you believe it, that is faith. It is the same faculty of mind by which we believe earthly things, with which we also believe heavenly things; just as it is the same eye by which we look upon terrestrial objects, with which we also survey the heavenly bodies. Christian faith is belief, - a belief of the great truths of Christianity. To the Christian, it makes no difference, as it respects his faith, what God has said. However improbable it may appear, when we look at the attributes of man, yet if the Christian knows that God has said it, he believes without a doubt. Much is said in the Scriptures in regard to Abraham's faith. It is everywhere spoken of with approbation. "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." (Rom. iv. 3.) The striking feature of Abraham's faith was its strength." He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able, also, to perform." (Rom. iv. 20, 21.) It was promised to the patriarch, that in him and his posterity, all nations, kindreds, and families of the earth should be blessed. He had become an old man, and still no child had been born, through whom the promise could be fulfilled. Against all probability, he still continued to trust the Word of God; he "against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations." (Rom. iv. 18.) At last, the promise is fulfilled in the birth of Isaac. How must the patriarch's bosom have swelled with fond delight. But, in the midst of his exultation, strange to say, he received a command from God, to take the son, the only son, whom he loved, and offer him for a burnt offering. He immediately prepared to obey the divine command. No murmur, no objection, escaped his lips. He did not say, "Lord, if the child be slain, how shall the divine promise be fulfilled?" He believed that God would take care of his own word, even though the promised seed should die. He took the lad to the place; he built the altar; he laid the wood thereon; he bound the child, and laid him on the altar upon the wood; and already had he taken the knife, and stretched forth his hand, when the angel of the Lord interposed, and said, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast nòt withheld thy son, thine only son, from me." This was a trial of faith, indeed. God saw fit to try the strength of Abraham's faith in this matter, not that God did not know how strong it was; but it was done, that mankind, in every subsequent age, might have an example of faith in the promises of God, which remained strong against every discouragement. Such, then, is Christian faith, promises, strong and unwavering. 2d. Hope. What is hope? - faith in God's Some persons do Some They think faith is not see the need of hope. sufficient. Faith saves men, they say. "He that believeth shall be saved;" and this is all that is necessary, they tell us. But of one thing I think we may feel confident, viz.: that the sacred writers would not have spoken as they have, in regard to Christian hope, if it were not of vast value and importance to men. They ascribe to it great purifying power. Every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he (Christ) is pure." (1 John iii. 3.) We see, then, that hope is very important. The hope of glory will prepare us for glory; the hope of purity will make us pure. O! if we can contemplate the future world as it is, the very contemplation will serve, in some measure, to fit us for it! Dr. Doddridge describes the future world, in the following beautiful strain: "No more fatigue, no more distress, Nor sin, nor death, shall reach the place, No rude alarms, no raging foes, To veil the bright, eternal noon." A lively, vivid hope, possessing a man's heart, that he is destined to a world like that, must tend to fit him for it. " to set Hope is essential to the Christian, and indeed to all men. The Jews were required their hope in God." (Ps. lxxviii. 7.) "Happy is he whose hope is in the Lord his God." (Ps. cxlvi. 5.) "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." (1 Cor. xv. 19.) The Christian is required to "lay hold of the hope set before him." (Heb. vi. 18.) He is exhorted not to be "moved away from the hope of the gospel." (Col. i. 23.) It is the "hope of glory," (27,) of which he is to have the "full assurance unto the end." (Heb. vi. 11 ;) he is to "lay hold upon it," and it shall prove 1 chor to his soul." Heb. vi. 18, 19. How then can we doubt that hope is necessary and essential to man? If I may be indulged in the use of a metaphor, I will describe hope as a sentinel, which God has placed to guard the faith of man and keep it pure. It keeps careful watch, and as long as your faith shall remain pure, it will abide quietly in your breast. But when your faith becomes corrupt, hope is disturbed; it gives the alarm; it admonishes you faithfully; and it does not leave you until the corrupt faith becomes triumphant, and then hope is gone. Hope cannot dwell in the same breast with a faith essentially corrupt. The true faith abides with hope, and hope glows and brightens in its presence. They dwell together. "Now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three." They all abide together; they all dwell in the same human breast, if the faith cherished be the true faith. But if the faith become essentially impure, hope, after repeated warnings, will leave you, and you will fall into that unhappy class, whom Paul described as being "without hope and without God in the world," Eph. ii. 12. When you |