Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1906-05-19
COLUMN
By j. c. shetland.
WHAT is the Value of a Hope.

sessions away; this estate to one, that
t. another, till a friend asked what
have you reserved for yourself?'
Alexander answered, "hope."
Who can describe the value of hope
to the human family, to Adam and
Eve when they had lost paradise, but
were comforted with hope in the
promise of God; to Abraham when
the childless old man at ninety is led
out to view the countless stars and
told his progeny shall exceed the
number of the worlds he sees; to the
followers of Christ who see the steady
gain and fulfllment of His, "And I, if
be lifted up shall draw all men unto
me-" Christianity is the religion of
hope; hope for the individual, no
matter how low; for the race, no
matter how sinful, for this world with
opportunities to be met through the
grace of God, for the next world with
Heaven opened through the grace of
Christ.
There is a sort of hope we do not
want. Who wants hope certain to
fail. The drowning man who hopes
straw will save him is no more surely
deceived than the man who hopes to
be saved by property. 1t is pity to
toll for long years, getting rich in
the things of earth, poor in the things
of Heaven, then leave all we get to
be pauperin eternity. The jewellers
in San Francisco thought to go
out in the morning, to money
making, to pleasure; but the
earth shook, and they were ruined.
These United States boast of hope in
in expansion, in statesmen and other
things.
''For heather heart that puts its trust
In reeking tube and iron shard
All valiant dust that builds on dust o.
And guarding calls not Thee to guard
For frantic boast and foolish word
Have mercy on thy people, Lord"
Some of us hope in Congregation
alism, some in Methodism, some in
Presbyterianism, some in Universal
ism, some in Unitarianism, some in
Socialism some in Nationalism, some
in Egotism, and it is sight to see
some people every time new ism
comes to town, go and gulp it down,
saying "This is what we have been
waiting for" "Hope thou in God"
Some hope in booms, and some in
fakes, and some.i in luck. Hope thon
in God. The saddest thing is a man
with no hope. The surest thing is "the
hope of the hypocrite shall perish"
If your hope will not stand examina-
ton here what good will it be at the
judgement of the last day.
The hepe we do want is one good
for all the time. The scriptures tell
us to plough in hope; so we ought to
have business so honest and whole
some that we can hope all the while
for the blessing Of God. Ours should
be a hope so grounded in "Our Father"
so in the grace of Chrish, SO assured
in the witness of the Holy Spirit, that
we shall live as Browning describes:
Gone who never turned his back but
marched forward breast
Never doubted clouds would break
Never dreamed if right were worsted
wrong would triumph
Held we fall to rise, are baf1ed to
fight better, sleep to wake"
The Christians hope is an inspiring
hope. "Blessed be the father of our
Lord Jesus Christ who hath begotten
rs unto a lively hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
lead" Longfellow is right;
'Jesus lives, no longer now shall thy
terrors Death appal me
Jesus lives and we'll I know from the
dead he will recall me
That new life shall then commence,
this shall be my confidence"
It is comforting hope in time of
trouble. "Tribulation worketh patience
patience experience, and experience
hope, and hope moketh not ashamed
because tho love of God is shed abroad
in our hearts," It is an abiding hope.
The pyramids shall crumble, the
heavens wax old as doth garment,
but He abideth forever. Paul thought
this life voyage. Though we have
storms, and rocks, and perils; "This
hope is an kanchor suresand stead
fast" The worldly man may say,
"Dum spiro, spero," the Christian
can add, ''Dum expire, spe,o." When
a Scottish duke was dying he said to
his young brother ''You will soon be
Duke, but shall be a king" Bishop
Alexander replied to his prosecutors"
Trouble me no more, my hope is in
the Crucified." There is the hope of
the world. Is He your hope?