“I thank thee, O my God, O my Father, for that most precious word in season:  “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”  Yes? it is “a word in season to the weary.”  For I am weary; weary of darkness in which I have been trying to hide or paint deformity, and get up some specious semblance of decency and beauty; weary of all impostures and all lies; the poor and paltry lies especially of my self-deluding, or scarcely even self-deluding, self-righteousness; weary of all attempts to take advantage of the darkness for making evil seem a little less evil, and some show of good look a little more like reality.  I would fain step forth from the darkness into light; into thy light, O God!”

“For, be thy guilt ever so deep and thy heart ever so black, the blood of Jesus Christ my Son cleanseth from all sin.  He has answered for all thy guilt.  He has purchased for thee a new heart.  The fountain filled with his atoning blood is ever freely open and full to overflowing.  Wash in all that fountain and be clean.  Enter into the victory of light over darkness which that blood secures.  Let all compromise take end; compromise is a work of darkness.  I invite thee to have fellowship with me; fellowship real, and not merely nominal, with me and with my Son Jesus Christ;–fellowship with us in our plan and purpose of saving mercy,–in all its grace and all its glory;–a fellowship in it with us, of insight, confidence, partnership, sympathy, joy.  If it is to be real fellowship, it must be fellowship of light.  I cannot modify, I cannot alter, that condition of fellowship, any more that I can cease to be what I am–“light.”  But I do what is far better.  I make provision for the removal of every obstacle which your guilt and corruption might interpose in the way of your walking in the light as I am in the light.  I give you the assurance that the blood of Jesus Christ my Son cleanseth from all sin.”