Ver.26. the 8th Cheiptesr to the ROMANS. things that are teen; they live by fenCe, as the Chriflian liveth by faith; they reutt have fomething in the view of fence, or have nothing to live upon ; lands, honours, pleafuresi when there are out of fight, they are in darkneh ; but a Chriflian looketh to things fu- ture and unfeen, fecured to him by the promife of God. 2. U S E. Is to exhort us to feeltaftcr the happinefi we never faw; we (hall fee it in time, but now we hope for it. And 'tis no vain and uncertain hope, the things we hope for are fore and near. They are Pure ; Gods truth is as certain as truth it felf can be, and be- lievers fo account it in the holy word, yob 19, 2 5, 26. I know that my redeemer livéth, and that he fballHand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin, worms deliroy this body, yet in my flefh 1 fiallee God, whom I fkiallfee for my felf, and mine eyes (hall be. hold, and not another, though my reins be confirmed within me. 2 Cor. 5. 1. For we know that if our earthly houfe of this Tabernacle were difolved, we have a building of God, an home not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. To a believer, it fhould not be a conjecture, but a point of faith and certainty. Secondly, 'Tis near; things at a diflance move us nor, though they be never fo great ;'twill not be long ere our great change come about, and therefore we fhould have more effectual thoughts about the world, wherein we (hall fhertly live, and make what preparations are neceffary thereunto, as 2 Tim. 4. 6, The time of my departure is at hand; therefore we fhould watch, and be always ready ; we muff be gone hence ere long ; therefore do not fet objeds of faith at a greater diflance than God hath let them, left your time be (loll" from you, and you flep into theother world before you thought of ir, or prepared for it. 3. US E. Do we hope for that which we fee not ? Fires, It may be known by the v: dory and over - ruling influence of thefe hopes ; if they govern the defign and buunefs of our lives; if they do, then there things will take up more of our time, and hearts, and care, than things fenfible and vilble, 2 Cor. 4. 18. While we look not at the things which areeen, but at the things which are not een; fer the things which are een, are temporal, but the things which are not feen, are eternal. If your hope be not powerful and effectual; to overcome your inclinations to things teen, and break the force of 'them, 'tis but a flight hope. 2. If' we hope for things unf en, they will be the life, and joy, andfolate of our actions ; fome have no other joys acid furrows, than what are fetched from flelhly and fenfible things; and (peak of nothing fo comfortably, and fo ferioufly, as of this worldly life ; the pleafures of the flefh revive them, but they take little comfort in the joys of the o- ther world; but where the eye of the foul is opened, to behold the glory of the world to come, it lets in an abundance of heavenly pleafure, Rom. 5. 2. and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3. More eager defires, and diligent fee!¿ing after this bleffednefo ; for hope is an indufiri- ous affection, Cal. 3. 1. If ye be rifen with Chrifi, feekthofe things which are above; Matt. 6. 37. Firfl leek the kingdom of God, and his righteoufnefs. Hi; great bufinefs is to get what he hopeth for; his endeavours are ferious and conitant, and the courfe of his life is for heaven. Secondly, The inference thence deduced, Then do we with patience wait for it. Dolt. They only hope for eternal fe, who continue in the perfirit of it with patience. Ar hope is bred by faith, to is patience bred by hope; 'cis fometimes made the fruit of faith, or a Redraft reliance on Gods promifes, as Beb. 6. rz. butfollowers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promifes; fometimes of hope, Rom. 12. 12. rejoicing in hope, patient in tribe ation i the great work of hope, is to provide us patience to en- dure the hardlhips which at prefent lie upon us. Let me fpeak of the kinds of patience. There is a threefold fort of patience. r. The bearing patience ; which is a conllancy in adverfity, and worketh conflancys and perleverance, notwithilanding the difficulties and tryals that we meet with in our paffage to heaven; Heb. 10. 36. 2e have need o f patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye may receive the promife. A child of God cannot be without patience, becaufe he cannot be without troubles and moleflations in the fielh; a man would think, that he that hath done the will of God, and been careful in all things to keepa good con - fcience, Mould have nothing elfe to do, but o and take poflbfíion of his blefltd hopes ; but 'cis not enough to do good, but before we can go to heaven, we mull fùffer evil ; God bath fomething to do by us, and Camething to do with us.. Now we mill be pre - 9 II pared
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