532 Chap.17. An Expofition upon the Book of J OB. Verf,lç, but in the foul ofevery true member of the Church : and if in reference to this hope, Job had queftioned, Where is nowmy hope ? He might have antwered,lt is in thy heart, the grace of hope dwells there. This Grace of hope is no fading quality but a fetled power : Hope doth not always ad, but it always is, where it ever was : 1t is not always a lively hope , but it is alwayes a living hope. As Eliphaz checks Job, Chap. 4. 4. 1s this thy hope? So many a believer deferves to be check' and chiden, becaufe his hope is not more tlrong and furring, be- caufe his hope is fo unlike hope, efpecially fo unlike that hope, which he ought to have, after fo much experience. What ? Is this thy hpe ? is this all ? you have talked of hope all this while ; is this all you have to Phew for it ? this is a poor piece ofhope,a hope unworthy of th'ee:Some good men may juftly fall under this check, and whereas hope maketh not afhamed, they may for a time be afhamed of their hope ; yet it is with them as with thole Trees of which the Prophet (peaks, Ifa.6.13. whofe fubltance is in them, when they have ca/t their leaves; So the holy feed (hall be, and is the fubtlance ofit ; and though for a time it appear not, and fo may bear this queflion, Where is it? yct it will appear again, and by bearing fruit, anfwer for it felf, Here I am. Secondly, Takehope for thatgood upon which our hope is fet, or for the obje6 of hope, There is a twofold objet of hope. Firft, Eternal and heavenly. Secondly, Temporal, and earthly. Spiritual things are the hope laid hold upon Heb.6. 38 flat by two immutable things in which is impofble for God i1 to lye, we might have aJirongconfolation,who havefledfor refuge to lay boldupon the hope fet before us : The Scrip turc teacheth us, that as there is a hope by which we lay hold, that's the grace of hope; fo there is hope upon which we lay hold, that's the good for which we hope. God himfelf, and all the good things of eternal life, which God hath promifed , are this hope This hopealío fobhad, and he knew where it was : as he knew he had the grace ofhope in his heart, fo that he had the choiceft good of hope inHeaven, nor would he have parted with this hope for all the poffcflions in the World. But as hope (whether in theobjet or in the at,` ings , refperofitr#s
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=