There is many a sad wretch given by the Father to Jesus Christ; but not one of them all is despised or slighted by him. It is said of those that the Father has given to Christ that they have done worse than the heathen; that they were murderers, thieves, drunkards, unclean persons, and what not; but he has received them, washed them, and saved them. A fit emblem of this sort is that wretched example mentioned in the Ezekiel 16, that was cast out in a stinking condition, to the loathing of its person, in the day that it was born; a creature in such a wretched condition, that no eye pitied, to do any of the things there mentioned to it, or to have compassion upon it; no eye but his that speaks in the text.
'And him'. Let him be as red as blood, let him be as red as crimson. Some men are blood-red sinners, crimson-sinners, sinners of a double dye; dipped and dipped again, before they come to Jesus Christ. Are you who are reading these lines such a one? Speak out, man! Are you such a one? And are you now coming to Jesus Christ for the mercy of justification, that you might be made white in his blood, and be covered with his righteousness? Fear not; forasmuch as this your coming demonstrates that you are of the number of them that the Father has given to Christ; for he will in no wise cast you out. "Come now," says Christ, "and let us reason together; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isa 1:18). (pg. 82-83)
As you are therefore coming, oh coming sinner, judge whether Christ can save you by the true sense of his words. Judge, coming sinner, of the efficacy of his blood, of the perfection of his righteousness, and of the prevalency of his intercession, by his Word. "And him," says he, "that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." "In no wise," that is, for no sin. Judge therefore by his word, how able he is to save you. (pg. 85)
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