pearing of the great God, and our Savior, Jesus Christ." The blessedness of the Christian's hope consists mainly in the everlasting blessings which it anticipates. It is true, it is blessed in this life for the Christian to look forward to the appearing of his Savior, the great God; but the happiness and glory of his hope reaches beyond that period, in that it embraces an eternity of the blessedness of enjoying Christ's glorious presence.

Paul was a bold, energetic, and successful advocate of the truths of the Gospel. And it was this hope which he entertained, that encouraged him to press his way onward at all hazards, to endure privations, overcome difficulties, face enemies, and even to look at death with perfect composure. Hence he says: "Hope maketh not ashamed: because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us." And at another time he says, "seeing that we have such hope, we use great plainness (or boldness) of speech." It was this hope that gave him great boldness or confidence in prayer, in exhortation, and in preaching, before kings, rulers, and all men. And having been trained a Pharisee of the "straitest sect," he was doubtless well acquainted with the writings of the Old Testament, which so fully express the hope of the righteous in their death. In one place it is written: "The righteous hath hope in his death;" and in another, we are invited to

Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace." And the devout Psalmist expresses his own experience of strong confidence in this hope, thus: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear

no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." The Christian's hope, then, is a peaceful and triumphant hope, which the apostle realized, when he expressed his readiness to depart and to be with Christ.

The Christian's hope is also termed a saving hope; Rom. 8: 24-" For we are saved by hope." By being saved by hope, we are to understand, that, by keeping the object or reality of hope always in view, we are preserved or sustained in the midst of the trials and temptations which beset us in the way to heaven. As we are said to be "kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation," so also are we kept through the hope which the Holy Ghost has implanted within us, and which he keeps revived in the soul, for its final salvation. This hope is represented by the apostle Paul, as a helmet; by which is meant, that the hope of the Christian enables him to secure his mind against any attack of the enemy, whose business it is to present evil thoughts, which, if received in the mind, would take effect in the heart, and rob him of his enjoyment and of his holy affections. Again by this "helmet, the hope of salvation," the Christian holds fast his confidence unto the end," which has "great recompense of reward to those who cast it not away."

In Heb. 6: 19, we are informed that "this hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the vail." By which, the Christian is encouraged to look beyond this vale of tears, and realize a foretaste of infinite felicity. It affords him a view of that eternal glory which shall be revealed unto all saints, at the

glorious coming of Christ their Savior. It is not an uncertain hope, but sure and steadfast, that as an anchor to the soul, it secures the safety of the heirs of promise within the holy place, the kingdom of heaven, where Christ ever lives to intercede for his people.

Finally, the Christian's hope is not merely the desire and expectation of a heartless visionary; it is that Divine assurance which the Holy Spirit gives to all the subjects of his regenerating power. It is that witness of the Spirit which convinces us that we are born of God, and sealed heirs of an eternal inheritance in heaven. It is the sanctified desire of a regenerate heart, corresponding with the pure, elevated anticipations of a well-directed understanding. I have thus, my dear brethren, endeavored briefly to explain the nature of the Christian's hope, which desires and anticipates future bliss; which originates in God; the properties of which are so full of comfort; and the object of which will be surely realized by every sanctified possessor. For God does not mock his dear children with a delusive or uncertain hope, as Satan does all who submit to his false colorings.

In the further treatment of this subject, we would call your attention, while we consider the substance or reality of the Christian's hope.

It will be readily seen with a mere glance, that there is a wide difference between hope itself and the substance of it. Hope longs for, and expects to realize something. But the substance of that expectation is the reality anticipated and desired. A man may hope at some time to be a Christian, and yet eternally remain a stranger to the substance of Chris

tian experience. He might anticipate the eternal enjoyment of the righteous, but that anticipation would not be the desired good.

The substance of the Christian's hope consists, 1. In his being a regenerate child of God, an heir of heaven, and a joint-heir with Christ. All persons are the offspring of God. But all are not regenerated. Hence we make the distinction by the phrase, “regenerate child of God." The apostle informs us that they are the sons of God who are led by his Spirit. Such a one is conscious that his transgressions are forgiven, and his sins so covered, that they appear not to condemn him. Guilt is no longer attached to his soul to harass him day and night as when he was tasting the bitter cup of conviction. Instead of being the subject of Divine displeasure, God has chosen him one of his favorites, on whom to bestow his special care, infinite guidance, and choicest blessings, both temporal and spiritual. He is no longer an alien from the commonwealth of Israel, but is brought nigh unto God, by faith, through our Lord Jesus Christ. "Beloved," says the apostle John, "now are we the sons of God." And St. Paul affirms, "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear: but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."

The Christian is an heir of a heavenly estate prepared in the Kingdom of Glory without hands by the

infinite skill, unbounded goodness, and almighty power of the Great Architect of heaven and earth. He is joint-heir with the Prince of Life-the only begotten Son of God, by whom, and for whom, all things were made and remain.

This estate comprises all that is grand, and good, and happy. There is nothing in all this mountain of God's holiness to disturb, to make afraid, to hurt, or to dissatisfy. The inhabitants thereof are all pure, innocent, honest, intelligent, rich, and happy. Sickness and death are never felt nor feared in all that region. Evil reports, commotions, calamities, disputings, jealousies, unholy ambition, have no access to the peaceful abodes of the citizens of that country. The honor which God will confer upon his people shall be greatly enhanced by their joint-heirship with his only begotten Son, our Redeemer, whose relation to us will contribute to the perfection of our bliss. He will leave nothing undone to enrich us and present themes for our investigation and contemplation, and call forth our immortal energies to magnify the God of our salvation.

The substance of our hope consists

2. In our being raised at the resurrection in the likeness of Christ, and of enjoying him for our eternal portion. On this point the Scriptures are very explicit. Paul, in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, 15th chapter, treats conclusively on the resurrection of the dead, and shows very plainly that the righteous shall not only be spiritualized in body, but that that body will assume the same nature and appearance as Christ's glorious body. In the 49th verse he says, "And as we have born the image of the earthly, we