Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v6

Chap. i8' dn expoftion upon the Book, of J OB. Verf 14. fure ofgood things in this life, and ofeternall life, they are high - built in hope, but they have no ground, no foundation for their hope. Theirs is a meere prefumption, who are full offinne, and yet full ofhope ; full of wickednes, and yet full of confidence ; Saints who are full ofholinef e, are yet often full offeare; full offincerity, yet full ofdoubts ; fancies offaith, are eafily gotten, and as eafily loft. Many are high-flown, who never knew what the laying ofa good foundationmeanes. His confidence .11141 be rootedout Note ; Secondly , The confidenceofwicked men"Tull be de/troyed tctal- ly ; it is rooted ont. The confidence of a godly man may be {ha- ken, and much unfetled : now he is well affured, and anon he que- ftions all,but his.confidence thall never be rooted out. (Pfal. r 1 a. v. to.) The delre ofthe wicked lhallperifi; That is, thofe things that lie is molt defirous of, his defires live, yet they live as a pu- nifhment, not as ableffing, becaufe the thing he defires dyes ; His defires (hallperifh. As his defiresperifh, fohis confidence hall. The thing that he was confident of perifheth, and at laft confidence it felfe,, both roote and branch act and habit, is rooted out. Solomon (Pro. io. zo. ) by way of oppofition fets theone over againft another ; The hopes of the righteousfhall be glad ; That is, he hall fee the thing he hopes for or the thing he hopes for hall come to paffe, this will make him glad ; When the man- who hopes is glad, then his hopes are faid to be glad ; but the expe Cation of thewickedíhall per:fh ;. that is the thinghe expects hall perifh, and then his expel ation hall perifh too, he is weary of expeß- ing, he waites no longer. Fajth is the (ubftance ofthings hoped for but he that bath no faith, how can his hope have any fiibtiance, i. e. He can have no true hope in thegood ofthe promife, who bath no true faith in theutruth of the promife. Unleffe faith live, hopemuff needs give up the Ghoft, or be as the givingúp of the Ghoft. A godly mans hope failes not, becaufe his faith dothnot; the thing he expectsmay faile worldly things faile him often, and fo may his prefent fenf of fpiritualls, yet his expeation failes not : when nothing appeares to fence, his hope is vigo- rous and his confidence retaines not only life but ftrength. But

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