III. HOPE: This is a sure and certain expectation of eternal life, to be given freely for the sake of Christ, with the expectation of a mitigation of present evils with a deliverance from them, according to the counsel and will of God. Concerning this it is said: “Be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” “Hope maketh not ashamed.” (1 Pet. 1:13. Rom. 5:5.)

Hope springs from faith, because he who has the assurance that he now enjoys the good will of God, may be certain of it also in time to come, inasmuch as God is unchangeable. “The gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” (Rom. 11:29.) These two graces, however, are not the same. Faith embraces the present benefits of God, and his will towards us; whilst hope includes and has respect to the fruits of the present and unchangeable good will of God, which are still future. Hence it is said, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” “We are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for? “(Heb. 11:1. Rom. 8:24.) That which is opposed to hope, as it respects the want thereof is, 1. Despair, which is to regard one’s sins as being greater than the merits of the Son of God, and therefore not to accept of the mercy of God offered in his Son, our mediator, and so not to look for the benefits promised to the faithful; but to be tormented by a sense of the dreadful wrath of God, and by the fear of being cast into everlasting punishment, and so to dread the mention of the name of God and to hate him, as cruel and tyrannical. It was under a sense of despair that Cain exclaimed, My sin is greater than can be pardoned. (Gen. 4:13.) Paul also exhorts in view of this, “Not to sorrow as those who have no hope.” Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. (1 Thes. 4:13. Rom. 5:20.)

2. Doubt in reference to future benefits, such as eternal life, defense and deliverance from temptations, and final perseverance, which are all promised in the word of God.

As it regards the opposite side of hope, or that which is opposed thereto by reason of excess, we may mention of carnal security, of which we have just given a definition. And as carnal security is everywhere condemned in the word of God, so spiritual security is everywhere commended and required in all the godly. This spiritual security assures us of the grace of God against all the reproofs and accusations of conscience, and is nothing else than faith and hope joined with true repentance, which does not fear being deserted and rejected of God, because it is fully persuaded that his will and favor are unchangeable. Hence it is said in reference to. this, “If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:31, 32.)