21 June 2009

The Folly of Toning Down Hard Truths

Your weekly dose of Spurgeon
posted by Phil Johnson

 

 

The PyroManiacs devote some space each weekend to highlights from The Spurgeon Archive. The following excerpt is from chapter 10, "The Evils of the Present Time, and Our Object, Necessities, and Encouragements," in An All-Round Ministry.

 

 

see the spirit of compromise concerning holiness and sin, truth and error, far too prevalent. The spirit of compromise comes not of the Spirit of God, but of the spirit of the world.

It is always wisest and best to exhibit clear decision upon fundamental points; we must draw the line distinctly, and then stand to it firmly. Do not alter your course because of winds and currents. Do not try to make things pleasant all round.

Do not be like the fellow, in one of the American towns, who saw a traveller leaning against a lamp-post, weary and worn with his journey. The traveller enquired of him how far it was to such a place, and was told that it was ten miles. The weary traveller sighed, and said, "I shall never hold out. I shall faint on the road."

"Ah!" said his sympathizing informant, "I did not know you were quite so far gone, I will knock off three miles, and make it seven for you."

Of course, this operation in words did not alter the fact, nor really reduce the ten to seven. Yet this is the method of some weakly, amiable souls; they tone down truth, forgetting that their tone does not affect the fact.

This obligation is too severe; and, therefore, it is suggested that it may be somewhat relaxed. This doctrine is too stern; so make it wear a milder aspect. This manner of pleasing everybody at any cost is the style of the period. If sin, and human depravity, and so forth, are strongly spoken of in the old theology, run off to the new, and soften matters. If the punishment of the impenitent too much alarms men, treat it lightly, and spirit it away; who wants to win converts by fear?

Yes, yes; "make it seven."

But what avail your soft words? The distance is all the same for your lying; and when the deceived one finds it to be so, he will pour no blessings upon your heads.

May the Lord save us from the doom of deceivers of souls! May we be watchmen who will be clear of the blood of all men! Be decided yourselves; and then, like men who themselves stand fast, you will be able to help others whose feet are slipping.

C. H. Spurgeon


5 comments:

Jon said...

Hmmm... are we sure this was written by Spurgeon? You'd think he'd have visited some of our American churches.

Just goes to show us that the heresies and the "softer" gospel has always been there. Not just in our "enlightened" age.

Morris Brooks said...

I am sorry the gate seems so narrow and hard to enter, my friend. Why, let's go down this broader trail. It's easier to travel and it's much less demanding; and, besides, it's the more popular way. You do want to be accepted by your fellow travelers, don't you? Why, a loving God wouldn't want you to have to sacrifice and suffer hardship, would He? Of course not! Now, come follow me, an all your desires will be fulfilled.

Why scare them away with the truth, when you can entice them with a lie?

The Blainemonster said...

Holy Puritan Preaching Batman! WHAM! BIFF! POW! Take that you Emergent softies!

Jon said...

Blainemonster! You are so gonna get sued! You didn't trademark the word Emergent! GASP!

Unknown said...

How right this is. A lot of "Christians" don't appreciate that God regards people as worthy of eternal suffering for things that they have neither done nor could have avoided. This is a hard truth, but one which we should accept. Trust the Bible and not your intuitions about what is fair, just, or moral. God's wrath rests upon all for the sin of Adam. It is not unfair for God to condemn the souls of aborted fetuses to eternal suffering in Hell. Unborn babies deserve to go to Hell; it is only by God's mercy that they are saved--if they are saved. And that's a hard truth.