Surely that is broad enough--is it not? I don't care who the man or
woman is; I don't care what your trials, what your troubles, what your
sorrows, or what your sins are, if you will only come straight to the
Master, He will not cast you out. Come then, poor sinner; come just as
you are, and take Him at His word.
There was a wild and prodigal young man who came into one of our
meetings. He was running a headlong career to ruin, but the Spirit of
God got hold of him. Whilst I was conversing with him, and
endeavouring to bring him to Christ, I quoted this verse to him. I
held it right up to him, and led his mind right up to it, for some
time, and at last light seemed to break in upon him, and he seemed to
find comfort from it, so I told him to stick to that verse. Well,
after he had left, on his way home the devil met him. Why, I don't
believe that any man ever starts to go to Christ but the devil strives
somehow or other to meet him and trip him up. And even after he has
come to Christ the devil comes, and tries to assail him with doubts,
and make him believe there is something wrong in it. And so this young
man was met by Satan, who whispered to him, "How do you know that is a
right translation?" So that brought him for a while to a standstill,
and threw him into darkness again. But he remembered my telling him to
stick to that text, and there he was, after Satan had put that into
his mind, holding on to it, but he did not find peace till two
o'clock. He then said to himself, "I will stick to it anyhow, and if
it is not the right translation, when I get to the bar of God I will
tell Him I didn't know it was wrong, because I didn't understand
anything about Greek and Latin." "Him that cometh to Me I will in
nowise cast out." If you will only come to Him, I have got good
authority to tell you that Christ will receive you to-day--yea, this
very hour.
The kings and princes of this world, when they issue invitations, call
round them the rich, the mighty and powerful, the honourable and the
wise; but the Lord, when He was on earth, called round Him the vilest
of the vile. "This man," they said, "receiveth sinners, and eateth
with them." Publicans, sinners, and harlots pressed into the kingdom
of God in His days.