world, and reduce them to God as their only rest and solid comfort; and this is here the apostle's mark at which all the preceding discourse aims; it all meets and terminates in this exhortation, Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind.

In the words are those three things, 1st, The great stay and comfort of the soul, which the apostle repeats, and represents to his afflicted brethren. 2dly, His exciting them to the right apprehension and confident expectation of it. 3dly, The inference of that exhortation.

I. The great matter of their comfort is, the grace which is brought to them at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Some for grace read joy, having, as it seems, for a read xapar; the words are not more near one to another, than the things they signify, grace and joy; but it is most commonly thus read.

The estate of grace, and that of glory, are not only so inseperably connected, but so like one to the other, yea so essentially the same, that the same expressions in scripture do often fit both of them, and so fit them, that it is doubtful for which of the two to understand them; but the hazard is not great, seeing they are so near, and so one, grace being glory begun, and glory grace compleated, both often called the kingdom of God. So grace here brought to them is the doctrine of grace in the gospel, wherein Jesus Christ is revealed, and that grace in him; for all the whole tenor of the covenant of grace, and every clause of it holds in him. His precious name runs through it all, it is the grace of salvation to be fully perfected at the last and clearest revelation of Jesus Christ; and for this rather I take it here, for that the apostle's nearest foregoing words were concerning that, and it is set up here as the object of hope, which though often put for faith, yet in its proper notion, looks out to that which is to come.

This is the last act of grace, and yet still it is called by itself, and not turned into the name of merit, notwithstanding all the obedience, and all the sufferings of the saints that have gone before it;

yea, even the salvation to be revealed to them is called grace. But it is needless to insist on this, for certainly none that partake of grace will be of another mind, or ever admit the mixture of the least notion of self-deserving.

Though much dispute hath been bestowed on this, and questions multiplying in the disputants hands, (as is usual in controversies) one growing out of another; yet truly I think the debate in this to be but waste; it is not only against the voice of the scriptures, and of grace itself in the soul, but even against sound reason, to imagine any meriting properly taken, in any mere creature at his Creator's hands who hath given him his being, of which gift all his services and obedience fall short; so that he can never come to be upon even disengaged terms, much less to oblige anew, and deserve somewhat further. Besides, that same grace, by which any serves and obeys God, is likewise his own gift, as it is said', All things come of thee, and of thine own have I given thee. Both the ability, and the will of giving to him, is from him; so that in these respects, not angels, nor man in innocency, could properly merit at the hands of God, much less man lost, redeemed again, and so coming under the new obligation of infinite mercy. And this is so evident a truth, that the most learned and most ingenuous jesuits and schoolmen have in divers passages of their writings acknowledged it, that there cannot be any compensation, and much less merit from the creature to God, but only in relation to his own free purpose, and the tenor of his word and covenant, which is inviolable, because he is unchangeable, and truth itself.

His first grace he gives freely, and no less freely the increases of it, and with the same gracious hand, sets the crown of glory upon all the grace that he hath given before.. It is but the following forth of his own work, and fulfilling his own thoughts of free love, which love hath no cause, but in himself, and i 1 Chron. xxix. 14

finds none worthy; but gives them all the worthiness they have, and accepts of their love, not as worthy in itself to be accepted, but because he himself hath wrought it in them; not only the first tastes, but the full draught of the waters of life is freely given*, nothing is brought with them but thirst.

That is to be brought.] Not that is brought, or • that shall be brought; but if we will render it strictly, it is, that is a bringing to you. That blessedness, that consummation of grace the saints are hastening forward to, walking on in their way wheresoever it lies indifferently, through honour, and dishonour, through evil report and good report'. And as they are hastening to it, it is hastening to them in the course of time, every day brings it nearer to them than before; and notwithstanding all difficulties and dangers in the way, they that have their eye and hopes upon it, shall arrive at it, and it shall be brought safe to their hand, all the malice of men and devils shall not be able to cut them short of this grace that is a bringing to them against the day of the revelation of Jesus Christ.

At the revelation of Jesus Christ.] This is repeated from the 7th verse, and it is a day of revelation, a revelation of the just judgment of God". And thus it would be to all, were it not that it is withal the revelation of Jesus Christ; therefore is it a day of grace, all light, and blessedness to them that are in him, because they shall appear in him, and if he be glorious, they shall not be inglorious and ashamed. Indeed were our secret sins then to be set before our own eyes, in their most affrightful visage, and to be set open to the view of angels and men, and to the eye of divine justice, and we left alone so revealed, who is there that could gather any comfort, and would not rather have their thoughts filled with horror at the remembrance and expectation of that day? And thus indeed all unbelieving and ungodly men may look upon it, and find it terrible; but to those that are shadowed under the robe of righteous Jesus, yea, * Rev. xxii, 17. 1 2 Cor. vi. 8.

Rom. ii. 5.

that are made one with him, and shall partake of his glory in his appearing, it is the sweetest, the most comfortable thought that their souls can be entertained and possessed withal, to remember this glorious revelation of their Redeemer.

It is their great grief here, not that themselves are hated and vilified; but that their Lord Jesus is so little known, and therefore so much despised in the world; he is vailed and hid from the world; many nations acknowledge him not at all; and many of those that do in word confess, yet in deed deny him; many that have a form of godliness, do not only want, but mock and scoff at the power of it; and to such Christ is not known, his excellencies are hid from their eyes. Now this glory of their Lord being tender to them that love him, they rejoice much in the consideration of this, that there is a day at hand, wherein he shall appear in his brightness, and full of glory to all nations, and all shall be forced to acknowledge him; it shall be without doubt, and unquestioned to all, that here is the Messiah, the Redeemer, the judge of the world.

And as it is the day of his revelation, it is also the revelation of all the adopted sons of God in him". They are now accounted the refuse of the world, exposed to all kind of contempts; but then the beams of Christ's glory shall beautify them, and they shall be known for his°.

Next, there is, 2. The exhortation, by which the Apostle excites them to the right apprehension, and confident expectation of this grace, hope to the end. The difference of these two graces, faith and hope, is so small, that the one is often taken for the other in scripture; it is but a different aspect of the same confidence, faith apprehending the infallible truth of those divine promises, of which hope doth assuredly expect the accomplishment, and that is their truth; so that this immediately results from the other. This is the anchor fixed within the vail that keeps the soul firm against all the tossings on Rom. viii. 9. • 1 John iii. 2. Col. iii. 4.

these swelling seas, and the winds and tempests that arise upon them. The firmest thing in this inferior world is a believing soul.

Faith establishes the heart on Jesus Christ, and hope lifts it up, being on that rock, over the head of all intervenient dangers, crosses, and temptations, and sees the glory and happiness that follows after them.

To the end] Or perfectly; and therefore the christian seeks most earnestly, and yet waits most patiently. Indeed this hope is perfect in continuance; it is a hope unto the end, because it is perfect in its nature, although imperfect in degree; sometimes doubtings are intermixed with it in the christian soul, yet this is their infirmity, as the psalmist speaks, not the infirmity and insufficiency of the object of their hope. Worldly hopes are in their own nature imperfect, they do imply in their very being doubtfulness and wavering, because the things whereon they are built, are inconstant and uncertain, and full of deceit and disappointments. How can that hope be immoveable, that is built upon moving sands or quagmire? That which is itself unfixed, cannot give stability to any other thing resting on it; but because the truth and goodness of the immutable God is the foundation of spiritual hope, therefore it is assured, and like Mount Zion that cannot be removed, and this is its perfection.

We proceed to consider, 3dly, the consequence by which this exhortation is enforced. Now the Apostle exhorts his brethren to endeavour to have their hearts possessed with as high a measure and degree of this hope as may be, seeing in itself it is so perfect and firm, so assured an hope, that they aspire to all the assurance and perfection of it they can attain.

This hope, as I conceive, is not only to have the habit of it strong in the soul, but to act it often, to be often turning that way, to view that approaching day of liberty, Lift up your heads, for the day of P Psal. exxx. 6. 4 Psal. lxxvii. 10. VOL. I.

I

Psal. cxxv. 1.