This is a powerful and moving sermon by C.H. Spurgeon about Jesus Christ.
Spurgeon's sermons were powerful, inspirational, uplifting and enlightening
and every Christian teacher recognizes him as a great man of God who worked
diligently in spreading the gospel. I hope you will find this sermon
inspirational in some way and may it touch your heart.
May God bless,
Carl
my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/
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The Glory of Christ-Beheld!
October 20th, 1861
by Rev. C. H. SPURGEON
(1834-1892)
"And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and
truth"-John 1:14.
I cannot refrain from mentioning an incident connected with the perusal of
the first chapter of John. I suppose there is not a passage in God's Word
which has not at some time or other been blessed to the conversion of a
soul. Even the fifth chapter of Genesis, which is so uninteresting to the
most of readers, because the verses continually end, "And he died," "And he
died," "And he died," has been blessed to one, who from the reiteration of
the fact that men who lived nine hundred years nevertheless died, was led to
think of his own death. Now, the first chapter of John was the means of the
conversion of a celebrated writer, Junius the younger, one who did good
service in the Church. His father, perceiving him to be an ungodly young
man, put in his way as much as possible the New Testament, and the following
is an extract from Junius's account of his own life. "My father, who was
frequently reading the New Testament, and had long observed with grief the
progress I had made in infidelity, had put that book in my way in his
library, in order to attract my attention, if it might please God to bless
his design, though without giving me the least intimation of it. Here,
therefore, I unwittingly opened the New Testament thus providentially laid
before me. At the very first view, although I was deeply engaged in other
thoughts, that grand chapter of the evangelist and apostle presented itself
to me-'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God.' I read part of
the chapter, and was so greeted that I instantly became struck with the
divinity of the argument, and the majesty and authority of the composition,
as infinitely surpassing the highest flights of human eloquence. My body
shuddered; my mind was in amazement, and I was so agitated the whole day
that I scarcely knew who I was; nor did the agitation cease, but continued
till it was at last soothed by a humble faith in him who was made flesh and
dwelt among us."
One of the Platonic philosophers, who considered all Christian writers to be
but barbarians, nevertheless said of the first chapter of John, "This
barbarian hath comprised more stupendous stuff in three lines, than we have
done in all our voluminous discourses." And we will to this day glory in the
power of the Holy Spirit, that an unlearned and ignorant man like John, the
son of Zebedee the fisherman, should be enabled to write a chapter which
excels not only the highest flight of eloquence, but the greatest divings of
philosophy.
But now for the verse before us. I think, if you look attentively at it, and
if you are in some slender measure acquainted with the original, you will
perceive that John here compares Christ to that which was the greatest glory
of the Jewish Church. Let me read it, giving another translation: "The Word
was made flesh, and tabernacled among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory
as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
Now, you remember that in the Jewish Church its greatest glory was that God
tabernacled in its midst: not the tent of Moses, not the various pavilions
of the princes of the twelve tribes, but the humble tabernacle in which God
dwelt, was the boast of Israel. They had the king himself in the midst of
them, a present God in their midst. The tabernacle was a tent to which men
went when they would commune with God, and it was the spot to which God came
manifestly when he would commune with man. To use Matthew Henry's words, it
was the "trysting place" between the Creator and the worshipper. Here they
met each other through the slaughter of the bullock and the lamb, and there
was reconciliation between them twain. Now, Christ's human flesh was God's
tabernacle, and it is in Christ that God meets with man, and in Christ that
man hath dealings with God. The Jew of old went to God's tent, in the center
of the camp, if he would worship: we come to Christ if we would pay our
homage. If the Jew would be released from ceremonial uncleanness, after he
had performed the rites, he went up to the sanctuary of his God, that he
might feel again that there was peace between God and his soul; and we,
having been washed in the precious blood of Christ, have access with
boldness unto God, even the Father through Christ, who is our tabernacle and
the tabernacle of God among men.
Now let us draw the parallel a little further. The greatest glory of the
tabernacle itself was the most holy place. In the most holy place there
stood the ark of the covenant, bearing its golden lid called the mercy-seat.
Over the mercy-seat stood the cherubim, whose wings met each other, and
beneath the wings of the cherubim there was a bright light, known to the
Hebrew believer by the name of the Shekinah. That light represented the
presence of God. Immediately above that light there might be seen at night a
pillar of fire, and by day a spiral column of cloud rose from it, which no
doubt expanded itself into one vast cloud, which covered all the camp, and
shielded all the Israelites from the blaze of the broiling sun. The glory of
the tabernacles, I say, was the Shekinah. What does our text say? Jesus
Christ was God's tabernacle, and "we beheld his glory, the glory as of the
only begotten of the Father." Jesus is not the tabernacle without the glory;
he is not as the temple when the voice was heard with the rushing of winds
before the siege of Jerusalem, crying, "Arise, let us go hence," but it was
a temple in which God himself dwelt after a special manner; "for in him
dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."
The apostle however points to a surpassing excellence in Christ the
tabernacle, by which he wondrously excels that of the Jewish Church. "Full
of grace and truth." The Jewish tabernacle was rather full of law than full
of grace. It is true there were in its rites and ceremonies, foreshadowings
of grace, but still in repeated sacrifice there was renewed remembrance of
sin, and a man had first to be obedient to the law of ceremonies, before he
could have access to the tabernacle at all: but Christ is full of grace-not
a little of it, but abundance of it is treasured up in him. The tabernacle
of old was not full of truth, but full of image, and shadow, and symbol, and
picture; but Christ is full of substance; he is not the picture, but the
reality; he is not the shadow, but the substance. Herein, O believer, do
thou rejoice with joy unspeakable for thou comest unto Christ, the real
tabernacle of God. Thou comest unto him who is full of the glory of the
Father; and thou comest unto one in whom thou hast not the representation of
a grace which thou needest, but the grace itself-not the shadow of a truth
ultimately to he revealed, but that very truth by which thy soul is accepted
in the sight of God. I put this forth as a matter for you to think over in
your retirement. It might have constituted the divisions of the sermon, but
as I want more especially to dwell upon the glory of Christ, we leave these
observations as a preface, and go more particularly to that part of the
subject where the apostle says, "We beheld his glory, the glory of the
only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
I. In the first place, we have here A FAVORED PEOPLE. "We beheld his glory."
And who are these-the "we" to whom the apostle here refers? They were first
of all an elect company, for Jesus said, "I know whom I have chosen;" "Ye
have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." He came unto his own, and his
own received him not; but they who did receive him are described as men who
were "born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of
man, but of God." The elect in Christ's day, though they were but a small
remnant, nevertheless did exist. There were a few, else had that generation
been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrah. There were twelves and
seventies, and afterwards we read of three thousand, and then of many others
who were added to the Church of such as should be saved. In Christ's own
day, however, the lines of manifest election seemed to be but very narrow,
for there were but few that followed him, and of those who followed him it
is said, many from that day went back and walked no more with him; for his
truth had sifted the mere professors, and reduced them but to a slender
company who followed the Lamb whithersoever he went. The "we," then, who
"beheld Christ's glory," were a chosen company.
They were also a called company, for of many of them we read their special
calls. Of John himself we read, that Jesus walked by the sea and "saw other
two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with
Zebedee their father mending their nets; and he called them. And they
immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him." Of most of
the apostles and immediate attendants' upon Christ's person we have a record
of their divine and special call by Christ's own voice; and in the case of
those respecting whom there was no record preserved; yet was it,
nevertheless, the fact, for he had called them as the shepherd calleth his
own sheep by name and leadeth them out. Indeed, in all of us who shall at
any time perceive Christ's glory, it must be because he has called us unto
this special privilege as the result of his election of us thereunto.
These who beheld his glory were also an illuminated people; for Christ's
glory was not manifest unto the rest of mankind. None of the princes of this
world knew him. The priests who had studied the law could not discover him;
the members of the Sanhedrim, who were under some expectation of his advent,
could not perceive him. In vain the star in the east; in vain the miraculous
appearance of angels to the shepherds; the blind generation would not
perceive him. In vain the opening of blind eyes and the preaching of the
gospel to the poor; in vain the raising of the dead; in vain all those
innumerable signs and wonders; they could not perceive his glory; but of
those who did perceive it it may be said, as of Simon Barjonas, "Blessed art
thou, for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee."
We may say, then, of those who beheld his glory, the favored people, that
they were chosen of sovereign grace, that they were called effectually by
the Holy Spirit, and that they were anointed by the same divine person. And
to this day, brethren, it is the same. None believe in Christ but those who
are his sheep; no man cometh unto him except the Father who hath sent him
draws them, and none ever perceive him but those whose eyes are opened by
his own healing fingers. Let the question be passed round among us-Do I
perceive his glory? Have I seen something of the splendor of God in the
humble man of Nazareth? Have I learned to magnify him in my soul, and have I
desired to glorify him in my life, as my God, my life, my love, my all in
all, though once despised and rejected of men? If so, beloved-if we can say
this from our heart, we are favored indeed, and especially favored if we
remember how many there are who have never obtained this grace. Not many
great men after the flesh see any glory in Christ; they find their glory in
the clash of arms and in garments rolled in blood, but not in him who is
meek and lowly of heart, who gives rest to weary souls. Not many wise men
have seen any glory in Christ; they find glory in philosophy; they can see
glory in nature, but not in him who is nobler than God's creation, inasmuch
as he is the only perfect one among the sons of men. They say they see
something of glory in providence, and yet fail to perceive anything
wonderful in grace. Not many wise men are called. Oh! let us be astonished
at the sovereignty of God, let us be filled with gratitude at his
compassion; let us pray that if ere we know something of the glory we may
know more of it day by day, and may set it forth among the sons of men, that
they too may by-and-by perceive his glory, "the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
II. But now, secondly we have spoken of the favored people-let us spend a
minute or two in dwelling upon THEIR EXALTED PRIVILEGE. "We beheld his
glory."
What is the word "Beheld?" It says not we heard of his glory, we read of it
in prophecy, or we listened to it from the lips of others, but we beheld his
glory. What a privilege was this, which was accorded to the first disciples!
Have you not often envied them? To see the man, the very man, in whom God
dwelt-to walk with him as one's companion along his journeys of mercy-to
listen to the words as they stream all living from those eloquent lips-to
look into his eyes, and mark the depth of love that glistened there-to see
his face, even though it was more marred than that of any man. I have often
sympathised in that child-like hymn:-
"I think when I read that sweet story of old,
When Jesus was here among men,
How he called little children as lambs to his fold,
I should like to have been with them then.
I wish that his hands had been placed on my head,
That his arm had been thrown around me,
And that I might have seen his kind looks when he said,
'Let the little ones come unto me.'"
But better still to have been with him-to have leaned this head upon his
bosom-to have told him my griefs, as they did who took up the body of John,
and went and told Jesus-to have asked of him the explanation of
difficulties, as they said, "Show us the Father, and it sufficeth"-to have
had one's faith encouraged by touching his very flesh, as he did of whom it
is written, that he put his finger into the print of the nails and thrust
his hand into his side. But what are we talking about? All this is carnal,
all this is of sight, and the Christian is a nobler being than to live and
walk by sight. He lives by faith; and to this day, brethren, there is a
sight of Christ which can be had by faith; and therefore, we need not murmur
because we are denied the privilege of sight. The sight of Christ it seems,
did but little good to those who had it, not even to his disciples, for they
were sorry dolts, even though he was the Master. It was only when the Spirit
came down at Pentecost, that they began to know Christ, and to understand
what he had said to them, though he himself had said it. And truly 'tis
better to see Christ by faith than it is to see him by sight, for a sight of
him by faith saves the soul; but we might see him with the eye, and yet
crucify him, yet be found amongst the greatest rebels against his government
and power.
Now we say to you, Have you beheld his glory by faith? Oh! ye have all of
you heard of it. We, the ministers of Christ, have tried Sabbath after
Sabbath to lift him up, and it is such sweet and blessed work that I would
fain do it every day. When we have to preach the law, we feel it a hard and
toilsome servitude, but to preach Christ; O how sweet and blessed is the
labor! Happy is the man whose lips are ever overflowing with the news of
Jesus! Blessed is he whose ministry is full of Christ! He is blessed in his
own soul, as well as blessed unto others. Ye have heard of it, then, but
what of all this? Ye may hear of his glory and perish in your sins. Ye have
read of his glory; this book is in your houses, and ye read it, I trust,
each day, thus ye have read the story of the Man of sorrows and grief's
acquaintance. And ye know how he ascended on high, leading captivity
captive, and ever sitteth at the right hand of God. But ye may read all
this; and yet it shall be a curse and not a blessing, for ye knew him and
yet rejected him. You were among his own and he came unto you, and ye
received him not. Oh! to behold his glory! This is soul work, saving work,
blessed work, everlasting work: have ye any interest in it?
But ye answer, "How can we behold his glory?" Why, faith sees it. Faith
looks back to the man who lived and died for us, and sees glory in his
shame, honor in his disgraces, riches in his poverty, might in his weakness,
triumph in his conflict, and immortality in his death. Nay, Faith is
sometimes assisted by Experience; and Experience sees his glory: it sees the
glory of his grace in rolling away all our sins; the preciousness of his
blood in giving us reconciliation with the Father; the power of the Spirit
in subduing the will; the love of his heart in constantly remembering us
upon the throne; and the power of his plea in its perpetual prevalence with
God. Experience shows us the glory of Christ in the deep waters, while he
puts his arm beneath us and says, "Fear not, thou shalt not be drowned." It
shows us the glory in the blazing furnace while the Son of Man treads the
glowing coals with his afflicted Israel. Experience shows us the glory of
Christ in all the attacks of Satan. While he is our shield he wards off
every poisoned arrow, shows us the glory of Christ in helping us to live and
enabling us to die, and by-and-bye it shall show us the glory of Christ in
enabling us to rise and take possession of the crown which he hath purchased
for his children.
And with Experience there is another that helps us to behold the glory of
Christ, namely, Communion. Beloved, I hope you know what that means-when in
the chamber shut in with God, and the world shut out, our eyes behold him
and not another; when we can kneel down in the very posture of the poor
agonizing victim of Gethsemane, and see by fellowship the sweat of blood as
it streams from the pores of his frame: when we can mark him hounded,
hissed, scouted through all the streets of his own city, and taken to
Calvary to die. Communion knows something of the bitterness of the cup which
he then drank, somewhat of the sharpness of the nails that pierced his
hands, and somewhat of the death which was endured when at last he said, "It
is finished!" and gave up the ghost. Yes, Communion can show us the glory of
Christ even in his shame. And then it can take to its wings and show us his
glory beyond the skies. These eyes have never seen the Savior, but this
heart hath seen him; these lips have never kissed his cheek, for that they
might do and I might be a Judas; but the soul hath kissed him and he hath
kissed me with the kisses of his mouth, for his love is better than wine.
Think me not enthusiastic or fanatical when I say that the children of God
have as near access to Christ to day in the spirit, as ever John had after
the flesh; so that there is to this day a rich enjoyment to be obtained by
those who seek it, in having actual fellowship with the Father and his Son
Jesus Christ. Oh, it is a joy worth worlds! Worldling, if thou hadst ever
known the sweetness of this bread, thou wouldst never eat thine own ashes
again. O pleasures of the world! ye would cease to tempt us, if ye knew how
much more sweet are the pleasures of his face. O thunders of this world! ye
would cease your attempts to frighten us, if ye knew the sweet satisfaction
and solace which we find in him, when everything is bitter and disconsolate
abroad. Yes, we have beheld his glory, just as surely as if we had seen it
with our eyes; as certainly as if we had heard with our ears the
acclamations of the glorified, and taken our seat with them at the foot of
his throne, or with them had veiled our faces with wings, and cried, "Holy
holy, holy, Lord God omnipotent!" Just as truly, though not so fully, we
have beheld his glory-the glory of the only-begotten of the Father-full of
grace and truth.
III. Thirdly we have in the text, A MOST BLESSED VISION.
We have had the favored persons, their exalted privilege, and now we have
their blessed vision. We have beheld his glory. Let us dwell upon the
thought of his glory for awhile. My brethren, what a glory have we beheld by
faith! By faith, in the first place, we have beheld the glory of his complex
person. We have known and believed that he is the everlasting Word, the
veritable Son of the Father, we have beheld him by faith, as dwelling with
the Father or ever the world was, the beloved of his Father's soul; we have
seen him and we have marked that his goings-forth are of old, even from
everlasting, we have seen him weighing the clouds, measuring the channels of
the great deep, planning the heavens, and meting out the sea, we have seen
him with the line and with the plummet, making all things according to his
wisdom, and the purpose of the counsel of his will, for "without him was not
anything made that was made." We have seen him as God, seated upon the
throne of his Father, and we have believed that the sea roareth only as he
bids it, that the earth with all the creatures that are therein obeys his
glorious will. Lo, in his hands to-day the keys of heaven and death, and
hell! We have had no doubts whatever as to his Divinity, for we have seen
and known that he is "very God of very God." "God over all, blessed for ever
Amen."
We have seen him too as man. We have perceived that he is of the substance
of his mother, bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh; man in all infirmities,
but not man in any guiltiness of his own; man weak, suffering, hungry,
thirsty, dying, but without spot or wrinkle-pure, the immaculate Lamb of
God. We have beheld him in the glory of this complex person-not God
deteriorated to man, not man deified to God, but God, very God, and very
man; God in all that is God-like, man in all that is manlike, and we have
adored him as such. We have seen in him the lustre of a beauty which far
outshines all that earth can present us, or all that heaven can offer. Whom
have we on earth but Jesus? Who is there in heaven that we can desire beside
him?
Next, we have beheld his glory, not merely in his person, but in the motive
for which he undertook his great work. That motive was love, love which
could have his self interest to be an alloy, love to worthless creatures,
love to those who could never repay his love to rebels, love to men who
crucified the Lord of glory, and we have said as we have seen this love
sparkling like a jewel in a black setting, lying in the heart of the pool,
injured, poverty-stricken, houseless, comfortless Man of Nazareth. "There is
a glory here in this love that is never to be found elsewhere."
Then, we have beheld the glory of his self-sacrifice. We have looked upon
him giving up everything for us, renouncing his crown and sceptre, laying
aside his royal robes and splendor, leaving his Father's house, and palaces,
and honor, becoming man, nay, a poor man, a despised afflicted man; nay,
becoming obedient to death, even the death of the cross. We have read
history through, but we never saw a self-sacrifice that could equal his. In
him selfishness never lived, and therefore, never needed to be kept in
check. He was not his own; his whole history could be written in this: "He
saved others, himself he cannot save," Glorious Christ, in this whilst thou
wast rejected of men, we have beheld thy glory.
We have beheld, moreover, the glory of his endurance. He is tempted in every
point, yet fails in none. The world's glory lies at his feet, he chooses
rather our salvation than the glories of earth. He counted the reproach that
he should bear for us greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt. We see
him mocked, yet never reviling, spit upon, yet never spitting back again
even so much as a word of venom. We see him despised, yet never attempting
to clear himself; accused, yet silent before the judgment-seat; so giving up
himself that he can bear all things, whatsoever they may be. Many waters
could not quench his love, neither could the floods drown it. Though all the
substance of the world's house were offered him that he might renounce his
love, yet did he utterly despise the world. Who was ever such a martyr as
the Savior? Who endured as he did? Who bore such contradiction of sinners
against himself? Great God, O Jesu,-for such thou art-Great God, there is
none like thee in the omnipotence of thine endurance. We have seen thy
glory, even when thou didst tabernacle among men.
And we have seen his glory also in his great and blessed perseverance even
to the end, having loved his own which were in the world he loved them to
the end: having undertaken he went through, he never paused till he could
say, "It is finished." Then he gave up the ghost, but not till then. Now
to-day behold his perseverance. For Zion's sake he does not rest, and for
Jerusalem's sake he never holds his peace day nor night until God shall be
pleased to make her glory come forth as the brightness, and her
righteousness as a lamp that burneth. On, on, on, neither to the right nor
to the left turning for a moment, without pause without making a moment's
question, onwards to his destined work he speeds, and never doth he cease
till he can say to his Father, "I have finished the work that thou gavest me
to do."
And then, not to keep you too long even upon such a subject as this, we have
beheld his glory in his final triumph. Yes, brethren, by faith we have seen
in the very moment when the sun was darkened, and when the earth was shaken,
and the rocks rent asunder, we have seen Christ darkening the world's
glories, we have seen him rending rocky hearts, and bidding the dead arise.
We have seen him in the very instant when he gave up the ghost leaping from
the cross, pursuing with thunderbolts the prince of hell, and driving him to
darker shades below, we have seen him grasping at last the tyrant in his
hands, and chaining him to his chariot wheel. Our faith has beheld him
riding up the everlasting hills, leading captivity captive, we have seen the
gates wide open flung while angels said, "Lift up your heads, O ye gates and
be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in."
We have joined by faith the triumph and have swelled the train, we have
heard the acclamation of the spirits of the just made perfect; we have heard
above all the voice of God, "Well done, thou hast finished thy Father's
will." We have seen him ascend in august majesty the throne which is his
resting place, and we have seen him sit down on the right hand of the
Father, while from heaven and earth, and even hell, there went up one
prolonged note of praise, "Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah! the Lord God
omnipotent reigneth." Nay, our faith has gone beyond the mere matters of the
past. We have beheld his glory, we have seen him as one by one his sheep are
brought, and his prayer is heard, "Father, I will that they also whom thou
hast given me be with me where I am." We have seen him going forth day after
day in the chariot of Salvation scattering with both his hands his mercies
among the poverty-stricken sons of men, and we have cried unto him, "Gird
thy sword upon thy thigh, O thou most mighty." Often has our prayer been,
Come forth, O Jesus, heaven obeys thee, earth shakes at thy presence, hell
trembles at thee, devils are dismayed. Come forth, put thine arrow to the
string, and lift up thy glittering spear. Who, who shall stay thy course, or
in thy presence stand. Like chaff before the wind so shall they be driven
and as stubble before the flame so shall they be utterly consumed. We have
been helped to fly even to the great end of all things, and by faith have
seen his second advent. We have beheld his glory, the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father. We have seen him come,-
-"But not the same
As once in lowliness he came,-
A silent Lamb before his foes,
A weary man, and full of woes."
We have seen him come-
-"With dreadful form,
With rainbow-wreath and robes of storm;
On cherub wings, and wings of wind,
Appointed Judge of all mankind!"
We have beheld his millennial reign. We have marked the dwellers in the
wilderness blowing before him, the kings of Seba and Sheba offering their
gifts; we have heard the universal song from the dwellers in the rocks and
the islands of the sea, we have seen the halcyon age of love, when no strife
shall vex Messiah's reign. When they shall
--"Hang the useless helmet high
And study war no more."
And then we have seen the judgment; we have beheld the reeling earth unable
to bear the splendor of his triumph; we have heard the wailings of his
enemies; we have seen them melt as wax before the flame, utterly consumed
like the fat of rams upon his altar. We have at last, by faith, seen the
end, when he shall give up the kingdom to God, even our Father; we have
heard, I say, the last word of the whole history in the shout of complete
victory-
"Lo, Jehovah's banners furled
Sheathed his sword: he speaks-'tis done!
And the kingdoms of this world
Are the kingdoms of his Son.
Then the end,-beneath his rod,
Man's last enemy shall fall;
Hallelujah! Christ in God,
God in Christ is all in all."
IV. Have patience with me while I now conclude. In the fourth place, the
text reminds us of THE TESTIMONY WHICH WE WHO HAVE SEEN HIS GLORY ARE SURE
TO BEAR.
We bear our testimony that he is "the only begotten of the Father, full of
grace and truth." Brothers and sisters, instead of preaching let me bear my
testimony; my testimony of what I have seen, what my own ears have heard,
and my own heart has tasted-that Christ is the only begotten of the Father.
He is divine to me, if he be human to all the world besides. He has done
that for me which none but a God could do. He has turned my stubborn will,
melted a heart of adamant, broken a chain of steel, opened the gates of
brass, and snapped the bars of iron. He hath turned for me my mourning into
laughter, and my desolation into joy, he hath led my captivity captive, made
my heart rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Let others think as
they will of him, to me he must be the only begotten of the Father: blessed
be his name.
"O that I could now adore him,
Like the heavenly host above,
Who for ever bow before him,
And unceasing sing his love. Happy songsters!
When shall I your chorus join?"
Thy name is precious even as ointment poured forth. Thou art indeed my Lord
and my God, as certainly as ever thou wast the God of Thomas. Like Paul, my
soul shall say, "God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the
world."
Again, I bear my testimony that he is full of grace. Ah! had he not been, I
should never have beheld his glory. I was full of sin to overflowing. I was
condemned already, because I believed not upon him. He drew me when I wanted
not to come, and though I struggled hard, he continued still to draw; and
when at last I came all trembling like a condemned culprit to his
mercy-seat, he said, "Thy sins which were many are all forgiven thee be of
good cheer." "He took me up out of the horrible pit, and out of the miry
clay. He hath set my feet upon a rock, and put a new song into my mouth, and
established my goings." Let others despise him; but I bear witness that he
is full of grace. Oh, I would that some poor sinner here who is full of sin,
would remember that Christ is full of grace: I would that thou, poor
despairing one-thou who hast given thyself up as a lost soul, wouldst
remember that-
"Plenteous grace with him is found,-
Grade to pardon all thy sin:
May the healing streams abound,
Make and keep thee pure within."
Finally I bear my witness, that as he is full of grace he is full of truth.
True have his promises been, not one has failed. I have often doubted him,
for that I blush; he has never failed me, in this I must rejoice. His
promises have been yea and amen. I do but speak the testimony of every
believer in Christ, though I put it thus personally to make it the more
forcible. I bear witness that never servant had such a Master as I have;
never brother had such a kinsman as he has been to me; never spouse had such
a husband as Christ has been to my soul; never sinner a better Savior; never
soldier a better captain; never mourner a better comforter than Christ hath
been to my spirit. I want none beside him. In life he is my life, and in
death he shall be the death of death; in poverty Christ is our riches, in
sickness he makes our bed; in darkness he is our star, and in brightness he
is our sun; he is the manna of the camp in the wilderness, and he shall be
the new corn of the host when they come to Canaan. He is the rock that
follows them today; he is the rock on which they shall rest, and within
which they shall dwell for ever.
"All hail Immanuel, all divine
In thee thy Father's glories shine;
Thou brightest, sweetest, fairest one,
That eyes have seen or angels known.
O may I live to reach the place
Where he unveils his lovely face.
Where all his beauties saints behold,
And sing his name to harps of gold.-
So be it, Lord. Amen.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "Spurgeon Collection" by:
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 119
Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
Our websites: www.biblebb.com and www.gospelgems.com
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Online since 1986
This article originally appeared at
http://www.biblebb.com/files/spurgeon/0414.htm on Bible Bulletin Board
(http://www.biblebb.com/)
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