EpfileofS. Patel 10`Ì11tH. CnAP. Z.Z. i which he that framed it at the firlt,hath in his wifcdome appointed for 1 27 the further reformation ofit. Daff. z. The fecond inflruRion out oldieword is , That true faith- Trae faith ne. al Heuer petit alone;but as a Qeene,is attended withmany other graces, üef °°"h one as knowledge,loue,feare of God ; among which hope here mentioned, not only adorneth, andbeautifieth, but firengthneth and fortifieth the beleeuer, and as an helmetoffalnation,caufeththe Chriftian fouldier to holdout in repentance,and obedience -Hence it is that our Apoftle fpea- keth not of thefaith oftheelea, but bee tnentioneth as an inseparable' handmaid, the hope oflife eternal!: fodoth the Apoflle John, Wee are now 001,3.2. the formes ofGed:here isfaith,making vs theborne of God:and we know that when hefhaliappeare,we / hall be like him:there is hope : andwhofoener bath this hopepurgeth himfelfe,as he ti pure: there is the ftrengthning ofthe beleeuer in obedience. Notablefor this purpofe i s that place in Rom. S. t,2.8tc.where the whole traine ofgraces attendingand following faith,', are fully and excellentlydefcribed. Now this hope isazipofGod , whereby the Saints patiently, andfirmely Atrt:eeletcr;p. expeïf good things to come alreadie beleedted, efpecially their refurreflion, don of Chritti. and life eternal!, prouoking them in the meane rime to all dutie. In which anh °pe. defcription,diuerfe things are tobe conf+.dered. Firß,the original/ of it.It is agift ofGod, andobtained by prayer, as faith allo is;whence the Apo- ¡ fr,o tgw,.fpci ß1e praieth that the Godofonr Lord Iefus Chrift,would giue the Ephe- clt Ueus flans toknow ,what the hope is of his calling, Secondly the fidbiel-ts in hpb., 7. whom it is, TheSaints : for as the prahtife ofbelecuers before Chrill to waite for his firßcomming in humilitie,as we read ofSimcon,Annah,and tuk,z.37.}9, many others; fo now belecuers as conflantly waite for his fecond cotn- ming,and the comforts of it,Reu.a2.57. And that it belongeth only to theSaints is cicare : a. In that it is ioyned with the faith of the eleel in this text. a. Becaufe it arifeth from faith,is nourilhed by it,and is pro- portionall vnto it, 3.The thing hoped for,belongeth only to the Saints: they only haue right in the treeof life , and only they enter in , through ccµ t4 the gates into theCitric. 4. That which meriteth the thing hoped for, that is, the righreoulneffe andobedience of Chrill, belongeth onely to them ; for them onely he praìed while he was on earth, for themonly he died,he role againe,afceaded incoheauen,and now maketh requefis at theright hand of his Father. Thirdly, the obie& ofthis hope; Things to come, and namely after 3 the refurreetion , lifeeternali. In which regard the Apoßle calleth it an pointy.,. hoe laid v in heatren : which is all one with that in the text hoe of Piles prairen5 p p p um, fetes life eternali;vnto which it lifreth vp the heart and affehtions.Where the futurtun,acae., excellencieofthe gracemay be conceiued , from the excellencieof the `°r obieC :
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=