324 On the Excellency of the Sold. of hope hath,a difficulty in it, as well as any grace whatfoe- ver; now all.people almof} finde an eafinels in that; bur here the Scripture makes it to riee the glory of the Holy Ghofi, to raife hopes in any creature; therefore rhofe, . hopes that arife from a root of nature, that are not wrought by an Almighty power of the Holy Ghofi in the heart, =la bee rafed down. - -- Do but put your fouls to-this quefiion, I have hopes to bee Paved, but Lord, how are they wrought ? what power of the Holy Ghofi, bath been in my heart to raife thefe hopes ?, Suppofe there were no Holy Cho(} ( as. they Paid in the Ads, that they had not fo much as heard whether there were any Holy Ghofi or no) yet might not h' have fuch a hope as I have an Gods mercy ? ,Oh the hope,_ that will brim to falvation is fuch a hope as is railed by the power of the Holy Ghofi. - -- Now if our hopes bee railed by the power of the Holy Ghoff, then they will have much of the Holy Ghoft.in them, and futable to your hopec, fo cloth, the Holy Ghofi come into . your hearts, and dwell in your hearts, and if it comes in and dwells in your hearts,, then it Both inlighren your hearts, it dòth as and guide your you are lead by. the-Holy Gholá in your way; Now, can you fay, that in the,courfé of your lives, it is the Holy Gild} that guides you, that you are carried on by the Holy Ghofi, and not by your own fpirits ; .It is true, the belt of all may bee á6}ed by their own fpirits, in fome time of temptation, but for the courfe of their lives they are aged and guided by the, Holy Ghof}, their lives are fuch, as rhofe that live by them may fay, here is onethatis.a6}ed and guided by the Holy Ghof1; Now, can you fay fo ? certainly if you have true hopes for falvation, it is raifed by the Holy Ghofi, and if it bee railed by the Holy Ghoff, it cloth ata your lives in the waies of holinefs. Thirdly, Thofe hopes muff bee rafed down that are not lively hopes, and purging hopes, I will put them both toge- ther. - -- That are not lively, that you have in z Pet. z. 3. Eleffed hee the God and Father of oar Lord 3efus Chriff, which, artordivg to hi; +bemelan; mercy bath begotten 01 train antda live',
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