Marshall - BT765 M37 1788

44 7'he Gofpel-Myflery Dire& it And he that will burn up heaven, and quench hell that he may ferve God out of love, doth thersby leave himfelflittle better furnifhed thanthe Sudducee. The one denieth them, the other will not have them at all to be confidered in this cafe. Second/y, The fure hope of the glory of heaven, is male Life of ordinarily by God, fince the fall of Adam, as an encouragement to the praelice of boll. refs ; as theScripture clothabundantlyPhew. Chrift, the great pattern of holinefs, " for the joy that was " fet before him, endured the crofs, defpifing the " fhame, Heb. xii. 2." And though I cannot fay, that the firft Adam had fuch a fore hope to preferve him in innocency ; yet he had, inftead of it, the hprefent pof eftion of an earthly paradife, and an appy eftate in it ; which he knew would Taft, if he continued in holinefs, or be changed into a bet. ter happinefs. The apoftles did not faint under 2flíir`'1ion, becaufe they knew that it wrought for them " a far more exceeding and eternal weight " of glory, 2 Cor. iv. 16, i 7." The believingHe- brews " took joyfully the fpoiling of their goods, " knowing in themfelves that they had in heaven a et better and an enduring fubftánce, Heb. x. 34 " The apoftle Paul accountsall his fufferings unprofi- table, were it not for a glorious refurrealon ; and that Chriftians would be of all men moll miferable, and that the dottrine of the Epicures were rather to be chofen, " Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow *' we (hall die." And he exhorts the Corinthians to be `' abundant in the work of the Lord, know: " ing that their labour (hall not be in vain in the " Lord, a Cor. xv. 58."' As worldly hope keepeth the world at work in their various employments; fo God giveth his people the hope ofhis glory, to keep them clofe to his fervice, Heb. vi. r, 12. r John ill. 3. And it is loch a fare hope as (hall never make them afhamed, Rom. v. s Thofe that think it be- low theexcellencyof their love, to work from a hope

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