17 January 2010

Tongues of Flowers or Tongues of Fire?

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 Pentecostal Wind and Fire," a sermon preached on Sunday morning, 18 September 1881 at the Met Tab in London.



od meant to have a speaking church: not a church that would fight with the sword—with that weapon we have nought to do—but a church that should have a sword proceeding out of its mouth, whose one weapon should be the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I should think from what I know of some preachers that when they had their Pentecost the influence put upon them in the form of tongues of flowers; but the apostolic Pentecost knew not flowers, but flames.

What fine preaching we have nowadays! What new thoughts, and poetical turns! This is not the style of the Holy Ghost. Soft and gentle is the flow of smooth speech which tells of the dignity of man, the grandeur of the century, the toning down of all punishment for sin, and the probable restoration of all lost spirits, including the arch-fiend himself. This is the Satanic ministry, subtle as the serpent, bland as his seducing words to Eve.

The Holy Ghost calls us not to this mode of speech. Fire, intensity, zeal, passion as much as you will, but as for aiming at effect by polished phrases and brilliant periods—these are fitter for those who would deceive men than for those who would tell them the message of the Most High. The style of the Holy Ghost is one which conveys the truth to the mind in the most forcible manner,—it is plain but flaming, simple but consuming. The Holy Spirit has never written a cold period throughout the whole Bible, and never did he speak by a man a lifeless word, but evermore he gives and blesses the tongue of fire.

C. H. Spurgeon


1 comment:

donsands said...

"..the toning down of all punishment for sin, and the probable restoration of all lost spirits, including the arch-fiend himself."

This is not so much prominent today, but it is out there a blowing wind of doctrine.

And this wind says God loves people, who basically nice, and wants them to have a better life.

I heard a skier for the upcoming Winter Olympics say, "I see so many good people, who may not hold to Christianity, and have to wonder about whether they will be accepted by God. Whereas I see Christians who are quite mena spirited people." She went on to say she is reading Mere Christianity, and she said, "As long as we are seeking the truth, then all questions are alright to ask."

Thanks for the CH Spurgeon. I like to read these short posts of his a couple times over. Incredible words.
Next to Scripture Spurgeon is very edifying.