6t8 Spiritual PerfeElion. fervil e afpe£t on Punifhmem, which isconfiftent with the love of Sin. Hope of the Hap· pmc~ to w~ ich we afptre, ~~ ~ot fo elevated as Lo_ve, nor fo low as Fear; but very be. comtng the Breaft of a Chn llun. We are now m a !late of expectancy; in a middle ftatc between the two Worlds. Hope is the proper Grace to be exercifed here: This gives us the foretafte of t he fruits of Paradife : 'Tis of no ufe to thofe who arc polfefs'd of Happinefs . and thofeare incapable of it who are Miferable without Remedy. As Sha- ' dows, vam!h at Mtd.dar, and at dark-mght; lo Hope. ceafes m Heaven, for 'tis acc~ pltfh d Hl fu ll Fr utuon: lt never enters mto Hell, for 'os exnngu1fh'dm Dcfpair. In the Glorious ~ightabove, t hePerfect ionof Hope is obtain'd: theblacknefsof Darknefs belo1v, excludes the leaf! ghmmenng of Hope to refrefh the Horrors of the Place. J· 'Tis a necelfary Grace in our prefent State of Trya l. We are furrounded here wich many Temptations, fame Inviting and Alluring, fame Forcible and TerrifYing: the Pleafures of Sin, and the Terrors of the Perfccuting World, to make us deferc our Duty, and he unfaithful to God and our Souls. Now Hope is our Helnm and Brtafl·pl•tr rhc principal parts of defenfive Armour, to preferve us invulnerable in the heat of Bat: tle. 'Tis the Anchor of the Sotll, fare andfledfajl , that enttrs within the veit, and is fix'd on rhe imrnonal Shore: though we are li able to Storms, it fecures us from Shipwrack. It gives Cordial Spi rits, and Coelefli•l Vigour ro a Chriflian. The Apoflle, who had feen the Glory of Heaven, and had fuller 'd the Rage of the perverted World in Combi· nation with Satan, to Exringuifh the Light of the Gofpel , declares, I mkon that the fuf· {(rings of the pre{tnt time, Are not tvort~} to be compared JVith the glory that /hall be revtAitd in "'· The hope of the Reward was fo Comfortable to St. Ptt<r, he ilopt fi:curely when Condemn'd eo dye next day : tile brightnefs of an Angel could not wake him, without a blow on the fi de. . lt fweetens all the !harp and bitter Accidcms that befa l us, and mixes revivi ng drops wtth our deepeft Sorrows. Wt rejoJ<rin tht hope of f.lory. Joy is the alfe£\ion of Profperity: Hope, of all the joyfullllf"tbons, is confiflent with the mofl af. fl icting Evils, and makes us happy here. Our Saviour pronounces, Blrjfed are J< when mtn {ball revile yor1, and pcrfecute you; rejoycc am:J be exeteding glad, for f.YtAt is your reward in heaven. This chang'd the Pedecmions of the Martyrs into Plcafures. Thofe who are encouraged by this blelfcd Hope, no Lofs can make Poor, no Difeafc can make Sick, no Difgrace can make contemptible , no Mifery canmake Mifcrable. It has a Sovereign Strength to fupport us under all the Evils Malice can do, and Innocenc~ fuffer. Now if the hope of Heaven can make all t he Evils of this World tractable and eafic, much more will it make all its good things defpicable : for we are far more capable of Af!lictiog lmpreffiom t han of joyful. Set the Beam right , and put into one Scale all the Treafures and Honours and Delights of the prefent World, and in the ot,her the lively Hope of Hea\'en, they are of no mare value or moment in Comparifon, than Feathers in one Scale, againft Talents of Gold in another. 'Tis true, Carnal Men feel not the attractive Force of the blelfed Rewards above, for 'tis Spiritual and Future: but when t hey illall be releas'd from the narrow Confinement of Fldh, ad !hall underftand things by ano· ther way than the report of the Senfes, their inlightned active Spirit will tear and torment them forpreferring vani!hing fhadows before Subft antial and Eterna l Blelfedne!S: the Senfi: of it will caufe extreme Sorrow for their lofs of Heaven, and indignation for others obtaining ir. Our Saviour tellsthe Indfiel ] rw1, When yr fh•ll ju Abraham, Ifaac, ~nd Jacobm thc/(jngdomof God, andyourfehmthmjlout, thcrt /hall brwuptng andgn.jhmg of terth. > In !hart , Hope is of excellent ufe to encourage our faint langui01ing Atfeaions when we arc aifaulred with Evils, and to compafe add order th ~ impetuous Paffions when they are ftrongly excited b)' the Temptations of what is 'pleafanr to the Fldhly Lurts. 2. Divine Hope is diftinguifl1'd from Carnal Pre[umption, by its infeparable Effect, our Purifying. Hope is an exciting Principle that draws forth all the A£l ive Powers, for the obtaining a defir'd Good. 'Tis the inward Spring of fervent Dcfires, and rm~wg Joys, andcoofequcntlyof Zealous Endeavours. ~e Art begotten to~ live/! hope ; nsa Jubflanrial vigorous Grace: I prefs forward for tht htgh prier of our Caltmx, faith the ll.po· file. Vain and Groundlefs Hopes, are infpirarions of Wind , loofe and welfecttve. The principal effect of Chriflian Hope is fpecified, he purijiu him{< I( I !hall but glance upon this, havi ng largely difcours'd of it already. He purifies lumfclf by the affillance of the Holy Spirit, from whom the Spiritual Life and all the O~eratlons. of 1t proceed. fu~~~~ff~~tt~:n:h~~:~~~r~~sgxa~~fr~e!c~~~~ft;l~cn~uA~a~·~c~~fi~ .10'~;~~ ~~~i.n~~~:~f this purifyiog muft be, till weare cleanfed from evcr1 {pot, And become_ glorrotH m holt.n~fs~ We are contracting defi lements every day, and need the conllanc mftuence of ~;~~e .. /
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