Christ’s Ambassadors

Christ's Ambassadors

(No. 3148)

A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1909.

DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ON THURSDAY EVENING,
FEBRUARY 27, 1873.

"Now, then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech
you by us: we pray you in Christ's place, be you reconciled to God." 2
Corinthians 5:20.

[Other Sermons by Mr. Spurgeon, on verses 18 to 21, are as
follows–Sermons #1123, Volume 19–GOD BESEECHING SINNERS BY HIS
MINISTERS and #1910, Volume 32–THE HEART OF THE GOSPEL.]

So, then, there is war between man and God. It seems preposterous that
man should be in arms against his God, but it is all too sadly true.
Shall the gnat contend with the flame? Shall an insect fight against an
angel? Even this would not be as absurd as for man, who is utterly
insignificant, to make war with God who is Infinite! Man, who is but as
the ephemera of an hour, to enter into the lists against the dread,
eternal and Almighty God? Accursed was that hour in which our first
mother put forth her hand to take the forbidden fruit! From that moment
war began between man and his Maker and from the Garden of Eden right
on until now man has been an enemy of God! And although God has
constantly returned good for evil, and is still the God of love and
condescension, yet has man continued to fight against Him–there still
is war between Heaven and earth. Otherwise, there would be no need for
ambassadors between God and men. This would be proof enough that a
state of war prevails. But, alas, in our own hearts we bear, each one
of us, sad proofs of the enmity of man and God. And we see, besides, in
our fellow men, ten thousand sorrowful instances which prove that they
have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God and are not
the friends of the great Friend of man.

Our text tells us that the ministers of Christ, the Apostles and all
others who are sent of God to preach the Gospel, are "ambassadors for
Christ." In speaking upon that matter, we must make some references to
ourselves and I especially shall have to ask the earnest prayers of the
congregation for myself. I feel that I may well do so, for if Apostles
said, "Brethren, pray for us," how much more may we, who are not worthy
to be numbered among the least of our Master's servants, urge the same
plea!

In our text, I think I see, first, a great mercy implied. Secondly, a
great office mentioned. And, thirdly, a great duty involved.

I. First, here is A GREAT MERCY IMPLIED–"We are ambassadors for
Christ."

Well, then, it is clear that there is some hope of peace. When an
ambassador comes upon the stage of action, it is evident that war is
not to be waged to the bitter end. But observe that the ambassador is
not an ambassador from man to God, but an ambassador from God to man!
"We are ambassadors"–not for you, but "for Christ."

I learn from this, then, that the peace proposed is one quite unsought
by man. Man revolted against his Maker and was determined to continue
in revolt. He was evil and would have remained evil if God had not
interposed. Men go astray from God by nature, but they only return to
God through Grace. Further, and yet further, and yet further, still,
will they go away from God! Deeper and yet deeper will they plunge into
the abyss of sin! It is easy for humanity to descend into Avernus, but
for it to retrace its steps, "this is the work, this is the
difficulty." And until God, Himself, comes in, man is as unwilling as
he is unable and as unable as he is unwilling to make peace with his
God! We might have thought, if we had not known the dread nature of
sin, that the first thing Adam and Eve would have done, after they had
transgressed their Maker's Law, would have been to cast themselves down
at His feet and say, "We have taken of the fruit of the tree of which
You have said that we must not eat." But instead of doing so, they ran
away to try to hide themselves from His eyes–and when His voice was
heard in the Garden and they were obliged to face Him–instead of
frankly confessing their sin, the evil juice of that forbidden fruit
had so poisoned their nature that they both began to make excuses! The
man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the
tree, and I did eat." And the woman would not bear the blame, herself,
but cast it upon the serpent. There was clear evidence there that man,
though he had become a rebel against his God, would not turn unto his
God, confess that he had done wrong and beg for mercy. Never did a
prodigal say, "I will arise and go to my Father," until the Grace of
God had put that resolve into the prodigal's heart! The centripetal
force, the force which makes us seek the center, is not in us–ours is
centrifugal force which drives us further and yet further away from the
great center of all Light, Truth, peace and purity. When God draws us,
we shall run after Him–but until He does so–we shall still remain
afar off from Him. So the sending of an ambassador from God shows
clearly that it is not man who seeks peace.

But then, on the other hand, it shows that God Himself is desirous of
peace, yet not because it can make any difference to Him whether man is
His enemy or not. It may make some difference to the candle if the moth
flies into it. The moth will certainly be destroyed by the candle, yet
the candle will still shine on, though its light may be in some measure
diminished. But what difference can poor creatures such as we are make
to God? The blasphemer curses God, yet the sun is just as bright as
ever, the dewdrops of the morning are quite as sparkling as ever, the
rivers still run on to the sea and the ocean remains the same as
before! And as for God, Himself, His Glory continues undiminished and
His holiness is untarnished. And though all men could be leagued
together in one great conspiracy and should say concerning Jehovah and
Christ, His Anointed, "Let us break their bands asunder and cast away
their cords from us," what will come of their evil confederacy? "He
that sits in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in
derision." His Glory will be just as great even if they determine to be
damned! If they will go down to Hell, His Justice will be honored, for
they richly deserve their doom. There is no reason, except in God's
Grace, why He should send man an embassy of peace! Generally in war, it
is the less who sends to the greater to entreat for peace. It is seldom
that the victorious, while still they bear their banners on high,
suddenly pause amid the battle and send an embassy to say to the
vanquished, "Let there be peace between us." The conquerors usually
wait till the beaten ones know that they are beaten and sue for
terms–and they count it gracious on their part to be willing, in the
full expectation of yet further victories, to pause awhile to discuss
terms of peace. When the commander-in-chief has half won the campaign
and sees with absolute certainty that he could utterly destroy his
enemy, he does not hurry to put back his sword into its scabbard! But
God does–just as though He had been defeated, or as though He was the
weaker of the two combatants, or as though it would be to His best
interest, He stops in the midst of the battle and sends an ambassador
of peace to man! And we, His servants, are sent forth as "ambassadors
for Christ" because God desires to be at peace with men!

Why is this? Certainly not because He fears man, nor because He cannot
do without man, nor because He cannot crush Him as an adversary–but
simply because He is very tender, and full of pity and compassion. "As
I live, says the Lord God," (and that is His own oath), "I have no
pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his
way and live." He is a God who is terrible in His justice, but, "He
delights in mercy." To bless men and make them happy is His continual
joy–judgment is "His strange work." It is, as it were, His left-handed
work–not that which He delights to do. Even when Justice compels Him
to smite and to slay, He says but little about it and He usually does
away with the very instruments that He has used for this purpose. Great
armies and great nations have been raised up to be the scourges of God,
but they have not been heard of afterwards, as though God were so
loathe to smite that when He does so, He burns the rod directly–He has
done with it, not caring to have it any longer in His sight! But when
He comes to men in mercy, God is, as we say, "all there." He puts forth
His Omnipotence in His works of love. He brings out His Omniscience, He
employs all His attributes when He comes to bless men. Oh, yes! God
delights in Grace and mercy, but He loves not wrath! And it is for that
reason–because He is a God full of tenderness, compassion and
pity–that He sends an embassy to men and makes His servants to be
"ambassadors for Christ."

And then, mark you, this also shows us that, as God desires peace,
peace is possible. Sin has made a very great breach between God and
man. God has been insulted to His face and that not merely once, nor
twice, but thousands and millions of times! The sin of men would, if it
could, become a deicide and kill God, Himself! And this, indeed, it did
when it slew the Son of God on Calvary! Every sinner is guilty of high
treason against the majesty of Heaven, for he does, as far as he can,
snatch from God's hand the scepter of Sovereignty and plucks from His
brow the crown of universal dominion! Sin is not a thing at which God
can wink. We sometimes hear persons talk as though God could forgive
sin without Christ's

Atonement and without exacting any penalty for it–but that cannot be.
Everyone who rules over men, though it is but over a petty nation or a
small parish, knows that if the law has no penalties attached to it, it
ceases to have any power. It would be a dreadful thing to live in any
State where there were no punishments for law-breakers. I read the
other day that perhaps it would be better to live where everyone was
subject even to tyrannical law than to live where there was no law. It
would be truly terrible to live in any place where good and bad would
fare precisely alike–where there would be no prison–where the thief
and the murderer and the drunkard would be left alone–where all would
be regarded as on an equal footing, let them do what they might! Laws
must be respected and the breakers of them must be punished.

Now, if it is so in our imperfect civil communities, it must be much
more so in God's government of the entire universe! It is not merely
men with whom God has to deal, though they are to be counted by
thousands of millions, but He has to deal with angels, good and bad.
And we know not how many–perhaps innumerable races of beings–possibly
very different from ourselves, yet like us in this respect, that they
are under law and under God's government! It may be that every starry
world teems with myriads of intelligent inhabitants–it is much more
likely that it should be so than that it should not be so, seeing that
God is not in the habit of creating anything in vain–and we can
scarcely imagine that He has made all those mighty orbs to circle
around His Throne without suitable inhabitants to render due homage to
Him! It becomes incumbent, then, on God–I say this with the utmost
reverence for His sacred Majesty, that as He is the Judge of the whole
universe, He must do right. If one of our judges should say, "I never
can pronounce a sentence of death upon a murderer–my heart is too
tender for me to ever order the lash for the thief, or to send the
wife-beater to prison." What would we say to him? Why, we would say,
"Then, Sir, if your heart is so tender towards the bad, you are so
cruel to the good that you must retire from the bench, for you are
unfit to be a judge if you do not punish the guilty." We remember
Abraham's question, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" We
also read that "every transgression and disobedience received a just
recompense of reward." As long as God is God, He cannot trifle with
sin! You may trifle with it if you will, O foolish Sinner, but it will
be at your own imminent peril! But God, the Omnipotent King, the Maker
and Judge of All, will not trifle with it. He must crush rebellion. He
must punish iniquity!

"But," perhaps you say, "you started by telling us that there was hope
of peace. But how can that be if the Law's sentence must be carried
out?" I answer that this is the reason for our embassy–this is the
great reason for which we are ambassadors for Christ–to say that, in
Christ, God is able, without the violation of any demand of justice, to
show the fullest mercy to sinners! Through the atoning Sacrifice of
Jesus Christ, God's justice will suffer no blot, no slur if you–
coming to Him and confessing your iniquities and believing in His
Son–shall be completely pardoned and accepted. Salvation by
Substitution was the grand invention of Omniscience–that Christ should
bear–

"That we might never bear His Father's righteous ire"–

that on His back should fall the stripes that were due to us–that in
His heart should be sheathed the fiery sword that ought to have been
sheathed in our hearts! It was most just that Christ should stand in
our place. If I am asked how His Substitution for us is consistent with
justice, I reply–the first sin, by which we were ruined, was not
committed by us personally, but it was committed by Adam, our
representative. It is therefore perfectly consistent with the highest
justice that, as we fell representatively, we should be lifted up
representatively! We died through Adam's sin–we live again through
Christ's life and death! And every soul that believes in Jesus may know
that Christ was punished in his place. Christ, as his Representative,
bore his griefs and carried his sorrows. Christ was wounded for his
transgressions and bruised for his iniquities–and now all the sins of
every such person are blotted out and forever cease to be because Jesus
Christ bore the full penalty for them! The Believer's debt is paid, so
it cannot again be demanded of any soul for whom Jesus died!

These are the terms of peace, then, and this is the blessed Gospel of
Peace–"To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto
Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed
unto us the word of reconciliation." This is the Gospel that we
preach–that whoever believes in Jesus Christ is reconciled to God
through the death of His Son. Peace is possible! O blessed news!
Blessed are the people that know this joyful sound! Bright should be
the eyes of those who see the feet of the messengers that bring the
glad tidings of peace possible between man and God!–

"How beauteous are their feet

Who stand on Zion's hill!

Who bring salvation on their tongues, And words of peace reveal!"

Let me add to this the comforting assurance that peace has been
effectually made already in tens of thousands of instances. There are
many of us, now present, who are enjoying the peace that Christ has
made on our behalf. Having looked, by faith, to His Sacrifice on
Calvary, our sins have gone forever. Having rested where God has
rested, even in Jesus, for Jesus is to God a Sacrifice of rest, we now
feel perfect peace toward God! We are no longer His enemies, but love
Him and desire to obey Him perfectly. And though we do still err and
mourn a thousand imperfections, yet we can truly say that we do love
Him and that we long to be like He is! Whatever He commands, we at
least desire to do and by His Grace we are helped to do it. And
whatever He forbids, we desire to abhor and to flee from it as from a
poisonous serpent. Blessed be the name of God, we can speak to Him,
now, without being afraid that He will destroy us, but saying, "Our
Father, who are in Heaven, the Spirit of adoption in our hearts makes
us say unto You, 'Abba, Father, we love You and adore You. Oh, for
Grace to love You more!'"

Thus much, then, upon the great mercy that is implied in the Apostle's
declaration that we are "ambassadors for Christ."

II. Now, secondly, we have here A GREAT OFFICE MENTIONED–"We are
ambassadors for Christ."

Why did God send ambassadors to men? He might have made peace without
doing so, but He has chosen to put honor upon instrumentality and He
has dealt with us as with reasonable beings. Further, why did God send
men as His ambassadors? Would not angels have been better messengers?
The probability is that an angel would have been quite unfit for such
work as this. When a man, a sinful man who has, himself, been forgiven,
talks to other sinners, he talks very tenderly and sympathetically–at
least he ought to do so–and when he meets with any distressed souls,
he recollects the time when he was in distress. And when he hears about
their doubts and fears, he remembers his own. And when he mourns over
their rebellions, he recollects what a rebel he used to be. And
therefore he is gentle with them, and longs that, if possible, peace
may be made between the rebel and his God. But if an angel had been
Christ's ambassador, after he had preached most earnestly, you would
always be able to make this excuse to him, "Ah, you cannot enter into
our feelings, for you have never had our temptations and trials." As
you went home, you would say to one another, "That was a grand oration
that the angel gave us, but it did not help us much. It was all very
well for him to talk as he did, but he has not a wife and children to
provide for. He has no poverty to bear. He has not to feel the cold. He
has not to suffer through being tempted, as we are, by evil passions
and the like." Possibly, if an angel were to take my place here next
Lord's-Day, there would be many of you who would be very pleased with
the change. But I think by the time two or three Sabbaths had passed,
you would want your old friend back again, because you would feel that
there was, after all, a warmth of brotherhood within the human being's
breast which you could never expect to find in cherubim or seraphim!
When we, who once were enemies to God, tell you, who are still at
enmity against Him, about our own rebellion and how it was ended by
Divine Love, how the Lord melted us down by His Infinite Pity and
abounding condescension–you will say to one another, "Let us also go
to Jesus. Perhaps we shall find Him equally kind to us." You will be
thus graciously drawn to the Savior by the example of another who was
in a similar case to your own. And if we tell you what a loving Lord we
have proved Him to be, how easy His yoke has been and how light His
burden, perhaps some who are laboring and heavy laden, will say, "We
also will accept His gracious invitation which says, 'Come unto Me, all
you that labor and are heavy laden,' and He will give rest to us even
as He has given it to these, His messengers." It was wise and kind, on
God's part, to send men to be "ambassadors for Christ."

That word, "ambassadors," suggests to us a few reflections. First,
every true minister of Christ is engaged upon royal business. He is
doing business for the King of Kings, the great Lord of All! He does
not come in his own name, nor in the name of any church nor in the name
of any earthly potentate, but he comes in the name of Him who made
Heaven and earth and who governs all things by the word of His power! I
will, therefore, listen to him, even though he may be an illiterate
man, for he is the servant of God. If it was really the Gospel of Jesus
Christ that I heard, little would it matter to me whether the lips that
uttered it spoke in such tones as the golden-mouthed Chrysostom used of
old, or in plain and rugged language like that of Simon Peter. It was
his Master who sent him and it was his Master's business to choose whom
He would have as His ambassador! Therefore let me see the Master in the
man and hear the Master's voice in the

Gospel which His servant preaches! And let me bless God both for the
Gospel and for the man who preaches it. And let me pray that since he
has royal business to do, he may have Grace to do it rightly.

For, as it is royal business, it is important business. I know there
are some who fancy that to some of us who have preached so long, it is
easy work to deliver a sermon. Martin Luther used to say that he never
went into his pulpit without having his knees knocking together through
fear, although he was a man of dauntless courage. And I can assure you
that I never address you without feeling that it would be better for me
to engage in breaking stones on the road, or in any job, however hard
it might be, than to have to preach the Gospel because if I am
unfaithful to the many souls committed to my charge, what must be my
portion at the last? Whether you think so or not, to me it seems that
every sermon involves me in most dire peril unless Divine Grace makes
me faithful. I have not, like a banker, to deal with gold and silver,
but with immortal souls which are far more precious! Not with the
interests of a State, in which my mistake might be rectified by some
abler statesman–but I am concerned about souls which, if once lost,
are lost forever! Since God has warned His watchmen against
unfaithfulness, He may require the blood of souls at our hands if we
warn them not–and He will call us to account if we have kept back any
Truth that He has taught us. Sometimes, when we speak faithfully
concerning error, people ask, "What need is there of such preaching as
that? What have you to do with other people's religion?" Why, some of
us were sent into the world for this very purpose–that we might have
to do with other people's religion! No man under Heaven shall be able
to say that we knew that he was believing a lie and yet did not tell
him that it was a lie! Not our business to interfere with others when
we were sent here on purpose to interfere? If Christ's ambassador sees
others attempting to keep up the war between his King and the
rebellious subjects in His Kingdom, it is his business to speak sternly
of those enemies of God and man, and to plead with all his soul with
the offending subjects to be at peace with his great King and Lord! So,
as "ambassadors for Christ," we have royal business and we have
important business–

"'Tis not a cause of small import The pastor's care demands! But what
might fill an angel's heart, And filled a Savior's hands."

And next, all ambassadors have to act in accordance with their
commission. An ambassador must never go beyond his commission. His
power comes from his king–he has no power of his own. And if a man who
professes to be Christ's ambassador, puts on the airs of priestcraft
and says that he has authority in himself–do not believe him! I have
all necessary authority! I speak according to this blessed Book, but I
have none at all if I wander from it. Regard not a single syllable that
any man, or even an angel from Heaven may say to you if it is not
according to Scripture! But when the humblest of us speak according to
God's Word, woe be to those who reject the Truth! The Gospel has such
majesty in it that it demands acceptance from all who hear it!

Again, an ambassador has nopower to make terms with men on his own
account. The "ambassadors for Christ" have simply to declare God's
terms of peace. How pleased some people would be if we could alter this
Truth of God just a little and take the corners off that one–if this
Doctrine were not so strict and if that precept were not so severe! But
what have we to do with that? I have often said, when I have preached
what I believed to be the Truth and men have found fault with me for
doing so, "the fault is none of mine." If I send my servant to the door
with a message and she delivers the message, saying word for word what
I told her to say–and if the man at the door should be angry with her
because of the terms of the message, it would be most absurd and wrong!
Let him be angry with her master who sent her with the message! And if
I speak God's Word and you object to it, your objection should be
against my Master, not against me. I have nothing to do and no minister
under Heaven has anything to do–but to preach that which is here in
this Book and to explain it in the simplest language possible–and to
enforce it in the most earnest manner that he can! And as long as he
does that, he speaks with authority. But if he gets away from that, his
word is of no more account than the songs that men sing in the
street–and he deserves to have no respect from any man!

Let it be remembered, too, that the ambassador will have to give an
account of how he does his businessand, therefore, it is that I appeal
to my beloved friends, the members of the Church, that we may always
have their prayers. We shall have to report to our Master how men
treated our message and whether they would have peace or not.
Sometimes, while preaching, I have felt as if I could imitate that
Roman ambassador who met a certain king and told him that the Romans

forbade him to advance further. The king somewhat jested at the stern
command of the Roman, but the ambassador stooped down and with his
stick drew a ring in the dust round the king and said, "You must give
your answer before you come out of that circle, for if you step over
that line, the Romans will accept it as a signal of war." I have
sometimes felt, when preaching to this great congregation, as if there
were some who had to decide for God or for the world before they
stepped out of this place, for God's ambassador had, as it were, drawn
a line all round them and said to them, "choose this day whom you will
serve. If Jehovah is God, serve Him. Or if Baal is God, serve him." As
we have gone to our home, we have prayed, "O Lord, we have again told
the people Your message! We have not told it with the broken heart that
we wanted to feel, but we have truly told it as far as the matter of it
is concerned, though we have failed in the spirit of our telling it.
Now, O Lord, make the people willing in the day of Your power, to
accept the peace that Christ has made, for unless You work in them by
Your gracious Spirit, we shall have to cry, 'Who has believed our
report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?' for they will
reject the Savior, refuse His peace and remain Your enemies even to the
end of their lives." The "ambassadors for Christ" must give to their
King an account of how they have done their work. May we be able to do
it with joy and not with grief!

So, then, you see that the ambassador needs to be careful at all points
and he needs to be very faithful. If he should be unfaithful, surely it
must be woe, woe, woe to him forever! The murderer of men used to be
hung in chains as a terror to other evil-doers, but what shall be done
to the man who is the murderer of souls by his unfaithfulness? As for
anyone who buys "the cure of souls" in the market, so mercenary a
beginning, so like to the proposal of Simon Magus, looks as though he
who acted thus would prove to be like Simon, "in the gall of
bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity." "Ambassadors for Christ" must
start right with clean hands. There must be no bribing in order to get
into the ambassadorial office. And they must go on right–no frowns
must ever make them turn aside from the Truth of God and no smiles must
ever make them soften their speech so as to please the ungodly! If
there is any place where the thunderbolts of Divine Wrath fall most
heavily, it must be the head and heart of the man whose ministry was an
unfaithful one and who went down to Hell with the blood of souls upon
his skirts! Brothers and Sisters in Christ, pray for us! Pray for
us!PRAY FOR US who are called to be ambassadors for Christ!" The choice
even of a hymn has often been the means of the conversion of a soul. A
sympathetic expression in prayer has given great comfort to mourners.
Our very look has sometimes carried conviction to a hearer, though we
did not know the person at whom we were looking. And our mode of speech
and even our pronunciation has, under God, had some gracious results
when He has willed to make it so! Pray for us, then, that we may be
always so guided and directed by God that peace may be made between Him
and thousands of immortal souls through our instrumentality!

III. I will not detain you many minutes while I speak upon the last
point which is A GREAT DUTY INVOLVED.

And, first, to all to whom the "ambassadors for Christ" may come, let
me say, give us a hearing. "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ," so
give us a hearing that we may deliver our message. Do not say, "We will
not hear it." Shall we tell our great King that although He sent us as
messengers of peace, the reply of the rebels was, "We do not even want
to hear what the King has to say?" Even if you object to us, do not
object to our message! Is there something objectionable about
ourselves? We are sorry if it is so. But a sensible man, when he knows
himself to be in danger, will be glad to accept help even from one whom
he does not in all things admire. If you find fault with our tones and
censure our manners, and bespatter our persons, do give good heed to
our message! When Caesar swam across the river, he held up his
Commentaries, so that they should not be injured by getting wet.
Surely, if we had to swim through a sea of persecution, we would hold
up the Gospel and pray that it might not be carried down by the flood.
Strike us if you will, but hear our message! Yes, "hear, and your soul
shall live." If it really is a message from God, hear it! Perhaps some
of you say that you do not believe that it is God's message–but
suppose it is? God grant that you may never know, by sad experience,
what will follow the rejection of God's Word of Reconciliation!

A gentleman from London one day met a poor countryman. It was a Sabbath
and the person from London had come down for a holiday. When he met the
countryman, thinking himself to be a very wise man, he said to him,
"Well, Hodge, I suppose you have been taking a walk through the
fields." "No, Sir," replied the man, I don't waste my time on the
Lord's-Day in that way. I have been worshipping Him and listening to
His Word." "So you shut yourself up in a stuffy building for a couple
of hours and listen to somebody talking all because you believe the
Bible? Don't you know that it is a pack of nonsense? The learned men
have proved that it is so and everyone who believes it is a fool."
"Yes," said Hodge,

"very likely we are great fools. But yet, after all, we country people
do know one or two things." "What do you know?" asked the gentleman.
"Well, we know that it is a good thing to have two strings to your
bow." "What do you mean, my good man?" "Well, I mean that I have got
two strings to my bow. If this Book should not prove to be true, it has
given me a deal of comfort and made me a better man than I was before I
learned to value it. So that is one good thing. And if it should prove
to be true, that is the second string to my bow–and what a blessed
thing it will be to me that I have received it, and have enjoyed it!
But look at you, Sir," he said, "you have not one string to your bow.
If the Bible is not true, I am as well off as you are and I think I am
happier, on the whole, than you are, whoever you may be. But if it
should prove to be true, what will become of you, Sir?" That is the
question that I should like to put to anyone who says that the Bible is
not true. Suppose it should be true, Friend? What will become of you?
We who know it is true ask you to listen to the Word.

The next thing is, embrace the message. It does seem to me to be a most
blessed message that I have to bring to everyone here. It is this–

"There is life for a look at the Crucified One There is life at this
moment for you."

Whoever trusts Jesus Christ is at once forgiven and accepted! The war
is over and peace is proclaimed the moment that the soul repents of sin
and believes in Jesus Christ. There cannot be a simpler, sweeter and
safer Gospel than that! Dr. Watts truly wrote–

"Let everlasting glories crown

Your head, my Savior and my Lord!

Your hands have brought salvation down

And writ the blessings in Your Word!

What if we trace the globe around,

And search from Britain to Japan?

There shall be no religion found

So just to God, so safe for man!" So embrace the message, we pray you,
as you love your souls, and would not destroy yourselves! Accept the
peace which the Gospel brings to you!

And then, lastly, I say again to you who have embraced it, and who
rejoice in it, pray for us, pray for us. I mean not for me, only, but
for all who preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or who teach it in any
shape or form. I sometimes think that if all our friends knew our many
anxieties, cares, and heartbreaks, they would never forget to pray for
us. I thank God that many of you do remember us in your prayers, but
there are some, perhaps, who forget that we are always in need of
prayer–and if there is one person in this world who needs your prayers
beyond all others, I am sure that I am that one! Think of the thousands
of souls that gather here from Sabbath to Sabbath, drinking in every
syllable that falls from our lips. Have you ever calculated how many
thousands of persons pass through this place in one year? And then,
week by week, the printed sermon goes over nearly the whole earth, not
only in the English language, but in the language of all civilized men,
almost without exception, so that no man knows where he may not find
the sermon that was preached here. We constantly have information from
persons who, for instance, have been lying dying of the yellow fever in
the hospitals of Havana, or have been in Rio Janeiro, or in Australia,
or have wandered into the vast prairies and have come across a log
cabin and have found there that same word that was preached here within
a short space of time after it dropped from our lips! Pray for us that
all this may not be in vain!

And then, Beloved, this Church has sent out hundreds of ministers who
are now located in all parts of the world and, almost without
exception, preaching that same Gospel that we have declared unto you!
Think, also, of the thousands of members in this Church–some very good
people and some very strange ones–many sick, some dying, and always
some needing counsel, or warning, or exhortation that requires all our
wit and wisdom–and a great deal more to say the right word at the
right time! Then there is that which comes upon us daily–the care of
scores and hundreds of churches which, if they have any trouble, resort
to us and bring their burdens to one who is burdened enough already! We
are wretched to the last degree if we have not your prayers! But if you
pray for us, nothing can stagger us! If you uphold us by your prayers,
God will make us strong! But if you leave us, we shall be weakness
itself. Pray for us, for "we are ambassadors for Christ."

There are strangers here to whom this part of my discourse may seem
egotistic. I cannot help its seeming so to you! But I am speaking to my
own friends here about what they know, but of which they sometimes need
to be reminded. And if they will pray for me as the result of it, I
shall not feel very much troubled in my conscience for having seemed to
be egotistic to those who do not know. After all, our reliance is not
even upon the prayers of the saints. God is our Helper, and we have
done His work in reliance upon His Grace, but we shall be unfaithful
tomorrow unless He shall guide and teach and uphold us. Therefore,
again we say, Brethren, pray for us! By the love you bear to Christ,
pray for us! Amen