VER. io. Epheflanr,Chap.6. ,,,dnfw. Not tobe movedat prcfent miferics, we mutt firft learnt wifedome, not to revolve them fomuch, as to be di(maycd by them. He that will drink apotion, will not roule everydrop about hismouth; and he that will goe thoroughafitiEtions, muff not demurre too deep. ly upon them. Thus Paul looked not at things feene, but unfeene. The endof thecroffe mutt be eyed, or the croffe will not be endured. Yet we muff not, contrarily, runupon foolifh lightneffe, that will not let the heart goe intoany mourning : this is as dangerous a worke, as defpaire it felfe. z. We muff remember that hope it-Imes it felfe, when things arehopeleffe. Abrahamhoped againft hope: lob 13. r3 Ifhe kill me, yet will I truft inhim_ Thirdly, when things preffe us molt, we are neereft our deliverance : ,um duplicantur lateres, von: Mops. Sixtly,hopes have mifcaried, and therefore are, not to be trufted to, Phil. I. zs. And theft all through faith obtained a good report,and receivednot the promife, Heb. s s. To thefirft, firft we may thus anfwer : rejelting the Papifts opini- on, that it was humane credulity, not Chriftian hope, we may fay,that in fome fort it was fulfilled, though he never wasfreed : for, God did in his firft audience give him deliverance fromNerofor a feafon,where- in he might have beene beneficiall to the Philippians. Secondly, hope is twofold : of things heavenly, or things earthly; now the latter may milleof us,and yet hope remaineth certarn,bccaufe hope fo looketh for them, as faith layeth hold of them : now faith doth not apprehend them abfolutely, but fo farre forth as they !hall be good for us. For, that place in the Hebrewes proveth, that all things beleeved and hoped for, are not prefently received upondeath. It fol- loweth nottherefore, that they arefruftrate : we dying (hall not pre- fently have the things promifed concerning the refurreEtion ofthe bo- dy, yet our faith and hope cannot mil earn' in it. Now fourthly the meaner,whereby we mayflrengthen our hope. First, to confider the nature of it, and the promife annexed to it; It maketh not afhamed, it (hall berejoycing. Prov. I I. 18. The hopeofthe righteous(ball bedladneffe. Secondly, theworke of it for the prefent : it cloth refre(h us, and renew our ftrength. Efly 4o.ult. But they that waite on the Lord, (hall renew their ftrength, they (hall lift up their wings as the Eagle, they (hall runeand notbe weary, they (hall walke and not faint : if this fpirit of hope be in us, we like a blowne bladder frnke not in our diftreffes; if this be downe, we hang the wing : and daily ufe of it fhould makeus ftudioufly maintaine and increafe it. Thirdly, to think howwe doe in earthly things : we will waive uponthings uncertaine, dead mens thooes,attend perfons early andlatefor a good iffue in force fuite, buy reverfrons, and refped them, though never like to fall in our time. Who is great likeour Gode Shall we not attend his leifuree What isprecious like grace e Shall we not wasteon it e Thus fames 5.7. from that the husbandmandoth in earthly things, doth teach us' our 799 Anjw.` Objec7. B.
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