No faith, no hope. To hope without faith, is to see without eyes, or
to expect without grounds; for "faith is the substance of things
hoped for," as well with respect to the grace, as to the doctrine of
faith.
Faith has its excellency in this, hope in that, and love in another
thing. Faith will do that which hope cannot do, hope can do that
which faith cannot do, and love can do things distinct from both
their doings. Faith goes in the van, hope in the body, and love
brings up the rear; and thus now abideth faith, hope, and charity.
Faith is the mother-grace, for hope is born of her, but charity
floweth from them both.
Faith comes by hearing, hope by experience. Faith comes by hearing
the word of God, hope by the credit that faith has given to it.
Faith believes the truth of the word, hope waits for the fulfilling
of it. Faith lays hold of that end of the promise that is next to
us, to wit, as it is in the Bible; hope lays hold of that end of the
promise that is fastened to the mercy-seat. For the promise is like
a mighty cable that is fastened by one end to a ship, and by the
other to the anchor. The soul is the ship where faith is, and to
which the hither end of this cable is fastened; but hope is the
anchor that is at the other end of this cable, and "which entereth
into that within the veil."
Thus faith and hope getting hold of both ends of the promise, they
carry it safely ALL away.
Faith looks to Christ as dead, buried, and ascended; and hope to his
second coming. Faith looks to him for justification, hope for glory.
Faith fights for doctrine, hope for a reward; faith for what is in
the Bible, hope for what is in heaven.
Faith purifies the heart from bad principles, hope from bad manners.
2 Peter, 3:11, 14.
Faith sets hope at work, hope sets patience at work. Faith says to
hope, Look for what is promised; hope says to faith, So I do, and
will wait for it too.
Faith looks through the word of God in Christ; hope looks through
faith, beyond the world, to glory.
Thus faith saves, and thus hope saves. Faith saves by laying hold of
God by Christ; hope saves by prevailing with the soul to suffer all
troubles, afflictions, and adversities that it meets with betwixt
this and the world to come, for the sake thereof. Take the matter in
this plain similitude:
There was a king that adopted such a one to be his child, and
clothed him with the attire of the children of the king, and
promised him that if he would fight his father's battles and walk in
his father's ways, he should at last share in his father's kingdom.
He has received the adoption and the king's robe, but not yet his
part in the kingdom; but now, hope of a share in that will make him
fight the king's battles, and also tread the king's paths. Yea, and
though he should meet with many things that have a tendency to deter
him from so doing, yet thoughts of the interest promised in the
kingdom, and hopes to enjoy it, will make him cut his way through
those difficulties, and so save him from the ruin that those
obstructions would bring upon him, and will, in conclusion, usher
him into a personal possession and enjoyment of that inheritance.
Hope has a thick skin, and will endure many a blow; it will put on
patience as a vestment, it will wade through a sea of blood, it will
endure all things if it be of the right kind, for the joy that is
set before it. Hence patience is called "patience of hope," because
it is hope that makes the soul exercise patience and long-suffering
under the cross, until the time conies to enjoy the crown.
Learn of Abraham not to faint, stumble, or doubt, at the sight of
your own weakness; for if you do, hope will stay below, and creak in
the wheels as it goes, because it will want the oil of faith.