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what a Man feeth, why doth be yet hope for? But if we hope for that we fee not, then do we with Patience wait for it (d). I have been afhamed of my Hope in an. Arm of Flefh, but Hope in the Promife of • God maketh not ashamed (e). In my greatest Sufferings I will fay, The Lord is my Portion, therefore will I hope in Him; the Lord is good unto them that "wait for Him, to the Soul that feeketh Him. It is

god that a Man fhould both hope and quietly wait for "the Salvation of the Lord, For the Lord will not caft

off for ever. But though He caufe Grief, yet will! "He bave Compaffim, according to the Multitude of His "Mercies (f). Tho' I languifh and die, yet will I "hope; for the Righteous hath Hope in his Death (g). "Tho I muft lie down in Duft and Darkness, yet "there my Flesh fhall reft in Hope (h). And when

my Flesh hath nothing to rejoice in, yet will I "bid fast the Rejoicing of the Hope firm unto the End (i); "for the Hope of the Righteous fhall be Gladness (k). "Indeed, if I was myfelf to fatisfy divine Justice, "then there had been no Hope; but Chrift hath brought in a better Hope, by the which we draw nigh

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unto God (1), Or, if I had to do with a feeble "Creature, there were fmall Hope; for, how could "he raife this Body from the Duft, and lift me above "the Sun? But what is this to the Almighty "Power, which made the Heavens and the Earth

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out of nothing? Cannot that Power which raised · "Chrift from the Dead, raife me? and that, which "bath glorified the Head, glorify alfo the Member: ?> "Doubtless, by the Blood of His Covenant, God will "fend forth His Prifoners out of the Pit wherein is no "Water; therefore will I turn to the frong Hoid, as a Prisoner of Hope (m).”

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(d) Rom. viii. 24, 25.
(g) Prov. xiv. 32.
(k, Prov. x. 28.

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(e) Rom. v. 5.
(h) Pf. xvi. 9.
(1) Heb, vii. 19.

§ 15:

(f) Lam. iii. 24--26, 31, 32. (i) Heb. iii, 6.

(in) Zech. ix, 11, 12.

$15. (4) Courage or Boldness is another Affection to be exercifed in heavenly Contemplation. It leadeth to Refolution, and concludeth in Action. When you have raifed your Love, Defire, and Hope, go on, and think thus with yourself; "Will God indeed dwell

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with Men? And is there fuch a Glory within the "Reach of Hope? Why then do I not lay hold upon "it? Where is the chearful Vigour of my Spirit? Why do I not gird up the Loins of my Mind (n)? "Why don't I fet upon my Enemies on every Side,

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and valiantly break through all Resistance? What "fhould ftop me, or intimidate me? Is God with me, or against me in the Work? Will Chrift stand by me, or will He not? If God and Chrift be for me, who can be against me (6)? In the Work of Sin, almost all Things are ready to help us, and "enly God and His Servants are against us, yet how *ill doth that Work proffer in our Hands? But in my Courfe to Heaven, almost all Things are againft me, but God is for me; and therefore how happily doth the Work fucceed? Do I fet upon "this Work in my own Strength, or rather in the Strength of Chrift my Lord? And cannot I do all "Things through Him that strengthens me (p)? Was "He ever foiled by an Enemy? He hath indeed been 46 affaulted, but was He ever conquered? Why then “doth my Flesh urge me with the Difficulties of the Work? Is any Thing too hard for Omnipotence? May not Peter boldly walk on the Sea, if Christ gives the Word of Command? If he begin to fink, 66 is it from the Weakness of Chrift, or the Smallness of his Faith? Do I not well deferve to be turned into Hell, if mortal Threats can drive me thither? "Do not well deferve to be fhut out of Heaven, if "I will be frighted from thence with the Reproach

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"of Tongues? What if it were Father, or Mother, "or Husband, or Wife, or the nearest Friend I have "in the World, (if they may be called Friends that "would draw me to Damnation) fhould I not forfake all that would keep me from Chrift? Will "their Friendship countervail the Enmity of God, or be any Comfort to my condemned Soul? Shall "I be yielding to the Defires of Men, and only “harden myself against the Lord? Let them beseech

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me upon their Knees, I will fcorn to ftop my "Courfe to behold them; I will fhut my Ears to their "Cries: Let them flatter, or frown; let them draw out Tongues or Swords against me; I am refolved "in the Strength of Chrift to break through, and "look upon them as Duft: If they would entice me "with Preferment, even with the Kingdoms of the “World, I will no more regard them than the Dung "of the Earth. O bleffed Reft! O glorious State! "Who would fell thee for Dreams and Shadows? "Who would be enticed or affrighted from thee? "Who would not ftrive, and fight, and watch, and 66 run, and that with Violence, even to the laft Breath, in order to obtain thee? Surely none, "but thofe that know thee not, and believe not thy Glory."

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§ 16. (5) The laft Affection to be exercifed in heavenly Contemplation, is Joy. Love, Defire, Hope, and Courage, all tend to raise our Joy. This is fo defirable to every Man by Nature, and fo effentially neceffary to conftitute our Happinefs, that, I hope, I need not fay much to perfuade you to any Thing that would make your Life delightful. Suppofing you therefore already convinced, that the Pleasures of the Flesh are brutish and perishing, and that your folid and lafting Joy must be from Heaven, inftead of perfuading, I fhall proceed in directing. Reader, if

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thou haft managed well the former Work, thou art got within Sight of thy Reft; thou believeft the Truth of it; thou art convinced of its Excellency; thou art fallen in love with it; thou longeft after it; thou hopeft for it; and thou art refolved to venture cou ragiously for obtaining it. But is here any Work for Joy in this? We delight in the Good we poffefs; it is prefent Good that is the Object of Joy; and thou wilt fay, "Alas! I am yet without it." But think a little farther with thyfelf Is it nothing to have a Deed of Gift from God? Are His infallible Promifes no Ground of Joy? Is it nothing to live in daily Expectation of entering into the Kingdom? Is not my Affurance of being hereafter glorified, a fufficient Ground for inexpreffible Joy? Is it not a Delight to. the Heir of a Kingdom, to think of what he must foon poffefs, though at prefent he little differ from a Servant? Have we not both Command, and Example, for rejoicing in Hope of the Glory of God (q)?

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$ 17. HERE then, Reader, take thy Heart once more, and carry it to the Top of the highest Mount; fhew it the Kingdom of Chrift, and the Glory of it, and fay to it, "All this will thy Lord give thee, who haft "believed in Him, and been a Worshipper of Him. Ik "is the Father's good Pleafure to give thee this King "dom (r). Seeft thou this aftonishing Glory which "is above thee? All this is thy own Inheritance. "This Crown is thine, thefe Pleatures are thine, "this Company, this beautiful Place, all are thine; "because thou art Chrift s, and Chrift is thine; "when thou waft united to Him, thou hadft all these "with Him." Thus take thy Heart into the Land of Promife; fhew it the pleafant Hills, and fruitful Vallies; fhew it the Clufters of Grapes which thou haft gathered, to convince it that it is a bleffed Land, flowing

(q) Rom. v. 2.

xii. 12.

(r) Luke xii. 32.

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301 flowing with better than Milk and Honey: Enter the Gates of the holy City; walk thro' the Streets of the new Ferufalem; walk about Sion, and go round about her; tell the Towers thereof; mark well her Bulwarks; confider her Palaces; that thou mayft tell it to thy Soul (s). Hath it not the Glory of God, and is not her Light like unto a Stone most precious, even like a Fafper Stone, clear as Gryftal? See the twelve Foundations of her Walls, and in them the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. And the Building of the Walls of it are of fafper; and the City is pure Gold, like unto clear Glass; and the Foundations are garnished with all Manner of precious Stones. And the twelve Gates are twelve Pearls, every feveral Gate is of one Pearl; and the Street of the City is pure Gold, as it were transparent Glafs. There is no Temple in it; for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, are the Temple of it. It hath no need of the Sun, neither of the Moon in it; for the Glory of God doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the Light thereof; and the Nations of. them which are faved, fhall walk in the Light of it. Thefe Sayings are faithful and true: And the Lord God of the holy Prophets fent His Angels, and His own Son, to fhew unto His Servants the Things which muft fhortly be done (t). Say now to all this, "This is thy Reft, "O my Soul! And this must be the Place of thy "everlafting Habitation. Let all the Sons of Sion "rejoice, let the Daughters of Jerufalem be glad; for

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great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the City "of our God, in the Mountain of His Holiness. Beau"tiful for Situation, the Joy of the whole Earth is "Mount Sion. God is known in her Palaces for is "Refuge (u)."

18. YET proceed on. The Soul that loves, afcends frequently, and runs familiarly thro' the Streets

(8) Pfalm xlviii. 12, 13. (t) Rev, xxi. 11--24. xxii, 6,
(u) Pfalm xlviii, 11.21--30

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