to t·be EPHES \l A N S. Rom. 15 • q. The God of hope fi/J you with a!J P.eace and joy i'! hlievr1;g. ~\ God is a God of hope, and he would fill your hearts W1th peace and_Joy rhroug11 Jor. XX. believing. He is not only called.rhe God ofhope b~caufe_he1s.the ObJeCl: ofhope, ~ but becaufe he is the Author of 1t; ;tnd all the Scr!ptur_c 1~ wntren to work hope in us fo faith verfe 4• of the fame Chapter. Gods mmd 1s, that the Samts lhould have'nothing elfe, thatyotl ma1 kl10w what is the hopnf his ca!Jing; only your eyes are darke indeed, there heth the defed, naturally you are dark and can know none of thefe grounds, therefore the Apoflle prayerh that the Eyes oftheir mindmoy /;e mlighwed, that they may know what 1< the hope of hu cal/11;g. · In rhe Fourth place, if you Obferve it, it u w~at u the hope of hiuaUing , it is not what is the hope-of your.calhng, or what IS the hop.e ot your grace, he giverh it notthat title, take calling in that fenfe for God's work of converfion up– on a man's Soul, I do obferve but this out of it,and it is to you a note ofmuch con• fequence.If you cometo have good ~lfurance, that the Holy Ghofi giv~th,he will draw your eye unto Jus work utherJn you • ~ban unto thewmk that IS wrought in your {elves: . I will explnm my (elf .tO\)'Ou.as•well as Lean. It 1s the property of ~he Holy Ghofi when he dothg1ve any .man affurance and hope, and enhghrneth his eyes to fee what the hope.<1f GJ'>d's cal.ling is, .Bot.to make.the hear•t pore upon the werk in himfelf, but to draw his heart up to God as the worker of it, and ·to have,a hint from thence·to (landadmirin~ of him that t_hus called him,and byhis mighty po.wer·wrought thefe thmgs m h•m through his free gr.ace. When men lo.ok upon grace wrought in·the.mfelve_s, J'elf love rejoycerh in ir, anol ·they b1>a(t as if they had not receiv~d.it, No., faith the Apo!Ue look oot u.pon .the hope of your, but upon the hope of his calling; as having re.c~ivedJit{rom him , ~et it lead you .tothefounrainof hisf(ee.grace. l .do obfervc .itth~rein 1 Cor. a.. u. (I .quo· ted.the place afore,) we havNct.ceived (faithhe,) ':J·he Spirit of Godthat we may k11ow the.tbingsthat artfreelygiv..t11fts ofGod;Mar.k that expreffion,n.ot onl:r know the thing, that this gracetisw~ought, but with -this addition, it is the i•ee work of God's grace, This is the end always of ttbe.fdoly cGhofi'Wheo hegive~h affurance,' that is his manner, as be difcovereth his graces to:r·oll, thefe things are in you, fotthat thefe ihings a~e f•eely g>Y.en you of God, he leadeth you to the fountain of his grac~,thatyou may <tdmire it and falLdown hefo•e it, That )'QU may 'know (faith he,) pra:ting for:afiurance,) what .Urth$hofe of hu caflhtg, he fixeth their eyes there. · Next to con:'muni~n with God. and knowledge of him , 'he prayeth the\)' may know thear owmnnerefi. , The neJ<tthing that is .to be•hanclled is this,a11dwhat is the riches of thatglory which U•the glory which they had a(fflrance of. Put but thefe Three things toge· ther mylBrethren, and do but t'hink •With your felves, ·what mighty etfe.Cl:s it .would work, what comfortable Ohri!lians it woulol make you, if your hearts came up .ro what Pardprayeth for here, that y~m li_ved in ~~le ·kn.owleqge and commumon With God day by day, to converfe w1rh h1m :as be IS the·God ofChrifi andthe .fatherofGlor.y, (a~hec•lletllhim in the neX:J: verfe.!) And ne.xt to ·that add, ·the grounds and ev1dences of our affur.ance.and eyes enlightned to .fee -tihem, admmng the lov~ of God m you and toward y:0u; and Thirdly add, tbe eyes df your underfiandmg farther enlightned, >With mighty va!l: apprehenli~ns of t·hat Heaven you ha.v.e inter'efiio, .of .tbe ~iches df the glory of his [nheriraoce. 11~ a man's Soul w,o.uld live but in'thefe tbeughts, what.a mighty powerful Chr~filan weuld that mam b.e. P.a11l he had aH thefe.tl1ings inlhis heart, and \\~en he come.th to pray for men hepmyeth after.tbis .rate, aa<!l this is .the meaning of •his 'Prayer. SER-
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