It is said in Hebrews ix. 22, "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood there is no remission." It is utterly impossible that a man can be saved who makes light of the blood. There is no other name under heaven whereby we can be saved than the name of Christ Jesus. Are we willing to receive what Christ has already done? The salvation of those who trust in Him was already worked out when He said upon the cross, "It is finished."
In Matthew xxvi. 28 we get the words of Christ Himself: "For this is my blood of the New Testament, which was shed for many for the remission of sins." That was what Christ Himself said about the blood.
He could have saved His life, but He loved the human family so much that He shed His blood for their redemption. He opened that fountain referred to in the lines:
"There is a fountain filled with blood, Drawn from Emmanuel"s veins."
That hymn will last as long as the Church, and so will others like:
"Rock of ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee."
There is a great deal about the blood in these hymns, and they will all live. Every hymn into which the scarlet thread is woven will live.
There is another sweet hymn that will last through all ages:
"Just as I am, without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me."
In Hebrews x. 19 we read, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh." When Christ"s work was done, the veil of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom. G.o.d came out of the holy of holies, and man can now go in. He makes all His people in this dispensation kings and priests. Every one can come right into the presence of G.o.d Himself. In the Jewish dispensation none but the high priests could enter into the holy of holies; but the veil being rent, G.o.d came out and man can go in through the veil of His flesh. "Let us draw near with a true heart in full a.s.surance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." Let us hold fast the profession of our faith. The new and living way has been opened by His blood. The only thing that Christ left down here was His blood. When He ascended to heaven, He took with Him His flesh and His bones, but His shed blood was left on this earth.
THE BLOOD HAS TWO CRIES.
It either cries for my d.a.m.nation, or for my salvation. If I make light of the blood, and trample it under my feet, then it cries out for G.o.d"s condemnation; but if I am sheltered behind the blood, there is no condemnation for me. G.o.d dealt in judgment with Cain; and when Pilate wanted to know what to do with Christ, he washed his hands and said he was innocent. The Jews said, "Let His blood be upon us and our children, not to save us, but to condemn us." Would that they had said, "Let His blood be upon us to save us and protect us." Nearly 1900 years have rolled away, and the Jews are wanderers on the face of the earth without a king. Their having been scattered all these years, what a proof it is the word of G.o.d is true! May our prayer be to-day, His blood be upon us and our children, not to condemn us, but to save us. Let that be our prayer, that we may know what it is to be sheltered behind the blood of G.o.d"s dear Son. The blood of the cross speaks peace. If I am sheltered behind the blood, there is peace, but there is no peace until my sin is covered. If you had committed sin against a man, you would get no peace until that was forgiven. Men are running after peace; and if it could be bought in the market, many would give hundreds of thousands of pounds to secure it. The blood of Christ speaks peace, and it will bring peace to every guilty conscience and aching heart to-day if you only seek it.
In Hebrews x. 28, 29, we read: "He that despised Moses" law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of G.o.d, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" To me these are very solemn verses. I don"t see how any one can sit here and hear these verses read and be content to remain unsaved. "They died without mercy"; but how much more sore will be the punishment of those who live in this age with an open Bible, which tells how Christ died to redeem us, and make us heirs of heaven.
In Revelation xii. 11, we read: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." They overcame by the blood. I don"t believe there is a word in the Bible Satan is fearing more than the word "blood." Judging from past experience, I shall probably receive many letters to-morrow attacking me for what I have said to-day. These letters will say it is heathenish to stand up and preach what would only do for an unenlightened age. May G.o.d forgive those who dare to say such things. If you will read your Bible in the light of Calvary, you will find there is no other way of coming to heaven but by the blood. The devil does not fear ten thousand preachers who preach a bloodless religion. A man who preaches a bloodless religion is doing the devil"s work, and I don"t care who he is.
VICTORY THROUGH THE BLOOD.
It is said of old Dr. Alexander, of Princeton Seminary, that when he parted with the students who were going to preach the gospel, he would take them by the hand, and say, "Young man, make much of the blood--make much of the blood."
As I have travelled up and down Christendom I have found out that a minister who gives a clear sound upon this doctrine is successful. A man who covers up the cross, though he may be an intellectual man, and draw large crowds, cannot touch the heart and conscience. There will be no life there, and his church will be like a gilded sepulchre.
Those men who preach the doctrine of the cross, holding up Christ as the sinner"s only hope of heaven, and as the sinner"s only subst.i.tute, and make much of the blood, G.o.d honours, and souls are always saved where that truth is preached.
I would say,
MAKE MUCH OF THE BLOOD.
May G.o.d help us to make much of the blood of His Son. It cost G.o.d so much to give us this blood, and shall we try to keep it from the world which is perishing from the want of it? The world can get along without us, but not without Christ. Let us preach Christ in season and out of season. Let us go to the sick and dying, and hold up the Saviour who came to seek and save them, and died to redeem them.
CHRIST WILL CONQUER.
It is said of Julian the Apostate in Rome, that when he was trying to stamp out Christianity he was pierced in the side by an arrow. He pulled the arrow out, and taking a handful of blood as it flowed from the wound, threw it into the air, shouting, "THOU GALILaeAN, THOU HAST CONQUERED!" Yes, this Galilaean is going to conquer. May G.o.d help us to give no uncertain sound on this doctrine.
I would rather give up my life than give up this doctrine. Take that away, and what is my hope in heaven? Am I to depend upon my works?
Away with them when it comes to the question of salvation. I must get salvation distinct and separate from works, for it is "to him that worketh not, but believeth on Christ." None will walk the celestial pavement of heaven but those washed in the blood. The first man that went up from this earth was probably Abel. You can see Abel putting his little lamb upon the altar, thus placing blood between him and his sin. Abel sang a song the angels could not join in. There must have been one solo song of redemption in heaven, because Abel had no one to join him. But there is a great chorus now, for the redeemed have been going up for six thousand years, and they sing of Him who is worthy to receive honour because He died to save us from condemnation.
ROBES MADE WHITE THROUGH THE BLOOD.
In Revelation vii. 14, we read: "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Sinner, how are you going to get your robes clean if you don"t get them washed in the blood of the Lamb? How are you going to wash them? Can you by yourself make them clean? Oh, may we all reach that paradise above! There they are singing the sweet song of redemption, and may it be the happy lot of each of us to join them.
It may be only a short time, at the longest, before we shall be there, and shout the song of redemption, and sing the sweet song of Moses and the Lamb. There "they hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and lead them to living fountains of water: and G.o.d shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." At that day sceptics and scoffers will pray for the rocks and mountains to fall on them, and cover them from the wrath of G.o.d. If you die without Christ, without hope, and without G.o.d, where will you be? Sinner, be wise! don"t make light of the blood!
THE DYING SAINT.
An aged minister of the gospel, when dying, said, "Bring me the Bible." Putting his finger upon the verse, "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin," he said, "I die in the hope of this verse." It wasn"t his fifty years" preaching, nor his long life in the Lord"s service, but the blood of Christ, upon which he relied.
When we stand before G.o.d"s tribunal we shall be pure, even as He is pure, if we are washed in the blood of the Lamb.
THE PRECIOUS BLOOD.
During the American war a doctor heard a man saying, "Blood, blood, blood!" The doctor thought this was because he had seen so much blood shed upon battlefields, and endeavoured to soothe his mind. The man smiled, and said, "I wasn"t thinking of the blood upon the battlefield, but I was thinking how precious the blood of Christ is to me as I am dying." As he died his lips quivered, "Blood, blood, blood!" and he was gone. Oh, it will indeed be precious when we come to our dying bed! it will then be worth more to us than all the world!
One sin is enough to exclude us from heaven, but one drop of Christ"s blood is sufficient to cover all our sins.
Beware how you treat the gospel message of redemption through the blood.
THE DOWN GRADE.
A stage-driver away on the Pacific coast--as I was told when I was there about three years ago--while lying on his dying bed, kept moving one of his feet up and down, saying, "I am on the down grade, and cannot reach the brake." As they told me of it, I thought how many were on the down grade, and could not reach the brake, and were dying without G.o.d and without hope. I plead with you as a fellow-traveller; don"t go out of this hall without saying, "Heaven is my home, and G.o.d is my Father." Don"t let the scoffers laugh you into h.e.l.l; they cannot laugh you out of it. The Blood is upon the mercy-seat, and while it is upon the mercy-seat you can enter into the kingdom. G.o.d says, "There is the Blood; it is all I have to give. As long as it is there, there is hope for you. I am satisfied with the finished work of my Son, and will you be satisfied?" Don"t leave this meeting until you can claim this as yours.
How dark and sad it is to go to the bedside of a dying infidel or atheist, or one who is dying without the light of the resurrection morn. But if we trust to Christ, death has lost its sting, and the grave its victory.
An eminent minister in America, Alfred Cookman, the Robert McCheyne of his day, was dying, and when his friends were gathered round his couch, waiting to see him depart to be with Christ, his face lit up, and with a shout of triumph he said, "I am sweeping through the gates, washed in the blood of the Lamb!" And this echoes and re-echoes through America to-day: "I am sweeping through the gates, washed in the blood of the Lamb!" May these be our last words, and may an abundant entrance be granted us into the gates of the heavenly city!
Who, who are these, beside the chilly wave, Just on the borders of the silent grave; Shouting Jesus power to save, Washed in the blood of the Lamb.
Sweeping through the gates of the new Jerusalem Washed in the blood of the Lamb.
CHRIST ALL IN ALL
Read Colossians iii. 11.
Christ is all in all to every one who has truly found Him. He is our Saviour, Redeemer, Deliverer, Shepherd, Teacher, and also sustains toward us many more offices, to which I desire to call your attention.
1. If we turn to Luke ii. 10, 11, we find Christ is there announced as our
SAVIOUR:
"Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David _a Saviour_, which is Christ the Lord." We learn to know Christ as our Saviour, to meet Him on Mount Calvary, to look on Him as the bleeding Lamb of G.o.d, before we know Him as our Redeemer, Deliverer, and Shepherd. Now, looking round upon this vast a.s.sembly, I, who do not know the hearts of the people, cannot know whether you can say that Christ is your Saviour. There are many, I trust, who can say this, and who rejoice in His salvation; while, without being uncharitable, I am afraid there are many who know nothing personally of Jesus as their Saviour.
He is offered to every one of you to-day as a Saviour; "G.o.d gave Him up freely for us all," that we all through Him might be saved. If you are belonging to this world, I can prove that you have a Saviour. If you belonged to some other planet, such as the moon or any of the stars, then I could not say a Saviour was offered to you; for it is not revealed whether the people of these distant worlds, even if they are inhabited, require salvation or not. But this I know, that every man on this globe has a Saviour offered him.
SALVATION FREE TO ALL.
I have no sympathy with those men who try to limit G.o.d"s salvation to a certain few. I believe that Christ died for all who will come. I have received many letters finding fault with me, and saying I surely don"t believe the doctrine of election. I do believe in election; but I have no business to preach that doctrine to the world at large. The world has nothing to do with election; it has only to do with the invitation, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
That is the message for the sinner. I am sent to preach the gospel to all.
After you have received salvation, we can talk about election. It"s a doctrine for Christians, for the Church, not for the unconverted world. Our message is "good tidings, which shall be to all people; for unto you is born this day a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." All people, this Saviour is proffered to you. Accept Him, and G.o.d will accept you; reject Him, and G.o.d will reject you. Your eternal destiny depends on your refusal or otherwise to accept the proffered Saviour.
The case is simply one of giving and taking. G.o.d gives; I receive. We must, then, first of all know Christ as our Saviour.
2. But He is still more: He is our