Sermon 473. Good News For You

A SERMON DELIVERED ON SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 5, 1862, BY REV. C. H. SPURGEON, AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.

"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was." Luke 10:33. THE good Samaritan is a masterly picture of true benevolence. The Samaritan had no kinship with the Jew, he was purely offoreign origin, yet he pities his poor neighbor. The Jews cursed the Cuthites and would have no dealings with them, for theywere intruders in their land. There was nothing, therefore, in the object of the Samaritan's pity that could excite his nationalsympathies, but everything to arouse his prejudices, hence the grandeur of his benevolence. It is not my intention, this morning, to indicate the delightful points of excellence which Christ brings out in order toillustrate what true charity will perform. I want you only to notice this one fact, that the benevolence which the Samaritanexhibited towards this poor wounded and half-dead man, was available benevolence. He did not say to him, "If you will walkto Jericho, then I will bind up your wounds, pouring in the oil and wine." Or, "If you will journey with me as far as Jerusalem,I will then attend to your wants."

Oh, no, he came "where he was," and finding that the man could do nothing whatever for his own assistance, the good Samaritanbegan with him, then and there, upon the spot, putting no impossible conditions to him, proposing no stipulations which theman could not perform-but doing everythingfor the man, and doing it for him as he was, and where he was.

Beloved, we are all quite aware that a charity of which a man cannot avail himself, is no charity at all. Go among the operativesof Lancashire and tell them that there is no necessity for any of them to starve, for on the top of Mount St. Bernard, thereare hospitable monks who keep a refectory,where they relieve all passers-by. Tell them they have nothing to do but to journey to the top of the Alps and there theywill find food enough. Poor souls! They feel that you mock them, for the distance is too great.

Penetrate one of our back streets, climb up three pair of stairs into a wretched room, so dilapidated that the stars lookbetween the tiles. See a poor young girl dying of consumption and poverty. Tell her, if you dare, "If you could get to theseaside, and if you could eat so much beef steak, youwould no doubt recover." You are shamefully laughing at her-she cannot get these things. They are beyond her reach-she cannotjourney to the seaside-she would die before she reached it. Like the wicked, your tender mercies are cruel.

I have noticed this unavailing charity in hard winters. People give away bread and soup tickets to poor people who are togive sixpence and then receive soup and bread. And often I have had persons come to me-"Sir, I have a ticket. It would beworth a great deal to me, if I had sixpence to gowith it to get the relief. But I have not a farthing in all the world, and I cannot make out the good of giving me thisticket at all." This is hardly charity.

Think you see Jeremiah, down in the low dungeon-if Ebedmelech and Baruch had stood over the top of the dungeon and calledout to him, "Jeremiah, if you will get half way up, we will pull you out," when there was not a ladder, nor any means by whichhe could possibly get so far, how cruelwould have been this charity. But, instead thereof, they took old rags from under the king's treasury, and put them on ropesand bade him put the rags under his armholes and sling his arms through the ropes and then they pulled him up all the way.This was available charity. Theother would have been hypocritical pretense.

Brethren, if in the description of a good Samaritan, Christ describes him as giving to this poor wounded man a charity ofwhich he could avail himself, does it not seem to be strongly probable-no, even certain-that when Christ comes to deal withsinners, He gives them availablemercy-Divine Grace which may be of real service to them?

Therefore, permit me to say I do not believe in the way in which some people pretend to preach the Gospel. They have no Gospelfor sinners as sinners, but only for those who are above the dead level of sinnership and are technically styled sensiblesinners. Like the priest in this parable. They seethe poor sinner, and they say, "He is not conscious of his need, we cannot invite him to Christ." "He is dead," they say,"it is of no use preaching to dead souls." So they pass by on the other side, keeping close to the elect and quickened, buthaving nothing whatever to say to thedead, lest they should make out Christ to be too gracious and His mercy to be too free.

The Levite was not in quite such a hurry as the priest. The priest had to preach, and might be too late for the service, andtherefore he could not stop to relieve the man. Besides, he might have soiled his cassock, or made himself unclean. And thenhe would have been hardly fit for the dainty andrespectable congregation over which he officiated.

As for the Levite, he had to read the hymns. He was a clerk in the church, and he was somewhat in a hurry, but still he couldget in after the opening prayer, so he indulged himself with the luxury of looking on. Just as I have known ministers say,"Well, you know we ought to describe the sinner'sstate and warn him, but we must not invite him to Christ." Yes, Gentlemen, you must pass by on the other side, after havinglooked at him, for on your own confession you have no good news for the poor wretch.

I bless my Lord and Master, He has given to me a Gospel which I can take to dead sinners, a Gospel which is available forthe vilest of the vile. I thank my Master that He does not say to the sinner, "Come half way and meet Me," but He comes "wherehe is," and finding him ruined, lost, obdurate, Hemeets him on his own ground and gives him life and peace without asking, or expecting him to prepare himself for Grace.Here is, I think, set forth in my text, the available benevolence of the Samaritan. It is mine this morning, to show the availableGrace of Christ.

I. The sinner is WITHOUT MORAL QUALIFICATION FOR SALVATION but Christ comes where he is.

I want, if I can, not to talk about this as a matter having to do with the multitude that are abroad, but with us in thesepews. I speak not of them and those, but of you and me. I want to say to every sinner, "You are in a state in which thereis nothing morally that can qualify you for beingsaved, but Jesus Christ meets you where you now are."

1. Remember first, that when the Gospel was first sent into the world, those to whom it was sent were manifestly without anymoral qualification. Did you ever read the first chapter of Paul's Epistle to the Romans? It is one of those awful passagesin Scripture, not intended to be read incongregations, but to be read and studied in the secrecy of one's chamber. The Apostle gives a portrait of the manners andcustoms of the heathen world, so awful, that unless our missionaries had informed us that it is exactly the photograph oflife in Hindustan at the presentmoment, infidels might have declared that Paul had exaggerated.

Heathendom in the time of Paul was so desperately wicked that it would be utterly impossible to conceive of a sin into whichmen had not fallen. And yet, "We turn unto the Gentiles," said the Apostle. And the Lord Himself commanded, "Go you into allthe world, and preach the Gospel to everycreature." What? To Sodomites, whose very smallest sin is adultery and fornication? To thieves and murderers, to murderersof fathers and mothers? Yes, go and preach the Gospel to them!

Manifestly, the fact is that the world was steeped up to its very throat in the filth of abominable wickedness, and yet theGospel was sent to it. This proves that Christ does not seek for any qualification of morality, or righteousness in man, beforethe Gospel is available to them. He sends theWord to the drunkard, to the swearer, the harlot, the vilest of the vile. For such is the Gospel of Christ intended to save.

2. Remember again, the Biblical descriptions of those whom Christ cared to save in the world proves to a demonstration thatHe comes to the sinner where he is. How does the Bible describe those whom Christ came to save? As men? No, my Brethren-Christdid not come to save men as men, but menas sinners. As sensible sinners?-No, I think not. They are described as, "dead in trespasses and sins." But to the Law andto the Testimony, let me read you one or two passages. And, while I read them, I hope you may be able to say, "There is hopefor me."

First, those whom Christ came to save are described in 1 Timothy 1:15 and many other places, as "sinners." "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came intothe world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." "Sinners," without any adjective before the word. Not"awakened" sinners, not "repenting" sinners. But sinners, as sinners. "Surely," says one, "I am not shut out." Another accountis found in Romans 5:6, "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died"-for whom? Those who had some desires after God? Some respectto His name?

No, "for the ungodly." Now, an ungodly man means a man without God, who cares not for God. "God not in all his thoughts,"and therefore he is not what men call a "sensible sinner." The ungodly are like "the chaff which the wind drives away." Eventhese are the persons that Christ came to save. Inthe same chapter, 10th verse, you find them mentioned as "enemies." "When we were yet enemies, we were reconciled to Godby the death of His Son."

What do you say to this? They are not described as friends. Christ laid down His life for His friends in one sense- "But Godcommends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Enemies to God were the objects of DivineGrace, so that in enmity Christ comesand meets man where he is.

In Ephesians 2:1 we read of them as, "dead in trespasses and sins." "And you have He quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins." Christ,then, does not ask the sinner to make himself alive. The Gospel is not only to be preached to those who have some good notions,some good desires, sometrembling of the heavenly life within, but to the dead as dead. To the dead does Christ comes, and meets them in the graveof their sin.

Again, Ephesians 2:3-they are "children of wrath." "We were by nature the children of wrath even as others." Yet the Gospel came to such. Canyou see anything hopeful in a child of wrath? I ask you to look over him from head to foot-if this is his name and character-canyou see aspot of goodness as large as a pin's point in the man? And yet such Christ came to save.

Once again, they are mentioned as "accursed." "Ah," says one sinner, "I have often cursed myself before God, and asked Himto curse me." Well, Christ died for the accursed, Galatians 3:13, "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us." That is, for us who were underthe curse. And, once more, they are described by the dreadful word "lost." They are lost to all hope, to all considerationfor themselves. Even their own friends have given their case up as hopeless.

"The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). If I understand those passages which I have read in your hearing, they mean just this-that those whom Christ came to savehave no good whatever in them to co-operate towards their salvation. And Christ does notlook upon them in order to find anything that is good in them. I am bold to say the only fitness for cleansing is filthiness.The only fitness for a Savior is being lost. And the only character under which we come to Jesus is as sinners, lost, deadand accursed.

3. But, thirdly, it is quite certain from the work of Divine Grace itself, that the Lord does not expect the sinner to doanything or to be anything in order to meet him, but that He comes to him where he is. Look, Sinner, Christ dies on Calvary,a weight of sin is on His shoulders, and on hisheart. In agonies the most awful, He shrieks under the desertion of His God.

For whom did He die? For the innocent? Why for the innocent? What sacrifice did they need? For those who had some good thingin them? Why all these agonies for such? Surely a less price might do for them if they could eke it out themselves. But becauseChrist died on account of sin, I take it thatthose whom He died for must be viewed as sinners and only as such. Inasmuch as He paid a dreadful price, I gather that theymust be dreadfully in debt, and that He died for those who had nothing to pay with.

But Christ rose again, rose again for our justification. For whose justification? For the justification of those who werejustified in themselves? Why, this were to perform an unnecessary work! No, my Brethren, for those who had no justificationof their own, not a shadow of any, who werecondemned, utterly condemned on account of their own works. Moreover, I hear Him by the ear of faith pleading before theeternal Throne. Who does He plead for? For those who have something to plead on their own account?-that were needless.

Do men give their money to the rich? Do they spend their charity on those who do not need it? If men have something to pleadfor themselves, then why does Christ plead for them? No, Brethren, He pleads for those who have nothing whatever, that theycan bring as an argument with which to enforcetheir prayers. But Christ ascended and received gifts. Who for? For those who merited rewards? No, verily, let them getthem for themselves. But He received gifts for men- yes, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.

But he gives the Holy Spirit. To whom does He give the Holy Spirit? To those that are strong, and good, and can do all themselves?O, my Brethren, no! He gives the Holy Spirit to those that are powerless, weak, dead. He gives the Holy Worker to those whoare all unholy and full of sin. He puts theOmnipotent Influence into those who were slaves to the spirit of evil. Brethren, the work of Christ supposes a lost, ruined,rebellious sinner-and so I say-Christ meets the man where he is.

4. Yet more, for I would clear up this point before I leave it, the godlike character of the Grace of God proves that He meetsthe sinner where he is. If God forgives little sinners only, then He is little in His mercy. If the Lord does not do somethingmore than men can think, then we have madetoo much noise about the Gospel, and have exalted the Cross above measure. Unless there is something extraordinary in DivineGrace, then I cannot understand such a passage as this, "As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are My ways aboveyour ways, and My thoughtsabove your thoughts."

I venture to say, Brethren, that many of us have thought of forgiving our enemies. It has sometimes been our happy portionto do good to them that hate us. Now, if God would be godlike in His Grace-and I am sure He will-He must do something morethan that. He must not only forgive Hisenemies but they must be enemies of such an atrocious character that no man would have forgiven them-

"Who is a pardoning Godlike You, Or who has Grace so rich and free?" But where is the meaning of this boast, if the Lord merelypardons sinners who are sensible of their sins and lament them? The marvel is in this-that while they are yet enemies He callsthem by His Grace and invites them tomercy. Yes, more, He blots out their sins and makes them friends-thus meeting the sinner where he is.

5. The spirit and genius of the Gospel utterly forbid the supposition that God requires anything in any man in order to savehim.

If salvation is offered to man upon a condition, they who fulfill the condition have a claim to the blessing. This is theold Covenant of Works. The substance of the legal Covenant is, "Do this and I will reward you." When the man has done it,he deserves what has been promised. Yes, and if youmake the condition ever so easy, yet, mark you, so long as it is a condition, God is bound by His own Word, the conditionbeing fulfilled, to give man what he has earned. This is works and not Divine Grace.

It is debt and not free favor. But, inasmuch as the Gospel is free favor from beginning to end, I am absolutely sure thatGod requires nothing-neither good wishes, good desires, nor good feelings of a sinner-before he may come to Christ. But thathe may know that everything is of Grace,the rebel is commanded to come just as he is, bringing nothing, but taking everything from God, who is superabundant inmercy, and therefore meets the sinner just where he is.

I say to the sinner, wherever you may be today, if you are without any virtue, and if you are filled with all vice. If thereare no good points in your character. If there is everything that is bad against man and against God in you. If you have committedevery crime in the catalog, if you haveruined your body, and damned your soul, yet still Christ has said it-"Him that comes unto Me I will in no wise cast out."And if you come to Him, He can no more cast you out than if you had been the most virtuous, the most honorable, and the mostdevout of all living men.

Only today believe in the mercy of God, in Christ, and cast yourself on Him and you are saved to the praise and glory of thatDivine Grace which meets you just where you are, and saves you from sin.

II. In the second place, there are very many of the lost race of Adam who say that they are WITHOUT ANY MENTAL QUALIFICATION.This is their excuse-"But, Sir, I never was a scholar. I was sent out as a boy to earn my own living, so that I never hada week's schooling. I am so ignorant that Icannot read any book and if anybody were to ask me to make a prayer I could not, I have not sense enough."

Now, you see the Lord Jesus meets you just where you are. And how does He do this? Why, first, the saving act is one thatrequires no mental power. Faith lays hold on eternal life. Now, a child whose faculties are ever so little developed can believewhat it is told. The child cannot reason, cannotargue, cannot dispute, cannot spilt hairs, cannot see a knotty point in theology, but it can believe what it is told. Faithrequires so little mental vigor or intellectual clearness, that there have been many who were idiots in other things, whohave been made wise unto salvation bythe act of faith in Christ.

You remember our Lord's own words, "I thank You, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that You have hid these things from thewise and prudent and have revealed them unto babes." But this never could have happened had not the act which brings us intocommunion with Christ been the lowest act of thehuman faculty-that of simply trusting to Christ-as the result of crediting that which is told us upon good testimony.

But then, again, to meet this defect of mental power, remember the singular simplicity of that which is believed. Is thereanything more simple in the world than the doctrine of the Atonement. We deserve to die, Christ dies for us. We are in debt,Christ pays for us. Is not this plain enough for aRagged School child? It is so plain, that many of our learned doctors of Divinity try to take it out of the Bible. Theythink, "If this is the marrow of it all, then any fool can be a theologian." So they kick against it.

What is Unitarianism but a stumbling at the simplicity of the Cross. There were Unitarians who stood at the Cross when Christdied. they said, "Let Him come down from the Cross and we will believe on Him." That has been the Unitarian character eversince. They will receive Jesus anywhere but on HisCross. But up there, dying in man's place, he is so commonplace, that these great gentlemen run to philosophy and vain deceitsooner than lay hold on that which the most common may as fully understand as they.

Yet more. To meet any mental deficiency in man, while the Truth of God itself is simple, it is taught in the Bible under suchsimple metaphors, that none can say they cannot understand it. How simple is the metaphor of the brazen serpent, held up beforethe snake-bitten Israelites, while they arecommanded to look and live? Who does not understand that a look at Christ, who dies in the place of men, will make themlive? "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink." Who does not understand the figure of a fountain flowing in thestreets, that every thirsty passerby mayput his lips down and drink?

"Behold the Lamb of God." Who does not understand the sacrifice? Here is a lamb killed for the sin of Israel, and so Christdies for the sin of those who believe in Him. The act of faith is simple, the object of faith is plain. The metaphors makeit clear, and he is without excuse who does notunderstand the Gospel of Christ.

To crown all, to you, my Beloved Hearers, Christ has given you abundance of teachers. There sits in your pew with you todaya man of your own rank and calling, who will explain to you the Gospel, if you do not understand it. Here are many of us,who are but too glad if we can roll away the stonefrom the door of your sepulcher. Here are children of God themselves, saved by Sovereign Grace, and if you really do notknow the way, do but touch your neighbor and say to him, "Can you explain to me yet more clearly what I must do to be saved?"

Now, this is meeting you, let your brains be the very smallest. This is coming down to you, though you sit on the lowest stepof human intellect. Jesus Christ meets you just where you are.

III. But yet again. I think I hear another say, "I am in despair, for I CANNOT FIND ANY REASON IN MYSELF, OR OUT OF MYSELF,WHY GOD SHOULD FORGIVE SUCH A PERSON AS I AM."

So then, you are in a hopeless state-at least you see no hope. The Lord meets you where you are, by putting the reason ofyour salvation altogether in Himself. Shall I remind you of one or two texts which will surely satisfy you? "I, even I, amHe that blots out your transgressions." Whatfor? "For My own sake." He cannot pardon you for your sake, you clearly see that. And you feel that He cannot pardon youfor other people's sake. But for "My own sake," says He, "that I may glorify Myself." Not in you but in His own mighty breastHe finds the motive, that He maymake His own mercy illustrious. For His own sake He will do it.

Or take another-"For My name's sake, even for My name's sake, will I defer My anger, that I cut you not off." Here it is again-forHis name's sake, as if He knew He could not find any motive, so He puts it all on Himself. He pardons, that He may honor andglorify His own name. Sinner,you can not say that this does not meet your case-for if you are the most hellish good-for-nothing sinner that ever cursedGod's earth, and polluted the air you breathe, yet He can save you, for His own sake. There is still room for you to hope.For the bigger the sinner youare, the more glory to Him if He saves you. And if salvation is given for a reason only in Himself, there is, therefore,a reason by which He can save you, even you.

Remember that He puts His own design before your eyes to show you that if you have no reason in yourself, that is no hindranceto His saving you. What is God's design in saving men? When He brings them to Heaven, what will be the result of it? Why,that they may love and praise His name forever andsing, "Unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His blood, unto Him be glory." You are just the man. If youare ever saved and brought to Heaven, oh, will you not praise His Grace?

"Yes," said one old man who had long lived in sin, "if He ever does bring me to Heaven, He shall never hear the last of it,for I will praise Him throughout eternity." Why, do you not see that you are the man? You are the very man that will answerGod's design, for who shall love so much as he whohas had much forgiven? And who shall praise so loudly as he whose mighty sins have been overcome by the mighty love, andgoodness, and Grace of God? You can not say that it does not meet you, for here is a motive and a reason-though you can findnone in yourself.

Here is another reason why God should save you-it is His own Word, the Word of Him that cannot lie. I will bring up that textagain, perhaps there is a heart here that will be able to cast anchor on it-"Him that comes unto Me I will in no wise castout." You say, "But if I come, I cansee no reason why He should save me." I answer, there is a reason in His own promise. God cannot lie. You come. He willnot cast you out. He says, "I will in no wise cast out." "But," you say, "He may for such-and-such a reason."

Now, this is a flat contradiction. The two cannot stand. If there is anything that is necessary in order for a soul to come,and you come without it, yet there is the promise-and as it has no limit in it, plead it-and the Lord will not refuse to honorHis own Word. If He can cast youout because you have not some necessary qualification, then His Word is not true. Whoever you may be, whatever you may notbe, and whatever you may be, if you believe in Jesus Christ, there is a reason in every attribute of God why you should besaved.

His Truth cries, "Save him, for You have said 'I will.' " His power says, "Save him, lest the enemy deny Your might." God'swisdom pleads, "Save him, lest men doubt Your judgment." His love says, "Save him." His every attribute says, "Save him."And even Justice, with its hoarse voice, cries, "Savehim, for God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, if we confess our sins."

I am trying to fish in deep waters after some of you that have long escaped the net. I know when I have given free and fullinvitations, you have said, "Ah, that cannot mean me." You are without faith in Christ, because you think you are not fit.I will be clear of your blood this morning. I willshow you that there is no fitness wanted, that you are commanded now to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as you are, forJesus Christ's Gospel is an available Gospel, and comes to you just where you are. Without moral or mental qualification,and without any sort of reason why Heshould save you, He meets you as such and bids you trust Him.

IV. We proceed to our fourth point. "Oh," says one, "but I am WITHOUT COURAGE. I dare not believe on Christ. I am such a timid,trembling soul, that when I hear that others trust Christ, I think it must be presumption. I wish I could do the same, butI cannot, I am kept under by such a sense ofsin, that I dare not. O Sir, I dare not, it would look as if I were flying in the face of Justice if I were to dare to trustChrist and then to rejoice in the pardon of my sin."

Very well, Christ comes to meet you where you are, by very tender invitations. "Ho, everyone that thirsts, come you to thewaters, and he that has no money, come you, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." "Comeunto Me, all you that labor and are heavy ladenand I will give you rest." "The Spirit and the bride say, come. And let him that hears say, come." "And let him that isathirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

How sweetly He puts it to you. I do not know where more wooing words could be found, than those the Savior uses. Will younot come when Christ beckons, when with His loving face streaming with tears, He bids you come to Him? What? Is an invitationfrom Him too little a thing for you? O Sinner,trembling though you are, say in your soul-

"I'll to the gracious King approach, Whose scepter pardon gives; Perhaps He may command my touch, And then the suppliant lives."

Knowing that you would neglect the invitation, He has put it to you in the light of a command. "This is the commandment, thatyou believe on Jesus Christ whom He has sent." "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." "He that believesand is baptized shall be saved. But he thatbelieves not shall be damned." He thought you would say, "Ah, but I am not fit to accept the invitation." "Well," says He,"I will command the man to do it."

Like a poor hungry man with bread before him, who says, "Ah, it would be presumption on my part to eat," but the king says,"Eat, Sir, or I will punish you." What a generous and liberal command! Even the threat itself has no anger in it. Like themother, who, when the child is near to die, andnothing will save it but the medicine, and the child will not drink, she threatens the child, but only out of love to itthat it may be saved. So the Lord does add threats to commands.

For sometimes a black word will drive a soul to Christ where a bright word would not draw it. Fears of Hell sometimes makemen flee to Jesus. The weary wing made the poor dove fly to the ark-and the thunderbolts of God's justice are only meant tomake you fly to Christ the Lord.

Beloved, once more, my Master has sweetly met your want of courage by bringing many others, so that you may follow their example.As fowlers sometimes have their decoys, so my Master has decoys that are to draw others to Him. Other sinners have been saved,others He has cleansed who did but trustHim. There was Lot. Ah, Lot! Guilty of drunkenness and incest, and yet a saint of God. David the adulterer and murdererof Uriah and yet washed "whiter than snow."

Manasseh the bloody persecutor, who had cut Isaiah in two, sawing him in halves, and yet he was taken among the thorns, andGod had mercy on him. What shall I say of Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor of God's people? And the robber dying on the Crossfor his crimes, and yet saved? Sinner, if these donot induce you to come, what can overcome your sinful diffidence? "But," says one, "you have not hit my case yet. I am anoutrageous sinner!"

Well now, I will hit it this time. In 1 Corinthians 6:9, hear the Word of the Lord, "Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselveswith mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom ofGod. And such were some of you: but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the LordJesus and by the Spirit of our God."

Why, Brethren, what horrible descriptions there are here! There are some of them so bad that when we have read the description,we wish to forget the sin. And yet-and yet, glory be to Your Almighty Grace, O God!-such have You saved and such You savestill. O, timid Sinner, can you nottrust in Jesus after this?

Hear the Word of the Lord again in Titus 3:3-5-"For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving many lusts and pleasures, living in maliceand envy, hateful and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, notbyworks of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us."

Now, you hateful sinners, and you that hate others. You that are full of malice and envy, here is the gate open, even foryou, for the kindness and love of God towards man appears in the Person of Christ. Listen to another, for God's Words aremore than mine, and I do hope they will attract some ofyou. In Ephesians 2:1-3-"Dead in trespasses and sins. Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the princeof the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience. Among whom also we all had our conversationin times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. And were by nature the childrenof wrath, even as others.

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, has quickened ustogether with Christ, (by Grace you are saved), and has raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly placesin Christ Jesus." What for? "That in the ages tocome"-mark this-"He might show the exceeding riches of His Grace in His kindness towards us through Christ Jesus."

One more passage and I will not weary your attention. O that this last passage might comfort some of you! It is Paul who speaksin 1 Timothy 1:13, "I was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.And the Grace of our Lord wasexceedingly abundant with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying." See how he puts it fromhis own experience, "and worthy of all acceptation." And therefore worthy of yours, poor sinner, "that Christ Jesus came intothe world to save sinners, of whom Iam chief."

"Ah" says one "but he would not save any more." Let me go on-"Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first JesusChrist might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting."

So that if you trust as Paul did, you shall be saved as Paul was, for his conversion and salvation are a pattern to all thosewho should believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, unto life everlasting. So Sinner, timid as you are, here Jesus meets you. O,I wish I could say a word that would lead you poortearful ones to look to Jesus! O, do not let the devil tempt you to believe that you are too sinful. "He is able to savethem to the uttermost that come unto God by Him"-

"Let not conscience make you linger, Nor of fitness fondly dream."

Fitness is not needed-do but come to Him. You are black in sin, and you do not feel your blackness as you ought- that makesyou all the blacker. Come, then, and be clean. You are sinful, and this is your greatest sin, that you do not repent as youought. But come to Him and ask Him toforgive your impenitence. Come as you are-if He rejects one of you, I will bear the blame forever. If He casts one of youaway that shall trust Him, call me a false prophet in the day of the resurrection. But I pawn my life upon it-I stake my ownsoul's interest onthis-that whosoever comes unto Him, He will in no wise cast out.

V. I hear one more complaint. "I am WITHOUT STRENGTH," says one, "will Jesus come just where I am?" Yes, Sinner, just whereyou are. You, you say, cannot believe, that is your difficulty. God meets you, then, in your inability. First, He meets youwith His promises. Soul, you can not believe. Butwhen God, that cannot lie, promises, will you not believe, can you not believe, then? I think God's promise-so sure, sosteadfast-must overcome this inability of yours, "Him that comes to Me, I will in no wise cast out." Cannot you believe now?Why, that promise must betrue!

But next, as if He knew that this would not be enough, He has taken an oath with it-and a more awful oath was never sworn-"AsI live, says the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of him that dies, but had rather that he should turn unto Me and live.Turn you, turn you, why will youdie, O house of Israel." Can you not believe now? What? Will you doubt God when He swears it? Not only make God a liar but-letme shudder when I say it-will you think that God can perjure His own Self?

God forbid you should so blaspheme! Remember, He that believes not has made God a liar, because He believes not on the Sonof God. Do not do this! Surely you can believe when the promise and the oath compel you to faith. But yet more, as if He knewthat even this were not enough, He has given youof His Spirit. "If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Fathergive the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?" Surely with this you can believe.

"But," says one, "I will try." No, no, do not try. That is not what God commands you to do-no trying is wanted. Believe Christnow, Sinner. "But," says one, "I will think of it." Do not think of it. Do it now, do it at once for this is God's Gospel.There are some of you standing in theseaisles, and sitting in these pews, who I feel in my soul will never have another invitation. And if this is rejected today,I feel a solemn motion in my soul-I think it is of the Holy Spirit-that you will never hear another faithful sermon, but youshall go down to Hellimpenitent, unsaved, unless you trust in Jesus NOW.

I speak not as a man but I speak as God's ambassador to your souls, and I command you, in God's name, trust Jesus, trust Himnow. At your peril reject the voice that speaks from Heaven, for "he that believes not shall be damned." How shall you escapeif you neglect so great a salvation? When itcomes right home to you, when it thrusts itself in your way, oh, if you will neglect it, how can you escape? With tearsI would invite you, and, if I could, would compel you to come in. Why will you not?

O Souls, if you will be damned, if you make up your mind that no mercy shall ever woo you, and no warnings shall ever moveyou, then, Sirs, what chains of vengeance must you feel that slight these bonds of love? You have deserved the deepest Hell,for you slight the joys above. God save you. Hewill save you, if you trust in Jesus. God help you to trust Him even now, for Jesus' sake. Amen.