A Great Mistake and the Way to Rectify It

DELIVERED ON LORD'S-DAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 3, 1882,

BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.

"Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing; and know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor,
and blind, and naked: I counsel you to buy of Me gold tried in the
fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed,
and that the shame of your nakedness does not appear; and anoint your
eyes with eye salve, that you may see." Revelation 3:17,18.

THESE words were spoken, not to the outside world, but to the Church of
Laodicea. They relate to persons who were in a Church state, who had
been baptized on confession of their faith in Christ and who were
thought to be in a fine spiritual condition. They had a singularly high
opinion of themselves and probably considered that of all the seven
Churches in Asia, they were the first in power and influence. The words
before us are as sharp as they are true–and they demand the earnest
attention of all professors of our holy faith–for to persons like
ourselves they were addressed and, moreover, we have the special note
of attention–"He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says
unto the Churches." Here the axe is laid to the root, not of the oaks
of the forest or the pines of the mountainside, but to the root of the
trees of the vineyard and the choice trees of the garden of the Lord.
By this, the Lord showed His love to the true ones in Laodicea,
according as He says, "As many as I love I rebuke and chasten."

While reading the text, I feel forced to cry, "O my threshing, and the
corn of my floor!" Truly the flail must first be used upon the heap
that is gathered in the garner. It is all in vain to preach to the
outside world unless matters are true and right within. The Kingdom
cannot come, nor the Lord's banner be lifted high if the soldiers of
His own army prove false and turn back in the day of battle. The time
is come when judgment must begin at the house of God! The word to the
slaughter men in Ezekiel was, "Begin at My sanctuary." The stout heart
of the king of Assyria will not be punished till the Lord has performed
His whole work upon Mount Zion and on Jerusalem!

Behold, the Lord Himself comes to deal with His Church, for His fire is
Zion, and His furnace is in Jerusalem. "His fan is in His hand, and He
will thoroughly purge His floor." As for them that are outside, God
will judge them in His own time, but now, by His blessed Spirit, He
speaks to those of us who are within the Church and make profession of
His name. The solemn words which make up our text were also spoken by
the Lord Jesus under a most special title–"These things says the Amen,
the faithful and true Witness" (Rev. 3:14), as much as to say that
though the Laodicean professors were false, mistaken and deluded, He
who now addressed them by His servant John was true and faithful. He is
the Amen, the Verily, Verily of God! He judges not according to the
outward appearance, but looks at the heart according to truth.

He is "the faithful and true Witness," who does not flatter, nor keep
back any of the terrible Truths of God, but speaks out that which He
perceives with His eyes of fire and warns men of their condition with
all sincerity. Instead of crying peace, peace, where there is no peace,
and letting them be like Moab at ease from their youth and settled upon
their lees because not emptied from vessel to vessel, He stirs them up
that the sediment of their falsehood may be seen and their evil case be
made manifest. Oh for Grace to hear this Word at this time as from the
Lord Jesus and as from Him under the weighty Character of a Witness,
faithful and true, speaking as the Amen of God!

It seems to me that my text accounts for the lukewarmness of the
Laodiceans. They were lukewarm because they imagined themselves rich
when they were poor. Two conditions will help us to escape
lukewarmness. The one is to be really rich in Grace, for they that have
much Grace will not be lukewarm. Grace is as a fire in the soul and he
that has much of it, so as to become an advanced Christian, cannot but
have a heart boiling with earnestness. The other way is to have but
little Grace, but to be painfully aware of it–to be deeply conscious
of soul-poverty–to sigh and cry because you are not what you should
be.

There is no lukewarmness in a strong desire caused by a bitter sense of
need. The poor man, poor in spirit, conscious of his imperfections and
failures, is never a lukewarm man, for with sighs and cries coming out
of a heart that is all on fire with a desire to escape out of such a
sad condition, he besieges the Throne of God that he may obtain more
Grace. These Laodicean people, however, were unhappily in such a state
that you could not get at them. They were not so poor that they knew
they were poor and, therefore, when the poverty-stricken were
addressed, they said, "These things are not for us: we are increased in
goods." They were blind, but they thought they saw; they were naked and
yet they prided themselves in their princely apparel and, therefore, it
was hard to reach them.

Had they been outwardly worse–had they openly sinned, had they defiled
their garments with overt transgression–then the Spirit might have
pointed out the blot and convicted them, then and there. But what was
to be done when the mischief was hidden and internal? Had they been
utterly cold and frost-bitten, then He might have thawed them into
living warmth. But such was their puffed-up notion of themselves that
one could not convince them of sin, or awaken them to any sense of
fear–and it seemed likely that, after all, the Lord must necessarily
spue them out of His mouth as things He could not endure. How far this
may be true of any one of us may God, in His infinite mercy, help us to
judge, each one, for himself. Whether it is true or not, it will not
matter as to the usefulness of the discourse if God the Holy Spirit
will bless it to our souls in His own way.

Two things in the text call for our notice. The first is their
saying–"You say, I am rich." and the second is Christ's counsel–"I
counsel you to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich;
and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your
nakedness does not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that
you may see."

I. First, let us think of the Church in Laodicea and listen to THEIR
SAYING. It may prevent us from reaching such a height of pride as to
speak as they did. The spirit of self-congratulation expressed itself
in a manner strikingly unanimous. If all the members did not say so in
words, yet, as a whole, they were so self-contented that the great Amen
spoke of them as one person, "Because you say, I am rich, and increased
with goods, and have need of nothing." Doubtless a few wept and sighed
before God, but they were so few in number that they did not mar the
apparent unanimity of the Church in its conscious self-respect, nor
divide the united utterance of its open boasting. "You say, I am rich,
and increased with goods."

It would seem that their minister was of the same opinion. Good, easy
man, he felt that his Church was in a splendid state, for the Spirit of
God, here, speaks to the "angel of the church," who is, no doubt, the
minister of the Church and He says to him, "You say, I am rich, and
increased with goods." The self-complacent man had probably gathered
together a wealthy congregation–wealthy as compared with the general
run of the people of God–who were usually the poorest of the poor.
Among these were persons of considerable talent and, as a body, they
were intellectual and educated. They were so rich in all sorts of
endowments that they had "need of nothing." Perhaps they hardly needed
a minister at all, but were able to become, every man, his own teacher
and so the timid man was quiet and smooth-tongued for fear they should
dispense with him.

They might, perhaps, prefer an open meeting, and then what would become
of him? The proverb says, "Like priest, like people," and under the
preacher's lukewarm addresses, the Church became lukewarm, too. They
were so rich in gifts that they did not need to economize and send out
their Brothers to preach, one by one. They could afford to let a dozen
attempt to do what one could have done a great deal better. They had
grown to be such a leading Church that other Churches looked up to
them. They were noted and celebrated all over the country. A member of
the Church of Laodicea was recognized, at once, as a remarkable person,
so that wherever he went, the people would ask him to get up and
speak–for coming down from Laodicea, that famous Church which had
"need of nothing"–surely he could not open his mouth without precious
things dropping from them, for was he not one of those who were "rich
and increased with goods, and had need of nothing"?

It was a first-class Church and their prudent and kind minister thought
so, too, and he often took occasion to say as much. When he spoke to
the good people of Philadelphia, at their anniversary meeting, he told
them that he hoped they would do their best, although they had but a
little strength and could not expect to equal his people who were so
much richer and so much better educated. Of course, all Churches could
not be so strong as Laodicea–it was not likely that everywhere, in
those little places, they could gather congregations such as he was
proud to look on every Sabbath in the Tabernacle at Laodicea! It was
the general unanimous feeling, from the minister down to the latest
convert, that they

were a most wonderful Church. They were heartily at one in having a
high estimate of themselves and this helped to keep them together and
stirred them to attempt great things.

This saying of theirs was exceedingly boastful, for it divides itself
into three parts. They were "rich"–that was their present state. They
were "increased with goods"–that is, they could look back upon years
of great prosperity and progress in their past history. And at that
present time, if they were not absolutely perfect, they were getting
close to the edge of it, for they had "need of nothing." They did not
know of anything which the Church lacked. They had the best deacons,
the best elders, the best members–they were always ready to do
anything and everything that was proposed to them. They were rich and
increased with goods, and had need of nothing. The present was all
right, the past was eminently satisfactory and they had reached a point
of all but absolute perfection–for they needed nothing!

And when people have need of nothing they can go no further–they have
ascended to the highest point–their sun has reached its zenith; their
path has been like the path of the just which shines more and more unto
the perfect day! Truly I do not know that they could have opened their
mouths any wider! They gave forth about as fine a piece of brag as one
is likely to meet with in any ancient record. Here is a Church which is
a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden! Is it not a candle that
gives light unto all that are in the house? And the candle needs no
snuffing–it is burning at its very best. Think of a Church which has
need of nothing!

Now, notice once more, that they were sincere in this glorying. When
they said it, they were not consciously boasting, for the text says,
"And you know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and
blind, and naked." They did not know the truth! They were not
hypocrites–when they thus spoke with such self-conscious complacency
they really thought it was so–and their minister thought so, too. The
angel of the Church thought that it was an angelic Church! There was no
insincerity in what they said. In fact, I dare say they said to
themselves, "We really speak below what we might say. We are a
wonderful. What we do could hardly be put in print or people!
Thoroughly described in words, our existence is an extraordinary fact."
They did not know the real truth of the matter, but they sincerely
believed the flattering tale which their ignorance told them. How
readily do we believe a lie when it fosters in us a high opinion of
ourselves!

But now see what was their actual state–they were altogether mistaken.
Their mistake was founded upon ignorance–"You know not." These
intelligent persons, these wealthy persons, these instructed persons
did not know themselves and that is the grossest kind of ignorance. A
man may know all about Africa and the sources of the Nile and the
Congo, and yet he may not know what is going on in certain regions of
the home department. He is ignorant, indeed, who does not know his own
condition in reference to the most weighty matters. In our Church there
are many members who know shamefully little about it–they go in and
out among us and they have not enough concern about the Church to make
its spiritual state a matter of enquiry. I grieve to say that there are
members who, I fear, do not know their own spiritual state and who take
it for granted that everything is sound! They say, "No doubt it is all
correct."

If their conscience is touched and they are troubled, they call it
unbelief–though it is quite another thing and may be praised as godly
fear. If they are driven into a corner by conviction, they say, "I must
not get into this state. I must hope for the best." They make the best
of everything and shut their eyes to all storm signals. These Laodicean
people were mistaken through ignorance–they had not searched–they had
judged the surface of the matter and never looked below the topsoil.
But, "the faithful and true Witness" makes them see the naked truth. He
says, "You know not that you are wretched." That is to say, they were
in a sad and undesirable state. There was nothing about them that could
please God and nothing about them that would have pleased themselves if
they had seen things in a true light. "You are wretched." Oh, what a
change from the distorting glass of self-flattery to the clear mirror
of truth! How these men that had need of nothing are shown up when
Christ begins to describe them! They seem to need everything!

The next word, "miserable," conveys the same idea to us in the English,
but the original had better, perhaps, been translated, "pitiable."
There was nothing about them to admire, but everything to pity, for
everything that seemed to be good was really false. Everything that was
apparently useful was a mere matter of display. As Jesus Christ looked
at Laodicea, He said of the Church, "Pitiable! Pitiable!" He does not
use fine expressions, does He, towards this respectable Church, this
Church with so much wealth and so much strength? He does not flatter
it, for He says of it, first, "Wretched!" and then, "Pitiable!" Then He
goes on to say, "Poor!" Poor in the choice things in which they thought
they were rich; so much Grace they thought they had, but He says they
have exceedingly little and calls them "poor." Oh,

but they had such riches of faith! "No," He says, "poor!" Oh, but they
had such abundance of energy. "No," He says, "that is only a pretense.
They are poor."

He searches the members through and looks into their hearts, where
their precious things are stored up, and He says of them all, "Poor."
There is a sense in which the Lord cries, "Blessed are you poor," but
these were poor in quite another sense. Think of it! Here are a people
that were "rich and increased with goods and had need of nothing," and
yet the verdict of the Savior is, "They are poor!" And then He goes on
to say they are "blind." Blind? Why, they had among them men of the
greatest possible discernment, who could see as far into a millstone as
any people! They were able to split hairs over points of doctrine and
they had discernment of spirits, so they thought, and could tell who
was and who was not sincere! But Jesus Christ says they have no
discernment, they are "blind."

They are not merely shortsighted and weak about the eyes, but
altogether blind. And, mark you, this is no exaggeration–it is not a
hard speech meant to sting them into repentance, but the, "Amen, the
faithful and true Witness," says this calmly and deliberately–and says
it about that admirable Church of Laodicea concerning which we heard so
much when we commenced our discourse–they were poor and blind! And now
He adds that they were "naked." No, surely, not that! Will the Savior
say as much us that? Yes, He says so. They are not dressed in the
righteousness of Christ–they are dressed in their own cobwebs of
conceit–and, therefore, they are naked. They are not resting upon
Christ, but relying upon their own strength and wealth and, therefore,
He says they are "naked."

Yes, these same people, who "have need of nothing," yet have need of a
rag with which to cover the shame of their nakedness! They are "naked"
before God. Had a storm suddenly come upon them, they would have found
it out. We are such poor creatures that we need to be covered from the
sun and from the wind, from the wet and from the drought, from the cold
and from the heat. Such is our weakness that we have need of garments
against all outward surroundings–and so it was with these
Laodiceans–not only for the common decency of their appearance did
they need to be robed in the righteousness of Christ, but they needed
the most ordinary kind of covering. Though they did not know it, they
were open to have been scattered and destroyed as a Church had anything
happened out of the ordinary.

Oh, this mistake! May the Lord of Truth prevent us from making it about
ourselves, individually, and prevent every Church from making such a
mistake about itself and being unanimous in it! These professors were
poor and proud; they were conceited and, therefore, they were not
likely to be converted. They thought they were making progress, but
they were going backward and because they did not know their true
condition, it was hard work to help them. You remember the Tay Bridge
disaster? There is no doubt, whatever, that the bridge was not fitted
for its position, its ordinary strain was all it could bear–but nobody
thought so. Undoubtedly the engineers reckoned it would stand any test
to which it might be put and, therefore, there was no attention given
to it to make it any stronger and to provide against sudden disaster.
And, consequently, when a specially fierce hurricane was out one night,
it swept it all away!

That is just the picture of many a Church and many a man because he is
thought to be so pious, and the Church is thought to be so correct and
vigorous, therefore no attempt is made for improvement, no special
prayer, no cries to Heaven, no repentance because of backsliding–and
so when there comes an unusual pressure, a night of terrible
temptation–the whole fabric falls in ruins! How much better is the
condition of the man who feels that he is weak and, therefore, goes to
the strong for strength! I know a railway bridge at this moment which
is showing signs of danger–there are cracks in the brickwork and other
mischief–in all probability it would soon have come down if let alone.
But it has been noticed by the railway people and they are as busy as
possible trying to repair it and prevent an accident.

Is not this much better than a delusive belief that all is safe? If
there is a crack in the substantial part of your religious structure,
what a mercy to see it! If the supporting pillars begin to give way,
what a blessing to perceive the fact! "Oh," says one, "you make us feel
uneasy." Yes, it is often a great blessing to be uneasy and that
blessing, I pray the Holy Spirit will confer upon you! It is infinitely
better to be uneasy and to get right, than to be perfectly serene and
all the while to be wrong! How many a house is built upon sand and only
waits till the floods shall come and the winds shall beat upon it–and
then the whole fair fabric will vanish like a vision of the night! Will
it not be well to let the tenant know his peril? I think so.

Now I leave this saying–may we never use it, ourselves. We have looked
underneath the surface and we have seen the mud which lies at the
bottom of what seemed a glassy pool.

II. Now we come to think of OUR LORD'S BLESSED COUNSEL. "I counsel you
to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white
raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness
does not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may
see." I call your attention, first, to the amazing Grace which is here
displayed. Ask a schoolmaster what kind of pupil is most objectionable
and I think he will reply that he cannot bear a youth who knows so
much, already, that he will learn nothing correctly. It is very
difficult to deal with the conceited. We can instruct persons who are
conscious of ignorance and willing to learn, but those who "have need
of nothing," what can you teach them? They are up to the mark in all
points; they are models–they can teach you and, therefore, what can
you say to them?

But here our blessed Lord seems to single out this puffed-up Church,
though pride is always obnoxious to Him, and He draws near to it and
begins to speak to it in love. He does not use a peremptory tone, but
in words of great affection He tenders His advice. He does not say, "I
command you," but, "I counsel you." It is tantamount to that other
blessed text, "Come now, and let us reason together." He puts it so
softly, as if He said, "I offer a little kindly advice to you– will
you listen to Me? I might speak in harsher tones. I might condemn, I
might command, but instead of that I stoop to you and counsel you. See
whether My counsel is not good. Am I not the Wonderful, the Counselor?
Is not the wisdom of God in Me? Therefore I am come to speak to you,"
says Christ, "and counsel you."

Note how He begins–"I counsel you to buy." Is not that singular
advice, indeed? Just now He said that they were "wretched" and "poor."
How can they buy? Surely it suggests to us, at once, those blessed free
Grace terms which are only to be met with in the market of Divine
Love–"Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."
The chapmen of Vanity Fair have great difficulty to bring people up to
their price, but the Lord Jesus Christ's difficulty is to bring people
down to His–and so He begins by counseling the poor to come and buy on
such terms as this– "Without money and without price."

But why is it called buying? If you have nothing to give, why does He
not say, "Come and take it"? No, it is buying because God would have us
make business of it. If any of you have backslidden and yet dream that
you have not declined; if there creeps over you the cold thought that
perhaps it is so; then awaken yourselves and make a business of
recovery! Come to Christ and buy! Not merely act the beggar's part, but
come and act the purchaser's part, with thoughtfulness, with desire,
with judgment! Come, now, and give an estimate–do as you would if you
were buying a valued article. Estimate the value of Christ and see how
richly He is worth having! In a purchase there is consent on both
sides–the one consents to sell and the other to receive by
purchase–therefore the word, "buy," is used, for God does not force
the gifts of His Grace upon any man, but He first teaches him his need
of those gifts, and then He bids him come and buy, though it is without
price, by exercising thought, making an estimate, having a strong
desire, being willing to give anything if he had anything to give–and
then taking the blessing with joyful willingness. Christ gives them
counsel to buy.

But next, what does He say? "I counsel you to buy of Me." Ah, they had
been dealing with one another! They had been chaffering and bartering
amongst themselves! One Brother had brought this talent and another,
that, and they had grown rich, as they thought, by a mutual commerce.
"Now," says Christ, "compare yourselves with yourselves no longer! Give
up seeking of man and buy of Me." It is the very foundation of
Grace–to be willing to buy of Christ. Have you a religion which you
received of me? It is not worth a pin! Have you in possession a
religion which you received of your mother, your father, your Sunday
school teacher? Your neighbors, your friends? It is worth nothing! All
true Grace must be bought of Christ on free Grace terms–"I counsel you
to buy of Me."

Do you not know that Jesus is a great monopolist? Nobody else has
anything to sell of this kind. The articles He speaks of are entire
monopolies in His hands! No one else can sell you the gold tried by
fire, or white raiment that you may be clothed, or eye salve that you
may see! The whole stock of Grace is vested in the Person and offices
of Jesus Christ and, therefore, He says, "I counsel you to buy of Me."
Do you wear a spiritual vesture which you bought elsewhere? Do you use
an eye salve which you purchased of another physician? Do you hoard up
gold which you procured of some pretended goldsmith? Throw the
imaginary gifts away, for there is no genuine article in the market
except that which comes of the Lord Jesus Christ and of Him, alone! "I
counsel you to buy of Me."

Oh, that every Christian here would lay hold upon this advice and say,
"I will go and buy of Christ again." Have I been living on past
experience? Have I been living on a profession which I have maintained
these last 20 years? I will do so no longer–I will buy of Jesus
anew–I will get my manna fresh from Heaven! I will seek all my
provisions, day by day,

from the Person of my blessed Lord and Master, for He counsels me to
buy of Him! Now see the goods which He describes. "I counsel you to buy
of Me"–what? Everything! It is true that only three needs of these
people are here mentioned, but they are inclusive of all needs.

First, the Lord says, "Buy gold." The man who can buy gold has bought
everything, for money answers all things. He who has gold, has the
medium with which he can procure whatever he needs. In Christ there is
a fullness of all good things and in the gold of His Grace there is an
adaptation to every need. You cannot have a necessity, nor even think
of a necessity which is a real one, but the Grace of God, which is like
fine gold, will be sure to meet it! Your free will, your unaided
efforts, your wisdom, your knowledge, your strength–all this you can
get something for in such-and-such a market–but in God's market there
is nothing current but this precious gold and, if you get the gold of
Grace, then you can get whatever your soul needs. "I counsel you," says
He "to buy of Me gold."

Then, next, He brings forth raiment rich and rare–perfect coverings
such as do really clothe a man so that the shame of his nakedness will
never appear. I like that expression. It is very plain, but what
suggestions there are in it! Our sin is our shame and it is well that
the Lord has found a complete covering for it. Sin brought nakedness
upon us and shame is the result. But He who has Christ has lost both
sin and shame, for the blood of Jesus removes guilt from the soul and
terror from the conscience! Man was naked and is still naked apart from
Christ, but in Christ he is covered and has become comely before the
Lord. Even those eyes of God which see everything cannot see that which
does not exist–and God has said of His people's iniquities–"They
shall not be."

God has cast the sins of His people behind His back and, therefore, He
cannot see them! "If they are searched for, they shall not be found;
yes, they shall not be, says the Lord." And if they shall not "be" or
exist, then are they gone from His sight! What a covering this must be!
What a purchase this is for a man to buy white raiment of Christ!
Imputed and inherent righteousness make up the double garment of
righteousness, worked out for us by the Lord Jesus and in us by the
Holy Spirit. This is a fair garment in which to stand among men and it
will fit us to appear at the Judgment Seat of God. Jesus says, "I
counsel you, buy this of Me." No one else has this sacred apparel to
dispose of. The fig leaves of earth are a mockery and the cobwebs of
conceit are soon blown aside, but the covering which adorns and
comforts is with Christ, alone, whose name is, "The Lord Our
Righteousness."

Next, our Lord recommends them to buy an eye salve of Him. That is a
very curious recommendation, is it not? For they were blind–and can an
eye salve give blind men, eyes? Many salves are useful for eyes when
they are weak or inflamed, but what salve is of any good to a blind
man? He says they are blind and yet recommends them to buy eye salve of
Him. Strange counsel! But there is no setting forth Gospel principles
by human similes without endowing the emblems with something above
Nature. We must strain that which is human to set forth by it that
which is Divine. O you that have no heavenly discernment; that have no
eyes upon which the Light of God might fall, Christ Jesus counsels you
to come and buy of Him the true eye salve–that ancient salve of high
renown, or something more marvelous, still–which will open your eyes
so that you shall see that which is invisible and shall behold the face
of God!

This is glorious! No other physician has such eye salve! None else can
even pretend to! The Savior has the whole stock of this sovereign
remedy! He is the sole dispenser of it–no one can make the like–go,
then, to Him who sells, and buy for yourselves! The counsel of the Lord
is not only that we buy of Him everything, but that we buy the best of
everything of Him. Laodicea had made the mistake of buying
second-quality articles which turned out to be good for nothing. Our
Lord says, "I counsel you to buy of Me gold." Gold is the most precious
metal, but He would have them buy the best of it–"gold tried in the
fire," gold that has just passed through the assay and has the mint
mark upon it–gold that will endure all further tests, having survived
that of fire.

O Brothers and Sisters, our wisdom is to buy what we buy from Christ,
for from Him comes Grace which will endure to the end! I have lately
been looking through some of the sufferings of the Waldenses for Christ
and the sad spectacle has produced a most painful effect upon my mind,
but, I trust, also a beneficial one. When I read of the horrible
cruelties worked upon them by the Papists and of the firmness of feeble
women and children, as well as men, I asked myself, Could I endure such
torments? I did not dare believe that I could, for they suffered
agonies which scarcely even the devils of Hell could have invented!
Suppose that you and I should possess a sort of Grace which would not
endure such tests–will it be the right sort of Grace? If we are never
dragged at the heels of horses, or set up as targets, or dismembered,
or burned at a

slow fire, yet we ought to have that same kind of Grace which made
these gracious ones more than conquerors through Jesus Christ!

It is true we may never have to suffer martyrdom, but a man must be
prepared to give up house, lands, wife and children, yes, and his own
life, also, sooner than forsake Christ. Look at the saints in the first
days, the young, brave Church of Christ, when the world sought to stamp
out our holy faith. They defied the world and Pliny writes to Trajan to
know what to do, for the Christians come crowding to the judgment seat
to avow their faith! Instead of shunning the conflict, they seemed to
court it, knowing that to avow themselves Christians was speedy death!
They were yet eager to do it– knowing that unutterable torments
awaited them–they offered themselves willingly to bear anything for
their dear Savior. Do you think we could act in this fashion? Yes, if
we have bought the true "gold tried in the fire," but not otherwise. Is
our gold of this sort?

Do not begin talking about how you could endure martyrdom–how do you
endure the ordinary trials of life? In those lesser pains that come
upon your body–are you patient? Those little disquietudes in the
domestic circle–do you keep your temper over them? Those words that
sometimes drop carelessly, not meant to be unkind, but which grate on
your feelings–can you forgive them, for Christ's sake, and think no
more of them? If not, what kind of gold is this which cannot bear the
touch of the acid? Such metal would hardly do to lie on the hob, much
less to be put in the flame, for if it begins to melt in such mild
heat, it would utterly vanish in the furnace! Oh to have gold which has
been tested in the center of the flame, such as God Himself will
acknowledge in the Last Great Day when He shall come to separate
between the precious and the vile! Christ counsels us to buy the best
and we can only get it by buying it of Him, "without money and without
price."

Remember the raiment, too, for that is of the best. Our Lord calls it
"white raiment." That is a pure color, a holy color, a royal color. We
put on the Lord Jesus as our joy, our glory, our righteousness. To walk
with Him in white is real honor and sure acceptance–it marks us out as
victors through Him that has loved us. This robe is the true wedding
dress, a holiday robe and yet a serviceable garment arraying a man from
head to foot. Are you wearing it? Is your sin hidden? Does it not, at
times, appear? Does it not come before your own conscience? "Beloved,
if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God, but if
our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knows all
things." Have you this covering so that you will not be afraid to die
in it, nor afraid to stand before the blazing Judgment Seat in it? Are
you sure, certain, positive that your sin is put away in Christ Jesus?
This is what you need and you must not be content with less! If you
must play at haphazard, do it with your estates, do it with your lives,
but never leave your soul-affairs to be a matter of chance! Make sure
work for eternity!

A man likes to be quite positive about the title deeds if he buys a
farm. But what is that? If I wish for Heaven, I need to be sure that I
have it–sure that I have Christ who is the Glory of it–sure that I am
pardoned and renewed which is my fitness for it. One single note of
question upon that matter will banish all peace and joy out of your
heart. God grant us Grace to buy the white raiment through which
nothing of sin can be seen, for all guilt is gone. And as to the eye
salve, it is the best possible one, for Jesus says, "Anoint your eyes
with eye salve that you may see." Eye salve that can make a blind man
see stands in the front rank of all the medicine that ever can be sold!
Oh, for Grace to get it, so that we may see and know spiritual things!

Can you say, "One thing I know, whereas I was blind, now I see"? Are
you the pure in heart who see God? Is God about you wherever you are?
Can you see your own sin and hate it? Can you see the power of Christ's
blood and delight to be washed in it? Can you see the spiritual
kingdom, or do you only see the things of your trade and business, the
things which blind worldlings can perceive? O God, give us real sight
that we may see Heaven and delight in it, see Hell and flee the sin
that will bring us there, that we may see Christ and rejoice in Him
evermore! He counsels us to do this. So I must come to a close by
noticing that all this is the counsel of Christ and the counsel of
Christ to a people that were proud and self-conceited. He gave those
counsel who thought they needed none!

Does not this reveal infinite Grace, that He should come to such and
sit down by them and say, "Come now, put your case into My hands. It is
a very bad one and I advise you to come to Me for help"? Oh, how
tenderly would I try to speak, this morning, in imitation of the soft
tones of Jesus! O you who have thought of yourself other than the
truth, I do not counsel you to despair! At the sight of the truth I do
not counsel you to say, "I will give it all up; there is no hope."
"No," Christ says, "be advised; take counsel; I counsel you to come to
Me, now, and get in very truth all that which you

only had in fancy. All things are ready for you! You have not to search
for the gold and dig it up from the mine–here it is–come and buy it."
"Lord, I have not a penny to buy it with." That does not matter! Buy it
without money and without price! These are the easy terms of the
gracious Savior!

Believe, and be rich! When Satan tells me, or conscience tells me, that
I am not a Christian, that I am not saved, then I find it wise to say,
"I will begin now. If I have made a mistake. If I have been
presumptuous. If I have not truly believed, then I will believe at once
and lay hold upon Jesus at this good hour!" I recommend you who are not
puffed up to take Christ's counsel, for when He counsels these proud
ones to come, I am sure His advice is good for you, too. It is always
wise to get gold when you can buy it for nothing! I guarantee you if
the Bank of England put up a notification that they would sell any
quantity of pure bullion for nothing tomorrow morning, our Stock
Exchange men, instead of turning into Capel Court, would take the other
side of the street and dispose, at once, of the Bank's surplus! There
is a ready market for pure gold at this extraordinary minimum! Come,
then, and accept the gold of free Grace! It is sure to be useful,
therefore come along, you that love Christ, and you that are afraid you
do not love Him. Come along, all of you–come and buy this "gold tried
in the fire." You will never made a better investment in all your
lives. May the good Master sweetly lead you to do so.

But what a rebuke this is to all boasting! The Lord does not say to us,
"You have been very foolish in talking about your riches," but He
convicts us by saying, "I counsel you to buy gold." He does not say,
"You are stupid to glory in your dress," but He convicts us by saying,
"Buy raiment." He does not condemn us for pretending to be able to see
when we are blind, but He cries, "Anoint your eyes with eye salve." Is
not this a sweet way of making us feel our error? Perhaps you would
turn away from stern rebuke, but you cannot turn from love! Come now,
members of this Church and members of no Church–come, buy these three
precious things, "without money and without price!" You cannot take
better counsel than that of the Son of God! Therefore, do as He bids
you and buy at once!
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The Samaritan Woman and Her Mission