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Ephefianf,Chap.b'.
TTER.I©,;
Lord
in
the land
of
the
living.
For
hope that God
will fend
ftrength,
and give iffue,
doe
fo
hold
up
the
chime that
we
finke
not
indeepe
waters. Per
the
third
thing,
the
Devill
Both [eeke many
wayes
to
disfur-
nith
us
of
this
monition.
First,
by putting
us
off
with hope that
will
not
ferve, faife,
vaine
hopes,
wicked
hopes;
fuch
as
are
the prefùmptions
of
many,
who
by theirhonefl
lives,
who
with
<faying
Lord have.
mercy
on us,
though they
lye
in
ignorance,
and
the
loft
of
ignorance; yet
fay,
they
have
good hopes. Thefe
are wicked
hopes,
and
to hope
upon
vaine
grounds
:
as
on
this,
that
God hath
.bleffed us,
with
outward things; that thereforewe
arc
in his
favour
:
but
all
our hope
mull be
brought
to this touch- flone.
r
lobs
3. He
that hath
this
hope
purgeth
himfelfe,
even
as
he
is
pure. He
that hath true hope towards
God,
will be carefull
to
cleanfe
out
all
corruption
of
flcfh
and
fpirit,
which
are difpleafing
to God.
If
we
hope to
have any good
from
man, we will be carefull not to incurre
his
difpleafure, doe
that which
he defireth.
Whofoever
nourifheth hopes from
God,
will
not
live in
finne
which
God
hareth.
Secondly, if
we have
hope, the Devill
will
labour many
wayes
to
breake it off,
by
pleading againft
us
our unworthineffe.
If
thy
con-
fcience did
not tell thee, thou art thus, then mighteft thou
have
hope,
and
that
by cutting the
cable
which
will
make
us
lcofe our anchor.
Anfw. There
is
double
unworthine
fe
; one
of
an
evill confcience
that lyeth
in
fome finne,
of
which
it will
not
be reformed
:
another
unworthineffe
of
a
good confcience, which defireth
and
endeavoureth
to
be
disburthened
of
finne,
but cannot;
and
therefore dayly renew
-
eth repentance.
Now
this unworthineffe
doth
not
take
away
hope
:
for
God
doth
make
good
his
promifes, not for our fakes,
the
houle
of
Ifrael, but for
his
Names
fake, E7ek.
36.32.
Be
it
knowne unto
you,
I
doe
it
not
for
your fake;
the
zeale
of
the Lord
of
Holts which
he bea-
reth
us
doth
it
:
he
leapeth over the mountaines
of
Bether,
to come to
us;
or
if
he
flayed
on
our
fufficientdifpofitions, we might
all bid
our
hope farewell.
Fourthly, from delay, the Devill will
(hake
hope. Prov.
r3.0.
Hope delayed maketh
a
ficke
foule.
But we
mull know, that Gods forbearance
is
no quittance. And
when thefe ufurerscare not
how
much their money
runnes
in
a
rich
mans hands;
why
fhould
we
think
much to trult our treafure with
God, who
will pay
ufe
for time he delayeth. Againe, he doth not
foreflacke any fit
feafon,but onelywaiteth
the opportunity:
and exam-
ples
of delayed hopes,yet
certainely accomplifhed at !ength,may
com-
fort
us.
Seventy yeares, the returning
of
Gods
people from the
Ba-
bylonifh
captivity was rejourned,
yet it
was fulfilled
in
the
feafon
of
ir.
Fiftly, from the greatneffe
of
our mifery. Lam.
3. r
8. And I
Paid,
myftrength,and my hope
is
perifhed
from the Lord;remembring
mine
!
aflliétion,
my worme
-wood,
and
my gall.
.i1
n
fiv.