The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 441

be rem,wro, IIIld though the mountains l,e cnrrird into the midst of the een, 'l'he Lord of host.s is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge I" When the infidel rejoices over what. seem to him t-0kens of the decrepitude of the Church of Christ; when the atheist foretells the destruct.ion of &11 religion, and the npproach of the millennium of animalism; Clirist's followen; do not yield t-0 fear. They remember that their Divine Lord has pr,,mised that "the gates -0f Hades shall not prevail against" his Church. Its dead branches may be lopped o!l, and its living branches may be pruned; but life shall only be the more vigorous, and fruit the more abundant. The gold may be cast into the furnace, and the dross be consumed; but the precious metal shall only be refined and purified, and shall shine with brighter lustre, and be fitter for the Master's use. III. Is there HOPE FOB BUMA1'"ITY? IP this race of man destined to deteriorate; is it doomed t.o remain for ever a prey to strife, to vice, to sin; or is it appointed to sure progress and to final happiness? Questions these which have disturbed many a eensitive and philanthropic mind; clonded many a generous, disinterested life with sorrow and with gloom. The pessimism which is a sort of fashion in some circles refuses to take any comfort in looking forward to the future of mankind. As the individual is of necessity unhappy, as life is of necessity a calamity, a. disaster, and death the only alleviation, annihilation the only thing worth looking forward to; so for the race, composed of units thus unhappy, no destiny that is desirable can be in reserve. Progress is an illusion, and the general happiness a baseless dream. The Spirit of God-the God of hope-has taught the Christian a very different lesson from this. That Spirit encouraged Hebrew prophets of old to anticipate a universal reign of righteousness, knowled,,,ue, and peace. That Spirit directed evangelists and apostles io base, upon the incarnation and sa.cri:lice of the Son of God, the broadest of all beliefs and the brighte.st of all hopes. That Spirit has sustained the faith and inspired the energy of Christ's people, a.mid the darkness of human ignore.nee, the din of human conflict, and the desolation of human despair. 'l'he omen of the birth of Christ and Christianity has not been falsified. The progress of the truth has been Blow, the hindrances have been many, the corruptions and distortions have been serious. War, cruelty, slavery, vice, ignorance, brutality, are still scourging this human nee. But no candid observer can say that the religion of Christ has attacked these evUs in VRin. And no Christian. convinced of the supernatural powers of his religion, can do other than bravely hope in the progress of enlightenment, the victory of righteowmess, the reign of Christ. .. Yet with the woes of sin and strife The world has snffered long; Beneath the angel-strain have rolled Two thoasa.nd years of wrong; And man at war with man, hears not The love-song which they bring I Oh hush the noise, ye men of strife, And hear the angelB sing I "The promised time is hast.ening on, By prophet-bards foretold, When with the ever-circling years Comee ronnd the age of gold ; When peace shall over all the earth Its undimmed splendours fling, And the whole world send back the song Which now the angels sing I" Observe t1ie richness Q/11,d ftilness of the apostle's prayer: "That ye me.y aoound in hope." Thie ie an emotion which admits of many degrees. There are cases in which men say, "There ie no hope I" and melancholy indeed was the inscription which the poet read over the infernal portals: "Leave every hope behind, all ye who enter here." Sometimes there ie a little hope, a faint glimmer, as it were, to relieve the darkness. Hope can grow, as the dawn brightens into the morning. And hope can become a strong, happy, unhesitating persuasion, with no shade of anxiety, fear, or doubt. When the wish is uttered that we may "abound in hope," it ie implied that hope ie good, and 110 good that there is no possibility of our hflving too strong a hope. ott, xv. 1-88.J THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS.