28 January 2012

No Doubt as to what we believe and teach

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 The Greatest Fight in the World: C. H. Spurgeon's Final Manifesto.




e have nowadays around us a class of men who preach Christ, and even preach the gospel; but then they preach a great deal else which is not true, and thus they destroy the good of all that they deliver, and lure men to error. They would be styled "evangelical" and yet be of the school which is really anti-evangelical.

Look well to these gentlemen. I have heard that a fox, when close hunted by the dogs, will pretend to be one of them, and run with the pack. That is what certain are aiming at just now: the foxes would seem to be dogs. But in the case of the fox, his strong scent betrays him, and the dogs soon find him out; and even so, the scent of false doctrine is not easily concealed, and the game does not answer for long.

There are extant ministers of whom we scarce can tell whether they are dogs or foxes; but all men shall know our quality as long as we live, and they shall be in no doubt as to what we believe and teach.

We shall not hesitate to speak in the strongest Saxon words we can find, and in the plainest sentences we can put together, that which we hold as fundamental truth.

C. H. Spurgeon


11 comments:

Puritan Physicist said...

Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that Mr. Spurgeon has been hiding in a cave for the last 120 years, and that he wrote this about three days ago rather than three generations?

DJP said...

We shall not hesitate to speak in the strongest Saxon words we can find, and in the plainest sentences we can put together, that which we hold as fundamental truth

That could serve as a motto for what we strive for here. (I say "strive for.")

srk0975 said...

Just listened to a sermon from Phil Johnson titled "Korah's Rebellion" from 2008...I believe the word is apropros. In this sermon he give the biblical marks of sinful rebellion in the church. This would a timely sermon for anyone to listen to, or even just to read Numbers 16, given recent events with the ER2. Thanks for all of your discerning (and truly loving) work! Here is a link to the sermon: http://www.swordandtrowel.org/Sermons.aspx?code=2008-05-25-PJ

Jay Beerley said...

Love your work. One complaint. You guys need a "print" button.

W. Ian Hall said...

The trouble today is too many foxes and not enough hounds.

Unknown said...

I agree with Puritan Physicist. It perfectly describes the current evangelical church. When will we practice discernment?

Kyle said...

Relentlessly pursuing ER2... lol

Solameanie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
C. T. Bennett said...

It is refreshing to read about preaching the gospel in plain sentences. A tour of the usual Evangelical sites finds them advertising a numbing number of conferences that will change your life, conferences you don't want to miss, conferences that are a once in a lifetime opportunity, conferences that will rock your spiritual walk, conferences in arenas and convention centers and coliseums and stadiums bringing amazing music, terrific worship, revival, deeper understanding and greater growth. I wonder what percentage of annual fees for large venues are derived from the conferencing frenzy of Evangelicals with a bit too much money and an appetite for something more exciting than the gospel in the "plainest sentences we can put together." What a great promise.

Darlene said...

I suppose then, that I should be relieved that I'm not an Evangelical, what with the current climate and all. :-)

Darlene said...

Addendum: Things are amiss all around. Could it be that we are approaching the latter part of the Last Days? I contemplate this often, lately.