It is a well-founded hope —
[It may well be asked, What warrant has the Christian to indulge such an hope as this ? Is it a mere conceit of his own, an expectation unauthorized and presumptuous ? No : it is a hope founded upon the promise and oath of the immu- table Jehovah. God has revealed a way of salvation, through the blood and righteousness of his only-begotten Son ; and has promised to accept to mercy all who shall come to him in tlie name of Christ. To all such, without exception, he has engaged to give all the blessings hoth of grace and glory. And in resting on his engagements, the Believer cannot be deceived : for " God cannot lie," — " cannot deny himself."
The Christian has a further ground of hope, in his own actual experience of these things : for in coming to God through Christ, he has found peace to his soul : he has re- ceived grace, whereby he is enabled to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear : and " through the hope that is in him he does actually purify himself, even as Christ is pure^"
Here then he stands as upon a rock, that defies the assaults whether of men or devils.]
It is a hope that raises him up above all the things of time and sense —
[In the prospect of all the blessings that are promised to him, how empty and insignificant do all earthly things appear ! They are regarded by him as the dust upon the
balance,
» 1 Pet. i.3. * 1 Johniii. 3.