Abundance Is "more than enough;" and what ie besought for Christ's people is th"l "full assurance of hope." Thie is a" living hope," a hope whose life is viuorous and vitnl; a "hope which maketh not ashamed," which is confident, and which produces nappinese and peace. The Christian should be the possessor of such a hope. Let the unbeliever walk, if he will, in the twilight; it is for us to come out into the fnlness of the noonday light. This we me.y enjoy, not through the power of reason, or of fancy, or of public opinion; but through the power of the Holy Ghost. It is the Divine Spirit, and not a spirit of error or illusion, that prompts our hope. Hope is of God, nnd is in God; and such a hope may well be abundant. For there is no hope which he inspires which he cannot and will not satisfy; and when Divine fulness meets with human hope, our vessel is filled, and filled to overflowing, from the heavenly, th,, perennial spring. Ver. 13.-Bope. Perhaps ordinary and even Christian moralists wonld not assign to hope the place which it occupies in the teaching of the apostle. But Paul had good reason for extolling and enjoining this beautiful and most inspiring and influential virtue. In this verse he sets forth- I. THE SoUROE OF HOPE. His language is a prayer, and the prayer is addressed to "the God of hope." He is so called because there can be no true, well-founded, far- reaching hope which is not fixed on God, on his providential rule, on his gracious purposes, on his consolatory promises. He suggests and inspires hope ; he justifies and expects hope; he approves and rewards hopa. All true and worthy hope for our- selves and for others is fixed on God, centres in God. II. THE POWER OF HOPE. The Holy Spirit is represented as the Agent by whose aid hope is experienced and enjoyed. When the spirit is downcast and sad, when the prospect is gloomy and dark, when human help seems far and feeble, then the Com- forter brings near the grace of God, unveils a glorious prospect, and inspires a blessed confidence. III. THE MEANS OF HOPE. If any one is bidden to cherish hope, he will reply, "Where is the ground upon which I may hope? By what means can I arise from the Slough of Despair?" The steps by which rational hope can be fostered are here described. 1. Believing; i.e. in Christ as the true Object of hope-" Christ our Hope." 2. Joy; i.e. the emotion produced by a believing appropriation of the blessings of the gospel-joy w:hich may even rise to be "unspeakable, and full of glory." 3. Peace; i.e. another of the fruits of the Spirit, the growth from the root of Christian faith. A. disturbed mind is a mind uncongenial to hope; tranquillity in the present is con- tributive to hopefulness as to the future. IV. THE ABUNDANCE OF HOPE. When God gives, he gives liberally, royally. Observe in what respects the Christian's hope abounds. 1. For himseU, his personal future being gilded with radiant, celestial light. 2. For the Church, that it shall arise and shine and fulfil the ministry it has received. 3. For the world, that it shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. 4. For both time and eternity. Ver. 29.-Fulness of blessing. Commissioned and endowed as he was, the apostle might lawfully and confidently speak thus. Yet every minister of Christ may, in his measure, cherish the same assurance, and look forward to intercourse with those to whom he ministers with a similar expectation and hope. I. THE ORIGIN AND GIVER OF BLESSING. The word "blessing" has something vague in it; yet this is because of its comprehensiveness. We cannot always be sure what is best to wish for on behalf of others; but we cannot err in seeking for them blessing from God. Poor and few are the gifts m!lll can bestow upon his fellow-men; but " the blessing of God maketh rioh, and with it he addeth no sorrow." II. THE 0HARA0TER AND IMPORT OF Bl,ESSING. What the apostle anticipates is "the blessing of the gospel of Christ." Here there opens up to us a boundless field, for in this e.ro comprehended all that Christ can bestow, all that man can receive; e.g. Christ's blessing of pen.co, of life, spiritul\l and etemal, of confidence and hope, of purity and strength, of fellowship, of service. III. 'fnm MEASURE OF BLESSING. 1. Fulness corresponi:irng to the Giver, whose riches and resources o.re inexhau11tible. The expreSSJ.on "fulness •• is e. favourito one 'rRE tPISTL~ OP PA.UL TO 'l'HE ROMANS. [on. :x.v. 1-83.
""ith the apostle, and indicat.es his sense of the abundance of the gifts and promises of that new covenant which it was his privilege to explain to the Jews and tlie Gentiles, 2. Fulness for every applioant and partaker. The nature of each Christian is suoh thnt ~e is c-.apable C1f receiving from the fulness of God in Jesus Christ, Consider the multitude.s who have songht and found in the Mediator the supply for all their spiritual WRnts: and yon mll feel what a witness is such a fact to the infinite provision of Divine m~rcy and beneficence. 3. Fulness nnexhaust.ed and inexhaustible for eaoh parUoipant. \'\ hen Paul came to a city, he had some conception of the immense variety of human '!1~: and wh_en he ministered to II c-ongrogation, he did so knowing that it contained 1ndinduah with many, varied, urgent, incessant needs-all to be supplied from the fulness which is in Jesus Christ. It is a most encouraging and inspiring thought that, '\>hatever the heart may crave of blessing, may be surely appropriated and enjoyed upon application to God through Jesus Christ. The preacher may be but an earthen vessel; but the treasure he conveys is both priceless and inexhaustible. IV. THE OO:!<"DITION .u,"D OCCASION oF BLESSING. "When I come unto you." It appears that Christians meeting in fellowship a.re the means of such mercy to human souls. On the one hand, there is the faithful preacher and teacher of the Word; on the other hand, there are receptive and believing hearers of the Word. The Lord gives to the disciples, and the disciples distribute to the multitude. V. THE ASSURANCE OF BLESSING. The language of Paul is very confident: "I am 11Ure." Such a conviction must be based upon confidence in Divine declarations and promises. and upon past experience of Divine faithfulness and grace. Such persuasion, and the IIOber yet confident expression of it, a.re honouring to God. APPUCATION. L Here is an example of the spirit in which bishops, pastors, and evangelists should approach those whose spiritual welfare is entrusted to their charge. 2. Here is also an ex.ample of the expectations which Christians should cherish when they place themselves under the influence of an enlightened and spiritual ministry.