cotmt afhis faith and hope that is in hi'·'· Let us fee theReafons that perfwude Y9U to t Pet. 3· 15. thefe groundlelfe foolifh Hopes; you fay, ) ou hope to be faved, and you hope to go t,o heaven, and you hope to fee Gods face with comfort; and have you no grounds? 1t 1S a foolifh hope, an unrcafonablc hope. , , Vfi Butcomfort ye, comfort ye, poor drooping Spirits; They that watt upon the Lord. e.z . Jl 1 all rcncw thetr jlrcngth: you fay, Y01t cannot do this; andyoucannotdothat; I fay; l(a. 40. 3" I IfyOttean but hope, and waitfor the_Mtrcy of the L ard, yo~t a~e>·t,ch Chri,tans. Ifa mal,' have many Reverfions, they that Judge of h1s Eftate, w1ll not JUdge hun for h1s .prefent Eftatc, but for the Rcverfions he !hall have; Haply th.ou hall:notfor the prefent the fenfe and feeling of .Gods love and offurance; away with that fcelt11g, do not dote upon it, thou haft Reverfions of old L~a!'eS, ancient Mercies, old Compaffions,. fuch as have been rcfcrved from the beginning of the world, and know thou hall: a_fa1r Inheritance. , You will fay, Were my hopes of the right framp, then might I comfort my felf: bu' Vfe 3 • there are many falfe flafhy hopes, and how fhould I know that my hope is found and good? Ianfwer, you may know it by thcfc particulars: . 1 • Agrounded hope hat!\ a peculiar certaintym It ; 1t doth bnng home unto the foul in fpecial manner,the goodnefs of God,& the riches of his love in Chrifl:Jefus.It fl:ands not on If's and And's, but faith, Itmujf undoubtedly, itnmjlcertttinlybe mine; and good reafon, for this hope hath a \"'ord to hang and ho,ld upon: What is that? I will waituponthe Lord, and'llvi/1 hope in his Word; it isaScripture-ho~, a Word-hope: Pfal. 1 3°· S .. the Word faith, The Lord came to fave thofe that were I of/; Why, I ji11de 'I'Y Jelfe Matth. 18. 11· to be lofl, faith the foul, and the~efore I hope: Tlie Lord will feek me, though I cannot, feek him ; I hope the Lord will finde me, though I cannot finde iny felfc ; I hope the Lord will fave me, though I cannot favc my felfe. So the Word faith, He appointcth them that mourn in Sion,togive unto them beauty for ajhes: will you have a Legacy of J<;>y, Mercy and Pity? here it is, the Lord Chrifl: left it you, I bequeath and leave this to all broken-heArtedfinners, 'to allyo~t humble mourning jinmrs, this isyostr Legacy, fue for it in the Co~trt, andyouJlu~lt have it for ever. . ,, z. Agrounded hope is ever of great power and ll:rength to hold the foul to the truth of the Promife; hence take a poor !inner when he is at the weakell:, under water, when all Temptations, Oppofitions, Corruptions grow fl:rong againfl: him, and he faitl>, Ijhall one day perijh by thel hand of Saul, this proud, foolijh, filthy heart ofmine. Wtll be my ba,.., I ]hall neverget power, ftrength andgrace againfl thefe jinnes. Hereis the IGwefl: under of a poor foul. If a man fhould now reply, Then cafl offall hope and conjide.ncc, reject the mram, and tltrn to your jinnes: Mark how Hope fieppeth in, :md faith, Nay, Jvhatfo,ver I am and do,whatfoever my condition is, I will ufe the means; I am fure all my help is in Chrifl, all my hope is in the Lord 'Jefits; and if I mujl perijh, I 1t>1/l perifh feckJ11g him, and waiting upon him. Why this is Hope, and I warrant that ' foul !hall never go to hell; I will wait for the Lord, yea, though he bath ,hid himfelf lfa. 8, '1· from the houfe ofJacob. The !all: Ufe is ofE~hortation: I delire you, I entreat you, (Iwill , not fay,, cdmVfe 4-·· mand you, t~ough ~hJs may be enjoyncd) if you have any hope of Heaven, ifyou'have any treafure m Chrtl!:, labour to q~tickcn this affeClion above all. The means are thefe : . I. Labour to be much acquainted with the precious ,Promifes of God, ;dh~ve the~ at hand, and ~pon all occafio?s: Thefe arc thy comforts, and will fupport thy fhul. as t~e body Without comfort IS unfit for any thing fo it is here· tinlelfe a man.hath 1 • • t at provlfion of Go_ds Pr~mifes, a~d have them at ha~d daily, ana have them dilhed out, and.titt~d for hnn, q1s heart w1ll fail. , . · · h :1 .• Mamtam in thy heart a deep and fcrious acknowledgment of that fupreme Au~ ~1onty of the Lord, to do what he will, and how he will according to nis Ji!eafure h ~~ we thmk too often to bring God to our bowe · We h~ve hoped rhtts lo11g ~nd God at not. anfwered, and ]hall we wait ]/ill? Wait I Ay wait and bkffe God tfiat'you' ~''J'f"'t: If you may lie at Gods feet, ~ndputyourmou;hsirit!lc' dull:, and at the t n ° yourhdayes have one crumb pfMercy, it is enough · therefore check thofe· d,·~-. empers S fl I · fl 11? I . ' ' . 1 · Worth ~fh • watt ' · t IS a mofl: admirable firangc thing, that a poor worm. Y ell, fhou!d take up fiate, and ftand upon terms with God i He witt'not waii l 3 "'""
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