Ou the Exee/Yency of the total. 211 world, as well as the molt able or learned (for the poorer bath a foul to fave, as well as the richer, and the weakest, as well as the learnedtt) if fuch a one Should fay , What are thole rhinge that are to bee rafed. down ? to that I an- Ewer, Firfl, Such hopes as are not Scripture - hopes, if they bee not Scripture hopes, they mull bee rafeddown; Rom. i ç. 4. Whatfoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that wee through patience and comfort of Scripture might have hope. Wee have hope through patience and comfortof the Scripture; how doth, the hopes of thofe that shall bee faved arife ? -- Why, they rife thus, either by reading, or hearing fomething out of the Word of God, and God darting fome light, fome truths into their fouls through his Word, they come to receive it, and there it lies working in them, till at length their fouls relifh it , and they talk the fweetnefs of. the Word, and come to have comfort in ir, and fo through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, their hope comes to bee raifed; the Scripture in raifing hopes, firfl it works patience, it ufually beats down the foul fiat, and fpeaks hard things to it, and the foul that God over - powers to himfelf, it is willing to lye under, the power of the Scripture, and bee patient, notwithflanding the Scripture loth reveal fuch hard things, and puts it upon ne- ver fuck hard duties, the heart, I fay, .yeelds to it, and at length the foul comes to finde fweetnefs out of the Scrip - ture, and fo hopes comes to bee raifed, that is, the foul fees fome eternal truth eut of the Word of God, the truth of God himfelf that is eternal, a divine truth that it dares ven- ture its _eternal ellate upon and upon this it doth raife its hope; iris able to give an account from fome place of the Scripture, upon what :,:rounds iç doth hope. - -- Ï: hope that God will Phew mercy to mee, and fave my foul in the day of Chria; will fome fay, I but what ground have you for your hopes ? Now, if your hopes bee right, then there is Somewhat in this Book of God to bee (hewed as the ground of this; and indeed you can have but little comfort of your S f hopes, d
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