.An Expojition of the Epiit/e ~ So then, the Interpretation I pitch upon is plainly this: The Apof\lepray– J'er. XX. eth here, that they may knowwhat great, what mfalhble? what multJtudes of ~grounds of Hope God had called them to; what grounds ot .Mfuranc.e and Evidence their Souls might have, that Heaven IS rheas. So that now, m th1s firll; part, he prayetl1 that they may have much Aflurance of the;r own Jntere(\ in Heaven, and fee good grounds for tt. And m the fecond part, he prayeth; that · they may fee the glory of his Inheritance. 1 will.give you my Reafon why I lnttrpret it thus. rather than of the thing hoped for ; That this expreffion lhould mean one and the fan1e thing, Heaven in both. My Reafoh is this; The Apofile feemeth to pray lor three things di– ftinCl:ly, and he puttcth a Conjunctive. '!1, between them all, Firlt, He prayetl1, that they may fee what is the hope of the1r Catl111g, and fee what is the glory of hi< lnh"itrwce and fee what IS the exceedmg grea/tufs of htspower. Now,if Exceeditrg gre:1111e[s of hi& power be a diftinct thing from what is theglory of his l nhcritauce, then what is the glo>J•of his 11lherztmJce is a d,ll;;nct dung from what is the hope of his Cr~llit1g; therefore the thing hoped for is not meant, buc heintendeth threefeverolforts of t!ungs that he prayeth for. And he addeth ,i,, and .,) Tl !.,.,,.;,.., l'il"e&, wh,•t, and how great to all three, to Jhew that they are difl:inCl:; what great grounds you have of your lnrercfi, and that you may fee what a great and glorious Inheritance it is that you have intereft in, and that you may fee thereby how great the exceedittg,f;Yffl/1/efs of his power is, that he works in them that believe, and keepeth you tor that Glory. Having thus opened to you what is meant by the hope of /;is Calli11g, what grounds of hope you have; I will but lhew you how it agreeth fully with the fcnpe and with the phrafe the Apofile here ufctll , that I may back this interpretation. It agreetl1 fully with his fcope: For firfl:, he prayed in the former Verfe for Commrmion with God. Now, what is the next thing a good Soul would delire next to Communion \vith God ? To have the grounds of his Alfurance kep~ tonrinually frelh in his heart, that he may k11ow the hope of his Catlmg; (that is the hext thing any good Soul would pitch upon, to keep himfelf in perfect peace and comfort;) and then to know thegreat11e[s of that Glory that he had an intetefl: in. Link thefe time things together, this makes a compleat Chrifiian 1 full of comfort, full of joy a11dpeace 111 believing. It agreetb alfo with the phrafe that followech, The hope of his Calli11g; inter– preting it for grounds of Hope or grounds of AJfitral!ce, what grQunds of Alfu– rance you have. By his Culli11g hete; is either meant that Calling which God commandeth you to have; fuch grounds of Hope as God.calleth you (being Chriftians) to have, commandeth you to have,. that is one meaning of the phrafe. So the word Calling is ufed r Theff.4·7· faith he, God bath 110t cal/ed11s to tmclemwefj, but to ho!i11e(s, that is, he hathcommanded us to be holy, for f~ you may interpret it by the tlmd Verfe, Tlus JS the w1tl of God, ) '011r holaujs. God's Collitig and hts Will rs all one. It you d1d but know (fa1th the Apoflle) the grounds that God calleth you, eo have the Hope you have, the Alfuronce God calleth you to have, and bath g1ven you grounds to have; that is the meaning of his Prayer. Or Secondly,The Hope ofhis Calli11g may refer to the work Q( Grace,which is oiled Crrllmg and CottverjiotJ; and fo the meaning is proj>cr and very good and it is thus' That you being called by God, you have all t 1e grounds to hav~ Alfu– rancethat maybe; and I pray (f21thke)thatyo:< may k11ow what iJ the hope of)'Our Calli11g. A man effeCl:u~lly ·called, bath mu}titudc of grounds to be ~lfured, tf he be not negligent m !C • S<;> th~t that whtch I pray for (faith he) Js, that you may !mow the very Callrng tt felt, the very work it felf · God's Calling you, affordeth you grounds enough of hope. i pray that y~u may kno'y the grounds of your Hope; keep that lrelh in yoar eye; and fo yowwill be comlorted. I come
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