ISRAEL'S HOPE ENCOURAGED; OR, WHAT HOPE IS, AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM FAITH: WITH ENCOURAGEMENTS FOR A HOPING PEOPLE.
[FIRST. AN EXHORTATION.]
In the exhortation, three things to be considered in the text presented themselves. FIRST, The matter contained in it; SECOND, How it is expressed; THIRD, The inferences that do naturally flow therefrom.
[FIRST. The matter contained in the exhortation.]
We will speak first to the matter in the text, which presented itself to us under three heads. First, A duty. Second, a direction for the proper management of that duty. Third, some people are so good at managing it.
First, I will speak about the duty, and that is HOPE: 'Let Israel HOPE.' By which word is there something pre-admitted, and something of great concern insinuated?
That which is pre-admitted is faith, for when we speak correctly of hope and put others distinctly to the duty of hoping, we conclude that such have faith already; for no faith, no hope. To hope without faith is to see without eyes, or to expect without a ground: for 'Faith is the substance of things hoped for,' as well concerning the grace, as to the doctrine of faith (Heb 11:1). Doth such a one believe? No. Doth he hope? Yes. If the first is true, the second is a lie; he never thought or hoped in the Lord. When he said, 'Let Israel hope in the Lord,' he pre-supposed faith and signified that he speaketh to believers.
That which is of great concern insinuated is that hope has in it an excellent quality to support Israel in all its troubles. Faith has its excellency in this, hope in that, and love in another thing. Faith will do that which hope cannot do. Hope can do that which faith doth not do, and love can do things distinct from both their doings. Faith goes in the van, hope in the body, and love brings up the rear: and thus 'now abideth faith, hope,' and 'charity' (1 Cor 13:13). Faith is the mother-grace, for hope is born of her, but charity floweth from them both.
But a little, now we are upon faith and hope distinctly, to let you see a little. 1. Faith comes by hearing (Rom 10:17), hope by experience (Rom 5:3,4). Faith comes by hearing the Word of God and hope by the credit that faith has given it (Rom 4:18). 3. Faith believes in the truth of the Word, and hope waits for its fulfillment. 4. Faith lays hold of that end of the promise that is next to us, to wit, as it is in the Bible; hope lays hold of that end of the promise that is fastened to the mercy seat, for the promise is like a mighty cable, that is fastened by one end to a ship, and by the other to the anchor: the soul is the ship where faith is, and to which the hither end of this cable is fastened. Still, hope is the anchor at the other end of this cable, entering into that within the veil. Thus, faith and hope get hold of both ends of the promise, and they carry it safely. 5. Faith looketh to Christ, as dead, buried, and ascended; and hope to his second coming (1 Cor 15:1-4). Faith looks to him for justification and hope for glory (Rom 4:1-8). Faith fights for doctrine and hope for a reward (Acts 26:6,7). Faith for what is in the bible, hope for what is in heaven (Col 1:3-5). 7. Faith purifies the heart from bad principles (1 John 5:4,5). Hope from bad manners (2 Peter 3:11,14; Eph 5:8; 1 John 3:3). 8. Faith sets hope on work, and hope sets patience on work (Acts 28:20, 9:9). Faith says to hope, look for what is promised; hope says to faith, So I do and will wait for it too. Faith looks through the word to God in Christ; hope looks through faith beyond the world to glory (Gal 5:5).
Thus, faith saves, and thus, hope saves. Faith saves by laying hold of God by Christ (1 Peter 1:5). Hope saves by prevailing with the soul to suffer all troubles, afflictions, and adversities that it meets with betwixt this and the world to come, for the sake thereof (Rom 8:24). Take the matter in this plain similitude. There was a king who adopted such a one to be his child, clothed him with the attire of the children of the king, and promised him that if he would fight his father's battles and walk in his father's ways, he should at last share in his father's kingdoms. He has received the adoption and the king's robe, but not yet his part in the kingdom; now, the hope of a share in that will make him fight the king's battles eac and tread the king's paths. Yea, and though he should meet with many things that have a tendency to deter him from so doing, thoughts of the interest promised in the kingdom and hopes to enjoy it will make him out his way through those difficulties and so save him from the ruin that those destructions would bring upon him, and will, in conclusion, usher him into a personal possession and enjoyment of that inheritance. Hope has a thick skin and will endure many a blow; it will put on patience as a vestment; it will wade through a sea of blood; it will endure all things, if it be of the right kind, for the joy set before it. Hence, patience is called 'Patience of hope' because it is hoped that makes the soul exercise patience and long-suffering under the cross until the time comes to enjoy the crown (1 Thess 1:3). The Psalmist, therefore, by this exhortation, persuadeth them that have believed the truth, to wait for the accomplishment of it, as by his own example he did himself—'I wait for the Lord,' 'my soul waiteth,' 'and in his word do I hope.' It is for want of hope that so many brisk professors who have so boasted and made brags of their faith have not been able to endure the drum in the day of alarm and affliction. Their hope in Christ has been such that it has extended itself no further than to this life, and therefore, they are, of all men, the most miserable.
