Loved and Washed

Loved and Washed

(No. 2230)

A SERMON INTENDED FOR READING ON LORD'S-DAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1891,

DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ON LORD'S-DAY EVENING,
FEBRUARY 22, 1891.

"Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
and has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be
glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." Revelation 1:5, 6.

John was the beloved disciple, the choicest spirit of the twelve, the
one nearest to the heart of Christ. Not only was he that disciple whom
Jesus loved, but he was full of love to his Lord in return. John leaned
his head on Christ's bosom. All his soul seemed to be aflame with
affection towards Christ. "We love Him, because He first loved us," are
words which come with great power from such a heart–they were so
wonderfully true in his own experience. But now, when he comes to sing
a Psalm of praise to his Lord, he does not mention his love to his
Master. He dwells not on that, for his confidence lies deeper than
anything in himself, even in the love of the Son of God to him. Would
you not wish to be like he? Then "keep yourselves in the love of God,"
as, on the opposite page of your Bible, you read in the Epistle of
Jude. Meditate much on your Master and on your Master's love–dwell
with Christ–and whether you realize your love to Him or not, drink in
daily the sweetness of His wondrous love to you. Live on that and often
let your heart lift up a song of praise because of it. Then shall the
blessing of Benjamin be yours–"The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in
safety by Him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he
shall dwell between His shoulders."

This verse seems to me to be fit to be the song of Heaven. It is indeed
the epitome of all those choral symphonies with which redeemed spirits
circle the Throne of our great Lord and King. John, in vision, had
caught glimpses of the Glory Land and had heard the great multitude
which no man can number raise their hallelujahs, as they cast their
crowns before Him that sat upon the Throne of God. And, as the refrain
of a song hums itself over and over, again, even after the singer has
ceased, John, when he began to write this Book, seems to have
remembered the chorus of those who "came out of great tribulation, and
have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
I think that I hear them, now, while we are listening, and this is the
grand chorale of the skies–"Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from
our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto God
and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever." We, in
feebler strains, fervently add our, "Amen."

Would you not wish to be in Heaven when your life on earth is over? The
time will come when you must die–would you not desire to have a good
hope of entering into the felicities of the perfected ones? I am sure
you would! But if you are at last to be numbered among the redeemed
host on high, you must learn their song here! You cannot be admitted
into the choirs above without having practiced and rehearsed their
music here below! Therefore you must think much and believe much
concerning Christ's love to His chosen and how He showed it in washing
us from our sins in His own blood. He is coming again! The next verse
tells us, "Behold, He comes with clouds." When He shall come and earth
shall rock and reel, and the skies shall shrivel up like worn-out
parchment, and the stars shall fall like fig leaves from the trees–in
that day you will wish to be found at the right hand of the King and to
cry with rapture–"Welcome, welcome, Son of God!"

But you cannot be there unless you first know Him as the Christ who has
loved you and washed you from your sins in His own blood. I pray,
therefore, that while I talk feebly enough, myself, God's Divine power
may go with the word that you who know the Redeemer's love may know it
better and feel your hearts swell with glad emotion till you are ready
to stand up and shout, "Glory and majesty, dominion and power be unto
Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood!" I
pray, too, that others who are strangers to the blood-washing and have
never yet known the power of Christ's atoning Sacrifice, may say, "By
the Grace of God, we, also, will know something of that love, if it is
to be

known, and we will pray that in us, also, that wondrous washing may
take place, that we, also, may be clean through Jesus' blood and stand
among the ransomed throng to shout His praises forever and ever!"

Notice very specially that the exile of Patmos, having known much of
Christ and lived in His Presence for many years, sings of love as
manifested in the washing away of sins. Some years before he had
written, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, those marvelous Words,
"God is love." But now, as the end of his life approaches, all love
seems for him to be summed up in the blood-washing. This is the climax
and summit of the love of Christ! I delight to dwell on this glorious
theme! They tell me of God in Nature and speak of the warbling of birds
and the beauties of the summer as revelations of the love of God, as
doubtless they are. I read of the matchless life of Christ and I am
charmed with its beauties and its blessedness. But when I would speak
of the fullness of His love, I can find nothing to express it but the
blood which He shed on Calvary!

It is a wonderful work which that blood-shedding accomplishes in taking
away our sins, for they are taken away at once and forever when we
trust in the Crucified! This is a blessed Truth of God about which the
Word of God leaves no manner of doubt. I do not know whether, "washed,"
is the best word to express the meaning of the text. We need something
more than the mere removal of outside sin. If, however, this idea is to
be kept, I prefer the word, "laved," which gives us a suitable
expression of the thought and also carries us back to the laver used in
the typical ordinances of the Tabernacle and Temple of old. The text
may be read, "Unto Him that loved us and laved us from our sins in His
own blood." If we prefer it, we may render our song as the Revised
Version has it, with a deeper shade of meaning, "Unto Him that loves us
and loosed us from our sins by His blood" and, with adoring hearts may
add, "to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever." In His
great love He laves away the defilement of our sins and then looses us
from the chains that those sins had thrown around our life–

"Oh, for this love, let rocks and hills

Their lasting silence break!

And all harmonious human tongues

The Sa vior's praises speak."

I shall have only two things to talk about on this occasion. First, let
us think of the love of Jesus in the particular way mentioned in the
text, as shown in His washing us from our sins in His own blood. And
secondly, when we have meditated on His love, let us glorify Him for
it. I will not attempt to take the whole of verse six–that would be
too much for one sermon.

I. First, LET US THINK OF THE LOVE OF JESUS and as we muse upon it, may
the fire burn in our souls! May we be raised out of ourselves and be
seated in the heavenlies, "because the love of God is shed abroad in
our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us"! Our subject at
this time is–The love of Christ as shown in His washing us from our
sins in His own blood.

Upon which I remark, first, that He loved us freely. That is clear if
you reflect that He did not love us because we had no sin. If that had
been the case, He would not have needed to have washed us in His own
blood. He did not love us because we were righteous, because we were
obedient, because we had neither omitted any duty nor committed any
offense. No, but He saw us foul with sin and yet He loved us! We are
described in Scripture, sometimes, as crimson and, again, as scarlet
with sin. These are glaring colors and sin is a glaring, staring thing
that must be seen. God has seen it–God abhors it! But though He saw
it, He loved us–"Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it."
What wondrous love it is that Christ should love a thief! Yet He did,
and took a thief to be the first to enter His Kingdom with Him! What
amazing condescension that Christ should love an outcast! Yet there was
one who loved Him much, because she had been forgiven much! How
marvelous that Christ should love a swearer! Yet He loved Peter, whose
swearing was of the worst kind, for he denied his Master with an oath!

'Twas passing strange that Christ should love a persecutor! Yet He
loved Saul of Tarsus, who was exceedingly mad against His people. Is
not this the greatest marvel of all, that He should love you and that
He should love me–that He has loved us though we have been utterly
unworthy of His love, full of sin and keeping to the sin, persevering
in it, refusing to turn from it when bid to repent? I ask, again, is
not this an amazing marvel that He should love us while we were yet
rejecting all His love and, year after year, continuing with a high
hand to rebel against Him? Yet He loved us while we were dead in
trespasses and sins, loved us out of free, rich, Sovereign Grace–not
because we were lovely, but because He is loving–not because we were
gracious, but because He is full of Grace! You see, the text does not
say that He washed us and loved us as if from some high sense of duty
He took away our sin and then loved us when we were clean.

No, it is not "washed and loved," it is, "loved and washed." The love
is first and because He loved us in our sins and in spite of them, He
cleanses them all away! Proclaim this glorious Gospel, all you who know
the glad tidings! Let men and angels hear it again and again! He loved
us while our sin was yet upon us and, therefore, He washed us and made
us white through His own blood! It is love most freely given. When I
think of it, I feel that I can join with the children and say–

"Oh, if there's only one song I can sing

When in His beauty I see the great King,

This shall my song in eternity be–

'Oh, what a wonder that Jesus loves me!'" As I think of Christ's love,
I say, next, He loved us condescendingly. He loved us "and washed us."
Does God take to washing black sinners white? That He should create, I
understand. That He should destroy, I also understand. But that He
should wash and cleanse those who have made themselves foul with sin is
marvelous! God is so full of power that if a thing is broken, it is
never worth His while to mend it. It is the poverty of our resources
that compels us to put up with defiled and broken things and make them
better. But He could, with a word, or without a word, make another race
of creatures and leave sinful men to die if He would! Yet He loved us
so that He stooped to wash us from our defilement. Oh, when you see the
Christ of God kneeling down, girding Himself with a towel, like a
slave, and bringing forth the ewer and the basin. When you see Him
pouring water on His disciples' feet, then taking foot after foot with
His own dear hands and washing them, you see a great sight of love!

But when He opens His own side. When He gives His hands and feet to be
sacred fountains of blood and we are cleansed through His death and
agony–this is compassion like a God! This is a sight the likes of
which Heaven and earth have never seen! What love must He have to
sinful men, that He should stoop so low as this? The Maker of Heaven
and earth washing filthy hearts and sinful souls! It almost surpasses
human thought, yet it is most certainly true! Glory be unto His name!
Well may we sing praises "unto Him that loved us, and washed us." It is
amazing mercy that Christ should ever deal with sin except to punish
it. That He should ever take it on Himself, that He might remove it
from us, is a thing that we shall never fully understand even in Glory,
itself! Condescending love, indeed, it was that loved us and washed
us–

"On such love, my Soul, still ponder,

Love so great, so rich, so free!

Say, while lost in holy wonder,

Why, O Lord, such love to me?

Hallelujah, Grace shall reign eternally." But, next, He loved us in a
holy manner. The love of Christ was as holy as everything else about
Him. We do not read that He loved us and, therefore, winked at our
sinfulness. Oh, no, that could never be! The love of Christ never
becomes an unholy thing! It never panders to our lust, nor does it
cover up our iniquity so that it shall not be punished. He loved us,
but because He loved us He must wash us! He could not take us to Heaven
unwashed. A man cannot remain a sinner and be at peace with God. Even
the Almighty could not make us happy and let us remain in sin. You
cannot be at rest till you are right with God and you cannot be right
with God till you give up evil! He is a holy God and the love of
Christ, mighty as it is, cannot bless you without washing you. You
drunks must give up the cup. You that are dishonest must become honest.
You that are unchaste must be rendered pure. You that are selfish must
become loving. You that are hot-tempered must be made meek and lowly.
It must be done! There is no other way by which you can be saved. Even
He that loves you can only bless you thus. You must be washed! Holiness
requires it. Oh, what a love it is that will not leave us foul, but
loves us out of our sins! Christ "loved us and washed us." This,
indeed, is holy love–

"Love that condemns the sinner's sin,

Yet, in condemning, pardon seals!

That saves from righteous wrath, and yet,

In saving, righteousness reveals!" Christ's love is seen, next, in that
He loved us at a costly rate. He has washed us from our sins "in His
own blood." Ah, Brothers and Sisters, I wish that I had a tongue that
could speak of this wondrous work as it deserves to be spoken of, but
human lips are slow and stammering when they approach this theme! Who
can measure or express the love which proves itself by the outpoured
blood of the Son of God? Yet this is the gift His love has bestowed
upon us. By, "His own blood," I understand not merely the actual blood
of His body, but the whole of His griefs and woes and sacrificial

death–His giving up Himself, instead of us, to bear the righteous
wrath of God, justly our due. It means just that. There could be no
washing for us except He should be in a bloody sweat. There was no
washing us unless there was–

"A fountain filled with blood,

Drawn from Immanuel's veins." There was no making us clean, except by
His coming into contact with human sin–and that meant to Him what the
fire meant to the bull on the altar. It meant being burnt up with a
Divine wrath on account of human sin–wrath most just, most true–for
God cannot bear iniquity! It is not right that He should do otherwise
than hate it with all the infinite hate of His righteous soul. Christ
has washed us "in His own blood."

The priests could only cleanse with blood of bulls and goats, but He
has washed us from our sins "in His own blood." Men are willing enough
to shed the blood of others. How readily they will enter war! But
Christ was willing to shed His own blood, to pour out His soul unto
death that we might be saved! No language can ever fully set forth this
marvelous mystery–and as the mighty master of painting threw a veil
over a face that he could never depict, so would I leave unspoken the
great marvel of Christ's washing us with His own blood! But let us, who
know it to be true in our own experience, lift a glad song in our
hearts–

"To Him that loved the souls of men,

And washed us in His blood.

To royal honors raised our head,

And made us priests to God."

We cannot meditate on the love of Christ without saying that He loved
us effectually. The text says that Christ "loved us, and washed us from
our sins," or, "loosed us from our sins." You that believe in Christ
are washed from all your sins! There is no sin remaining upon you now
in the matter of guilt before God. "Who is He that condemns? It is
Christ that died." You are justified, through Christ, from every sin!
You are clean every whit if you have believed in Him. "There is
therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." But
we can go further than this and join with the saints in Heaven in
saying–"He has loosed us from our sins"–that is, from the dominion of
sin. When Christ pardons sin He kills it, He crucifies it–and
crucifixion, you know, means death. But it is a lingering death and a
crucified man lives in pain, without power to work or act–he suffers
and lingers.

So is it with sin in the Believer. It is nailed up, crucified with
Christ. You cannot do now what your evil nature suggests to you. A
respectable man whom I know said that the other night he was driving
along with his old horse. Another man came through the fog and their
horses touched each other. "But," he said, "we passed very civilly."
But there came along one who looked like a gentleman, driving rather
fast. He drove into the poor man's cart and, instead of making any
apology, he cut him across the face with his whip. My friend is a
decided Christian, yet he said, "I felt that the old man was in me, and
I wanted to give him a cut of my whip in return, but I did not. When I
got home I said, 'The old man is not dead.' If he had been dead, I
should not have felt even a momentary passion. I kept him down, but I
felt very angry, and I said to myself, 'Ah, though you have been a
Christian a great many years, the old man is still alive.'"

So he is in every one of us. He lies like a sneak in the corner, but
the day shall come when there shall be no remains of the evil, no trace
of sin left in us, and in Heaven we shall sing, "He has loosed us from
our sins in His own blood. He has taken the last relic of sin
away–every tendency to evil, every possibility of evil," for it is
written, "They are without fault before the Throne of God," and no sin
shall ever come into their hearts again! Glory be to His name that such
a sanctification as this is possible and that we shall yet have to sing
of it as perfected! Praise to His holy name for the love which ends in
such bliss! Hallelujah! He looses us from the chains of sin that He may
bind us with the bonds of love! This is royal liberty."–

"Drawn by such cords, we onward move,

Till round Your Throne we meet,

And, captives in the chains of love,

Embrace our Conqueror's feet." Once more, this love of Christ is
perpetual–He loves us still. Turning to the Revised Version we do not
read, "Unto Him that loved us," but, "unto Him that loves us." I like
that. Jesus loves me still! He did not finish His love by His death. He
loves you still! When He was poor on earth and despised and rejected of
men, He loved you. And now that a royal diadem adorns His blessed brow
and all angels fall down and worship Him, He loves you still and He
will always love you. You who believe in Him are His pride, His
Hephzibah, His delight is in you. You can hardly love yourself, can

you? When you see your own face in the glass of God's Law, is there any
beauty there? Did you ever stand and spiritually admire yourself? If
you did, you were a fool! If you truly know your own heart, you cannot
find, there, anything to delight in. You blush. You hide your face for
shame. But Christ loves you. "I am black," said the spouse. She felt
that she was very black, but when she looked to her Beloved and saw
what He thought of her, she added, "but comely."

And we can appropriate her language. In myself, "as the tents of Kedar,
smoke-dried by the Bedouin, yet am I by Grace as the curtains of
Solomon, bedight with gold lace and all the embroidery of the workman's
needle! I am both–to myself a thing undone, but in Him washed and
saved! Unlovely, but by Him, beloved." Oh, it makes my heart race
within me! I feel as if I could leap into Heaven when I think, "He
loves me! He loves me! He loved me when He died for me. He lives for me
and He loves me still."–

"Now though He reigns exalted high,

His love is still as great.

Well He remembers Calvary,

Nor let His saints forget."

If you feel as I do, you will go with me into the other part of the
subject–"To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."

II. So, in the second place, LET US GLORIFY THIS LOVING, LIVING SAVIOR.
If we were to do it fitly, we should need to have music such as Handel
wrote. And when we would sing of it, if we all of us had perfect
voices, we should go home and say, "Ah, it was poor praise compared
with what He deserves." So we will not try any singing, but will talk
about something practical.

If we are to glorify Christ, we must gladly confess His name. If you
have never acknowledged Him and confessed Him, begin now, and say,
"Unto Him that loved me, and washed me from my sins in His own blood;
to Him be glory." If you really mean that, you are bound to come out
and acknowledge that you are His disciple. You cannot say, "To Him be
glory," and then hide yourself away and never seek to bring glory to
His name by openly declaring that He is your Lord and Master. Some of
you are very much like a mouse behind the wall. You are in the Lord's
house, but you are not known as one of the family–sometimes you give a
little squeak in your hiding place–and sometimes come out at night, as
the mouse does, to pick up a crumb or two, without being seen. Is this
worthy of yourself? Is it worthy of your Lord and Master?

You are a Christian, you say, but you do not want to be known to be a
Christian. A soldier in the Lord's army, but you never put on your
uniform! You like to always be in civilian clothes. You are afraid lest
anybody should know that you are a soldier! If a man behaved like that
in the British army, they would drum him out of the regiment! What
would be the good of such a fellow? If he is ashamed of Her Majesty's
uniform, let him be gone. He is not loyal to his sovereign. I am not
going to condemn you who have never come out and acknowledged
yourselves followers of Christ–I wish that you would hold a little
court and condemn yourself–and then, instead of my drumming you out,
you would drum yourself out and say, "I will not stay any longer in a
position where I can be talked to like that. Glory be to Him who has
loved me and washed me in His own blood! I will openly confess Him. I
will unite myself with His people. I will say, 'I am His and He is
mine.'"

Remember that there is no salvation promised to an unconfessed faith. I
boldly put it according to the Word of God. "If you shall confess with
your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has
raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." There is no question
that confession is here required. And again it is clearly stated, "He
that believes and is baptized"–which is the confession that Christ
requires–"shall be saved." And though confession with the mouth and
baptism cannot save, yet the faith to which the promise is made is a
faith that dares to confess and come out!

"Then, I should have to bear a lot of ridicule," says one. And are you
afraid to follow your Master for fear of ridicule? Remember what, for
love of you, He bore! Think what scorn from the Pharisees and hatred
and malice from the rulers of the Jews, Christ cheerfully accepted that
He might save you! He shirked not the heavy Cross for you–will you not
take that little cross for Him? He shed His blood to cleanse you, but
it is not likely that you will ever be called to shed your blood for
Him–yet many have done this and counted it all gladness! Oh, by the
martyrs who dared to die for Jesus–three of them on this very spot
where we are now meeting, many of them across the water in
Smithfield–I beseech you, if you love Him that loved you and washed
you from your sins in His own blood, to give Him at least the glory
which would come of a confession that you are saved by Him–

"It passes telling, that dear love of Yours, My Jesus, Savior. Yet
these lips of mine

Would gladly proclaim to sinners, far and near, A love which can remove
all guilty fear, And love beget."

Next, if we really do wish to glorify Him, we must shun all sin. A man
cannot say, "Unto Him that loved me, and washed me from my sins be
glory," and then go off to the ale-bench and drink with the drunkard.
You dare not say, "Unto Him be glory," and then, as a professed
Christian, go and do a dishonest deed, or speak a lie, or do that which
would be discreditable to yourself and would bring dishonor to His dear
name! If He washed me from my sin with His blood, I must hate sin. It
murdered my Lord. It cost Him His life to save me from it. How, then,
can I–how dare I–toy with it? How shall we, that are dead to sin,
live any longer therein? How shall we that are washed in His blood, go
and stain our garments, again, and play with iniquity and trifle with
transgression? Remember that you are "loosed" from sin. It no longer
holds you captive–the chains are dissolved by the blood of Atonement.
Why, then, should you go about as if you were in bondage? We shall
never have done with sin while we are here, but that is no reason why
we should be defiled by it, for the Fountain wherein we were first
washed is always open! As the spring of love never ceases to flow, so
the efficacy of the blood is never lost. "The blood of Jesus Christ His
Son cleanses us from all sin." Since death has no more dominion over
Christ, sin need have no more dominion over us. "It is written, Be you
holy, for I am holy," and I beseech you to obey the exhortation, for
then, and then only, will you bring glory to Him who washed you from
your sins in His own blood–

"Blest be your love, dear Lord, That taught us this sweet way, Only to
love You for Yourself, And for that love obey."

Again, if we truly say, "To Him be glory and dominion," then we must
give Him dominion over ourselves. Each man is a little empire of three
kingdoms–body, soul and spirit–and it should be a united kingdom.
Make Christ King of it all! Do not allow any branch of those three
kingdoms to set up for itself a distinct rule–put them all under the
sway of your one King. My eyes must not look on vanity; my tongue must
not talk uncleanness; my hands must not minister to evil; my feet must
not carry me where I should not go; my heart must not wander; my
thoughts must not go astray; my imagination must not find pleasure in
evil. Every faculty of my nature ought to be given "unto Him that loved
us, and washed us from our sins." Every ability and possibility, every
growth and progress made in knowledge and learning, must be laid at
Jesus' feet. Say, "To Him be glory and dominion," and then make a full
surrender of yourself to His sway.

So many in these days seem only to want the salvation of Christ without
the Christ who gives the salvation. Both go together. He must be Lord
of the forgiven soul. He only washes those who will enter His Kingdom
and come under His government. Are we not glad to proclaim Him King?
Reign, blessed Jesus, reign! Reign over my body, soul and spirit–
completely reign. Bring every thought into captivity to Your holy love!
Is not that what you are now saying, you that have been washed in His
blood?–

"Lord, You have won. At last I yield! My heart, by mighty Grace
compelled, Surrenders all to You. Against Your terrors long I strove,
But who can stand against Your love? Love conquers even me."

And then, next, if we say, "To Him be glory and dominion," we must seek
to bring others under His sway. There is some way in which every one of
us can do it. Dear Brothers and Sisters, if you have yielded yourselves
to Christ, do not be satisfied till you see your children saved! Begin
at home! Do not be content till the boys and girls all belong to
Christ. Then look after your neighbors. You that are large employers,
care for the men who work for you. Do not treat them as "hands"–look
at them as souls and regard them as beings made in God's image and for
His praise. Not only talk, but act! When they are in need, help them.
Succor them that you may, by any means, draw them to think of their
souls and to desire and pray that they, also, may be washed from their
sins in Christ's own blood. O Beloved, if He is to have dominion, let
us, each one, win a little bit for Him! You cannot convert idolatrous
China, or heathen India, or the dark continent of Africa. These big
things are too much for any one of us, but there is a little kingdom
for each one of us to win for

Christ, a little bit committed to us, that we may go and conquer it and
fulfill the desire expressed in the text–"To Him be glory and
dominion."

Watch for souls. Be on the lookout for new ways of serving the Master.
As African travelers now seem very eager to be the first to make a
treaty with certain chieftains, that their territory may be annexed to
this kingdom or that, so seek to win new conquests for Christ and
attach people to His cause before they are hopelessly lost to the
devil! Perhaps the friend sitting next to you at this service does not
yet know the Lord. Could you not have a word with that person before
you leave the building? Perhaps, through your message, that heart will
be won for Christ!

If we really wish that Christ should have glory and dominion because He
has washed us from our sins in His blood, we must do nothing to
dishonor Him–and we shall do anything sooner than see His blessed
Gospel and His holy name dishonored by others. Oh, I would sooner be
accounted as the offscouring of all things than have any part with
those who reject or dim the Gospel of my Lord and Master! I would
sooner be accounted the greatest bigot on earth, or the most stupid
fool that ever breathed, than enter into any partnership or brotherhood
with those who keep back the Cross of Christ, or cast a slur upon the
Inspiration of holy Scripture! Shall I, who am washed from my sin in
the blood of Christ, have any fellowship with those who speak of this
highest exhibition of my Lord's love as "the doctrine of the shambles"?
Or with one who "has counted the Blood of the Covenant, with which he
was sanctified, an unholy thing"? This were a poor return for the love
that bled and died to save me–any dishonor is better than that.

When Queen Elizabeth came to a miry place in one of her progresses, you
remember how Sir Walter Raleigh, without a moment's thought, took off
his new cloak, which had cost him much, and spread it in the way, so
that Her Majesty might walk over it. Have I any honor? Have I any
reputation? Have I any name? I will throw it down! Let it go on the
miry place that my Lord may tread on it and no mire may come on Him!
May we all, who know that we are loosed from our sins, get into just
that spirit which, whenever men are finding fault with the Gospel, will
say, "Here, find fault with me! Turn all your attention to me–only
spare my Lord." Christ is set in the pillory and men are pelting Him.
He is the true lover of Christ who comes up to the pillory and stands
in front of Him, ready to take the blows aimed at his Lord.

He is the true lover of Christ who drinks in so much of the Character
of Christ that he can truly use that language which is first employed
with reference to the zeal of Christ, Himself–"The reproaches of them
that reproached you are fallen upon Me." He is not honored whom men
honor. He is honored who is made a laughingstock for Christ's sake.
"Blessed are you when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and
shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice,
and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in Heaven." Get this
spirit into you–"Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins,
be glory and dominion."

"There," said a dying man, who was in a ditch when the great Emperor
Napoleon rode by and he heard a shout of victory, "let me die–the
Emperor has conquered." And oh, may not you and I be well content to be
blotted out and forgotten, so long as Christ the King shall come to His
own, again? He soon shall triumph! With the ear of faith you may almost
hear His chariot wheels. He comes! He comes quickly and happy shall he
be in that day who now has been despised lest Christ should be
dishonored! With what joy shall we meet our Lord when He takes to
Himself His great power and reigns! With what rapture shall we fall at
His feet if we have been true to Him and to His Truth! For His love is
founded on His Truth and triumphs through it.

I am done when I have added this one thing more. Unto Him that loved
and washed us, let us give all glory and dominion. But if we would do
that, we must not be cold and indifferent about holy things. You know
what kind of hearers some people are. You may say what you will to
them, but they are never moved. I believe that if a half-hundred-weight
of dynamite were put under the seat, it would hardly move them. They
are so solid, so cold. Can I hear of that dear name, and never catch
the sacred fire? Can I think of Calvary and still my heart remain cold
and chill? Can I behold that marred face, that, "sacred head once
wounded," and my soul not thrill with gratitude? Can I see those cruel
nails and that terrible crown of thorns–can I taste the vinegar and
handle the sponge–and yet never feel one warm affection within my
spirit? God forbid! Oh, my Savior, let my heart rejoice or ache, but
let it not be hard and cold! Let me adore You with every power of my
redeemed manhood all aglow with holy fervor."–

"But ah, how faint our praises rise! Sure, 'tis the wonder of the skies
That we, who share His richest love, So cold and unconcerned should
prove."

Surely, if "we have known and believed the love that God has to us," we
shall find some answering spark of affection to Him in our hearts! If
we mean to give Him the glory and dominion, we must give Him our love
and devotion. Our love must always be as the echo to His. It cannot be
that we can receive such abounding, overflowing bounty, and remain
indifferent to the Giver! His interests must surely be our chief
concern. We must be moved to seek first the things which concern Him
who has bestowed on us such wonderful Grace. Wake up, dear Brothers and
Sisters, if you are getting into a cold state!

Some religion seems to be altogether a matter of the drum–that will
not do. But there are occasions when the drum may rightly be used.
There are seasons when the cornet, harp, dulcimer and all kinds of
music ought to be heard. There are times for the holy dance and the
joyous song. There are periods when enthusiasm must rule the hour, when
the spirit must feel that she is all wings, that she mounts and
soars–and whether in the body or out of the body, she cannot tell. May
such a moment as that be yours just now! Blessed be the name of the
Lord forever! To Him be glory and dominion! Hallelujah! Let us all say
it. Let us all feel it. Let us all live it. Amen, and Amen!

PORTION OF SCRIPTURE READ BEFORE SERMON–Isaiah 53.