The Spurgeon Series 1857 & 1858. Charles H. Spurgeon

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СКАЧАТЬ of our elders, if we have elders, and some who ought to be ordained elders, should make it their business to teach them further, to instruct them in the faith, and so keep them hard and fast by the truth of Jesus Christ. If we had elders, as they had in all the apostolic churches, this might in some degree be attended to. But now the hands of our deacons are full, they do much of the work of the eldership, but they cannot do any more than they are doing, for they are toiling hard already. I wish that some here whom God has gifted, and who have time, would spend their afternoons in taking a class of those who live around them, of their younger brethren, asking them to their houses for prayer and pious instruction, so that the lambs of the flock may be fed. By God’s help I will take care of the sheep; I will endeavour under God to feed them, as well as I can, and preach the gospel to them. You who are older in the faith and stronger in it, do not need that careful cautious feeding which is required by the lambs. But there are many in our midst, good pious souls who love the Saviour as much as the sheep do; but one of their complaints which I have often heard is, “Oh! sir, I joined your church, I thought they would be all brothers and sisters to me, and that I could speak to them, and they would teach me and be kind to me. Oh! sir, I came, and no one spoke to me.” I say, “Why did not you speak to them first?” “Oh!” they reply, “I did not like to.” Well, they should have liked to, I am well aware; but if we had some means of feeding the lambs, it would be a good way of proving to our Saviour and to the world, that we really do endeavour to follow him. I hope some of my friends will take that hint; and if, in concert with me, my brethren in office will endeavour to do something in that way, I think it will be no small proof of their love to Christ. “Feed my lambs,” is a great duty; let us try to practise it as we are able.

      16. But, beloved, we cannot all do that; the lambs cannot feed the lambs; the sheep cannot feed the sheep exactly. There must be some appointed to these offices. And therefore, in the Saviour’s name, allow me to say to some of you, that there are different kinds of proof you must give. “Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me? He says to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Then preserve that prayer meeting; attend to it; see that it is kept going on, and that it does not fall to the ground. “Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me?” See to your employees; see that they go to the house of God, and instruct them in the faith. There is a sister: Do you love you Christ? “Yes, Lord.” Perhaps it is as much as you can do — perhaps it is as much as you ought to do — to train up your children in the fear of the Lord. It is of no use to trouble yourselves about duties that God never meant you to do, and leave your own vineyard at home to itself. Just take care of your own children; perhaps that is as good a proof as Christ wants from you that you are feeding his lambs. You have your own office, to which Christ has appointed you: do not seek to run away from it, but endeavour to do what you can to serve your Master in it. But, I beseech you, do something to prove your love; do not be sitting down doing nothing. Do not be folding your hands and arms, for such people perplex a minister most, and bring the most ruin on a church — such as do nothing. You are always the readiest to find fault. I have noted it here, that the very people who are quarrelling with everything are the people that are doing nothing, or are good for nothing. They are sure to quarrel with everything else, because they are doing nothing themselves; and therefore they have time to find fault with other people. Do not oh Christian, say that you love Christ, and yet do nothing for him. Doing is a good sign of living; and he can scarcely be alive to God who does nothing for God. We must let our works evidence the sincerity of our love to our Master. “Oh!” you say, “but we are doing a little.” Can you do any more? If you can, then do it. If you cannot do more, then God requires no more from you; doing to the utmost of your ability is your best proof; but if you can do more, inasmuch as you keep back any part of what you can do, in that degree you give cause to yourselves to distrust your love to Christ. Do all you can to your very utmost; serve him abundantly; indeed, and superabundantly: seek to magnify his name; and if ever you do too much for Christ, come and tell me about it; if you ever do too much for Christ, tell the angels about it — but you will never do that. He gave himself for you; give yourselves to him.

      17. You see, my friends, how I have been directing you to search your own hearts, and I am almost afraid that some of you will mistake my intention. Have I a poor soul here who really deplores the languor of her affections? Perhaps you have determined to ask yourself as many questions as you can with a view of reviving the languid sparks of love. Let me tell you then that the pure flame of love must be always nourished where it was first kindled. When I admonished you to examine yourself it was only to detect the evil; do you want to find the remedy, you must direct your eyes, not to your own heart, but to the blessed heart of Jesus — to the Beloved One — to my gracious Lord and Master. And do you want to be conscious of the sweet swellings up of your heart towards him; you can only prove this by a constant sense of his tender love to you. I rejoice to know that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of love, and the ministry of the Spirit is endeared to me in nothing as much as this, that he takes the things of Jesus, and shows them to me, spreading abroad the Saviour’s love in my heart, until it constrains all my passions, awakens the most tender of all tender emotions, reveals my union to him, and occasions my strong desire to serve him. Do not let love appear to you as a stern duty, or an arduous effort; rather look to Jesus, yield yourself up to his gracious charms until you are ravished with his beauty and preciousness. But ah! if you are slack in the proofs you give, I shall know you are not walking with him in holy communion.

      18. And allow me to suggest one profitable way of improving the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper. That is: while you are partaking of it, my friends, renew your dedication to Christ. Seek this morning to give yourselves over afresh to your Master. Say with your hearts, what I shall now say with my lips: “Oh! my precious Lord Jesus, I do love you; you know I have in some degree given myself to you up to this time, thanks to your grace! Blessed be your name, that you have accepted the deeds of so unworthy a servant. Oh Lord, I am conscious that I have not devoted myself to you as I ought to; I know that in many things I have come short. I will make no resolution to live better for your honour, but I will offer the prayer that you would help me to do so. Oh! Lord, I give to you my health, my life, my talents, my power, and all I have! You have bought me, and bought me wholly: then, Lord, take me this morning, baptize me in the Spirit; let me now feel an entire affection for you. May I have that love which conquers sin and purifies the soul — that love which can dare danger and encounter difficulties for your sake. May I henceforth and for ever be a consecrated vessel of mercy, having been chosen by you from before the foundation of the world! Help me to hold fast that solemn choice of your service which I desire this morning, by your grace to renew.” And when you drink the blood of Christ, and eat his flesh spiritually — in the type and in the emblem, then I beseech you, let the solemn remembrance of his agony and suffering for you inspire you with a greater love, that you may be more devoted to his service than ever. If that is done, I shall have the best of churches; if that is done by us, the Holy Spirit helping us to carry it out, we shall all be good men and true, holding fast by him, and we shall not need to be ashamed in the awful day.

      19. As for you that have never given yourselves to Christ, I dare not tell you to renew a vow which you have never made; nor dare I ask you to make a vow, which you would never keep. I can only pray for you, that God the Saviour would be pleased to reveal himself to your heart, that “a sense of blood bought pardon” may “dissolve your hearts of stone”; that you may be brought to give yourselves to him, knowing that if you have done that, you have the best proof that he has given himself for you. May God Almighty bless you: those of you who depart, may he dismiss with his blessing: and those who remain, may you receive his favour, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

      (We suspect communion was held after this service based on how Spurgeon concluded his message. Editor.)

      The Blood Shedding

      No. 118-3:89. A Sermon Delivered On Sunday Morning, February 22, 1857, By C. H. Spurgeon, At The Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens.

       Without shedding of blood is no remission. {Hebrews 9:22}

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