SRR.MOl!1 XL. 565 there areno appearing prospects to the eye of sense, and in op- position to a thousand rising dangers ; when hecan live upon the naked promise, andbe assured of the'full performance, merely becausehis God bath spokenit. Then we give honour to God, such as the souls in heaven cannot give him, when tinder the re- newed exercise of faith and repentance we maintain a humble hope ofthe pardonof sin through thepromises ofhis gospel, even though our iniquities have been exceedinggreat, and though sin is every day working and striving against our best purposes, and too often bringing us under fresh guilt. Then we glorify our blessed Redeemer so a,s the saints in heaven cannot glorify him, when we feel our consciences bur- dened with sin, andyetmaintain faith and hope of acceptance with a great andholy God, through the death, righteousness, and intercession of a person whom we never saw. This is an illustrious honour done to thename, and sacrifice, and mediation of the Son of God. Then we give glory to the blessed Spirit our enlightener, and our sanctifier, when in the midst 'of our own errors anddark- messes, and in the midst of difficulties and cavils raised by men, we trust in his promised guidance into all necessary truth; when we walk .on in the midst of temptations waiting and hoping for fresh sanctifying influences, while we feel and groan over the deceitfulness and the weakness of our own hearts, that are too ready to start aside fromGod like a brokenbow. Then we honour God and his gospel indeed, when we hope for our own final salvation through the blood of the everlasting covenant, having fled for refuge ,to the hopethat is set before us, though by the wiles of the devil, we have been under strong temptations to despair, and sometimes have seemed tobe for- saken of God, as Christ Jesus was when banging on the cross: Itwas then that heglorified his Father and his God, by the con- stancyand courage of hishope, in sucha manner as he was never capable of doing after that great and dreadful day ; and herein his poor tempted followers have been noble imitators of their Saviour and their Lord, and haveheld fast their confidence in divine mercy in the midst of sore temptations, and given great glory to their God and Father. Nor Is this hope a vain presuming confidence, or a bold fit of enthusiasm, for it evidences its own heavenly and divine original, by keeping the soul pure, and holy, and humble, in the midst of all this darkness, and this disconsolate state : He that has this hope will purify himself, even as Christ is pure; 1 John iii. 3, Ä presuming hope that carries no spring of holiness in it,, cast neither honour God nor profit men.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=