THE HOPE OF THE GOSPEL

Publishing Committee · Rochester, N. Y. · Mar 17, 1853

THE HOPE OF THE GOSPEL.

SAID a lady to a friend, the other day, "sister, what is your hope?"

"My hope?" replied the lady addressed, "why I have a great many hopes—I hope the world will be converted—I hope the Jews will be restored to Palestine—I hope, when I die, I shall go to heaven—really, it is fatiguing to tell all my hopes."

We fear there are many who are thus hoping, and who have not yet the anchor to the soul, that which is the sure and steadfast hope. Peter exhorts, [1 Pet. iii.] be ready always, to give an answer to every man that asketh you, a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear. Let us see if the Apostle does not explain himself, in this same epistle. He dedicated it to the strangers scattered abroad—elect—and says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptable, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven, for you, who are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time." Then, after speaking more particularly of this hope, and alluding to the diligent manner in which the prophets searched into the time, when the hope should change to glad fruition, in the thirteenth verse of the first chapter of his first Epistle, he says: "Be sober and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you, at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Thus it is evident, that the hope, for which we should ever be ready, to give a reason, with meekness and fear, is the hope of the resurrection. It is the hope that Christ will come again and raise the dead—cause them to be satisfied by awakening in his likeness; that they may see him as he is; and be made like him; that they may reign with him on the renovated earth, the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world. The hope is based on the resurrection of Christ, for "God hath begotten us again, unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And Paul says, "if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is vain also; ye are yet in your sins; then also they which are fallen asleep in Christ, are perished, if the dead rise not." So the hope is as sure and steadfast as the Eternal Rock on which it is founded; for, just as sure as Jesus had a resurrection, just so sure all those that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. "For God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us, by his own power. We believe, and therefore speak. Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us up also, by Jesus, and shall present us with you."

When Peter preached in the temple, and told the Jews that God raised the Prince of life from the dead, "as he spake unto the people, the priests, and the captains of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead."

The philosophers of Athens encountered Paul; some said, "What will this babbler say?" others, "He seemeth to be a setter-forth of strange gods, because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection." Then in his discourse, the Apostle told them, that God had appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (So the judgment is as sure as is the resurrection of the Saviour.) And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; and others said, we will hear thee again of this matter.

This was the hope of Paul; when he was brought before the Jewish council, he said, "Of the hope and resurrection of the dead, I am called in question."—And when he answered for himself, before Felix, he confessed that he worshiped the God of his fathers after the way which they call heresy; believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets, and have hoped toward God, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and of the unjust. And in his defense before Agrippa, he says, "And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers;" and he directly says, "Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?" So this was the hope of the promise made to the fathers.—And when Paul, as a prisoner, was carried to Rome, where the chief of the Jews were come together, he said, "for the hope of Israel, I am bound with this chain." So the hope of Israel was the hope of the resurrection.

It is otherwise called, the hope of the Gospel. For Paul said to the Colossians, that Jesus would present them, holy and unblamable, and unreprovable in his sight; "if ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel; which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature under heaven."

Hope is a compound of desire, expectation, and confidence.

The hope of the resurrection is desirable, because at that time, Jesus will come in the glory of his Father, and all his holy angels. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel and the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we also which are alive, and remain, shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and be caught up to meet him in the air, and so ever be with the Lord. Paul thought it desirable, for he said comfort one another with these words. Then will He gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth. Jesus thought this hope so desirable, that he made his coming the theme of his last discourse to his disciples, as recorded in the 24th and 25th of Matthew; saying, "When the Son of man is seen coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." And (Daniel,) the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom, under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. "Then shall he come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe in that day."—Is it not desirable to have Jesus glorified? He is at the right hand of God from henceforth, expecting, (looking forward to the time when he shall be glorified with all the saints) until his foes become his foot-stool. then will the saints receive a kingdom, which cannot be moved; then will the redeemed of all ages be made perfect together; then will the glory of the Lord fill the earth as the waters cover the sea.

The promise made of God unto the fathers, and the hope in which they fell asleep, was, that God would raise them from the dead, and bring them into their own land. In Hebrews eleventh, we read, that Abraham sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. And in the succeeding verse we read, that they looked for a city, which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God; and died in faith, not having received the promise.

The promise was to be received only by the resurrection; for those that endured as seeing him who is invisible, suffered thus, that they might obtain a better resurrection. For the promise of God was given to the fathers. Oh, my people, I will open your graves and bring you into the land of Israel—the promised land. Unto which promise, says Paul, our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, I am accused of the Jews. And as the saints are yet in their graves and died in faith, not having received the land of promise, it is an object of desire to pray God to verify his promise. For the hour is coming, in the which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good unto (or at) the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, at the resurrection of damnation.

Those who were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held, are represented as crying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" They were told "that they should rest, yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also, and their brethren that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled." God did not reply, that they must wait until the church had reigned prosperously on earth, without any persecution, a series of ages; (free from persecution, being a token of the end;) he said, "they should rest a little season—just as Daniel was told to rest until the end of the days.

Since then, the patriarchs, prophets and apostles, with all that have died in the faith, "looking for a city that hath foundations," do not receive the promised inheritance, until their graves are opened, and they are brought into the land of Israel, how desirable the resurrection!

Since the martyrs, those that were slain for the word of God, and the testimony which they held, are not avenged, until Jesus comes with his reward, to give to every man, according as his work shall be, shall we not join in the cry, "How long, O Lord!—How long! Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!"—Then, when there is importunity, he will avenge, speedily. Again; what ground of expectation have we that this hope will ever be realized?

The word of Jesus, who is ready to judge the quick and dead—his last words were, "Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give to every man, according as his work shall be." He which testifieth these things saith, surely I come quickly. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. From which assertion we learn, that his coming is certain, near and desirable. Again, he has given us the signs of his coming, and to know, when they are fulfilled, that it is at the doors. The signs have been given, and the Judge standeth at the door. Peter says, the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish. And Paul says, "Yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry."

Jesus has said that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning me. Not only the prophecies of the sufferings of Christ, but the glory that should follow.

Turn to the prophets. They in vision behold the hope of the promise made to the fathers realized.—They inquired and searched diligently respecting the time, and it was revealed to them. Is there no ground of expectation, that the gospel hope will be speedily realised?

Confidence is an ingredient in hope. What ground for confidence is there in the case? The faithfulness of him who hath promised. He has said, "Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God believe also in me." A little while he leaves his saints, but he will return and gather them on the resurrection morning; then their sorrow shall be turned into joy; and their joy shall no man take from them. This must be the confidence of which Paul speaks, when he said, cast not away your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward; that is, the full assurance of the gospel hope—the patient waiting for Christ—the looking for, and hastening unto the day of God—wherein the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and

the elements shall melt with fervent heat—according to his promise, the looking for a new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. It is evident that those who would, by their efforts, convert this earth, not according to the forms of God, and substitute it for the New Earth which God is to create, are not grounded and settled in the faith, but are moved away from the hope of the gospel; the hope that the Jews will be restored, is not the hope of the gospel. Vain and delusive are such fancies. The hope of the gospel is, that Jesus will come and be glorified in all his saints before all who truly love him, shall be quite exiled to the dens and caves of the earth, by that power, the little horn, who is to make war with the saints and prevail against them, until the Ancient of days comes, and judgment is given to the saints of the Most High; and the time comes that the saints possess the kingdom.

We cannot be presented to God by Jesus as holy, unblamable, and unreprovable, if we think lightly of this hope of the gospel, for which the early martyrs suffered, that they might reign. And in the very general moving away from the hope of the gospel, is not Jesus saying, "I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love. Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would thou wert cold or hot; so then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." Then, if we are among the wanderers from the faith once delivered to the saints, let us humble ourselves before the Lord, and become rooted and grounded in the truth. Let us not suppose that we are rich and increased in goods, when we are poor and miserable in the sight of the Lord. Let us humble ourselves, that in due time we may be exalted.

Above all, let us not mock at those who are established in the hope of the gospel who have turned from dumb idols to serve the living and true God, and wait for his Son from heaven; who, with Paul, strive, if by any means, they may attain unto the resurrection. Let us not say with the ancient philosophers, that they are setters-forth of strange gods; but let us seek rather to possess that hope which will anchor the soul amid all the storms that are raging around us, inasmuch as it is not of earth, but enters into that within the veil.

Let us love the hope of good tidings, for it rests on a coming Saviour. Then, when he shall appear the second time, without sin unto salvation, we shall not be ashamed to meet him, for he will be to us "complete redemption."—Voice of Truth.