Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

WE must hope in Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation in a way of Covenant; now what is hope but a good opinion of enjoying its object; indeed a good opinion is so necessary for hope, that it makes almost all its kinds and differences; as it is greater or lesser, so it causeth the strength or weakness, the excess or defect of this passion, hope: This good opinion is that which renders hope either doubtful, or certain; if certain, it produceth confidence or presumption; presumption is nothing but an immoderate hope without a ground: but confidence is that assurance of the thing hoped for in some measure, as if we had it already in hand. Hence it is that we usually say we have great, and strong, and good hopes, when we would speak them assured; which hath occasioned some to define it thus: Hope is a certain grounded confidence that the desired good will come; not to insist on this; all the question is, Whether those promises contained in the Covenant of grace belong unto me? and what are the grounds and foundations on which my hope is built? If the grounds be weak, then hope is doubtful, or presumptuous; but if the grounds be right, then hope is right, and I may cast Anchor, and build upon it.

In the disquisition of these grounds, we shall only search into those qualifications, which the Scripture tells us they are qualified with, with whom the Lord enters into a Covenant of grace; and these we shall reduce, 1. To the condition of the Covenant. 2. To the promise of the Covenant. As —

1. If thou art in Covenant with God, then hath God wrought in thee that condition of the Covenant,¹ a true, and lively, and soul-saving, and justifying faith. Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved. If thou believest, thou shalt be saved. The promise of life contained in the Covenant is made only to believers; This is so sure a way of trial,