+II. The righteous man's future inheritance--gladness.+ If the hope of an expected good gives gladness, how much more its realisation! A man is glad when the title deeds of an estate are handed over to him even if he cannot at once enter upon its possession, how much more glad is he when he enters into the full enjoyment of his inheritance. The righteous man's hope is a more certain guarantee of his future inheritance of gladness than the most indisputable deed ever written upon parchment. It is as we saw before (see on verse 24) an earnest of its own fulfilment. The hope begotten in the heart of a child, by the inspiration of his father's character and genius, that he may one day be like his parent, is a hope that the father himself will not disappoint. Love for his child and a regard for his own honour will impel him to do all that lies within his reach to satisfy the desire--to fulfil the expectation--of his child. If, in addition, he was able to promise the child that his hope should be realised, nothing could acquit him of his obligation to perform his promise except inability. The Eternal Father has by His Spirit and by His promise begotten such a hope with His children and "begotten them" unto the hope (1 Pet. i. 3). This is "the hope" of the righteous, and the character and the omnipotence of Him who gave it birth is a sure pledge that it shall be "gladness." Closely connected with it are the hopes of the coming of God's kingdom, and of the "adoption of the body" (Rom. viii. 23), noticed in considering "the desires of the righteous." +III. The doom of the expectation of the ungodly man.+ If the wicked man has fears concerning the future (see on verse 24), he has also vague hopes concerning it, although his desires and expectations are chiefly in relation to the present world. As to his desires of a state of happiness after death, they are not strong enough to lead him to comply with the conditions of entering upon it. Any expectation of this nature can be based upon nothing outside himself, and it must therefore perish. His expectation of the results of his own earth-born and devilish schemes will also perish. He may apparently bring them to a successful issue, but the end will show that it is not so. If he succeeds in gaining wealth or power, he will not get what he expected out of them. Any expectation which he forms as to the overthrow of the good will meet with the same doom. Pharaoh expected to be able to retain the Hebrews in bondage, but his expectation was broken to shivers upon the shield of Eternal Omnipotence. The chief priests and scribes expected to stamp out the name and influence of the Nazarene by crucifying Him, but the result contradicted their expectations. In these instance may be seen a reflection of the doom of every expectation which is out of harmony with righteousness. _OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS._