The great sacrifice is ready; on which the fire of vindictive justice fell, in the day of our Lord’s crucifixion; prefigured by the beasts that bled for a long succession of ages on Jewish altars; typified in Isaac, but realized in that propitiatory victim, the crucified Jesus. Heb. x. 1,12.
A pardon is ready; procured for infinite offence; for crimes of the deepest dye; for sinners of the most flagrant complexion; and which speaks its value infinite, bought with the blood of God incarnate. Ephes. i. 7. Acts, xx. 28.
A righteousness is ready; wrought out by the obedience and death of Messiah; the imputation of which covers guilt, screens from the curse of the law; fulfils its precepts, and satisfies justice; a righteousness, which “justifieth from ALL things, and is unto all” as a free gift, “and” as a spotless robe “upon all them that believe.” Acts, xiii. 39. Rom. iii. 20. This is the wedding-garment. Mat. xxii. 11.
A fountain is ready; that gushes from the Saviour’s side, with a mingled stream of water and blood; to wash away the guilt and filth of sin; of efficacy to purify from all uncleanness; where thousands have bathed their leprous souls, and in which thousands more may wash and be clean as an angel of light. Zech. xiii. 1.
A provision is ready; rich in inexhaustible supplies of strength for the weak, of wisdom for the ignorant, of medicine for the diseased, of consolation for them that mourn, of bread of life for the hungry, of water from a never-failing spring for the thirsty; and all in Christ, free for his people as the air they breathe, and deep in boundless fulness as the ocean. John, i. 16.
The Spirit of holiness is ready; to change the desert of the human heart into an Eden, and to make springs of grace arise, where streams of bitterness and pollution flowed before; to take of the things of Christ, and shew them in all their riches to the poor and contrite; to form the new creation, and take away the heart of stone. Isa. xxxv. 1. Ezek. xxxvi. 26.
The promises are ready; to attest the truth of God; to seal the salvation of Christ; to give encouragement to the weary and heavy laden to cast their burdens on him; and to delineate his all-sufficiency: in him they meet: in him they are all yea and amen: from him they derive their preciousness, and every one of them is as unchangeable as the God that spoke them. 2 Pet. i. 4. Mat. v. 18.
The Father of mercies is ready; to receive the returning prodigal, to blot out his rebellions, and love him freely. The Son is ready; to plead the purchase of his blood, and carry the sheep that was lost into the fold of his flock.
The ministers of the gospel are ready; to preach deliverance to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to instruct the ignorant, and guide their feet into the way of peace; and to rejoice in seeing the fruit of the travail of Christ’s soul in the salvation of sinners.
Angels are ready; to take up their harps of gold, and tune them to notes of the sweetest harmony; to make the heaven and the heaven of heavens resound with praises to Emmanuel, and with joy over one sinner that repenteth. Oh! that they may repeat that anthem to-day, which they have had occasion to sing, whenever souls have been brought home to Christ! These blessed spirits watch with eagerness the effects of the gospel-message; and when any one sinner obeys it, they fly with the good news to the realms of light, and diffuse fresh joy through all the spirits that surround the throne. But if angels could weep, surely they would drop a tear, with sorrow and surprise, to see sinners spurn a feast, which their Creator prepared, and to which they themselves would have been proud of an invitation.