by J. C. Ryle
If you are truly saved—be thankful for it, and give God daily praise. Who has made you to differ from the perishing world around you? Why have you been taught to feel your sins and nothingness —while others are ignorant and self-righteous? Why have you been taught to look to Jesus—while others are looking to their own goodness, or resting on some mere form of religion? Why are you longing and striving to be holy—while others are caring for nothing but this world? Why are these things so?
There is but one answer—Grace, grace, free grace, has done it all! For that grace praise God. For that grace be thankful.
Go on, then, to your journey's end, rejoicing in the thought that though you are a poor sinner—Jesus is a most gracious Savior; and that though you have trials here for a little season—heaven shall soon make amends for all!
Go on! A few more tossings to and fro on the waves of this troublesome world—a few more battles and conflicts with our spiritual enemy—a few more years of tears and partings, of working and suffering, of crosses and cares, of disappointments and vexations, and then—then we shall be at home! There we shall find all that we have hoped for, and find that it was a million times better than our hopes! There we shall find . . . no sin, no cares of this world, no money, no sickness, no death, no devil.
There, above all, we shall find Jesus, and be forever with the Lord!
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Excerpt from Our Hope, chapter 4 of Old Paths by J. C. Ryle (free eBook)