The saints anchor-hold, in all storms and tempests preached in sundry sermons, and published…

The last thing to be spoken to, is the duty esolved upon, illustrated by its object▪ which is, to exercise divine ⟨p. 77⟩hope; for so I call that hope, which hath God for its object and efficient, who is therefore called the God of hope, Rom. 15. 13. and for its ground, the Word of God, as this hope hath, Psal. 119. 49. The word in the Original, [Greek or Hebrew] translated hope, signifieth, to expect; which is the formal act of hope. Hence we may gather a definition of this divine hope. It is a lively, spiritual in-dwelling gift of grace, whereby believers are inclined to expect, in and from God, what ever good they want, and he hath promised. 1. For the general nature of it, which it hath in common with other fruits of the spirit; it is, 1. A lively gift of grace, an holy quality, or habit, or disposition, freely given of God; hereby it is distinguished from that hope, which is merely a natural affection. For, the natural affection of hope is, by corrupt nature, set upon a mans self, and earthly things, and cannot savour the things of God; and therefore is said to be dead. It's an hope that hath given up the Ghost, Job 11. 20. Natural men are big ⟨p. 78⟩with hopes, as they that are with child, and are in pain, to bring their hopes to the birth; but instead thereof, they bring forth wind. After long looking and hard labour, all is but a gripe of wind, like a fit of the colic, as the Prophet intimates, in Isa. 26. 18. But, by this gift of grace, which I call divine hope, that affection is sanctified, and lifted up unto God, and set upon him and heavenly things, and so quickened and made alive unto God. Whence believers are said to be begotten again to a lively hope, 1 Pet. 1. 3. This gift of grace I describe further by two properties: 1. Spiritual, it is a spiritual gift, for two reasons: 1. Because it is created and perfected in believers by the power of the Holy Spirit,