Let Israel Hope In The Lord: For With The Lord There Is Mercy, And With Him Is Plenteous Redemption, — <19D007> Psalm 130:7.

THIS psalm is said to be one of the psalms of degrees, which some say, if I be not mistaken, the priests and Levites used to sing, when they went up the steps into the temple. But to let that pass, it is a psalm that gives us a relation of the penman’s praying frame, and of an exhortation to Israel to hope in God.

It begins “Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord;” that is, out of deep or great afflictions. I said, “Lord, hear my voice; let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.” The latter words explain the former; as if he should say, By voice I mean the meaning and spirit of my prayer. There are words in prayer, and a spirit in prayer, and by the spirit that is in prayer, is discerned whether the words be dead, lifeless, reigned; or warm, fervent, earnest. And God, who searcheth the heart, knoweth the meaning of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. “If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?” <19D003> Psalm 130:3.

Here he confesseth, that all men by the law must fall before God for ever; for that they have broken it, but cannot make amends for the transgression thereof. But quickly bethinking himself of the mercy of God in Christ, he saith, ( <19D004> Psalm 130:4,) “But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayst be feared.”

Then he returns, saying, ( <19D005> Psalm 130:5,) “I wait for the Lord;” that is, in all his appointments; yea, he doubleth it, saying, “My soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.” By which repetition he insinuates, that many are content to give their bodily presence to God in his appointments, while their hearts are roving to the ends of the earth, but for his part he did not so. ( <19D006> Psalm 130:6,) “My soul waiteth for the Lord, more than they that watch for the morning; I say, more than they that watch for the morning.”

As if he should say, Even as it is with those that are tired with the night, either by reason of dark or wearisome journeys, or because of tedious sickness, to whom the night is most doleful and uncomfortable, waiting for the spring of day; so wait I for the Lord, that his presence might be with my soul. So, and more too, I say; ‘‘more than they that wait for the morning.”

Then he comes to the words which I have chosen for my text, saying, “Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him there is plenteous redemption.” In which words we have, I. An exhortation.

II. A reason for that exhortation. And, III. An amplification of that reason. “Let Israel hope in the Lord:” there is the exhortation. “For with the Lord there is mercy;” there is the reason of it. “And with him there is plenteous redemption”: there is the amplification of that reason.

In the exhortation there are three things to be inquired into. 1. The matter contained in it. 2. The manner in which it is expressed. 3. The inferences that do naturally flow therefrom.

We will speak first to the matter, contained in the text; and that presenteth itself under three heads, 1. A duty. 2. A direction for the well-management of that duty. 3. The persons that are so to manage it. 1. First, then, to speak to the duty, and that is hope. “Let Israel hope.” By which word, there is something preadmitted, and something of great concern insinuated.

That which is preadmitted is Faith. For when we speak properly of Hope, and put others distinctly to the duty of hoping, we conclude that such have faith already; for, no faith, no hope. To hope without faith, is to see without eyes, or to expect without a ground: for “faith is the substance of things hoped for,” as well with respect to the grace, as to the doctrine of faith. Both such a one believe? No. Both he hope? Yes. If the first is true, the second is a lie: he that never believed, did never hope in the Lord.

Wherefore when he saith, “Let Israel hope in the Lord,” he presupposeth faith, and signifieth that he speaketh to believers.

That which is (of great concern) insinuated, is, That Hope has in it an excellent quality to support Israel in all his troubles. Faith has his 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 doth not do; and Love can do things distinct from both their doings. Faith goes in the van, Hope in the main 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. But now we are upon Faith and Hope distinctly, to let you see a little. Faith comes by hearing; Hope by experience. Faith comes by hearing the word of God; Hope by the credit that Faith hath given to it.

Faith believerth in the truth of the word; Hope waiteth for the fulfilling of it. Faith looks through the word to God in Christ; Hope looks through Faith, beyond the world, to glory.

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 the cable is fastened; but Hope is the anchor that is at the other end of this cable, “and which entereth into that within the vail.” Thus Faith and Hope getting hold of both ends of the promise, they carry it safelyALL away.

Faith looketh to Christ, as dead, buried, and ascended; and Hope for his second coming. Faith looks to him for justification; Hope for glory.

Faith fights for doctrine; Hope for reward: Faith for what is in the Bible; Hope for what is in heaven.

Faith purifies the heart from bad principles; Hope from bad manners. Peter 2:11, 14.

Faith sets Hope on work; Hope sets Patience on work. Faith says to Hope, ‘Look for what is promised;’ Hope says to Faith, ‘So I do, and will wait for it too.’

Thus Faith saves, and thus Hope saves. Faith saves by laying hold of God by Christ. Hope saves by prevailing with the soul to suffer all troubles, afflictions, and adversities that it meets with betwixt this and the world to come, for the sake thereof. Take the matter in this plain similitude. There was a king that adopted such a one to be his child, and clothed him with the attire of the children of the king, and promised him, that if he would fight his father’s battles, and walk in his father’s ways, he should at last share in his father’s kingdom. He has received the adoption, and the king’s robe, but not yet his part in the kingdom; but now hope of a share in that, will make him fight the king’s battles, and also tread the king’s paths. Yea, and though he should meet with many things that have a tendency to deter him from so doing, yet thoughts of the interest promised in the kingdom, and hopes to enjoy it, will make him cut his way through those difficulties, and so save him from the ruins that those destruction’s would bring upon him, and will in conclusion, usher him into a personal possession and enjoyment of that inheritance.

Hope has a thick skin, and will endure many a blow; it will put on patience as a vestment, it will wade through a sea of blood, it will endure all things, if it be of the right kind, for the joy that is set before it. Hence patience is called the “patience of hope,” because it is hope that makes the soul exercise patience and long-suffering under the cross, until the time comes to enjoy the crown.