Sovereignty of God

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

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

Our Present Privileges

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God 3 Comments

Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. – Song of Songs 4:7

At this very moment, I, a believer in Christ, am completely pardoned; no spot of sin remains on me if I believe in Jesus. White as the newly fallen snow is every soul that has been washed in the precious blood. Think of this delightful truth, desponding Christian, and let your countenance be no more sad. Your eye of faith is dim, your evidences are very slender, your graces are at a low ebb, but you are completely forgiven, absolved and acquitted at this moment, if your soul rests upon the Rock of Ages. You are completely justified at this moment, despite your sins. Wearing your Savior’s righteousness, you stand all beauteous in the eye of God at this very moment: the words of Solomon to the spouse are the words of Christ to you, though you are vexed with a thousand cares, “Thou art all fair my love: there is no spot in thee.” Covered with His righteousness and washed in His blood, even the pure and holy eyes of God can find no fault in thee, and, as a consequence of this, thou art this moment accepted. “He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel.” “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?” God doth not look upon thee with any anger. Though thy heart may be struggling and tormented with sin, yet if thou art resting upon God’s Son, the love of God is flowing out to thee in a stream which never can be stayed. Think of this sweet thought, and let thy soul be filled with the perfume of it. Loved of God now, the object of the almighty affection of the blessed One art thou now. Nay, more than this, thou art not only accepted, but thou art in union with Christ now. Beloved believer, canst thou realize it? Thou art a member of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. There is a vital union at this instant between you and the Lord of glory; the life-blood flows from Him, the head, to thee; and at this moment; whether in thy worst state of feeling or thy best, thou art now one with Jesus, by eternal union, one. I would to God we realized our present privileges. We are thinking about the heaven that is to come and forgetting the heaven below. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

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

The Christian’s Proper Place

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God, The Holy Spirit Leave a comment

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. – Galatians 2:20

As a believer, it is well for the Christian to live in the present. I say, as a believer, for, alas! there is a temptation to make our faith a thing of the past. It is nearly sixteen years since I first looked to the crucified Redeemer, and was lightened, and my face was not ashamed. Is there a temptation in me to say the faith which I exercised in Christ in my youthful days has saved me, and therefore I am now in a different position from what I was then, and need not feel now as I did at first? If there be such a temptation, let me shake it off as a man would shake off the deadly sleep of frozen climes; let me feel myself to be still in myself just what I was, a sinner loathsome, undeserving, ill-deserving, hell-deserving.

The proper place of a Christian is never to get one inch beyond this-a monument of grace, a sinner saved by blood. I live in Jesus, on Jesus, for Jesus, with Jesus, and hope soon to be perfectly conformed to His likeness. Let me recollect that if there could be a moment in which my soul might stand out of Christ, no longer leaning upon Him, and no longer covered with His righteousness, that very moment I must be condemned; for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, but there is a terrible condemnation against every soul that is out of Him…None but Jesus: this must be our watchword at the gates of death, and we must enter heaven with it. As we have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so must we walk in Him: He must be Alpha and Omega, beginning and end, author and finisher, first and last. As believers, let us, by God the Holy Spirit’s grace, keep our trust just where it was at first, in Him whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation for our sins. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

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

A Time Accepted

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

For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. – 2 Corinthians 6:2

Jesus’ sighs, and tears, and bloody sweat in the garden of Gethsemane did not fall unheeded; like the blood of Abel, they cried from the ground, and were heard acceptably above; an answer was given: this was plainly proved by the descent of the angel to strengthen the Savior; so the prophetic words add, “In a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee.” The apostle infers from this, that inasmuch as God hath accepted Christ, the representative of His people, He hath thereby ushered in an era of acceptance. Acceptance given to the Savior is, in the apostle’s view, acceptance given to sinners. Inasmuch as Christ is heard-He prayed not for Himself, but for us-there is therefore an accepted time for us begun and commenced from the day when Christ went up to the tree, stretched His hands to the nails, bowed His head to death, and said, “It is finished.” Paraphrase the text thus: ” I have heard Jesus, the surety, in an acceptable time; in the day of salvation have I succoured Him, the mighty Savior; and therefore, to you, My people, to you, poor lost and wandering sinners, to you, now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation.” If Christ had not died, there had never been a day of salvation. If Christ had not been heard and accepted, an accepted time there never could have come to us; but since He, man’s representative, hath obtained favor in the eyes of God, and through His complete work, hath for ever settled that favor upon Himself, there is favor in the heart of God to those whom Christ represented, even to those transgressors for whom He maketh intercession. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

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