Obseruat. 3 Thirdly, Hope is no more natural then Faith and Love: the carnal man is without Hope in the world: 1not that wicked men are clean without all profession of Hope; for, few men are so vile but they profess and stoutly avouch their hope in God; but this Hope is vain, empty, without evidence or promise, such as can never profit them: and therefore in the eight of Job he saith,2 that the Hypocrites Hope shall perish, his confidence also shall be cut off, and his trust shall be as the house of a Spider. It is to be observed, that he calls wicked men (even all carnal and unconverted people) Hypocrites, 3and that fitly, for every Sinner is an Hypocrite in some degree; and if there were nothing else to prove it, their very Hope and wilful Confidence in the mercies of God, without all warrant from the Word, or testimony of Gods Spirit, or their own Conscience, would undoubtedly prove it: and for the vanity of their hope it is fitly expressed in the comparison of the Spiders web. The silly Spider with many days labour weaves her self a web, in appearance able every way abundantly to cover her, and fit her turn, but at the end of the week, the Maid with a Besom sweeps all down. This poysonfull Spider is every unregenerate man or woman, this web is their Hope, in the framing of which they daily busy themselves, and in the coverture of which they vainly repose themselves; but when any Servant comes out of the Lords army to sweep with the Besom of Judgement or Death, the whole building of these imaginary hopes come suddenly and ⟨p. 45⟩totally down. In the 11. of Job and the 20. verse it is said,4 The eyes of the wicked shall fail, and their refuge shall perish, and their hope shall be sorrow of mind: In which words the holy Ghost shows that the time shall come, when those vain hopes shall be driven out of the souls of the wicked, and in stead thereof they shall be filled either with desperate sorrows on earth, or with eternal sorrows in hell. What hope hath the hypocrite when he hath heaped up riches, if God take away his soul? Job 27.8.5 Noting that if carnal men (again called Hypocrites) will not forgo their fond presumptions while they live, yet by too late experience they shall find them vain when Death comes.
Obseruat. 3 Thirdly, Hope is no more naturall then Faith and Loue: the carnall man is without Hope in the world: 1not that wicked men are cleane without all profession of Hope; for, few men are so vile but they professe and stoutly auouch their hope in God; but this Hope is vaine, emptie, without euidence or promise, such as can neuer profit them: and therefore in the eight of Iob hee saith,2 that the Hypocrites Hope shall perish, his confidence also shall be cut off, and his trust shall be as the house of a Spider. It is to be obserued, that he calls wicked men (euen all carnall and vnconuerted people) Hypocrites, 3and that fitly, for euery Sinner is an Hypocrite in some degree; and if there were nothing else to proue it, their very Hope and willfull Confidence in the mercies of God, without all warrant from the Word, or testimonie of Gods Spirit, or their owne Conscience, would vndoubtedly proue it: and for the vanitie of their hope it is fitly expressed in the comparison of the Spiders webbe. The silly Spider with many dayes labour weaues her selfe a webbe, in appearance able euery way abundantly to couer her, and fit her turne, but at the end of the weeke, the Maide with a Besome sweepes all downe. This poysonfull Spider is euery vnregenerate man or woman, this webbe is their Hope, in the framing of which they daily busie themselues, and in the couerture of which they vainely repose themselues; but when any Seruant comes out of the Lords armie to sweepe with the Besome of Iudgement or Death, the whole building of these imaginarie hopes come sodainely and ⟨p. 45⟩totally downe. In the 11. of Iob and the 20. verse it is said,4 The eyes of the wicked shall faile, and their refuge shall perish, and their hope shall be sorrow of mind: In which words the holy Ghost shewes that the time shall come, when those vaine hopes shall be driuen out of the soules of the wicked, and in stead thereof they shall be filled either with desperate sorrowes on earth, or with eternall sorrowes in hell. What hope hath the hypocrite when hee hath heaped vp riches, if God take away his soule? Iob 27.8.5 Noting that if carnall men (againe called Hypocrites) will not forgoe their fond presumptions while they liue, yet by too late experience they shall finde them vaine when Death comes.
- 1Ephes. 2.12.
- 2Job. 8.13.
- 3Every carnal man is an Hypocrite.Euery carnall man is an Hypocrite.
- 4Job. 1•.20.Iob. 1•.20.
- 5Job. 27.8.Iob. 27.8.
