796 Ephefian.r, Chap.6. V E R.iO. Yfe t. Wherefore this muff firff teach us how wretched their eftate is, whobeleeve not,who have not their minds and hearts fowrought to- wards Chrift, that his fpirit kath made them new creatures : they that havenot this faith , lie open to all the affaults ofthcdevil(. Hce that beleeveth nor, Gods wrath is onhim,the fierydarts fticke'in him. Yfe2. Secondly, it muff teach us to feeke after this : for God thus highly praifeth it, that knowing theworth ofit, wee may labour after ir. If enemies did bcfiegeus, were itnot well with him that were locked up in a tower invincible ! fo when death and enmity commeth againft us, this faithdoth lockus in Gods faithfulneffe, mercy and power,that nothing can hurt us. PP ;, Thatfaith hath this cffed, is a notable diffwafive from ever em. bracing this popifh faith , the which is fevered from all affiance, and which a man may have (by their owne confeffion) and be wounded with defpaire, and be full ofall deadly fin : their faith therefore is a wicked fhield ; it is fo far from defending usfrom all the fiery darts of the devil!, that a man may have its and bean incarnate devil!. Now followeth hope : for falvation is here put for hope ofit ; the thing hoped for, forthe hope it felfe. For thus it is conftrued, t Thef. 5.8. Firft, therefore it may be asked, What hope this ise Anfm. Not onely hopeof falvation, which !hall be in the laff day, but of all tem- poral! deliverance from evil!. And it may be defcribed, A certain ex- pecfing toattaine every thing faith belceveth, grounded onlyon Gods grace. Theproper workeofhope is, to make us expel : which is to bee marked. For, meafuring theword by our common acception , and diftinguifhing it from the expectance in heaven; it is one ground (amongft others) ofthe Papifts errours, whereas expe&ation in the life tocomediffereth not from hope, in thar it is certaine expectation (Rem.8.i5. Phil.r.ao. I certainly loot efor and hope) but in this. Firff, that our expe lation here is grounded in faith , that in fight; this accompanied with griefe, that without any difficulty. Secondly, it isa certaine expecting not in it felfe, but never failing the party which hopeth eriuvd:. Which muff be underftood , not as if it were certaine in his fenfe , but in the event : the reafon is hecaufe hope hangeth on faith, which in that it be!ieveth is certaine : ifthc pin be fore, that which hangeth on it cannot fall. Thirdly, the objccf is not aridly eternall life, but all the good things temporall and eternal!, which faith belicveth. Laftly, the mcanes on which hope leaneth, is here fetdowne, Gods grace. Truft perfectly ( the word is hope) on the grace ofGod in Chrilf. t Pet. t 13. Not partingftakes, halfe on grace, halfe on works. Againe, hopeexpeð fo ro obraine as faith believed] ; but faithbelieveth through the word of promife, not through working, G41.3.3. A perlon foToone as he is a true convert, hathhope as well as love,though he hath no worksas yet : neither can ahoule be built, and a foundation be laidafterward. Bcfides , if he fhould die on his --- con.
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