1st. What is this Hope? Hope is put for the thing hoped for, Heaven with all the Glory thereof; for it is a Hope that lies within the Veil, ver. 19. or a Hope laid up for us in Heaven, Col. 1.5. Mark the double end of him that cometh unto Christ, Refuge and Salvation; for in Christ there is not only Deliverance from pursuing Wrath, but Eternal Life to be found: First we fly from deserved Wrath, then we take hold of undeserved Glory. This is more easy of the two, Rom. 5.10, 11. For if when we were Enemies, we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son; much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his Life. And not only so, but we also joy in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the Atonement. The greatest Brunt is at first, because of the great fear upon us to fly from Wrath; then we encourage our selves to take hold of Eternal Life. In the temporal Refuges they had Security, but not Possessions, there was no Heritage there: but here we are not only secured against the Avenger of Blood, but we are called to great and glorious Hopes. Our Privileges in Christ are not only privative, but positive. Cant. 2.3. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his Fruit was sweet to my Taste. Christ is not only a shady Tree, to afford a cool and wholesome Shade to shelter us from the Scorchings of the Sun, but a fruitful Tree; we are not only sheltered from Wrath, but called to eat of the Apples of Paradise. In the Covenant of Grace God doth not only enter into a League with us, that he will not hurt us, but he openeth all his Treasure to us. So Psal. 84.11. The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield. We are not only pardoned, but restored to Favours and Friendship. It is much to us to be delivered from the Terrors of Hell, but more to be made Heirs of Eternal Life. The Prodigal only looked for a Pardon, Luke 15. 19. —Make me as one of thy hired Servants; and the Father bringeth forth the Robe, the Ring, and the fatted Calf. O that we that have deserved to be in the bottom of Hell, should find a place in the Heart and Bosom of God! Let us enlarge our Expectations according to the Extent of Christ's Mercy. Here is Pardon and Glory; Heaven is more credible than Pardon, Rom. 5.10. —Much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his Life. It is harder to get a guilty Sinner pardoned, than a pardoned Sinner glorified.
1st. What is this Hope? Hope is put for the thing hoped for, Heaven with all the Glory thereof; for it is a Hope that lies within the Vail, ver. 19. or a Hope laid up for us in Heaven, Col. 1.5. Mark the double end of him that cometh unto Christ, Refuge and Salvation; for in Christ there is not only Deliverance from pursuing Wrath, but Eternal Life to be found: First we fly from deserved Wrath, then we take hold of undeserved Glory. This is more easy of the two, Rom. 5.10, 11. For if when we were Enemies, we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son; much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his Life. And not only so, but we also joy in God, through our Lord Iesus Christ, by whom we have now received the Atonement. The greatest Brunt is at first, because of the great fear upon us to fly from Wrath; then we encourage our selves to take hold of Eternal Life. In the temporal Refuges they had Security, but not Possessions, there was no Heritage there: but here we are not only secured against the Avenger of Blood, but we are called to great and glorious Hopes. Our Privileges in Christ are not only privative, but positive. Cant. 2.3. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his Fruit was sweet to my Taste. Christ is not only a shady Tree, to afford a cool and wholsome Shade to shelter us from the Scorchings of the Sun, but a fruitful Tree; we are not only sheltred from Wrath, but called to eat of the Apples of Paradise. In the Covenant of Grace God doth not only enter into a League with us, that he will not hurt us, but he openeth all his Treasure to us. So Psal. 84.11. The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield. We are not only pardoned, but restored to Favours and Friendship. It is much to us to be delivered from the Terrors of Hell, but more to be made Heirs of Eternal Life. The Prodigal only looked for a Pardon, Luke 15. 19. —Make me as one of thy hired Servants; and the Father bringeth forth the Robe, the Ring, and the fatted Calf. O that we that have deserved to be in the bottom of Hell, should find a place in the Heart and Bosom of God! Let us enlarge our Expectations according to the Extent of Christ's Mercy. Here is Pardon and Glory; Heaven is more credible than Pardon, Rom. 5.10. —Much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his Life. It is harder to get a guilty Sinner pardoned, than a pardoned Sinner glorified.
