The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1902-02-05
HOPE,
>"r's''hn Hope ls Grounded in Chris
fian Faith and Inspires to
Right Action,

Hope looks for the good and never
Tor the evil The pessimist would
prefer the word Preparations" for
we expect the evil as we'll as the
good. Doubtless evil will come,
pnF We do not hope for its com
ing. We would work for The prog.
ress Of the good, we would pray for it's
triumph, and while we work and pray
we would also hope. The pessimist
cannot do this, for the reason that he
looks Tor evil days, he expects the
the clouds and notthe sunshine. lie is
confident that the worst is yet to come.
Gloomy forebodngs of The future shut
out the rays Of hope. To him hope is a
word that does not enrich his yocabu-
lary, nor has il much. if any, reality in
human life. True, there are vain
hopes But these are always ground
less hopes. Hope to be realized must
have n basis. lie who hopes for success
put does not "ork for the same finds
MS nope is ncvc" realized. lie must
meet the necessary conditions.
Hope is based upon heaI.hful curdi.
tions of body and mind. Disease pro.
dn'es dependency. and HOPE cannot
thrive under these conditions. Exer.
tlon is checked by despair. Wha: we
need is health. Medicine is blessing
when taken at the right time. MANY
are 'lntt for life's duties on account of
VI health, and they feel DISCOURAGED
because Of human limitations. Such
conditions do not lead MS TO lopc for
great things.
Hope is grounded in faith. Hone has
reference 10 the future only, While
1ai'h has reference to the past and
present onr present belief Of events
and persons leads us TO hope for some
future good. Doubts are no inspira-
ton to hope, but faith iS. Ifyou have
no faith in virtue you need not hone
to become virtuous, II you have 10
fa'ih in your success, why hope TO- sue
cessF According to thy faith SO is thy
hope. Hope can sing her sweet song
amid the trials, troubles and Sorrows
OF life With Keats We can say:
Sweet hope! celestial ini1uorce rourd me-
shed. NV
Waving thy silver pinlons over my head"
Hope has its ground, it also has its
object. We may say objects. We hope
Tor happiness. for prosperity, for
progress. But all these come from God.
The Psalmist says to his soul. Hone
thou in God. The believer can have God
AS The object of his hope
Hope inspires action ratjenc. IL
I grand virtue, industry is praise
worthy, opportunities are valuable.
'r'f-reliancr is necessary, but what can
hese accomplish if we abandon hopea
patience may be exhausted, Industry
'aralyze selfrcliance may fail, but
n the midst of all hope is the same.
"! the brightness you see upon the
ace of the toilcr is an expression Of
rope. All the light you see on the face
i sorrow is hope.
traveller gong up one Of the Aims
anne to a very difficult Place to ascend
nd was about to return. bnt voice
''uh'h sad press on, press on. Amid
'fhrnltles, fog and danger, he pressed
n. Soon he reached the ton and
here he saw the beauty that could no,
e seen from lower place. Hope saws
N"'' press on, press on. Amid the DIFF
cn'f'rs fog danger Of life, hope saws =
10 VIII ever say to the pilgrim. nrexv
n, press on, there is beauty al the ton "
new henry {, Sperbeck, in N. Y. Oh. ;,