The saints anchor-hold, in all storms and tempests preached in sundry sermons, and published…

You say, you hope in God, If you have no reason for it; its a foolish unreasonable hope. If you have but slight reasons; its a vain hope. And such is hope of the most: one grounds his hope of salvation upon his creation; saying, I am Gods creature, and he hath not made me to damn me: Therefore, I hope he will save me. See the delusion of this plea, 1. Are not the Devils Gods creatures? yet they are damned. 2. Though Gods end in making you, was not to damn you, yet your impenitency in sin, and unbelief will damn you. 3. See the Lords own refutation of this plea, in Isa. 27. 11. Another grounds his hope ⟨p. 57⟩of blessedness upon Gods blessing him, as he calls it, with worldly success, and prosperity. But Christ shows the vanity of this hope in that rich man in Hell, Luke 16. 25. and by telling us that it is that they shall be destroyed for ever, Psal. 92. 7. Gods end in prospering such in the world, is like Hesters end in feasting Haman. Another grounds his hope that he shall have heaven hereafter, because he hath had his Hell, through afflictions, in this life. But such consider not what the Word saith concerning Sodom and Gomorrah, Jude 7. Suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. What misery wicked impenitent sinners suffer here, is but a beginning and pledge to them of Hell hereafter. Another grounds his hope upon his Christian privileges and performances. But this is plentifully refuted in Scripture, by Johns speech to the Pharisees, Mat. 3. 9. and Pauls to the Romans, Rom. 2. 28. and concerning himself, Phil. 3. 7. Others ground their hope upon Gods mercy, though they continue in their sins. This indeed is ⟨p. 58⟩a good reason for hope, in those that confess and forsake their sin,