A fourth volume containing one hundred and fifty sermons on several texts of Scripture…

3. It is not a loose Hope, a possible Salvation, that can have such an Efficacy upon the Soul to urge and incline it to the spiritual Life. James 1.8. A double-minded Man is unstable in all his Ways. When a Man is double-minded, divided and distracted between Hopes and Fears, there will be much Irregularity and Unevenness in his Conversation, he will be off and on with God. As their Hearts are up and down, and divided, because the Success is doubtful; so also is their care of Strictness weakened and broken. 1 Cor. 9.26. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the Air. He alludes to the Isthmic Games: In an ordinary Race a Man might run, and be out-stripped, the Event was very uncertain, he might miss of the Goal; if the other sensibly got ground, then he was discouraged, and began to slack his pace as out of hope: but saith the Apostle, I run not as one that is uncertain; here we are all sure to obtain, tho we cannot keep pace with the foremost: And this is that which quickens Industry, and stirs up those holy Endeavours. The surer your Hope is, the greater Strength you find, and the greater Power upon your Conversation. Thus it is not a blind Hope, or some Glances upon Heaven, and the blessed Things to come, that rush into the Mind of a cursed Worldling, nor a loose Hope and bare Conjecture; a possible Salvation hath not such Efficacy and Power upon the Soul.

3. It is not a loose Hope, a possible Salvation, that can have such an Efficacy upon the Soul to urge and incline it to the spiritual Life. James 1.8. A double-minded Man is unstable in all his Ways. When a Man is double-minded, divided and distracted between Hopes and Fears, there will be much Irregularity and Unevenness in his Conversation, he will be off and on with God. As their Hearts are up and down, and divided, because the Success is doubtful; so also is their care of Strictness weakned and broken. 1 Cor. 9.26. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the Air. He alludes to the Istmich Games: In an ordinary Race a Man might run, and be out-stripp'd, the Event was very uncertain, he might miss of the Goal; if the other sensibly got ground, then he was discouraged, and began to slack his pace as out of hope: but saith the Apostle, I run not as one that is uncertain; here we are all sure to obtain, tho we cannot keep pace with the foremost: And this is that which quickens Industry, and stirs up those holy Endeavours. The surer your Hope is, the greater Strength you find, and the greater Power upon your Conversation. Thus it is not a blind Hope, or some Glances upon Heaven, and the blessed Things to come, that rush into the Mind of a cursed Worldling, nor a loose Hope and bare Conjecture; a possible Salvation hath not such Efficacy and Power upon the Soul.