My Victorian Year #37

This week I'll be sharing quotes from Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening and J.C. Ryle's Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Matthew.

From Morning and Evening:

• He freely gives grace in all its forms, to His people: saving grace, comforting grace, preserving grace, sanctifying grace, directing grace, instructing grace, assisting grace! He gives grace . . . abundantly, seasonably, constantly, readily, sovereignly!
• He doubly enhances the value of His grace, by the manner of its bestowal. He generously pours into their souls without ceasing, and He always will do so, whatever may occur.
• Sickness may befall—but the Lord will give grace. Poverty may happen to us—but grace will surely be afforded. Death must come—but grace will light a candle at the darkest hour.
• Grace and glory always go together. God has married them—and none can divorce them. The Lord will never deny a soul glory—to whom He has freely given to live upon His grace.
• Indeed, glory is nothing more than grace in its heavenly dress; grace in full bloom; grace like autumn fruit—mellow and perfected.
• Our hope in Christ for the future, is the mainspring and the mainstay of our joy here on earth. It will animate our hearts to think often of heaven, for all that we can desire is promised there.
• Let the future sanctify the present to highest uses. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the hope of heaven is the most potent force for the product of virtue!
• Do not let us approach our Lord as though we were strangers, or as though He were unwilling to hear us—for we are greatly loved by our loving Father!
• It is a common-place thought, and yet it tastes like nectar to the weary heart—Jesus was tempted, just as I am. You have heard that truth many times—have you grasped it? He was tempted to the very same sins into which we fall.
• Do not dissociate Jesus from our common manhood. It is a dark room which you are going through—but Jesus went through it before. It is a sharp fight which you are waging—but Jesus has stood foot to foot with the same enemy.
• Christ has borne the load before us, and the blood-stained footsteps of the King of glory, may be seen along the road which we traverse at this hour.
• There is something sweeter yet—Jesus was tempted—but Jesus never sinned.
• Then, my soul, it is not needful for you to sin, for Jesus was a man, and if one man endured these temptations and sinned not, then in His power His members may also cease from sin. There is no sin in being tempted—but there is sin in yielding to temptation.
• “If any man sins—we have an advocate.” Yes, though we sin, we have Him still. John does not say, “If any man sins—he has forfeited his advocate,” but “we have an advocate,” sinners though we are.
• All the sin that a believer ever did—cannot destroy his interest in the Lord Jesus Christ, as his advocate.
• Some Christians are for living on Christ—but are not so anxious to live for Christ.
• Believer, in the strength you daily gain from Christ—labor for Him. Some of us have yet to learn much concerning the design of our Lord in giving us His grace.
• The carnal mind always maps out for itself a way in which SELF can work and become great—but the Lord’s way is quite the reverse.
• The human heart is insatiable—until Jesus enters it, and then it is a cup full to overflowing. There is such a fullness in Christ—that He alone is the believer’s ALL.
• The true saint is so completely satisfied with the all-sufficiency of Jesus—that he thirsts no more—except it be for deeper draughts of the living fountain!
• Each believer must, when filled with a sense of Jesus’ love—be also overwhelmed with astonishment, that such divine love should be lavished on an object so utterly unworthy of it. Jesus must have found the cause of His love—in His own heart. He could not have found it in us—for it is not there! Even since our conversion we have been black with sin—though sovereign grace has made us lovely in His sight.
• That alone is true faith—which clings to the Lord when friends are gone, when the body is sick, when spirits are depressed, and the light of our Father’s countenance is hidden.
• Present afflictions tend also to heighten future joy. There must be dark shadows in the picture—to bring out the beauty of the lights. Could we be so supremely blessed in heaven—if we had not known the curse of sin and the sorrow of earth?
• Will not peace be sweeter—after conflict? Will not rest be more welcome—after toil? Will not the bliss of the glorified—be enhanced the recollection of past sufferings?
• “I trust,” says the Christian, “in a triune God. I trust the Father, believing that He has chosen me from before the foundation of the world; I trust Him to provide for me in His providence, to teach me, to guide me, to correct me if need be, and to bring me home to His own house where the many mansions are!”
• “I trust the Son. The man Christ Jesus—is also the true God. I trust in Him to take away all my sins by His own sacrifice, and to adorn me with His perfect righteousness. I trust Him to be my Intercessor, to present my prayers and desires before His Father’s throne, and I trust Him to be my Advocate at the last great day, to plead my cause, and to justify me. I trust Him for what He is, for what He has done, and for what He has promised yet to do!” 
• “And I trust the Holy Spirit—He has begun to save me from my inbred sins; I trust Him to drive them all out. I trust Him to curb my temper, to subdue my will, to enlighten my understanding, to check my evil passions. I trust Him to comfort my despondency, to help my weakness, to illuminate my darkness. I trust Him to dwell in me as my life, to reign in me as my King, to sanctify me wholly—and then to take me up to dwell forever in glory!”
• To trust Him . . . whose power will never be exhausted, whose love will never wane, whose kindness will never change, whose faithfulness will never fail, whose wisdom will never be confounded, and whose perfect goodness can never know a diminution!

From Expository Thoughts on Matthew, Matthew 17 and 18
Matthew 17:1-13

• The hearts which have just been saddened by a plain statement of Christ's sufferings, are at once gladdened by a vision of Christ's glory.
• We often lose much by not tracing the connection between chapter and chapter in the word of God.
• It does not yet appear what His people shall be. Their crosses, their tribulations, their weaknesses, their conflicts, are all manifest enough. There is laid up for Jesus, and all that believe on Him, such glory as the heart of man never conceived. It is not only promised, but part of it has actually been seen by three competent witnesses.
• In the second place, we have in these verses, an unanswerable proof of the resurrection of the body, and the life after death. 
• In the last place, we have in these verses a remarkable testimony to Christ's infinite superiority over all mankind. Moses was a faithful servant of God. Elijah was a bold witness for the truth. But Christ was far above either one or the other. He was the Savior to whom law and prophets were continually pointing. He was the true Prophet, whom all were commanded to hear. (Deut. 18:15.)  
• The best of men are only men at their very best. Patriarchs, prophets, and apostles--martyrs, church fathers, reformers, puritans--all, all are sinners, who need a Savior.
• Let us value all religious teaching just in proportion as it leads us to Jesus. The sum and substance of saving religion is to "listen to Christ."

Matthew 17:14-21

• There are thousands of young men who seem to have wholly given themselves up to Satan's temptations, and to be led captive at his will. They cast off all fear of God, and all respect for His commandments. They serve diverse lusts and pleasures. Surely such young men give mournful proof, that although Satan now-a-days seldom has possession of man's body, he still exercises a fearful dominion over some men's souls.
• Let it be a settled principle with us, when we read our Lord's miracles, never to despair of the conversion of any soul.
• In the second place, we see in these verses a striking example of the weakening effect of unbelief.
• Unbelief is the sure road to defeat. Once let our faith languish and decay, and all our graces will languish with it. Courage, patience, long-suffering, and hope, will soon wither and dwindle away. Faith is the root on which they all depend.
• In the last place, we see in these verses that Satan's kingdom is not to be pulled down without diligence and pains.

Matthew 17:22-27

• Let us observe, in the first place, our Lord's perfect knowledge of everything that is said and done in this world.
• There is an eye that sees all our daily conduct. There is an ear that hears all our daily words. All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him, with whom we have to do. Concealment is impossible. Hypocrisy is useless.
• Let it be our daily aim to say nothing we would not like Christ to hear, and to do nothing we would not like Christ to see. Let us measure every difficult question as to right and wrong by one simple test, "How would I behave, if Jesus was standing by my side?"
• Happy is he that tries to realize his Lord's presence, and to do all and say all as unto Christ.
• Let us observe, in the next place, our Lord's almighty power over all creation.
• In the last place, let us observe, in these verses, our Lord's willingness to make concessions, rather than give offence.

Matthew 18:1-14

• The first thing that we are taught in these verses, is the necessity of conversion, and of conversion manifested by childlike humility.
• Let these words sink down deeply into our hearts. Without conversion there is no salvation. We all need an entire change of nature. Of ourselves we have neither faith, nor fear, nor love towards God.
• "We must be born again." Of ourselves we are utterly unfit for dwelling in God's presence.
• Heaven would be no heaven to us if we were not converted. It is true of all ranks, classes, and orders of mankind. All are born in sin and children of wrath, and all, without exception, need to be born again and made new creatures.
• A new heart must be given to us, and a new spirit put within us. Old things must pass away, and all things must become new.
• The surest mark of true conversion is humility. If we have really received the Holy Spirit, we shall show it by a meek and childlike spirit.
• What we all want is a conversion from pride to humility--from high thoughts of ourselves to lowly thoughts of ourselves--from self-conceit to self-abasement--from the mind of the Pharisee to the mind of the Tax-collector.
• The next thing that we are taught in these verses, is the great sin of putting stumbling blocks in the way of believers.
• We put offences or stumbling blocks in the way of men's souls, whenever we do anything to keep them back from Christ--or to turn them out of the way of salvation--or to disgust them with true religion.
• It is not enough that we wish to do good in this world. Are we quite sure that we are not doing harm?
• It is dreadful to think of the amount of harm that can be done by one inconsistent professor of religion. He gives a handle to the infidel.
• The next thing that we are taught in these verses is, the reality of future punishment after death. Two strong expressions are used by our Lord on this point. He speaks of being "cast into everlasting fire." He speaks of being "cast into hell fire."
• There is a place of unspeakable misery in the world to come, to which all who die impenitent and unbelieving, must ultimately be consigned.
• The same sure word which holds out a heaven to all who repent and are converted, declares plainly that there will be a hell for all the ungodly.
• Let no man deceive us with vain words upon this dreadful subject. Men have arisen in these latter days, who profess to deny the eternity of future punishment, and repeat the devil's old argument, that we "shall not surely die." (Gen. 3:4.)
• The God of love and mercy, is also a God of justice. He will surely requite. The flood in Noah's day, and the burning of Sodom, were meant to show us what He will one day do.
• No lips have ever spoken so clearly about hell as those of Christ Himself. Hardened sinners will find out, to their cost, that there is such a thing as the "wrath of the Lamb." (Rev. 6:17.)
• The last thing we are taught in these verses, is the value that God sets on the least and lowest of believers. "It is not the will of your Father in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."

Matthew 18:15-20

• But the abuse of Scripture truths must not tempt us to neglect the use of them. We must not turn away altogether from any text, because some have perverted it, and made it poison.
• Let us notice in the first place, how admirable are the rules laid down by our Lord, for the healing of differences among brethren.
• Nothing does so much harm to the cause of religion as the quarrels of Christians.
• In the second place, let us observe what a clear argument we have in these verses for the exercise of DISCIPLINE in a Christian congregation.
• On no point has the influence of the world weighed so heavily on the action of Churches. On no point have Churches made so many mistakes--sometimes on the side of sleepy remissness, sometimes on the side of blind severity.
• Let us observe, in the last place, what gracious encouragement Christ holds out to those who meet together in His name.
• That saying is a striking proof of our Lord's divinity. God alone can be in more places than one at the same time.

Matthew 18:21-35

• In these verses the Lord Jesus deals with a deeply important subject--the FORGIVENESS OF INJURIES.
• To know how to conduct ourselves, when we are ill-treated, is of great importance to our souls.
• In the first place, the Lord Jesus lays it down as a general rule, that we ought to forgive others to the uttermost.
• All that He means is, that we are to exercise a general spirit of mercy and forgivingness towards our brethren. We are to bear much, and to put up with much, rather than quarrel. We are to look over much, and submit to much, rather than have any strife.
• Let us never forget that a fire cannot go on burning without fuel. Just in the same way it takes two to make a quarrel. Let us each resolve by God's grace, that of these two we will never be one.
• In the second place, our Lord supplies us with two powerful motives for exercising a forgiving spirit.
• It is clear from this parable that one motive for forgiving others, ought to be the recollection that we all need forgiveness at God's hands ourselves.
• Another motive for forgiving others, ought to be the recollection of the day of judgment, and the standard by which we shall all be tried in that day.
• It is a melancholy fact that there are few Christian duties so little practiced as that of forgiveness. It is sad to see how much bitterness, unmercifulness, spite, harshness, and unkindness there is among men.
• Let us remember this passage. Men who care not for doctrines, can understand a forgiving temper.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible