178 / 808
166
Pfe
r.
%ThcGs.
Tit.I.
:
Pet.
t.
Dooi.;.
Fhefi
ftsn.r,Chap.r.
V
ER.tB.
The Ufe
is,firft,to rebukefuch
who
wil not feek
to
have
further know.
ledge
of
their
excellent hopes kept
for them
in
the
heavens. Men
will
prie into
all
their hopes
and poffibilities
in
earth
;
yea,
if
it
be
a
thing
which
in
reverfion may
doe good happily
to
fome
of
their children,
they
Ivill
make
account
of
it
;
they
will
know thefe things too well,
till
they
are
proud
;
count them fboles
who
know them
not,
and
yet
never
feekto
know their
free
-hold
in
heaven.
In the
fecond place,this
muff flirre us up
to
leek
after thofe hopes,to
get the knowledge
of
the
things kept for
us
:
Thefe
are
not
likeearthly
hopes, they
make
their
eyes fall
out
who
waite on
them,
and fometime
never come neere
them ;
fuch were
Abfolons
and
i
4
eionijahs
hopes
:
fometime
they
are
gotten, but prove
no blefling,it being
with
them
as
it
was
with the
uailes
which were
given Ifrael
;
But
whatifthey
be
gotten
and
pofFefled in
deaththey
perifh,
for death divorceth
a
man
from
all
thefe earthly things
he
enjoyeth. But thefe hopes
will not
let
us
be afhamed,thefe
are
good and
bleffed
hopes,yea,
life it felfe,a
living
hope
;
till we
know this hope
we have
in
heaven, we cannot be
heaven-
ly minded
; forwhere
a
man hath hope.,thither
his foule will looke out,
and
be more then where
he
is
bodily
prefent
:
This
is
it
which
maketh
us
purge our felves. Men
that
hope to ftand before Princes will
refine
their behaviours,and
furnifh
themfelves with
all kinde
of
complement:
This knowledge
of our hope
is
the
fpurre
of
aelion;
menworke cheere.
fully
when they know
an
ample reward abideth
than
:
it
is a
ground
of
all
patience,fweet
in
hope, maketh that
which
is
fowre
for
the prelim,
goe downe more sweetly.
Obferve thirdly, Hop
of
his
calliag.JT hat there
is
no grounded
hope,
but onely
of
filch
things
as
God
hath called
us
to obtaine:We
could
not
have
hope
of
falvation,Gods Kingdome,life eternall,had
not
God
cal-
led us
hereunto,
t
Theft
12. He
hat
h called us tohis
Kingdome
and
glory.
z
Thef
2. 14.
He
hath
called
as toobtaine
life;ergo,Col.r.it
is
faid,
thatthe
Coloi}ians
now
had
a
hope
laid
upin
heaven,
when they
had heard
the
word
of
truth ,
even
the Gofpell
of
falvation.
As
no man
can hope
to
Hand
before
a
mortali Prince
in
place
ofdignitie
and
office, till the
King doe call him
thereunto;fonone
can
groundedly looke
to be
in
glorious condition
in
Gods Kingdome,
till
he have called him
hereun-
to. Here briefly
it (hall
not be
amifle
to
confider
what
this
calling
is.
2.
How wemay
knowthat
we are effellually called.
For
the
firf
},
this calling
is
fuch
a
revealing
of
his grace within
our
heart,
or
mindes,
as
doth
make
us
come tohim and follow him
for the
obtaining
of
life
through Chrifl:As
a
man
hath both
a
foule
and
a
body,
fo
this
call f}andeth
not onely
in
the outward
word,
which
foundeth
in
the
Bare,
but
that
inward revelation which
God
maketh within
the
heart
;
I
will
¡eakto
their hearts.
The
heart
of
Lydia
was opened.
Se-
condly,
I fay
it maketh
us
come
and
follow
God
for obtaining
life
and
glory,
to which he bath
called
us
:
for
God
fpeaketh inwardly
and
outwardly to many, who
are
noteffelluallycalled,becaufe God
doth
not
intend
to convert them
and make
them follow
;
but
this
calling,
according