The Abiding Fullness Of Truth In Christ

“Brethren, there is an abiding fullness of truth in Christ; after you have heard it for fifty years, you see more of its fullness than you did at first. Other truths weary the ear.

I will defy any man to hold together a large congregation, year after year, with any other subject but Christ Jesus. He might do it for a time; he might charm the ear with the discoveries of science, or with the beauties of poetry, and his oratory might be of so high an order that he might attract the multitudes who have itching ears, but they would in time turn away and say, “This is no longer to be endured. We know it all.”

~ C.H. Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon On The Bridge Of Grace

“The bridge of grace will bear your weight, brother. Thousands of big sinners have gone across that bridge, yea, tens of thousands have gone over it. I can hear their trampings now as they traverse the great arches of the bridge of salvation. They come by the thousands, by their myriads, e’er since that day when Christ first entered His glory.

They come and yet never a stone has sprung in that mighty bridge. Some have been the chief of sinners and some have come at the very last of their days but the arch has never yielded beneath their weight. I will go with them, trusting to the same support. It will bear me over as it has for them.”

~ Charles Spurgeon

(HT: Of First Importance)

Unfashionable...

I just received my copy today of Tullian Tchividjian's (pronounced cha-vih-jin) new book unfashionable: making a difference in the world by being different.

I'm only a little familiar with Tullian and I really try not to be a 'bandwagon' kind of guy, but the title and subtitle peaked my curiosity enough to check it out and with the myriad of endorsements (and I'm not even kidding), I thought I would take it up and read.

Even before you arrive to the table of contents, he has a quote from Spurgeon that is probably where the title originated from....

"The great guide of the world is fashion and its god is respectability--two phantoms at which brave men laugh! How many of you look around to society to know what to do? You watch the general current and then float upon it! You study the popular breeze and shift your sails to suit it. True men do not so! You ask, "Is it fashionable? If it is fashionable, it must be done." Fashion is the law of multitudes, but it is nothing more than the common consent of fools."

- Charles Spurgeon

I'll let you know how it goes from here...

God, Even Our Own God

"It is strange how little use we make of the spiritual blessings which God gives us, but it is stranger still how little use we make of God Himself. Though He is "our own God," we apply ourselves but little to Him, and ask but little of Him.

How seldom do we ask counsel at the hands of the Lord! How often do we go about our business, without seeking His guidance! In our troubles how constantly do we strive to bear our burdens ourselves, instead of casting them upon the Lord, that He may sustain us!

It is our own fault if we make not free with the riches of our God.

Learn the divine skill of making God all things to thee. He can supply thee with all, or, better still, He can be to thee instead of all. Let me urge thee, then, to make use of thy God. Make use of Him in prayer. Go to Him often, because He is thy God. O, wilt thou fail to use so great a privilege?

Fly to Him, tell Him all thy wants. Use Him constantly by faith at all times."

-C.H. Spurgeon

Spurgeon--Yet He Wants Books!

I read this entry from Justin Taylor's blog, which I'm sure will be posted on many a blogs real soon!

I'm praying for multiplied time...I'm praying for multiplied reading...and for multiplied discipline in order to read the multiplied books!
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In Ligon Duncan's TGC address he assumed (as I would have) that most of the audience already knew Spurgeon's sermon on 2 Timothy 4:13 where Paul asks Timothy to bring him his books/parchments. But most had never heard of this sermon. Here's a section from it:

We do not know what the books were about, and we can only form some guess as to what the parchments were. Paul had a few books which were left, perhaps wrapped up in the cloak, and Timothy was to be careful to bring them. Even an apostle must read. . . . A man who comes up into the pulpit, professes to take his text on the spot, and talks any quantity of nonsense, is the idol of many. If he will speak without premeditation, or pretend to do so, and never produce what they call a dish of dead men's brains—oh! that is the preacher. How rebuked are they by the apostle!

He is inspired, and yet he wants books!

He has been preaching at least for thirty years, and yet he wants books!

He had seen the Lord, and yet he wants books!

He had had a wider experience than most men, and yet he wants books!

He had been caught up into the third heaven, and had heard things which it was unlawful for a men to utter, yet he wants books!

He had written the major part of the New Testament, and yet he wants books!

The apostle says to Timothy and so he says to every preacher, "Give thyself unto reading." The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains, proves that he has no brains of his own.

Brethren, what is true of ministers is true of all our people. You need to read. Renounce as much as you will all light literature, but study as much as possible sound theological works, especially the Puritanical writers, and expositions of the Bible. We are quite persuaded that the very best way for you to be spending your leisure, is to be either reading or praying. You may get much instruction from books which afterwards you may use as a true weapon in your Lord and Master's service.

Paul cries, "Bring the books"—join in the cry.

(HT: Justin Taylor)