Love's Labours

September 4th, 1881
by C. H. SPURGEON

"As to the unconverted, you will never do anything with them unless you
hope great things about them. When the good Samaritan found the poor
man half dead, if he had not hoped about him he would never have
poured in the oil and the wine, but would have left him there to die.
Cultivate great hopefulness about sinners. Always hope of them that
they will be saved yet: though no good signs are apparent in them. If
you have done your best for them, and have been disappointed and
defeated, still hope for them. Sometimes you will find cause for hope in
the fact that they begin to attend a place of worship. Grasp at that, and
say, "Who can tell? God may bless them." Or if they have long been
hearers, and no good has come of it, still hope that the minister will one
day have a shot at them, and the arrow shall pierce through the joints of
the harness. When you last spoke to them there seemed a little
tenderness: be thankful for it, and have hope. If there has been a little
amendment in their life, be hopeful about them. Even if you can see
nothing at all hopeful in them, yet hope that there may be something
which you cannot see, and perhaps an effect has been produced which
they are endeavouring to conceal. Hope because you are moved to pray
for them. Get other people to pray for them, for as long as they have
some one to pray for them their case is not given over. If you get others
to pray, there will be another string to your bow. If they are very ill, and
you cannot get at them, or they are on their dying beds, still have hope
about them, and try to send them a message in some form or other. Pray
the Lord to visit and save them; and always keep up your hope about
them. Till they are dead let not your hope be dead."