Sermon Of The Week: “Christ in the Covenant”

By / Apr 24

Are you in need of encouragement today? Are you looking for a truth that provides strength and comfort no matter the difficulties you face? This is what the New Covenant provides for every believer, because the covenant brings us to Christ Himself, and “in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col. 2:9). Spurgeon explains: “Jesus Christ by the covenant is the property of every believer. By this we must understand Jesus Christ in many different senses; and we will begin, first of all, by declaring that Jesus Christ is ours, in all his attributes.” Christ brings us to Himself into the New Covenant through His mediatorial work on the cross, and as the fullness of divinity dwells within Him, He also dwells with and in us.

In Christ, we come to partake of the glories of the new covenant, but Spurgeon here reminds us that we receive nothing greater than Christ Himself, in all his power and glory. United to Christ, what can ever assail or defeat us? Spurgeon encourages us by saying, “you know that [Christ] is omnipotent, and it will console you if you will but think that all these great and glorious attributes which belong to God are all yours. Has he power? That power is yours—yours to support and strengthen you; yours to overcome your enemies, yours to keep you immutably secure.”

Excerpt:

He has the attributes of very God, and he has the attributes of perfect man; and whatever these may be, they are each one of them the perpetual property of every believing child of God. I need not dwell on his attributes as God; you all know how infinite is his love, how vast his grace, how firm his faithfulness, how unswerving his veracity; you know that he is omniscient; you know that he is omnipresent; you know that he is omnipotent, and it will console you if you will but think that all these great and glorious attributes which belong to God are all yours. Has he power? That power is yours—yours to support and strengthen you; yours to overcome your enemies, yours to keep you immutably secure. Has he love? Well, there is not a particle of his love in his great heart, which is not yours; all his love belongs to you; you may dive into the immense, bottomless ocean of his love, and you may say of it all, “it is mine.” Hath he justice? It may seem a stern attribute; but even that is yours, for he will by his justice see to it, that all which is covenanted to you by the oath and promise of God shall be most certainly secured to you.

Read the rest of the sermon here.



Spurgeon’s Plea for Preachers: Leave Room for the Holy Spirit

By / Apr 14

There are many questions that preachers are perennially debating:

  • Should I preach sequentially through books of the Bible, or can I preach in different portions of Scripture from week to week?
  • What tools should I use in my sermon preparation?
  • Should I preach from a manuscript, or an outline, or without any notes?

Of course, there is no one right answer to these questions. To answer them, a preacher will need to wisely consider a number of things: his giftings, his preaching experience, his congregation, how much time he has to prepare, and many other contextual factors. But amid all those factors, Charles Spurgeon would urge preachers to remember one crucial point: Leave room for the Holy Spirit.

The necessity of the Spirit for the ministry

Spurgeon once said this to his students,

To us, as ministers, the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential. Without him our office is a mere name. We claim no priesthood over and above that which belongs to every child of God; but we are the successors of those who, in olden times, were moved of God to declare his word, to testify against transgression, and to plead his cause. Unless we have the spirit of the prophets resting upon us, the mantle which we wear is nothing but a rough garment to deceive… We believe ourselves to be spokesmen for Jesus Christ, appointed to continue his witness upon earth; but upon him and his testimony the Spirit of God always rested, and if it does not rest upon us, we are evidently not sent forth into the world as he was.[1]

It is so easy for ministers to rest upon their education, ministerial titles, preaching experience, etc… Such things can undoubtedly be helpful. But Spurgeon was clear: apart from the Holy Spirit, the pastor has no intrinsic power to accomplish the work to which he is called. Without the Holy Spirit resting upon our labors, our preaching is a sham and not authorized by Christ.

For Spurgeon, it was the necessity of the Spirit for his preaching that shaped how he prepared his sermons.

Selecting a sermon text

Spurgeon did not preach through books of the Bible for many reasons. Long sermon series in one book could prove to be laborious and difficult for his congregation. This was especially the case for him since he tended to preach on a single verse at a time. Preaching on different parts of the Bible week-to-week allowed him to cover more of the Bible, both Old and New Testament, rather than being in an epistle for a decade.

Most of all, however, his main motivation for moving around Scripture was that this created space for the Spirit to lead him week-to-week as he prayerfully selected a text. He explained this practice to his students like this,

I have often said that my greatest difficulty is to fix my mind upon the particular texts which are to be the subjects of discourse, on the following day; or, to speak more correctly, to know what topics the Holy Spirit would have me bring before the congregation. As soon as any passage of Scripture really grips my heart and soul, I concentrate my whole attention upon it…[2]

Notice, rather than making his sermon preparation process easier, he found this practice of determining his sermon text his “greatest difficulty” in his sermon preparation. In part, this was due to him prayerfully waiting on the Spirit to bring him to a passage of Scripture, one that really gripped his “heart and soul.” That’s not to say that Spurgeon was utterly mystical and passive in this process. His prayerful waiting was combined with diligent and thoughtful study. At the same time, however, this practice forced him to look to the Spirit’s leading in this process.

Studying the Scriptures

Once Spurgeon landed on a sermon text, he would begin to study the passage intently.

[I] look at the precise meaning of the original, closely examine the context so as to see the special aspect of the text in its surroundings, and roughly jot down all the thoughts that occur to me concerning the subject, leaving to a later period the orderly marshalling of them for presentation to my hearers.[3]

The first part of Spurgeon’s sermon prep always involved his own prayerful study of the Scriptures, referring back to the original languages, examining the context, and meditating on the text for himself. Though Spurgeon employed all his training and learning in this study of the Scriptures, he knew that ultimately, he was dependent on the Spirit. Prayer was always mingled with his study.

It is in our study-work, in that blessed labor when we are alone with the Book before us, that we need the help of the Holy Spirit. He holds the key of the heavenly treasury, and can enrich us beyond conception; he has the clue of the most labyrinthine doctrine, and can lead us in the way of truth. He can break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron, and give to us the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places. If you study the original, consult the commentaries, and meditate deeply, yet if you neglect to cry mightily unto the Spirit of God your study will not profit you; but; even if you are debarred the use of helps (which I trust you will not be), if you wait upon the Holy Ghost in simple dependence upon his teaching, you will lay hold of very much of the divine meaning.[4]

Only after personal study, would he then consult commentaries and other writings related to the text. Spurgeon once said this to his students about commentaries, “It seems odd, that certain men who talk so much of what the Holy Spirit reveals to themselves, should think so little of what he has revealed to others.”[5] In other words, Spurgeon believed that commentaries and other resources could be useful because the Spirit has been at work throughout church history, illuminating faithful teachers who have gone before us. But even as we use the best of such resources, we must not neglect a “simple dependence upon [the Spirit’s] teaching.” Only the Spirit can bring true insight into His Word.

Delivery

When it came to his sermon notes, earlier in his ministry, Spurgeon tended to write out his sermon in a manuscript. He commended this discipline to younger preachers, that they “may be preserved from a slipshod style.”[6]  But as he grew in experience and practice, he restricted himself to a sermon outline on a double-sided, half-sheet of paper.  This, he found, was the best way for him to bring his sermon preparation into the pulpit but still be extemporaneous in his sermon delivery.

The most arduous and commendable plan is to store your mind with matter upon the subject of discourse, and then to deliver yourself with appropriate words which suggest themselves at the time. This is not extemporaneous preaching; the words are extemporal, as I think they always should be, but the thoughts are the result of research and study.[7]

Spurgeon’s warning against sermon manuscripts is that so often, they tempted the preacher away from a reliance on the Spirit to a mere reading of sermons. Too many preachers in his day thought they could simply buy a sermon and read it. Not only was this not preaching, but such a practice entirely bypassed a dependence on the Spirit.

Their way is this: they prepare their manuscripts very carefully, then read it on the Sunday most sweetly in sotto voce, and so the people go away pleased. But that is not God’s way of preaching. If so, I am sufficient to preach forever, I can buy manuscript sermons for a shilling, that is to say, provided they have been preached fifty times before, but if I use them for the first time the price is a guinea, or more. But that is not the way. Preaching God’s word is not what some seem to think, mere child’s play-a mere business or trade to be taken up by any one. A man ought to feel first that he has a solemn call to it; next, he ought to know that he really possesses the Spirit of God, and that when he speaks there is an influence upon him that enables him to speak as God would have him, otherwise out of the pulpit he should go directly;[8]

The preaching act requires the influence of the Spirit of God upon the preacher. The posture of the preacher in the pulpit should be one of dependence and confidence in God’s help rather than reliance on a piece of paper. For Spurgeon, having a simple outline forced his prayerful dependence on the Spirit each time he entered the pulpit.

In our pulpits we need the spirit of dependence to be mixed with that of devotion, so that all along, from the first word to the last syllable, we may be looking up to the strong for strength. It is well to feel that though you have continued up to the present point, yet if the Holy Spirit were to leave you, you would play the fool ere the sermon closed. Looking to the hills whence cometh your help all the sermon through, with absolute dependence upon God, you will preach in a brave, confident spirit all the while.[9]

Concluding Reflections

The takeaway principle is this: when it comes to your sermon preparation process, leave room for the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps your normal practice is to preach through books of the Bible. That’s great! There are many good reasons for doing so. But with that baseline established, how can you leave room for the Spirit? Certainly, this will mean prayerfully considering which book of the Bible you will preach next. It may also mean depending on the Spirit’s leading as you divide up sermon texts. It may mean not finishing an entire book in every series but leaving off a series in an appropriate spot and moving on to other parts of the Bible. Even as you preach through books of the Bible, don’t forget to leave room for the Spirit’s leading.

What about preachers who have made it a habit to jump around the Bible, like Spurgeon? How can they leave room for the Spirit in their sermon prep process? Well, in addition to following Spurgeon’s example in prayerfully waiting for the Spirit to lead them a text from week to week, they may also want to consider preaching short series through larger portions of the Bible. One of the disadvantages of not working through larger portions of Scripture is that we often neglect unfamiliar, difficult, Spirit-inspired texts, like the Levitical laws, Jesus’ teaching on marriage and divorce, the minor prophets, apocalyptic visions, and much more. Those texts are as much the Word of God as your favorite texts! Could it be that jumping throughout the Bible is actually you preaching on your favorite passages rather than preaching the whole counsel of God? How might rely on the Spirit as you venture to preach all of Scripture?

As far as sermon preparation resources, this principle should guide our study. Most of all, our sermon prep would be characterized by prayerful dependence on the Spirit and careful study and meditation of His Word. Before we turn to any outside resource, we should turn first to the Spirit for help. And when it is time to turn to other resources, they should never be a substitute for the Spirit, but they should be a part of our dependence on the Spirit. This is why modern sermon prep tools like sermon research services and A. I. should be used carefully and sparingly, if at all: they do not foster prayerful dependence on the Spirit. They are often shortcuts to our own sermon preparation and will tempt us to rely on them rather than the Spirit’s help.

When it comes to the outline versus manuscript debate, each preacher will have to figure out what works best for him. But the principle remains: how can you leave room for the Holy Spirit? For one preacher, having a prepared manuscript will be helpful in curbing his own personality and facilitating a humble, Spirit-dependent delivery of the Word. For another preacher, having a simple outline will help cultivate a greater dependence on the Spirit as he delivers his sermon without a manuscript to fall back on. Spurgeon recognized that both forms of preaching can be Spirit-filled. He pointed out that the Spirit can work as much through a Jonathan Edwards, who preached while “holding the manuscript close to his eye,” as a George Whitefield, who preached extemporaneously and “the Spirit came like lightning from the skies.”[10] What made the difference was their prayerful dependence on the Spirit in their preaching.

Brothers, how will you leave room for the Holy Spirit in your preaching?

If we had not believed in the Holy Ghost we should have laid down our ministry long ere this, for” who is sufficient for these things?” Our hope of success, and our strength for continuing the service, lie in our belief that the Spirit of the Lord resteth upon us.[11]

[1] Lectures 2:3.

[2] Autobiography 4:66.

[3] Autobiography 4:66.

[4] Lectures 2:4-5.

[5] Commenting and Commentaries, 1.

[6] Lectures 1:153.

[7] Lectures 1:153.

[8] NPSP Vol. 1, Sermon No. 26 “The Two Effects of the Gospel”

[9] Lectures 2:10.

[10] MTP Vol. 9, Sermon No. 511, “Pentecost.”

[11] Lectures 2:1.



Sermon Of The Week: “Vile Ingratitude”

By / Apr 9

Sometimes as Christians, we are tempted to think that sin is less serious for the Christian than for the non-Christian. Since our sins are forgiven and Christ has paid for them, we think they don’t really matter anymore. But in this sermon, Spurgeon shows from Scripture that the opposite is true: Sin is even more serious for the Christian. After all, remember what you were and the amazing grace that God has shown you “Yet there we were, dying, nay dead, rotten, corrupted, so abominable that it might well be said, ‘Bury this dead one out, of my sight,’ when Jehovah passed by and he said unto us, ‘live.’” By His cleansing, regenerating power, we have been saved. How can we turn back to sin?

In light of God’s grace, for a Christian to turn to sin is a greater offense than for a non-Christian to do the same. “Ah! my brethren, I do think if there be any difference, the sins of disciples of Christ are a thousand times worse than the sins of unbelievers, because they sin against a gospel of love, a covenant of mercy; against sweet experience and against precious promises.” This reality must forever push us away from sin to walk in the goodness, grace, and love of God. We must not live in “vile ingratitude”, but as thankful servants who have been saved from just, eternal punishment.

Excerpt:

Hath the Lord loved us, though there was nothing in our birth or parentage to invite regard or merit esteem? Then surely every sin that we commit now, is aggravated by that sovereign choice, that infinite compassion that doated upon us, though our birth was vile, and our original base. Didst thou take me from the dunghill, O my God, and do I sin against thee? Didst thou take the beggar in his rags and lift him up to make him sit among thy sons and daughters, the very blood-royal of heaven? And has that beggar afterwards become a rebel against thee? Oh sin, thou art an accursed thing indeed! When I think of that grace which has thus honored the dishonorable, exalted the mean things of this world, and saved creatures that were the offscouring of creation, how I blush for the ingratitude that can forget such tender obligations, and do despite to such extraordinary unmerited goodness!

Read the rest of the sermon here.



Sermon Of The Week: “The Peculiar Sleep of the Beloved”

By / Mar 27

Have you ever considered the gift that sleep is? “Sleep, sleep, my child; I give thee sleep.” Spurgeon teaches that such is the blessing which the Lord grants to His beloved. From Psalm 127:2, he conveys that the gift of sleep is a tangibly sweet blessing of God which ought to be enjoyed and appreciated, not disregarded as an unnecessary luxury. He explains that it is fruitless to strain oneself by staying awake late or rising early, for one truly needs God’s blessed sleep for the rejuvenation of their beings. Taking rest is how the Lord has created us to function, and it should be received as a gift for which we remain constantly grateful.

In talking of this blessed sleep, Spurgeon remarks that it is made so as the beloved of God has a clear conscience, is content in the Lord, and does not worry about the future. These are gifts which God grants in order to supply rest to His people. He further says that the unbeliever does not fully experience this sleep, since it is rather a sleep which is given to the saved, God’s beloved. “But a quiet conscience is the sweetest music that can lull the soul to sleep. The demon of restlessness does not come to that man’s bed who has a quiet conscience — a conscience right with God […] ‘So he giveth his beloved sleep.’” Such true rest can only be found in Christ.

Excerpt:

It is God alone, who alike seals up the sea boy’s eyes upon the giddy mast, and gives the monarch rest: for with all appliances and means to boot, he could not rest without the aid of God. It is God who steeps the mind in lethe, and bids us slumber, that our bodies may be refreshed, so that for to-morrow’s toil we may rise recruited and strengthened. O my friends, how thankful should we be for sleep. Sleep is the best physician that I know of. Sleep hath healed more pains of wearied bones than the most eminent physicians upon earth. It is the best medicine; the choicest thing of all the names which are written in all the lists of pharmacy. There is nothing like to sleep! What a mercy it is that it belongs alike to all! God does not make sleep the boon of the rich man, he does not give it merely to the noble, or the rich, so that they can keep it as a peculiar luxury for themselves; but he bestows it upon all. Yea, if there be a difference, the sleep of the labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much. He who toils, sleeps all the sounder for his toil. While luxurious effeminacy cannot rest, tossing itself from side to side upon a bed of eider down, the hard-working labourer, with his strong and powerful limbs, worn out and tired, throws himself upon his hard couch and sleeps: and waking, thanks God that he has been refreshed. Ye know not, my friends, how much ye owe to God, that he gives you rest at night. If ye had sleepless nights, ye would then value the blessing.

Read the rest of the sermon here.



Just As Near to Heaven: The Death of Annie Dunn

By / Mar 19

Annie Dunn loved her church. She was the daughter of J. T. Dunn, an elder at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. Under Spurgeon’s preaching, it was in the church that she came to hear the gospel of grace and love her Savior. Eventually, she professed her faith in Christ through baptism and joined the church. Now, as a member of the church, she participated in the ministries of the church. She joined a women’s Bible class. She gave generously to the work of the orphanage. And it was in the church prayer meetings that she heard about the growing work of China Inland Mission, under Hudson Taylor. There, she grew in her passion to see Christ’s name glorified among the lost.

Now, as a young woman, she was engaged to be married to a graduate of the Pastors’ College, Arthur Huntley, and together they were accepted to join Hudson Taylor and the work at China Inland Mission. They were commissioned by the church on August 5, 1889. The Sword and the Trowel gives an account of their commissioning service at a Monday night prayer meeting:

China next occupied our thoughts and prayers. In introducing the subject, the Pastor reminded us of Brother Stubbs, of Patna, who asked that, whenever we had rice on the table, we would pray for him; and said that it would be a good thing if we prayed for China every time we drank a cup of tea. He then referred to a letter received that morning from Brother Macoun, who left some months ago for China, and who begged earnestly for many more labourers for that great harvest-field. Mr. George Clarke, who has been labouring there for fourteen years, and who is shortly going back to his loved work, gave us some striking statistics to illustrate the fewness of the missionaries and the vastness of the population amongst which they labour… There was much more said at the meeting, for which we have not space; and, truly, it was good to be there. Before closing, the Pastor shook hands with Mr. and Mrs. Clarke, and their little boy, and Miss Dunn, the daughter of Elder J. T. Dunn, who is going out to labour in connection with the China Inland Mission, and to be married to our Brother Huntley; and after bidding them farewell, in the name of the whole assembly, commended them to the Lord in prayer.[1]

The engaged couple boarded a ship for Chin-kiang, China, with plans to be married after they were settled in China. On their arrival, they began the hard work of learning the language and culture. Arthur used his medical training to build relationships with locals. Annie began a Sunday school for children. In their short time with her, these five students grew to love their teacher.

But soon disaster struck. Annie came down with smallpox. Only eight months after her arrival, she was seriously ill, and there was little the doctors could do for her. Arthur records her last days in his diary.

She was suffering intensely, and longed to go. I prayed, “LORD Jesus, if it be Thy will to take dear Annie home, do so speedily.” “Amen,” she whispered fervently, “I want to go home.” … She was wonderfully thoughtful for those who attended to her. She knew I had watched by her all night, and said, “Arthur, you had better go to bed, you must be so tired.” And after a little she said, “Tell your dear mother I love her so much.” … Presently, she repeated each name in her family, father, mother, Alice, Alfred, Jessie, Willie, and the darling little ones, Charlie, Lizzie, Alfred, and Sarah.

“I would like to work with you, Arthur, but you will give me up, won’t you, dear?” Don’t cry. ‘Praise Him for all that is past, and trust Him for all that’s to come.’ ‘Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.’” “Not lost,” I answered. “No,” she whispered.

“I hope you will not take this [the disease]. LORD Jesus, come quickly. I wish He would come; He’s a long time coming.”

…

“Are you in pain now?” I asked. “Yes, a great deal.”

“But are you resting in the Lord?” I continued. “Yes, and waiting,” She said.

“Are you sorry you ever came to China?” I asked.

“No, very glad; it’s just as near to heaven.”

…

Presently she said, “Darling mother, darling father, you’ll give me up for China and for JESUS, won’t you? Dear mother, dear father, don’t cry.” Her mind often reverted to her happy home, and the names, “father,” “mother,” often rested sacredly upon her lips.

“Don’t fret, Arthur,” she said. “I don’t think I shall,” I replied; “you can trust me with JESUS, can you not?” “I can trust JESUS with you,” she replied.[2]

Annie Dunn died of smallpox on May 17, 1890. She was buried the next day in the British Cemetery at Chin-kiang. One of her students “was deeply moved and wept sorrowfully,” laying a beautiful wreath at her grave.

The members of the Metropolitan Tabernacle grieved to hear the news. Spurgeon published the following announcement in The Sword and the Trowel, “Our esteemed elder, J. T. Dunn, and his family, have our sincere sympathy in the bereavement they have sustained through the death of his daughter, Annie. Less than a year ago she went out to China, as a missionary of the China Inland Mission, and now she is ‘for ever with the Lord.’”

Earlier that spring, Annie had written a letter back to her home church, which was read at their annual Pastors’ College Conference. In it, she gave a stirring charge to future pastors and missionaries:

It has been for years my happy privilege to attend some of the meetings, and although I should like, if it were possible, to do so again this year, day by day I grow increasingly thankful for the reason which prevents me from doing this, and being in my accustomed place at the Tabernacle on the Lord’s-day. I cannot describe to you what a blank it seemed when first cut off from all the happy associations, especially from your ministry, which has for so long been such a blessing to my soul. Before coming to China, I knew a little of the needs of the heathen; but had I ever realized how great were the darkness and degradation, my seat at the Tabernacle would long since have had another occupant. I am praying very earnestly that many of our members may, this year, be led to obey the command of our Lord, ‘Go ye into all the world’; and consecrate their lives to his service, and thus hasten the coming of his kingdom. Out of a church of over five thousand members, how few, comparatively speaking, have done this! Hundreds of souls, in this land alone, who have never heard the name of Jesus, are perishing daily.[3]

It had been hard for Annie to leave her spiritual family behind. Those first few months on the mission field were especially difficult. But when she saw “how great were the darkness and degradation” in China, she was glad she had left her seat at the Tabernacle and given her life to proclaim Christ to the perishing. As she lay dying, Arthur asked her, “Are you sorry you ever came to China?” “No, very glad,” was her answer, “it’s just as near to heaven.”

Annie’s letter was published in The Sword and the Trowel after her death, along with Spurgeon’s concluding charge, “Who will respond to the call that comes from our sister’s grave in China? … The Lord support the bereaved one, and make up to his church the many gaps which death continues to make!”

[1] The Sword and the Trowel, 1889, 531.

[2] China’s Millions, 1890, 117.

[3] The Sword and the Trowel, 1890, 462.



Spurgeon’s Love of Hymns and Poetry

By / Mar 14

This edited excerpt comes from Christ Our All: Poems for the Christian Pilgrim, a never-before-published collection of Spurgeon’s private devotional poems. For a limited time, download a free copy here.

Spurgeon’s love of poetry can be seen today in the Spurgeon Library in Kansas City, MO. In his collection, we find over 200 books of poetry and hymnody, occupying several cabinets. So much of Spurgeon’s life and ministry can be traced through these books. Nearly one-third of these volumes are hymnbooks for Christian worship, including Horatius Bonar’s Hymns of Faith and Hope, Anne Steele’s Hymns, Psalms, and Poems, Isaac Watts’ Hymns and Spiritual Songs, and many others.

Spurgeon’s love of hymns began at a young age. Once, during a summer holiday, his grandmother offered him a penny for each Watts hymn that he memorized. With his gifted mind, young Spurgeon memorized so many that his grandmother soon had to change her offer or risk financial ruin! The money earned was eventually spent, but his love of hymns remained with him for the rest of his life, becoming a part of his theological vocabulary. “No matter on what topic I am preaching, I can even now, in the middle of any sermon, quote some verse of a hymn in harmony with the subject.”[1] As Spurgeon grew in his knowledge of hymns, his sermons would come to include not only Watts, but Toplady, Cowper, Wesley, and many other great hymn-writers of the Christian faith.

As the pastor of a church, Spurgeon would seek to pass on his love of hymns to his people. In addition to preaching, he planned the liturgy for the gatherings of the church, including the selection of hymns. When he first arrived, there were two hymnbooks in the pews, one by Watts and the other by John Rippon. But watching people fumble with multiple books convinced Spurgeon that something had to change. So, in 1866, he compiled and published Our Own Hymnbook, containing 1130 psalms and hymns. As reflected in the title, Spurgeon’s concern was the church. This was not Spurgeon’s hymnbook. This was the church’s hymnbook. One of his top priorities was to pull together psalms and hymns that reflected the church’s doctrinal convictions. After all, Spurgeon understood that a church’s hymnbook was often the only book of theology that most church members would ever read.

But even while Our Own Hymnbook reflected Spurgeon’s Reformed and Baptist traditions, he also sought to introduce his people to a wide variety of traditions, pulling together hymns from all of church history. He writes,

The area of our researches has been as wide as the bounds of existing religious literature, American and British, Protestant and Romish, ancient and modern. Whatever may be thought of our taste we have used it without prejudice; and a good hymn has not been rejected because of the character of its author, or the heresies of the church in whose hymnal it first occurred; so long as the language and the spirit commended the hymn to our heart we included it, and believe that we have enriched our collection thereby.[2]

Thus, we see in Spurgeon’s collection of hymnbooks a wide variety of hymn writers: Scottish Presbyterians, English Baptists and Methodists, German Lutherans, Anglicans, medieval Catholics, and other nationalities and church traditions, ranging from the 19th century all the way back to the medieval and early church. From all these psalms and hymns, Spurgeon sought to bring out the best ones that reflected the historic faith of the apostles and the church’s doctrinal convictions. In his day, Our Own Hymnbook was recognized as an achievement in Christian hymnody.[3]

But Spurgeon’s love of poetry extended beyond hymns. His library reveals that Spurgeon enjoyed just about every kind of poetry: ancient poetry, poems about nature, love poems, children’s rhymes, and many others. Most of all, however, Spurgeon loved poems about God and the Christian life. Preaching in 1855, Spurgeon declared, “Much as I respect the genius of Pope, or Dryden, or Burns, give me the simple lines of Cowper, that God has owned in bringing souls to Him.”[4] William Cowper was indeed one of Spurgeon’s favorite poets. He usually included Cowper’s famous hymn whenever he signed autograph albums, “E’er since by faith I saw the stream…”[5] Fittingly, these lines are etched on his tombstone today.

Another poet he loved was John Bunyan. Throughout his life, he read “at least a hundred times” The Pilgrim’s Progress, “that sweetest of all prose poems,” which shaped his vision for the Christian life.[6] What he loved most about it was simply how much Bible was in it.[7] Bunyan brought together Spurgeon’s love of Scripture with his love of poetry. Another of his favorite poets was George Herbert. Herbert was a source of refreshment for Spurgeon, especially after a long day of ministry.[8] Susannah recounts,

It is the Sabbath, and the day’s work is done. The dear preacher has had a light repast, and now rests in his easy chair by a bright fire, while, on a low cushion at his feet, sits his wife, eager to minister in some way to her beloved’s comfort. “Shall I read to you to-night, dear?” she says; for the excitement and labor of the Sabbath services sorely try him, and his mind needs some calm and soothing influence to set it at rest. “Will you have a page or two of good George Herbert? Yes, that will be very refreshing, wifey; I shall like that.” So the book is procured, and he chooses a portion which I read slowly and with many pauses, that he may interpret to me the sweet mysteries hidden within the gracious words. Perhaps his enjoyment of the book is all the greater that he has thus to explain and open out to me the precious truths enwrapped in Herbert’s quaint verse; — anyhow, the time is delightfully spent. I read on and on for an hour or more, till the peace of Heaven flows into our souls, and the tired servant of the King of kings loses his sense of fatigue, and rejoices after his toil.[9]

For Spurgeon, poetry was about more than just entertainment. It gave him the perspective of a Christian pilgrim. It provided spiritual nourishment for his tired soul. And it strengthened him with a renewed joy in God for the week ahead.

[1] Autobiography 1:43-44.

[2] OOH, vi-vii.

[3] For an appreciative 19th century analysis of Spurgeon’s contribution to Christian hymnody, see Josiah Miller, Singers and Songs of the Church: Being Biographical Sketches of the Hymn-Writers in All the Principal Collections with Notes on their Psalms and Hymns (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1869), 580-581.

[4] NPSP 1:344.

[5] Hayden, Highlights, 101.

[6] MTP 45:495.

[7] “Next to the Bible, the book I value most is John Bunyan’s ‘Pilgrim’s Progress.’ I believe I have read it through at least a hundred times. It is a volume of which I never seem to tire; and the secret of its freshness is that it is so largely compiled from the Scriptures. It is really Biblical teaching put into the form of a simple yet very striking allegory.” C. H. Spurgeon, Pictures from Pilgrim’s Progress: A Commentary on Portions of John Bunyan’s Immortal Allegory with Prefatory Notes by Thomas Spurgeon (Pasadena, TX: Pilgrim Publications, 1992), 11.

[8] “Frequently, when I return home from chapel on the Sabbath evening, I get down George Herbert’s book of songs; and when I see how much he loved the Lord, it seems to me as if he had struck upon his harp the very notes that he hall heard in Paradise, and sung them all again.” MTP 46:106.

[9] Autobiography 2:185-186.



Sermon Of The Week: “Christ’s First and Last Subject”

By / Mar 14

What was the subject matter with which Christ bookended His earthly ministry? This subject was His command of repentance to all His hearers, and more broadly, to the whole world. Spurgeon noted that “nothing could set forth Jesus Christ’s idea of the high value of repentance, more fully and effectually than the fact that he begins with it, and that he concludes with it.” Repentance is the vital renunciation of sin which the Lord commands to all. Without genuine, active denial of sin, true salvation could not be had. God’s regenerating work in one’s life is demonstrated by their sincere repentance and pursuit of righteousness. “True repentance consists of illumination, humiliation, detestation, and transformation.” And it was this command which Christ chose to impart to His listeners as a type of inclusio to His ministry. 

Spurgeon here explains repentance by discussing it in four main elements: its origin, essentials, companions, and excellencies. Regarding its origin, he remarked, “Remember, then, at the outset, that true repentance is of gospel origin, and is not the work of the law; and on the other hand, it is of gracious origin, and is not the work of the creature.” True repentance, then, is not independently conjured up by sinful man, but is rather a clear manifestation of the divine work of God within one’s heart. His divine power is its ultimate origin, and through Him sinners are given the ability to renounce sin and walk in obedience to Christ.

Excerpt:

This seems to me to be a very interesting fact, and not simply interesting, but instructive. Jesus Christ opens his commission by preaching repentance. What then? Did he not by this act teach us how important repentance was—so important that the very first time he opens his mouth, he shall begin with, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Did he not feel that repentance was necessary to be preached before he preached faith in himself, because the soul must first repent of sin before it will seek a Saviour, or even care to know whether there is a Saviour at all? And did he not also indicate to us that as repentance was the opening lesson of the divine teaching, so, if we would be his disciples, we must begin by sitting on the stool of repentance, before we can possibly go upward to the higher forms of faith and of full assurance? Jesus at the first begins with repentance,—that repentance may be the Alpha, the first letter of the spiritual alphabet which all believers must learn; and when he concluded his divine commission with repentance, what did he say to us but this—that repentance was still of the very last importance? He preaches it with his first, he will utter it with his last breath; with this he begins, with this he will conclude. He knew that repentance was, to spiritual life, a sort of Alpha and Omega—it was the duty of the beginning, it was the duty of the end.

Read the rest of the sermon here.



Sermon Of The Week: “Turn or Burn”

By / Mar 4

Why is God’s justice such an integral part of salvation? God’s just nature demands that sin be punished, and it is only a result of His mercy through Christ that we can be saved from that punishment. 

Grace and mercy are attributes of God’s character which ought to be preached in accordance with His righteous justice, not at the expense of it. Spurgeon observes how ministers in his day, as in ours, often preach the mercy of God without also telling of His righteous judgement on sin.

“They preach of God’s love and mercy as they ought to do, and as God has commanded them; but of what avail is it to preach mercy unless they preach also the doom of the wicked? And how shall we hope to affect the purpose of preaching unless we warn men that if they ‘turn not, he will whet his sword?’”

We will not understand God’s grace unless we also understand His holiness.

“But remember, it is equally true, God is just, severely and inflexibly just. He were not God, if he were not just; he could not be merciful if he were not just, for punishment of the wicked is demanded by the highest mercy to the rest of mankind.”

All are sinful and under God’s righteous wrath. Without His grace and mercy, we too would be doomed. God’s justice demands that we repent and trust in Christ to receive God’s grace unto salvation. 

Excerpt:

But the cry of the age is, that God is merciful, that God is love. Ay; who said he was not? But remember, it is equally true, God is just, severely and inflexibly just. He were not God, if he were not just; he could not be merciful if he were not just, for punishment of the wicked is demanded by the highest mercy to the rest of mankind. Rest assured, however, that he is just, and that the words I am about to read you from God’s Word are true—”The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God;’ “God is angry with the wicked every day;” “If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.” Forsooth, because this age is wicked it is to have no hell; and because it is hypocritical it would have but feigned punishment. This doctrine is so prevalent as to make even the ministers of the gospel flinch from their duty in declaring the day of wrath. How few there are who will solemnly tell us of the judgment to come. They preach of God’s love and mercy as they ought to do, and as God has commanded them; but of what avail is it to preach mercy unless they preach also the doom of the wicked? And how shall we hope to effect the purpose of preaching unless we warn men that if they “turn not, he will whet his sword?” I fear that in too many places the doctrine of future punishment is rejected and laughed as a fancy and a chimera; but the day will come when it shall be known to be a reality. 

Read the rest of the sermon here.





Sermon Of The Week: “A Wise Desire”

By / Feb 25

Who is it who chooses our portion and reward in life? Surely it can be perceived that we do not simply will and receive that which we always want. No, our eternal heritage does not rest in our own power or choice, but rather lies in the sovereign will of our good and gracious Lord. Spurgeon remarks, “Oh! it is the satisfaction of God’s people to believe in this exalting truth that [God] chooses their inheritance for them. […] that verily God does choose our lot, and apportion for us our inheritance.”

This truth ought to bring tremendous joy to our lives as we realize that all who are in Christ will receive God’s promised eternal inheritance as their reward. We are all inclined toward evil, and it is only by the grace and mercy of God that we will receive the blessing of eternal life in communion with our Savior. Left to ourselves, we would never choose that which is perfect, holy, nor completely good. Spurgeon points out, “For by [our] nature we are all inclined to follow the way which leads downwards, we are naturally willing to walk the road which leads to the pit—we do not seek the pit itself, but the road that leads to it.” He further argues that the Lord’s sovereign choice of our inheritance is not merely a fact, but an exceedingly wise prayer. Asking for the Lord’s will regarding our reward helps loosen our grasp on the things we often suppose we need. The reality of God’s grace and goodness should further encourage the believer since their heavenly Father is the one apportioning their reward, and His ways are perfect.

Excerpt:

I. First, then, I shall speak of this as being A GLORIOUS FACT. It is a great truth that God does choose the inheritance for his people. It is a very high honor conferred upon God’s servants, that it is said of them, “He shall choose their inheritance.” As for the worldling, God gives him anything, but for the Christian, God selects the best portion, and chooses his inheritance for him. Says a good divine, “It is one of the greatest glories of the Church of Christ, that our mighty Maker, and our Friend, always chooses our inheritance for us.” He gives the worldling husks; but he stops to find out the sweet fruits for his people. He gathers out the fruits from among the leaves, that his people might have the best food, and enjoy the richest pleasures. Oh! it is the satisfaction of God’s people to believe in this exalting truth that he chooses their inheritance for them. But, since there are many who dispute it, allow me just to stir up your minds by way of remembrance, by mentioning certain facts which will lead you to see clearly that verily God does choose our lot, and apportion for us our inheritance.

Read the rest of the sermon here.



Sermon Of The Week: “Preaching! Man’s Privilege and God’s Power”

By / Feb 17

What is the means by which God’s ministers draw lost souls to the hope of the Savior? It is not the mere wisdom of man that leads souls to salvation, but the faithful teaching of God’s own inspired revelation which “pierces to the division of soul and of spirit.” The preaching of God’s word contains both the divine power and conviction necessary for this task. Spurgeon understood that God’s word is “that which is the great and master weapon of the minister”, and that it is “the foolishness of preaching by which it pleases God to save them that believe.”

God’s word holds the power of eternal life as it conveys the way of salvation through God’s grace and the work of the Son. “Nay, to-day there is not only a torch, but in the preaching of the Word the Sun of Righteousness himself arises with healing beneath his wings.” Spurgeon reminds us that God’s word should not only be viewed as the instrumental weapon of ministers, but as a gift to hear, handle, and preach. “Value, then, the preaching of the Word, and count yourselves happy that you are allowed to listen to it.”

Moreover, “…there is yet a greater privilege connected with the Word of God than this […] As I look upon a multitude of unconverted men and women, I am reminded of Ezekiel’s vision […] The preached Word is like Ezekiel’s prophecy; life goes forth with the word of the faithful minister.” Those who proclaim God’s word have the privilege of bringing the words of eternal life to lost souls. And it is upon this inspired word that God’s ministers must rely.

Excerpt:

Once more let me remind you, there is yet a greater privilege connected with the Word of God than this—for all this were nothing without the last. As I look upon a multitude of unconverted men and women, I am reminded of Ezekiel’s vision. He saw lying in the valley of Hinnom multitudes of bones, the flesh of which had been consumed by fire, and the bones themselves were dried as in a furnace, scattered hither and thither. There with other bones in other charnel-houses, lying scattered at the mouths of other graves; but Ezekiel was not sent to them; to the valley of Hinnom was he sent, and there alone. And he stood by faith, and began to practice the foolishness of preaching, “Ye dry bones hear the word of the Lord; thus saith the Lord, ye dry bones live.” And as be spoke there was a rustling, each bone sought its fellow; and as he spake again, these bones united and stood erect, as he continued his discourse the flesh clothed the skeleton; when he concluded by crying, “Come from the winds, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live,” they stood upon their feet an exceeding great army. The preached Word is like Ezekiel’s prophecy; life goes forth with the word of the faithful minister, when we say, “Repent!” We know that sinners cannot repent of themselves, but God’s grace sweetly constrains them to repent.

Read the rest of the sermon here.