for good and evil. A pious and virtuous youth helps, by sure laws of
God, towards a pious and virtuous old age. And on the other hand, an
ungodly and profligate youth leads, by the same laws, toward an ungodly
and profligate old age. That is the law. But there is another law which
may stop that law--just as the stone falls to the ground by the natural
law of weight, and yet you may stop that law by using the law of bodily
strength, and holding it up in your hand. And what is the gracious law
which will save you from the terrible law which will make you go on from
worse to worse?
It is this,--"when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that
he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall
save his soul alive." It is not said that his soul shall come in a
moment to perfect health and strength. No. There are old bad habits to
be got rid of, old ties to be broken, old debts (often worse debts than
any money debts) to be paid. But he shall save his soul alive. His soul
shall not die of its disease. It shall be saved. It shall come to life,
and gradually mend and be cured, and grow from strength to strength, as a
sick man mends day by day after a deadly illness, slowly it may be, but
surely:--for how can you fail of being cured if your physician is none
other than Jesus Christ your Lord and your God?
Oh, recollect that last word. If you will but recollect that, you will
never despair. How dare any man say--Bad I am, and bad I must remain--
while the God who made heaven and earth offers to make you good? Who
dare say,--I cannot amend--when God Himself offers to amend you? Who
dare say,--I have no strength to amend--when God offers to give you
strength, strength of His strength, and life of His life, even His Holy
Spirit? Who dare say,--God has given me up; He has a grudge against me
which He will not lay by, an anger against me which cannot be appeased, a
score against me which will never be wiped out of His book? Oh foolish
and faint-hearted soul. Look, look at Christ hanging on His cross, and
see there what God's grudge, God's anger, God's score of your sins is
like. Like love unspeakable, and nothing else. To wash out your sins,
He spared not His only begotten Son, but freely gave Him for you, to shew
you that God, so far from hating you, has loved you; that so far from
being your enemy, He was your father; that so far from willing the death
of a sinner, He willed that you and every sinner should turn from his
wickedness and live. For that, Jesus the only begotten Son of God, came
down and preached, and sorrowed, and suffered, and died upon the cross.
He died that you may live; He suffered that you may be saved; He paid the
debt, because you could never pay it; He bore your sins upon the cross,
that you might not have to bear them for ever and for ever in eternal
death. Now, even if you suffer somewhat in this life for your sins, that
suffering is not punishment, but wholesome chastisement, as when a father
chastens the son in whom he delighteth. All He asks of you is to long
and try to give up your sins, for He will help you to give them up. All
He asks of you is to long and try to lead a new life, for He will give
you power to lead a new life. Oh, say not--I cannot--when Christ who
died for you says you can. Say not--I dare not--when Christ bids you
dare come boldly to His throne of grace. Say not--I must be as I am--
when Christ died that you should NOT be as you are. Say not--there is no
hope--when Christ died and rose again, and reigns for ever, to give hope
to you and all mankind, that when the wicked man turns away from his
wickedness that he has committed, and doeth that which is lawful and
right, he shall save his soul alive, and all his transgressions shall not
be mentioned unto him, but in his righteousness that he hath done shall
he live.