Captives bound in chains, made free by Christ their surety

CHAP. VI. The Fourth Chain is Presumption.

4. Another Chain with which these Captives are bound is presumption, vain and false hopes of Heaven: This is the ruin of most that do miscarry for ever, a groundless hope that they shall be saved for ever; how few are there, be they never so ignorant of ⟨p. 86⟩the way to Heaven, but yet do hope they shall come thither? that walk in the broad way and common road and beaten path to Hell, and yet do hope they shall get to Heaven; as if a man were daily travelling towards the West, and yet were confident he should come unto the East. The Drunkard doth hope he shall be saved; the Swearer and profane, the hypocrite and unbeliever, nay, who is there but doth hope for happiness? this is so strong in the worst of men, that when they would set forth the certainty of a thing, they do it by this expression, as I hope to be saved; as if they should say, it is as true, it is as sure as it is true that I hope to be saved; and though their hope be not a true hope, yet that they hope is true. And the strength of this cord appears in that these hopes are the last thing that wicked men will part withal; when they are so sick, that they perceive they must part with riches yet they will not part with their Hope of Heaven, when they are so sick, that they perceive the hour is drawing on wherein they must part with their dearest friends, yet their hope they will not part withal; and when they see they must part with life, yet they will not part with hope, 'till Soul and Body be parted, the soul and hope will not be parted; and then ⟨p. 87⟩poor captives lose their souls and hopes together; and thus with hopes of Heaven, they do go down to Hell, and then and there they can hope no longer. Its one of the hardest things that Ministers have to do, to beat down these false hopes of Heaven in our Hearers; if this were done, a great part of our work were done, if we tell you of your misery and danger, of the wrath of God against sinners, of the torments that are prepared by a provoked God for you, yet you hope you shall escape, and ward off all the threatenings of the Word with these vain and groundless hopes: if we could but get these false hopes from you, then we should begin to hope that you might be delivered from your bondage, and escape this captivity, in which you are so strongly held thereby;