posted by Phil Johnson
The PyroManiacs devote some space each weekend to highlights from The Spurgeon Archive. The following excerpt is from "The Peculiar Sleep of the Beloved," a sermon preached Sunday evening 4 march 1855 at Exeter Hall.
have often admired Martin Luther, and wondered at his composure. When all men spoke so ill of him, what did he say? Turn to that Psalm—"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble; therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea." In a far inferior manner, I have been called to stand up in the position of Martin Luther, and have been made the butt of slander, a mark for laughter and scorn; but it has not broken my spirit yet, nor will it, while I am enabled to enjoy that quiescent state of—"So he giveth his beloved sleep." But thus far I beg to inform all those who choose to slander or speak ill of me, that they are very welcome to do so till they are tired of it. My motto is cedo nulli—I yield to none. I have not courted any man's love; I asked no man to attend my ministry; I preach what I like, and when I like, and as I like. Oh! happy state—to be bold, though downcast and distressed—to go and bend my knee and tell my Father all, and then to come down from my chamber, and say—Shame and reproach shall be;
I'll hail reproach, and welcome shame,
For thou'lt remember me."
11 comments:
A hearty AMEN!!!! to that one brother.
An excellent post for today Phil!
Does anyone know of a good biography of Spurgeon?
Phil,
As always, I love the Spurgeon quotes. He's one of those individuals I so look forward to meeting when all is done and made right, in a place without trolls.
God Bless
Sam
Does anyone know of a good biography of Spurgeon?
There are many (a bunch were written right after his death, and many more in subsequent years). Here are the top three, with some info that helps to sort out their distinctives:
1. CH Spurgeon's Autobiography: His Diary, Letters, and Records, compiled in four volumes by his wife and his private secretary. The original four volumes were produced in 1897-1900 by his publisher, Passmore & Alabaster, and are pretty expensive. Pilgrim Publications in Texas did a two-volume reprint in 1992 (vols. 1 and 2 are in one volume, and vols. 3 and 4 are in one volume). You can usually get the Pilgrim edition for about $75-$90. If you want a true insider's perspective on Spurgeon and don't mind a lot of reading, this is definitely the way to go.
2. Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers by Lewis Drummond (Kregel Publications, 1992). This is a hefty 895-page volume that's quite comprehensive and decently good. The presentation is rather disjointed, unfortunately, but from an information standpoint, it's good. This is the most comprehensive modern-day biography. The bibliography in the back is worth the price of the whole book. I refer to it constantly.
3. Charles Haddon Spurgeon: A Biography by W.Y. Fullerton. This was written in 1920 by one of Spurgeon's students, and has been reprinted by Tyndale in more recent decades. This is my personal favorite one-volume recommendation to friends. It's readily available, affordable, and a manageable 283 pages. It reads well and serves as a great overview.
There are other biographies, but most aren't all that well done and repeat one another. The three mentioned above are the best ones by far.
Oh God is good. I was the object of some harsh coordinated character assassination this morning, and well, this message comforted me. Thank you so much.
Brandon,
In the interim try this. It's FlipR's
personal collection.
http://www.spurgeon.org/mainpage.htm
Why does this sound so completely foreign to the Church today? Can we even imagine pastors and preachers making this kind of statement? Given our man-centered and postmodern-corrupted sensibilities of this age, most in today's church would probably view these words from a 21st-century Spurgeon as arrogant, uncaring and out of tune with the times. When in fact they are to be the attitude and license of every true minister of the Gospel.
My mentor in preaching told me that "the only opinion about your sermon that matters is the Lord's". Great encouragement that goes with Spurgeon's words here.
Spurgeon sharing his thoughts on Luther. Very nice.
God has given His Church encouragement, and encouragement, and encouragement, throughout the ages, and we can be encouraged by their courage.
We sure need it. I know I do.
Thanks for the Spurgeon recommendations. I think I'll start with the website and go from there.
Stirring quote. Even though he minimizes his struggles compared to Luther’s, Spurgeon faced down some pretty hefty opposition. The crux of the quote, IMHO, is “to be bold, though downcast and distressed.”
He seems to have been made of sterner stuff than most.
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