The Awful Death Of William Pope. Part 1
The following is a short account of the life and death of William Pope, of Bolton, in Lancashire. He was at one time a member of the Methodist Church and seemingly saved and happy man. His wife, a devoted saint, died triumphantly. After her death, however, his zeal for religion declined, and by associating with backslidden hypocrites he entered the path of ruin. His companions even professed to believe in the redemption of devils. William became an admirer of their scheme, a frequenter with them of the public-house, and in time a common drunkard.
He finally became a disciple of Thomas Paine and associated himself with a number of deistical persons at Bolton. They would assemble together on Sundays to confirm each other in their infidelity and often amused themselves by throwing the Word of God on the floor, kicking it around the room and treading it under their feet.
But one day God laid His hand on William Pope. and he was seized with tuberculosis. Mr. Rhodes was requested to visit him. He says: "When I first saw him he said to me, 'Last night I believe I was in Hell and felt the horrors and torment of the damned -but God has brought me back again and given me a little longer respite. The gloom of guilty terror does not sit so heavy upon me as it did, and I have something like a faint hope that, after all I have done, God may yet save me.' continued.... |
