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There is a true hope and a false hope, a justifiable and an unjustifiable hope — the words direct us to the former.

I. Here is a hope that has a justifiable OBJECT. What is the object? "Thy salvation." What does the real salvation of man involve?

1. Restoration to lost holiness. The soul was created in the image of God, that is, in moral perfection. That image it has lost, the restoration of that is salvation. The restoration of purity, love, spiritual freedom, loyalty.

2. The restoration of lost usefulness. The soul was made to be useful, to render by its true thoughts, pure sympathies, and wise counsels, service to other souls. But this usefulness it has lost. As a rule, men are injurious to each other. Salvation is the restoration of this usefulness. All souls ministering and inter-ministering to the good of one another. Now, is not this a justifiable object of hope? This is the hope which God has set before us in the Gospel.

II. Hero is a hope that has a justifiable REASON. The reason here assigned for this hope is devotion to the right. A man who is loyally and livingly devoted to the right has undoubtedly a justifiable reason for "hoping for salvation." It cannot be purchased, it cannot be given, it must grow out of the soul devoted to rectitude.

(Homilist.)

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KJV: LORD, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments.

WEB: I have hoped for your salvation, Yahweh. I have done your commandments.