Ground 2 Secondly, the righteous have just cause to rejoice, as in regard of what they have, so in regard of what they hope for and expect. * Rejoice in hope, saith the Apostle: a second Ground of their Joy. For they live in hope and expectation ofh ha Crown, ofi a Kingdom; ofk an incorruptible Crown, ofl an everlasting Kingdom: of a most happy, a most blissful, a most blessed estate.m Hope, we say, is the very Heart of the Soul, and the very Life of a Mans Life. It is that that putteth Spirit into our Spirits, and maketh our Life to be Life. nAn hopeless Life, is an heartless Life: And he is a most forlorn man that hath no Hopes. oIt is that that is wont to support mens Souls, and not to ⟨p. 179⟩stay them only from fainting, but to cheer up their hearts, and to fill them with joy, amidst many sore crosses and occasions of much grief. And if worldly hopes can do so much, being so vain, sop uncertain: How much more may a Christian mans hopes, (for there isq no man that liveth more by hope than he; nor hath any man better, or greater, or surer hopes than he hath:) being so great that he cannot possibly hope for so much, but he shall receive much more; and he shall find, when he cometh to it, as the Queen ofr Saba told Solomon, sthat the one half was not told him: so certain, that he is as sure of what he hopeth for, as if already he had it; (for thist hope never faileth: andu those that God hath justified, those he hath glorified; they are as sure to be glorified, as if already they were.) How much more, I say, may* these hopes of the godly, being so good, so great, so sure, so certain, fill their hearts with joy amidst all occasions of grief?x Rejoice, saith our Saviour, your names are written in Heaven. Andy when men persecute you, and put out your names, and revile you, and speak all the evil that may be of you; even then rejoice ye, and be glad; for great is your reward in Heaven. And,z Being justified by faith, saith the Apostle, we are at peace with God, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God: yea we rejoice in tribulations. And, wherein (that is, in the hope whereof) ye greatly rejoice, saith S. Peter, though for a season ye be in heaviness by means of manifold afflictions.
Ground 2 Secondly, the righteous have just cause to rejoyce, as in regard of what they have, so in regard of what they hope for and expect. * Rejoyce in hope, saith the Apostle: a second Ground of their Ioy. For they live in hope and expectation ofh ha Crowne, ofi a Kingdome; ofk an incorruptible Crowne, ofl an everlasting Kingdome: of a most happy, a most blissefull, a most blessed estate.m Hope, we say, is the very Heart of the Soule, and the very Life of a Mans Life. It is that that putteth Spirit into our Spirits, and maketh our Life to be Life. nAn hopelesse Life, is an heartlesse Life: And hee is a most forlorne man that hath no Hopes. oIt is that that is wont to support mens Soules, and not to ⟨p. 179⟩stay them onely from fainting, but to cheere up their hearts, and to fill them with joy, amids many sore crosses and occasions of much griefe. And if worldly hopes can doe so much, being so vaine, sop uncertaine: How much more may a Christian mans hopes, (for there isq no man that liveth more by hope than hee; nor hath any man better, or greater, or surer hopes than he hath:) being so great that he cannot possibly hope for so much, but he shall receive much more; and he shall finde, when he commeth to it, as the Queene ofr Saba told Solomon, sthat the one halfe was not told him: so certain, that he is as sure of what he hopeth for, as if already he had it; (for this
- hRom. 12.12.
- hJam. 1.12.Iam. 1.12.
- iLuk. 12 32.
- k1 Cor. 9.25.
- l1 Pet. 1.4. Apoc. 15.22. Luke 1.33.
- m[Greek or Hebrew]. Antiph. de chorent. Spes dulcissima oblectamenta. Sen. epist. 23.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Antiph. de chorent. Spes dulcissima oblectamenta. Sen. epist. 23.
- n[Greek or Hebrew]. Miserrimum est timere, cùm speres nihil. Sen. Troad. 3. Itaque postquam adempta spes est, lassus cura confectus animus stupet. Ter. And. 2.1.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Miserrimum est timere, cùm speres nihil. Sen. Troad. 3. Itaque postquam adempta spes est, lassus cura confectus animus stupet. Ter. And. 2.1.
- o[Greek or Hebrew]. Electra apud Nonnum Dionys. l. 7. [Greek or Hebrew]. Theophyl. ep. 24. [Greek or Hebrew]. Greg. Naz. propauper. Sola spes hominem in miseriis consolari solet. Cic. in Catil. 4. Vide Ovidium de Ponto 1.7.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Electra apud Nonnum Dionys. l. 7. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Theophyl. ep. 24. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Greg. Naz. propauper. Sola spes hominem in miseriis consolari solet. Cic. in Catil. 4. Vide Ovidium de Ponto 1.7.
