JLoolung unto 'Jjefu.s. confefs with thy momh, the Lord !efiu, and--{h_alt believe in thine heart th"t Godhath rai(ed _himfrom the dead, tho• {halt befaved _ _ :And we are not of them who draw bac/z.Hnto Rom. xo. 9· perdition, but of rhem that,believe untothefaving of the foHl - - - .Andtheft thmgs ha'Ve Heb. I0· 39• 1written Hntoyou tlw believe onthe n'!me •f the Son of God, that Y'. may lt_now that ye h"ve 1 John S· 1· 3 • everl11jfing life. Why dus above all IS rhe Gofpcl·w?rk, t? whtch are annexed thofe gracious promifes of erernal life. So char 1f we beheve mChrrll, how ltiay we be affured rh>< we llu lllive wirh Chrill? 0 my foul, gather upall rhefe charaCI:ers, and rry by them.. Evert one can fay, that t~ey hope well, rhey hope to be fave~, rhey hope to t!!CetChrrft wnh comfon, rhoug_h tliey have no ground for it but rherr own vam concem ; bur hope on good ground, IS rhar hope that makerh not ajiJAmed; fay then art rhou born again? doll thou look and Ram. S· S· long for rhe coming of Chrilt in rhe clouds? doft thou love his appea-ring?-art rhou rich in good works, ready to diltribute, willing ro communicate ? doft thou obey rhe Com– mandments of faith as well as life? fure thefe are firm, and found, and comfertable grounds of an affured hope. Content not thy felf with an hope of polfibiliry, or probability; bur reach our ro rhar plerophory , or full aj[uYim« 4 hope ~ the hope of Heb. 6. u . poflibiliry is but a weak•hope , the hope of probability is bur a lluctuating hope, but the hope of certainty isa fetled hope ; fuch an hope fweetens all the thoughts of God and Chrilt, of death and judgm•nr, of Heaven, yea, and of Hell too, whiles we hope that we are faved from it; and are nor the Scriptures written to rhis very purpofe, T hat we Rom. ' 5•~ might have thu hopr ? are we not juftified by his grace, that we might beheirs in hop•, T!t. 3· 7· heirs '-Ccording tothe hope ofeternal life? and was not this David's confidence, L ord I pf.•l. t 19.166. have hopedfor thy [11lvation? why then artthoucaH down 0 my{o11l ? andwhy art thou Pfalm'4· 11. di{quimdwithin '11e? hope thou in God, f or ljhallyet praifo him, who is tbehMithoftnf countenance and my God. If I .nay here enter inro a Dialogue with my own poor, trembling, wavering foui.-– Perfon why arr thou hopelefs 0 my foul ? wouldft thou nor hope, if an honeft man bad made theea promifeof any thing within his power ? and wilt thou not hope when thou ha!trbe prornife, the oath, and the covenant of God in Chrift? ---Soul-- Yes; roethinks Ifcel fomtlirrle hope, bur alas iris bur a lirtle,a very lirtle.--l'erfon-- Ay bur goonmy fo~l, true hope is called" fively hope, and alively hope i_san efficacious hope ; no fooner faith commends the prom1fe unto hope, but hope takes u, and hugs it, and reckonsir as itsTreafure, and feeds on it as Manna, which God bath given torefr~llo the we'!ry foul in the pefart of fin ; go on then, till thou comeft up ro the higheft pitch, even ro rhar triumphant joyful expeCI:arion, and waiting for of Chrift in glory-– Soul - - Why, mc;hinks I would hope, I would afcend rhe higheft llep of hope ; bur alas I cannot ; Oh I amexpofed to inany controverfies, I am prone ro many unquiet agirarions ; though I have a prefenr promife, yec I extend my cares and fears even ro ercrniry : Alas, l cannot co-mprehend, and therefore I am hardly fatisfied; my finfulreafon fees not its own way and end, and becaufe it muft rake all on tru[l and credit , therefore ir fals ro wraugling ; nay , Sathan himfelf fo fnarle> the queftion, and I am fa apr ro lifien to hisdoubts, that in the conclulion I know not how ro exrdcate my felf•••• l'erfon- - - Sayft rhou fo? furely in rhis cafe there is no cure, no remedy, but onely . theteftimony of God s Spirit; bur faith not the Apo[lle, That the Spirit it felf bears Rem, 8 • 16 • witne(s with oHrJPirir, that we are thechildrenof God ? if aMan, or Angel, or Archangellhould promifeHca'fn, peradventure thou mighreft doubt, but if the Supream Ef- {ence of the Spirit of God bearwirnefswirhin, what room for doubting? why, this voice of rhe Spirir"is the very voiceof God; heark then, enquire 0 my foul, if thou ~all but rbis reftimony of rhe Spirit, rhou arr fure enough.- -· Soul - - Oh that lt were.rhu' with me! oh that the Spirit would even now give me to drink of the Wels ofSalvation ! oh rharrhe Spirit would teftifie it home! oh char" he .would lhine upon, aud enlighten all rhofe grac~which he barb planted in me I fain:would I come ra the highe[l pitchof hope, oh rhat Lcould look upon the things hoped for as certainly future. ---"Perfon- - Thou fayft well 0 my foul, and if thde wilhos bereal,rhen pour our rhyfelf. unro God in prayer; rhiswas the Apoftles merhod, Now the God of Rom. , 5, , 3 ;' hope fillY•"1ruha/l ;oy and peace in believing, thatye may aboundm hope through tbipower of theholy GhoH ; let this be thy practife, pray as he prayed, pray thou for rhy felfas he prayed f~r others; ifan earrhly farher will hearken to his child, HolV mHch more will Luk. n . '3· 'j•dtheFmhergive the Spirit totiJ<m that ,uk the Spirit of him. - .--. SoHI-·-. - ·- Wby 1f rlus be •r ; ro theeLord do I come, 0 give me the Spirit, the wimefs of the Spirit,: Yy y ~ · - - ·- · the
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