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is the Highest and most Desirable Bleffing, and, Therefore the Principal Object of our Hope; which St. Paul speaks of, Rom. v. 2. By whom we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Thofe Directions and Affiftances, which are the Means of attaining Eternal Happiness, though they be Divine Vouchfafements which we can never fufficiently value, are yet Inferiour to that Happiness it self, and are therefore a Secundary object of our Hope. So we find the Apoftle expreffing his Hope of Divine Grace, whereby he might be enabled to Persevere in his Duty, howfoever Difficult or Hazardous it might be; Phil. i. 20.

The Principal Hope of a Chriftian, or, the firm Expectation of Everlasting Felicity, is a Conditional Duty, and properly found in Thofe alone, who fincerely Obferve the Divine Commands. And in such persons 'tis a Duty, as of Neceffary Obligation, fo likewife highly Excellent and Acceptable upon Two accounts; First, becaufe 'tis an intire Reliance upon God's Power, Goodness and Fidelity, for Favours Future and Unfeen,

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and Those fuch, as are in pure Humane appearance scarce to be expected, and no otherwife to be Firmly Depended on, than from an Affurance of the Power, and Goodness, and Faithfulness of God. Thus those Full measures of Hope, which crowned Abraham's Faith, were in the most Signal manner Approved and Accepted: * For against hope he believed in hope; And therefore it was Imputed to him for Righteoufnefs. And the Excellen

cy of this Divine Grace is ftill Further Evident from the Bleffed Influence, which it is Apt to have, in concurrence with the Operations of the Holy Spirt, upon mens Lives and Actions: † For every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure; Does not only confider the Neceffity of mens leading Holy Lives, in order to Proper Hope, but is instigated and excited by it, to Fulfil the conditions of it; and is ftrengthen'd and supported by it under all

*Rom. iv. 18, 22.

John. iii. 3.

St. Paul Speaks of Hope as the Anchor of the Soul, and an Helmet. Accordingly St. Chryfoftom, Expof. in Pf. ix. and his moft Pious and Excellent Difciple, Ifidor. Peleuf. lib. ii.

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the Difficulties and Conflicts of the Chri

ftian Life.

But, though the Virtue be represented in General, as a Conditional Duty; yet that Limitation is to be looked upon, in a Different View, with regard to the Different Circumftances of Good and Bad men. For when thofe Conditions, which are the Ground of it, are Actually performed, as they are by all Sincere Christians, the Obligation of the Duty upon them becomes Abfolute. But the relation, which it bears to Difobedient men, is purely Conditional; and it cannot be either Neceffary, or Allowable in Them, to hope for Salvation, but upon Condition that they fhall attain a State of Sincere Obedience, which they have not already attain'd. And yet even this Conditional and Distant Hope fhould, in all Reason, be very conducive to their Reformation; for what Reasonable man would not be very Strongly inclined to

ep. 17. have in most fignificant words expressed the Mighty Power of Hope, as rendring Men Steddy and Impregnable, under the most violent Affaults of Temptation. Vide etiam S. Chryfoft. in Pf. xlv. & Homil. ad Pop. Antioch, 2.

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Obedience, fince his Obedience will lead him, firft, into the Comfortable and Certain Expectation of Eternal Bliss, and afterwards into the Enjoyment of it.

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The fame thing is obfervable of Hope, in refpect of its Secundary Object, the Influences of the Holy Spirit, enabling men to work out their Salvation. though the Conftant Aids of the Spirit are not otherwise to be Hoped for, than upon Condition, that they be duly Applied and Ufed; yet every Faithful Servant of God, having already Anfwer'd that condition, may, under his Prefent State, depend Abfolutely upon them: And fuch a Dependence is in him a Neceffary Duty. But the Hope of fuch measures of Grace, as are Sufficient to the Accomplishment of the Spiritual Life, can no otherwise appertain to an Impenitent Sinner, who hath all along Refifted the Holy Spirit, than in a way ftrictly Conditional: He cannot Juftly take up a Firm Expectation of fuch Full and Effectual measures of Grace, without Suppofing himself to become Sincere and Faithful in a Future Ufe and Improve

ment

ment of those means, which he hath hitherto Neglected and Abused. And even This Hope, Remote as it is, must needs be a Weighty and Forcible Inducement to Repentance and a Holy Life: For what man, in his Sound mind, would not fincerely endeavour to become Holy and Happy, when the Sincerity of his Endeavours is the Only thing required, on His Part, in order to the Sufficiency and Success of them?

Those who are Faithful in the Use of their Talents, the Abilities which God gives them, whatever those Abilities are, may Juftly Hope, that the Holy Spirit will Abundantly fupport them under all the Difficulties of Duty: But whilst that Fidelity is wanting, an Abfolute and Firm Expectation of Effectual aids from the Spirit, is not Hope, but Prefumption, as properly, as the charge of Prefumption falls upon Those also, who flatter themselves with the Hopes of Heaven, whilst they are under the Dominion of Sin. They may poffibly Defire Happiness; but Hope implies Juft Expectation, as well as Defire; and That is Peculiar to the SinM 3

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