vond what this World could afford them, Riches, Honours, and
Pleaſures, better for their quality than all terrene ones, ſpiritual
ones proper for their Souls, 1 Per. 1. 3, 4. The Sum of which
is, God in Chriſt, their exceeding great Reward, Gen. 15, I. and
a!l he can be to, or do for them. He is their Portion, and their
Inheritance, the moſt excellent in it ſelf, and the moſt 1nduring,
out of the reach of Men or Devils, who can neither take 1t trom
them, nor them trom it, it is ſafe enough in the Heavens, Matth,
6. 19, and 19. 28, 29. Pſalm 16. 5. 2 Cor. 5. I, 2 Theſſ. 1.
4 5+
35 Caſt not away x therefore your conhdence , which hath great y recompence of reward.
x This introduceth the laſt DireQion for helping on their Perſeve rence in Chriſtianity, Ms S727 denieth all degrecs of Apoſta- cy, from ſecret undervaluing, to an utter renouncing, not to 111zht, deſpiſe, or rejett ; they had endured already ſo much as might ſteel and fortitie them againſt what remained, and implieth the bold, re- ſolute, and couragious Retention, &pbe/. 5. 10, 16.. of the boldneſs of their Confeſſion of the Chriftian Faith, Ir is an ingenuous, free, vold, and darins Profctfion of it, which no Brow-beating, nor V1o- lence can daſh out of Countenance, the Frvit of a mighty invincible Faith. and Hope of Eternal Life. This makes them perſevere cou- ragioutly 1n their Religion, notwithſtanding their being laden with Reproaches and Sufferings for it, as Chriſt Himſelf gave them a Pat- tern, Mark 8.31, 32. Ads 4.13, £9, 31. y What greater Incou- razement can there be to the retaining this Confidence, than the gr2.ut Remuneration ſecured in the New Teſtament to them. God Himſelf in all his fulneſs to be their excceding ' great Reward, feen and enjoyed by them; and which for quality and quantity 1s unex- preſſible; Gen. 15. 1. Aatth. 5. 12. and 10.32, |
36 For £ ye have need of patience, that after ye a have done the will of God, ye might b receive the pro- miſe.
V3, z Fir ſherxs this to be an Inforcement of the former Dirc&ion: P:iik.2g Caſt not away vour Confidence, for you have necd of Grace, which that muſt maintain in order to carry back your Reward. Tt 1s there- ſore abſolutely neceflary, as well as ufetul to you, for the bearing of vour Burdens, perſevering in all Duty, and waiting for your Re- ward, notwithſtanding your Reproaches, AfffiRtions, and hery Try - als, that you preferve your Confidence in maintaining this Patience, chap. 5. 12, Rom. 2. 7. Jules Il. 4. @ That having believed God's Promites, oteyed his Precepts, endured his Tryals, and perſevered in al}, according to the good, acceptuble, and perfe& Will of God, and fo exerciſed our Patience,. and evidenced our Conidence, and finiſhed our work. þ You may carry back, as your tull Prize, after your Race. It is a neceffury ard true Reportation trom God, atter his Will is done, 1 Pet. x.9. and 5. 4. the Reward promiſed, metonymically expretlcd by the Promiſe, chap, 5. I5. and 9. 15. all that Life ard glorious Inheritance in the Reality and Fulneſs of it, called a Crown of Glory, which fadeth not away, 1 Tim. 4+. 8. and 2 Tim. I. lt, 37 For c * yet a little while, and he that & ſhall
come, will come, and e will not tarry:
c The,Reaſon of their rctaining their Confidence to the end, 15 the ſhorkneſs of his coming, who will reward them for 1ft, proved out of God's Promiſe written to, and for the Church, by Habakbuhk , | chaÞ. 2. 3. A Truth ſufficiently known to theſe Hebrews, as brought FIND 0 them by their own Prophet, and though tpoken for the Comfort of
PIP the C:ptives in Baby/on then, yet it is extended to the 1luffering Church in all Ages, and ſo to theſe Hebrews, and to us alſo, upen whom the Ends of the World are come. And though the Prophet ſpeaks it of a Viſton of Grace, in Promiſe to be diſpatched, yet the Sep- trazint refersit toa Perſon ; and in this the Apoſtle follow them, be- cauſe the Promiſe cannot be made good, without the coming of its Author fo fulfil if, d In«which Promiſe there is the celerity or ſpced of it, as little, little as it may be, as is fit for Chriſt and them. How little 1s this Time ? a very ſhort Moment, as He ſpeaks himſelf, Rev. 22. 7, 12, 20, He that hath promiſed to come and ſave you, and reckon with your Perſecutors, He will certainly come, He and his Promiſe together, will diſpatch and put an end to the ſut- fering of his, and put on their Crowns. Metonymically his coming 15 his Saving, full refreſhing, and rewarding his believing and patient Satferers. e He will not ſpin out time to delay Deliverance, be- vond the ſet Point ; He will not come behind the leaſt Moment, the Hour fixed and appointed, which is pitched in infinite Wiſdom and Goodneſs, for the beſ: Comfort of Chriſt's ſuffering Members, I/a. 45. 13, Ds
38 Now / the juſt ſhall live by faith: but if ay
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a5 here, The juſtified, according to the Terms of the New Lovenant,
Chap.
who hath obtained the Righteouinets of Cod in Chriit, by ko:
and 1s renewed and fanftified by the Spirit, fall rovlv, ſpiritually, happily, eternally live; and no end fhail-be to ther ie of it be perfetted by Chriſt in Glory, And this he ſh.!! live by a rea! and ſpiritual Affent to the Goſpel, and reliance 0n God's Promites 1 it, eſpecially by an Aifance to Chritt, God-Man, 4: tc Ford Ther Righteouſnets, by which we have him ours, ani fo we Fre, Th Faith increaſed, continued in, and held faft amicit all Keproact:
Sufferings and Perſecutions; by this only is the Life due 19 812! ouſneſs, made lure to Sinners, drawinz from Chritt dai'v, and 22 ing realand preſent the Fulneſs of it promited to, and hoped 11 it, Mark 13. I'2, Fohn 5, 47. Gat. 5, 5 and Co! 3.4 £ S-e 2. 4, where ND trantlited here VISA naar, 1s variouily rendrcd- as elated ihe a bubble, lifted up, wakins Pride and Unbeliet to be the S1ns threatned there , and the proper ſenſe of the word here uſes, is f-r fear, or ſl th to withdraw, or leave their ſtandings; fo that tis meaning in both amounts to this, If any, 2ut of the Pride of their Hoare, will nt depend an Chriſt's Rightenuineſt, as the Jews would not, vr out «{ « Sluzgifhnefte, will mt hold out, but with-draw themſelves, in
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