652 Chap. 14. t 4n 6xpofitien upon the Book, of J O B. Verf.t9. things thatgrowout ofthe earth, than, even thou deffroiefl the hope of man': that is, in deflroying Ode things , thou deltroiefi the hope ofman, or, as thou defiroiefl thefe firong durable and beau- tiful creatures , fo the hope of man let upon any creature. The Hebrew particle (Van) is often put as a note of like- neffe , And thou deflroieft , is , fo thou deflroiefl the hope of ?7`00. But (hall the hope of man be deflroied ? what hope,and whole hope (hall be deflroied ? There is a hope of man flronger then the mountains and more durable then rocks or (hones. Though thefe confume and come to nought, yet that (hall not. The hope of the Saints endures for ever, and they (ball never be a- fl amed of their hope : their hope is an anchor (fo the Apoffle callsit, Heb.6.) fare andffedfalt :. and as the hope of the Saints is a lure anchor, fo it is fattened by Inch a cable as will never crack , let the winds blow and the waves rife as high as they will. The word of promife is the cable which holdall this an- chor, that word ofpromife is ftronger then a threefold cord, and cannot at all be broken. Again as this anchor is.flrongly faflned above , fo it is let down upon and is faflened in a rock beneath. That anchor of hope wal never dragge which.fals into Chr.iíl , the clifts of that rock hold it and will not let it goe. It is impoffìble to des`iray fuck, a hope as this : The hope ofSaints Pall indeed be_deflreied orper. felled rather by enjoyment, but it (hall not be defiroied by dif- appointment.. When we enjoy all things , what need v<e hope for any thing ? hope is (wallowed up in fruition. Saintsnever lofe their hope till they have foundall that they hopedfor:_ If in this life only we had hope in Chrifl , we were of all men moil anife- rable;. r Cori 5. 19. We (hall not hope any longer thenwe Lye here , but we have a hope of good beyond this life : our hope. lafieth no longer then our lives, but the things we hope for, lafl longer then the mountains yea , longer (as old Jacob fpeaks in his beneditlionupon 7o/ph) then the everlalinghils : our hope will lafl, that is, we have hopsof that which will lait as long as. everlaflingnefre. Seeing then the hope ofSaints is no perifhing hope whore hope doth fob mean, when he faith Thou deilroie.fl the hope of wan lie meM the hope ofvain men, or the vain hope of good men.
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