each of us, body, soul, and spirit, shall have one perfect
consummation and bliss, in His eternal and everlasting glory.--That
is our hope. If that is not a gospel, and good news from heaven to
poor distressed creatures in hovels, and on sick beds, to people
racked with life-long pain and disease, to people in crowded cities,
who never from week's end to week's end look on the green fields and
bright sky--if that is not good news, and a dayspring of boundless
hope from on high for them, what news can be?

But how are we to get this hope? The text tells us; through comfort
of the Scriptures; through the strengthening and comforting promises,
and examples, and rules of God's gracious dealings which we find
therein. Through comfort of the Scriptures, but also through
patience. Ah, my friends, of that too we must think; we must, as St.
James says, "let patience have her perfect work," or else we shall
not be perfect ourselves. If we are hasty, self-conceited, covetous,
ready to help ourselves by the first means that come to hand; if we
are full of hard judgments about our neighbours, and doubts about
God's good purpose toward the world; in short, if we are not PATIENT,
the Bible will teach us little or nothing. It may make us
superstitious, bigoted, fanatical, conceited, pharisaical, but like
Jesus Christ the Lord it will not make us, unless we have patience.

And where are we to get patience? God knows it is hard in such a
world as this for poor creatures to be patient always. But faith can
breed patience, though patience cannot breed itself;--and faith in
whom? Faith in our Father in heaven, even in the Almighty God
Himself. He calls Himself "the God of Patience and Consolation."
Pray for His Holy Spirit, and He will make you patient; pray for His
Holy Spirit, and He will console and comfort you. He has promised