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1. THe God of Hope says the Apostle, replenish you with all * 1.1 sort of joy, that you may abound in hope; In which words he wills not only that we hope: but he de∣mands of God for all the Faithfull, an abundance of this gift, and vertue; by which we may hope through the merits of IESUS-CHRIST to possess God, and to enjoy eternal fe∣licity.
This Vertue is so necessary, that without it, we would not aspire to so high a good: and it gives us such assurance of * 1.2 This Good: that S. Paul calls Hope the sure and and firm anchor of the soul; and yet the same Apostle bids us work our Salvation in fear and trembling. But if our hope be so sure, how can we fear? if so firm, how can we tremble?
2. To reconcile this and the like apparent Contrarieties, we must remember that though our hope be founded upon the promises which God made us, through his infinite Goodness, and the me∣rits of his Son; Yet these promises are not accomplished, with out the concours and cooperation of our free Will. On the side of the promises of God, there is nothing to be doubted, our hope is most certain, and cannot be deceiv'd; but our free will being fragil and inconstant, we have cause to fear, that being wan∣ting to the grace of God, and to what He demands of us, we render our selves unworthy of the goods, which his mercy pro∣mis'd and prepar'd for us. The faults which are usually commit∣ted in this matter of hope, may be reduced to three principal, We hope not what we ought to hope; or not of whom we ought to hope: or not as we ought to hope. To avoyd these defects, and to practise well this important Vertue: I will shew what we ought to hope; of whom we ought to hope; and how we ought to hope.
3. My God you are my Hope, sayd the Royal Prophet; Note says S. Bernard, that the Prophet says not only, my God I hope in you; but he says, You are my Hope. when you ask of God health, long life, prosperity, you hope in him; but 'tis health, long life, pros∣perity, which is your hope, that is to say, the object and the subject of your desires, pretentions, and affections; but the holy Prophet made God his hope; and in effect, God as the Authour of * 1.3 grace, and the object of felicity is the supernatural good of man, tis this Soveraign Good which is infinitly to be preferr'd before all other goods. This Good then merits to be desires, pursued, and expected by him: and if he should do otherwise, he would not only be extreamly wanting to himself: but also highly injurious to this Good: who only is capable to give him the accomplish∣ment of his last perfection.
4. But as faith aides the understanding to believe in God, as its prime and principal object, aides also to believe many other things that are reveal'd by him, as its secondary and less prin∣cipal; so Hope which assists the will to hope God as its prime principal and chief object, helps it consequently to hope many other things that proceed from God, and which serve to compleat the beatitude of man, or as means to attain it.
5. Our Lord's prayer is an abridgment of all that we ought to hope, as the Symbole of the Apostles is a compendium of all we must believe; And in this most excellent and perfect prayer which the Son of God put into our mouths, we aske no corporal thing, but what is precisely necessary, our daily bread; we beg not wordly Glory, nor earthly riches, nor ease or pleasures for our bodys, nor the satisfaction of our passions; if we hope or beg * 1.4 such things of God S. Austin tells us, we do injury to him, and prejudice to our selves, injuriam facis illi & damnum tibi; for what is all that, but desires of the flesh, irregular and vi∣cious hopes, acts of ambition, avarice, and sensuality? To hope God will accomplish such desires, is it not to injure him? Is it not to make Him a servant of your ambition, a complice of your avarice, and a partener of your passions? if you should hope in Iupiter, if you should pray Mars, Venus, Cupid, if you should pray a Devill, you would not ask of him other favour; and to ask those things of the true God, to demand them in the Name of his Son, to hope to obtain them by the intercession of the Saints: sensual pleasures, by the intercession of the B. Vir∣gin who was so pure and mortifyd: riches of the earth, by the means of S. Francis, who so loved poverty: the Glory of the world, by the mediation of the Martyrs, who despis'd it: is not this to mock and offend God? should you obtain these things they would prove prejudicial rather than beneficial: and one might say to you, as to the sons of Zebedee, you knew not what you asked; God refuses some through benevolence and mercy, what He grants others through wrath and reprobation, says S. Augustin. * 1.5
6. The second fault against this vertue is committed by them, who confide in themselves, and in their vertue: Qui confidunt in virtute suâ.
The holy Ghost commands us often to put our hope in God: and He promises his infallible assistance to them that do it; He * 1.6 saves all that hope in him. He is the Protector of all that hope in him. In thee our fathers have hop'd and thou hast deliver'd them, says the Psalmist. Our Lord is good to them that hope in him, says Hieremie.
7. On the contrary the same Prophet says; Cursed be the man that trusts in man. These words Dissenters object to us: they say that we are cursed: becaus we confide either in living or dead men: since we invocate them, and implore their help. But if this curs concerns us, then cursed were they who sayd to Samuel, pray for thy servants to the Lord thy God; cursed was Samuel himself, who answer'd: far from me be this sin, that I * 1.7 should cease to pray for you; and cursed was S. Paul, who desir'd them so often to whom he wrote, to pray for him.
8. Who is he then, that according to the Prophet trusts in man? 'Tis he that neglecting the help of God, looks only, or chiefly for the help of man; this the Prophet himself declares, when he adds, and makes flesh his arme, and his heart departeth from our Lord.
9. You are subject to this malediction, if you put such a con∣fidence in your self, since you are a man, says S. Austin; if you confide in your pretended vertue, in your firm resolutions, in your good nature; it is a greater fault then you imagin: tis to arrogate to your self that which belongs to God only, who is the Authour of all good: 'tis to be diffident in him, and in the suffi∣ciency of his succour: 'tis to contradict these words, which the Church puts into your mouth: God, you know that we confide not in any of our actions. Is not this a strange vanity, and a horrible arrogancy, that a mortal man, whose life is full of miseries, whose Spirit and body are so inconstant, who is loaden with so many sins, exposed to so many temptations, subject to so many corruptions, designed to so many just punishments, should confide in himself, and presume to make himself happy, sayd * 1.8 S. Austin. This vain relyance which men have on their own selves, and on the force of their free will, is the cause that they rashly cast themselves into occasions of sin: that they worke
not their salvation with fear and trembling as the Apostle com∣mands: that they stand not upon their guard, to keep them∣selves from falling: that they pray not God fervently to hold them by the hand: that they are not in a state of perpetual humiliation, as the Saints advise them to be: that they disdain those that humane frailty made to fall: and that they glorify themselves in their good works; whence it comes often, that God chastises them, to humble them: He lets them fall into interiour aridities and desolations, or into some furious temp∣tations, which cast them down to the brink of hell, when they thought themselves at the gates of heaven, and makes them say as David, Ego dixi in abundantia mea non movebor in eternum, avertisti faciem tuam & factus sum conturbatus: It seem'd * 1.9 to me that I should never be troubled in the resolution I had to serve you, ô my God: You have withdrawn your grace, and I find my self wholy perplex'd and in danger to be lost. Hope not then in your selves, nor in the force of your free will, which is but weakness and misery: hope in God and in his assistance; but hope in him as you ought: that is to say, with great confidence.
10. Blessed be the man who puts his confidence in God, says Hie∣remie; he is like to a tree planted by the water, the leaf where∣of is always green, and which never fails to bring forth fruit. * 1.10 Wherefore the Church begging the favour of Gods protection, makes a remonstrance to him, that she relyes wholy upon the hope of his grace. There his nothing that obliges us more to act faithfully for another, then when we see that he confides in us, and wholy depends upon us: nor is there any thing that averts us more from succouring and assisting him, than to see that he is diffident of us: and can we think that our God will assist us powerfully, when we confide not entirely, but diffide in him; Diffidence makes us un worthy of his favours, it binds the hands of the Omnipotent, and stops the cours of his par∣ticular graces.
11. Give me a soul that hath a great confidence in God, she would work miracles: but if one staggers, or diffides never so little in the Providence of God, he will not have good success.
S. Peter finding the wind strong, did not quite diffide: since he cryd out Lord save me; he had a little confidence, since JESUS sayd to him, ô thou of little faith! But becaus he doubted, he began to sink. so certenly, the reason why we are not power∣fully assisted by God, and that we do not the great works He would operate by us, is becaus there is always in our hearts some grain of diffidence.
12. Follow then the counsel of the holy Ghost. Have confi∣dence * 1.11 in the Lord, and rely not vpon thy own prudence. In all thy ways think on him, and He will direct thy steps.
Have confidence; you confide in a friend, who never sayd to you, trust in me: who perhaps is chang'd and hath lost the love he had for you; And will you not trust in God who is always the same, and who says to you in his Scripture with so much tenderness and assurance: I will not leave, nor abandon * 1.12 thee Will you not trust in your God, who can, and will aide you powerfully, if you cast your self into his armes?
In the Lord; He is Master, and He will shew it, permit∣ting you sometimes to be overwhelm'd by a tempest, leaving you long in disgraces▪ suits, poverty, infirmity, and afflictions of Spirit; But if you put great confidence in him, though you be even past all remedy, and ready to be lost: He will strike the stroke of a Master: will make a signal demonstration of his Providence, and deliver you for his glory, to the admiration of the world.
Rely not vpon your own prudence; trust not in your ability, 'tis a weak support, a rotten planck, a reed, and a foundation upon sand; acknowledg in the presence of God, that your light is but darkness: that your Wisdom ss but folly: demand his conduct, invocate his mercy in the beginning, in the progress, and in theend of your actions.
In all your wayes think on him; 'Tis a great fault we commit, and the cause of all our failings, that we have not recours to God often enough, nor fervently enough. We are less able to do any thing that conduces to eternal life of our own sel∣ves, than a child that hath never written, is capable to write well; if then you will do well, you must not only re∣commend your self to JESUS in the beginning of your actions:
but often lift up your soul to him: dart forth respectfull and affectionate aspirations, and ask his grace and light; If you do so: He will direct your steps: He will enlighten your understanding in perplexities, strengthen your heart in temptations, hold your hand in dangers, direct your footsteps in his wayes: He will make your actions succeed to acquisition of his grace in this world, and to possession of his glory in the other. Amen.
Rom. 15. 13.
Heb. 6. 19. Heb. 6. 17. Phil. 2. 12.
S. Ber. Ser. 9. in qui habit sub. sin.
Conc. in Psal. 34 Post med.
Ang. in Psal. 40. Psal. 48.
Psal. 16. 7. Psal. 17. 31. Psal. 21. 5. Thren. 3. 25. Hier. 17. 5.
1. Kings. 12. 19. Rom. 15. 3.
Aug. Ep. 54. ad Macedo∣nium.
Psal. 29. 7.
Hierem. 17. 7. Collect of the 5. Sunday after Epiph.
Prou. 3. 5.
Heb. 13. 5.