Welcome! Welcome!

DELIVERED ON LORD'S-DAY MORNING, OCTOBER 16, 1881,

BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.

"And the people, when they knew it, followed Him: and He received them,
and spoke unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had
need of healing." Luke 9:11.

MY subject has been suggested to me by the rendering of this passage
given in the Revised Version, where we read– "But the multitudes
perceiving it, followed Him; and He welcomed them." The difference
lies, you see, between the words, "He received them," and, "He welcomed
them." The new version is an instructive improvement, of which we will,
at once, make evangelical use. The multitude perceived that Jesus was
departing and began to value His Presence, all the more, because they
feared the loss of it. They could not tell where He might go, nor for
how long, and they could not afford to part with Him–therefore no
sooner did they see the boat leave with Him, than, watching the
direction in which it was steered, they hastened along the shore to
overtake Him at His landing.

They were not content to walk, but they ran afoot, and as they darted
through the first village, the people enquired the reason of this
rush–they were informed that the great Prophet was crossing the sea to
the other shore! They joined in the pursuit and the running company was
increased. When they reached the next town, there was quite a stir, as
the citizens heard the crowd tramping through the gate and along the
streets. And, again, the enquiry was heard, "What means this eager,
anxious throng?" Again the crowd increased and on they went, hurrying
as fast as they could go, till they actually reached the shore before
the vessel which carried Jesus!

As for the Master, though He had taken a ship, on purpose, to be quiet
and alone, He exhibited no signs of anger at their intrusion. He did
not rebuke them as though they were rude and troublesome, but we are
told that, "He welcomed them." Had He been like ourselves, He would
have regarded them as most unwelcome. But in the graciousness of His
heart, He did not think them so, but honestly and heartily welcomed
them. Now, if our Lord welcomed people at that inconvenient time, we
might safely infer that He will welcome them at all times! But we are
not left to draw inferences, for we find all through His life that He
always received sinners and never rejected anyone!

Our Lord kept open house as long as He was here. It might always have
been said of Him, "This man receives and welcomes sinners." His motto
was, "Whoever will, let him come." If any desired to come nearer than
being mere hearers, and would join the band of disciples, He was always
ready to receive them! If many did not enter into the closest intimacy
of His heart, it was because they were, themselves, unable to come–not
because He shut them out. Publicans and sinners drew near unto Him–the
very look of Him was an invitation, His finger beckoned, His eyes
persuaded, His outstretched arms entreated–His whole self attracted
all men unto Him!

At the door of His love there lay no growling dog of morose suspicion.
Neither had He placed there the porter of stern rebuke. The door was
set wide open and over the portal were written the words, "COME AND
WELCOME." That is the subject of this morning's discourse–my earnest
desire being that some who have been afraid to approach Him may be
induced to come at once by learning how freely He welcomes all comers!
First, we shall dwell upon the fact that Jesus welcomes all who come to
Him. Secondly, we shall use it as an encouragement to all seeking souls
and, thirdly, we shall employ it as a lesson, teaching those of us who
are His disciples how to treat those who desire to see Jesus.

I. First, may the Holy Spirit help us while we dwell upon THE FACT that
Jesus welcomed those who sought Him. We observe, first, that our Lord
received all comers at all times. The time mentioned in our text was
the most inconvenient possible. He was seeking rest for His disciples
who had gone through the various towns and villages preaching and
working miracles. They were a good deal elated at their success and it
was necessary that they should have a little quiet retirement to think
matters over and to come down into a calm state of mind.

Moreover, they were weary, for they were so thronged by the people that
they had not time, even, for necessary refreshment and rest and,
therefore, it was an absolute requisite, lest these few men, who were,
in fact, the hope of the Church and of the world, should die of
exhaustion! The Master put them into a ship that they might sail away
and find retirement in a desert place. Rest was absolutely necessary to
the overwrought workers. A great sorrow was on them, also, for John had
been beheaded and it was meet that they should solace their grief by a
short retirement. At this time, too, our blessed Lord desired
obscurity, for Herod was enquiring for Him and even when that
delightful king was in his best mood, he was not one whose near
acquaintance anyone would wish to cultivate.

He might, perhaps, have listened to Jesus as he listened to John. But
he would have sought Jesus' life as soon as He had gratified his
curiosity, or another Herodias would have goaded him on to murder the
faithful Preacher who would have made the palace too hot for the
wanton! Our Lord's time was not yet come, either to be exhibited in a
royal court, or to be slain as a royal Victim and, therefore, He sought
a desert place for a little while. It was most inconvenient, therefore,
to be followed by so great a crowd. Were the workers to have no rest?
Could there be no retirement afforded, especially at a time when it was
so necessary?

Is it not wonderful that under such circumstances our blessed Lord
should welcome the insatiable throng? I think, too, that the Master
desired, just then, to hold a conference with His Apostles as to the
work they had done and the future which was opening up before them.
Perhaps He willed to set apart a season for special prayer with them.
Before any great effort, we always read that He retired to pray and so,
depend upon it, after any great enterprise He would, again, seek
private prayer. It would naturally occur to Him to rake in the good
seed which the 12 had so successfully scattered!

But peace and rest He must not have, for the multitudes are on the
beach before He can set foot on it. The Apostolic conference was broken
in upon and turned into a great camp-meeting! The Master and His
disciples are not allowed to get alone, even, to hold high and solemn
discourse upon the affairs of His Kingdom. But here come the crowds,
pell-mell, crushing one upon another and the Master and His little band
find themselves the center of a great mass of people! Rest, or quiet,
or holy discourse are out of the question–preaching, healing and
feeding must fill up every moment till the day is far spent.

Our Lord welcomed the throng with a gracious air! Full of tenderness,
He smiled upon them as a captain smiles upon his soldiers at the
muster. He did not lose His patience with them, nor chide them for
their ill manners–but just as if He had asked them to come and had
sent forth His heralds to summon them–He stood ready to receive them!
It is wonderful that He did not say, "Go your way for this time–when I
have a more convenient season I will send for you." I have heard those
words, somewhere, but they were not used by our Lord! They were used by
one at the door of whose conscience the gracious Lord had been
knocking. If there are any put-offs, they are not on Christ's side, but
on ours. Oh sad, that men should ask for delay when Jesus, even at the
most inconvenient season, is ready to welcome them!

Let me put the Truth of God before some of you here who, as yet, are
unsaved. Come to Jesus when you will–it shall always be at the right
time. Times consecrated to other purposes shall yet afford you welcome.
The saints of God gather at the Communion Table and the spreading of
that table is not intended to be a means of Grace to the unconverted!
On the contrary, it is fenced and guarded and reserved for Believers
only–and none have any right there but those who are in Christ. The
object of the Lord's Supper is not conversion, but edification–it is
intended that as many as are alive unto God should be fed there, that
those emblems should remind them of the body and blood of Jesus Christ,
which are the food of their spiritual life. Yet if any of you should be
looking on–yes, and even if you should have intruded there without a
right to come–yet if you seek the Savior, He will not be so occupied
with the fellowship of saints as to refuse a sinner! His heart will not
be so taken up with the near, dear and choice love of His own favored
ones as to shut His ears to the cry of the humble and contrite! If you
seek Him, even when you are intruding, He will be found of you!

Perhaps, also, I address some who have outlived revivals. You remember
precious seasons when the power of God was present to heal men and many
were, to your knowledge, healed. You sat side by side with some who
sought and found salvation in Christ–you did not seek and you did not
find–or if, perhaps, you exhibited some emotion, yet your search after
Christ was very faint and dilatory and, consequently, you did not meet
with Him to the joy and peace of your spirit. Now that the revival is
over, and the flood-tide of Grace seems to have ebbed out, you have
come, like the dying year, to a time when the harvest is past and the
summer is ended and you are not saved! Around you blow the fallen
leaves and you, yourself, fade as a leaf, but you are not saved.

Opportunities of blessing have been plentiful with you, but you are not
saved. You are now at the close of the day and your sun is going down,
but you are not saved! Even yet there is hope, for our Lord's welcome
is a long and lasting one! If you are drawn by invisible cords to seek
the Savior, yield to those gentle drawings, for Jesus receives men even
down to the shutting of the gate! It may be late, but it is not too
late! You may go to Christ at midnight as well as at mid-day and He
will never answer that the door is now shut, so that He cannot rise and
welcome you. Even though the special means of Grace may have ended and
the men whom God has blessed have gone elsewhere, yet still come and
welcome, to Jesus Christ, for there never was an hour discovered in
which Jesus would refuse a sinner that longed for Him!

Have you never read that text, "All that the Father gives Me shall come
to Me, and him that comes to Me I will in nowise cast out"? There is no
reserve as to the dead hours of night, or the raw hours of the morning!
If a soul will but come to Christ, the Lord will never say no to him!
It may be, dear Friend, that you think the present would be a very
improper time to come to Christ because you have so lately been
plunging into a fearful sin. You say, "Would you have me go
black-handed to Christ, black-hearted to Christ?" Yes, I would have you
fly to Him at once, even as the manslayer darted off to the City of
Refuge with the blood of the slain still warm upon his hands! Do you
put it to me as a question suggested by a sort of moral decency–"Must
I not let an interval pass over me in which I may, in a measure, wash
out the recollection of my present sin?"

No! I tell you, no! I rather dread, than desire, such a false washing
as the mere lapse of time can give. Time cannot alter wrong, or make
sin less heinous–and if it pacifies the conscience, it is an evil
peace, a false peace, a peace to be abhorred. Come to Jesus while yet
the wounds of your conscience are bleeding! Come while they are at
their worst–neither washed, bound, nor mollified with ointment! When
you are foul is the fittest time for washing! And when you are
altogether undone and conscious of it, then is the season to hasten
away to the great Savior! When Saul of Tarsus was about to hunt the
saints of God, he saw Damascus lying in the plain below and he,
himself, was ready, like a fierce tiger, to spring upon it!

But then and there Jesus appeared to Him. Might he not have said in
answer to the voice from Heaven, "My Lord, let me go back to Jerusalem
and endure a quarantine! Let me hide away for months and then come to
You"? No! Then and there he was converted, though struck down in the
act of persecution! Nothing could seem to be more inconvenient than for
Christ to receive him then and there, with the writs upon him for the
arrest of the saints! Yet the Lord welcomed the persecutor and He will
welcome others in the same case! My Hearer, I will not try to describe
your sin of last night, nor will I make a guess at what you propose to
do in sin before tomorrow's sun has risen. But I will beseech you, as
you are, to arise and seek the Savior!

Poor prodigal Brother, quit the husks and the swine trough–quit them
now and without so much as tarrying to wash your hands, go home to your
Father who will wash you and make you white as snow! Stop for nothing!
Delay is your greatest danger! This very moment is the fittest for
repentance and faith! Come now, for the Lord waits to be gracious. I do
not find that when the prodigal reached his father's house, he came
there at an unseemly hour. I never knew whether it was the middle of
the night, the early morning, or the middle of the day, for the parable
does not give us a hint. At any rate, it was at such an hour that the
fatted calf was waiting to be killed, a ring and the best robe were
ready to be brought forth and all in the house were ready to keep
holiday over him that was lost and found! Sinner, fly away, fly away to
Jesus, be the hour whatever it may! Our gracious Lord cannot repel you,
for even those were welcomed who came at the most inconvenient hour
which can be imagined–and since then He has refused none.

The same Truth will now be set in another light by a second remark. Our
Lord received all sorts of comers. They were a motley throng and I fear
that few, if any of them, were actuated by any high or exalted motive.
No doubt some came to hear and others came to see–but many came for
what they could get. They followed after Jesus because they were sick
and He could heal them. "Ah me!" I have heard it said by awakened ones,
"I am afraid, if I came to Christ, I should come from a selfish
motive." Dismiss that fear–which at bottom is self-righteous! What
should a beggar come to your house for but to seek alms? To gain
something is the only motive with which a poor sinner can come to
Christ! Our fear of Hell, or dread of sin, or hope of pardon must drive
or draw us to Christ–in any case, our motive must be to receive, at
His hands.

I confess that I, at first, came to Christ only and solely for what I
could get out of Him. It was an Apostle who said, "We love Him because
He first loved us." I have heard of a love of Jesus which is purely
disinterested and I believe it is

possible and that it may grow up in later Christian life. But at the
first we must come to Jesus with an eye to what we shall obtain at His
hands. We must come because we cannot do without Him! There is no other
way of coming. "It is a low motive," says one. So it may be, but it is
a powerful motive for all that! At any rate, Christ exhorts us to come
unto Him for rest and for salvation–and I do not remember a single
exhortation to this ideal, disinterested love! The Lord Jesus welcomed
the multitudes though they came from low motives and so will He welcome
us if we do but come to Him.

If what we come for is something for ourselves–if we come to Him that
sin may be forgiven and that we may be made the children of God–our
motives will not be disgusting to Christ and He will welcome us. Among
those who came to Christ there must have been all sorts of people, but
the bulk of them had hurried to Him hastily and unprepared. They came
afoot, it is said, running. They had not had time to prepare themselves
with any kind of decent apparel. As they ran scampering through the
villages, each one gathered others at his heels. They came
helter-skelter, a most promiscuous throng. They were not dressed for
solemn worship, but there they were–and the Savior welcomed them!

I wonder how long a man would need to spend in preparing himself for
coming to Christ? When he had done it all, what would it be worth?
Preparation for coming to Christ is simply this–If you are empty, you
are prepared to be filled! If you are sick, you are prepared to be
healed! If you are sinful, you are prepared to be forgiven. But all
other preparation is quite out of the question. We must not supersede
the Gospel by the Law and we would be doing so if we told the sinner to
make himself fit for mercy. O weary, heavy laden souls, you may come
just as you are! Hot from the fleshpots of Egypt! Grimy from Pharaoh's
iron furnace, you may come and sit down and eat the Paschal Lamb and
though every rag about you is defiled, yet just as you are, you may
come to the fountain filled by Jesus Christ, Himself, and wash and be
clean!

They were a most unprepared lot of people but Jesus welcomed them. Most
of them might have been objected to, for various reasons, by our Lord
if He had chosen to do so–the most of them on account of their
poverty. They had not even a crust among them. They had come away in
such a hurry that they had not brought a day's food with them and if
they came to Christ, they must be fed by Him within a few hours, or
else drop from sheer starvation. They were a ragged regiment, a hungry
herd–what some fine folks call a mob, the riffraff–but Jesus welcomed
them–and never said a syllable about their bare backs and empty
pockets. How squeamish some of His servants are–but their Master had
no such proud ways about Him!

I heard one say the other day that he could not attend a place of
worship because he had not clothes that were fit to come in. I wonder
what sort of garments the Lord Jesus would object to in a coming
sinner! I am afraid if He were to see some of you, He would hardly
think that you are dressed fit for public worship, for you are too
smart by half–but I do not believe that He ever rejected a man or
woman because of their patched or unfashionable garments. What did He
care for court dress, full dress and all that nonsense? Our Lord was no
flatterer of wealthy lords and handsome ladies! No robe or mantle ever
charmed His eyes!

I never read in Scripture that Jesus said, "Come not between the wind
and my nobility, you unwashed crowds." Never did He turn any away
because they were beneath Him in condition and too poor for His notice.
Nothing of the sort! It was the jewel of His ministry that "the poor
had the Gospel preached to them." He delighted to see the needy gather
about Him to be taught and comforted! So, then, none of you can plead
poverty. If you have not a penny to bless yourselves with, Christ will
bless you without money and without price! Many of the multitude might
have been rejected on account of disease, for into the crowd the lepers
came in spite of disagreeable neighbors everywhere. They certainly had
no right to mingle with healthy people, but they did so, for they had
hopes of being healed.

Men and women were there who labored under defiling disorders, for
which, according to the Jewish Law, they ought to have been shut up in
a separate house. Yet when the crowd came to Christ, these poor souls
came in among the rest and there is no instance of the Lord's ever
sorting them out and saying to anyone, "I cannot receive you, for you
are a leper." What a melancholy sight the Master must have seen when He
went out into the streets and they laid there the sick in their beds!
He always walked in the midst of a great hospital–among the most
horrible diseases–yet never once did He turn any case away! O poor
Souls, sick Souls, come to Jesus at once, for my blessed Master will
welcome you all, whoever you may be!

Neither did our Lord ever reject one person on account of youth. His
disciples thought that such a preacher as He was ought never to be
listened to except by persons of intellect, or at least of ripe years
who could appreciate what He

would say. And when the mothers brought their children, the disciples
were much displeased with them. But our Master welcomed the young,
saying, "Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them
not; for of such is the kingdom of Heaven." Dear boys and girls, Jesus
will not put you by to wait till you are older, but He will welcome you
just as you are! Ah, how sweetly Jesus is doing this, to my knowledge,
with many little folks! I heard last week of a poor boy who lived near
my house.

A meeting is held by some of our friends in a cottage and this boy
came, one night, and said, "Please, Sir, may I come in?" The good man
of the house answered, "You may if you will wash your face and hands."
"That I will do, Sir," he said, and he soon returned and took his seat.
He was an attentive hearer and a devout worshipper. Though only 12
years old, he loved the Prayer Meeting and was always there. One
evening he said to the leader of the meeting, "Please, Sir, may I
pray?" and this poor child then poured out his heart before God with
such sweetness that he impressed all who listened to him. One night, as
he went out of the room, he shook hands with the good man of the house
and said, "Goodbye, Sir, perhaps we may not meet again till we meet in
Heaven."

His words seem prophetic, now, for before the next meeting a brewer's
cart passed over him and his sweet young spirit ascended to Jesus whom
he loved so well. What a joy to know that this poor child is now
beholding the face of our Father who is in Heaven! I am right glad to
say that we are continually receiving boys and girls into the Church.
Child-piety is no rarity among us! We find it no cause of difficulty,
but a wellspring of delight! Dear children, do not be afraid to come
because you are so little, for Jesus has told the big people that
unless they receive Him as little children they shall in nowise enter
into the Kingdom of Heaven! He also said, "They that seek Me early
shall find Me." Come to Him at once!

There were some in the throng, too, whom Jesus might have rejected
because they were too old. Here they come! They can scarcely see their
way! They limp, they use crutches, they are deaf and their limbs are
very feeble. Surely, when these poor old souls come to Jesus, He might
say to them, "What am I to do with you worn-out old creatures? Go and
spend the rest of your days where you spent the first part of them! How
dare you think of coming to Me when you are bald-headed, feeble, lame
and blind! How can you be soldiers of the Cross?" Glory be to His name,
our great Captain enlists old men, makes friends with old women and
delights to magnify the greatness of His Grace in the salvation of the
most infirm! Father William, though it is the 11th hour with you, our
Lord still calls you into His vineyard! Come, and fear not.

"Well," you say, "I can understand His receiving both young and old,
but surely sin must have led Him to refuse a comer." It was not so.
Those who came to Christ were often very sinful, but He received
sinners. Did you ever notice that the last person He spoke to before He
died was the thief on the cross–and the first person He spoke to, when
He rose, again, was Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven
devils? My Lord delights to draw near to the guiltiest of the guilty,
to blot out their iniquities and to receive them into His heart of
love! So, I come back to what I said before–our Lord receives all
sorts of comers!

Once more–our Lord receives all with a hearty welcome. He did not
merely allow the people to come near, tolerating their presence, but,
"He welcomed them"! When He saw that they were like sheep without a
shepherd, His heart was stirred within Him and He at once laid Himself
out to do them good. The sight of their need awakened His
compas-sion–the deep fountains of His infinite love were broken up at
once and flooded His whole Nature, so that–"He was moved with
compassion." He proved that He welcomed them by the deeds that He
worked for them. He taught them concerning the Kingdom of God. He
healed those that had need of healing and He fed the whole five
thousand! There was not one single exception to this rule–He welcomed
every one of them–taught, healed, fed and smiled on all!

He did not single out one, and say, "You, Sir, may go your way, I will
have nothing to do with you." But each one felt that he was welcome. It
is just so now. My blessed Master is glad to receive sinners! His heart
yearns over men! He longs for their salvation! He rejoices when they
come to Him! He proves His willingness to receive them by the bounty of
His Grace towards them! He multiplies His benedictions towards those
that trust Him! He heaps on His favors! He does all that they need and
grants them exceedingly more than all that they ask or even think–and
this without a single exception on any ground, or for any reason
whatever! "He that comes to Me," He says, "I will in nowise cast out."
This is the blessed fact.

II. Now I come to use this as AN ENCOURAGEMENT. If Jesus Christ, when
He was here on earth, welcomed all that came at all hours, then He will
welcome you, my Friend, if you come to Him, now, for the circumstances
are the same. You are the same sort of person as those whom Jesus used
to welcome. They were good-for-nothing nobodies! They were persons that
were full of need and could not possibly bring a price with which to
purchase His favor. Are you not just like they? Are you a very special
sinner? I am sure I could find another special sinner like you whom
Jesus has received. I will not go into detail, but I will venture to
ask you–Are you a thief?–

"The dying thief rejoiced to see In Christ salvation full and free."
Have you been unchaste? David was an adulterer and was pardoned and
Jesus forgave a woman that was a sinner, who, therefore, loved Him
much. The untruthful, the unclean, the ungodly are the sort of people
that Jesus came to seek and save!

And then it is the same Savior. Jesus Christ is the same gracious
Pardoner as He was in the days of His flesh. "Why," you say, "He is in
Heaven!" Yes, but I never knew anybody lose anything by going to
Heaven! It is all the other way! Jesus has not lost His tenderness nor
His compassion, nor His delight in blessing the sons of men. He is the
same Savior in Glory that He was in His humiliation. I invite you to
come, dear Friend, though you are suffering from the same unfit-ness as
these people were! Come just as you are and come with the same
expectation as they did–for they expected Him to work wonders for
them–and He did. Jesus is in the same mind as when He would not
condemn the guilty woman and when He prayed for His murderers! He is
still bent upon the one errand of saving men–He still welcomes
sinners. Since, then, you are under the same conditions, come, and
expect the same result from your coming. The welcome that you will
receive from Christ, my dear Friend, will be as hearty as that which
they received!

When is it that a man does not make all comers welcome? It may be a
person calls for whom he has no liking and he does not invite him to a
meal because he does not want him. He would sooner have his room than
his company. But that is not true of our Lord, for He loves His enemies
and seeks His foes! He has abundant love to guilty men and hears their
cry for mercy. So glad is our Lord to see the marriage feast of His
love furnished with guests that He sends out His servants to fetch in
highwaymen and vagrants!

Sometimes people are not welcome because they come when you have not
enough to feed them. The good housewife murmurs, "I wish they had come
some other day." It is never so with our Master. He has abundant
provisions and there is room, yes, and there is food. There is enough
in Christ Jesus for all that ever will come to Him for salvation! All
that the Father gives Him shall come and there is not one that shall
come whom He will send away because there is not due provision made for
him. That reason cannot possibly exist when Jesus, Himself, in all His
fullness, is the Covenant provision! Sometimes a host may not welcome
an applicant because it would be dangerous to his reputation to
entertain him. We would, none of us, be eager to entertain a thief or a
burglar or a murderer hiding from justice–nor would vagabonds and
tramps be our chosen guests–for it would lower our esteem among men.

As for our Lord Jesus, His reputation was gone long ago–"He made
Himself of no reputation"–that He might welcome the disreputable to
His house and heart! They sneeringly spread it about the streets, "This
Man receives sinners and eats with them." Yes, His reputation was gone
among the Pharisees, but He has a new reputation, now, and His great
Glory is that He cleanses the chief of sinners and makes them heirs of
God! O my trembling Hearer, you need not be afraid! Sometimes a man who
has been hospitable has been known to grow weary of it, for he says,
"These people come and eat and drink–and then abuse me." Jesus has
never been hardened by this! His house is open and His table is still
furnished.

He foreknew our ill manners and He has not been surprised by the
conduct of any of His guests! He knew they were unworthy. He did not
entertain one of them because they deserved it–He did it all because
He is infinitely gracious and delights to do good to the unthankful and
to the evil. This is why He keeps His house open, still–that those who
are ready to perish may come–that the worthless and undeserving may
come and participate in the bounties of His Grace! Jesus Christ will
make you welcome, though society will not acknowledge you! Is there any
man here that doubts it? My Friend, come and try the Lord! There is not
a man on earth that dares to say, "I went to Christ and He cast me
away." You may inspect Hell, itself, and never find one who can
truthfully say, "I believed in Jesus and He would not save me."

Come, Friend, if He rejects you, you will be the first of His
castaways! We will have you up in the Tabernacle and exhibit you as the
man that Jesus Christ would not save–and then I will shut up shop and
hold my tongue forever! I will never dare to preach the Gospel, again,
if one comer to Jesus is rejected by Him. It never has happened and
never shall! Come and welcome! Jesus welcomed the crowd and He will
welcome you–and He will prove that you are welcome by doing for you
what He did for them! He will teach you, teach you concerning the
Kingdom of God, teach you repentance, teach you faith! He will teach
you so effectually that you shall truly learn and your heart, beneath
His teaching, shall be changed and sanctified–and you shall become a
new creature!

More than that, He will heal you. Whatever the disease of your soul may
be, only come to my Master and He will banish every plague of doubt, or
palsy of fear, or leprosy of sin, or fever of lust!. There is no balm
in Gilead, but Jesus Christ is the never-failing Physician and He can
make you whole at once! Nor is this all, for He will feed you with the
Bread of Heaven–with better than angels' meat will He sustain you and
satisfy your heart and mind with all that you can desire! Thus I have
labored to encourage you. O that the Spirit of God may give effect to
my words!

III. Thirdly, we use our text as A LESSON. Dear Friends, if Jesus
Christ welcomes all that come to Him, let all of us who are His
followers imitate His example and give a warm welcome to those who seek
the Lord! Whatever their motive is, whenever we see people coming to
the worship of God, and especially when we see them a little impressed,
let us welcome them heartily! It is a grievous sin when strangers come
in and find themselves stared at as if they were wild beasts– nobody
offers them a seat–they may stand till they drop, but nobody cares an
atom about them! And they may come again and go in and out for a month,
together, and never a word is spoken to them. I pray you, do not so!
But, on the contrary, personally look out for individuals and try to
win them for Jesus.

There has been a great wind lately and it has shaken down much fruit.
But windfall fruit is seldom good for much. Billy Bray used to say,
"The best fruit is handpicked," and I believe the best converts in the
world are those for whom loving hearts wait and pray and plead!
Sometimes, after a great sermon, or when there has been a mighty
shaking under a revival, many come down who are only windfalls and of
very small account. But those whom you win one by one, by caring about
them, minding their estate and watching their growth–these are the
best of fruit and well worth storing!

Jesus welcomed men. His looks said, "I am glad to see you." He seemed
to say to the people who flocked after Him into His retirement, "I did
not invite you at this time, for I desired to be alone. But as you are
so earnest and eager after Me, I am prepared to do what you desire. You
are welcome to all that I can do for you." In winning souls, use an
abundance of smiles. Have you not seen, in one of our magazines, an
account of seven people saved by a smile? It is a pretty story. A
clergyman passes by a window on his way to Church. A baby was being
dandled there and he smiled at the baby, and the baby at him. Another
time he passed–the baby was there, again, and once more he smiled.
Soon baby was taken to the window at the hour when he usually passed.

They did not know who the gentleman was, but one day two of the older
children followed to see where he went on a Sunday. They followed him
to Church and as he preached in a winning way, they told their father
and mother, who felt interest enough in their baby's friend to wish to
go. Thus, in a short time, a godless family that had previously
neglected the worship of God, was brought to the Savior because the
minister smiled at the baby! I never heard of anybody getting to Heaven
through frowning at a baby, or at anyone else! Certain wonderfully good
persons go through the world as if they were commissioned to impress
everybody with the awful solemnity of religion–they resemble a
winter's night without a moon! Nobody seems attracted, nor even
impressed by them except in the direction of dislike. Mind, then, this
rule–when you go gathering fruit, go with a smile. Men are brought to
Jesus by cheerfulness far quicker than by gloom.

I saw a life buoy the other day covered with luminous paint. How bright
it seemed, how suitable to be cast upon the dark sea to help a drowning
man! An ordinary life buoy he would never see, but this was so bright
and luminous that a man must see it. Give me a soul-winner bright with
holy joy, for he will be seen by the sorrowing soul and his help will
be accepted. Cover your lives with the luminous paint of cheerfulness,
compounded by joy and peace through believing! By God's Grace, smile
Christ into mourners' hearts! It can be done if the Holy Spirit will
only give you a lesson! Jesus welcomed them–let us warmly welcome all
comers.

Do not seem to say to them, "You want to be saved, do you?" "Yes." "You
had better mind what you are about. You know there are a great many
hypocrites. I am not sure of your sincerity. Do you really want to be
saved?" If the seeker cries, "O Sir, what must I do to be saved?" do
not answer with icy words–"Do not get too excited. Be calm and

let me lay the Gospel before you in a clear, didactic manner, for fear
you should be deceived. I hope it is all right with you and that these
desires are not mere natural excitement, but are the fruit of the
Spirit. Still, it is my duty to be faithful and put you to the test."

Why, my dear Friend, if you had been in a right state of heart, you
would have led that man into the Kingdom of Heaven before you had got
half through those cautious remarks! Give Him a loving, hearty
welcome–not a cold, suspicious searching! Say, "Do you want to be
saved?" "Yes." "Then come and welcome! Believe in the Lord Jesus and He
is yours! You want Jesus Christ, do you?" "Yes." "Come along–He waits
to be gracious! He is here present and all you have to do is to trust
in Him." I put this in a very simple way, but there is very much in it.
Jesus, the Master, welcomed sinners! Let all His servants wear the
livery of love and set every door wide open for sinners to enter.

"But perhaps there is very little good in these who say they are
seeking?" The remark is, no doubt, correct! Perhaps there is no good at
all in them! What then? Let us welcome them all the same! Did not our
Lord receive you when there was no good in you? Should not you, also,
receive such and set the Gospel before them, that God the Holy Spirit
may bless them? "But some are so poor that if they are received into
the Church they will be of no service to it–they will be more
dependent upon its charity than helpful to its funds." Yes, but these
are the sort of people that our Lord used to welcome and why should not
we? It will be an evil day for any Church when it despises any class of
men! There will come a curse upon a Church that looks to men's garments
and purses–and values them according to the guinea stamp. This will
never do!

Is he a man? Then he has an immortal soul about him! Does he seek the
Savior? Christ bids us encourage him! Is he a sinner? Christ can
cleanse him! Is he troubled about his sin? Jesus can give him rest! Let
us help him, however loathsome his past life may have been and however
little he may be able to do in return. If anyone here wishes to find
mercy and cannot find it, I would, during the last minute of my
discourse, try to welcome him. Friend, you say, "How can I be saved!"
Have you ever heard the Gospel, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and
you shall be saved'? "Yes," you say, "but I do not think I believe
aright." Listen. Here is a verse for you. Get out your New Testament.
Look at John 5:24. Turn it down. Turn it down and read it when you get
home! I beg all of you who have not found the Savior to mark that
passage–read it carefully and keep on reading it over and over again
for an hour!

Read it over 10,000 times, if necessary, for I want you to find
salvation through it. I know this text will save any man living, God
blessing it to him. Here it is–"Verily, verily, I say unto you, he
that hears My Word, and believes on Him that sent Me, has everlasting
life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death
unto life." What a grand verse! Is there anything in it about believing
aright? Not a syllable! Only let a man truly believe and he, "has," (it
is not said, "shall have")–he has now, "everlasting life."

Mark that–not a life that will die out in a quarter of a year if he
does not mind. No, but, "has everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." Suck at that text,
poor Soul–salvation lies in it! Believe in Jesus and you are saved!
May God help you to believe it, by His blessed Spirit, and you shall
live unto Him from now on and forever. Amen.
__________________________________________________________________

Without Christ–Nothing