Sermon #291 The New Park Street Pulpit 1Volume 6 www.spurgeongems.org 1A CHRISTMAS QUESTIONNO. 291DELIVERED ON SABBATH MORNING, DECEMBER 25, 1859,BY THE REV. C. H. SPURGEON, AT EXETER HALL, STRAND.
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.”Isaiah 9:6.
UPON other occasions I have explained the main part of this verse— “the government shall be upon His shoulders, His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God.” If God shall spare me, on some future occasion I hope to take the other titles, “The Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” But now this morning the portion which will engage our attention is this, “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.”
The sentence is a double one, but it has in it no tautology. The careful reader will soon discover a distinction. And it is not a distinction without a difference.
“Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.”As Jesus Christ is a Chile in His human nature, He is born, begotten of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. He is as truly-born, as certainly a Chile, as any other man that ever lived upon the face of the earth. He is thus in His humanity a Chile born. But as Jesus Christ is God’s Son, He is not born.
But given, begotten of His Father from before all worlds, begotten— not made, being of the same substance with the Father. The doctrine of the eternal affiliation of Christ is to be received as an undoubted truth of our holy religion.
But as to any explanation of it, no man should venture thereon, for it remains among the deep things of God—one of those solemn mysteries, indeed, into which the angels dare not look, nordo they desire to pry into it—a mystery which we must not attempt to fathom, for it is utterly beyond the grasp of any finite being.
As well might a gnat seek to drink in the ocean, as a finite creature to comprehend the Eternal God. A God whom we could understand would be no God. If we could grasp Him He could not be infinite. If we could understand Him, then were He not Divine. Jesus Christ then, I say, as a Son, is not born to us, but given. He is a blessing bestowed on us, “For God so loved the world, that He sent His only begotten Son into the world.” Hewas not born in this world as God’s Son, but He was sent, or was given, so that you clearly perceive that the distinction is a suggestive one and conveys much good truth to us. “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.”
This morning, however, the principal object of my discourse and, indeed, the sole one, is to bring out the force of those two little words, “unto us.” For you will perceive that here the full force of the passage lies. “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.” The divisions of my discourse are very simple ones. First, is it so? Secondly, if it is so, what then?Thirdly, if it is not so, what then? I. In the first place, Is it so? Is it true that unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given? It is a fact that a Child is born. Upon that I use no argument.
We receive it as a fact, more fully established than any other fact in history, that the Son of God became man, was born at Bethlehem, wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger. It is a fact, too, that a Son is given. About that we have no question. The infidel may dispute, but we, professing to be believers in Scripture, receive it as an undeniable Truth of God—that God has given His only begotten Son to be the Saviorof men. But the matter of question is this—Is this Chile born to us?
Is He given to us? This is the matter of anxious enquiry. Have we a personal interest in the Chile that was born at Bethlehem? Do we know that He is our Savior?—that He has brought glad tidings to us?—that to us He belongs?
That we belong to Him? I say this is matter of very grave and solemn investigation. It is a very observable fact, that the very best of men are sometimes troubled with questions with regard to their own interest in Christ. But men who never are troubled at all about the matter are very frequently presumptuous deceivers, who have no part in this matter.
I have often observed that some of the people about whom I felt most sure were the very persons who were the least sure of themselves. It reminds me of the history of a godly man named Simon Brown, a minister in the olden times in the City ofLondon. He became so extremely sad in heart, so depressed in spirit, that at last he conceived the idea that his soul was annihilated.
It was all in vain to talk to the good man, you could not persuade him that he had a soul. But all the time he was preaching and praying and working, like a man that had two souls than none. When he preached, his eyes poured forth plenteous floods of tears and when he prayed, there was a Divine fervor and heavenly prevalence in every petition. Now so it is withmany Christians. They seem to be the very picture of godliness—their life is admirable and their conversation heavenly, but yet they are always crying—
“‘Tis a point I long to know,Oft it causes anxious thought,Do I love the Lord or no?Am I His or am I not?”
So does it happen, that the best of men will question while the worst of men will presume. Yes, I have seen the men about whose eternal destiny I had serious questioning, whose inconsistencies in life were palpable and glaring. They have prated concerning their sure portion in Israel and their infallible hope, as though they believed others to be as easily duped as themselves.Now, what reason shall we give for this foolhardiness? Learn it from this illustration—You see a number of men riding along a narrow road upon the edge of the sea. It is a very perilous path, for the way is rugged and a tremendous precipice bounds the pathway on the left. Let but the horse’s foot slip once and they dash downwards to destruction. See how cautiously the riders journey, how carefully the horses place their feet. But do you observe yon rider, at what a rate he dashes along, as if he were riding a steeplechase with Satan?
You hold up your hands in an agony of fear, trembling lest any moment his horse’s foot should slip and he should be dashed down. And you ask, why so careless a rider? The man is a blind rider on a blind horse. They cannot see where they are. He thinks he is on a sure road and therefore it is that he rides so fast. Or to vary the picture—sometimes when persons are asleep, they take to walking and they will climb where others will notthink of venturing. Giddy heights that would turn our brain seem safe enough to them.
So there are many spiritual sleep-walkers in our midst, who think that they are awake. But they are not. Their very presumption in venturing to the high places of self-confidence proves that they are sleep walkers. Not awake, but men who walk and talk in their sleep. It is, then, I say, really a matter of serious questioning with all men who would be right at last, asto whether this Child is born to us and this Son given to us—I shall now help you to answer the question.
1. If this Chile who now lies before the eyes of your faith, wrapped in swaddling clothes in Bethlehem’s manger, is born to you, my Hearer, then you are born again! For this Chile is not born to you unless you are born to this Chile. All who have an interest in Christ are, in the fullness of time, by Grace converted, quickened and renewed. All the redeemed are not yetconverted, but they will be.
Before the hour of death arrives their nature shall be changed, their sins shall be washed away, they shall pass from death unto life. If any man tells me that Christ is his Redeemer, although he has never experienced regeneration, that man utters what he does not know. His religion is vain and his hope is a delusion.Only men who are born again can claim the babe in Bethlehem as being theirs.
“But” says one, “how am I to know whether I am born again ornot?” Answer this question also by another—has there been a change effected by Divine Grace within you? Are your loves the very opposite of what they were? Do you now hate the vain things you once admired and do you seek after that precious pearl which you at one time despised? Is your heart thoroughly renewed in its object? Can you say that the bent of your desire is changed? That your face is Zion-ward and your feet set upon the path of Grace? That whereas your heart once longed for deep draughts of sin, it now longs to be holy? And whereas you once loved thepleasures of the world, they have now become as chaff and dross to you, for you only love the pleasures of heavenly things and are longing to enjoy more of them on earth, that you may be prepared to enjoy a fullness of them hereafter?
Are you renewed within? For mark, my Hearer, the new birth does not consist in washing the outside of the cup and platter, but in cleansing the inner man. It is all in vain to put up the stone upon the sepulcher, wash it extremely white and garnish it with the flowers of the season. The sepulcher itself must be cleansed. The dead man’s bones that lie in that morgue of the human heart must be cleansed away. No, they must be made to live. The heart must no longer be a tomb of death, but a temple of life. Is it so with you, my Hearer? For remember, you may be very different in the outward, but if you are not changed in the inward, this Chile is not born to you.
But I put another question. Although the main matter of regeneration lies within, yet it manifests itself without. Say, then, has there been a change in you in the exterior? Do you think that others who look at you would be compelled to say, This man is not what he used to be? Do not your companions observe a change? Have they not laughed at you for what they think to be your hypocrisy, your Puritanism, your sternness?Do you think now that if an angel should follow you into your secret life, should track you to your closet and see you on your knees, that he would detect something in you which he could never have seen before? For, mark, my dear Hearer, there must be a change in the outward life, or else there is no change within. In vain you bring me to the tree and say that the tree’s nature is changed. If I still see it bringing forth wild grapes, it isa wild vine still. And if I mark upon you the apples of Sodom and the grapes of Gomorrah you are still a tree accursed and doomed, notwithstanding all your fancied experience.
The proof of the Christian is in the living. To other men, the proof of our conversion is not what you feel, but what you do. To yourself your feelings may be good enough evidence, but to the minister and others who judge you, the outward walk is the main guide. At the same time, let me observe that a man’s outward life may be very much like that of a Christian andyet there may be no religion in him at all. Have you ever seen two jugglers in the street with swords, pretending to fight with one another? See how they cut and slash and hack at one another, till you are half afraid there will soon be murder done. They seem to be so very much in earnest that you are half in the mind to call in the police to part them. See with what violence that one has aimed a terrific blow at the other one’s head, whichhis comrade dexterously warded off by keeping a well-timed guard.Just watch them a minute and you will see that all these cuts andthrusts come in a prearranged order. There is no heart in the fighting after all. They do not fight so roughly as they would if they were real enemies.
So, sometimes I have seen a man pretending to be very angryagainst sin. But watch him a little while and you will see it is only a fencer’s trick. He does not give his cuts out of order, there is no earnestness in his blows. It is all pretense, it is only mimic stage play. The fencers, after they have ended their performance, shake hands with one another and divide the coppers which the gaping throng have given them. And so does this man do—he shakes hands with the devil in private and the two deceivers share the spoil.
The hypocrite and the devil are very good friends after all and they mutuallyrejoice over their profits. The devil leering because he has won thesoul of the professor and the hypocrite laughing because he has won hiswealth. Take care, then, that your outward life is not a mere stage play,but that your antagonism to sin is real and intense—and that you strikeright and left, as though you meant to slay the monster and cast its limbsto the winds of Heaven.I will put another question. If you have been born again, there is anothermatter by which to try you. Not only is your inward self altered andyour outward self, too, but the very root and principle of your life mustbecome totally new. When we are in sin we live to self, but when we arerenewed we live to God. While we are unregenerate, our principle is toseek our own pleasure, our own advancement. But that man is not trulyborn again who does not live with a far different aim from this. Change aman’s principles and you change his feelings, you change his actions. NowGrace changes the principles of man. It lays the axe at the root of the tree.It does not saw away at some big limb. It does not try to alter the sap. Butit gives a new root and plants us in fresh sod.The man’s inmost self, the deep rocks of his principles upon which thetopsoil of his actions rest—the soul of his manhood is thoroughly changedand he is a new creature in Christ. “But,” says one, “I see no reason why Ishould be born again.” Ah, poor creature, it is because you have neverseen yourself. Did you ever see a man in the looking glass of the Word ofGod—what a strange monster he is. Do you know a man by nature hashis heart where his feet ought to be—that is to say, his heart is set uponthe earth, whereas he ought to be treading it beneath his feet. And strangermystery still, his heels are where his heart should be—that is to say,he is kicking against the God of Heaven when he ought to be setting hisaffections on things above. Man by nature when he sees clearest onlylooks down—can only see that which is beneath him—he cannot see thethings which are above.And strange to say, the sunlight of Heaven blinds him. Light from Heavenhe looks not for. He asks for his light in darkness. The earth is to himhis Heaven and he sees suns in its muddy pools and stars in its filth. Heis, in fact, a man turned upside down. The Fall has so ruined our nature,A Christmas Question Sermon #291www.spurgeongems.org Volume 66
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that the most monstrous thing on the face of the earth is a fallen man.The ancients used to paint griffins, dragons, chimeras and all kinds of hideousthings. But if a skillful hand could paint man accurately none of uswould look at the picture, for it is a sight that none ever saw except thelost in Hell. And that is one part of their intolerable pain, that they arecompelled always to look upon themselves. Now, then, if you cannot seethat you must be born again this Chile is not born to you.2. But I go forward. If this Child is born to you, you are a Chile and thequestion arises, are you so? Man grows from childhood up to manhoodnaturally. In Grace men grow from manhood down to childhood. And thenearer we come to true childhood, the nearer we come to the image ofChrist. For was not Christ called “a Chile,” even after He had ascended upto Heaven? “Your holy Chile Jesus.” Brothers and Sisters, can you saythat you have been made into children? Do you take God’s Word just as itstands, simply because your heavenly Father says so? Are you content tobelieve mysteries without demanding to have them explained? Are youready to sit in the infant class and be a little one?Are you willing to hang upon the breast of the Church and suck in theunadulterated milk of the Word—never questioning for a moment whatyour Divine Lord reveals? Believing it on His own authority, whether itseemed to be above reason, or beneath reason, or even contrary to reason?Now, “except you be converted and become as little children,” thisChile is not born to you. Except like a Chile you are humble, teachable,obedient, pleased with your Father’s will and willing to assign all to Him,there is grave matter of question whether this Child is born to you.But what a pleasing sight it is to see a man converted and made into alittle Chile. Many times has my heart leaped for joy, when I have seen agiant infidel who used to reason against Christ—who had not a word inhis dictionary bad enough for Christ’s people—come by Divine Grace tobelieve the Gospel. That man sits down and weeps, feels the full power ofsalvation and from that time drops all his questioning. He becomes thevery reverse of what he was. He thinks himself meaner than the meanestBeliever. He is content to do the meanest work for the Church of Christand takes his station—not with Locke or Newton, as a mighty Christianphilosopher—but with Mary as a simple learner, sitting at Jesus’ feet, tohear and learn of Him. If you are not children, then this Chile is not bornto you.3. And now let us take the second sentence and put a question or twoupon that. Is this Son given to us? I pause a minute to beg your personalattention. I am trying, if I may, so to preach that I may make you all questionyourselves. I pray let not one of you exempt himself from the ordealbut let each one ask himself, is it true that unto me a Son is given? Now,if this Son is given to you, you are a son yourself. “For unto as many asreceived Him to them gave He power to become the sons of God.” “ChristSermon #291 A Christmas QuestionVolume 6 www.spurgeongems.org7
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became a Son that in all things He might be made like unto His brethren.”The Son of God is not mine to enjoy, to love, to delight in, unless Iam a son of God, too.Now, my Hearer, have you a fear of God before your eyes—a filial fear, afear which a Chile has lest it should grieve its parent? Say, have you aChile’s love to God? Do you trust to Him as your Father, your Providerand your Friend? Have you in your breast, “The spirit of adoption wherebywe cry, Abba, Father”? Are there times with you when on your knees youcan say, “My Father and my God”? Does the Spirit bear witness with yourspirit that you are born of God? And while this witness is born, does yourheart fly up to your Father and to your God, in ecstasy of delight to claspHim who long ago has clasped you in the covenant of His love, in the armsof His effectual Grace? Now, mark my Hearer, if you do not sometimes enjoythe spirit of adoption, if you are not a son or daughter of Zion, thendeceive not yourself, this Son is not given to you.4. And, then, to put it in another shape. If unto us a Son is given, thenwe are given to the Son. Now, what do you say to this question, also? Areyou given up to Christ? Do you feel that you have nothing on earth to livefor but to glorify Him? Can you say in your heart, “Great God, if I am notdeceived I am wholly Yours?” Are you ready today to write over again yourconsecration vow? Can you say, “Take me! All that I am and all I have,shall be forever Yours. I would give up all my goods, all my powers, all mytime and all my hours and Yours I would be—wholly Yours.” “You are notyour own—you are bought with a price.” And if this Son of God is given toyou, you will have consecrated yourself wholly to Him. And you will feelthat His honor is your life’s object, that His glory is the one great desire ofyour panting spirit.Now is it so, my Hearer? Ask yourself the question, I pray, and do notdeceive yourself in the answer. I will just repeat the four different proofsagain. If unto me a Child is born then I have been born again. And, moreover,I am now in consequence of that new birth, a Chile. If, again, a Sonhas been given to me, then I am a son. And again I am given to that Sonwho is given to me. I have tried to put these tests in the way that the textwould suggest them. I pray you carry them home with you. If you do notremember the words, yet remember to search yourselves and see, myHearers, whether you can say, “Unto me this Son is given.” For, indeed, ifChrist is not my Christ, He is of little worth to me. If I cannot say He lovedme and gave Himself for me, of what avail is all the merit of His righteousness,or all the plenitude of His atonement?Bread in the shop is well enough, but if I am hungry and cannot get it,I starve although granaries be full. Water in the river is well enough but ifI am in a desert and cannot reach the stream, if I can hear it in the distanceand am yet lying down to die of thirst—the murmuring of the rill, orthe flowing of the river only helps to tantalize me while I die in dark desAChristmas Question Sermon #291www.spurgeongems.org Volume 68
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pair. Better for you, my Hearers to have perished as Hottentots, to havegone down to your graves as dwellers in some benighted land, than to livewhere the name of Christ is continually hymned and where His glory isextolled and yet to go down to your tombs without an interest in Him, unblessedby His Gospel, unwashed in His blood, unclothed of His robe ofrighteousness. God help you, that you may be blessed in Him and maysing sweetly, “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.”II. This brings me to my second head, upon which I shall be brief. Is itso? IF IT IS SO, WHAT THEN? If it is so, why am I doubtful today? Why ismy spirit questioning? Why do I not realize the fact? My hearer, if the Sonis given to you, how is it that you are this day asking whether you areChrist’s, or not? Why do you not labor to make your calling and electionsure? Why tarry in the plains of doubt? Get up, get up to the high mountainsof confidence. Never rest till you can say without a fear, “I know thatmy Redeemer lives. I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which Ihave committed to Him.”I may have a large number of persons here to whom it is a matter ofuncertainty as to whether Christ is theirs or not. Oh, my dear Hearers,rest not content unless you know assuredly that Christ is yours and thatyou are Christ’s. Suppose you should see in tomorrow’s newspaper—(although, by the way, if you believed anything you saw there you wouldprobably be mistaken)—but suppose you should see a notification thatsome rich man had left you an immense estate. Suppose, as you read it,you were well aware that the person mentioned was a relative of yoursand that it was likely to be true. It may be you have prepared tomorrowfor a family meeting and you are expecting brother John and sister Maryand their little ones to dine with you.But I very much question whether you would not be away from thehead of the table to go and ascertain whether the fact were really so. “Oh,”you could say, “I am sure I should enjoy my Christmas dinner all the betterif I were quite sure about this matter.” And all day, if you did not go,you would be on the tiptoe of expectation. You would be, as it were, sittingupon pins and needles until you knew whether it were a fact or not.Now there is a proclamation gone forth today and it is a true one, too,that Jesus Christ has come into the world to save sinners. The questionwith you is whether He has saved you and whether you have an interestin Him. I beseech you, give no sleep to your eyes and no slumber to youreyelids, till you have read your “title clear to mansions in the skies.” What,man? Shall your eternal destiny be a matter of uncertainty to you? What!is Heaven or Hell involved in this matter and will you rest until you knowwhich of these shall be your everlasting portion? Are you content while itis a question whether God loves you, or whether He is angry with you?Can you be easy while you remain in doubt as to whether you are condemnedin sin, or justified by faith which is in Christ Jesus?Sermon #291 A Christmas QuestionVolume 6 www.spurgeongems.org9
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Get up, Man. I beseech you by the living God and by yours own soul’ssafety, get up and read the records. Search and look and try and testyourself to see whether it is so or not. For if it is so, why should not weknow it? If the Son is given to me, why should not I be sure of it? If theChild is born to me, why should I not know it for a certainty, that I mayeven now live in the enjoyment of my privilege—a privilege, the value ofwhich I shall never know to the full, till I arrive in Glory?Again—if it is so, another question. Why are we sad? I am looking uponfaces just now that appear the very reverse of gloomy, but maybe thesmile covers an aching heart. Brothers and Sisters, why are we sad thismorning, if unto us a Child is born, if unto us a Son is given? Hark, harkto the cry! It is “Harvest home! Harvest home!” See the maidens as theydance and the young men as they make merry! And why is this mirth?Because they are storing the precious fruits of the earth, they are gatheringtogether unto their barns wheat which will soon be consumed. Andwhat, Brothers and Sisters, have we the bread which endures to eternallife and are we unhappy?Does the worldling rejoice when his corn is increased and do we not rejoicewhen, “Unto us a Child is born and unto us a Son is given”? Hark,yonder! What means the firing of the Tower guns? Why all this ringing ofbells in the Church steeples, as if all London were mad with joy? There isa Prince born. Therefore there is this salute and therefore are the bellsringing. Ah, Christians, ring the bells of your hearts, fire the salute of yourmost joyous songs, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.”Dance, O my Heart, and ring out peals of gladness! You drops of bloodwithin my veins dance every one of you! Oh, all my nerves become harpstrings and let gratitude touch you with angelic fingers! And you, my tongue,shout—shout to His praise who has said to you—“Unto you a Child isborn, unto you a Son is given.”Wipe that tear away! Come, stop that sighing! Hush yon murmuring.What matters your poverty? “Unto you a Child is born.” What mattersyour sickness? “Unto you a Son is given.” What matters your sin? For thisChile shall take the sin away and this Son shall wash and make you fit forHeaven. I say, if it is so—“Lift up the heart, lift up the voice,Rejoice aloud! You saints rejoice!”But, once more, if it is so, what then? Why are our hearts so cold? Andwhy is it that we do so little for Him who has done so much for us? Jesus,are You mine? Am I saved? How is it that I love You so little? Why is itthat when I preach I am not more in earnest and when I pray I am notmore intensely fervent? How is it that we give so little to Christ who gaveHimself for us? How is it that we serve Him so sadly who served us so perfectly?A Christmas Question Sermon #291www.spurgeongems.org Volume 61010He consecrated Himself wholly—how is it that our consecration ismarred and partial? Why are we continually sacrificing to self and not toHim? O Beloved, yield yourselves up this morning. What have you got inthe world? “Oh,” says one, “I have nothing. I am poor and penniless andall but homeless.” Give yourself to Christ. You have heard the story of thepupils to a Greek philosopher. On a certain day it was the custom to giveto the philosopher a present. One came and gave him gold. Another couldnot bring him gold but brought him silver. One brought him a robe andanother some delicacy for food. But one of them came up and said, “Oh,Solon, I am poor, I have nothing to give to you, but yet I will give yousomething better than all these have given. I give you myself.”Now, if you have gold and silver, if you have anything of this world’sgoods, give in your measure to Christ. But take care, above all, that yougive yourself to Him and let your cry be from this day forth—“Do not I love You dearest Lord?Oh search my heart and see,And turn each cursed idol outThat dares to rival You.Do not I love You from my soul?Then let me love nothing.Dead be my heart to every joy,When Jesus cannot move.”III. Well, now I have all but done, but give your solemn, very solemn attention,while I come to my last head— IF IT IS NOT SO, WHAT THEN?Dear hearer, I cannot tell where you are—but wherever you may be in thishall, the eyes of my heart are looking for you, that when they have seenyou, they may weep over you. Ah, miserable Wretch, without a hope,without Christ, without God. Unto you there is no Christmas mirth, for toyou no Child is born. To you no Son is given. Sad is the story of the poormen and women, who during the week before last fell down dead in ourstreets through cruel hunger and bitter cold. But far more pitiable is yourlot—far more terrible shall be your condition in the day when you shallcry for a drop of water to cool your burning tongue and it shall be deniedyou. When you shall seek for death, for grim cold death—seek for Him asfor a Friend and yet you shall not find Him.For the fire of Hell shall not consume you, nor its terrors devour you.You shall long to die, yet shall you linger in eternal death—dying everyhour, yet never receiving the much coveted blessing of death. What shall Isay to you this morning? Oh, Master, help me to speak a word in season,now. I beseech you, my Hearer, if Christ is not yours this morning, mayGod the Spirit help you to do what I now command you to do. First of all,confess your sins. Not into my ear, nor into the ear of any living man. Goto your chamber and confess that you are vile. Tell Him you are a wretchundone without His Sovereign Grace.Sermon #291 A Christmas QuestionVolume 6 www.spurgeongems.org1111But do not think there is any merit in confession. There is none. Allyour confession cannot merit forgiveness, though God has promised topardon the man who confesses his sin and forsakes it. Imagine that somecreditor had a debtor who owed him a thousand pounds. He calls uponhim and says, “I demand my money.” But, says the other, “I owe younothing.” That man will be arrested and thrown into prison. However, hiscreditor says, “I wish to deal mercifully with you, make a frank confessionand I will forgive you all the debt.” “Well,” says the man, “I do acknowledgethat I owe you two hundred pounds.” “No,” says he, “that will not do.”“Well, Sir, I confess I owe you five hundred pounds,” and by degrees hecomes to confess that he owes the thousand. Is there any merit in thatconfession? No.But yet you could see that no creditor would think of forgiving a debtwhich was not acknowledged. It is the least that you can do, to acknowledgeyour sin. And though there are no merit in the confession, yet true toHis promise, God will give you pardon through Christ. That is one piece ofadvice. I pray you take it. Do not throw it to the winds. Do not leave it assoon as you get out of Exeter Hall. Take it with you and may this day becomea confession day with many of you.But next, when you have made a confession, I beseech you renounceyourself. You have been resting perhaps in some hope that you wouldmake yourself better and so save yourself. Give up that delusive fancy.You have seen the silkworm—it will spin and spin and spin and then itwill die where it has spun itself a shroud. And your good works are but aspinning for yourself a robe for your dead soul. You can do nothing byyour best prayers, your best tears, or your best works, to merit eternallife. The Christian who is converted to God will tell you that he cannot livea holy life by himself.If the ship in the sea cannot steer itself aright, do you think the woodthat lies in the carpenter’s yard can put itself together and make itself intoa ship and then go out to sea and sail to America? Yet, this is just whatyou imagine. The Christian who is God’s workmanship can do nothingand yet you think you can do something. Now, give up self. God help youto strike a black mark through every idea of what you can do.Then, lastly and I pray God help you here my dear hearers—when youhave confessed your sin and given up all hope of self-salvation—go to theplace where Jesus died in agony. Go then in meditation to Calvary. ThereHe hangs. It is the middle Cross of these three. Methinks I see Him now. Isee His poor face emaciated and His visage more marred than that of anyman. I see the beady drops of blood still standing round His pierced temples—marks of that rugged crown of thorns. Ah, I see His naked body —naked to his shame. We may count all his bones. See there! His handsrent with the rough iron and His feet torn with the nails. The nails haverent through His flesh!A Christmas Question Sermon #291www.spurgeongems.org Volume 61212There is now not only the hole through which the nail was driven, butthe weight of His body has sunken upon His feet and, look, the iron istearing through His flesh! And now the weight of His body hangs upon Hisarms and the nails there are rending through the tender nerves. Hark!Earth is startled! He cries, “Eli, Eli, lama Sabachthani?” Oh, Sinner, wasever a shriek like that? God has forsaken Him! His God has ceased to begracious to Him!His soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death. But hark, again, Hecries, “I thirst!” Give Him water! Give him water! You holy women let Himdrink. But no, His murderers torture Him. They thrust into His mouth thevinegar mingled with gall—the bitter with the sharp, the vinegar and thegall. At last, hear Him, Sinner, for here is your Hope. I see Him bow Hisawful head. The King of Heaven dies. The God who made the earth hasbecome a Man and the Man is about to die. Hear Him! He cries, “It is finished!”and He gives up the ghost.The atonement is finished, the price is paid, the bloody ransom counteddown, the sacrifice is accepted. “It is finished!” Sinner, believe in Christ.Cast yourself on Him. Sink or swim, take Him to be your All in All. Thrownow your trembling arms around that bleeding Body. Sit now at the feet ofthat Cross and feel the dropping of the precious blood. And as you go out,each one of you say in your hearts—“A guilty, weak and helpless worm,On Christ’s kind arms I fall,He is my strength and righteousness,My Jesus and my All.”God grant you Grace to do so for Jesus Christ’s sake. May the Grace ofour Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the HolySpirit be with you all, forever and ever. Amen and Amen.
Adapted from The C. H. Spurgeon Collection, Software,PRAY THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL USE THIS SERMONTO BRING MANY TO A SAVING KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS CHRIST.
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