By the Grace of God, I am what I am....
I know that there are many here, who were drunkards and swearers, and worse than that; but they have obtained mercy, they have been washed in the precious blood of Jesus, and they are rejoicing tonight that their many sins have been forgiven them for Christ's sake. Those who have been in such a plight as that, do not despair of the salvation of the greatest sinners here. You have gone far into sin, but you have seen another saved who was once just what you now are, so why should not you be saved?"
"There have been murderers saved, then why not you if your hands are red with the blood of others? There was a thief who was saved at the last hour, then why not you if you are a thief? There have been many Magdalens saved, then why not you if you belong to that sad sisterhood? O ye who lie despairing, at the gates of hell, the silver trumpet of the gospel is sounded in your ears by one who has enjoyed the music of it in his own soul. What an encouragement it is to the preacher when he can say, "By the grace of God I am what I am!"
"And what an encouragement it should be to the hearer when he is told that salvation is all of grace! If Christ came to you, and said, 'You cannot be saved unless you perform so many good works,' there would be no hope for the most of you, though I fear that there are some who think that such a message would just suit them, for they fancy that they have done a great many good works. In cherishing that delusion, they are like a Hindoo of whom I once heard. He believed that he must not eat any animal substance, or that if he did he would perish. A missionary said to him, 'That idea is ridiculous. Why, you cannot drink a glass of water without swallowing thousands of living creatures.' He did not believe it, so the missionary took a drop of water, and put it under the microscope. When the man saw the innumerable living creatures in the drop of water, what did he do? Why, he broke the microscope; that was his way of settling the question."
"So, when we meet with persons who say, 'Our works are pure, and clean, and excellent,' we bring the great microscope of the law of the Lord, and we bid them look through that; and when they see a whole host of sins in every one of their prayers, or acts, or thoughts, then they are angry with the preacher, and they try to break the microscope. But, for all that, the truth remains, 'By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.' "
"But salvation comes by grace. Catch at that, sinner; for, if it is by grace that sinners are saved, why should not you be saved? If a thing is given away, nobody can be too poor to have it. If it is the gift of charity, poverty is a recommendation rather than a hindrance. My Lord and Master does not tell me to come and say to you that salvation is by your own feelings. It would be as impossible for you to feel aright as to do aright; but salvation is entirely by God's grace. 'But,' says someone, 'my heart is hard.' Then, come to God to have it softened. 'But I have no good thing to bring him.' Then come to him for every good thing. 'But I cannot even bring a sense of need.' Then, come without a sense of need; for the man who feels that he has not a sense of need is often the one who has the best sense of need. He who says, 'I have at last a sense of need,' shows that he has not got to the bottom yet; for if he were brought to the bottom, he would feel that he had not any feeling, he would groan that he could not groan, and grieve that he could not grieve."
