Blood-guiltiness!

Blood-guiltiness!
From Timeless Grace Gems
by James Smith, 1860

Sin always brings sorrow — whether it is the sin of omission or of commission.

The believer suffers in this world — the unbeliever suffers in the world to come. David sinned — but how acutely and how long did David suffer! His psalm of repentance was introduced into the temple service, and has soothed, assisted, and comforted many a penitent since his day. There is one point in this psalm, on which I wish to fix my attention for a few minutes, as it appears suitable to me, and I trust that it is suitable to many besides me. David has just been praying that he may be made happy, in order that he may be useful in converting sinners; and then his own past conduct coming up before him again, he cries, O how plaintively, how piteously, with what energy: "Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation!" Psalm 51:14. He had no dread of Hell before his eyes, for mark,

The Title He Employs.

"O God," that is, the great, the good one. The omnipotent, the benevolent. What a mercy that power and benevolence are united in the Divine nature and character. His goodness and omnipotence are linked together.

"The God of my salvation." That is, the gracious One; for salvation flows only from grace.

God is the AUTHOR of our salvation.
The thought of it arose spontaneously in his mind,
the purpose was formed in his heart,
the plan was drawn hy his wisdom, and
all the means were from his resources.

God is the GIVER of our salvation. He does not set us to work for it, or ask us to purchase it — but he freely bestows it. He bestows it at once, so that the moment we believe — we are saved. Faith brings us into vital connection with himself, and so we "are saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation." Nothing can be more gratuitous than salvation. It is only, "Ask — and have." "Believe — and it is yours."

God is the END of our salvation. He saves us — for his own honor, for his own praise, to get himself a glorious name. Just as it was said of Israel — it may be said of us, "He saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known!"

By becoming the author, giver, and end of our salvation — he has laid us under the DEEPEST OBLIGATION. We should live for him. We should act for him. Our whole conduct should be regulated by his precepts. He has saved us, to use us as instruments in saving others — and when we lose sight of this, we lose sight of one of the grand ends of our salvation. Our vocation is, instrumentally, to save souls from death. This leads us to notice,

The Dreadful Crime. "Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation." The guilt of blood. That is, literally, from murder. Murder is the greatest crime that we can commit against our fellow-men, and it is a crime that calls for punishment, both from God and man. David was guilty of Uriah's blood, whom he had slain with the sword of the children of Ammon.

But there is soul-murder — and it is a most awful thing in any way to be accessory to this. Souls are murdered directly by false doctrine, as in the Church of Rome; and by others who teach dependence on works, instead of the merit of Christ; and inculcate trust in a creature, instead of trusting in Christ alone. There is salvation in the name, and by the perfect work of Christ alone; and, therefore, to teach salvation by sacraments, ceremonies, duties, prayers, or penances — is to poison the soul, and destroy it instead of saving it.

But we may be accessory to soul-murder indirectly, as for instance if we saw a fellow-creature attempting to commit suicide, and did not endeavor to prevent it — if we stood and looked on, or carelessly passed by on the other side. Now sinners are destroying themselves all around us, and we by our negligence, our unholy walking, our misrepresenting the gospel in our lives, or by our unfaithfulness — become accessory to their destruction! We see them destroying themselves by sin — but from cowardliness, we neglect to warn or caution them. We know that the only means of saving them is the gospel — and yet from the indulgence of a natural shyness, or some other cause, we negleet to present that gospel to them, or press that gospel upon them.

We hide the remedy — and the patient dies!

We conceal the pardon — and the criminal is executed!

Ought we not to have endeavored to get the patient to take the remedy? Ought we not to have carried the pardon to the criminal's cell? In a word, ought we not to have set the gospel before those who are perishing around us, and have tried by all means to bring them to Jesus? But we have been careless, prayerless, and comparatively indifferent! May we not have the blood of souls upon us.

Think of being guilty, directly or indirectly — of the damnation of a neighbor, friend, or relative! To have laid to our charge, the blood of a son or a daughter, whom we neglected to train up for the Lord! The blood of a sister or a brother, whom we neglected to warn and invite to Jesus! The blood of a mother or father, for whose salvation we never agonized with God, or sought by every means in our power to save! Well, well may we cry out with David, "Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation!" Let us now look at,

The Fervent Petition. Deliver me — by pardoning the past, and so freeing me from the guilt of blood. Deliver me — by preventing me in future, and so preserving me from the crime. Give me sanctifying grace, which will set me apart for your service, consecrate me to your praise, and qualify me to pluck sinners as brands from the burning. Fill me with the Spirit of Christ, that my heart may glow with love, that I may be fired with holy zeal, and be prepared to make any sacrifice — in order to save souls from death. Raise me above myself. . .
that I may conquer my natural shyness — and speak for Christ;
that I may overcome timidity — and warn sinners of their danger;
that I may no more indulge in idleness — but work for God and souls, while it is called today;
that I may despise indifference — and throw my while heart into the service of my Savior;
that I may no longer consult my own ease, or comfort, or respectability — but be willing to do anything, be anything, or suffer anything — if I may but be clear from the guilt of blood; or rather if I may but win the honor of saving some from Hell.

Ministers of the gospel, allow me to ask you: Brethren, beloved in the Lord, are you clear from the blood of all men? Have you been faithful — tender — earnest — persevering — self-denying — accommodating yourselves and your ministry to all men — that you may by all means save some?

Can the illiterate understand you?

Are the careless aroused by your energy?

Are the thoughtless affected by your sincerity?

Are the poor attracted by your love?