1 Pet.

formance of his promises; supply | The apostle exhorts us to "be the want of sight, and give nearness ready always to give an answer to and certainty to invisible and eter- every man, that asketh us a reason nal things. But it is also evident of the hope that is in us." that an assent to certain historical iii. 15, 16. But, while almost all facts, or a set of inactive notions, we meet avow a hope of being saved, or a groundless confidence of the there are very few that are able to divine favour, cannot be the faith give a solid reason for this hope; of which such things are spoken. and if it be unreasonable, it must For this is a living and operative be presumptuous. The sinner who principle: it calls forth fear, hope, warrantably hopes for everlasting desire, aversion, love, gratitude, and felicity, and for various blessings every other affection of the soul, into in this present world, could assign most vigorous and abiding exercise; some such reasons as follow, for the and by their combined or varied hope that is in him, if he possessed energies overcomes the world, the the gift of utterance, and could orflesh, and the devil; fights a good derly arrange his thoughts. The fight, and obtains a most honourable Scriptures,' he would say, 'have victory. been proved to be the word of God, and I am satisfied on that head.

We proceed next to consider the They reveal the just and holy God, peculiar nature, exercise, and use of as merciful and gracious, forgiving Hope. sin and saving sinners, through his Hope is the expectation of future beloved Son, whom he hath set forth good, real or supposed. We may to be a propitiatory sacrifice, and believe and expect what we dread who "is able to save to the uttermost and would escape: we may desire, all them that come to God by him; what we despair of obtaining but seeing he ever liveth to make interwe hope for those things alone, cession for them." This divine Sawhich we desire and in some mea- viour invites all that will to come sure expect. In one form or other to him, and adds, " Him that cometh it is the chief solace of human life: unto me I will in no wise cast out." no man is happy at present; but all I know myself to be a vile sinner, hope for happiness, and pursue it and I repent in dust and ashes. I according to their different notions. am conscious that I renounce all The hope and pursuit afford some other pleas, own the justice of God pleasure, and keep the mind from in my condemnation, and sue only preying on itself: but disappoint- for mercy through Emmanuel's ment is certain to all who seek hap- blood; "My soul longeth for God's piness in worldly things, whether salvation, and I hope in his word :" they be prosperous or unsuccessful I desire to be made willing to part in their projects. There also a with all for Christ; and I pray for religious hope, which is no less true faith, and stronger faith. I delusive, and even more certainly perceive something of the nature fatal: because the mistake is not and glory of God's way of saving discovered till it is too late to make sinners, and I approve of it as wor a wiser choice. A warranted hope thy of him, and suitable to men; of happiness in the favour of our and I long to see and admire the God, is, however, secure from dis-displays of his glory more and more. appointment, and ensures present I trust I have experienced in some support and everlasting felicity. degree that change of heart, that

new creation, which the Scriptures rit, that he is a child, and an heir describe as accompanying salvation. of God through Jesus Christ." In My desires, conflicts, fears, sorrows, proportion as a man has a right comforts, and state of mind coincide judgment in these matters, and. with what I read in the word of clearly perceives that he has expeGod, concerning his believing people rienced these influences of the Holy in former ages. I trust I do feel Spirit. and has grace in lively exersome measure of contrition, fear, cise; his hope rises to full assurance; and love of God, love of Christ and but misapprehension, weakness of his people, and other affections, to faith, sloth, temptation, and quenchwhich I once was wholly a stranger; ing or grieving the Spirit, darken and it is my grief and burden, that the evidence, and weaken his conI feel them no more, and am harassed fidence. This good hope through by so many things contrary to the grace is obtained and preserved by best desires of my heart. I long to holy diligence. Heb. vi. 11. 2 Peter serve the Lord with fervent zeal; i. 10. But presumption of any kind "I delight in the law of God after may be acquired and maintained by the inward man: but I feel another the slothful. The former prevails law, warring against this law of my most upon strict Scriptural self-exmind. I cannot do the things that amination, and is cleared up by an I would:" and were it nor for the increase of spiritual knowledge: but mercy and grace of the Lord Jesus, the latter cannot endure close inves this would make me most com-tigation; and would be destroyed pletely wretched. But I trust I do by discoveries of the divine holibelieve in him, and am interested ness, the excellency of the comin the promises made by him: thus mandment, the evil of sin, and the I wait for increasing sanctification; real nature and tendency of the and at length expect perfect holi- gospel. Genuine hope has many. ness and happiness according to variations; it rises and sinks, like that everlasting covenant, which the mercury in the barometer; now God hath confirmed with an oath, it prevails and triumphs, and now that we might have strong consola- it is shaken: and the possessor, not tion, who have fled for refuge to lay doubting either the power, truth, or hold on the hope set before us." love of Christ, is led to question Heb. vi. 16-20. whether he be a true believer, when Thus the believer can give a rea- he has been drawn into very unsuitson for his hope; in general the able tempers and conduct. But word of God warrants the sinner to presumption is unfeeling it resemhope for mercy and grace; and in bles more the case of death than particular the work of the Holy that of health; and therefore is Spirit on the believer's heart," seals generally invariable.

him to the day of redemption," and The true hope is living and active. gives him a special warrant to ex-" Every man that hath this hope in pect the performance of all the pro- him, purifieth himself, as the Lord mises of God to his soul. It is the is pure." In proportion as it abounds, earnest, the first-fruits, the pledge a man feels himself animated for of glory it is renovation to the every duty and it is connected divine image; and while the be- with the exercise of all other graces: liever feels filial affections towards" hope maketh not ashamed; behis reconciled Father, the Spirit cause the love of God is shed abroad of adoption witnesseth with his spi- in the heart by the Holy Ghost."

But the hypocrite's hope is solitary their endeavours. This hope is and inactive: instead of stimulating peculiarly necessary in seasons of him to exertion, it soothes him into urgent danger or severe persecuindolence and self-indulgence, and tion, that the Christian may be renhe cannot be excited to diligence, dered "steadfast, unmoveable, alunless affrighted with the dread of ways abounding in the work of the hell. His confidence is a vain ex-Lord; knowing that his labour is not pectation of safety and happiness, in vain in the Lord." The sacred by an abused reliance on some pro-writers, therefore, exhort believers mises, without a cordial obedience to " hope unto the end;" and beto the gospel, and acceptance of its stow much pains to exhibit the salvation. variety, excellency, and glory of

The living hope of a Christian the promised blessings, in the most "is the anchor of the soul, both striking and affecting manner.sure and steadfast." The anchor is" Rejoice," says our Lord, "and be intended to retain the vessel in its exceeding glad, for great is your station, notwithstanding tides, cur- reward in heaven." Our light rents, and tempests; and it is ge- affliction, which is but for a moment, nerally useful to prevent it from worketh for us a far more exceeddriving, and running foul of other ing and eternal weight of glory." ships, on the strand, and on rocks" Blessed be the God and Father of or quicksands. In like manner we our Lord Jesus Christ, who-hath have a station to fill up; the fluc-begotten us again to a lively hope; tuating tides of fashion, opinion, and to an inheritance incorruptible and false doctrines; the temptations of undefiled; and that fadeth not away, Satan and his agents, the frowns of reserved in heaven for you." Matt. the world, and trials of various kinds v. 12. 2 Cor. iv. 17. 1 Peter. i. 3-8. tend to drive us from it, to hurry us" We are saved by hope, but hope into some ruinous conduct, or within that is seen is not hope, for what a the reach of some tremendous whirl-man seeth, why doth he yet hope pool. But the hope of eternal hap-for? But if we hope for what we piness, and of all things needful for see not, then do we with patience life and godliness, according to the wait for it." Rom. viii. 24, 25. express promises of God; with the God,-who hath given us evercheering earnest and anticipation of lasting consolation and good hope these inestimable benefits, and the through grace, comfort your hearts, fear of coming short of them, keep and stablish you in every good word us steadfast in our place, and to our and work.' 2 Thess. ii. 16, 17. duty. Thus we are animated to "Now the God of hope fill you with renounce present advantages, to all peace and joy in believing, that endure hardships, to resist tempta- ye may abound in hope by the power tions, to face persecutors, and to of the Holy Ghost." Rom. xvi. 13. cleave to the Lord with full purpose These and many other Scriptures, of heart: even as the soldier, the show the importance of lively and mariner, and the merchant, are em- abounding hope in the Christian boldened and excited to patience and warfare. By faith we discern the perseverance, by the hope of the de- promised good afar off; in fervent sired compensation of their peculiar desire we embrace it; and in hope dangers and fatigues. Despair of resting on the word and perfections success would in all these cases of God, we patiently wait for it; damp men's ardour, and enervate amidst discouragements, delays,

We now proceed to consider the peculiar nature, use, and exercise of

conflicts, difficulties, and sufferings; shall go on feebly even in smooth and for "it is good to hope, and quietly to prosperous scenes, and we should wait for the salvation of the Lord." faint in times of difficulty. The This hope is frequently called trust-more assured this true hope is, the ing in God, or trusting in Christ; greater will be our constancy and and it implies that steady reliance diligence in the ways of God: and on his power, truth, wisdom, and while the presumptuous hope of the mercy, which takes the soul off hypocrite is inefficacious and usefrom trusting in men or creatures, less, often failing in life, and cerand rescues it from all self-confi- tainly expiring at death; the hope dence. Expecting happiness from that hath been described, "is sure the Lord alone, according to his and steadfast;" it lays hold of the word, the believer parts with or unfailing word of God; it is mainrefuses present things, in expecta- tained by supplies of the Spirit of tion of better blessings in reversion; Christ, and encouraged by constant waits the Lord's time for them, seeks experience; and it will abide in its them in his way, and prepares for principle and exercise, till it be the enjoyment of them by following swallowed up in the enjoyment of after holiness, and abounding in heavenly felicity. every good work. He knows that no feeble attempt nor intended good work shall lose its reward from God, however unsuccessful, or ill requited love. among men: this produces" the pa- The apostle indeed in the chapter tience of hope," and is connected before us speaks principally of love with submission, contentment, and to mankind; yet we cannot suppose, cheerful perseverance in well doing: that he meant to exclude the love while the believer seeks for glory, of God: but he considered the prohonour, and immortality. Even as fessed Christian's love to his breththe Lord Jesus, "for the joy set ren whom he had seen, as the most before him, endured the cross, and unequivocal evidence of his love to despised the shame." It is there- God whom he had not seen. 1 John fore called the helmet of salvation, iv. 20, 21. The whole Scripture, and the breastplate of hope: for however, authorizes, and requires without it we are incapable of fight- us to speak fully upon this subject: ing the good fight of faith; and we and surely no rational man, acuniformly find, that in proportion quainted with the sacred oracles, as genuine hope prevails, we are will maintain, that acts of benevoprepared to wrestle, labour, or en-lence, without regard to God, and dure hardship; and when greatly separated from genuine faith and discouraged, we are heartless in hope, is that love, on which the every undertaking, and unfit for apostle bestows such high encoevery service. miums! No doubt this abides in the From first to last of our Christian heart, and in the church, united with course, hope must be as the anchor, faith and hope, and is inseparable the helmet, and the breastplate of from them. The holy law requires our souls. How firmly soever we us to love God with all our heart, believe the doctrines of revelation, mind, soul, and strength; and this is yet unless we have a warranted and written in the inward parts of the holy expectation of obtaining the redeemed sinner, by the renewal various blessings proposed to us, we of the Holy Ghost. He thus learus

supremely to love, admire, and adore animal passions. It is a rational the glorious excellencies of the di- choice of the Lord as our portion vine character; to seek his happi- and salvation, an admiring love of ness in God; to thirst after him or every display of his perfections; rejoice in him, above all other things; and a disposition to delight in doing to feel lively gratitude for his bound- his will, and promoting the maniless mercies; to devote himself wil-festation of his glory among men. lingly to his service; to manifest an It is therefore the spring and first ardent zeal for his glory, lively joy mover in all spiritual worship and when his name is honoured, and obedience; as well as the principal poignant grief when impiety and duty required from us. "This is iniquity triumph; and fervently to the love of God, that we keep his pray, "Hallowed be thy name, thy commandments; and his commandkingdom come, thy will be done in ments are not grievous." Under earth as in heaven." every dispensation, and in all pos

This love to God is particularly sible circumstances, on earth, or in expressed in fervent affection to the heaven; this must be the essence of Lord Jesus, the brightness of his true religion: all external services glory, and the express image of his are no further acceptable, than as person. Through him sinners know, they spring from love. Even the approach, trust, worship, and serve fear which differs from profound a God of infinite justice and holi- reverence of that infinite excellency ness; and in his person and re- we supremely love, in the present demption, the harmonious glory of state is useful; but it diminishes as all the perfections of the godhead is love gathers strength, and will cease displayed, more than in all his other when love shall be perfected. works. It is indeed very remark- This holy affection to our glorious able, that every kind and degree of Creator, Benefactor, and Saviour, love which Jehovah claims by his must be shown by love to our neighholy law, is demanded for the Lord bours and brethren. "Thou shalt Jesus by his apostles and evangelists. love thy neighbour as thyself:" So that, in supremely loving Christ, these words briefly comprehend the desiring, rejoicing, and glorying in whole law of God in this respect : him; thanking, praising, and adoring and our Lord's parable, or narrative, him; magnifying him in our bodies, of the good Samaritan hath taught whether by life or death; being us, that every human being, whatpurified unto him a peculiar people, ever be his nation or religion, and zealous of good works," honouring however he may have acted towards and obeying him unreservedly; we us, is our neighbour; entitled to our evidently obey, honour, and love cordial good-will, and our kind offices, the Father, according to the re- when within our reach and in need quirements of his holy word. And of our assistance. He himself hath this demonstrates that " he and the far exceeded the kindness of the Father are One," in the strictest good Samaritan, in assuming our sense imaginable. nature, and saving us rebels and enemies by his suffering and death upon the cross; and in both respects

The immense obligations redeem ed sinners have received from the divine Saviour, render this exercise he hath said to us "Go and do likeof love to him peculiarly reasonable wise." and delightful yet it is not merely

"Love worketh no ill to his neigh

gratitude, or lively emotions of the bour." This commandment there

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