Part 5
884. "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). The reason why many men's hearts tremble and are so full of fears and doubts, is because they do not make thorough work in their souls; they do not put the question home, whether they have grace or not, an interest in Christ or not. They do not rise with all their strength against sin, nor with all their power to serve the
Lord, and therefore fears and doubts always compass them round about.
885. The conversion of the thief upon the cross is an example without a promise. It is an example of late repentance, but where is there a promise to late repentance? O sinner, remember it is not examples, but promises, that are foundations for faith to rest on. For, consider, as one of the dying malefactors was saved to teach sinners not to despair, so the other was damned to teach them not to presume. Oh, think seriously of this, and the Lord make you wise for eternity.
886. Satan watches the Christian's motions, so that he cannot turn into his closet, or creep into any place to converse privately with his God, but he follows hard at his heels, and will be continually injecting into the soul, or else objecting one thing or another against the soul. A Christian is as well able to tell the stars of heaven, and to number up the sands of the sea, as he is able to reckon the many devices that Satan uses to obstruct the soul's private addresses to God.
887. Faith is one of those glorious ingredients which must make every sermon and every truth work for the soul's advantage. Nothing will conduce to a believer's good and gain, if his graces be asleep.
888. Self is the only oil that makes the chariot wheels of the hypocrite move in religious concerns. They are like blazing stars, which, so long as they are fed with vapors, shine as fixed stars; but let the vapors dry up, and soon they vanish and disappear.
889. Is not the soul more than raiment, more than friends, more than life, yea, more than all? Then why do you not labor to enrich your soul? 'Twere better to have a rich soul under a threadbare coat, than a threadbare soul under a golden garment. If he be a monster among men, who makes liberal provisions for his servant or his slave, and starves his wife, what a monster is he who makes much
provision for his baser part, but none for his nobler nature friends, a slothful heart in the things of God is a very heavy judgment.
890. Company and allurements to sin will be found no sufficient excuse for sin. If Eve lay her fault on the serpent, and Adam lay his upon Eve, God will take it off, and lay a curse on both. It is in vain for the bird to complain that it saw the corn, but not the pitfall. The God of spirits and of all flesh will not be put off with any excuses or pretenses when he shall try and judge the children of men.
891. As there is no mercy too great for God to give, so there is no mercy too little for us to crave. Certainly that man hath little worth to him, who thinks any mercy not worth a seeking.
892. As long as there is fuel in the heart for a temptation, we cannot be secure. He that has gunpowder about him, bad need keep far enough off from sparks; he that is either tender of his credit abroad, or comfort at home, had need shun the very shadow of sin; and he that would t neither wound conscience or credit, God or the gospel, had need hate the garments spotted with the flesh.
893. God lades the wings of private prayer with the sweetest, choicest, and chiefest blessings. Ah! how often hath God kissed the poor Christian at the beginning of private prayer, spoken peace to him in the midst of his prayer, and filled him with light, joy, and assurance upon its close!
894. Secret duties shall have open rewards. "Thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." Ah, Christians, did you really believe and seriously dwell on this, you would walk more thankfully, more cheerfully, suffer more patiently, fight against the world, the flesh, and the devil more courageously, lay out yourselves for God, his interest and glory, more freely, live upon what Providence hath given you for your portion more quietly and contentedly, and certainly you would be in private prayer more frequently and abundantly.
895. There is no other name, no other nature, no other blood, no other merits, no other persons to be justified and saved by, but Jesus Christ. All the tears in the world cannot wipe off one sin, nor can all the grace and holiness that is in angels and men purchase the pardon of the least transgression. All remission is only by the blood of Jesus Christ.
896. Consider the worth and excellency of souls. A soul is a spiritual, immortal substance; it is capable of the knowledge of God, of union with God, of communion with God, and of a blessed and happy fruition of God. Christ left his Father's bosom for the good of souls; he assumed man's nature for the salvation of men's souls; Christ prayed for souls, he wept for souls, he bled for souls, he hung on the cross for souls, he trod the wine-press of the Father's wrath for souls, he died for souls, he rose again from death for souls, he ascended for souls, he intercedes for souls, and all the glorious preparations he has been making in heaven these sixteen hundred years are for souls.
897. Remember, that the good works which Jesus Christ will reward at last are supernatural works; they are the works of God, wrought from God, for God, in God, according to God. They are works that flow from supernatural principles, and they are directed to supernatural ends, and performed in a supernatural way. Now, the sooner a man begins to be good, the more he will abound in these good works, and, doubtless, the greater reward shall he have in heaven. But it must not be forgotten that the best works of hypocrites, and all men out of Christ, are but fair and shining sins, beautiful abominations.
897. Natural and moral endowments will enable men to do much, but grace will teach them to do ten thousand times more. There is no work too high or too hard for souls rich in grace; they are choice instruments in the Lord's hands, to do him service, and bring down blessings upon all around them.
898. Chilo, one of the seven sages, being asked what was the hardest thing in the world to be done, answered, "To use and employ time well."
899. Ah, young men and women, remember death is oftentimes sudden in his approaches, and you had need therefore to be prepared to meet him. Nothing more sure than death. Nothing more uncertain than life; therefore, turn from your sins, lay hold on the Lord, and make peace with him, so that you may never have to say, as Caesar Borgia said when he was sick unto death, "When I lived, I provided for everything but death; now I must die, and am unprepared!"
900. Youth is the age of folly, of vain hopes, and overgrown confidence. How wise many might have been had they not been wise in their own opinion too early! Lean not to great parts, lean not to natural or acquired accomplishments, lest you lose them and yourselves too. It was.an excellent saying of St. Austin, 'He who stands upon his own strength shall never stand." Ah, young men, if you must needs be leaning, lean upon precious promises, lean upon the rock that is higher than yourselves, lean upon the Lord Jesus Christ, as John did, who was the youngest of all the disciples. John leaned much, and Christ loved him much. Oh! lean upon Christ's wisdom for direction, upon his righteousness for justification, upon his blood for remission, and upon his all-sufficient merits for salvation.
901. As a body without a soul, much wood without fire, or a bullet in a gun without powder, so are words in prayer without the spirit of prayer.
902. There is no way under heaven to be interested in Christ, but by believing. He That Believeth shall be saved, let his sins.be ever so great; and he that believeth not shall be damned, let his sins be ever so little.
The End.
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Smooth Stones Taken From Ancient Brooks, by C. H. Spurgeon, Copyright © 2021
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