!290 t:autirmi 11gainfl _.State Iv: tflre wrought in God. , That hope, which cannot abide fcrip· ture· trial, but links when fearched into by facred tJruth, is a delufion, and .not a true hope: for God's word is 'always a friend to the graces of .God's S.pirit, and an enemy todelu· :fioo. '.'( 3.. ) Beware .of th\it hope, which Hands without be– .ing fupported by fcripture -evidences. Alas! many ar..e big • With hopes, who cannot give, becaufe they real! yhave not, any fcrip.t~ue grounds for them. Thou hopefl: that all 1hal'l be well with thee after death; but what word of God is it, on which tho.u bafl: bee.n cau(ed to hope .P Pfal. s:xix. 49• . \Vhat fcripture-evidence hafl: thou to prove, that thy hope· is .not the hope of the hypocrite? What haft thou, after im· partial fdf· examination, as in the fight of God, found i~ thyfelf, which the word of God determines to be a fure evi– denc~ of his right to e'erniil life who is ~o!feffed of it ? Numbers of men are ruined with (uch hopes as fhnd unfup- . porred by fcri.pture-evide.nce. Men are food and tenacious of the(e hopes; but death will throw them dowo and le~ve the ·felf-dec.eive.r hopelefs. · Laflly, Beware .of that hope of heaven, which :dp~h not prepare and d.ifpofe you for heave~. which never makes your foul more holy, 1 Jqhn iii. 3· E– very man that bath thi1 hope_ in hinJ, purijieth himfolf, even / a1_he 'if pure. The hope of the mofl: pat t pf men, is rather a ho,pe to be free of ,pain ~od torment in another life, tha '1 a hope .of tole happioefs~ th.e nature whereof is not .under– flood and difcerned: and therefor~ it flakes d~wn in- !loth and indoletJce; ar.d does not excite to mortification and a · heavenly life. So far are the1.-fr,om hcping aright for hea,– ven; that they mull own, if th.e_y fpeak their ;genuin.e fen• timents, remo.ving out of .this world inw any other p!ac~ whatfcever, is · rather their fear tha11 th~ i r · hope. The glory Gf lhe hea'lenly city does not at a!l draw their hearts 1;1p· wards ·towards it; nor do they lift up their hea~s with joy, in the profpeC\ of arriving at it. If they had the true hope' ofthe marriage day, they would, as the bride, the Lam!J'1 ru.Jfo, be ma_king themfelves re4~J fory, Rev. xi.x. 7B~t tbel't hopes are produced by their flotn, and the1r iloth IS - r.ourilhed by their hopes. Oh ! Sirs, as ye would not be · d rive!1 away hopelefs in yoUl' death, bewate of th.efe hopes. Raze them nowJ and build on a new foundation; Jefl: ~eath ' leav ~
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