The portraiture of the image of God in man: In his three estates, of creation. Restauration. Glorification. Digested into two parts. The first containing, the image of God both in the body and soule of man, and immortality of both: with a description of the severall members of the body, and the two principall faculties of the soule, the understanding and the will; in which consisteth his knowledge, and liberty of his will. The second containing, the passions of man in the concupiscible and irascible part of the soule: his dominion ouer the creatures; also a description of his active and contemplative life; with his conjunct or married estate. Whereunto is annexed an explication of sundry naturall and morall observations for the clearing of divers Scriptures. All set downe by way of collation, and cleared by sundry distinctions, both out of the schoolemen, and moderne writers. The third edition, corrected and enlarged. By I. Weemse, of Lathocker in Scotland, preacher of Christs Gospel.

CHAP. XI. Of the passions in the irascible part of the soule.

Of the passion of Hope.

THere be five passions in the Irascible appetite; hope, despaire, feare, boldnesse, and anger.

Hope, is a passion of the soule, that we have of the im∣pression of future good, which presents it selfe to our ima∣gination, as difficult to obtaine, whereby we endeavour to pursue it, conceiving that wee are able to attaine unto it, and in the end to get the possession.

Hope differeth from desire, which extends it selfe to all kinde of good, without any apprehension of diffi∣culty;

and therefore desire belongeth to the concupisci∣ble appetite; whereas hope is subject to the Irascible, and respecteth the future good gotten with difficulty, for no man did ever hope for things which hee holdeth im∣possible to attaine unto.

Hope is considered here as a naturall vertue in the first Adam, and not as a theologicall or supernaturall vertue, as it is in us now, and it is placed in the soule, ut operationem expeditam reddat, that it may further man in his operation, 1 Cor. 9.10. hee that plougheth, plough∣eth in hope, and he that thresheth, should bee partaker of his hope.

The first Adam had hope to injoy the life to come, and to bee translated to a better estate, if hee continu∣ed in obedience; this hope was naturall to him, and hee hoped without difficultie to obtaine the thing ho∣ped for; for as Thomas sheweth well, this difficulty of hardnesse to obtaine the thing hoped for, is not al∣wayes necessarily required in him that hopes; nam spes etiam versatur circa bonum facile; Hope may bee exercised about that which is easie to obtaine; but the true reason wherefore hope is said to bee of things hardly obtained is this, because hee that ho∣peth, hath one above him who is more power∣full than hee is, who may performe that which hee hopeth for; and herein stands the reason of this why it is said hardly to bee obtained, because wee hope, that that must bee performed by another, though it bee not hard to bee obtained in it selfe.

So the first Adam, hoped that God would performe that which he hoped for without any difficulty. It is true, our hope now is with great difficulty, and many wrast∣lings, therfore it is compared to an anchor which holds the shippe in a storme, Heb. 6.16.

The hope in the glorified, although it be evacuate in the life to come touching the substance of our blessed∣nesse, yet touching the adjuncts of this glory, they say we may have faith and hope still: as the soules glorified beleeve the second comming of Christ, and they hope for the rising of the body, & the perfection of the Church. But when it is objected, how can hope and vision stand together, for faith and hope are of things not seene, Heb. 11. They answer, That they cannot stand together touching one object, and in the same respect; for they cease in the life to come, when the soule beholds God the most absolute object, but yet in respect of secondary objects, and things yet not accomplished, which the Saints beleeve shall be accomplished; relying upon the authority of him who hath promised, not seeing them yet by sight as they doe God himselfe: in this respect they say, that faith and hope are not yet altogether abo∣lished in the heavens.

The hope of the unregenerate, is but somnium vigilan∣tium, a waking mans dreame: for as dreames in the night fill us with illusions, and vaine formes, which a∣buse us and make us imagine that we are rich in our ex∣treamest povertie and greatest misery: So hope abusing the imagination of the unregenerate, fills their soules with vaine contentments.

Notes

• A Collation betwixt the innocent and glo∣rified Adam.
• Secunda secundae, q. 13 art. 3.
• Polanus in syntagmate.
• Dulpex objectum glori∣ficatorum, absolutum & secundarim.