sinfull motions in Christ yet He took that course which He knew would be most effectual to prevent them in his Followers whom He would have to follow his steps in this as a mean to keep them down When he was reviled he reviled not again c. but committed himself to Him that judgeth righteously Vers 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousnesse by whose stripes ye were healed The Apostle repeateth and enlargeth his fourth argument it being the sweetest and strongest of all the rest to presse patient suffering for well-doing to wit That since Christ hath born the weight of our sins by enduring the wrath due to us for them in his own Person upon the crosse how patiently should his Redeemed Ones bear light afflictions for his sake And withal he adds some further arguments to presse the same point taken from the sweet ends of Christ's death and the advantages Believers have thereby The ninth in number is That the very end of Christ's death being to purchase vertue for the slaying of sin in his own and for quickning them to the duties of holinesse it doth become all his Redeemed Ones to follow their duty without desire of revenge upon those who put them to suffer wrongfully The tenth is That seing the Redeemed by Christ have spiritual and eternal health and welfare by vertue of those wounds which he received from God and men for them therefore they ought not to take in evil part wounds and stripes from men for following their duty to him Hence Learn 1. Christ's suffering in the room of the Redeemed is a subject that they should not soon weary to think and speak of it being to them a ground of much patience and comfort under their sufferings to consider that God cannot now be avenging himself upon them for their sins who are fled to Christ nor taking satisfaction to his justice at their hands he having received it already from Christ Therefore the Apostle having held forth Christ's sufferings ver 21. as an argument to constancy in duty notwithstanding of persecution from men he loveth to come over the same argument here again Who his own self bare our sins c. 2. The sufferings of Christ were not only exemplary that we might have a copy how to carry our selves right under our sufferings but they were expiatory of our sins and satisfactory for them to the Fathers justice for after the Apostle had set forth Christ in the former words as casting us a copy of the right way of suffering lest any should think that to be his greatest design in suffering he addeth this Who his own self bare our sins in his own body 3. Jesus Christ our Mediatour who was altogether free of any guiltiness inherent in himself as was cleared from vers 22. had all the sins of the Elect upon him by imputation and was handled by divine justice as if he had been guilty of them all as is imported in this expression He bare our sins which frequently in Scripture signifies to bear the punishment of sin See Lev. 20.17 20. Ezek. 23.49 4. As sin is to a waking conscience one of the heaviest burdens that ever was felt Psal 38.4 So Jesus Christ hath by his satisfaction upon the crosse lifted up as the word here signifieth that weight from off the conscience of those who feel as much of it as chases them to him for ease so as it shall never presse any such down to hell or to despair for the Apostle speaketh of his own sins and the sins of other penitent and believing sinners as a weight that none but Christ was able to lift and which he hath lifted up and born Who his own self bare our sins 5. That the second Person of the blessed Trinity might be fit to bear our sins he behoved to be incarnate and to take on a true body not borrowed or assumed for a time but a body of his own which with his soul being personally united to his Godhead he will keep for ever and ever that his conversing in Heaven with his Creatures that have bodies may be the more sweet for he bare our sins in his own body 6. Although the principal part of Christ's sufferings for us was in his soul Isa 53.10 Mat. 26.38 Yet he is said to bear our sins in his body not only because that is an ordinary designation of the whole Person consisting of soul and body but because it is most wonderful that ever the Son of God should have assumed so frothy a being as a body of flesh because his bodily sufferings did visibly represent his love to sinners and the desert of sin and because his soul suffered only while it was in his body before his death therefore the Apostle saith He bare our sins in his body 7. Our Mediatour behoved to be put to a painfull lingering and shamefull death because he was in the room of many who deserve such kind of deaths even by humane Laws that he might the better illustrate the terror of God against sin and might take the sting out of such kind of deaths to any of his own who should endure the like for his sake for these causes he bare our sins in his own body on the tree to wit of the crosse 8. That which doth most heighten our esteem of Christ's love in giving himself to die for us and most strongly oblige us not to spare our persons for him is the consideration of the excellency of his Person and of our unworthinesse for whom he suffered both which the Apostle leads Believers unto here while he doth so often mention him and us Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we c. 9. Till the merit of Christ's death be applied by Faith to the hearts of sinners they are alive to sin being active and delighting in the commission thereof they are dead to righteousnesse being no lesse impotent for any spiritual act or holy performance than dead men are for the actions of the living as is supponed in this That Christ's death was for these ends that we being dead to sin might live to righteousnesse 10. Christ's intention in dying for sinners which he doth in some measure gain in all his Redeemed Ones in this life and will fully attain in the other was That the love of sin in their hearts might by the vertue purchased with his bloud be so weakened that they might have no more pleasure in the commission of it than dead men have in the delights of the living and that their hearts might be quickened with spiritual life for holy performances and they might live eternally praising their Redeemer for that righteousnesse of his bestowed upon them whereby they are justified sanctified and saved for these two are here made the great ends of Christ's death that we being dead to wit being made
so in a spiritual sense by the vertue of Christ's death to sin might live unto righteousnesse 11. As every man in his natural state before the application of the vertue of Christ's bloud to his soul is in no lesse dangerous and deadly a condition than a man that is wounded and bleeding to death Luke 10.30 which is not to be understood as if such had any spiritual life at all but that while they live naturally they are altogether dead spiritually and posting toward eternal death as a man bleeding in his wounds is to his natural death So it is only the vertue purchased by Christ's sufferings that brings true health to sinners which consisteth in the pardoning of their sins Isa 33.24 the curing of their spiritual distempers Psal 103.3 and enabling them like healthy men to go about spiritual performances Isa 35.6 for it is here supponed that sinners are naturally in a deadly condition and that there is no health for them but from Christ's sufferings by whose stripes ye were healed 12. Although we ought to conceive nothing of Christ's body now glorified that may any way in our apprehension stain the incomprehensible glory and beauty thereof Philip. 3.11 Yet so deep were the wounds that Christ received from the Father's justice that we may safely conceive the impression of them to be no lesse biding in his heart for the entertaining of sympathy with his Redeemed Ones who are wounded in their consciences with the sense of sin and fear of wrath or in their bodies by stripes from men for their faithfulnesse to Him than if He had yet in his body the print of those wounds to move his sympathy towards them for the word here signifieth the biding print or skar of a wound after it is healed By whose stripes ye were healed 13. None can with patience and chearfulness suffer wrongs for Christ but they that do by faith apply the vertue of his suffering for them to their own souls for the pardoning and subduing of sin quickening of their hearts in holinesse and healing of their spiritual distempers which effects of his death are so sweet to them that partake of them that they cannot but chearfully endure the worst that men can do against them rather than do the least thing that may be offensive to Him Who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead unto sin might live unto righteousnesse by whose stripes ye were healed All which the Apostle sets down as so many motives to constancy in well-doing notwithstanding of hardest sufferings Vers 25. For ye were as sheep going astray but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls The last argument to press upon Believers patient suffering of wrongs for Christ and their duty to Him is taken from that blessed change which by the vertue of his death is made upon them and this the Apostle sets forth in two branches The one containing the woful case they were in before Conversion to wit That they were then wandering in their ignorance and sinful wayes to their own destruction like straying sheep The other holds forth the blessed state they are now brought to to wit That by the powerful grace of Christ put forth in their conversion they are brought back to Him the good Shepherd and Overseer of their souls and therefore they ought to follow Him and their duty notwithstanding of any hardship they can meet with in that way Hence Learn 1. Before conversion the Elect as well as others are wandering toward their own destruction unable to bring themselves into the right way and in hazard to be preyed upon by the roaring Lion which condition is fitly set out by this similitude which the Apostle here makes use of from Isa 53.6 Ye were as sheep going astray 2. True conversion is that change which Christ worketh upon sinners whereby they are made not only to turn their back upon their former sinful courses but also to betake themselves to Jesus Christ seeking to enjoy his favour and fellowship submitting to Him as their Ruler and Guide and resigning themselves to be at his disposal for so the Apostle here describes it Ye were as sheep going astray but are now returned to the Shepherd 3. This blessed change which is made upon sinners in conversion is that which doth evidence to them that they have received the healing vertue which flows from the wounds of Christ to his Redeemed Ones None else can esteem themselves healed by his stripes but those that find themselves brought back from their former sinfull courses and made to follow Him as their Leader for after the Apostle had said by his stripes ye were healed he addeth this as the evidence thereof for ye were as sheep going astray but are now returned to the Shepherd 4. Those whom Christ's powerfull grace hath thus turned toward Him shall find Him prove himself to them a good and faithful Shepherd and Ruler as the word also signifieth reclaiming them from their wanderings not only before their conversion Luke 15.4 but likewise after it Psal 119.176 providing plenty of wholsom food for them as his flock Psal 23.1 c. tenderly leading and bearing them in his bosom in their sick and weak conditions Isa 40.6 and so protecting and defending them that none can pluck them out of his hand Joh. 10.28 for He to whom they are returned is the Shepherd of their souls 5. It is not any one relation among the creatures that can sufficiently set out what Jesus Christ will prove himself to be unto true Converts all the usefulnesse and sweetness which is but scattered among all the relations which one creature hath to another being but shadows of what he is to them that are truly turned to Him for the Apostle saith they are returned to Him who is not only their Shepherd but their Bishop or Overseer who foresees and guards them against hazards so far as is fitting and furnisheth them with all necessary provision in his service and so proves himself the Bishop or Overseer of their souls 6. As the Believers outward man and the least thing that doth concern the same is cared for and respected by Jesus Christ Mat. 10.30 So He loveth to commend his respect and oversight to them mainly in reference to their souls which are their better part the welfare whereof necessarily bringeth along with it the welfare of the body and their souls being beyond peril That may make them chearfully adventure upon bodily hazards in following Him who is the Shepherd and Bishop of their souls 7 That which engageth the hearts of sinners to love Jesus Christ and out of love to Him to follow their duty through hardest sufferings is the frequently renewed sense of their woful condition wherein sometimes they were and of the blessednesse and priviledges of that state whereunto his grace hath brought them for after the Apostle had represented this change to them ver 9 10. as
well-doing as here it is by the Apostle For it is better to suffer for well doing than for evil doing 2. The consideration of this difference in regard of comfort and spiritual advantage which is betwixt suffering for well-doing and for evil doing should move the Lord's People to watchfulnesse and tender walking lest by their miscarriage they deserve suffering at mens hands and to constancy in suffering for well doing considering that they have within them strong inclinations to such evils as being acted might justly put them to suffer before men and that if they shift duty to Him for fear of suffering from men He may justly leave them to fall in those sins which may procure harder sufferings with lesse comfort than what they should have met with in suffering for well doing for this is here brought in as a motive to constancy in duty and suffering in the way of duty that it is better to suffer for well doing than for evil doing 3. Suffering for well doing is a duty that doth not bind as negative precepts do at all times and in all cases nor are the Children of the Lord tied to it as they are to some other positive duties for the opportunity whereof they are to watch 1 Pet. 4 7. but is only binding when the Lord by his providence hath brought his People under the power of persecutors and they do put them to a necessity either of suffering or sinning in which case only the Lord manifesteth his will to his People that they should suffer for the Apostle here commends suffering not absolutely as other duties but only upon this supposition that it be manifested to be the will of God For it is better if the will of God be so that ye suffer for well doing than for evil doing 4. When God's will that his People should suffer is manifested to them by leaving them no midst between sin and suffering then they ought with courage and chearfulnesse to choose suffering as the only best course for them considering that his will is a good will to them and so would have prevented their suffering if it had been good for them that without His will no creature could bring them to that necessity and that as it is His will they should suffer for Him so it is His will they should reign with Him for this is here cast in as a special encouragement to constancy in suffering for well doing that they should not be put to undergo that lot except the will of God be so Vers 18. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the spirit The sixth motive or encouragement to constancy in duty notwithstanding of hardest sufferings is taken from Christ's sufferings for us whence many encouraging arguments to suffer for Him may be drawn The sum of all which is That since the innocent Son of God hath compleatly satisfied God's justice for unworthy sinners that He might reconcile them to God having for that end suffered to the very death in his humanity and that He might apply his purchase is raised up again by the power of his Spirit or Godhead it doth therefore well become his sinful Followers for whom He died and rose again to undergo chearfully a suffering lot in following their duty to Him Hence Learn 1. Of all motives that may prevail with Christians to suffer for Christ when they are called His suffering in their room is one of the strongest and should be most frequently made use of by them for that end considering that He by His sufferings hath taken the sting out of all theirs Isa 53.4 hath defeated all their enemies Joh. 16.33 Col. 2.15 hath cast them a sweet copy to follow concerning the right way of suffering Heb. 12.2 hath engaged them not to desire a better lot than He had Joh. 15.20 and hath made sure their perseverance and eternal happinesse which none of their troubles can mar Rom. 8.38 for the Apostle having made use of this same argument to this same purpose in the close of the former Chapter doth here again insist upon it as the strongest and that which should have most weight with all His Redeemed Ones to move them to suffer for Him For Christ also hath suffered for sins 2. As the whole time of Christ's humiliation was one uninterrupted course of suffering So by that whole course and especially by His offering Himself a sacrifice for us upon the Crosse He hath so compleated the work of satisfaction to God's justice for the sins of the Elect and of purchasing grace and glory to them that nothing thereof remaineth to be done nor needeth that sacrifice be again repeated for though His sufferings were finite in regard of duration Yet in regard of the worth which the excellency of His Person who was God did add to them they were infinite for both in respect of the continuation of His sufferings all along His state of humiliation and in regard of the compleatnesse of them for satisfaction to God's justice as also in opposition to all the legal sacrifices which for their imperfection behoved to be often repeated Heb. 7.27 the Apostle saith here He hath once suffered for sins 3. Although our blessed Mediator had all the sins of all the Elect upon Him by imputation 2 Cor. 5.21 and the punishment laid upon Him of all the heinous crimes that ever were or shall be committed by the Elect Isa 53.6 Yet was He in Himself compleatly just and righteous not only as He is God Isa 45.21 but even as Man He being wholly freed of that original contagion Luke 1.35 wherewith all others that are come of Adam are defiled Job 14.4 and compleatly conform to the Law of God in heart and practice Mat. 3.15 that so as our Mediator He might be lovely to God Psal 45.7 and to all the Saints Cant. 5.16 for so the Apostle sets Him forth who suffered for sins the Just for the unjust 4. There was nothing in those for whom Christ suffered to have moved Him to lay down his life for them many of them who were then living being his actual persecutors and murderers and all of them being still at enmity with Him till He by the vertue of His death changed them and yet His free love made Him suffer for their sins The Just for the unjust 5. As all are naturally far from God Eph. 2.13 and the Godly at their best at a distance and â—nable to come nearer Cant. 1.4 So this is the comfortable end of Christ's death and His intention in dying that sinners might be brought to a state of nearnesse to wit of favour and reconciliation with God Col. 1.21 and that being done to a growing nearnesse to wit of communion and fellowship till they be compleatly one with Him Job 17.11 20 21 c. for thus doth the Apostle expresse the end of Christ's death and His
intention in dying that He might lead us by the hand as the word here signifieth and give us ready accesse to a reconciled God He hath suffered for sins the Just for the unjust that He might bring us unto God 6. No lesser degree of suffering could be accepted from our Cautioner than the suffering of death there being no other way except all had eternally died to illustrate the exact justice and righteousnesse of God in punishing sin Rom. 3.24 25. and his faithfulnesse in executing that just threatning Gen. 2.17 to take away the sting out of the first death to His own 1 Cor. 15.55 and keep them from tasting of the second Joh. 8.51 for which cause the Apostle here affirms of our Mediator That He suffered being put to death 7 Although Christ did truly humble Himself even in respect of His Deity by assuming frail flesh in a personal union therewith Joh. 1.14 and obscuring the glory thereof for a time with the vail of flesh Philip. 2.6 7. Yet the Godhead being altogether impassible His sufferings were properly in His humanity to wit both in His soul which suffered the unspeakable wrath of God Joh. 12.17 Mat. 26.38 and in His body which suffered all sorts of torments whereof it was capable Luke 22.44 both which parts of humane nature are here comprehended in one because His soul suffered only while it was dwelling in flesh before His death being put to death in the flesh 8. Our Cautioner having paid our debt could not be holden in the prison of death but by the power of His own Spirit or Godhead which are essentially one was quickened in His humanity by the union of His soul to His body and raised up as an evidence that He was discharged of our debt and we in Him Rom. 4.25 as a pledge that we shall be quickened by the vertue of His Resurrection to newnesse of life Rom. 6.4 c. and after death raised to possess glory with Him 1 Cor. 15.20 for He was put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit 9. All the considerations of our suffering Mediatour whereof the Apostle doth here mention several are strong inducements to His Redeemed People to suffer for Him when He calls them to that honour for so may every particular here mentioned be applied that since the Son of God being so innocent and just did suffer and by suffering did so compleatly satisfie Justice for so mis-deserving wretches and did suffer to the very death for so sweet an end to bring sinners to God and had so glorious in outgate It becometh all His Redeemed Ones to adventure chearfully upon suffering for Him to which every expression hâ—â—e may be applied as a motive For even Christ hath suffered for sin the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but quickened through the Spirit Vers 19. By which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison 20. Which sometime were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah while the Ark was a preparing wherein few that is eight souls were saved by water Here is the seventh argument pressing upon Christians constant obedience to the Gospel notwithstanding of hardest sufferings The sum whereof is That since there are many souls of men and women to whom Christ did once by his Spirit in the Ministery of Noah and others of his Servants make plain the way to life and salvation who are now imprisoned in Hell for evermore because of their slighting so much patience and pains as the Lord did exercise toward them especially during the time of Noah's preparing the Ark wherein a few only escaped destruction by the flood Therefore it doth concern those who have the Gospel more clearly preached to them to give obedience thereunto whatever they may suffer for it within time Hence Learn 1. The second Person of the blessed Trinity hath been exercising his Mediatory Office long before his incarnation and by his Spirit the third Person speaking through his Servants hath been publickly inviting sinners to repentance and faith in himself for this preaching to the old world here spoken of must be the same in substance with that which is more clearly held forth now under the Gospel it being Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 who did then preach by his Spirit who speaks his mind only Job 10.13 14. By which he went and preached 2. When the mind of Christ is plainly held forth by the Ministery of his Servants then Christ himself comes to them to bestow himself and fellowship with him by his Spirit upon them that receive his Word and to deal with others in wrath as if they had rejected him immediatly and in his own Person dealing with them for though Christ did not preach in Person to the old world but only in the Ministery of Noah and others of his Servants Yet of Him it is here said that by his Spirit He went and preached 3. It pleaseth the Lord to invite to repentance and make offers of his grace unto many who will never obey his counsel nor imbrace his offers that he may make his grace more manifest while he doth more effectually prevail with his own that are among them Act. 18.10 and may take away all excuse from them that wilfully disobey his counsels and reject his offers Joh. 15.22 for there are spirits or souls who once had Christ preached to them that are now in prison 4. The souls of men and women do not 〈◊〉 to nothing nor die as their bodies but so soon as they are separated from the body must either go immediately to the place of blessednesse Luke 23.43 or else to this place of their everlasting imprisonment for though it could not be told where their bodies were that drowned in the â—â—ood Yet their souls are to the fore and 〈◊〉 spirits in prison 5. Hell is a place of safe custody 〈◊〉 â—â—ame of it here imports where there is no 〈…〉 Devils and damned souls to torment one another out of which there is no possibility of escaping for by this prison can be meant nothing else but Hell which elswhere in Scripture hath this same name Rev. 20.7 it being the place where only the spirits of them who were disobedient to the Lord are now in prison 6. Of all the sins that men and women commit who have the way of salvation truly preached to them this is of the highest nature and the chief cause of their damnation that they will not be perswaded to accept the offers of God's grace and mercy in Christ will not obey the sweet directions of his Word will not follow the motions and strivings of his Spirit with them thereby in which course whosoever do continue they look like those that are appointed for the prison of Hell for it is clear by comparing this Text with Gen. 6.3 that these here spoken of had
in it Hence we may Learn 1. The way to make Christians stedfast in the Truth chearful under their sufferings for it and thriving in holinesse is to have their hearts brought to a praising disposition from the consideration of their spirituall priviledges and the excellency of the state of grace wherein they are their hearts being thereby sweetly diverted from sad reflections upon their outward afflictions and strongly incouraged to hold on in the way of truth and holinesse notwithstanding of all discouragements for the Apostle's scope being to confirm and comfort sufferers and to provoke them to the study of holinesse he labours first of all to engage their hearts to this exercise of praise by raising this Psalm before them Blessed be the God and Father c. 2. They are fittest to chear up the hearts of others to spirituall joy and praise who have their own hearts kept so sensible of the excellent state of Believers because of their spirituall priviledges that they are ready to burst forth in the praises of God themselves and go before others in that exercise as they have a calling and opportunity for the Apostle being to comfort those heavy hearted exiles under their sufferings and provoke them to praise hath his own heart so full that he must break forth in singing before them Blessed be the God and Father c. 3. Our praise or blessing of God is not any addition of blessednesse to him who is in that respect especially above all blessing and praise Neh. 9.5 but it is only our acknowledgment of his praise-worthy perfections and of his goodnesse to sinners that they may fall in love with him and joyn with us in the same acknowledgment for that word which is translated Blessing of God in the New Testament signifies to speak well of him 4. Of all the spirituall priviledges bestowed upon sinners in time which call them to joy and praise the first and principall is their Regeneration whereby they who are dead in sins and trespasses and born heirs of Gods curse have a new life communicated to them Eph. 2.1 3. and such heavenly qualities stamped upon their soul as makes them in some measure resemble their heavenly Father Eph. 4.24 for the Apostle puts our Regeneration for the first reason of this song Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath begotten us again 5. This change of a sinners nature which is made in Regeneration is the alone work of the omnipotent God as the principall and efficient cause wherein he makes use of men as instruments in his hand 1 Cor. 4.15 and of the Word from them as his means Jam. 1.18 There being no more power in man naturally to work this change in himself than can be imagined in any man to have begotten himself Therefore is it set forth here by such a word as may lead all the Regenerate to consider themselves as wholly passive when first this change is made upon them Blessed be the God c. who hath begotten us again 6. It doth exceedingly commend the free love of God in making this change upon sinners and may much highten in their hearts the esteem of his work that He who hath such a Son as Jesus Christ who was and is his peer and equal Philip. 2.6 the express Image of his Person Heb. 1.3 and his full delight Prov. 8.30 should have vouchsafed upon such unworthy things as we are so sweet and honourable a relation to himself and that blessed Son of his as is imported in this his begetting of us again the esteem whereof the Apostle heightens in his own heart and in the hearts of the Regenerate by this That it is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath begotten us again 7. The Lord is not moved to bestow his grace upon sinners by any goodnesse which he did foresee or find in them seing none can give first to him Rom. 11.35 nor be profitable to him Job 22.2 who needeth nothing from any Act. 17.25 but only by his own mercy which is that lovely property whereby he is strongly inclined to let out of his goodnesse to unworthy and miserable sinners who deserve the contrary from him for here Mercy is made the alone and sufficient motive of our regeneration while the Apostle saith According to his mercy he hath begotten us 8. That mercy which moves the Lord to work a saving change upon any sinner is both very plentiful for the quantity of it and most excellent for the quality of it and it must be so there being so many provocations found and foreseen in sinners which only plentiful mercy can overcome Isa 48.8 and so many excellent favours to be bestowed upon the Regenerate as never entered in their hearts to conceive 1 Cor. 2.9 that it must be excellent mercy that doth bestow them Therefore that which moves the Lord to regenerate sinners is not simply called Mercy but abundant mercy which in the Original signifies not only the plenty of it for quantity but also the excellency and worth of it for quality 9. The Regenerate come not presently to the possession of what Christ hath purchased for them they must be first tryed whether they will glorifie him by living in the confident expectation of what he hath purchased and promised which is hope flowing from faith and only differing from it in this that faith apprehends the thing promised as if it were present so giving it a spiritual kind of subsistance in the soul Heb. 11.1 and hope makes the heart with some measure of chearfull patience expect that good which it looks upon as absent for the time Rom. 8.25 for the want of possession for a time after regeneration is imported in this that we are begotten again unto a lively hope 10. Before the Lord make this powerful change upon sinners in regeneration they are altogether without any true and well-grounded hope of a better life than this what-ever strong and groundlesse presumptions thereof they may entertain for so much is supposed in this that we are begotten again unto a lively hope 11. All that have gotten a new life and nature from the Lord in â—â—generation have gotten therewith this grace of hope 〈◊〉 have his allowance to keep up their hearts in the expâ—â—◠〈◊〉 of all that he hath promised and though theâ—cy â—â—rance and unbelief doth often maâ— the exercise 〈…〉 Lam. 3.18 yet they must again attain unâ—◠〈…〉 â—easure of the exercise thereof Lam. 3.24 it beâ—â—â—cial act of the new life which is given in regeneraâ—◠〈◊〉 and is here made the immediate effect of it as is â—â—orted in this He hath begotten us again unto a lively 〈◊〉 12. The hope of the Regenerate is a lively hope â—ickening them in the use of all means for attaining to â—hat they hope for Heb. 12.28 and for keeping of themselves free of every thing unsuitable for them who are born to so great hopes 1 Joh. 3.3 for it