Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

Now the sound hope of the faithful upholdeth Christian patience. Hope, as it is now a days used, is an opinion of things to come, referred commonly as well to good as evil things: but in very deed Hope is an assured expectation or looking for of those things which are truly and expressly promised of God, and believed of us by faith. So then there is a certain relation of hope to faith, and a mutual knot betwixt them both: Faith believeth that God saith nothing but trueth, and lifteth up our eyes to God. And hope looketh for those things which faith hath believed. But how shouldest thou look for ought, unless thou knowest that the thing that thou lookest for, is promised of God, and that thou shalt have it in time convenient. Faith believeth that our sins are forgiven us, and that eternal life is thorough Christ our redeemer prepared for us: now hope looketh and patiently waiteth to receive in due time the things that ⟨p. 305⟩God hath promised us, howsoever in the mean time it be tossed with adversities. For hope doth not languish nor vanish away, although it seeth not that, which it hopeth: yea it quaileth not, although that things fall out clean cross and contrary, as if the things, which it doth hope, were nothing ¹so. And therefore Paul said: We are saved by hope: But hope, that is seen, is no hope. For how can a man hope for that which he seeth? But and if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience abide for it. Abraham hoped that he should receive the promised land, when as yet he possessed not one foot of ground in it, but saw it inhabited of most puissant nations. Moses hoped that he should deliver the people of Israel out of Egypt, and place them in the land of promise, when as yet he saw not the manner & means how he should do it. David hoped that he should reign over Israel, and yet he felt the peril of Saul and his servants hanging over his head, so that oftener than once he was in danger of his life. The Apostles and holy martyrs of Christ, did hope that they should have eternal life, and that God would never forsake them: and yet nevertheless they felt the hatred of all sorts of people, they were banished their countries, and lastly were slain by sundry torments.

Nowe the sound hope of the faithfull vpholdeth Christian patience. Hope, as it is now a dayes vsed, is an opinion of thinges to come, referred commonly as well to good as euill things: but in verie déede Hope is an assured expectation or looking for of those things which are truely and expressely promised of God, and beleued of vs by faith. So then there is a certaine relation of hope to faith, and a mutuall knott betwixte them both: Faith beléeueth that God sayth nothing but trueth, and lifteth vpp our eyes to God. And hope looketh for those thinges which fayth hath beléeued. But how shouldest thou looke for ought, vnlesse thou knowest that the thing that thou lookest for, is promised of God, and that thou shalt haue it in time conuenient. Faith beleueth that oure sinnes are forgiuen vs, and that eternall life is thorough Christe our redéemer prepared for vs: nowe hope looketh and patiently wayteth to receiue in due time the things that