Is there anything here that can console me? Though without sin, he was not without suffering. We are to be conformed to the image of his Son, fifthly, as to our inheritance for he is heir of all things, and what less are we heirs of, since all things are ours? Oh for 400 Scoevolas, 400 men who for Christ's sake would burn, not their right hands, but their bodies, if indeed Christ's name night be glorified, and sin might be stabbed to the heart. "It is Christ that died.". Men do not reach what they do not aspire to, and Paul says, "We are more than conquerors." The Lord in boundless grace has resolved that a company whom no man can number, called here "many brethren," shall be restored to his image, in the particular form in which his Eternal Son displays it. With some, who can tell? Napoleon had been used to gilded halls, and all the pomp and glory of imperial state, and it was hard to be reduced to a handful of servants. You may cast your eye to the remotest star, or send your thoughts beyond into the untraversed leagues of space, but look where you will, as all is Christ's, so all is yours. The dreariest thing you can read is the newspaper. Remember the bloody day of St. Bartholomew, the valleys of Piedmont, and the mountains of Switzerland. O my hearer, by thy name I know thee not, and by thy name God's Word doth not declare thee, but by thy character thou mayest read thy name; and if thou hast been a partaker of the calling which is mentioned in the text, then mayest thou conclude beyond a doubt that thou art among the predestinated "For whom he did predestinate, them he also called." Commentary on Romans 12:3-8 (Read Romans 12:3-8) Pride is a sin in us by nature; we need to be cautioned and armed against it. If we suffer orthodoxy to fail, or God's truth to be dishonored, future generations will despise and execrate our name. The tall archangel before the throne is not called God's Son, he is one of the most favoured of his servants, but not his child. But the great high priest of our profession, Jesus, the Son of God, hath taken his seat at the right hand of the majesty on high. In the second place, very briefly, WHAT OUGHT WE TO DRAW FROM THIS DOCTRINE, that we are debtors? Why is this? Some men groan because of their great losses or sufferings; well, this may be nothing but a rebellious smarting under the rod, and if so, no blessing will come of it. Then the apostle says we are "waiting," by which I understand that we are not to be petulant, like Jonah or Elijah, when they said, "Let me die," nor are we to sit still and look for the end of the day because we are tired of work; nor are we to become impatient, and wish to escape from our present pains and sufferings till the will of the Lord is done. "Well, sir, you know how much I love the cause, and how earnest I am in doing everything that I can to serve my Maker; but (now comes the end of it all) I really work so hard all the week that I cannot afford to go out on the Sabbath to Sunday-schools." Who will garnish my back with purple and make my table groan with plenty?" "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." First, a special privilege; second, a special proof of it, the Spirit bearing witness with our spirit; then thirdly, a special privilege, that of heirship; and fourthly, the practical part of the sermon and the conclusion shall be a special manner of life demanded of such persons. May we have this faith on our dying bed, when the pulse is faint and feeble, and heart and flesh begin to fail! You go to your bed, but your conscience is there, and it will not sleep. He said "The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. The first witness is our spirit; the second witness is The Spirit, the eternal Spirit of God, who beareth witness with our spirit. Cannot you imagine that a child taken from the lowest ranks of society, who is adopted by a Roman senator, will be saying to himself, "I wish the day were come when I shall be publicly revealed as the child of my new father. What says the believer now? There lie the bodies of the saints he has martyred, and they cry from under the altar "O Lord! Still, this foe is fierce and terrible. Hearken ye to this passage in the 9th of Romans! How will your broken leg work for your good?" Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee, and thou hast sinned; therefore, I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God; and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.". Now, Christ is his people's representative. "The good of all the land of Egypt is yours," said Joseph to his brethren, and Jesus saith this to all his people, "All are yours, for ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's.". We cannot be made like Christ unwillingly; a consenting will is essential to the likeness of Christ; unwilling obedience would be disobedience. I know, besides this, nothing which could support this new theory. "Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved. II. Brutus slays his sons; but some Christians would spare their sins. Remember the passage "He is able also to save them unto the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." Certainly, this wondrous ship of Christ's Church, when she ploughs her way through waves of blood, makes swifter headway to the heavenly haven than she does in times of calm. I cannot be punished for my sin. In deigning to help us in the grief that cannot even vent itself in groaning, he proves himself to be a true Comforter. A CHRISTIAN BROTHER was asked, one day, "To what persuasion do you belong?" 12. If we have to toil, let us remember, this is the world's week of toil. It is the mighty God himself who came here to be a Man, and to die in our stead, for is it not written that God hath bought his people with his own blood? Man as a necessary piece of political policy, may give to the heir that which surely he can have not more real right to in the sight of God, than the rest of the family may give him all the inheritance, while his brethren, equally true born, may go without; but it is not so in the family of God. He ruleth over all. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above." I showed you, just now, the difference between a groan and a groan. Taking away this corner-stone, this fancy theory tumbles to the ground, and that theory which seemed to be as tall as Babel, and threatened to make as much confusion, may right soon be demolished, if you will batter it with the Word of God. EP-1975 784dbl.col.pp. *See Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, No. But, on a certain set day, the gates were thrown wide open, and the general, victorious from the wars in Africa or Asia, with his snow-white horses bearing the trophies of his many battles, rode through the streets, which were strewn with roses, while the music sounded, and the multitudes, with glad acclaim, accompanied him to the Capitol. There is great sin; that we know only too well: but we also rejoice in the knowledge that there is a great atonement to cover all our sin, "For it is Christ that died. Still the accuser continues reminding us of our past life: "you have trusted in others, and turned away from Christ; you went everywhere before you came to him." He rose again, I must rise, and though I die yet shall I live again. And are there not times with you, my dear friends, when your hearts feel that they would be emptied and void, unless God were in them. What consolation then to be called: for if I am called, then I am predestinated. I want you to notice that Paul does not even rest his confidence as to the believers' safety upon the fact that they are able to say, "We have trusted in Christ; we have loved Christ; we have served Christ." At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington. It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who sitteth on the right hand of God, who maketh intercession for him. Some say that this doctrine would send us to sleep; it never does, it wakes us up. Some go to Rome, and some to Oxford; some go I know not where. He was fighting evil in the high places and evil in the low, evil among the priests and evil among the people, evil in a religious dress, in Pharisaism, and evil in the dress of philosophy amongst the Sadducees; he fought it everywhere: he was the foe of everything that was wrong, false, selfish, unholy or impure. We teach every Sabbath day, that the whole shower of devine wrath was poured upon Christ's head, that the black cloud of vengeance emptied out itself upon the cross, and that there is not left in the book of God a single sin against a believer, nor can there possibly be even a particle of punishment ever exacted at the hand of the man that believeth in Jesus, for this reason, that Jesus has been punished to the full. Romans 8:12 . The text says, "The carnal mind is enmity against God." This is just what Jesus has to do. Nor is this all, for the spirit of God is not sent merely to guide and help our devotion, but he himself "maketh intercession for us" according to the will of God. I. And wilt thou think, yet again, what cause there is that thou shouldest realize to-day thy union with Christ, since thou art joint heir with him. "All things work." So is it with our text. I do not wish for anything more than I have here, I am perfectly satisfied, so far as this goes, but I long to look upon my household, and to be once more in my own sweet home, and until I reach it, I shall not cease to groan." He whose crown shineth the brightest, will know when he hath lost a jewel. We have before us in the text the four marvellous pillars upon which the Christian rests his hope. Well, certainly, you made no pretension to it six months ago; you were about as black as a man could be." Delivered on Sabbath Evening, August 10, 1856, by the. The children look up to the firstborn. That is in opposition to their apparent confliction. For which of these works do ye hate God? One of you says, "Well, it is an empty pocket with me." It begins with the word "for." In the spiritual body, some are fitted for and called to one sort of work; others for another sort of work. "Look," says one, "there is sin. Oh! What shall we say to that? And as we are debtors to all times, so we are all debtors to all classes. If God should choose this morning to call the hardest-hearted wretch within hearing of the gospel, he must obey. "He that believeth on the Son hath the witness in himself," so that he can with his brethren say plainly "we know that we have passed from death unto life." He is safe, and he must be saved, though all things pass away. How joyfully will we serve him, how rapturously adore him. That old preacher Solomon once said as much as that. Paul says, "I am persuaded," and it is implied that, first, HE IS PERSUADED OF THE LOVE OF GOD. Who can condemn? The text speaks "of the mind of the Spirit." There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Are you persuaded of this love of God to you? It sweetly appears that the ULTIMATE END OF ALL THIS IS CHRIST. It means, first of all, that our right to the divine heritage stands or falls with Christ's right to the same inheritance. Ah! Now, my hearers, before I proceed to enter into the text, let the question go round. says another; "a mere poetic sentimentalism." Eli said, "I called not, lie down again. "If thou be the Son of God." If he had not paid the debt, he would have remained in the prison of the grave; but he rose again. My eternal destiny infinitely more concerns me than all the affairs of time. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. And so if a man walk through the earth and lift up his head because of what God has given him, and say, "I am not to notice the poor, I am not to shake hands with the ignorant, because I am so great and mighty," you may with equal reason say, "Take away that poor creature, his pride is his insanity; put him in safe custody, and let him learn that all he has is his debt, and that he has no cause for pride. He can make the zeal for God's house to eat us up, and the passion for God's glory to be like a fire within our bones; and this is one part of that process by which in inspiring our prayers he helps our infirmity. We are waiting till we shall put on our proper garments, and shall be manifested as the children of God. C. H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) Fellowship in his sufferings is needful to communion with his glory. We are reduced to such straits that we must pray, but what shall be the particular subject of prayer we cannot for a while make out. Delivered on Lord's-Day Morning, April 11th, 1880, by. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient. Some esteem it nothing. That was on the Sunday, mark you; on the Wednesday, he was at Gravesend, there was a collision, and he and five others were drowned. R.C. This was thought to be a singular instance of his affability, and his kindness to his courtiers. My God, thou art my all in all the circle where my passions move, the centre of my soul. may seem too mean to pray about. Poor prodigal sinner, may our Father bring thee home, for there is an inheritance even for thee. I will not say, "Let us sink or swim together," for there is no sinking to a soul that rests in Christ. Can you not do it? Be it so, then; but until you are, you must be ready to suffer in this world the afflictions of the chosen eons, for they are a part of the inheritance. Blessed be his name, he will not refuse you even then, if you will but believe him! When the herald of Francis the First took up the gage of battle, he would not be outdone in the list of honours, so he said, "I take up the challenge in the name of Francis the First, King of France; Francis the First, King of France; Francis the First, King of France; Francis the First, King of France; Francis the First, King of France." We cannot be destroyed. you shall not be uncrowned. He walks streets of gold, but those streets belong to his enemy. In the next verse we are described as hoping. Why, Paul, Satan will bring thundering accusations against thee; art thou not afraid? Look to-day upon thine own being, not as a stray spark, but as a portion of Christ's fire, not as a solitary drop, but as a part of that deep sea of love which we can Christ Jesus. Here are two sorts of children, therefore all are not the children of God. Does he challenge purity to convict him of guilt? Oh, what a sweet persuasion is this! All the prayers which the Spirit of God inspires in us must succeed, because, first, there is a meaning in them which God reads and approves. Who can condemn? In the days when this Epistle was written, the saints had to die very cruel deaths by fire, by the cross, by wild beasts in the amphitheatre; they were sawn asunder, they wandered about in sheep skins and goat skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented; yet they never feared death. To such who have preceded us we owe the purity of the Church, and to them we are debtors. I am mainly indebted to these because I owe so much to my God. The gospel softened the breast of Paul, and made him forget all national animosities, otherwise, one of the down-trodden race would not have called his oppressor, "brother." If the black thought then comes up, "Ah! NVIPT. methinks I see the martyrs and confessors rising from their tombs I mark their hands still stained with blood, and their bodies scarred with the wound of persecution. Brother owes to brother what he cannot pay until he dies. man, there is an answer to thy inquiry; the book cannot be opened, but God himself hath published many a page thereof. I look on them, and see among their glorious ranks, some whose names are celebrated in every Christian land as the bold "lions of God," the immovable pillars of truth; men of whom the world was not worthy, whose praise is in all the churches, and who are now nearest the eternal throne. The mind of God is one and harmonious; if, therefore, the Holy Spirit dwells in you, and he move you to any desire, then his mind is in your prayer, and it is not possible that the eternal Father should reject your petitions. We generally receive more comfort at the cross than we do at the empty sepulchre. What a mind that must be! "My beloved," said he, "thou shalt be the model by which I will fashion my noblest creature, I will for thy sake make men able to converse with thee, and bound to thee by bands of love, who shall be next akin to myself, and in all things like to thee." They record on the other hand of blood-thirsty Nero, that he became so because he was suckled by a woman of a ferocious, barbaric nature. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, Note that Paul does not say, "If they shall fall;" but, "If they shall fall away," if the religion which they have professed shall cease to have any power over them, then, it shall be impossible. The great machine of this world is not only in motion, but there is something weaving in it, which as yet mortal eye hath not fully seen, which our text hinteth at when it says, It is working out good for God's people. What was the nature of Christ, then, as divine? Grace links mankind in a common brotherhood; grace makes the great man give his hand to the poor, and confess a heavenly relationship; grace constrains the intellectual, the learned, the polite, to stoop from their dignity to take hold of the ignorant and unlettered, and call them friends; grace weaves the threads of our separate individualities into one undivided unity. Have you been called, not of man but of God? If this be his ardent love of the Godhead, what must his hatred thereof be? The law has, therefore, more than it asked for, and I am thus not afraid of the anger of the great God. We may say of the prayers which the Holy Spirit works in us that they are prayers of knowledge. What! To the Christian, however, the highest good he can receive on earth is to grow in grace. "To the very uttermost" he is able to save, seeing he ever lives to intercede the strongest argument of the whole four. 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