Neither is it to be thought, that the Hope of holy Job, Heman, and others, who in Trouble spake of their Hope being gone, and perished from the Lord, was indeed utterly lost and perished, but that it was only so in their own Apprehension, they being in great depths of Despondency, and under sad Desertion of Spirit. Like as the Church was, when she said, My God hath forsaken me, my God hath forgotten me; which God himself graciously answers, It was not so, nor could be so. A Saint's standing in Christ is firm; the Covenant is ordered in all things, and sure. But to confirm this glorious Truth, and make it yet more clear, and that I may leave no room for an Objection, that Hope is both sure and steadfast, &c. Consider the many strong Bars that are cemented together, (as so many Bars of Iron) hammered by the Spirit, to the making of this blessed Anchor of the Soul both sure and steadfast.
First; The Love of God is a sure Ground of the Saints Hope.1 I have loved thee with an everlasting Love, &c. If his Children forsake my Law, and walk not in my Judgments; if they break my Statutes, and keep not my Commandments: Then will I visit their Transgressions with the Rod, and their Iniquity with Stripes. Nevertheless, my Lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my Faithfulness to fail: My Covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing which is gone out of my Lips. 2— The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty, he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy, he will rest in his Love, he will joy over thee with singing. I am persuaded, that neither Death, nor Life, 3nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, nor Things present, nor Things to come, nor Height, nor Depth, nor any other Creature, shall be able to separate us from the Love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. If the Love of God be from everlasting to everlasting to them that fear him; if he rests in his Love; if he will not remove his Loving-kindness from them, notwithstanding their Sins and Infirmities; if nothing can separate them from the Love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord: then the Hope that Believers have in God is both sure and steadfast.
Secondly; God hath chosen, elected, and predestinated Believers in Christ unto eternal Life. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate, 4to be conformed to the Image of his Son.
Neither is it to be thought, that the Hope of holy Job, Heman, and others, who in Trouble spake of their Hope being gone, and perished from the Lord, was indeed utterly lost and perished, but that it was only so in their own Apprehension, they being in great depths of Despondency, and under sad Desertion of Spirit. Like as the Church was, when she said, My God hath forsaken me, my God hath forgotten me; which God himself graciously answers, It was not so, nor could be so. A Saint's standing in Christ is firm; the Covenant is ordered in all things, and sure. But to confirm this glorious Truth, and make it yet more clear, and that I may leave no room for an Objection, that Hope is both sure and stedfast, &c. Consider the many strong Bars that are cemented together, (as so many Bars of Iron) hammered by the Spirit, to the making of this blessed Anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast.
First; The Love of God is a sure Ground of the Saints Hope.1 I have loved thee with an everlasting Love, &c. If his Children forsake my Law, and walk not in my Judgments; if they break my Statutes, and keep not my Commandments: Then will I visit their Transgressions with the Rod, and their Iniquity with Stripes. Nevertheless, my Lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my Faithfulness to fail: My Covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing which is gone out of my Lips. 2— The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty, he will save, he will rejoyce over thee with joy, he will rest in his Love, he will joy over thee with singing. I am persuaded, that neither Death, nor Life, 3nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, nor Things present, nor Things to come, nor Height, nor Depth, nor any other Creature, shall be able to separate us from the Love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. If the Love of God be from everlasting to everlasting to them that fear him; if he rests in his Love; if he will not remove his Loving-kindness from them, notwithstanding their Sins and Infirmities; if nothing can separate them from the Love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord: then the Hope that Believers have in God is both sure and stedfast.
Secondly; God hath chosen, elected, and predestinated Believers in Christ unto eternal Life. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate, 4to be conformed to the Image of his Son.
- 1Jer. 31.3. Psal. 89.30, 31, 32, 33.
- 2Zeph. 3.17
- 3Rom. 8.38, 39.
- 4Rom. 8.29, 30.
