Strange dispensations and matchless consolations - PDF document

��Sermon Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit��VolumeSTRANGE DISPENSATIONS AND MATCHLESS CONSOLATIONSNO. 2754A SERMONINTENDED FOR READING ON LORD’SDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1901DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEONAT NEW PARK STREET CHAPEL, SOUTHWARKON A LORD’SDAY EVENING, IN THE AUTUMN OF 1859 ��2 Strange Dispensations and Matchless ConsolationsSermon #2��2 Volume 4If the infeence had been, “Therefore I will destroy her, I will cut her inpiecesand give herchildren the sword, and her women to be carriedaway captive,” our reason could well have seen that it was the naturalconsequencecould easily have seen that the logical terms agreedhere it seems as if it were quite a non sequitur. How can it be that a“therefore” should spring up, when the previous verses have been filledwith a description of her sins?Here let us pause to remember that the reasons for God’s gracto us arefar above all human reasonfor imself has told us, the hensarehigher than the earth, so are ays higher than your ways, and thoughts than your thoughts.” , I will go futher than thisand say thatnot only are God’s modes of reasoning far above our own, but they oftenseem as if they were even contradictory to ours. Where we should drawone inference, God draws the very opositeSee yon poor penitent sinner? H“wouldnot lift up so much as his eyes to heav; but he smote his breastand cried, God be merciful to me a sinner.” What is ourinference from this, looking at the publcan as he stands there? Whythathe is a rebellious creature, and that God cannot and will not accept him,but must punish himGod draw this inferencefor“this manwent down to his house justfied.” See yonder Phariseeith outstretchedhandse stands and prays thus with himself, “GodI thank thee,that I amnot as other men are,” and soon. What is our infeencetherefrom? SurelyGod will accept so good a man as thise will be sure to justify a man soholy and so moral. Not sofor that man went down to his house withoutjustification, unsatisfied, unblessed with the smile of heavwhile rowing publican received God’s gracious forgivenessWe, ever sincethe Fall, have learned to reasonbadlyur reasoning faculty has been asmuch confused as any other power that we possessede have turnedaside from the straightfoward path and we know not how to draw thetrue inference which God draws from our sins. Sothen, it seemfromour text,that so far from looking at any reason for mercy to anthing thatis good in manif God ever seeks in the creature a reason why e shouldshow mercy, e looknot to the good, but to the evilWhen we comebefore Godit would be well if wewould alwaysremember this. We areing great folly ifwhen we are spreading our case before im, wedare for one moment to speak of ourselves as good or excelent. We shallnever succeed in that waye will not listen to us, for this plan has nopower with ut if, when we come to im, we can plead our sin andour misery, then shall we prevail, we may even go the length of thesalmistDavid, when he prayed, “For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardonineiniquity”and for a strange reson, you would sayfor it isgreat.” He used the greatness of his sin as an argument why God shouldhave mercy on himyoulegaistswho are looking to yourselves for somearguments with which to prevail with Godyouwho look to yoursacraments, to your outward forms, to your pious deedsand youralmsgivingsfor somthing that will move the heart of Godknow this, thatthese things are no lever that can ever move im to Nothing but yoursin and miery can ever stir is mercynd you look to the wrong placeen you look to your merits to find a plea why e should show pity you And yet, albeit that this reasoning seems extremely strange, I may use anillustration which will justify such reasoing as this in the mind of everythoughtful man. Here is a poor creature shivering in the cold withnakenessnd there is one who haswarm garments to give away. Willnot the nakedness of the man be his claim to benevolence? If there anyerous soul who desireto feed the hungry, it is not likely that he wbestow his bread upon one that hasundanceut if he heara soulutteing the wail which is excited by the pangs of hunger, that very wailshall make him move his hands to supply the needed food. Generosity,liberalityand mercy know of nothing that can move them as misery cannd the very reverse argment is formed from that which men are so fondof using. They will go to God with a plea analogous to thisas if a begarshould meet me in the street, and say, “, give me charityI am not verypoor, I am not very hungry, therefore give me charity” He ��Sermon #2trange Dispensations and Matchless Consolations��Volume 4would not usesuch a foolish argument as thatHe, like a wise man, says, “I am hungry, Iam starvingtherefore give me food.” Would that youwould use the same sensible argment when youcome before God and plead, not for yourmerit’s sake, but for your misery’s sakeThink not that you are to tip therows of your prayers with the feathers of your own meritthat shall nevermake them fly to heav. It will be better if youcan wing them with a senseof your own miseries, for then they shall reach the heart of God and will send you the proised blessing in return. Strange reasoning, you say,this of gracthat God will save men, not for their goodness, but if thereany reason that can be found in them, it is rather for their sin and fortheir misery than for anything good in themIf you will carfully look at the textagain, you will notice that after theword“therefore” there comes a word of exclamationhold” Wheneverwe see theword“behold” in Scripture, we may be surethat there issomething well worthy of our attention. It strikes me that Hosea, when theLord commanded him to write this verse, was quite stagered. “Lord,”said, “how can this be?” He was filled with amazement. have beenthreatening YourchidrenYou havetold me to set their iniquities beforetheir faceand now youbid me say, Therefore will have mercy uponthem.’”The conclusion seemed to him so strange that he was utterlyastonishednd the Lord permitted is sevant to record his astonishmentby putting in that word“behold.”Nor do I think that is the only reason for the use of the word. It is also, Ithink, put there that we may admire the grachere displayed and that wemay rmember the mercy of Godand especially the deeprooted secretreasons for that mercy. They will continue to be, on earth, the theme ofadmirationandin itself, the object of eternal astoishment. Whenwe shall be permited to see why God had mercy upon mand especiallywhy, out of the human race, he had mercy upon uswhy e chose uswhile others were sufered to perishwe shall be compelled incessantly lift up our hands in astonishmentnd even in the heavenly cityitselfjoyshall sometimes be sperseded by wonder, and we shall, even there, betonished to find such matchless gracdisplayed for such singular resons.Therefore, beholdAgain I would say to those who are trusting inthemselvesGive up your foolish hopesMen and brethren, look not tthe empty cisternsbut come away at once tothe fountain, the divinekingly fountof soveign grac, for there, and there only, it is that yourhope of pardon can be realizedor, in yourself, there is nothing but thatwhich would lead to your destructionand only in JEHOVAHcan reasons forsalvation be discoveredII. The second point isTHE STRANGE DISPENSATIONS OF DVINE GRACE.God is about to have mercy upon poor fallen Israel, so what does He say?“I ill allure her, and bring her into the wilderness.” This may seem tosome a strange way of showing is love, yet it is not an unusual one, for itis the common method by which God manifests is love towards is chosenones. You will, perhaps, smile when I make the observation that there wasnothing which a Rman slave more anxiously desired than to have a box onthe ear from his master. “That was a strangedesire,” you will sayyet thatbox on the ear was the object of the morning and evening prayer of manya slave in Romeforyou must know, if a master once gave his servant abox on the ear, he was free from that day forth and was no longer a slaveNow, that strange manner of manumitting a slave is analogous to that which God uses when e is about to set free one of Stan’s bondsmen.He first of all gives us the blow of conviction and then e gives us theliberty of grac. Is it not singular that God should begin to show is love toHispeople by taking them into the wilderness? Is it not a strangemanifestation of divinefavor that should bring us, not into Canaan, notto the grapes of col, not to all the riches of the land which flowed withmilk and honey, but that should bring us, first of allinto the wilderness? ��4 Strange Dispensations and Matchless ConsolationsSermon #2��4 Volume 4Your experience, if you are a child of God, will help you to understandthis. “The wildeness” may be explained thushen God is about to savea man, first of all brings himinto a state of spiritual desttution. thinks himselfrichand increased in goodsand that has need of nothing. Talk to himabout the sinful state of a natural man and is insultedHe saysis as good as his neighborsdoes not know that has much toconfess when is on hiskneesndeed, hardly sees the use offessing to God at allIf such as not get to heavlast, doesnot know who willNow, when God means to have mercy upon a man ofthat sort, instead of feeling that has every virtue and all strength, sudden finds himselfwithout one good thing to recommend himto GodAndworse than this, finds that has no strength to peform a singlegood act. “Ohsays“I once thought could repent and believewhenever I pleasednow all my strength is gone, my heart is hard andI can scarcely compel a tear to flowI imained that in the last moment ofmy life, I could say, ‘O Godhave mercy upon me’ and that, then, I ouldbe savedut now, I find faith to be quite aother thing from what Ithought it was. Now I am stripped of all selfconfidencey comeliness isdeparted, I must robemyself in sacclothand cast dust and ashes upon myheady soul is spiritually shut upfind no foodothing comes fromwithinand nothing comes from without.” This state of spiritual destitutionis set forth by this wilderness state.Moreover, by the wilderness, doubtless, is meant affliction, for full often,when God means to bring a man to selfsends affliction upon himThis is the ood Shepherd’s black dog with which brings Hiswanderingsheep back to Him.t comes howling after usand biting at our heels, andthen we fly away to ChristHow many are there among you who werefirst brought to repentance by the loss of your propertyor the death ofsomeone dear to youIf everything had gone on smoothly, the streamwould have waftedyou aong down to the gulf of black despairdenthe flood boiled around youand the tempest gathered above yourdevoted headhen you cried unto God in your troublyour losses weremore than recompensedyour God was found and your soul was savedHappy are you who lose a fotune tofind a SaviorBlessed is the burial offriendor relative that leads to the new birth of our own souls andbrings us to trust in the Lord JesusChristWe have, many of us, greatcause to bless that rough right hand of God which has smitten us sosternly, but which has always been moved with love whenever it hasgivenus a blow of chatisement.Further, I think this wilderness may meannot only spiritual destitutionand affliction, but also lonelness. en God means to save a man, He always makes that man to feel himselfto be all alone. There was a timewith me, I know, when I went up to the ouse of God and I knew notwhether there was anyone else there while the sermon was being dlivered. I seemed to be shut in by a black wall while the minister’seyeappeared tobe looking down into my soul. I blieved that the good man meant mewhen used the wordsinnerI could not think was referring tobody elseI loved not society, but was always seeking solitary placesfor prayer, trying to draw near to God in prayer, to tell Himmy wantandto ask for Hismercy. It is a happy sign when the divineHunter singleone from the herd. He lookround, singleout Hisprey, and hunts him until, at last, brings himdown and carries himhome rejoiing. The deer,when wounded, rtires to weep, and bleedand die aloneand so, too,hearts when wounded love shady solitudes, that they may weep alonebefore God. This is, I believe, the meaning of“I will allure her, and bringher into the wildeness.”I will give you one more picture and then I think I shall have described thiswilderness sufficiently. Can you, for a moment, imagine yourself takenaway, a sudden, and carried by some giant hand swiftlythrough the airand depoited in the midst ofthe Dsert of Sahara? You look around youand there is nothing to be seen that can afford you hope. Above you is theburning vault of heavwith the furnace sun sending forth its fire uponyou. Beneath you is the ad sand with no track of a traveler anywherefirst you rush on, hoping soon to ��Sermon #2trange Dispensations and Matchless Consolations��Volume 4find the desert’s vergeand to ecape.Night succeeds dayand in the thick darkness you still travel onfear andhope tgether winging your feet. Day dawns again, but you are as far fromdeliverance as evercan imagine thatwith your throat parchedandwith your soul melted within you, you would cast yourself down upon thesand and cry, “Lost, lost, lost” The echo of your words would come backto you fromthe burning heavabove you and you would be the cpletepicture of despairlost, lost, lostYet this is where God brings the manwhom means to saveHe puts himinto such a position that above him seems to be an angry Godeneath hima desert ofsinand not a glimpseof hopeand lies down, helpless and despaiing, and cries, “Lost, lost,lostMy earer, areyouin such a position? Then, remeber that the Sonof an has come to seek and to save that which was lostand that youare one of those whom came to save, for youaremanifestly lost.He willnever be disapointed with the result of Hisworkhose whom come tosave, will savend if youtrust Himwill save youshall be brought in among Hisredeemed people here earthand youshallseeHisfaceand rejoice in Hisgreatsalvtionin the day when hall come inthe glory of HisFather with all Hisholy angels with HimIII. Now, note the next divsion of the passageGOD’S MATCHLESSCONSOLATIONS.Does bring her into the wilderness that she may be the prey of theulturesor that the jackals may devour her? Oh, noHe brings her therethat may “speak comfortably unto her.” You see how the two things gotogether. There is a precious golden band in the texa band whichneither death nor hellcan ever shatter, which, like a sacred rivet orheavenly link, joins the two setences together. “I will bring her into thewilderness”that is true, we knowand I will speak comfortably unto herhat is also true. The two are linked together and cannot beseparated. Those whoare brought into such a wilderness as I havedescribed, shall hear the comforting words of JEHOVAHspoken to theirheartsNow, with regard to these comforts, I would remark that they are comforts. We may take the words“I will,” which stand at the beginning ofthe verse, as relating to each clauseandthereforewe may read it, “I willspeak comfortably unto her.” Therefore we have, first of all, suremercieswil.” Good old Joseph Irons used to say, “Our shalls andwills are impotent and impractcable, but God’s shalls and wills aremnipotent.” said itand shall it not be done? Hadecreed it,or proised it, and shall it not stand fast? Rest assured, poor oul, thatwhatever may not be or whatever may be, if youarebrought into theilderness by God, will assuredly speak cofortably unto youtheremay be along while that youwillhave to waitthough the promisetarries, wait for it, for the time for its fulfilment shall surely comeit shallnot failIn due season, the Lord will remember youand will not forgetyouyourlow tate, for Hismercy endureeverand Hisfaithfulessknows no end. He will speak comfortably unto you Note next, that they are not only sure consolations, but divine consolationswill speak comfortably unto her.” Many miniters havetried what they couldto cheer the sad, but they have done nothing. Ihave never learnso much of my own weakness as when, in preaching, have sought to comfort some of God’s tried ones. I have sometimes, in mymons, put in a little honey on purpose for themsomehow, thathoney has seemed to fement and become sour, so that they could not feedupon it. I have talked with them anddone all I could to comfort themandsometimes, I have had to turn them over to my ethrenin theldershipand they have done their bestand failed. What, then, shall I say,Lord? Yourpoor servant can do nothing hereWillYoudo it, Lord? Wilyou, O blessed Spirit, who arethe Coforter, take them by the hand and“speak comfortably” unto them?If Youspeak, they cannot rfuse tohear, and then shall they indeed be comfortedO poor, tried oul, is notthis a rich promise, indeed?“I will speak comfortably unto her.” He will not merely ��6 Strange Dispensations and Matchless ConsolationsSermon #2��6 Volume 4sendyouan angelor minister to comfort them, but will Himselfdo the workwill speakcomfortably unto herThe third remark I make upon these consolations is that they are effectualconsolations. The Hebrew bears the intepretation, I will speak to herheart.” We speak to your ears, butGod speaks to your heart. Oh, whatspeaking that is, when God speaks right from Hisheart into our heartsSome of us have experienced this at times. Wehave found the Word ofGod to well up, as it were, from Himand then, as it has welled up, it hasgonedown deep into our hearts and we have been made to drink of it tothe very full“I will speak to her heart.” Poor oul, if youarebrought intothe widerness, God will effectually comfort you. He has effectuallyvicted youand will effectually console youIf has brought you into the wilderness of humility and sore distress, will as surely bring you into the Canaan of faith and joyI remark, in the nextplace, that these consoltions are not only sure,divineand effectual, but they arefull“I will speak comfortably unto herWhat rich words of comfort are those which God addresses to HispleHe pardons them, justifies them, sanctifies thempreserves them,upholds them, vents them, brings them safely homeat lastandall this speaks to the heart of the poor, triedand tempted soul in thewildernessand thus makes it “rjoice with joy unspeakable and full ofglory.”It is not in my power, my dear frie, to speak to your heartsI can onlyspeak to your outward earut let me rpeat some of thosethings whichGod says when speaks to the heart. “Come now, and let us reasontogether, the LORD: though your sinas scarlet, they shall be aswhite as snow; though they red like crimson, theshall be as wool.” even I, am that blottethout thy transgressions for mineown sake, andwill not remember thy sins.” “Whever will, let himtake the water oflifefreely.” “Him that cometo e I will in no wise cast out.” “He is able to save them tothe utermost that come unto od by , seeing ever liveto make intercession for them.” Thus God speaks rich promises ofpardon andforthwithsays, “A new heart also will I give you, and a newspirit will I put within you.” How sweetly speaks concerning the trialsand troubles of this world“Let not your heart be troubled: lieve inGod, believealso in e.” And how graciously tells Hispeople, “In theworld shall have tribultion: but be of good cheer; I have overcome theworld.” And how comfortbly does remind Hispeople that, come whatmay, they shall still be secure“When passestthrough the waters, Iwill be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not oveflow theewhen walkestthrough the fire, shalnot be burned; neither shallthe fire kindle uponthee.” And then, when Hispoor peple think hardly remember them, says, “Can a woman forget her sucking child,that she should not have copassion on the son of her womb? , theymay forget, yet will I not forget thee.” And then, lest even this should be ofno avail, says, “The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed;but y kindness shall not depart from theether shall the covenant ofy peace be removed, the LORDthat mercy on theeFor this isas the waters of Noah unto e: for as I have sworn that the waters ofNoah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would notbe wrothwith thee, nor rebuketheeTruly did I speak, when I remarkedthat this consolation is full, and well doesone of our poets express thesame sentiment when says“What more can He say than to you He hasaid,You who untoJesus for refuge have fled?”We have a Bible that cannot be enlargede have promises that cannot beextendede haveblessings that cannot be exaggeratednd imagination’sutmost stretch could not make us coceive of ��Sermon #2trange Dispensations and Matchless Consolations��Volume 4anything beyondmayGod, whhasbrought you into the wilderness of sore trouble, bring eachone now prsent into Hisgracious presence, that you mayknow that He Hiselfthus speaks comfortably unto youIV. Now I close by coming back to the first clause of the text, andmeditating on THE SWEET PERSUSIONS with which God draws us toHimself.“I will allure her.”There are many who are very much afraid they are not covertedbecausethey have not had a thunderandlightning experiencethey were notverted in stormy weatherey had not the terrors of the lawand theshaking over hell’s mouth that some have experienced. They have read ofBunyan and hisdesperate struggles, but they have not gone throughanything of the kind. They can say that they have felt their need of aSavior and realized their sinbut the accounts they have heard of whatothers have known of the terrors of hellve been so ipressed upon themthat they have feared that they could not be God’s people. Read our textsays, “I will allure her.” It does not say, “I will drive hert does not say,“I will drag hert does not even say, “I will compel hert does not say,“I will make her run into the wildeness for fear of e.” Nobut theLord says, “I will allure her.”What does this mean? Icannot explain it better than by a very simplefigure. I see the fowlers come, sometimes, to Clapham Common. I onceaw a man with a robin rebreast in a cage. This poor little bird was madeto sing and so tried to decoy other birds from the sky. The fowler wasluring birds, catching them by the lureand, my ethren, this is how Godbrings many of Hischien to HimselfWe have all been like wild birdshas converted some of usby Hisgracand put us into the cage of thepulpitand made us sing as best we can, so as to lure poor sinners to cometo the divineFowler, the Lord Jsus ChristI wish Icould sing betterwould that I were a better decoy, that I might bring more to Jesus. Many asister has been a decoy to her brotherany a wifehas lured her husbandto Christ. You cannot drag them, but you may draw them. All that you cando, in your daily life, and in your house, or wherever else you may meetwith these poor worllings, is to lure them to Christ by letting them hearhow sweetly you sing and see how happy you are, even while you are, asthey say, a poor caged birdLet them see how youenjoy your liberty inChristand so seek, with all earnestness, to bring themalsoto the SaviorThere is another figure which will explain theLord’s words, “I will allureher.”When your little children are learing to walk, they are set up by theside ofthe table. They are quite frightened at first, for they have hardlytried their litle legs yet. The nurse desires that the child may walk a way. Well, what does she do? She holds out an apple, or a sweemeat, totempt itand it tries to come to her, but it is ready to fallso the nurse’sfinger is held out and the child is supported. It rests a moment and lured on again, with some toy or piture, something that tempts it onandthus it learns to walk. Possibly you say that I ought not to usesuch asimple figure. I ought, for it is used in ScritureI taughtEphraim to go, taking them by their arms,” just as a father might hold uphis little one by the armsand let its feet just lightly touch the ground. TheLord codescendthus tospeak, and surely I may do the sameMay nota man speak thus with hisfellows? Yessurely this is the way in whichGod brings many of chidren to ChristHe lures themdoes notthunder forth and frighten thembut tempts them on by mercies anbaits of heavenly pleaureand so are they drawn to the cross of Christ. Some have been lured by the sweetness of the haracter of Christ. Theyhave taken Hisyoke upon thembecause is “meekand lowly in heart,”and they have found rest unto their souls. Others have been lured by theblessings of religion. They have said, “Her ways are ways of pleasantnessand all her paths are peace” and have said to the people of God, “We willgo with you.” Many have been lured by the propect of heavand the jowhich has been set before themnd they have counted their lives as lessthan noting in order that they might first suffer the reproach of ��8 Strange Dispensations and Matchless ConsolationsSermon #2��8 Volume 4Christ andthen inherit Hisglory. Do not be cast down because you have not had terrible experience. Perhaps you are among those whom God sweetly luredto HimselfSo I conclude my discourse by bidding every Christian here to go forthand edeavor to lure poor souls to Christ. You must alter the shape of thatface of yours that is so long and miseableYou are not luring souls toChristyou are doing quite the reverseyou will drive them away from HimPut away, I beseech you, that constant habit of murmuing and grumblingat everything and everybodyome, take your harp down from the wilowsand sing us one of the ongs of ZionLet us have no more groaingthatwill frighten away the poor wild birds. They see your misery and how canthey belured to come when they see you so unhappy? I think that thelong faces of God’s people do a good deal of mischief. I see nothing tocause them, but just the reverse. Our Lord Jesus says that the hypocritesare of a sad countnance, so I should not like to have a sad countenance,for fear any man should think me a hypocriteWhat does further say?“But, when fastest, anoint thine headand wash thy face: thatpear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret:and thy ather, which seein secret, shall reward thee openly.” Do not letthe worldling know that you are fasingf you have troubles,keep themwithin you, do not let himknow of themlet himsee a happy exterior. Inthis way, you will allure himto Christnd take care, by the gentleness andkinness of your conversation, to bring himto think of that religion whichhas hitherto rejected. I have heard it rlated of some Methodist thatafter praying a long while for hiswife’s conversion, he threatened to beather if she were not coverted in a certain time. I believe she was notconvertedthat was not the way to bring her to the SaviorInstead ofwooing sinners and alluring them, there are some who, if they do not go tothe length of physica1 force, ertheless seem as if they would bully themto Christ, they speak to them so sharply and sternly. There is never anygood done in that way. There are more flies caught with honey than withvingar, and more souls are brought to Christ by sweet words thanby sourand bitter ones. Let our life be like that of Christholy, harmless,undefiled, separate from sinners”and then, added to this, let us have aheavenly cheerfuness about us which will lead others to see thatthoughour religion takes away fros the pleasures of the wicked, igives ussomething so much beterthatIsaac Watts was right when said“Religion never was designTo make our pleasures less.”Go, beloved, and lure others to Christnd may God the Holy Spirit blesseach one of yIf in the wilderness, may speak comfortably to youf hardened in your sin, may bring you into the wildenessnd if hasalready spoken comfortably to you, may help you to speak comfortablyto othersAmen.EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEONLUKE 9:51Verse 51. And it came to pass, when the time was come that e should be received up, e stedfastly set is face to goto Jerusalem It is a very remarkable expression that is hereused“when the time was come that e should be ceived up.” It does not say“that e should depart,” or“that e should die.” It leaps overthat and speaks only of His glorious scension intheavWhen that time was drawing nearandof course, His death would come before itChrist “stedfastly set is face togo to Jerusalem,” where He knew that He should die upon the cross. ��Sermon #2trange Dispensations and Matchless Consolations��Volume 4And sent messegers before is face: and they wenentered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for im. Andthey did not receive im, because is face was as though he would goto Jerusalem. Andof course, Jersalem was a sort of rival of Samariand if He was going there to worship, they did not want Him to stay with them. Yet the Samaritans were elievers in the first five Books of the Biblehey accepted thePentateuch, and they oughttherforeto have praticed hospitality, imitating Abraham’s noble example. They erred both against theirown Scriptures and against the dictates of humanity when they refused to receive Christ because He was on His way to Jeruslem. And when is discples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elidid? James and John, two of the most loving of Christ’s disciplesJohnthe most lovingof all, startleus all by failing in the matter of loveand so bing as bad as the Samaritans themselvesI have often noticed that very “liberalminded” peoplewho denounce bigotry in general, do it with about seven times as much biotry as those who are outandout bigotsIn fact, it is a wonderfully easy thing to be a bigot against all bigotry, and to be illiberal towards everbody except fellowliberals. Well, that is a pityt is better far to have the spirit of Christ, even when the Samaritansrefuse to exercise hospitality. At any rate, let them live. You notice that John quotes the exaple of Elijah and this should teach us that the best men mentioned in Scripture did things which we may not copy, and that they did some things rightwhich would be wrong for us to do. Under special nspration of God, Elijah, the prophet of ire, may call down fire from heavbut you and I must not do sowe are not sent for any such purpose. Let us, thereforebe cautious how we make even prophets our exemplars in everythingBut e turned and rebuked them, and said, Yknow not what manner of spirit yare of. For the Son of is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. If that principle had been always remembered and followed, there would have been no persecution. To cause a man to suffer in is personor in is estatebecause of is religious opiions, be they what hey may, is a violation of ChristianityConsciences belong to Godaloneand it is not for us to be calling for fire, the stake, the rackor imprisomentfor men because they do not believe as we do“The Son of an is not come to dstroy men’s lives, but to save them.” And they went to another village.That was the easiest thing for them to do and a great deal better than caling for fire from heaven upon anybodyIf one village would not receive them, another wouldnd if you cannot get on with one son, get on with somebody else. Do not grow angry with peoplethat is not the way to make them better. To fight God’s batles with the devil’s weapons is generally, in the end, to fight the devil’s battles is behalflet none of us make such a mistake as that Taken from The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit C. H. Spurgeon Collection. Only necessary changes have been made, such as correcting spelling errors, some punctuation usage, capitalization of deity pronouns, and minimal updating of a few archaic words. The content is unabridged. Additional Biblebased resources are available at ww.spurgeongems.org .