The Pilgrim Path---Revelation 14:13 (5--21--20)

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on," "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!"

Yesterday I wrote of Ravi Zacharias. Today, I had to take some time to mention Charles Haddon Spurgeon. A picture of him hangs above my right shoulder by my office desk. He is always there encouraging me to pray and press on. I've been reading him since about 1971. Over 3,600 of his sermons are in print. He wrote around 144 books. This is quite amazing when you consider that his church grew to be the largest in the world before his death. Spurgeon baptized over 14,000 converts. His Pastor's College trained almost 900 men for Gospel Ministry before he died (and it's believed he personally interviewed every candidate). He started orphanages, street minister associations, planted churches, sought to help unwed mothers, and along with his wife---tried to provide decent books for poor pastors. In all, his church had some 63 home and foreign mission enterprises. His Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, drew enormous crowds. Imagine a minister having to say this on Sunday Morning, "Please do not come back this evening---so that those who've been trying to come in---might find a seat." This is what Spurgeon actually said...Eventually---they would have to issue tickets for entry, to aid with the flow of people...
For years, Spurgeon had a pastoral practice of "seeing" all-comers---on Tuesdays---literally from beginning of the day---until dark. Hard to envision---but he heard the inquiries, woes, and concerns of all who arrived...
Quite a few of his written works are classics: The Soul Winner / Lectures to My Students / Spurgeon's Practical Wisdom / The Treasury of David---on the Psalms (this took 21 years to produce).
On the occasion of Spurgeon's 50th birthday celebration, he got rather reflective and choked up. Crying, he said to those who had assembled, "I really wish I could have done something for the Lord Jesus Christ by this point in my life."
The man's health was trying, the last seven years of his life. Not many drugs were available for the pain of rheumatological disorder and kidney disease. He died on holiday in France--- in a small hotel where he liked to retreat from the dampness of London. He was 57 years old. It seems he lived about three lives in those 57 years...
Here are some quotes from Spurgeon:
"Of two evils, choose neither."
"Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of."
"A sinner can no more repent and believe without the Holy Spirit's aid than he can create a world."
"There is a power in God's gospel beyond all description."
"We are in a wrong state of mind if we are not in a thankful state of spirit."
"We do not pray to God to instruct Him as to what He should do; neither for a moment must we presume to dictate the method of the divine working."
"The way to do a great deal is to keep on doing a little. The way to do nothing at all is to be continually resolving that you will do everything."
"Learn to say no. It will be of more use to you than be able to read Latin."
"There is no learning sympathy except by suffering. It cannot be studied from a book, it must be written on the heart."
"I believe the holier a man becomes, the more he mourns over the un-holiness which remains in him."
"It was God's Word that made us; is it any wonder that His Word should sustain us?"
"The Refiner is never very far from the mouth of the furnace when His gold is in the fire."
"A great deal of unfaithfulness is caused by endeavoring to please people."
"Never be afraid of your Bibles. If there is a text of Scripture you dare not meet, humble yourself till you can."
"Because He's the living God He can hear. Because He's a Loving God He WILL hear."
"Scripture is like a lion. Whoever heard of defending a lion? Just turn it loose---it will defend itself."
"There is nothing in the Law of God that will rob you of happiness; it only denies you of that which would cost you sorrow."
"If you are idle in Christ's work, you are active in the devil's work."
"How can you mistrust that hand that holds up Heaven and Earth?"
"A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble."
"I am never ashamed to avow myself a Calvinist; I do not hesitate to take the name of Baptist; but if asked what is my creed, I reply, 'It is Jesus Christ'."
"We know not how much capacity for usefulness there may be in us."
"God's people have always in their worst condition found out the best of their God."
"Jesus comes to little ones."

We don't have to "try" to be Spurgeon. People like that come along about every 500 years. We simply need to be at Jesus' feet---for His service---for His honor and His glory.

Grace & Peace in Christ Our LORD, Pastor Jason