Spiritual Peace and Comfort. 151 will make good this promife or no , either thinking that it is not true , or he is not able , or bath changed his mind fince the making of it, and on thefe groundsyou let go your Hopes, this. is De- fpair. Ifbecaufe that Chrift feems to Delay his coming, we fhouid fay, I have waited in Hope till now, but now I am out of Hope that ever Chin* will come to Judge the world and Glorifie Be- lievers, I will expect it no longer this is Defpair. And it hath its feveral Degrees more or lefs, as nn- belief bath. Indeed the Schoolmen fay that Affi- ance is nothing but ftrengthened Hope. Affiance in the propereft fenfe is the fame in fubfance with Hope ; only it more exprefferh a Refpea to the Promife and Promifer, and indeed is Faith and Hope expreft both together in one word. So that what I faid before of Difiruft, is true of Defpair. Ifyou doContinue to believe the Truth ofthe Gofpel, and particularly of Chrifts coming and glorifying his Saints, and yet you think he will not gtorife you, becaufe you think that you are not a true believer or Saint ; This is not Defperation in the proper fenfe. For Defperation is the privation of Hope, where the formal caufe, the heart and life of it is wanting. Butyou have here Hope in the i-'abit, and Virtually do hope inChrist but the Aft of it as to Your own particular falvation is hindered, upon an accidental miflake. In the forementioned example, Ifyour friend Promife to give you an hundred pound on condition of your thankful Acceptance, and pro. mifeth to come at Inch an hour and bring it you Ifnow you flay till the hour be almoil come, and then fay, l am out of Hope of h: coming noW ; he N 4 bath
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