will; and so its action, in proposing its end, would be simple intention, not choice.

But so has the apostasy, and sin of man, blinded and befooled him, that he is at a loss about nothing more, than what is the chief good. And though Saint Augustine reduces Varro's 288 differing sects about it to 12, that's enough to prove (but daily experience does it more convincingly, and sadly) a real, though most unjust competition. Therefore a sinner can never be blessed, without choosing his blessedness; and in it, it highly concerns him to choose aright; and that a Spirit of Wisdom, and Counsel guide his choice. While man had not as yet fallen to deliberate whether he should adhere to God, or not; was a gradual declension, the very inchoation of his fall; but having fallen; necessity makes that a virtue, which was a wickedness before. There's no returning to God, without considering our ways. The so much altered state of the case, quite alters the nature of the things. It was a consulting to do evil, before; now, to do good. And hence also choosing the Lord to be our God, becomes a necessary duty. Which is to make choice of this very blessedness, that consists in the knowledge, likeness, and enjoyment of him. And now, in as much as this blessedness is not fully attained by the longing soul, till time expire, and its eternity commence; here's a great discovery of that Wisdom which guides this happy choice. There is great wisdom in prospection; in taking care of the future; and at how much the further distance, one can provide; so much the greater reputation of wisdom it justly acquired to him; indeed, we seem to place the sum of practical wisdom, in this one thing, while we agree to call it providence, under the contracted name of prudence. The wise man makes it at least an evidence, or part of wisdom, when he tells us the prudent foresees, etc. The righteous man so far excels in this faculty; as that his eye looks through all the periods of time; and penetrates into eternity, recommends to the soul a blessedness of that same stamp, and alloy; that will endure, and last for ever. It will not content him to be happy for an hour, or for any space, that can have an end; after which it shall be possible to him, to look back, and recount with himself how happy he was once. Nor is he much solicitous, what his present state be; if he can but find he is upon safe terms, as to his future, and eternal state. As for me, says the Psalmist (he, in this, sorts, and severs himself from them, whose portion was in this life) I shall behold — I shall be satisfied, when I awake; he could not say it was well with him; but it shall be — as if to say: Let the purblind, short-sighted sensualist, embrace this present world; who can see no further; Let me have my portion in the world to come; may my soul always lie open to the impression of the powers of the coming world; and, in this; so use every thing, as to be under the power of nothing. What are the pleasures of sin that are but for a season; or what the sufferings of this now; this moment of affliction, to the glory that shall be revealed; to the exceeding, and eternal glory. He considers patient, afflicted godliness will triumph at last; when riotous, raging wickedness shall lament for ever. He may for a time weep, and mourn, while the world rejoices; he may be sorrowful, but his sorrow shall be turned into joy; and his joy none shall take from him. Surely, here is wisdom; this is the wisdom that is from above, and tends there. This is to be wise to salvation. The righteous man is a judicious man; he has, in a measure, that judgment (in which the Apostle prays the Philippians might abound) to approve the things that are excellent, and accordingly to make his choice. This is a sense (little thought of by the author) in which that sober speech of the voluptuous philosopher is most certainly true: A man cannot live happily, without living wisely. No man shall ever enjoy the eternal pleasures hereafter, that in this acquits not himself wisely here; even in this choosing the better part, that shall never be taken from him. In this the plain righteous man, out-vies the greatest Sophies, the Scribe, the disputer, the Politician, the prudent Mammonist, the facetious Wit; who in their several kinds, all think themselves highly to have merited to be accounted wise. And that this point of wisdom should escape their notice; and be the principal thing with him, can be resolved into nothing else but the Divine good pleasure. In this contemplation, our Lord Jesus Christ is said to have rejoiced in Spirit (it even put his great comprehensive soul into an ecstasy) Father, I thank you, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to babes: Even so Father, because it pleased you. Here was a thing fit to be reflected on, as a piece of Divine Royalty — a part, worthy the Lord of heaven and earth. And what serious spirit would it not amaze, to weigh, and ponder this case awhile; to see men excelling in all other kinds of knowledge, so far excelled by those they most contemn, in the highest point of wisdom; such as know how to search into the most abstruse mysteries of nature; that can unravel, or see through the most perplexed intrigues of state; that know how to save their own stake, and secure their private interests, in whatever times; yet so little seen (often; for not many wise) in the matters that concern an eternal felicity! It puts me in mind of (what I find observed by some) the particular madness (dementia in this respect) as it's called; when persons, in every thing else, capable of sober, rational discourse; when you bring them to some one thing (that in reference to which they became distempered at first) they rave, and are perfectly mad. How many that can manage a discourse with great reason, and judgment, about other matters, who when you come to discourse with them about the affairs of practical godliness, and which most directly tend to that future state of blessedness, they are [illegible] at their wits end; know not what to say. They savor not those things. These are things not understood, but by such to whom it is given. And surely that given wisdom is the most excellent wisdom. Sometimes God does, as it were, so far gratify the world, as to speak their own language; and call them wise that affect to be called so, and that wisdom which they would fain have go under that name; Moses it's said was skilled in all the wisdom of Egypt, etc.; but at other times he expressly calls those wise men fools; and their wisdom, folly, and madness; or annexes some disgraceful adjective, for distinction's sake; or applies those appellatives ironically, and in manifest derision. No doubt, but any such person as was represented in the parable would have thought himself to have done the part of a very wise man in entertaining such deliberation and resolves, as we find he had there with himself. How strange was that to his ears, You fool, this night shall they require your soul, etc. Their wisdom is sometimes said to be foolish, or else called the wisdom of the flesh, or fleshly wisdom, said to be earthly, sensual, devilish, they are said to be wise to do evil; while to do good, they have no understanding; they are brought sometimes, as it were, upon the stage with their wisdom, to be the matter of divine triumph; where is the wise? And that which they account foolishness is made to confound their wisdom. And indeed do they deserve to be thought wise; that are so busily intent upon momentary trifles; and trifle with eternal concerns; that prefer vanishing shadows to the everlasting glory? That follow lying vanities, and forsake their own mercies? Indeed, will they not cease to be wise in their own eyes also; when they see the issue, and reap the fruits of their foolish choice? When they find the happiness they preferred before this eternal one is quite over; and nothing remains to them of it, but an afflictive remembrance. That the torment they were told would follow, is but now beginning; and without end: when they hear from the mouth of their impartial Judge; Remember you in your life time had your good things, and my faithful servants their evil; now they must be comforted, and you tormented. When they are told you have received the consolation; you were full, you did laugh, now you must pine, and mourn, and weep. Will they not then be as ready to befool themselves, and say as they; be those (righteous ones) are they whom we sometimes had in derision, and for a proverb of reproach; we fools counted their life madness, and that their end was without honor, but now how are they numbered among the sons of God, and their lot is among the saints. They that were too wise before, to mind so mean a thing as religion (the world through wisdom knew not God — strange wisdom! that could so wisely baffle conscience; and put fallacies upon their own souls; that had so ingenious shifts to elude a conviction; and direct any serious thought, from fastening upon their spirits, that were wont so slyly to jeer holiness; seemed as they meant to laugh religion out of countenance) they will now know that a circumspect walking, a faithful redeeming of time, and improving it in order to eternity, was to do, not as fools, but as wise; and begin to think of themselves, now as lost, as all wise, and sober men thought of them before.