From the Heart of Spurgeon

John and Herod (S1548)

A typically probing sermon from Spurgeon, who is as tenacious in calling for self-examination as he is earnest in pleading the cause of Jesus Christ. Though he gives a little time to John, it is really only to set up the Baptist as the foil for Herod. At first, Spurgeon speaks charitably of all that Herod did which was “so far, so good.” Then, he speaks honestly of all that Herod lacked, and how—despite some fair appearances—he ultimately had no faith in or attachment to the Jesus whom John preached. Finally, he speaks sadly of Herod’s end, pleading with his hearers not to fall into Herod’s trap. With characteristic precision, Spurgeon probes our souls, forcing us to ask whether or not we are dallying with faithful preachers or truly embracing the Jesus whom they preach. We cannot afford to be merely impressed; we must be converted indeed.

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The Mediator—Judge and Saviour (S1540)

Here Spurgeon considers two offices of Christ, those of Judge and Saviour, as they are found in him as Mediator. Both, he suggests, have reference to mankind as sinners, and then he unpacks what that means, and the relationship which they have to each other, and how the one leads us to the other. It is, on some levels, a very simple sermon, and yet the tracing out of the two offices—without being overly clever and showy—enables the preacher to press home the realities of both sin and grace, concluding with an earnest plea to come to the Saviour who forgives in order that you might not be judged as you deserve. It is a good example of a sermon which seems quite straightforward on the surface (albeit Spurgeon’s headings require a little more careful thought than is sometimes the case) while having and drawing out depths of understanding beneath it and behind it.

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On Whose Side Are You? (S1531)

This rallying-cry is drawn from Moses’ question to Israel when sin was rampant among the people, and the sermon is preached shortly after a general election when men had been choosing a side. Spurgeon uses the political and social climate to impress upon our souls spiritual truth. After drawing attention to the character of Moses, Spurgeon looks at the question and command which issues from him, in terms of decision, avowal, and consecration. He elevates it to the very question of salvation and extends it to every consequent decision which a believer makes in the service of Christ. With characteristic intensity, the preacher calls for an entire commitment to the Lord based on our relationship to him as our Creator, Redeemer, and Preserver, and applies it closely to his own society, and—by extension—to ours, asking about our modes of worship, our casual superstitions, our sinful amusements, and our general tampering with principle. As so often, we are called to repentance and to correction, stirred and drawn by the King whom we serve and the matters which are at stake.

 

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The Fair Portrait of a Saint (S1526)

This sermon digs deep into our attitude to the Word of God. Sometimes Spurgeon draws lines from a text, at other times—as this one—he draws lines through the text, working phrase by phrase through the verses he is handling, explaining and applying as he goes. It is, in one sense, the very demonstration of the principles he is setting forth. Job stated, “My foot has held fast to his steps; I have kept his way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” From this, Spurgeon asks us to consider Job’s holy life, his tenacity in knowing and doing God’s will, and then Job’s holy sustenance, how his delight in the words of God’s mouth have been food to his soul. As so often, Spurgeon combines rebuke with comfort, exhortation with consolation, both to challenge us with regard to holy living, and to encourage us with regard to the strength God supplies for such a life.

Read the sermon: https://www.mediagratiae.org/resources/the-fair-portrait-of-a-saint

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At School (S1519)

“Teach me to do your will.” That may seem like a very simple and straightforward prayer, but what does it mean to pray it, and what kind of answer might we expect? Spurgeon anticipates a child of God who seeks to know what is the path of obedience, but is perplexed and distressed. He therefore unpacks this brief petition to show us the character, the substance, and the intent of a prayer that has no taint of a legal spirit. Then he explores the ways in which God might answer this prayer, leading us in the right way by all the means which he has at his disposal to show us what is true and good and right. It is a sweetly pastoral sermon on a number of levels, for it anticipates particular difficulties, offers distinct encouragements, corrects specific misunderstandings, and urges manifest obedience. There is nothing here that is complicated, mysterious, or bewildering. It is sanctified and spiritual sense for holy living in a world in which the right way is not always easy to discern.

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Cheer up, My Comrades (S1513)

This sermon might be read as a follow-up to that on “The Dromedaries.” If the former sermon is intended to help us find our proper place, the purpose of this “is for every man to have a good spirit in his present place, so as to occupy it worthily.” The preacher says he is less interested here to arrange the people where they might be and more to encourage the people where they are. Thus in broad strokes he addresses six classes of Christian workers: those who think they can do nothing; those who think they are laid aside; those who have only small talent; those who are under great difficulties; those who are not appreciated; and, those who are discouraged because they have so little success. Given that most Christian workers fall into one or more of those categories at any given time, and often over a period of time, there should be something here for every labouring saint.

Read the sermon: https://www.mediagratiae.org/resources/cheer-up-my-comrades

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The Dromedaries (S1504)

This sermon has a curious title indeed, and a somewhat unusual text, too. As he delights to do, the preacher draws a parallel between the Old Testament history and the new covenant experience, in this case the kingdom of Solomon and the kingdom of Christ. After establishing some of those parallels, Spurgeon begins to consider the officers who had responsibility in Solomon’s household, showing that each had a particular charge, each was bound to act according to that charge, and each would receive supplies according to his charge. On the basis of the parallels, Spurgeon—applying throughout and especially at the end of the sermon—urges us to think about the work the Lord has given to us and to others in his kingdom, and to consider how we discharge that work. It is, again, a typical call to action from a man persuaded that it is the privilege of every child of God to serve his King: “Everything for Jesus, the glorious Solomon of our hearts, the Beloved of our souls!”

Read the sermon: https://www.mediagratiae.org/resources/the-dromedaries

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Lifting Up the Brazen Serpent (S1500)

Spurgeon himself introduces this sermon with a few words of thanksgiving, and tells us, with characteristic desire, “I thought the best way in which I could express my thankfulness would be to preach Jesus Christ again, and set him forth in a sermon in which the simple gospel should be made as clear as a child’s alphabet.” With this in mind, he turns to the bronze serpent which Moses lifted up in the wilderness, and under five simple headings seeks not only to set forth Christ Jesus as the object of faith, urging him upon sinners, but also to encourage those who know Christ to hold him up themselves. The classic gospel notes of Spurgeon’s ministry ring out again in this sermon, and remind us of his desire to remain always close to the cross in all his preaching. What, then, could be more suitable on such a significant occasion than to go back to the old theme and speak once more of the Son of God’s love and the Saviour of sinners?

Read the sermon: https://www.mediagratiae.org/resources/lifting-up-the-brazen-serpent

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Remember Lot’s Wife (S1491)

This fascinating sermon begins with a contrast between Abraham and Lot, so much so that Spurgeon reminds us that his text is not, “Remember Lot,” but, “Remember Lot’s wife.” However, by the end of the sermon he has deliberately returned to the first idea, and in between he has made a careful survey of the relationship between Lot and his wife before concentrating on the way in which she perished in her sin. That brings him back to Lot, because one of the themes of this sermon is the way in which the lives of a husband and a wife are closely intertwined, and have a mutual spiritual impact. More specifically, Spurgeon emphasises the responsibility of a godly man to lead his family righteously. A sermon like this involves some ‘reading into the white spaces’ of the history, some holy speculation and careful surmise, but the overall effect is to bring the teaching of this episode close to home, and to force husbands, with their wives, to consider carefully the effect of their example and instruction.

Read the sermon: https://www.mediagratiae.org/resources/remember-lots-wife

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The Present Crisis (S1483)

This sermon carries a fearful amount of weight. Preached at a period when British interests were at a low ebb, British policy abroad seemed to Spurgeon bloody and ugly, when the weather was cold and wet through the summer, he considers the withdrawing of God from sinful nations, sinning saints, and unbelieving sinners. The first element, the national, is a fine example of proper ‘political’ preaching, a Christian bemoaning unrighteousness and injustice in and from the country he loves, and asking what is to be done in response. The second element is almost as forceful, peeling back the folds of our hearts and confronting us with sins and their consequences in the lives even of God’s people, though with gleams of light shining through the clouds, because of divine faithfulness. The third, and briefest, reminds the ungodly that without turning to Christ they will suffer the fearful, eternal punishment of their sin, and so calls on all to seek the Lord. While Spurgeon is always manifestly earthed in his time and place, drawing illustration from it and making application to it, this sermon has a distinct flavour of a man who is very much a pilgrim, but a pilgrim in a particular place and time, seeking to respond as a Christian patriot to the need of the hour.

Read the sermon: https://www.mediagratiae.org/resources/the-middle-passage-ny2jz

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