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reckoned their greateft fufferings not worthy to be compared with the glory to be revealed; looking at things invisible and eternal, they knew their light and momentary afflictions wrought out for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. This was the fupport of martyrs under all their fufferings in the caufe of Chrift: "Bleffed are ye when all men perfecute you: "Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great "is your reward in heaven."*

In short, hope fets all the springs of christian activity to work; fweetens the moft difficult and felf-denying duties of religion, and is that which only can make men eminent, useful and diligent christians.

14. True chriftian hope, may be diftinguifhed from carnal confidence and presumption, chiefly by its quickening and риrifying effects. He who hath this hope "in him, purifieth himself as GoD is pure." If we believe the many great and precious promifes of the gofpel, and are caufed to hope for their accomplishment, "We fhall cleanfe ourselves from all filthinefs both of flesh and spirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of GOD." When a man's hopes do not purify his foul, nor make him diligent in his chriftian duty, but leave him wicked, carelefs and flothful, it may be depended on, that they are mere groundless

Matth. v.

prefumptions; thofe hopes of the hypocrite which perish. The chriftian hope is a lively hope; the inward fpring of fervent defires, reviving joys and zealous endeavors. The man who has got a believing view of the high prize of glory, preffes on towards it, with unremitting diligence, and purifies himself, because he knows none but the pure in heart will receive it, or can enjoy it.

15. The chriftian hope tends to purify, cleanse and sanctify all who have it, in various ways; as, (1.) By the objects of it, which are the pure and holy GOD, and a ftate of pure and holy blessedness. Indeed, none but fuch as are in fome meafure purified from their lufts and fins, can entertain or please themselves with fuch a hope at all: Whence it follows, that no wicked perfon ever had or can have a true christian hope. (2.) Those who have this hope are purified by the frequent and ferious thoughts of GOD, and heavenly glory. As the object of their hope is fpiritual and divine; fo the frequent contemplation of it purifies and raifes their affections from the earth, and transforms them into the fame. likenefs: As the chriftian's hope, treasure and heart are in heaven, fo it is likely his converfation will be there alfo,

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16. Every man will have his hope; but it behoves us to fee to it that our's is rationally founded, and a true christian hope,

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that will attend us to death, and to the gates of heaven.-If it purifies our hearts, and quickens our holy diligence, it will never deceive us; but if not, it is counterfeit ; and, "what will become of the hope of the "hypocrite, when Gop taketh away his "foul ?"

17. How great will their fall be, who fall from a conceited and imaginary heaven into a real hell? Hope, of all the paffions, is the most calm and quiet; but when disappointed, the rage, impatience, forrow and defpair of hell muft follow. Let us therefore examine our hopes, leaft this fhould be our fad case.

ESSAY XLIV.

The NATURES and PERSON of CHRIST.

1. As

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S Chrift is the end of the law, the C sum and substance of the gospel the pearl of great price; the author, finisher and object of our faith, trust, hope and dependance; our Redeemer, and through Gop, portion and salvation, it well becomes us, as chriftians, to grow in the knowledge of, and acquaint ourselves well with this glorious, perfon: For, the better we know him in his natures, person and

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saving offices, the more clear and comfortable will be the grounds of our faith and truft in him; the better fhall we love him, and the more cheerfully fhall we follow and obey him.

2. He is, indeed, a most wonderful and mysterious perfon; but the holy fcriptures have revealed to us a number of his glories and given us many rich materials for the growing knowledge of him, and acquaintance with him. 3. He is reprefented in one view, as the wonderful counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace, the Word which was in the beginning with GoD, and which was GOD; the Creator of all things, visible and invisible, by whomall things are and consist: -And, in another view, he is reprefented as the Son of man; the man Jesus; born of a virgin; appearing in the form of a servant, and in the likeness of sinful flesh; smitten, wounded and bruised, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; bungering, thirsting, weary, sorrowing, bleeding and dying; made of woman; made under the law, and the like ;-which plainly proves, that in this myfterious perfon, there are two widely different and diftin&t natures; not only a soul and a body, as in other human creatures, but a truly divine.. and human nature; by the one of which..

he is truly and really GoD, and by the other truly and really man.

4. Some heretics fuppofed, that the divine nature of Chrift ferved as a soul to his human body, and therefore, that he had no human foul, diftinct from his God head, or divine nature: but this is an error against fcripture, which affures us, that Chrift had a true human soul, diftinct from his divine: nature, and that this foul was forrowful even to death. Now it would be impious to fuppofe, that the God-bead or divine nature of Chrift, suffered, or felt any uneafy paffion. Befides, unless Chrift had had a proper human foul befides his divine nature, as we have, he could not be truly and properly man, as we are; and therefore not a proper Kinsman-Redeemer.

5. Chriftians are divided about the time of the creation of Chrift's human foul: The generality holding that it was created and joined to his body in the virgin's womb. But others, with Dr. WATTS, hold, that it was created the firft of all creatures; and that the divine nature of Chrift, acting by it, created all other worlds and creatures; converfed with Adam in paradise; was made vifible to the Patriarchs, and was the grand agent in tranfacting all the affairs of man's redemption in all ages of the world; and really defcended from heaven, divested

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