Palm Sunday.

THE CHRISTIAN'S HOPE. S. AUGUSTINE.

"WE are saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man seeth, why doth he hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." The Lord our God Himself, to Whom it is said in the Psalm, "Thou art my hope and my portion in the land of the living," admonisheth me to give you hereupon some words of exhortation and consolation. He Himself, I say, "Who is our hope in the land of the living," enjoineth me to address you in this land of the dying; that ye may not “look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." Because then we 'hope for that we see not, and with patience wait for it," with good reason it is said to us in the Psalm, "Wait patiently on the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take courage, yea wait patiently on the Lord.” (Ps. xxvii. 14. Sept.) For the world's promises are always deceiving, but the promises of God never deceive. But because the world seems as if ready to give what it promises here, that is, in this land of the dying, wherein we now are; but God will give what He

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promiseth, "in the land of the living;" many are wearied of waiting patiently for the True, and blush not to love the deceitful one. Of such the Scripture saith, "Woe unto them that have lost patience, and have turned aside into crooked ways." (Ecclus. ii. 14.) With those who do manfully, and with heart of good courage wait patiently on the Lord, the children of eternal death also cease not to mock, vaunting their transitory delights, which for a time are sweet to their mouths, but afterwards they shall find them more bitter than gall. For they say unto us, "Where is that that is promised you after this life? who hath returned hither from thence, and given information that the things ye believe are true? lo, we joy in the fulness of our pleasures, in that we hope for what we see; but ye are tormented in the travails of self-denial, by believing what ye do not see." And then they subjoin the words the Apostle brought forward: "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die." But see what he advised us to beware of. "Evil communications," saith he, "corrupt good manners. Be ye sober in righteousness, and sin not.”

Beware then, brethren, lest by such communications your manners be corrupted, hope overthrown, patience enfeebled, and ye turn aside into crooked ways. Yea rather in meekness and gentleness hold on the strait ways, which the Lord teacheth you; of whom the Psalm saith, “The meek shall He direct in judgment, the gentle shall He teach His ways." Patience indeed among the toils of this life, without

which the hope of the Life to come cannot be maintained, can no one retain continually, but the meek and gentle, who resisteth not the Will of God, "Whose yoke is easy and His burden light," but only to those who believe in God, who hope in Him, and love Him. So truly as meek and gentle ye will not only love His consolations, but as good children ye will also endure His scourges; that since ye hope for that ye see not, ye may with patience wait for it. So act, so walk ye. For so ye walk in Christ Who said, "I am the Way." How you must walk in Him, learn, not only by His Word, but also by His example. For this " His Own Son the Father spared not, but delivered Him up for us all;" not of course against His will, not refusing, but equally willing with the Father; for that the will of the Father and the Son is One in His Equality in “the Form of God, Being," in which " He thought it not robbery to be equal with God," and pre-eminently obedient, in His "emptying of Himself, taking the form of a servant. For He Himself loved us, and gave Himself up for us an offering and a Sacrifice to God for an odour of sweetness." In such wise then

"the Father spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all," as that the Son Himself also delivered Himself up for us.

He then the High One," by Whom all things were made," being delivered up, by reason of the form of a servant delivered up to the reproach of men, and the despising of the people, to contumely, to scourging, to the death of the Cross, hath taught

us by the example of His Resurrection what we ought in patience to hope from Him. "For if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." We hope, it is true, for that we see not; but we are the Body of that Head, in Whom what we hope for hath already been perfected. For of Him it is said, that " He is the Head of the Body, the Church, the First Begotten, holding Himself the pre-eminence." And of us it is written, "Now we are the Body of Christ and members; now if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it," in firm assurance, since He Who hath risen is our Head, He reserveth our hope. And in that before He rose again, our Head was scourged, He hath confirmed our patience. For it is written, "Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth." Let us not then faint under the scourge, that we may rejoice in the Resurrection. For so true is it that He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth, that "He spared not even His Only Son, but delivered Him up for us all.” Looking then at Him, Who without the desert of sin was scourged, "Who died for our sins, and rose again for our justification," let us not fear lest we be cast away when we have been scourged, but rather let us believe that we shall be received, having been justified. For although the fulness of our joy be not yet come; yet not even now have we been left without joy; for "we are saved in hope." Accordingly the Apostle himself too, who saith, "If we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for

it;" saith in another place, "Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation. Having then such hope, let us use much confidence; and let our speech in grace be seasoned with salt, that we may know how we ought to answer every one." For we must say to them, who since they have lost, or have never received patience, dare even to insult, whereas they ought to imitate us who wait patiently on the Lord, (because hoping for that we see not, we do in patience wait for it,)" Where are your delights, for which ye walk in crooked ways?" We do not say, "Where shall they be, when this life hath passed away?" but where are they now? When to-day has removed yesterday, and to-morrow is about to remove to-day, what is there of the things ye love that does not flit, and fly away? What is there that does not fly away almost before it is taken, since of this very to-day, not even an hour can be retained? For so the second is shut out by the third, just as the first was by the second. Of this very one hour, which seems present, nothing is present for all its portions, and all its moments are fleeting.

What man sins for, if he be not thoroughly blinded when he sins, let him at least, now he hath sinned, give heed. He might see that pleasure that is to pass away is without any wisdom longed for: or when it is passed away, is with repentance thought of. Ye laugh at us, because we hope for things eternal, which we do not see; whereas ye, enchained to those temporal things which are seen, know not what kind of day to-morrow's sun will bring you: