Our Hope

feasting—will soon be at an end forever. There will remain nothing but
a heaven for some, and a hell for others! "What, what is your hope
about your soul?"
I have asked my question. And now I ask every reader as in the sight of
God, What is your reply?
Many would say—if they spoke the truth, "I don't know anything about
it. I suppose I am not what I ought to be. I dare say I ought to have more
religion than I have. I trust I shall have more some day. But as to any
hope at present—I really don't know!"
I can quite believe that this is the state of many. I have seen enough of
the spiritual ignorance of people to fill me with deep sorrow. I am
convinced that there is no error, or heresy, or "ism," which is ruining so
many souls as the heresy of ignorance. I am convinced that there are
myriads of professors in England who do not even know the A B C's of
Christianity, and are nothing better than baptized heathen! I have
heard of a man, in his last days, whose only hope was, "that he had
always kept his Church, and voted for the Blues." I have heard of a
woman, who was asked on her death-bed where she hoped to go, and
said, "She hoped she should go with the crowd." I have little doubt that
there are thousands of people in this country who are much in the same
condition, knowing nothing whatever about their state before God. If
this be the condition of any reader of this paper, I can only say, May
God convert you! May God awaken you! May God open your eyes
before it is too late!
"When we deal with the carnal, secure, careless sinners (and they are a
vast multitude), and ask them a reason of that hope of heaven they
pretend to, is not this their common answer, "I live inoffensively; I keep
God's law as well as I can; whenever I fail, I repent, and beg God's mercy
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