Ver. 24. the 8th Chapter to the ROMANS. 2 2.3 Dolt. Hope it one of the graces neceffary to obtain the great Salvation promifd by Chriji. For explication. T. Hope is a defrous expeélation of fame promifed good. The aïa is adejjrouo explaation The objei is force promifed good. Of the ad, I (hall (peak afterwards; the obje& I (hall confider now. 'Tis force good ; for evil is not hoped for, but feared ; and a good promifed; for hope, the grace, is grounded upon the word of God, Pfal. 13o. 5.1 have hoped in thy word. And the Apoftle telleth us, that the heirs of promife being fe- cured by two immutable things, Gods word, and Gods oath, do fly for refuge to lay hold upon the hope let before them, Heh. 6. 18. The promife doth both declare and afure; declare what we may hope for; the Apoftle faith 'cis let before us, not before our fenfes,or the eyes of the body ; but before our faith, the eyes of our minds, in the Gofpel ; and with all, doth affure us in hoping ; for we have the word of God, who is the fupream Verity,that neither can deceive nor be deceived ; and, the promifes of the Gofpel are ratified by the folemnityof an oath ; the more to excite our drowtie minds to confider upon what lure grounds we go upon. . Well then, there is Come word of pro- mile affented unto by faith, before we expel the good promifed. Promifes are the holdfa(t we have upon God, and the fure grounds ofraifing hope in our felves, or plead- ing with God hi Prayers we may plead them to our f Ives if we would have thong and folid confolat'ion PCal. 56. 4. In God I will praifi bis word, in God have I put my tru fl; I will not fear what man. can do unto me. Thus did David rebuke his fears. The fide- lity of God in his promifes is matter of firm confidence and hope to us. Only we mull not make promifes to out (elves, left we become falle Prophets to our felves, and build upon our own dreams. So in pleading with God, we have free leave to challenge God upon his word, Pfal. 119. 45. Remember the word unto thy fervaet, wherein thou haft caufedme to hope. Our necef cities lead us to the promifes, and the promifes to Chrilt, in whom they are yea and amen; and Christ to God, as the fountain of grace; there we put thefe bonds in fuit, and turn promifes into prayers. 2. The promifes do concern either this life or that which is to come. i Tim. 4. 8. Godlinefo is profitable to all things, having the promife of this lifethat now is,and that which is to come.There are fupplies neceffary for us during our 8ilgrimage; thérefore God bath undertaken not only to give us Heaven and happinefs in the next world, but to carry us thither in a way belt pleating to himfelf, and conducible to our good 5 that we may Cerve him with comfort and peace all the days of our lives. Therefore there is an hope in Gods promifes for what we (land in need of by the way, and God delighteth to train us up in a way of faith and hope in expelling our prefent fupplies, that by often trying and eru(ting him for thefe things, we may the better hope for the great falvation ; as men pralice fwimming in the (hallow brooks before they venture in she deep oceao.But temporal things are only promifed fo far as it may be for Gods Glory and our good; a o,. mufl,not let God a task to provide meat for our tufts, or imagine that his providence will lacquey upon our humours and vain fancies 'Tis the ordinary praltice of his free grace and fatherly love, to provide things comfortable and necefl'ary for his Children, Matth. 6. 32. For posse heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all the[ things. There is a common bounty and goodnefs which reacheth to all his creatures, even to the prefervation of the fmallelt worm; how much more will he provide for us whom he hath Adopted into his family, and to whom he bath made promifes that he will never leave us to infupportable difficulties? You would count him an unnatural Father that feedeth his dogs and hawks, and.lets his Children die of hunger. Certainly we may hope in God that he will do what is belt, all things confidered: 3. The great promife, and fo the principal objeCI of our hope, is falvation by Chrill, or eternal life, r John 2. 25. This is the promife which he bath promifed us,,eternallife. Chrilt hath promifed other things, but this is the promife. 'Tis the great end of Chrifis mediation, to bring us to God, t Pet. 3. 18. For Chrilt a fo bath once fuffered, the fuß for the unjufl, that he might bring us to God. And that is not fully done till we live with him in Heaven; this is the end of our faith, r Pet. t. 9. This is the prime benefit offered to us in the GoIpel,to which all others tend. By Jullification our incapacity is removed, by San ification eternal life is begun ; by the mercies of daily providence we are pre- ferved in our duty and motion towards this happy elate; Kept blamelefs to the heavenly Itingdoey, 'i
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