The Day of Salvation

DELIVERED ON LORD'S-DAY MORNING, JANUARY 13, 1878,

BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.

"Behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2.

NONE can change the outward features of a day. The kings of the earth
cannot command for themselves bright days nor inflict upon their
enemies days of tempest. It belongs to a higher than they to command
the morning and cause the daystar to know its place. It is little they
can do in reference to the light, the sun, the clouds or the rain. They
cannot bind the sweet influences of the Pleiades nor loose the bands of
Orion. Still, rulers and governors and kings have accomplished much in
shaping the social character of the days of their subjects. Sometimes,
like the king of Nineveh, they have proclaimed days of fasting and
their subjects have been clothed in sackcloth. On other occasions they
have exercised the prerogative to ordain days of feasting, as Ahasuerus
did at the palace of Shushan, when for 180 days, "He showed the riches
of his glorious kingdom and the honor of his excellent majesty," by
filling the capital with feasting.

Kings of the older stamp were more able to affect the days of their
people than they are now. In former times, when men had less wit and
more faith in the fable of divine right than they have now, despots
could cause a thick darkness over all the land, even darkness that
might be felt. They made war according to their own fancy or
frenzy–and what is that but moral midnight? What does war mean but
crime, suffering, death, poverty? Is it not usually the sum of all
villainies? Everything that is evil either marches with it or follows
in its train! The very thought of war for our beloved country darkens
our heavens. Alas, with what a light heart have despots drawn the sword
and sought to wade through slaughter to imaginary glory, shutting the
gates of Mercy on mankind that they might seize a province or avenge a
jest.

Kings can also brighten men's days when they have a mind to be
quiet–they make peace and then the nations bask in the sun and earth
covers her battlefields with verdure. Peace gives the poor world
respite to bind up her gaping wounds and remedy a little of the
mischief of the bloody fight. Hard labor and stern self-denial are not
grudged by the suffering peasants if they may but have breathing time
and the land may enjoy her Sabbaths. But why should such toil and
suffering have been demanded? Simply because kings quarrel and their
subjects must die to end the strife!

Princes have also, on occasion, exercised their prerogative by
proclaiming days of amnesty and oblivion–a long rebellion has been
crushed out and there has been no fear of its return–and so the
monarch has thought it best to refrain from undue severity and overlook
the evil which he has subdued. Accordingly, he proclaims that the past
shall be blotted out if, by a certain time, rebellious ones will
surrender, yield up their arms and promise loyalty. Such days are calm
and clear and bring light to despairing rebels who saw no end but the
gallows tree. Thus, for humiliation or rejoicing, for war, for peace,
or for pardon, monarchs can set their seal upon a day and mark it with
their signature in history.

If earthly monarchs can somewhat affect the days of men, what, then,
can be done by the King of kings? The Creator of day and night can
surely order all our lights and shades! The Ancient of Days is He who
can give us "mornings without clouds" or make the day dark with gloom!
How often has He made the sun of prosperity to gladden us and how
suddenly has He shrouded us beneath the thick clouds of adversity! Our
days are in His hands and He is Lord of all! You and I, looking back,
may well bow before the power and majesty of the Eternal who has such
infinite power over us that none of us can stop His hand nor say unto
Him, "What are you doing?"

The Lord has had His days of vengeance–are they not written in the
book of the wars of the Lord? How terrible was the hour when He opened
the sluices of the firmament that the rain might descend in torrents
and bade the fountains of the great deep rise to meet the descending
floods! How dreadful were the 40 days wherein the floods above the
firmament, in tumultuous mirth, leaped downward to embrace their
brethren of the ocean till the whole earth was covered with one
all-devouring deluge and sea monsters whelped and stabled in the
palaces of kings! That was the decree of Justice and the day of
vengeance of our God.

Such days have been at other times, as, for instance, when He poured
Hell out of Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah! When He overthrew Pharaoh
and all his host in the midst of the Red Sea. And when His sword stayed
not from blood till Hivite and Perizzite and all the Canaanites fell
before the hand of Joshua because the iniquity of the people was full
and the hour of execution had arrived. Those were the "dies irae," and
there is another far more terrible yet to come, when Heaven and earth
shall flee away before the face of Him that shall sit upon the Great
White Throne. Blessed be God, we are not, at this time, living under
the rod of vengeance, but our text tells us that "now is the day of
salvation"!

When it is a day of vengeance, the Lord does His strange but necessary
work thoroughly, for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,
says the Lord." The Prophet said of Him, "The Lord revenges and is
furious." Well did Miriam sing, "The Lord is a man of war, Jehovah is
His name." But when He puts on the silken robes of mercy and proclaims
with a silver trumpet the day of salvation, "blessed are the people
that know the joyful sound." I trust that we are among that happy
company and have heard with the inner ear the note of Divine Grace! At
any rate, the Lord has set a period of salvation, even from the
Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus to this present hour. The day of salvation
has not been suspended–it lasts on and it shall last till the Lord
shall descend from Heaven with a shout–then shall come the judgment
and strict Justice shall sit upon the throne.

The Apostle, when he was writing this very wonderful sentence, dreaded
lest men should not avail themselves of its great Truth. Read the first
verse of the chapter–"We then, as workers together with Him, beseech
you, also, that you receive not the Grace of God in vain." The day of
salvation is a great favor from God and it would be a fearful thing if
we should live in it and miss its privilege! Dear Hearers, it is only
of Divine favor that we enjoy this day of amnesty, oblivion and
forgiveness and, therefore, we beseech you not to let its golden hours
pass over you in vain! This is the great anxiety of my heart at this
time in addressing you. I have great fear lest some of you should live
in the day of salvation and yet die without being saved!

I fear some of you should live in the midst of light with blinded eyes,
should dwell with deaf ears where the silver trumpet sounds and so the
Kingdom of God should come very near to you and yet you should not
enter it. It will be sad, indeed, if you should see strangers from afar
brought into the Kingdom of Heaven and yourselves, who live on its
borders, should be utterly thrust out! May the Holy Spirit bless the
words which shall now be spoken so that the evil which we fear may not
come upon you, but that you may receive this Grace or favor of God to
your eternal good! That you may not receive this Grace in vain I shall
try, first, to show the grand reason for this day of salvation.
Secondly, I shall speak of the glorious day itself. And thirdly, for a
minute or two I shall dwell upon the dark shade which may close that
day if the Spirit does not lead us into salvation.

I. First, then, THE GRAND REASON FOR THIS DAY–"Now is the day of
salvation." Will you kindly read the context in order to understand why
there is a present day of salvation? I will take you a little away from
the text to the 20th verse of the preceding chapter and ask you to bear
in mind that the division into chapters is purely arbitrary and we need
take no notice of it whatever. The Apostle says, "Now, then, we are
ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray
you in Christ's stead, be you reconciled to God. For He has made Him,
who knew no sin, to be sin for us that we might be made the
righteousness of God in Him."

Here, then, is the secret of the whole matter. This day is the day of
salvation because, "He has made Him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us
that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." There could
have been no day of salvation if a Savior had not appeared! And if that
Savior had not become our Substitute and Surety, salvation would have
been denied us by the stern voice of Justice. But now Christ has come
into the world and died for sin–and because He has finished all the
works which He undertook, the Lord our God proclaims for us the day of
salvation. Notice that, according to the context, this is the day of
salvation because we may now be reconciled to God.

"We pray you in Christ's stead, be you reconciled to God." The Lord
would not set His ministers to pray men to be reconciled to Him if
peace were out of the question. He would not send us upon an impossible
errand! God is already reconciled to every sinner who has an interest
in the blood of Jesus. Towards those the Lord is full of peace. Nothing
is needed to reconcile God to the believing man. The great thing that
is required is to bring men to believe in Jesus Christ that they may be
reconciled to God! The feud between you and God, poor prodigal child,
need not be continued! You

quarreled with your Father and you went into the far country. And now
you have spent your substance, but your Father sends you this message,
"Be reconciled. Come home, a loving reception awaits you. Return at
once."

Because Jesus has died, the partition wall is broken down–the great
gulf between a holy God and unholy man is bridged by the atoning blood!
You may be reconciled. There is no reason why the terrible quarrel
should continue and, therefore, because reconciliation is possible, it
is a day of salvation! As long as a man remains an enemy to God he
cannot, of course, be saved, for enmity to God is the very essence of
his ruin and the sting of his condemnation. While a man lives in enmity
to God he is and must be under the power of an evil spirit which curses
him! Therefore reconciliation to God is absolutely necessary to the
enjoyment of salvation. I repeat, because reconciliation is possible,
this day of salvation has come!

Next, lest anyone should exclaim, "But how is it and why is it that so
great a gift is conferred? I cannot understand it and therefore I am
plunged in doubt"–the plain statement of the 21st verse explains it
all–"He has made Him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us." Here is the
grand doctrine of Substitution! Oh Soul, if you believe in Christ Jesus
you shall be saved because He stood in your place! He took your sin and
the Lord made Him to be sin on your account and exacted at His hand
satisfaction for your iniquity! He bruised Him and put Him to grief so
that He was made a curse for us and bore in our place the wrath of
Heaven. Now, therefore, the righteous God will not, cannot, need to
vindicate His Law a second time! If He has made the Lord Jesus to be
sin for us, then He need not visit us for sin nor punish the same
offense a second time. No, it would be injustice to lay sin once upon
the Substitute and afterwards upon the sinner–therefore well may there
be a day of salvation proclaimed since Christ has finished
transgression and made an end of sin!

To help us to understand Mercy's great expedient, still better, the
Holy Spirit tells us that the Divine design in Christ Jesus is to make
us the "righteousness of God" in Christ. Wonderful expression! I shall
not attempt to enter into its fullness, but I will content myself with
saying that the two expressions of the verse set forth the imputation
of sin to Christ and of righteousness to us–the substitution of Christ
in our place and the standing of our souls in Christ's place–in terms
so forcible that he must be determined not to believe the doctrine who
does not see it in the words before us.

Our Lord is not merely made a Sin Offering, but He is made SIN–and we
are not merely made righteous in Christ, but we are made RIGHTEOUSNESS,
itself–yes, and the righteousness of God, too–which is the very
highest conceivable righteousness! I never wish to strain expressions,
nor push them one inch beyond their proper meaning, but I think it is
difficult to do here, since the language is so very forcible and
explicit. If the doctrine which I have explained were intended to be
taught, I do not see how it could be more clearly stated.

Now, Soul, if you desire salvation, see how God can give it to you! As
He takes your sin and lays it upon Christ, so He takes Christ's
righteousness and lays it upon you! He looks at you as if you were as
righteous as His Son who represents you! He treats you as if you had
been obedient to all His Laws. He looks upon the model Man, Christ
Jesus, the perfect humanity, and He sees in Christ all His people and
treats them accordingly. He looks upon His people as if they,
themselves, had magnified the Law and made it honorable by a sinless
life. Wondrous doctrine, this, and he that believes it shall find rest
in his soul! And it is because of it that we are authorized to come
forth this day and declare the day of salvation! The guilt of the
believing sinner is put away, for Christ has carried it–and now
righteousness belongs to the sinner, for God imputes it to him without
works–therefore this is the day of salvation!

Still keeping to the context and illustrating the grand reason for the
day of salvation in another way–will you kindly read the verse,
itself, which contains our text? " 'For He says, I have heard you in a
time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I helped you.' Behold,
now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation." It is a
quotation! Paul says, "He says." Where does God say that? We have no
difficulty in discovering–it is in the 49th of Isaiah, which passage
should be carefully read by you and heartily pondered. I wish to call
your special attention to it as opening up the glorious reason for the
famous proclamation of which we are preaching.

That chapter, from the 6th to the 12th verse eminently applies to the
Messiah, that is, to our Lord Jesus Christ. Of whom else could the
Prophet have spoken as in the 7th verse, "Thus says the Lord, the
Redeemer of Israel, and His Holy One, to Him whom man despises, to Him
whom the nation abhors, to the Servant of rulers"? Who is this but our
Lord as He stood before Herod and Pilate? To this very day He is
abhorred of the Jews–they mention Him ordinarily by the

name of, "the Crucified," and to them that term is the embodiment of
the utmost scorn! We glory in that word, but to them it is the essence
of contempt. "He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of Sorrows, and
acquainted with grief."

We are sure that Isaiah spoke concerning Him, the Crucified, whom we
adore1 And our next enquiry is, what did he say of Him? Read the 5th
and 6th verses: "And now, says the Lord who formed Me from the womb to
be His Servant, to bring Jacob again to Him, though Israel is not
gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and My God
shall be My strength. And He said, It is a light thing that You should
be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the
preserved of Israel: I will also give You for a light to the Gentiles,
that You may be My salvation unto the ends of the earth."

Beloved, are you not glad to hear these words? If you are not curious
to hear me, but eager to hear my Master's Truth of God, your heart will
be rejoiced at this blessed news–that Christ has come to be the
salvation of the Gentiles! We were out in the cold. We were the younger
branch of the family and the heir despised us! We had not yet come into
our portion–we were left in darkness and in sin! But now our turn has
come and we are favored. From the day when Jesus said, "Go you into all
the world and preach the Gospel to every creature," our privileges
began! From the day when Paul said, "Seeing you put it from you, and
judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the
Gentiles," ours has been a day of favor and the portion which once
belonged only to the seed of Abraham we have obtained! Only we have
obtained it to a far larger extent and we see more clearly its deep
spiritual meaning and wealth of blessing!

What was veiled under types and shadows is evidently set forth before
our eyes. Beloved, tell it all over the world that today salvation has
come to the Gentiles and especially to the dwellers in the islands! How
remarkable it is that islands are so often alluded to in the Scriptures
and that they receive the Gospel so much more readily than any other
parts of the world. As for the ends of the earth, surely we are
intended by that term, for our forefathers dwelt where Phoenicians made
distant and dangerous journeys to find tin and other metals–and our
land was thought to be upon creation's verge, inhabited by a barbarous
people of uncouth tongue and yet to us, even to us, has the Gospel
come, and now–

"The British islands are the Lord's, Here Abraham's God is known

While powers and princes, shields and swords, Submit before His
Throne."

Jehovah, the God of the whole earth is our God at this day! In this let
us exult, for it proves that to the Gentiles the day of salvation has
come!

Further, Isaiah goes on to say in the 8th verse, "Thus says the Lord,
In an acceptable time have I heard You." Mark this well. God saves us
because He heard the Lord Jesus! There is the secret of all the answers
of Divine Grace to the prayers of penitents! He says, "I have heard You
in an accepted time: behold, now is the day of salvation." In the
lonely watches of the night our great Intercessor prayed for His own.
He lived a life of supplication and He prayed not in vain, for He once
said to the Father, "I know that You hear Me always," and indeed it was
always so. His prayers may be said to have reached their highest point
when He offered the marvelous intercession recorded in John 17 and
followed it up by His strong cries and tears in the Garden when He
poured out His soul in agony, where, while prostrate among the olives
He sweat, as it were, great drops of blood falling to the ground.

Mysterious was that bloody sweat! Oh you precious drops, you fell not
by chance! What did you write on the soil of Gethsemane in crimson
hieroglyphs? You wrote upon the earth the reversal of the curse which
fell upon the ground and the ending of the day of wrath in the day of
salvation! That sacred sweat bedewed a garden which henceforth yields
the oil of joy, by which Believers may anoint their faces with
gladness! Jesus was heard in that He feared and, therefore, to the
chief of sinners it is a Gospel of good cheer! "In an acceptable time
have I heard You." Is it not wonderful that Jesus made intercession for
transgressors in the Garden who as yet had not learned to pray for
themselves?

I trust that among those who hear me there are persons unconverted as
yet who, nevertheless, are special objects of the Redeemer's
intercession and who shall find salvation because their great
Substitute was heard on their account. We were all heard when our Great
High Priest was heard! The Father's answer to Him was an answer of
peace to all His people. It is added, "In the day of salvation have I
helped You." Help came to the Man, Christ Jesus, in His hour of agony.
The Father helped Him and there appeared unto Him an angel
strengthening Him. How must that angel have

marveled as he saw the face of the Incarnate God red with a sweat of
blood! The whole scene is beyond conception–the prostrate Savior in
agonizing pangs utters strong cries and is helped of His God–

"His earnest prayer, His deepening groans,

Were heard before angelic thrones!

Amazement wrapped the sky–

'Go, strengthen Christ!' The Father said!

The astonished seraph bowed his head,

And left the realms on high."

The angel came to strengthen our Champion, not to join in the fight.
None could share the conflict. Jesus must tread the winepress alone.
But the angel was empowered to communicate strength to the Manhood of
Christ and he did so. Then it was that being helped in His hour of
need, our Master took the appointed cup full of woe and drank it to its
utmost dregs and said, "It is finished!" 'Twas then that by one
dreadful draught He pledged the Justice of God and gave this day of
salvation to the sons of men! You see, then, that our present day of
privilege has come to us through the Lord's hearing and helping our
Daysman and Redeemer.

But, Beloved, salvation comes to us, also, because according to the 8th
verse it is written, "I will preserve You, and give You for a Covenant
of the people, to establish the earth." Jesus is now God's Covenant
with man and that Covenant is one of peace and favor. The Lord says to
each believing man, "Your sins will I remember no more. A new heart
also will I give you, and a right spirit will I put within you. You
shall be Mine. I will sanctify you and glorify you with My Son. Behold,
in token of My faithfulness I have given My Son to be the Seal, the
Surety, and the sum of My Covenant. Behold, I have given Him for a
Covenant to the people, a Leader and Commander for the people."
Brothers and Sisters, you are not under the Covenant of Moses
today–you are under the Covenant of Jesus! You are not under Law, but
under Grace! And because of this, today is the day of salvation!

I cannot at this time enlarge upon the other blessed verses which make
up the 49th of Isaiah, but let me say it is because Christ is now
anointed to give liberty to all captives and say to them, "Go forth."
It is because He brings the darkened ones out of death-shade and says,
"show yourselves," that, therefore, this is a day of salvation. And,
furthermore, when we are delivered from bondage and darkness, then,
because Christ is a Shepherd and leads His flock. And because He makes
them to feed in the ways and finds pasture for them in high places.
Because He protects them from hunger and thirst and gives them springs
of water to drink of–it is because of all this that now is the day of
salvation!

I will not further enlarge, but only say as I now preach the day of
salvation, as I have tried to do with the utmost boldness and fullness,
if any of you enquire, "How is it? How is it? Why is Grace so free at
this day?" I shall tell you that the cause is quite as marvelous as the
fact–that the day of salvation is as surprising as salvation
itself–and that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who has done and is
doing it all, is the most wonderful of all! In His eyes I see the stars
which can shine away the midnight of despair! In His hands I see the
majestic might which can break the fetters of Satanic bondage! And in
His face I see the sacred guidance which shall bring the sacramental
host of His elect safely Home, in unbroken ranks, to the land of the
tearless eyes!

II. Now, kindly leave Isaiah and turn back to the text. Under the
second head we have to speak upon THE GLORIOUS DAY ITSELF, for the day
of salvation is rich with blessing. First, I would commend that day
because of its fourfold excellence. Read again the verse in which our
text stands. Although the words must be regarded as spoken, in the
first place, to our Lord, the best expositors say that they are also
addressed to His Church in Him. The word came to Him as the Head and
Representative of His people and so to His chosen as one with Him.

So then, Beloved, in this day of salvation our prayer will be heard–"I
have heard You in a time accepted." Dear Hearer, if you will sincerely
pray in the name of Jesus, you will be heard! Are you very guilty? Ask
for mercy and you will be heard. "I have heard You in an accepted
time." Have you condemned yourself? Have you written your own death
warrant? Are you bowed down with a sense of guilt? Pray and pray, and
pray again! Oh, Brothers and Sisters, pray, I beseech you! If you are
between the jaws of Hell, still pray, for now is the day of
salvation–and it is a day in which he that asks, receives, he that
seeks, finds and to him that knocks it shall be opened!

Secondly, we are further told that this day help will be given. What
does it say? "In the day of salvation have I helped You." Are you
helpless, are you hopeless? This is a day in which God will come to
your relief! Do you need strength to break the chains of habit? Do you
need power, even, to repent? Do you need help to feel your
helplessness? Do you need

anything and everything? "Behold," He says, "in the day of salvation
have I helped You." He will help you, only ask Him, only trust Him.
When there was a great straitness of business in the Manchester
district during the American war, and many were out of work and
starving, many instances occurred in which persons were found near to
death's door, "clamming" as they called it, or dying of starvation.

When they were kindly visited and asked why they did not apply for
relief, they answered that they could not ask. British independence, as
we call it. And a very noble spirit it is within proper bounds! It was
strong within them and many a man said, "I could not bring myself to
ask." I admire that spirit between man and man, but I do not admire it
when it touches the matter of the soul and lies between a poor
worthless sinner and the great and ever-blessed God! Do not be proud
and say, "I cannot bring myself to ask," for behold, your prayer will
be answered now and whatever help you require will be freely given you!
Does not that one fact show that we live in the day of salvation?

And then it is added, "Behold, now is the accepted time," so that the
third blessing is that coming sinners will be accepted. If you will
come to God, He will not reject you, whoever you may be! However poor
your repentance and weak your faith, it is a gracious time and the Lord
will freely accept your sincere desires for His Son's sake. Does not
this fact encourage you to come? The door of Mercy is open and no man
can shut it! The Lord Jesus has never yet rejected a coming sinner and
He never will, for it is written, "Him that comes to Me I will in no
wise cast out." It is a season of acceptance, not of rejection–come
and partake in the blessing!

And then the fourth excellence is that it is a time of salvation, of
which we will speak at greater length. You need saving? Be glad, then,
that it is salvation's own day. All that can be needed to secure the
salvation of a sinner has been fully prepared by Christ and is now
freely presented in the preaching of the Word of God to every soul that
is willing to receive it. Jesus was born to save! He died to save! And
He lives to save! Now, let me point out that this ought to be
peculiarly pleasant news to those who are heavily laden with guilt. I
have known the day when, if I had heard such words as these I try to
speak, I think I should have leaped at them at once as a hungry dog
does at a bone!

Sinners, this is the day of salvation, not a day of justice! Come and
confess your sin–you shall not be accused, condemned and punished–but
freely forgiven! It is a day in which you may mourn to think you have
sinned, but need not despair nor indulge a single unbelieving thought,
for that would be unsuitable to the time which is a day of good
tidings. From now till the day when you shall pass out of this mortal
state it is one long and blessed day of Divine Grace! There was a week
of creation and the Lord God performed great wonders of creating power
and put not forth His left hand to destroy–so now there is a day of
salvation and all around, angels of love are hovering, still
singing–"Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, goodwill towards
men."

God is saving all that come to Him by Jesus Christ. Everything
proclaims salvation! The air is full of gentle voices. In fact, your
very existence, continued by long-suffering, is a message of Grace.
Your being found in a house of prayer this morning has an eye towards
your being saved! Your eager attention gives me hope it shall be so.
Shall it not be accomplished now by your believing in Jesus? The
fountain to wash your guilt away is filled! The "best robe" to cover
you is prepared! The finger ring of everlasting love is ready to be put
on your finger and the shoes of gladness and of peace are waiting you.
Oh, poor Soul, today I have nothing to preach but salvation–salvation
through the blood of Jesus Christ! "Go you into all the world and
preach the Gospel," said our Lord Jesus. And that Gospel is salvation,
free salvation to the sons of men!

The Truth of our text should also be very encouraging to those who are
fighting against inward sin. I know some who can trust Christ for
pardon, but their chief difficulty is how they can be made holy. I
greatly delight in seekers in whom this is the main thought–not so
much to escape punishment as to avoid future sin. Well, if you are
fighting against evil in the name of Jesus Christ, do not be
discouraged–you will master it because it is the day of salvation and
it is written, "They shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His
people from their sins." Do I address a drunk? Has the intoxicating cup
a strange fascination for you and have you gone back to drinking, after
having often loathed yourself for it?

You need not be a slave to it any longer, for this is the day of
salvation from that sin! By faith in Christ you shall be delivered out
of that deadly snare! Or have you been tempted to some other gross
iniquity which holds you spellbound? Does a certain vice fix its
serpent eyes upon you and enchant you till you can no longer restrain
yourself? Rejoice, then, for this is the day of salvation from sin!
Neither saint nor sinner need sit down under the power of any sin, for
in Christ

Jesus' name we can overcome the power of evil. Do not excuse yourselves
by talking of besetting sins–you must thrust away all sin–you must
overcome temptation, for if any sin shall totally vanquish you, you
will be lost forever since it is only to "him that overcomes" that the
crown is given.

How, then, can you overcome? Why, only by the power of Christ, who bids
us this day lay hold upon salvation from sin! Come to Him and trust
Him–and He will destroy the works of the devil within you. While this
is very encouraging to penitents and to those who are fighting with
sin, it should be equally cheering to tried Believers. Beloved, are you
in deep trouble just now? Is your spirit overwhelmed within you? Be of
good cheer, for this is the day of salvation! It is not a time for
saints to die in–it is not a day in which the enemy shall triumph over
Believers–it is for us the day of salvation! Be glad, then, O you who
are assailed by the enemy. Though your foe may put his foot upon your
neck, yet he cannot crush your life out, but you may boldly cry,
"Rejoice not over me, O my enemy: when I fall, I shall arise again!" It
is the day in which Believers must be saved!

Did not Christian, in "Pilgrim's Progress," find it so from the very
day in which he left the City of Destruction to the time when he passed
through the river and said, "I feel the bottom, and it is good"? He had
days of conflict, days of weariness and days of deep distress of
mind–but all along he was saved–saved from the lions, saved from
Giant Despair, from the flatterer's net and saved from the last river
with its chill floods. We also live in the day of salvation. "Ah," said
a Popish bishop once to one of our martyrs, "You are a heretic and you
will be damned." "My lord," said the heroic man, "there I am at a pass
with you. I may be burned, but I never shall be damned." "Why so?" said
his adversary. The man replied by quoting that passage in the old
translation, "There is therefore now no damnation to them that are in
Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit."

Who shall condemn those for whom Christ has died? It is the day of
salvation, not of accusation! It is the day of victory, not of defeat,
not of captivity, much less the day of destruction to the true people
of God! Let us, then, as is most right, hang out the streamers of joy
and with glad music set our souls in fit trim to keep the feast of
salvation! And do you not think this Truth of God should encourage all
who are at work to win souls for Jesus? Brothers, if I had my pick of
days, I should like to go forth and preach the Gospel when it was a day
of salvation, wouldn't you? One likes to go down the river with the
tide–and if you can have a fair wind, as well, it is grand sailing!
But surely, now, whenever you seek souls you have wind and tide with
you, for it is the day of salvation! God is saving men! It is His daily
business and His crowning glory and He has set His heart on it!

Just as I remarked that Ahasuerus ordained a season of feasting and
banqueted the people and there is no doubt that they did feast at a
royal rate, so when the infinite Jehovah proclaims a day of salvation
the people shall be saved and there shall be no question about it!
Thousands upon thousands of erring ones shall repent and believe and so
shall be saved to the glory of His Grace. Do not tell me that London is
very wicked–I know it is. But the Lord has many people in this city
and He will redeem them from all iniquity. Our rural population may
also be, in many places, perishing in gross darkness, but "the Lord
knows them that are His." He has jewels in yonder cottages and He will
make them to be His own. His chosen are hidden away in the dark mines
of iniquity, but He will find out His gold and purify it. His
everlasting purpose shall not fail and His infinite pity shall not be
stopped!

Glory be to His blessed name! He will accomplish all His purposes, for
this is the day of salvation and His people shall be called to Him by
some means, by any means, by every means! They shall be brought up out
of the horrible pit, and out of the miry clay. And they shall know that
the Lord saves not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit! I think I
have worked out this point sufficiently. "Now is the day of salvation."
I wonder whether anybody misunderstands me? Dear Friends, you know we
commonly call this year, 1878, a year of Divine Grace. We are quite
right, for it is so. We say Anno Domini, the year of our Lord, and so
it is–it is Jesus Christ's year!

Any time between the first of January and the last of December in which
you seek Him, He will be found of you. Suppose you try it now? There
cannot be a better hour! Here, where many have found Him, consecrate
that seat on which you sit. Dear Brothers and Sisters, may the Holy
Spirit help you to do so by now saying, "I would be reconciled to You,
my God, by the great Mediator. I would accept this salvation which you
have freely set before me." I pray you do so!

III. To some of you I have spoken these many years, getting, now, into
the 25th year, and shall I speak in vain? Our

last word was to be something about A DARK CLOUD WHICH MAY DARKEN THE
CLOSE OF THIS DAY OF

SALVATION. I pray it may not, yet I fear it. My dread is lest you
receive this great favor in vain, lest you live in this day

of salvation and yet are lost. That will be for me a calamity, for I
shall lose my labor and more–there will be your mother's tears all
lost, your father's prayers all lost–and your Sunday school teacher's
earnest instructions all lost and other ministers' frequent invitations
all gone for nothing!

May it not be so, for that is unprofitable for you as well as for us.
You will have lost all those Sabbaths, all those Bible readings, all
those pricks of conscience. I know some of you are very attentive
hearers and yet you have not found Grace in this day of salvation.
Salvation is all round you, yet you have it not! You have wasted golden
opportunities. Ah, there will come a day when you will wish for another
Sabbath but it will be denied you! Your last sermon shall have been
heard and your last warning shall have been received. Do not lose, I
pray you, the privileges you enjoy of being born in a Christian land,
of having an open Bible and of listening to an earnest ministry! Do not
let those who never enjoyed such privileges have, in the eternal world,
the advantage over you!

Do not let Sodom and Gomorrah and Tyre and Sidon have to tell you that
it is more tolerable for them in Hell than for you! The Lord Jesus
assures us that it will be so if you have been hearers of the Gospel
and lived in the day of salvation and refused this Divine Grace. The
text says it is a day–and a day comes to an end! These are not words
of mine, but the words of Scripture. Again, He limits a certain day,
saying in David, "Today if you will hear His voice." Do you not see
that the day of salvation, though it has lasted 1,800 years and more,
is still a day and will surely end? The opportunity of mercy will not
last forever–let none deceive you as to that matter! The hope of
Divine Grace will end with the day of Divine Grace. Let not the
smooth-tongued ministers of the devil who enter the pulpits of Christ
now-a-days delude you as to any vain hope that another day of Grace
will come!

I have no such flattering message to speak to you, but I speak as this
Book teaches. If you let this day of salvation pass and if you glide
into another world unsaved, you are lost forever. I know no more, but I
know that this Bible so declares it. "These shall go away into
everlasting punishment and the righteous into life eternal." Do not
indulge vain dreams! If the Lord speaks of a day, be sure that He has
limited the day–and if He declares this to be the day of salvation,
you are not authorized to expect that another such period will ever
come. "If He that despised Moses' Law died without mercy under two or
three witnesses" (listen to that!)–"of how much sorer punishment,
suppose you, shall he be thought worthy, who has trod under foot the
Son of God?"

Oh, yield to the Lord Jesus! Accept His salvation and trust Him at
once! I pray you, in Christ's place, be reconciled to God. Amen.