“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

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“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

Paul – His Cloak and His Books 

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You who are King of kings and Lord of lords, we worship You. Before Jehovah’s awful throne we bow with sacred joy.

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Where is Your Journey’s End?

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…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

At All Times, A Christian

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“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me… – Galatians 2:20

A true Christian cannot shake off his character. He is really what he is: he always must be a Christian. I heard the other day of a certain Scotch moderate minister, who being much provoked by a person in his parish, said, “If I were not a minister, I would give you a sound thrashing, sir;” and when he was further irritated, he took off his coat and said, “There is the minister-there he lies “-he was then in his shirt sleeves-“there is the minister, and I am only So-and-so, and will give you your due,” and proceeded at once to give the man a sound thrashing. It is just possible the man may have deserved it, that is not to my point; but if a man can say, “There lies the minister,” or, when you take off your cloth coat to-night, if you can say, “There lies the member of the Church:” If you, good women, when you get off your gowns, can say, as you hang up your best attire in the wardrobe, “There goes the Christian,” then you have no religion at all, you have none whatever worth having; you have the faith of devils that will damn you, but not the faith of Christians that will save you. It is not a religious coat, but a renewed heart: I pray you keep this at all times on your mind, “Now I am accepted; now I am saved: how can such a man as I do such a thing? ‘How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?'” Mordecai once wore the king’s robe, but he soon put it off, because he was not really a king; and thus do many act who wear the garb of religion in the house of God but cast it off when they go home. When Lord Burleigh, Queen Elizabeth’s councillor, reached his home, he was so little pleased with the cares of state, that taking off his robe, he threw it down, saying, “Lay there, Lord Chancellor.” Ah! how irksome must some men’s religion be to them, and how cheerfully would they lay aside its restraints! but you, who are really the Lord’s, will, I trust, feel your faith to be your constant help, and your profession your perpetual honor. You will not, you cannot, sin, because you are born of God. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

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