posted by Phil Johnson
The PyroManiacs devote some space each weekend to highlights from The Spurgeon Archive. The following excerpt comes from "A Sermon to the Lord's Little Children," a sermon preached Sunday Morning, 18 March 1883, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London.
ill we are rooted and grounded in the truth, new things have great charms for us, especially if they have about them a great show of holiness and zeal for God.Listen, then, dear children but newly born into the Savior's family: "Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning."
Alas, even those who are older in grace than you are have shown a sad readiness to be duped by plausible persons who have invented fresh notions and methods. I have lived long enough to have seen a considerable variety of follies and manias in the religious world. They have sprung up, grown great, declined, and vanished. One day it has been one thing, another another.
I have lived to see those things justly ridiculed which a few years before were cried up as the wonders of the age. I thank God I have not been moved by any of these periodical fits of frenzy, but have been content to keep to the one old truth which I have gathered from the Scriptures and made my own by experience, and by the teaching of the Holy Spirit.
I have not had to tack about, for I have been enabled to steam ahead; and I hope I shall do so to the end. I have no respect for these upstart inventions; but I regard them as so many phases of human delusion. One never knows what will come next; but of this we are pretty sure, that every now and then a new doctrine is brought forth which turns out to be an old heresy with a fresh coat of varnish on it; or else some new method of saving souls is found out, and the work blazes away like a house on fire till it dies out in smoke.
Let us not be carried off our feet by every wind of doctrine. We may live to see the present craze ended and another or two after it; only be it ours to be steadfast, immovable. "Little children, let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning:" leave to others the soon-exhausted novelties and do you keep to the eternal unchangeable truth which is taught you in God's word and in your own soul's experience.
17 comments:
One thing I find heartbreaking is how this generation of sinners feels it is different than all the previous generations. Our desires and temptations are no different than those of 50, 100, or 1000 years ago. The times may be different; however, as individuals, we will always be the same as those in Colosse, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi and so on.
Nice post!
That being said, Aussy, it follows then that our gospel presentation should look the same as well. Wouldn't you agree?
MLJ would:
"Someone may say, 'Have not the times changed? All you have been saying might have been correct, say, even twenty years ago, still more so, perhaps, a hundred years ago; but have not times changed? Is your method right now in the light of our new conditions?' Or some perhaps, in the USA may say, 'Well, all you are saying may be all right for London and in Britain, but it does not work in America. Conditions are different here; there is a different background, different cultures, different circumstances and so on.' What is the answer to that? It is quite simple, God has not changed, and man has not changed. I know that there are superficial changes -- we may dress differently, we may travel at four hundred miles an hour instead of four miles an hour -- but man as man has not changed at all, and man's needs are exactly and precisely what they have always been." -- Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers, pp. 40-41.
Absolutely!
2 Corinthians 4:1-6
It's always interesting to me how, when I find something like this, I think "Amen!" I'm glad I'm getting this part right. Then it dawns on me that the people I disagree with are probably thinking the exact same thing.
Spurgeon said: "...content to keep to the one OLD TRUTH which I have gathered from the Scriptures..."
Phil, you *know* I especially like your Spurgeon posts that say that. And there have been a number of them. Keep them coming!
Aussy - I hear all the time how this generation of sinners is different, for various reasons. While I do agree that our culture has changed, I don't agree that the solution (or method) to a sinful lifestyle has any need for change.
Sinful people today are inwardly no different than sinful people have ever been, or ever will be. Cultures may change and societal norms may change (and do, and just become more sinful all the time) but the answer to sin is still the same and it always will be. The simple, convicting, pure word of God. Bells and whistles need not be applied as the Scripture is sufficient all on its own to do the work He designed it to do. Those that reject that, can be found jumping all over the latest fad & fancy to come along. Sad, really.
Excellent post Phil, thank you.
Spurgeon Said:
One never knows what will come next; but of this we are pretty sure, that every now and then a new doctrine is brought forth which turns out to be an old heresy with a fresh coat of varnish on it; or else some new method of saving souls is found out, and the work blazes away like a house on fire till it dies out in smoke.
Amen! Amen! There is no limit to how far totally depraved man can go under the inspiration of Satan. This same heresy Spurgeon mentions can be found in the scriptures in many different places. Adam and Eve tried to approach God in their own way, after the fall, when they tried to use fig leaves to cover their sin. Also, Cain tried to offer the fruit of the ground, instead of offering of the blood sacrifice to cover sin, and God had no respect for his offering. This is why one must know the way Salvation as given to us in the scriptures. Only those who have heard the real gospel and then are made alive by the Holy Spirit can understand this.
Thanks Phil for this timely post.
"They have sprung up, grown great, declined, and vanished."
This made me think of "holy laughter".
What a strange fire that was, and now it's kaput.
Fads fade.
Thanks for letting us feed on a little of the prince of preachers before church every Sunday.
Have a joyful, joyful Lord's day adoring the God of glory.
donsands: it made me think of gold dust and gold teeth. How ludicrous.
Thanks Phil for posting that. Good old fashioned true to the Word preaching.
Excellent post. There's no chance that Spurgeon's words couldapply to that bastion of biblical, historical, orthodox, apostolic Christianity of the ECM, though, is there?
*Sarcasm now over*
I have struggled over the issue of writing a book thinking there is nothing new I can add. But the fact is I am not concerned wit the new but the old. Not the new but the true! Good quote.
Vintage Spurgeon. Vague, guilt-trippy, judgmental, quaint and trite. No wonder he had so many panic attacks and bouts of despair - his theology is so dismal.
Great post!
"Bells and whistles need not be applied as the Scripture is sufficient all on its own to do the work He designed it to do".
Well said Carla!
I think "Amen!" I'm glad I'm getting this part right. Then it dawns on me that the people I disagree with are probably thinking the exact same thing.
Jeremiah,
I never worried back then about whether I was right, I just knew that you were wrong and if I was different from you, I was right enough.
It's that old truth that Spurgeon preached that remains the majority factor in assurance I think (mine anyways). Nothing comforts me like the reality that Jesus has done it all on my behalf.
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