ou _can_ do it; but it will be at your
peril.

I can imagine some saying to themselves, "Yes, we believe that God
loves us, if we love Him; we believe that God loves the pure and the
holy." Let me say, my friend, not only does God love the pure and the
holy: He also loves the ungodly. "God commendeth His love toward us,
in that, _while we were yet sinners_, Christ died for us" (Rom. v.
8). God sent him to die for the sins of the whole world. If you
belong to the world, then you have part and lot in this love that has
been exhibited in the cross of Christ.

There is a passage in Revelation (i. 5.) which I think a great deal
of--"Unto Him that loved us, and washed us." It might be thought that
God would first wash us, and then love us. But no, He first loved us.
About eight years ago the whole country was intensely excited about
Charlie Ross, a child of four years old, who was stolen. Two men in a
gig asked him and an elder brother if they wanted some candy. They
then drove away with the younger boy, leaving the elder one. For many
years a search has been made in every State and territory. Men have
been over to Great Britain, France, and Germany, and have hunted in
vain for the child. The mother still lives in the hope that she will
see her long lost Charlie. I never remember the whole country to have
been so much agitated about any event unless it was the assassination
of President Garfield. Well, suppose the mother of Charlie Ross were
in some meeting; and that while the preacher was speaking, she
happened to look down amongst the audience and see her long lost son.
Suppose that he was poor, dirty and ragged, shoeless and coatless,
what would she do? Would she wait till he was washed and decently
clothed before she would acknowledge him? No, she would get off the
platform at once, rush towards him and take him in her arms. After
that she would cleanse and clothe him. So it is with God. He loved
us, and washed us. I can imagine one saying, "If God loves me, why
does He not make me good?" God wants sons and daughters in heaven; He
does not want machines or slaves. He could break our stubborn hearts,
but He wants to draw us towards Himself by the cords of love.

He wanted you to sit down with Him at the marriage supper of the
Lamb; to wash you, and make you whiter than snow. He wants you to
walk with Him the crystal pavement of yonder blissful world. He wants
to adopt you into His family; and to make you a son or a daug