FAITH AND HOPE.
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.
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