Jesus Christ into our hearts by faith, is a fatal delusion. For the Apostle says, that they who are " without Christ" are also without hope"1." You will ask, Do I wish to drive you to despair ? Yes, I do ; so far, at least, as to drive you out of all false refuges, and to lead you to Him who is the only Sa- viour of the world : and I must declare unto you, that, what- ever you lay as a foundation of hope, besides that which God himself has laid, you only deceive your own souls : for " other foundation can no man lay, than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ"." Christ is the only refuge of fallen man : nor can you have a scriptural hope of glory, till you have " fled to him, and laid hold on him0," and got his image enstamped upon your souls.]
2. Those who have a " good hope through grace" —
[" Let your union with Christ be more and more con- firmed, becoming daily more intimate and more abiding. It is by this that the work of grace must be carried on, and per- fected within you. It is by this that the justness of your hopes must be made to appear : for " every one that has a good hope in Christ will purify himself as Christ is pure," and be progressively " changed into his image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Loi'd." In proportion as this work advances, your hopes may well increase : and it' this work decline within you, your evidences will be the less clear, and 37our hope be less assured. Press forward, then, for the highest possible conformity to the Saviour's image ; that you may already breathe, as it were, the atmosphere of heaven, and live in the constant anticipation of your future inheritance.]
m Eph. ii. 12. n 1 Cor. iii. 11. ° Heb. vi. 18.