what a glorious name this will gain him in the thoughts of those he thus exalts ;■ these things, (which are all to he found in the word of promise,) well weighed and acknowledged, cannot but open the heart, though shut with a thousand bolts, to entertain the promise, and believe all is truth that God saith. You see how the promises may be suited to answer the particular objections raised against our hope ; it were easy to multiply instances, and to shew any other case with promises for the purpose ; but this will be most effectually done by you, who know your own scruples better than any other ; and be such true friends to your own souls as to take a little pains therein. The labour in gathering a few herbs in the field, and making them up into a medicine by the direction of the physician, is very well repaid, if the poor man finds it restores him to health.
Section VI. — Preserve thy experiences of past mercies, and thy hope will grow sti-onger for the future. ' Experience worketh hope,' Rom. v. 4. He is the best Christian who keeps the history of God's gracious dealings with him most carefully, so that he may read it in his past experiences, when at any time his thoughts trouble him, and his spiritual rest is broken with distracting fears for the future. This is he who will pass the night of afiliction and temptation with comfort and hope, while others that have taken no care to retain in their memories the remarkable instances of God's love and favour to them in the course of their lives, will find the want of this sweet companion in their sorrowful hours, and be put to sad distress ; yea, it will be well if they be not driven to think their case desperate and past all hope. Sometimes a little writing is found in a man's study that helps to save his estate, for want of which he had gone to prison ; and some one experience remembered keeps the soul from despair, a prison which the devil longs to have the Christian in : ' This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope,' Lam. iii. 21. David was famous for his hope, and not less eminent for his care to observe and preserve the experiences he had of God's goodness. He was able to recount the dealings of God to him; they were so often the subject of his meditation and matter of his discourse, that he had made them familiar to him. When his hope is at a loss he doth but exercise his memory a little, and he recovers himself presently, and chides himself for his weakness. ' I said. This is my infirmity, but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High,' Psa. Ixxvii. 10. The hound, when he hath lost the scent, hunts backward, and so recovers it and pursues his game with louder cry than ever. Thus, Christian, when thy hope is at a loss, and thou questionestthy salvation in another world, then look backward and see what God hath already done for thee. Some promises have their day of payment here, and others we must stay to receive in heaven. Now the payment which God makes of some promises here, is an earnest given to our faith that the other also shall be faithfully discharged when their date expires; as every judgment inflicted here on the wicked is sent as a pledge of that wrath the full sum whereof God will make up in hell. Go, therefore. Christian, and look over thy receipts. God hath promised, ' Sin shall not have dominion over you,' Rom. vi. 14. It is the present state of a saint in this life which is intended there. Canst thou find this promise made good to thee? Is the power of sin broke, and the sceptre wrung out of this king's hand, whom once thou as willingly obeyed as ever a subject obeyed his prince ? Yea, canst thou find that he hath but begun to fall by thy dethroning him in thy heart and affections ? Dost thou now look on sin, not as thou wert wont, as thy prince, but as an usurper, whose tyranny, by the grace of God thou art resolved to shake off, both as intolerable to thee and dishonourable to God, whom now thou acknowledgest to be thy rightful Lord, and to whose holy laws thy heart most freely promiseth obedience ? This, poor soul, may assure thee that thou shalt have a full dominion over sin in heaven, which hath begun already to lose his power over thee on earth. It is observable how Davidrears up his hope to expectheaven's perfect state of holiness, from his sanc- tification begun on earth. First, He declares his holy resolution for God, and then his high expectation from God: Psa. xvii. 15, 'As forme, I will behold thy face in righteousness ; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.' Hast thou found God's supporting hand in all thy temptations and troubles, whereby thou art kept from sinking under them ? David would feed his hope for eternal salvation with this ; Psa. Ixxiii. 23 : ' Thou hast holdcn me up by my
AND TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION. 553