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See the opposite in the text — fear and hope. They seem to be contradictions, but yet here they are together. That is a blessed state in which fear keeps the door and hope spreads the table; fear the watch-dog without and hope the lamp within. Then that hope in the Lord's mercy may be the very least of His people, but they are His people, for His eye is upon them. Now, to those whose sole hope is hope in God's mercy, we would say —

I. THIS HOPE IS ONE, AND ONLY ONE. Let me ask —

1. Have you any hope in your own character? At once he replies, "None at all." Now this is well, humbling as the admission is. O, self-truster, you are a living insult to the Cross of Christ.

2. Have you any hope in external ordinances?

3. Have you any trust in the priesthood of man?

4. In scientific discoveries? Now, to all these questions the answer is clear and explicit. He has no trust in them at all, but in Christ only. Then —

II. THAT THIS HOPE IN CHRIST HAS GOOD FOUNDATIONS. I rejoice in your sense of sin, but I lament your doubts of pardon; for consider —

1. The merciful character of God. His very name is love. And —

2. There is a gospel. There is forgiveness for the greatest sin. The very word "gospel" is full of the greatest hope for man.

3. Think of the life of the Lord Jesus hero on earth. Did He ever reject any who came to Him?

4. And of the Holy Spirit. He is provided to meet all your difficulties. And —

5. We may pray. It would be a wicked hoax if a man invited poor people to his house to receive charity, and then, when they came there, denied them relief, God does not deal with us so.

6. And how many have come to Christ and been moved by Him? I am one of them. I do not think that you are any worse than I was.

III. THIS HOPE MAY BE YOURS. Let me try to chase away objections. "Oh," say you, "I have been guilty of the worst of sins." In the case of' certain of you I do not believe it. You have enough to answer for without blackening yourself needlessly. But worse sinners than you have come to Christ. And may there not be a spice of rebellion against God in your humility, a little sullenness in it? Don't put away Christ from you out of a proud despair. Accept His mercy as a commonplace sinner. And what good do you think your death, if He leaves you to perish, as you think He will, will do Him? And suppose, after all, you are one of His chosen, and that He has loved you all along, is it not sad that you should not love and trust him.

( C. H. Spurgeon.)

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KJV: Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;

WEB: Behold, Yahweh's eye is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his loving kindness;