Religion & morality > Human nature in its four-fold state ... in several practical discourses

Head II. falfe Hopes of Heaven. 403
pinefs Death fweeps away like Cob-webs; how
' the Hopes of many are cut oft^ when they feem to
themfelves, to be at the very Threfliold of Hea¬
ven ; how, in the Moment they exps&ed to be
* carried by Angels into Abraham's Bcfom, into the
Regions of Blifs and Peace, they are carried by
Devils into the Society of the Damn’d in Hell-,
into the Place of Torment, and Regions of Hor¬
ror. I befeech you to beware, (1.) Of a Hope
built up, where the Ground was never cleared.
The wife Builder digged deep, Luke vi. 48. Were
your Hopes of Heaven never fhaken • but have ye
had good Hopes all your Days? Alas for it you
may fee the Myftery of your Cafe explained, Luke
1 xi. 21. JVhen a ftrong Man armed keepeth bis Pa¬
lace, bis Goods are in Peace. But it they have
been fhaken, take heed left there have only feme
Breaches been made in the old Building, which you
have got repaired again, by Ways and Means of
your own. I aflure you, your Hope (howfoever
fair a Building it is) is not to truft to j unlefs your
old Hopes have been raz’d, and you have built on
a Foundation quite new. (2.) Beware of that
Hope, which looks brisk in tire Dark ; but lofeth
all its Luftre, when ’tis fet in the Light of God’s
Word, when it is examined and tried by the
Touchftone of Divine Revelation, John iii. 20.
For every one that doth Evil, hateth the Light;
neither cometh to the Light, left his Deeds Jhould be
reproved. Verfc 21. But he that doth the Truth,
cometh to the Light, that his Deeds may be made ma-
nifeft, that they are wrought in God. That Hope,
which cannot abide Scripture Trial, but finks when
fearched into, by facred Truth, is a Delufion, and
not a true Hope : For God’s Word is always a
C c 3 Friend