136 -Chap.zo. ofHope Prefumption andDefpair. C9m.ai CHAP. X. Ofthe fifth inwardvertue, Hope. Hopeand fear come bothfromfaith. The feveralnfes.f Hope. The nature andexercife of Hope. OfPrefamption and De&ir. Reafons again" both. Means tofirenthen Hope. Signs oftrue Hope. SpesHope. 14 S the knowledge and belief of Gods jullice worketh inus Fear and Humility; of which we have fpoken, fo from the knowledge and apprehenfon of his mer- cy arifethHope and Love. After Humility, we come to the valley of .®chor for a door of Hope, as the Prophet fpeaks. Whenwe have been brought to the valley of mourn. s H . a Z. ing, and have been-in Fear and Defpair, then will God open to us a door of Hope; fo :ion. 13. that inflead of thefirft Spirit, the Spirit of bondage unto fear we thall receive the fpirit of adoption unto Hope. Now by conferring our ftrength and performances with the aria rule of Gods juftice, we find it impoffible, that we thould hope for falvation, but byFaith ap- prehending Gods mercy it may be pofhble, it maybe confidered as attainable two ways, i. Either by our felves, z Or by fame other. r. Now concerning the former, if we look upon our felves, the effect of Faith is Fear, inafmsch as the object of it is Gods juftice, and fo we can have little comfort in our felves, for this (hews that it is impoffible to us as of our felves, but as it is in Rom. 3t. 9..the.Apoftle, every Mouth muttbe (topped, andall theWorld mutt become guilty be- .foreGod ; there s little Hope that way. z. But we are not left altogether to defpair : for though it be impolfible to us of our felves, yet ifit bepolfrble by another, ifanother way may be found, there's fome Hope. Faith reafoneth as the Pfalinill doth. Hath God made all Men for nought or in P.fzl. sg. 47. vain ? If hehath, then why falleth not his wrath at once ? And fearching farther for thecaufe why we are not confumed, we find, that his mercy is the caufe. It is of theLords mercy ( faith the Prophet ) that we are not confumed, for his compaffi. Lam Z; ens fail not, and that the work of his creation is not in vain. Then confequeatly 3' a remnant there íhall be, and God will have a tenth always preferved to him. Ea, 6.13 felf, and the holy feed (hall be the fubflance thereof, and as it is in the Pei there lhall be a little flock , and we may hope that of that little flock we Luke as 3z, are. If the Lord were fparing of his mercy, that might be a greats impediment toour Ea. 3o. is. Hope, but when we read-that the Lord waiteth to be gracious to us it fetterh our Hope in abetter forwardnefs. Now becaufe that out of the gate of mercy, all our Hope cometh : we are to confider upon whom God vouchfafeth to beftow this mer- cy, how they mutt be qualified. Lam. 3. z9. The Propet faith, he will thruft his Face into the duft ( that is he will humble him- felf) if peradventure he may have Hope. AndHope is given to them that fear, and Ufa. 66, x, are of a contrite fpirit, and that tremble at Gods word, Spec timentibtts Drum, Hope is a reward to them that fear God. And as fear is requrfite, fo Faith much more. Pfal.'7.7. God (hews this kindnefs to them that put their truft in him, and all they that put 34.21. their truft in him (hall not be deftitute or forfaken. And when we hear God him- 9°. 4. Pelf fay, liberabo earn qui (perat in me, When the act of Hope that( have fuch a reward, Pfal. 53.'s.. there isgood encouragement, and we may furely expedt it. Now to Hope is to truft in Gods mercy, andfo the Pfalmift faith. My truft is in thy mercy, for that is Port- fpei the Gate of Hope there's no entrance unto God but by this Gate, and no blue of good tous but by it,for Faith apprehendingmercy hopeth,and the rather becaufe there is fuch plenty of mercypromifed to them that hope in God, that it will compafs 35. sr; them round. Whofo putteth his troll in the Lord, mercy imbraceth him on every fide. But it may be demanded how Faith can beget both Fear and Hope, two contraries, or how two contraries can fland in one fubjeU3. To this may be anfwered, firfl we fhould not queftion it, in refpeCt that the Holy Ghoft hashput them together fo often.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=