Near Ringwood, Hants, there lived a man by the name of Cutler, who believed it right that he should never wash himself again, nor comb his hair, nor live in a house like other people. So he turned one of his wagons into a tent, out on a public Common.
After being there some time, and the news had spread abroad among the people of his odd life, many went to visit and to question him upon what they considered the madness of his outlandish way of living. Some had pity on him; others thought that he deserved punishment; while some were for having him taken to a madhouse.
Most of his visitors spoke unkindly to him, and told him very freely what they thought of him, condemning his manner of living, especially his fixed determination never to wash again. However, with the hope of his doing so, some of the kinder ones had a vessel of water placed close by him, also a table with soap, towels, and comb, hoping that these things would tempt him to use them. One wise person caused a looking-glass to be placed upon the table that he might see himself in it—because the world says, "Seeing is believing"—supposing that a sight of himself would convince and induce him to wash in the water. Whether he ever looked in the glass or not is unknown. However, he remained unwashed and as unchanged in his ideas as ever.
When I saw him the first time he had been there seventeen years, and on the occasion of my last visit, twenty years. He had, therefore, twenty years of dirt upon his body.
Previously he had lived in a farmhouse close by as a good tenant of the Earl of Normanton, who, because of some squabble about the game, had him turned out of house and home on to the Common with his live stock and all his goods. That winter his cattle all died and his goods rotted, and the old wagon he lived in was the last bit of his property left—and this was his way of avenging himself on his adversary, who had no power to remove him off the Common after once tossing him and his property on to it.
I know you have condemned the Hermit before this; but if you will put yourself alongside with him you will find that you have been doing with your precious soul just what he did with his body. You have years of sin, and guilt, and devil's black upon your soul-maybe more than twenty. I had twenty-one years, one month, and three days of sin and guilt on me when I was led to the Lord Jesus, and "He in no wise cast me out" (John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)).
The Hermit was told again and again by rough tongues and smooth ones of his dirty condition. And have not you been told by dear ones of your sinfulness? Yes, they have done it with tears and prayers, yet you have not "believed". Besides, your conscience has accused you of your guilt, but you have not attended to its voice, neither have you washed in the God-provided "fountain." God, who loves you, has taken great pains to describe and show you your condition. He has put a looking-glass before you in the form of the Bible, like the man did to the Hermit, that you may see yourself and become convinced of your deplorable state and be led to cry "Unclean! Unclean!"
Listen now to what the Lord says of your sinful heart, which is thirteen to the dozen in wickedness: "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed (1) evil thoughts, (2) adulteries, (3) fornications, (4) murders, (5) thefts, 6) covetousness, (7) wickedness, (8) deceit, (9) lasciviousness, (10) an evil eye, (11) blasphemy, (12) pride, (13) foolishness-all these evil things from within and defile the man" (Mark 7:20-2320And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. (Mark 7:20‑23)).
We all saw the Hermit's filth, and endeavored to convince him of it—the mirror, the water, the soap, and the towels, with human tongues, all joined in telling him of it. You have judged the poor Hermit a fool, but what of yourself? His folly was like a molehill—yours is like a mountain. The filth of his body annoyed men only. Your sin and guilt insult God. His filth ended with him in his grave. Yours will stick to you in Hell, beyond the grave. His uncleanness was only for time. Yours will be for eternity, unless you "repent" and be "washed in the blood of the Lamb." The Hermit's filth made him a suitable subject for the water. Does not your sinfulness show you your pressing need of the Savior's precious Blood?
The looking-glass may show a man his unclean face, but it cannot remove an atom of the dirt. It is the "washing" that puts away the filth. So the Lord has set the fountain of precious blood right before your eyes. Oh, do come to Christ! Look up and behold His bleeding wounds! His blood can make the foulest clean. Look at His bleeding brow—He wears that crown of thorns for you! See His bleeding hands—they are wounded for your transgressions! Behold His back, torn with the scourge! By His stripes we are healed. See the nail marks in His feet! Look at His pierced side—see the blood and water flowing! This is the "fountain of blood opened for sin and uncleanness." Come to it, plunge by faith into it, and wash away your sins.
The climax of the Hermit's folly was in the rejection of the means provided for his cleansing. God has richly provided for your guilty soul in the precious blood of Jesus. Take heed that you don't count it an unholy thing, for the crowning of your guilt and woe will be the rejection of the precious blood of Christ, shed to redeem you, to save you, and to wash your sins away. Let me persuade you, dear sinner, to "repent" and "believe," for God has said: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36).
One day the Hermit was found dead in his old wagon. He died in his filth. Sinner, will you die in your sins? Jesus said: "If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins." John 8:2424I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. (John 8:24). And besides, the Lord will soon come back again in the "clouds of heaven, with power and great glory." I beseech you to be ready—"washed!" "white!" and "waiting!" "For in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh." The Lord says, "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." Rev. 16:1515Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. (Revelation 16:15). "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels." Rev. 3:55He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (Revelation 3:5).