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14. The belief of the resurrection of our Lord from the dead, and
of His ascension into heaven, has strengthened our faith by adding a
great buttress of hope. For it clearly shows how freely He laid down
His life for us when He had it in His power thus to take it up
again. With what assurance, then, is the hope of believers
animated, when they reflect how great He was who suffered so great
things for them while they were still in unbelief! And when men look
for Him to come from heaven as the judge of quick and dead, it strikes
great terror into the careless, so that they betake themselves to
diligent preparation, and learn by holy living to long for His
approach, instead of quaking at it on account of their evil deeds.
And what tongue can tell, or what imagination can conceive, the
reward He will bestow at the last, when we consider that for our
comfort in this earthly journey He has given us so freely of His
Spirit, that in the adversities of this life we may retain our
confidence in, and love for, Him whom as yet we see not; and that
He has also given to each gifts suitable for the building up of His
Church, that we may do what He points out as right to be done, not
only without a murmur, but even with delight?
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