1. Hope is a great furtherer of our growth in Grace, and Progress in SanEtification. He that hath a lively Hope of Heaven, will be thereby quickened to endeavour to be meet for Heaven. He that hath this Hope in him, purifieth himself, 1 John 3. 3. He will be still reaching forth unto those things that are before, and earnestly pursuing greater measures of Grace; he will be preffing towards the Mark for the Prize of the high calling of God in Chrift Jefus, as St. Paul did while he had Heaven and Eternal Glory in his Eye, Phil. 4. 13,

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2. Hope will make a Man diligent, conftant, and unwearied, in the Service of God. It was the Hope of the Promife, the Hope of being made partakers of the great things which God hath promised to his Faithful Servants that made the Ifraelites inftantly ferve God Day and Night. Acts. 26. 7. From the Christians Hope of the Refurrection to Life, Immortality, and final Victory over Sin, Death and the Grave, the Apoftle exhorting Believers, faith, Be ye ftedfaft, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your La

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bour is not in vain in the Lord, 1 Cor. 15. 58.

1. Patiently.

3. Hope will enable a Man to bear afflictions patiently, quietly, and joyfully. Patience under affli&tion is a fruit of Hope. While the Believer by Hope expects and waits for that Inheritance among the Saints in Light, and that Glory to be revealed: hereafter, with which all the afflictions of this prefent time are not to be compared, it is not grievous to him to undergo whatever afflictions God is pleased to lay upon him here, especially confidering that by afflictions he is prepared for Glory. Hence 'tis that we Read of the Patience of Hope, 1 Theff. 1. 3.

2. Quietly. Hope becalms the Spirit, and allays the turbulency of our corrupt Nature under afflictions. Wherefore when David would cure the unquiet Diftempers of his Heart, he thus befpake himself, Pfal. 42. 11. Why art thon caft down O my Soul? Why art thou difquieted within me? Still hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the Health of my Countenance, and God.

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3. Joy

3. Joyfully. As the Apostle fpeaks of the patience of Hope, fo doth he alfo of the rejoycing of Hope, Heb.3. 6. It was the hope of Heaven that made those Believers, Heb. 10. 34. to take joyfully the spoiling of their Goods. They knew in themselves that they had in Heaven a better, and an enduring Substance. This they had in their Eye, and the hope and expectation of it made them joyful under their fufferings. Yea the Apostle goes yet a step higher, Rom. 5. 2, 3. We rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God, faith he, and not only fo, but we Glory in Tribulations alfo.

4. Hope fortifies and ftrengthens us against Temptations. The Apoftle, Eph. 6. 17. among other parts of the Spiritual Armour whereby we may be enabled to withstand our Spiritual Adversaries, reckons the Helmet of Salvation, that is Hope, as the fame Apoftle expounds himself, 1 Theff. 5. 8. put on for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation. Hope keeps the Soul fteady and fixed amidst all the violent and impetuous affaults of the Tempter, by which he endeavours to beat off the Believer from his Christian course, or to difcourage him in it. And therefore the Apostle faith,

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we have hope, the Anchor of the Soul, both fure and steadfast, which entreth into that which is within the vail; that is, 'tis an Anchor fixed in Heaven, whereby the Soul is held fteady, and kept from being driven and toffed hither and thither by the force of thofe Storms and Tempests which Satan raiseth against it.

5. Hope raiseth the Heart above this World, and enables the found Christian to contemn it, with all the fplended and defirable things thereof. Hope reacheth out after better things, and in affured expectation of them, overlooks these things as mean and inconfiderable. What made Mofes refuse the Honours and Preferments of Pharoah's Court, and to chufe rather to fuffer affliction with the People of God, but the Hopes of Hea ven? Heaven was in his Eye, he had refpect to the recompenfe of reward, Heb. 11. 26. So much concerning Hope.

Now as to the third Grace, Charity, nothing need be added concerning the dignity and fingular usefulness thereof this hath been the Apostles business throughout, the Chapter, and much hath already been spoken of it. · B b 2

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It only remains that I fpeak a word or two of the second point, viz. That though Faith, Hope and Charity be excellent Graces, yet Charity furpaffeth them both. And this it doth in these respects.

1. Such is the Nature of Faith and Hope, that they both imply imperfection, and are fuited only to a state of imperfection, which cannot be faid, of Charity.

And 2. by confequence Faith and Hope have place no longer than while we are here in this World, whereas Charity never faileth. As for Faith, that is the fubftance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not feen, Heb. 11.4. And therefore 'tis here only that we walk by Faith, when we come to Heaven we shall walk by Sight, as the Apostle speaks, 2 Cor. 5. 7. And fo for Hope, that hath for its object fomething to be hereafter attained; and when once the good things hoped for are attained, our hopes is at an end. For what a Man feeth, and hath in actual poffeffion, why doth he yet hope for? Hope that is feen is not Hope, Rom. 8. 24. In Heaven our Faith fhall end in vifion, and our hope in fruition. 3. Charity