once was, nor as it still is with the self-righteous, that the abandonment of a wrong habit, or the commencement of a new duty, can create the hope of salvation. You know the way of salvation too well, to imagine that you can make your peace with God, by laying down sins, or by taking up mere moral duties. You see and feel, indeed, the necessity of doing both; but you see and feel equally, that you cannot be justified by the works of the law, whatever good they might do you in other respects. They are not the price of an interest in Christ, nor the direct way of finding an interest in Him: and without that, you know that they will be of no avail. Thus mere duty must ever seem to you now, useless labour, until you can work from love and gratitude to the Saviour. Well, thus you never will work, until you venture to hope, "that by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ you shall be saved."

Waiting for the coming of this good hope, like working for it, will not bring it. You must just "lay hold upon the hope set before you in the Gospel," or live in suspense, and thus in indecision too: for character will not settle nor rise, whilst hope is unsettled.

I do not forget, in saying this, that there are some very lovely characters, who say that they have little or no hope. They have, however, more than they imagine. I do not mean that they say one thing, and think another: but that they mean by hope, much more than hope itself means.

Hence, in speaking of their own case they use language which, however familiar, misleads themselves and others: "I cannot see my interest in Christ; cannot see my title to the promises; cannot see my election or my calling." Now it would not be altogether unfair nor unkind, to bring down upon such com

plaints the apostolic remonstrance,

"What a

man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

But if

we hope for what we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." This refers, indeed, not so much to our hoping in Christ for mercy and grace now, as to the things hoped for when the whole Creation, in common with the Church, “shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the sons of God." Rom. viii. 21, 25. Still it is true, that hope, like faith, is not "sight," nor necessarily assurance:" and, therefore, it does not

66

follow that a humble, devout, and exemplary

woman has no hope, because she

says,

"I can

not see my interest in Christ or the promises." In speaking thus, she is not thinking of what the Gospel warrants her to hope for; but either of what she wishes for, or what she once enjoyed.

This is not a distinction without a difference.

It is by far too common to confound hope with rapturous ecstacy, or with perfect peace, or with spiritual and heavenly mindedness; and when these delicious feelings subside, to say,— that hope is lost. It would hardly be more unwise to say, that reason is lost. Reason had as much connexion with these feelings, whilst they lasted, as hope: but, who suspects that reason is fled, when rapture or holy calm is gone? Neither reason nor hope is intended to keep up high emotion for ever.

Thus we ought to be very careful how we speak and think about the hope of salvation. It is, remember, a sinner's hope-a penitent's hope-a pilgrim's hope and, therefore, it must not be expected nor desired in such a degree, as would banish all painful feelings. We are fully warranted, and quite welcome, to hope in Christ for present grace and future glory: but we are not warranted to expect such grace as

would leave nothing in our nature to humble us; nor such foretastes of heaven, as would render us insensible to trials or temptations on earth. We may be really happy, notwithstanding outward trials, and inward struggles; but the perfect happiness of being without any of them, does not belong to Time; it is the bliss of Eternity.

I am not contradicting not forgetting myself, by thus guarding you against hoping for too much. I repeat, with more confidence than ever, that you are not hoping enough in Christ, if you are unhappy in your mind, when you think of Judgment or Eternity. You have too little hope, if either your spirits sink, or your efforts relax, in following holiness. I must go still further, and say, it is not exactly the sinner's hope, nor the penitent's hope, nor the pilgrim's hope, that you are thinking about, if you say that you can get but little hope from