a heavenly light breaking forth, and gradually increasing to the perfect day. Surrounded with clouds and darkness here, the Christian beholds an unsetting sun beaming on the distant hills beyond the grave. If mortality can boast of happiness, it is the lot of that man who, ready to depart, forgetting a world which had proved itself unworthy of his affections, and looking forward towards his native home, can in the confidence of his faith assert with Job, "I know that my Redeemer liveth;" or exult with the apostle of the Gentiles, who, in the near prospect of dissolution, his heart glowing with rapture and melting with divine love, could exclaim, in a voice already attuned to the music of the third heavens, "I am ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand: I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day." This was the triumph of the gospel; the full assurance of Christian faith. Theoretical religion, a mere orthodox creed, could never have exalted the apostle to so sublime, so enviable a height of gratitude and adoration. When the moment comes in which the writer and the reader of these pages, with all their relatives and friends, and contemporaries, must yield their present stations to a succeeding race, what more glorious epitaph can they desire than the apostle's most emphatic words, 66 THESE ALL DIED IN FAITH.” THE FULL ASSURANCE OF HOPE. HEBREWS, vi. 11. THE Christian's highest attainment is the full assurance of hope. Faith is the principle that points out the all-sufficiency of Christ Jesus for our salvation, and unites us to Him; but the well-assured expectation of glory which succeeds this union is more correctly denominated hope than faith. The functions, however, of these two divine graces are oftentimes so blended, that it is not easy to draw the exact line of demarcation between them; so that what is predicated of the one might in many cases be applied with equal propriety to the other. Christian hope may be defined a heavenly and wellgrounded expectation of salvation and eternal glory, by Christ Jesus, in the method propounded in the gospel. It is heavenly, both because it emanates from God, and because it tends towards him. God is called the "God of hope," and is said to have given the Christian "a good hope through grace." The principle, thus celestial in its origin, is not less so in its tendency. Rising above the mists that hover round sublunary scenes, it aspires after the invisible source of beatitude and perfection. Its language is, "Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of Thee." Christian Hope is further defined to be well-grounded, in opposition to the presumptuous hope of the Pharisee, the delusive hope of the hypocrite, and the vague dependence of the careless and uninformed. It is expectation, as distinguished from perception; for "hope that is seen is not hope." Salvation and eternal glory are mentioned as its objects, in order to distinguish it from human and worldly expectations; for although it is the exclusive privilege of the Christian that he has "the promise of the life that now is," as well as "that which is to come;" yet his hopes being conversant almost entirely with objects spiritual and eternal, he learns to view every thing else as subordinate; and would be willing to sacrifice every outward enjoyment, and to sustain every outward misery, for the hope of the prize of his high calling. Lastly,-Christian hope can exist only through Christ Jesus, who is expressly entitled "our hope," and can be truly derived only in the method propounded in the gospel, by faith in his name. If the preceding definition be correct, no principle that is human in its origin, or worldly in its tendency, that rests on false or insufficient grounds, or that expects salvation in any way but solely through the merits of Christ Jesus in the scriptural method, by a true and lively faith, can fairly claim the title of Christian hope. In meditating on this exalted principle, three obvious considerations occur to the mind, namely, its nature, its effects, and the means of its attainment and increase. To comprehend the nature of Christian hope, it is necessary to consider both the sublimity of the objects which it embraces, and the immutability of the basis on which it rests. Among the objects of the Christian's hope, the first is pardon of sins. The magnitude of this blessing will conspicuously appear from the various considerations which naturally rendered it of improbable attainment. Was not our forefather and federal representative forewarned, and was he not endued with power to stand? What reason then could there be to hope that the omnipotent and infinitely just Being, whom he had offended, would, under these aggravated circumstances, condescend to provide a remedy? Is not the gleam of hope still farther darkened by considering, that the only way in which the wisdom of God saw fit that sin should be pardoned must be by the incarnation and death of his co-equal and well-beloved Son? Both the infinite price of redemption, and man's unworthiness of it, conspired to render it a hopeless blessing. If to this we add our own personal demerits, our continued, our multiplied, our aggravated transgressions, our sins committed against light and against knowledge, against the remonstrances of God's Spirit and the precepts of his word, taking also into our view the unbending justice and unimpeachable veracity of the Creator,-we shall perceive the pardon of sin to be no ordinary benefaction. But Christian hope, being commensurate with Christian faith, looks still higher, expecting not only pardon, but justification; that is, a complete and satisfactory acquittal, an oblivion of every charge against us, and a re-investiture in all the original but forfeited privileges of our once happy primogenitor. Hence this animating principle, though far from attempting to veil the malignity of sin, or furnishing motives for its encouragement, yet being grounded on a sense of the immeasurable love of God and the infinite value of the Redeemer's sacrifice, looks forward, even in this world, to the highest blessings. It humbly expects unfailing supplies of grace in the due use of all appointed means, with new and continual accessions of knowledge, of faith, and of holiness. Amidst all the inherent weaknesses of the Christian, and the spiritual enemies which would, if possible, pluck him from his Redeemer's hand, hope teaches him to expect the preserving mercy of God to keep him in his arduous course, assured that whom the Heavenly Parent loveth he loveth unto the end. Faith having once credited the astonishing assertion of the apostle, that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called according to his purpose," the map of providence, even in its darkest shades, instantly becomes illumined with the cheering rays of hope. "All things!" Deprived of health and friends, of the comforts and conveniences of life-enough will still remain. Hope builds upon the universality of the proposition. We perceive not the mysteries of futurity; but hope, mingled with faith, includes them all in the glorious catalogue of blessings. Every moment, as it glides by upon its silent pinion, appears commissioned to perform an errand of mercy. Nature, pursuing her appointed course, is unconsciously producing the intended effects. Even losses, afflictions, and persecutions, unexpectedly concur in the general design. Enemies involuntarily become friends; and hope, instead of wantonly lacerating her feet with the briars that infest her path, contrives from every thorn to pluck a flower. temporal mercies, though but of secondary importance, are anticipated by her upon the faith of that consoling promise, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Even Christian hope has its highest triumph where natural hope entirely fails. It embraces objects unseen and eternal. It extends beyond the grave. "This is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life." Faith having taught us that we must rise again, hope anticipates a resurrection unto happiness. It expects the moment when our "vile body shall be made like unto Christ's glorious body," and when, invested with the garment of the Redeemer's righteousness, we shall be found "perfect and entire, lacking nothing." Already hope hears the thrilling accents, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Heaven from that moment begins. The great object for which the world was created is accomplished. Fallen man has arrived at the |