promises

Threescore Valiant Men

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

Behold his bed, which is Solomon’s; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel. – Song of Songs 3:7

“Threescore valiant men are about it.” There are always enough men chosen of God to guard the Church. Poor Unbelief holds up her hands and cries-“Ah! the good men are all dead; Zion is under a cloud; the Lord hath taken away the great men; we have no valiant defenders of the faith, none such as this crisis may require!” Ah! Unbelief, let the Lord say unto thee as He did unto Elias-“Yet have I left me seven-thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal.” There shall be just as many warriors as the crisis shall require. We do not know where the men are to come from, but the Lord will provide. There may be sitting in the Sunday school to-day a child who shall one day shake this nation from one end to the other; there may be even here, unknown, obscure, and unobserved, the man whom God will make strong to rebuke the infamous infidelity of our age. We know not where the anointing rests. We, in our folly, would anoint Eliab or Abinadab, but God hath chosen David, the shepherd’s boy, and He will bring him forth and teach him how to hurl the stone at Goliath’s brow. Tremble not, neither be ye afraid; God who makes man and makes man’s mouth, will find the sixty men when the sixty shall be needed. “The Lord gave the word, great was the company of them that published it.” The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0482.cfm

The Protectors of His Church

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

Behold his bed, which is Solomon’s; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel. They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. – Song of Songs 3:7,8

Of course when travelling through a wilderness, a royal procession was always in danger of attack…wandering Bedouins were always prepared to fall upon the caravan; and more especially was this the case with a marriage procession, because then the robbers might expect to obtain many jewels, or, if not, a heavy ransom for the redemption of the bride or bridegroom by their friends. What shall I say of the attacks which have been made upon the Church of Christ, and upon Christ Himself? They have been incessant. When one form of evil has been routed, another has presented itself. Evil teems with children. The frogs and lice of Egypt were not more numerous than the enemies of the Lord’s anointed and His Bride. Every day produces new battles. These attacks arise from all quarters; sometimes from the world, and sometimes, alas! from even professed members of the Church. Adversaries lurk everywhere, and until the Church and her Lord shall be revealed in the splendor of the Millennium, having left the wilderness for ever, we must expect to find her molested on every side. My dear brethren, we know that Christ’s cause in the world is always safe because of divine protection, and because the legions of God’s angels keep watch and ward over the saints. But we have something more tangible than this. Our gracious God has been pleased to commit unto men the ministry of Christ. “Unto the angels hath He not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.” The Lord ordaineth that chosen men should be the protectors of His Church; not that they have any power as of themselves to do anything, but He girdeth the weak with strength and maketh the feeble mighty; so then, men, even the sons of men stand in array around the travelling palanquin of Christ, to guard both the Bridegroom and the Bride. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0482.cfm

The Sweet Odours of the Church

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, prayer, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant? – Song of Songs 3:6

Our inspired poet describes the travelling procession of the royal pair and fails not to dwell upon the delightful perfume of myrrh and frankincense, with all the powders of the merchant, which make the wilderness smell as a garden of roses. Wherever the Church of Christ proceeds, though her pathway is a desert, though she marches through a howling wilderness, she scatters the richest perfume. The page of history were only worthy to be blotted in oblivion were it not for the sweet odours which the Church has left upon it. Look at all past ages, and the track of the Church is still redolent with all the richest fragrance of human virtue and divine grace. Wherever the Church advances she makes manifest the savor of the knowledge of Christ in every place! Men believe in Jesus, and unto the Lord faith has all the fragrance of myrrh. They love Jesus; and love in the esteem of heaven is better than frankincense. Loving Christ they endeavor to be like Him, till patience, humility, brotherly-kindness, truthfulness, and all things that are honest, lovely, and of good repute, like “powders of the merchant,” are spread abroad throughout the whole earth…If you would find an antidote for the deadly exhalations which lurk among this world’s deserts of sin, if you would destroy the foul pestilence which reigns in the darkness of heathenism, of Popery, and of infidelity, cry unto the Mighty One-“Arise, Thou unknown traveler, arise, and bid Thy servants carry Thee into the midst of all this misery and death! The light of Thy flaming torches shall scatter the darkness, and the burning of Thy precious perfumes shall say unto evil- ‘Fold thy wings!’ and unto the pestilence of sin- ‘Get thee back unto thy den!'” Ride on, Great Prince, and bear Thy Spouse with Thee in Thy majestic chariot, till Thou hast lit the world with Thy divine light, and hast made it a temple filled with a cloud of incense of sweet smell to the nostrils of Jehovah! ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0482.cfm

“Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness?”

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, Sovereignty of God 1 Comment

Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant? – Song of Songs 3:6

“Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?” The equipage excites the attention of the on-looker; his curiosity is raised, and he asks, “Who is this?” Now, in the first progress of the Christian Church, in her very earliest days, there were persons who marvelled greatly; and though they set down the wonders of the day of Pentecost to drunkenness, yet “they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?” In after years, many a heathen philosopher said, “What is this new power which is breaking the idols in pieces, changing old customs, making even thrones unsafe-what is this?” By-and-bye, in the age of the Reformation, there were cowled monks, cardinals in their red hats, and bishops, and princes, and emperors, who all said, “What is this? What strange doctrine has come to light?” In the times of the modern reformation, a century ago, when God was pleased to revive His Church through the instrumentality of Whitfield and his brethren, there were many who said, “What is this new enthusiasm, this Methodism? Whence came it, and what power is this which it wields?” And, doubtless, whenever God shall be pleased to bring forth His Church in power, and to make her mighty among the sons of men, the ignorance of men will be discovered breaking forth in yonder, for they will say, “Who is this?” Spiritual religion is as much a novelty now as in the day when Grecian sages scoffed at it on Mars’ Hill. The true Church of God is a stranger and pilgrim still; an alien and a foreigner in every land; a speckled bird; a dove in the midst of ravens; a lily among thorns. The ignorance of men concerning spiritual things is not, however, caused by the darkness of the things themselves, for Christ and His Church are the great lights of the world. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0482.cfm

Christ and His True Church

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises Leave a comment

“Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant? Behold his bed, which is Solomon’s; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel. They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem. Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.”- Song of Songs 3:6-11

The portion of the blessed canticle now before us is, we think, descriptive of the progress of the hidden Christ through the world. He has been borne along, in very truth, but He Himself has been so little perceived of men, that they even ask the question, “Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness?” He is not now manifested openly to men. If any should say, “Lo here!” or “Lo there! this is Christ!” believe them not, for Christ is not as yet seen. When He doth come He shall be as perceptible as the lightning’s flash, which every man’s eye discerneth without the need of an instructor. So, also, with His true Church. She also is hidden like her Lord, and though her hand, her foot, or her face may be sometimes seen, yet the whole elect body has never yet been beheld. If any say, “Lo, here is the Church of Christ!” or “Lo there!” believe them not, for it is a fact that there is no corporation of men of which we can say exclusively or even universally, “Lo, this is the Church of Christ.” There are tares growing with the wheat in the best guarded field, and on the other hand no one enclosure contains all the wheat. The true Church of Christ is scattered here and there, it is found amongst all denominations, and there is not one denomination of which you can say, “This only is the Church of Christ, or all its members belong to the body of Christ’s spouse.” Just now the mystical Bride is in a certain sense as invisible as her Husband. Behold, then, the betrothed ones carried through the world in the sumptuous chariot… – C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0482.cfm

Where is Your Journey’s End?

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, promises, repentance, salvation, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. – 2 Corinthians 6:2

When the express trains first began to run to Scotland, there was seen at the station, one evening, a gentleman tall and thin, whose cheek had the consumptive mark upon it. The porters asked him several questions about his luggage, of which there was a good deal, and when he had been asked several times by different persons, another came up and said, “Where are you going, sir?” Being of short temper, and in great haste, he said, “To hell!” A servant of Christ passed by that moment and heard the answer. He sought to get in the same carriage, and did so, but at the other end of it; and this gentleman was talking very freely to different persons upon common topics, and the man thought, “I will get a word in if I can.” So, he joined in the general tenor of the conversation till they alighted at a refreshment station, when, taking the opportunity, he said to the gentleman, “When do you expect to get to the end of your journey?” “Oh,” said he, “I am going to cross at such-and-such a town by the boat to-night, and hope to get to my journey’s end about twelve o’clock to-morrow morning.” The man said, “I think you misunderstand my question. You said when the porter asked you where you were going to, that you were going to a very different place.” “Ah! yes, I recollect I did,” said the gentleman, “but I am sometimes very hasty.” The other said to him, ” Was it true? Are you going to hell? If so, when do you expect to get there?” And he began to talk to him about that sickness which he could see so certainly in his cheek, and warned him that unless he sought another road, and fled to Christ, the only refuge, he would certainly reach that dreadful end. There are some in this place, who if they were labelled as to where they are going, would have to be directed “to hell.” You know that this is the case. And when will you get to your journey’s end?

Lord, make me ready to go to heaven, give me now to trust the Savior that I may live. May God bless these feeble words of mine to His glory and your profit. Amen. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0603.cfm

The Mischief of “Tomorrow”

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, promises, repentance, salvation, Sovereignty of God, the unbelieving life Leave a comment

… behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. – 2 Corinthians 6:2

The great mischief of most men is that they procrastinate. It is not that they resolve to be damned, but that they resolve to be saved to-morrow. It is not that they reject Christ for ever, but that they reject Christ to-day; and truly they might as well reject Him for ever, as continue perpetually to reject Him “now.” Sinner, let me put thy “now” before thee as a man. Thou must soon pass away and be forgotten, like the flowers that withered in autumn, and the insects which flitted through the summer hours. Now, then, is thy time to think about eternity, and to prepare thyself to meet thy God. “See to your business first, James,” said a careful father-“get a good trade, and after that, look to your religion.” There spake a fool, who knew not that infinite wisdom has commanded, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Wouldst thou give God the fag-end of thy life? Take care lest thou have no old age at all; for many candles are blown out as soon as lit. Wouldst thou, as a lamb, be Satan’s? and when thou art withered and worn out, shall the lean skeleton of tottering weakness be brought and laid upon the altar? Be it not so; let thy flower be plucked in the bud and put into the hand of Jesus. God grant thee grace to seek Him, for the promise is, “They that seek Me early shall find Me.” As a man, I charge thee, since there is only a “day of salvation” before the sun goes down and the black night of eternal ruin shall come upon thee, lay hold upon the hope that is set before thee… If you trust Christ now, you will be accepted: if now you are enabled to throw yourself simply into the hands of Christ, now is the accepted time between God and you. The moment a sinner trusts in Christ, he is saved, and if thou trustest Him now, it is the day of salvation to thee. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0603.cfm