hearts, and imconstant actings of our graces, which are as often ebbing as flowing ; and so our joy could not be constant, because our graces are not ; but as these springs lie high or low, so would this rise and fall ; yea, we were sure to drink more water than wine, oftener want joy than have it; whereas now the Christian's cup need never be empty, because he draws his wine from an imdrainable fountain, that never sends any poor soul away ashamed, as the brook of our inherent grace would certainly do.
Section II. — Quest. But whence hath hope this virtue? Or what are the ingredients in hope's cordial that thus exhilarates the saint's spirit in affliction ? Ans. First, Hope brings certain news of a happy issue, that shall shortly close up all the wounds made by his present suff"erings. When God comes to save his afllicted servants, though he may come sooner than they hoped or looked for him, yet he doth not come unlooked for ; salvation is what they calculate upon, Jer. xxix. 11 : 'I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord ; thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end;' that is, an end suitable to the hopes and expectations taken up by you. Hope is a prying grace ; it is able to look beyond the exterior transactions of Provi- dence : it can, by the help of the promise, peep into the very bosom of God, and read what thoughts and purposes are written there concerning the Chris- tian's particular estate, and this it imparts to him, bidding him not to be at all troubled to hear God speaking roughly to him in the language of his provi- dence ; for, saith hope, I can assure thee he means thee well, whatever he saith that sounds otherwise: for as the law, which came hundreds of years after the promise made to Abraham, could not disannul it ; so neither can any intervening aftlictions make void those thoughts and counsels of love, which so long before have been set upon his heart for thy salvation. Now such an one must needs have a gi-eat advantage above others, for the pacifying and satisfy- ing his spirit concerning the present proceedings of God towards him, because though the actings of God upon the outward stage of providence be now sad and grievous, yet he is acquainted with Heaven's plot therein, and is admitted as it were into the attiring room of his secret counsel, where he sees garments of salvation preparing, in which he shall at last be clad, and come forth with joy. The traveller, when taken in a storm, can stand patiently imder a tree while it rains, because he hopes it is but a shower, and sees it clear up in one part of the heavens, while it is dark in another. Pi'ovidence is never so dark and cloudy, but hope can see fair weather coming from the promise. ' When these things begin to come to pass, then look vip, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh,' Luke xxi. 28 ; and that is as black a day as can come. When the Christian's affairs are most disconsolate, he may soon meet with a happy change. The joy of that blessed day comes ' in a moment; in the twinkling of an eye we shall be changed,' 1 Cor. xv. 52, In one moment sick and sad, in the next well and glad, never to know more what groans and tears mean. Now clad with the rags of mortal flesh, made miserable with a thousand troubles that attend it, in the twinkling of an eye arrayed with the robes of immortality, enriched with a thousand times more glory than the sun itself wears in that garment of light which now dazzleth our eyes. It is but for a moment, (said a holy martyr to his fellow-sufferer in the fire with him,) and our pain and sorrow is all over. Who can wonder to see a saint cheerful in his afflictions, that knows what good news he ex- pects to hear from heaven, and how soon he knows not? You have heard of the weapon salve, that cures wounds at a distance ; such a salve is hope. The saints' hope is laid up in heaven, and yet it heals all the wounds whicli they receive on earth. But this is not all; for as hope prophesies well con- cerning the happy end of the Christian's afflictions, so it assures him he shall be well attended while he lies under them. If Christ sends his disciples to sea, he means to be with them when they most need his company. The child that is well may be left awhile by the mother, but the sick one she will by no means stir from. ' When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee,' Isa. xliii. 2. You know what God said to Moses, when he was sick of his employment, and made so many excuses from his own inability, and all that he might have leave to lay down his commission, — ' Go,' saith God, Exod. iv. 12, ' and I will be thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.'
526 •''^I^'I^ TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION.