HOPE.

Hope is the grace that relieves the soul when dark and weary. Hope

calls upon the soul not to forget how far it is arrived in its

progress towards heaven. Hope will point and show it the gate afar

off; and therefore it is called the HOPE OF SALVATION.

True hope, in the right exercise of it upon God, makes no stumble at

weakness or darkness, but rather worketh up the soul to some comfort

by these. Thus Abraham's hope wrought by his weakness. And as for

the dark, it is its element to act in that, "For hope which is seen

is not hope."

Hope is a head-grace and governing. There are several lusts in the

soul that cannot be mastered, if hope be not in exercise-especially

if the soul be in great and sore trials. There is peevishness and

impatience, there is fear and despair, there is doubting and

misconstruing of God's present hand; and all these become masters,

if hope be not stirring; nor can any grace besides put a stop to

their tumultuous raging in the soul. But now, hope in God makes them

all hush, takes away the occasion of their working, and lays the

soul at the foot of God.

PATIENCE. "And he stayed yet other seven days." This staying shows

us that lie exercised patience, waiting God's leisure till the flood

should be taken away. This grace, therefore, has yet seven days'

work to do, before he obtained any further testimony that the waters

were decreasing. O this staying work is hard work. Alas, sometimes

patience is accompanied with so much heat and feverishness, that

every hour seems seven until the end of the trial, and the blessing

promised be possessed by the waiting soul. It may be, Noah might not

be altogether herein a stranger. I am sure the psalmist was not, in

that he often under affliction cries, But how long, O Lord; for

ever? Make haste. O Lord, how long?