My Victorian Year #47

I missed last week--I've had a cold and I gave myself a mini-holiday--but I've got two weeks worth of Spurgeon quotes.

From Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon

• The God of Peace gives perfect peace to those whose hearts are stayed upon Him.
• At this hour, we rest in the promises of our faithful God, knowing that His words are full of truth and power.
• We rest in the doctrines of His Word, which are consolation itself. We rest in the covenant of His grace, which is a haven of delight.
• Peace and rest do not belong to the unregenerate, they are the peculiar possession of the Lord’s people, and of them only.
• If to die is but to enter into uninterrupted communion with Jesus, then death is indeed gain, and the black drop is swallowed up in a sea of victory!
• Lydia did not open her own heart. Her prayers did not do it. Paul did not do it. The Lord Himself must open the heart, to receive the things which make for our eternal peace.
• He alone can put the key into the hole of the door, and open it, and get admittance for Himself. He is the heart’s master—as He is the heart’s maker.
• Man’s ways are variable—but God’s ways are everlasting.
• Believer, here is a sorrowful truth! You are the beloved of the Lord, redeemed by blood, called by grace, preserved in Christ Jesus, accepted in the Beloved, on your way to heaven. Yet, “you have dealt treacherously” with God, your best friend; treacherously with Jesus, whose you are; treacherously with the Holy Spirit, by whom you have been quickened unto eternal life!
• Prayer has oftentimes been slurred—it has been short—but not sweet; brief—but not fervent. Communion with Christ has been forgotten.
• The LAW was a dispensation of terror, which drove men before it as with a scourge; the GOSPEL draws with bands of love. The LAW repels—the GOSPEL attracts. The law shows the distance which there is between God and man; the gospel bridges that awful chasm, and brings the sinner across it.
• We may often forget to meditate upon the perfections of our Lord—but He never ceases to remember us.
• Jesus, the great I AM, is the entrance into the true church, and the way of access to God Himself. He gives to the man who comes to God by Him, four choice privileges:
• 1. He shall be saved. 2. He shall go in. 3. He shall go out. 4. He shall find pasture.
• Justification has engrossed learned pens in all ages of the church, and will be the theme of admiration in eternity. God has indeed “skillfully wrought it.”

From Holiness by J.C. Ryle, "Lot--A Beacon"

• His character [Lot's character] is put before us in one little word: “He lingered.”
• Let us examine . . . the state of Lot himself, what the text says of him, why he lingered, what sort of fruit he brought forth, the whole while paying special attention as an instruction for holiness.
• We must not follow the example of Lot — we must not linger.
• Lot was a true believer, a converted person, a real child of God, a justified soul, a righteous man. We must not undervalue grace because it is accompanied by much corruption. Read on, and you will find that Lot paid dearly for his “lingering.”
• He was . . . slow — when he should have been quick, backward — when he should have been forward, trifling — when he should have been hastening, loitering — when he should have been hurrying, cold — when he should have been hot.
• They believe in Heaven — and yet seem faintly to long for it. They believe in Hell — and yet seem little to fear it. They love the Lord Jesus — but the work they do for Him is small. They hate the devil — but they often appear to tempt him to come to them. They know the time is short — but they live as if it were long. They know they have a battle to fight — yet one might think they were at peace. They know they have a race to run — yet they often look like people sitting still. They know the Judge is at the door, and there is wrath to come — and yet they appear half asleep!
• Lingering is the sure destruction of a happy Christianity. A lingerer’s conscience forbids him to enjoy inward peace.
• A true believer will certainly not be cast away, although he may linger. But if he does linger, it is vain to suppose that his religion will thrive.
• I call upon you and beseech you . . . to be a whole-hearted Christian, to follow after eminent holiness, to aim at a high degree of sanctification, to live a consecrated life, to present your body a “living sacrifice” unto God, to “walk in the Spirit” (Romans 12:1; Galatians 5:25). I charge you and exhort you, by all your hopes of Heaven and desires of glory — if you would be happy, if you would be useful, do not be a lingering soul.
• Oh, let not one of us linger! Time does not, death does not, judgment does not, the devil does not, the world does not. Neither let the children of God linger.

From Holiness by J.C. Ryle, "A Woman To Be Remembered! Lot's Wife"

• He [Jesus] singles out one whose soul was lost forever. He cries to us, “Remember Lot’s wife!” It is a solemn warning, when we consider the subject Jesus is upon.
• The last days are on His mind when He says, “Remember Lot’s wife!”
• The Lord Jesus is full of love, mercy and compassion; He is one who will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax.
• He says, “Remember.” He speaks as if we were all in danger of forgetting the subject; He stirs up our lazy memories; He bids us keep the case before our minds. He cries, “Remember Lot’s wife!”
• Let us consider now . . . the religious privileges Lot’s wife enjoyed, the particular sin she committed, and the judgment which God inflicted upon her.
• The sum and substance of her transgression lies in these three words: “She looked back.”
• Does the fault of Lot’s wife appear a trifling one — to be visited with such a punishment? This is the feeling, I dare say, that rises in some hearts.
• Little things will often show the state of a man’s mind, even better than great ones; and little symptoms are often the signs of deadly and incurable diseases.
• When God speaks plainly by His Word, or by His messengers, man’s duty is clear.
• The moment a man begins to think he knows better than God, and that God does not mean anything when He threatens — his soul is in great danger.
• Every age is said to have its own peculiar epidemic disease; the epidemic disease to which the souls of Christians are liable just now — is the love of the world. 
• Be thorough, be real, be honest, be sound, be whole-hearted. If you have any religion at all — let your religion be real. See that you do not sin the sin of Lot’s wife!
• I believe that the time has come, when it is a positive duty to speak plainly about the reality and eternity of Hell.
• A flood of false doctrine has lately broken in upon us. Men are beginning to tell us that God is too loving and merciful to punish souls forever; and that all mankind, however wicked and ungodly some of them may be — will sooner or later be saved. We are invited to leave the old paths of apostolic Christianity.
• We are to embrace what is called a “kinder theology” — and treat Hell as a pagan fable or a bugbear to frighten children and fools.
• Once let the old doctrine about Hell be overthrown, and the whole system of Christianity is unsettled, unscrewed, unpinned and thrown into disorder!
• If words mean anything, there is such a place as Hell. If texts are to be interpreted fairly — there are those who will be cast into Hell. If language has any sense belonging to it — Hell is forever.
• Settle it firmly in your mind, that the same Bible which teaches that God in mercy and compassion sent Christ to die for sinners, does also teach that God hates sin and must, from His very nature, punish all who cleave to sin, or refuse the salvation He has provided.
• The very same chapter which declares, “God so loved the world,” declares also, that “the wrath of God abides” on the unbeliever (John 3:16, 36). 
• Settle it firmly in your mind, that God has given us proof upon proof in the Bible that He will punish the hardened and unbelieving, and that He will take vengeance on His enemies — as well as show mercy on the penitent.
• Settle it firmly in your mind, that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has spoken most plainly about the reality and eternity of Hell.
• Settle it, lastly, in your mind that the comforting ideas which the Scripture gives us of Heaven are at an end — if we once deny the reality or eternity of Hell.
• Once allow that Hell is not eternal, and you may as well say that God and Heaven are not eternal.
• The only question we have to settle is this: “Is Hell Scriptural?” Is it true? I maintain firmly that it is so; and I maintain that professing Christians ought to be often reminded that they may be lost and go to Hell.
• God forbid that I should ever keep back from mortal man that Scripture reveals a Hell as well as Heaven, and that the gospel teaches that men may be lost as well as saved.
• Where is the charity of keeping back any portion of God’s truth? He is the kindest friend — who tells me the whole extent of my danger!

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible