1co Book tn. 1Lobking ttnto 'jjdu.s. Chap 2 .Secr.4. and is my name written in that roll? fay Lord, is my name written on the heart of Chrift? Oh ! if! had the ~lory and poffeffion of all the world, if I had ten tl;10ufand worlds, and tenthoufand hves, I would lay.them ~11 down, to have this poor trembling foul of mme affured of this : Oh my th1rlbs lnfatrable, my bowels are hot within me my defire after JefU< in reference to the Covenant is greedy as the grave, the coals the!;(of are coals offire, which bath a moft vehement lhme . SEC T. IV. Of hoping in le{U< in that refpeEf. Vv E muft hope in J<[U< carrying on the great work of o11r falvation in a . .way of Covemm ;, now what is hope but a good opinion of eiljoying its ?bJe<'l:; mdee.d a good opmwn IS fo neceffary for hope, that it makes almoft all us k1nds and differences; as it ls greater or Idler , fo it caufeth the ftrength or weak– nefs, ~he excefs or defect of this paffion, hepe: This good opinion is that which renders hope etthe.r doubtful , or certain ; if cenaiq;, it produced\confidence or preltmption. prefumpnon is nothing but an immodel'ate hope without a ground : bm confidence i~ that affurance of the thing hoped for in fome nieafure, as if we had it already in hand. Hence it is that we ufually fay we .have great , ?nd ftrong, and good hopes, when we would fpeak them affured ; winch bath occalwned fome to define it rhus : Hope i& A certaingroHnded collfidencc that the dejired good 1•ill co?Je ; not to infill: on this ; all the queftion is, whether thofe promifes contained in the Covenant of grace belong unto me? and what are the grounds and foundations on whrch my hope is bllilt I if the grounds be weak, then h•pe is doubtful, or prefumptuous ; bu.t if the grounds be right , then hope is right, and I may cafl anchor, and build upon it. In the difquifition ofthefe grounds we lhall only fearch into thofe qualifications,which the Scripture tells us they are qualified with, with whom the Lord enters into a Cove– nant of grace ; and thefe we lhall reduce, I. To the condition ofthe C~venanr. 2. To the promife of the Covenant. As -- I. If thou art in Covenant with God, then harh God wrought in thee that condition r<ltt6. 3 ,, of the Covenant, a true, aod lively, and foul-faving, and juil:ifying faith. Believe on Rom. to. 9· the Lord Tef"', and thou jhalt beJaved. if thott be!iewfl thou ]halt 'be faved. The promifeof Jifeconrained in the Covenant is made onely to believers ; This is fo fure •Cor.•J· ,. a way of rryal, that the Apoflle himfdf directs us thereunro, E~amir.eyourjelves whether ye be in the faith; ay, but howll.all I examine, for there are many pretend– ers to faith in thefe dayes I why thus, I. True faith will carry thee out of thy felf Gal. ,, zo, into Chrift, 1 live, yet not I, bm Chriflliverh in me; afaithful man bath not his life in himfelf, but in Chriil: Jefus : he bath his fpiritual being in the Father, and in l1is Son Jefus Chrift; he is joyned to the Lord, and is one Spirit; he feeth the Father in the Son, and the Son within himfelf, avd alfo the Father within himfelf through the 2 Cor. 13 • r; Son; Knowye .not that Chrifl Jefu' is in Y"', except ye be reprobates.' ye fhall know h me (faith Chnft) that 111m in the Father, and yo~t in me, and I in you. By fauh we Jo n '4· 20 ' enjoy the glory of union, The glory which thou haftgiven me, Jhnvcgivm them, that they Joh.ti.a,zJ. may be one even a. we are one, 1 in them, "nd tho~< in me! thoug~l we have not the glory.of equality , yet we have the glory ofhkenefs; vve are one vvith Chnfl, and one VVtth the Father by faith in Chriit.-2. True faith will carry thee beyond the world; a be– liever looks on Chri!1: over-coming the world for him , and fo by that faith he over- ' John:;. -4· comes the world through him; this u the vi8ory that overcomcth the world, even Rev. '·"· your faith: Hence it is that the Saints are faid to be cloathed with the Sun, and t& have the M•on under their feet; when through faith they are cloathed With. the SHn of righteoufncfs, the Lord ]efus? then they tra~pl.e upon all fublunary. t!ungs as nothing worth iq comparifon ofChnfl. 3· True fanh1sever accompamed wtth true love : if once by faith thou apprehendefl Gods love and Chnfls love to thee, thou canfi nor but love that God , and love that Chriftwho loved thee, and gave him1 John 4 • , 9 , felf for thee; we love him, bec~ufe kc Jirft loved u;; he that lovetl1 not God, hath not apprehended Gods love to h1m ; tf ever God mChnft be prefenred to thee for thy 1 )o~. 4 .s. juftificarion, it is fnlih a lovely object, that thou ,ca~fl not but love lum; He that lo::th not k!Jowerhnot God, forGodu love. 4· True fatth purifies the heart, and pur, th ' ~ out
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