Dearly beloved, I have just one word to say, not to the saints, but to the
ungodly-one cheering word, sinner, poor lost sinner! You think you must not
come to God because you are vile. Now, let me tell you, that there is not a
saint in this place but is vile too. If Job, and Isaiah, and Paul, were all
obliged to say, “I am vile,” oh, poor sinner, wilt thou be ashamed to join
the confession, and say, “I am vile,” too? If I come to God this night in
prayer, when I am on my knees by my bedside, I shall have to come to God as a
sinner, vile and full of sin. My brother sinner! dost thou want to have any
better confession than that? Thou wantest to be better, dost thou? Why,
saints in themselves are no better. If divine grace does not eradicate all
sin in the believer, how dost thou hope to do it thyself? and if God loves
his people, while they are yet vile, dost thou think thy vileness will
prevent his loving thee? Nay, vile sinner, come to Jesus! vilest of the vile!
Believe on Jesus, thou off-cast of the world’s society, thou who art the dung
and dross of the streets, I bid thee come to Christ. Christ bids thee believe
on him.
“Not the righteous, not the righteous,
Sinners, Jesus came to save.”
Come now; say, “Lord, I am vile; give me faith. Christ died for sinners; I am
a sinner. Lord Jesus, sprinkle thy blood on me.” I tell thee, sinner, from
God, if thou wilt confess thy sin, thou shalt find pardon. If now with all
thy heart thou wilt say, “I am vile; wash me;” thou shalt be washed now. If
the Holy Spirit shall enable thee to say with thine heart now, “Lord, I am
sinful-
‘Just as I am, without one plea,
But that thy blood was shed for me,
And that thou bid’st me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.’”
Thou shalt go out of this place with all thy sins pardoned; and though thou
comest in here with every sin that man hath ever committed on thy head, thou
shalt go out as innocent, yea, more innocent than the new-born babe. Though
thou comest in here all over sin, thou shalt go out with a robe of
righteousness, white as angels are, as pure as God himself, so far as
justification is concerned. For “now,” mark it “now is the accepted time,” if
thou believest on him who justifieth the ungodly. Oh! may the Holy Spirit
give thee faith that thou mayest be saved now, for then thou wilt be saved
for ever! may God add his blessing to this feeble discourse for his name’s
sake!
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
