' ••.... -1 '· Book. IV Part.4. Leoking unto 1efus. Chap. 2 .Seet.4 .ty;aine unto a live/} hope,by the refurreClion of {efm Chrift from th1 dpad, to (In inherit.mce incorr!$ptible and undefiled, that f adtth not awa;, ~·efer'!Jed itl heaven for you. By Chrifts refurrection we have a lively hope for our refurrection unto glory ; is not Chrift our head? and if he be rifen to glory, fhall not his members follow after him? certainly there is but one life, one Spirit, one glory of Chrift and his members; The glory which thou gaveft mr, 1 h11ve given unto them, faid Chrift. The foul that is vivified hath a li7:1elJ hopeof glory on feveral grounds, As , I . BeGaufe of the promi fesof glory fet down in the Word; now on thefe promifes hope faftens her anchor, ifChrift hath promifed, how lhouid I but maintaine a lively hope? 2. Becaufe of the firft-fruits of the Spiri t ; there are fometimes fore-taft• ofthe glory, drops of heaven poured in to a foul, whence it comfortably concludes, if! have the earneft and fi rft -fruits, furely in his time Jefus C9rift will give the hBr veft . 3· BecaufeofChrifts refurretf:ion unto glory; now he rofe as a common perfon, and he went up into heaven as a common perfon, whence hope is lively, faying, why fhould I doubt, or defpaire, feeing, I am quick_.ned tegether with Chrift, and raifed uptogether.with {hrift, And am made to fit together with Chrift in heaven!; places? Try, 0 my foul, by this iigne : art thou lively in thy hope ofglory? doth thy heart Jeape andrejoycewithin at a thought of thy inheritance in heaven? in a lively fountaine the waters thereof will Jeape and fparkle, fo if thy hope be lively, thou wilt have living joyes, living fpeeches, li~ing delights ; amidft all thy afflictions thou wilt fay, thefe wtll not endu re for ever; I my felfe lhall away ere long , glory will come at !aft . 0 the fwe~t of this li fe of hope ! if thou feel eft the~ ftlrrings , it is an argument of t hy vivification. ' 4· True vivification atl:s all its dutyesupon a new principleof love to chr ifl: ; men not enlivened by Jefus Ch rift may do much, and go far in outward fer vice, yea theymay come to fufferings-; and yet wit h~u t love to Chrift all is loft, all comes to notbing. T hot.eghji [pea/zwith the tong·ues ofmen andAnge!I,---though I h~tve the gifr of prophejie, and underftand all myfleries , and all k_.now- · led.,'f,e. --though I beftow all my goods tofeed the poore; and though I give "ll body tobeburnt, and h11vc not love, it Jmfiteth me nothing. All tbe refr may be from the fl.efu, and for tbe fletb, and flefhly · · - - ends;
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=