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TOPIC: Spurgeon - C.H. - Sermons from Haggai (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: HAG 2:4-5 The Abiding of the Spirit the Glory of
Other Subjects in this Topic:
The Abiding of the Spirit the Glory of the Church
September 5th, 1886
by
C. H. SPURGEON
(1834-1892)
"Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong,
O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye
people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you,
saith the Lord of hosts: according to the word that I covenanted
with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among
you: fear ye not."-- Hag_2:4-5.
Satan is always doing his utmost to stay the work of God. He hindered
these Jews from building the temple; and to-day he endeavours to hinder the
people of God from spreading the gospel. A spiritual temple is to be
builded for the Most High, and if by any means the evil one can delay its
uprising he will stick at nothing: if he can take us off from working with
faith and courage for the glory of God he will be sure to do it. He is very
cunning, and knows how to change his argument and yet keep to his design:
little cares he how he works, so long as he can hurt the cause of God. In
the case of the Jewish people on their return from captivity he sought to
prevent the building of the temple by making them selfish and worldly, so
that every many was eager to build his own house, and cared nothing for the
house of the Lord. Each family pleaded its own urgent needs. In returning
to a long-deserted and neglected land, much had to be done to make up for
lost time; and to provide suitably for itself every family needed all its
exertions. They carried this thrift and self-providing to a great extreme,
and secured for themselves luxuries, while the foundations of the temple
which had been laid years before remained as they were, or became still
more thickly covered up with rubbish. The people could not be made to
bestir themelves to build a house of God, for they answered to every
exhortation, "The time is not come, the time that the Lord's house should
be built." A more convenient season was always looming in the future, but
it never came. Just now it was too hot, further it was too cold; at one
time the wet season was just setting in, and it was of no use to begin, and
soon the fair weather required that they should be in their own fields.
Like some in our day, they saw to themselves first, and God's turn was very
long in coming; hence the prophet cried, "Is it time for you, O ye, to
dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?"
By the mouth of His servant Haggai stern rebukes were uttered, and the
whole people were aroused. We read in verse twelve of the first chapter,
"Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the
high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the
Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God
had sent him, and the people did fear before the Lord." All hands were put
to the work; course after course of stone began to rise; and then another
stumbling-block was thrown in the way of the workers. The older folks
remarked that this was a very small affair compared with the temple of
Solomon, of which their fathers had told them; in fact, their rising
building was nothing at all, and not worthy to be called a temple. The
prophet describes the feeling in the verse which precedes our text. "Who is
left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it
now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?" Feeling that
their work would be very poor and insignificant, the people had little
heart to go on. Being discouraged by the humiliating contrast, they began
to be slack; and as they were quite willing to accept any excuse, and here
was an excuse ready made for them, they would soon have been at a
standstill had not the prophet met the wiles of the arch-enemy with another
word from the Lord. Nothing so confounds the evil one as the voice of the
Eternal. Our Lord Himself defeated Satan by the word of the Lord; and the
prophet Haggai did the same. The subtle craft of the enemy is defeated by
the wisdom of the Most High, which reveals itself in plain words of honest
statement. The Lord cuts the knots which bind His people, and sets them at
liberty to do His will. He did this by assuring them that He was with them.
Twice the voice was heard--"I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts." They
were also assured that what they builded was accepted, and that the Lord
meant to fill the new house with glory; yea, He meant to light it up with a
glory greater than that which honoured the temple of Solomon. They were not
spending their strength for nought, but were labouring with divine help and
favour. Thus they were encouraged to put their shoulders to the work: the
walls rose in due order, and God was glorified in the building up of His
Zion.
The present times are, in many respects, similar to those of Haggai.
History certainly repeats itself within the church of God as well as
outside of it; and therefore the messages of God need to be repeated also.
The words of some almost-forgotten prophet may be re-delivered by the
watchman of the Lord in these present days, and be a timely word for the
present emergency. We are not free from the worldliness which puts self
first and God nowhere, else our various enterprises would be more
abundantly supplied with the silver and the gold which are the Lord's, but
which even professing Christians reserve for themselves. When this selfish
greed is conquered, then comes in a timorous depression. Among those who
have escaped from worldliness there is apt to be too much despondency, and
men labour feebly as for a cause which is doomed to failure. This last evil
must be cured. I pray that our text may this morning flame from the Lord's
own mouth with all the fire which once blazed about it. May faint hearts be
encouraged and drowsy spirits be aroused, as we hear the Lord say, "My
spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not."
I shall enter fully upon the subject, by the assistance of the Holy Spirit,
by calling your attention to discouragement forbidden. Then I shall speak
of encouragement imparted; and, having done so, I shall linger with this
blessed text, which overflows with comfort, and shall speak, in the third
place, of encouragement further applied. Oh that our Lord, who knows how to
speak a word in season to him that is weary, may cheer the hearts of
seekers by what shall be spoken under this last head of discourse!
I. To begin with, here is DISCOURAGEMENT FORBIDDEN. Discouragement comes
readily enough to us poor mortals who are occupied in the work of God,
seeing it is a work of faith, a work of difficulty, a work above our
capacity, and a work much opposed.
Discouragement is very natural: it is a native of the soil of manhood. To
believe is supernatural, faith is the work of the Spirit of God; to doubt
is natural to fallen men; for we have within us an evil heart of unbelief.
It is abominably wicked, I grant you; but still it is natural, because of
the downward tendency of our depraved hearts. Discouragement towards good
things is a weed that grows without sowing. To be faint-hearted and
downcast happens to some of us when we are half drowned in this heavy
atmosphere, and it also visits us on the wings of the east wind. It takes
little to make some hands hang down: a word or a look will do it. I do not,
therefore, excuse it; but the rather condemn myself for having a nature
prone to such evil.
Discouragement may come and does come to us, as it did to these people,
from a consideration of the great things which God deserves at our hands,
and the small things which we are able to render. When in Haggai's days the
people thought of Jehovah, and of the temple for Him, and then looked upon
the narrow space which had been enclosed, and the common stones which had
been laid for foundations, they were ashamed. Where were those hewn stones
and costly stones which, of old, Solomon brought from far? They said within
themselves, "This house is unworthy of Jehovah: what do we by labouring
thus?" Have you not felt the depressing weight of what is so surely true?
Brethren, all that we do is little for our God; far too little for Him that
loved us and gave Himself for us. For Him that poured out His soul unto
death on our behalf the most splendid service, the most heroic self-denial,
are all too little; and we feel it so. Alabaster boxes of precious ointment
are too mean a gift. It does not occur to our fervent spirit to imagine
that there can be any waste when our best boxes are broken and the perfume
is poured out lavishly for Him. What we do fear is that our alabaster boxes
are too few, and that our ointment is not precious enough. When we have
done our utmost in declaring the glory of Jesus, we have felt that words
are too poor and mean to set forth our adorable Lord. When we have prayed
for His kingdom we have been disgusted with our own prayers; and all the
efforts we have put forth in connection with any part of His service have
seemed too few, too feeble for us to hope for acceptance. Thus have we been
discouraged. The enemy has worked upon us by this means, yet he has made us
argue very wrongly. Because we could not do much, we have half resolved to
do nothing! Because what we did was so poor, we were inclined to quit the
work altogether! This is evidently absurd and wicked. The enemy can use
humility for his purpose as well as pride. Whether he makes us think too
much or too little of our work, it is all the same to him as long as he can
get us off from it.
It is significant that the man with one talent went and hid his Lord's
money in the earth. He knew that it was but one, and for that reason he was
the less afraid to bury it. Perhaps he argued that the interest on one
talent could never come to much, and would never be noticed side by side
with the result of five or ten talents; and he might as well bring nothing
at all to his Lord as bring so little. Perhaps he might not have wrapped it
up if it had not been so small that a napkin could cover it. The smallness
of our gifts may be a temptation to us. We are consciously so weak and so
insignificant, compared with the great God and His great cause, that we are
discouraged, and think it vain to attempt anything.
Moreover, the enemy contrasts our work with that of others, and with that
of those who have gone before us. We are doing so little as compared with
other people, therefore let us give up. We cannot build like Solomon,
therefore let us not build at all. Yet, brethren, there is a falsehood in
all this; for, in truth, nothing is worthy of God. The great works of
others, and even the amazing productions of Solomon, all fell short of His
glory. What house could man build for God? What are cedar, and marble, and
gold as compared with the glory of the Most High? Though the house was
"exceeding magnifical," yet the Lord God had of old dwelt within curtains,
and never was His worship more glorious than within the tent of badger's
skins; indeed, as soon as the great house was built, true religion
declined. What of all human work can be worthy of the Lord? Our little
labours do but share the insignificance of greater things, and therefore we
ought not to withhold them: yet here is the temptation from which we must
pray to be delivered.
The tendency to depreciate the present because of the glories of the past
is also injurious. The old people looked back to the days of the former
temple, even as we are apt to look upon the times of the great preachers of
the past. What work was done in those past days? What Sabbaths were enjoyed
then! What converts were added to the church! What days of refreshing were
then vouchsafed! Everything has declined, decreased, degenerated! As for
the former days, they beheld a race of giants, who are now succeeded by
pigmies. We look at one of these great men, and cry,
"Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus; and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs, and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves."
But, brethren, we must not allow this sense of littleness to hamper us; for
God can bless our littleness, and use it for His glory. I notice that the
great men of the past thought of themselves even as we think of ourselves.
Certainly they were not more self-confident than we are. I find in the
story of the brave days of old the same confessions and the same
lamentations which we utter now. It is true that in a spiritual strength we
are not what our fathers were; I fear the Puritanic holiness and
truthfulness of doctrine are dying out, while adherence to principle is far
from common; but our fathers had also faults and follies to mourn over, and
they did mourn over them most sincerely. Instead of being discouraged
because what we do is unworthy of God, and insignificant compared with what
was done by others, let us gather up our strength to reform our errors, and
reach to higher attainments. Let us throw our heart and soul into the work
of the Lord, and yet do something more nearly in accordance with our
highest ideal of what our God deserves of us. Let us excel our ancestors.
Let us aspire to be even more godly, more conscientious, and more sound in
the faith than they were, for the Spirit of God remaineth with us.
Brethren, it is clear that discouragement can be produced by these reasons,
and yet they are a mere sample of a host of arguments which work in the
same direction: hence discouragement is very common. Haggai was sent to
speak to Zerubbabel, the governor, and to Joshua, the high priest, and to
all the remnant of the people. The great man may become discouraged: he
that leads the van has his fainting fits; even Elijah cries, "Let me die!"
The consecrated servant of God whose life is a priesthood is apt to grow
discouraged, too: standing at God's altar, he sometimes trembles for the
ark of the Lord. The multitude of the people are all too apt to suffer from
panic, and to flee at the sight of the enemy. How many are they who say,
"The old truth cannot exceed: the cause of orthodoxy is desperate; we had
better yield to the modern spirit"! This faith-heartedness is so common
that it has been the plague of Israel from her first day until now. They
were discouraged at the Red Sea, at the mere rattling of Pharaoh's
chariots; they were discouraged when they found no water; they were
discouraged when they had eaten up the bread which they brought out of
Egypt; they were discouraged when they heard of the giants, and of the
cities walled to heaven. I need not lengthen the wretched catalogue. What
has not cowardice done? The fearful and unbelieving have brought terrible
disasters upon our camps. Discouragement is the national epidemic of our
Israel. "Being armed and carrying bows" we turn back in the day of battle.
This is as common among Christians as consumption among the inhabitants of
this foggy island. Oh that God would save us all from distrust, and cause
us to quit ourselves like men!
Wherever discouragement comes in it is dreadfully weakening. I am sure it
is weakening, because the prophet was bidden to say three times to the
governor, high priest, and people, "Be strong." This proves that they had
become weak. Being discouraged, their hands hung down, and their knees were
feeble. Faith girds us with omnipotence, but unbelief makes everything hang
loose and limp about us. Distrust, and thou wilt fail in everything;
believe, and according to thy faith so shall it be unto thee. To lead a
discouraged people to the Holy War is as difficult as for Xerxes'
commanders to conduct the Persian troops to battle against the Greeks. The
vassals of the great king were driven to the conflict by whips and sticks,
for they were afraid to fight: do you wonder that they were defeated? A
church that needs constant exhorting and compelling accomplishes nothing.
The Greeks had no need of blows and threats, for each man was a lion, and
courted the encounter, however great the odds against him. Each Spartan
fought con amore; he was never more at home than when contending for the
altars and the hearths of his country. We want Christian men of this same
sort, who have faith in their principles, faith in the doctrines of grace,
faith in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost; and who
therefore contend earnestly for the faith in these days when piety is
mocked at from the pulpit, and the gospel is sneered at by professional
preachers. We need men who love the truth, to whom it is dear as their
lives; men into whose hearts the old doctrine is burned by the hand of
God's Spirit through a deep experience of its necessity and of its power.
We need no more of those who will parrot what they are taught, but we want
men who will speak what they know. Oh, for a troop of men like John Knox,
heroes of the martyr and covenanter stock! Then would Jehovah of hosts have
a people to serve Him who would be strong in the Lord and in the power of
His might.
Discouragement not only weakens men, but it takes them off from the service
of God. It is significant that the prophet said to them, "Be strong, all ye
people of the land, saith the Lord, and work." They had ceased to build:
they had begun to talk and argue, but they had laid down the trowel. They
were extremely wise in their observations, and criticisms, and prophecies;
but the walls did not rise. One person knew exactly how big the former
temple was; another declared that their present architect was not up to the
mark, and that the structure was not built in a scientific manner: one
objected to this, and another to that; but everyone was wiser than all the
rest, and sneered at old-fashioned ways. It is always so when we are
discouraged: we cease from the work of the Lord, and waste time in talk and
nonsensical refinements. May the Lord take away discouragement from any of
you who now suffer from it! I suppose some of you do feel it, for at times
it creeps over my heart and makes me go with heaviness to my work. I
believe that God's truth will come to the front yet, but it hath many
adversaries to-day. All sorts of unbeliefs are being hatched out from under
the wings of "modern thought." The gospel seems to be regarded as a nose of
wax, to be altered and shaped by every man who wishes to show his superior
skill. Nor is it in doctrine alone, but in practice also, that the times
are out of joint. Separateness from the world, and holy living, are to give
place to gaiety and theatre-going. To follow Christ fully has gone out of
fashion with many of those from whom we once hoped better things. Yet are
there some who waver not, some who are willing to be in the right with two
or three. For my own part, even should I find none around me of the same
mind, I shall not budge an inch from the old truth, nor sweat a hair of
fear of its overthrow; but I shall abide confident that the eternal God,
whose truth we know and hold, will vindicate Himself ere long, and turn the
wisdom of the world into babble, and its boasting into confusion. Blessed
is the man who shall be able to stand fast by his God in these evil days.
Let us not in any wise be discouraged. "Be strong; be strong; be strong,"
sounds as a threefold voice from the Triune God. "Fear not" comes as a
sweet cordial to the faint: therefore let no man's heart fail him. Thus
much about the discouragement.
II. Secondly, here is THE ENCOURAGEMENT IMPARTED, which is the grand part
of our text. "According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came
out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not." God remembers
His covenant and stands to His ancient promises. When the people came out
of Egypt, the Lord was with them by His Spirit; hence He spoke to them by
Moses, and through Moses He guided, and judged, and taught them. He was
with them also by His Spirit in inspiring Bezaleel and Aholiab, as to the
works of art which adorned the tabernacle. God always finds the workmen for
His work, and by His Spirit fits them for it. The Spirit of God rested upon
the elders who were ordained to relieve Moses of his great burden. The Lord
was also with His people in the fiery cloudy pillar which was conspicuous
in the midst of the camp. His presence was their glory and their defence.
This is a type of the presence of the Spirit with the church. At the
present day, if we hold the truth of God, if we live in obedience to His
holy commands, if we are spiritually-minded, if we cry unto God in
believing prayer, if we have faith in His covenant and in His Son, the Holy
Spirit abideth among us. The Holy Ghost descended upon the church at
Pentecost, and He has never gone back again: there is no record of the
Spirit's return to heaven. He will abide with the true church evermore.
This is our hope for the present struggle. The Spirit of God remaineth with
us.
To what end, my brethren, is this Spirit with us? Let us think of this,
that we may be encouraged at this time. The Spirit of God remaineth among
you to aid and assist the ministry which He has already given. Oh, that the
prayers of God's people would always go up for God's ministers, that they
may speak with a divine power and influence which none shall be able to
gainsay! We look too much for clever men; we seek out fluent and flowery
speakers; we sigh for men cultured and trained in all the knowledge of the
heathen: nay, but if we sought more for unction, for divine authority, and
for the power which doth hedge about the man of God, how much wiser should
we be! Oh,m that all of us who profess to preach the gospel would learn to
speak in entire dependence upon the direction of the Holy Spirit, not
daring to utter our own words, but even trembling lest we should do so, and
committing ourselves to that secret influence without which nothing will be
powerful upon the conscience or converting to the heart. Know ye not the
difference between the power that cometh of human oratory, and that which
cometh by the divine energy which speaks so to the heart that men cannot
resist it? We have forgotten this too much. It were better to speak six
words in the power of the Holy Ghost than to preach seventy years of
sermons without the Spirit. He who rested on those who have gone to their
reward in heaven can rest this day upon our ministers and bless our
evangelists, if we will but seek it of Him. Let us cease to grieve the
Spirit of God, and look to him for help to the faithful ministers who are
yet spared to us.
This same Spirit who of old gave to His church eminent teachers can raise
up other and more useful men. The other day, a brother from Wales told me
of the great men he remembered: he said that he had never heard such a one
as Christmas Evans, who surpasses all men when he was in the hwyl. I asked
him if he knew another Welsh minister who preached like Christmas Evans.
"No," he said, "we have no such man in Wales in our days." So in England we
have neither Wesley nor Whitefield, nor any of their order; yet, as with
God is the residue of the Spirit, He can fetch out from some chimney-corner
another Christmas Evans, or find in our Sunday-school another George
Whitefield, who shall declare the gospel with the Holy Ghost sent down from
heaven. Let us never fear for the future, or despair for the present, since
the Spirit of God remaineth with us. What if the growing error of the age
should have silenced the last tongue that speaks out the old gospel, let
not faith be weakened. I hear the tramp of legions of soldiers of the
cross. I hear the clarion voices of hosts of preachers. "The Lord gave the
word; great was the company of those that published it." Have faith in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ! When He ascended on high He led captivity
captive, and received gifts for men. He then gave apostles, teachers,
preachers, and evangelists, and He can do the like again. Let us fall back
upon the eternal God, and never be discouraged for an instant.
Nor is this all. The Holy Spirit being with us, He can move the whole
church to exercise its varied ministries. This is one of the things we want
very much--that every member of the church should recognise that he is
ordained to service. Everyone in Christ, man or woman, hath some testimony
to bear, some warning to give, some deed to do in the name of the holy
child Jesus; and if the Spirit of God be poured out upon our young men and
our maidens, each one will be aroused to energetic service. Both small and
great will be in earnest, and the result upon the slumbering masses of our
population will surprise us all. Sometimes we lament that the churches are
so dull. There is an old proverb which says of So-and-so, that he was "as
sound asleep as a church." I suppose there is nothing that can sleep so
soundly as a church. But yet the Spirit of God still remaineth, and
therefore churches go to be awakened. I mean that not only in part but as a
whole, a church may be quickened. The dullest professor, the most slovenly
believer, the most captious and useless member of a church, may yet be
turned to good account. I see them like a stack of faggots, piled up, dead
and dry. Oh for the fire! We will have a blaze out of them yet.
Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove, brood over the dark, disordered church as
once thou didst over chaos, and order shall come out of confusion, and the
darkness shall fly before the light. Only let the Spirit be with us, and we
have all that is wanted for victory. Give us His presence, and everything
else will come in its due season for the profitable service of the entire
church.
If the Spirit be with us, there will come multitudinous conversions. We
cannot get at "the lapsed masses," as they are pedantically called. We
cannot stir the crass infidelity of the present age: no, we cannot, but He
can. All things are possible with God. If you walk down to our bridges at a
certain hour of the day you will see barges and vessels lying in the mud;
and all the king's horses and all the king's men cannot stir them. Wait
until the tide comes in, and they will walk the water like things of life.
The living flood accomplishes at once what no mortals can do. And so to-day
our churches cannot stir. What shall we do? Oh, that the Holy Spirit would
come with a flood-tide of His benign influences, as He will if we will but
believe in Him; as He must if we will but cry unto Him; as He shall if we
will cease to grieve Him. Everything will be even as the saints desire when
the Lord of saints is with us. The hope of the continuance and increase of
the church lies in the remaining of the Spirit with us. The hope of the
salvation of London lies in the wonder-working Spirit. Let us bow our heads
and worship the omnipotent Spirit who deigns to work in us, by us, and with
us.
Then, brethren, if this should happen--and I see not why it should not--
then we may expect to see the church put on her beautiful garments; then
shall she begin to clear herself of th errors which now defile her; then
shall she press to her bosom the truths which she now begins to forget;
then will she go back to the pure fount of inspiration and drink from the
Scriptures of truth; and then out of the midst of her shall flow no turbid
streams, but rivers of living water. If the Holy Ghost will work among us
we shall rejoice in the Lord, and glory in the name of our God.
When once the Spirit of God putteth forth His might all things else will be
in accord with Him. Notice that in the rest of the chapter--which I shall
read now, not as relating to that temple at all, but to the church of God--
there is great comfort given to us. If the Holy Spirit be once given, then
we may expect providence to co-operate with the church of God. Read verse
6: "Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake heaven and the earth,
and the sea, and the dry land. I will shake all nations." Great commotions
will co-operate with the Holy Spirit. We may expect that God will work for
His people in an extraordinary fashion if they will but be faithful to Him.
Empires will collapse, and times will change, for the truth's sake. Expect
the unexpected, reckon upon that which is unlikely, if it be necessary for
the growth of the kingdom. Of old the earth helped the woman when the
dragon opened his mouth to drown her with the floods that he cast forth:
unexpected help shall come to us when affairs are at their worst.
Specially do I look for a shaking among the hosts of unbelief. How often
did the Lord of old rout His enemies without Israel drawing sword! The
watchword was, "Stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord." The
adversaries of old fell out among themselves; and they will do so again.
When Cadmus slew the dragon with his javelin, he was bidden to sow its
teeth in the earth. When he did so, according to the classic fable, he saw
rising out of the ground nodding plumes, and crested helmets, and broad
shoulders of armed men. Up from the earth there sprang a host of warriors;
but Cadmus needed not to fly; for the moment they found their feet, these
children of the dragon fell upon each other till scarcely one was left.
Error, like Saturn, devours its own children. Those that fight against the
Lord of hosts are not agreed among themselves; they shall sheathe their
swords in each other's bosoms.
I saw in the night vision the sea, the deep and broad sea of truth,
flashing with its silver waves. Lo, a black horse came out of the darkness
and went down to the deep, threatening to drink it dry. I saw him stand
there drinking, and swelling as he drank. In his pride he trusted that he
could snuff up Jordan at a draught. I stood by and saw him drink, and then
plunge further into the sea, to drink still more. Again he plunged in with
fury, and soon he lost his footing, and I saw him no more, for the deep had
swallowed him that boasted that he could swallow it. Rest assured that
every black horse of error that comes forth to swallow up the sea of divine
truth shall be drowned therein. Wherefore be of good courage. God, who
maketh the earth and the heavens to shake, shall cause each error to fall
like an untimely fig.
And next, the Lord in this chapter promises His people that they shall have
all the supplies they need for His work. They feared that they could not
build His house, because of their poverty; but, saith the Lord of hosts,
"The silver and the gold are mine." When the church of God believes in God,
and goes forward bravely, she need not trouble as to supplies. Her God will
provide for her. He that gives the Holy Ghost will give gold and silver
according as they are needed; therefore let us be of good courage. If God
is with us, why need we fear? One of our English kings once threatened the
great city of London that if its councillors talked so independently, he
would--yes--he would, indeed he would--take his court away from the city.
The Lord Mayor on that occasion replied, that if his majesty would
graciously leave the river Thames behind him, the citizens would try to get
on without his court. If any say, "If you hold to these old-fashioned
doctrines you will lose the educated, the wealthy, the influential," we
answer: But if we do not lose the godly and the presence of the Holy Ghost
we are not in the least alarmed. If the Holy Ghost remaineth with us, there
is a river the streams whereof make glad the city of God. Brethren, my
heart leaps within me as I cry, "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of
Jacob is our refuge." "Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be
removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea."
The best comfort of all remained: "The desire of all nations shall come."
This was in a measure fulfilled when Jesus came into that latter house and
caused all holy hearts to sing for gladness; but it was not wholly
fulfilled in that way; for if you notice, in the ninth verse it is written,
"The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former; and in
this place will I give peace," which the Lord did not fully do to the
second temple, since that was destroyed by the Romans. But there is another
advent, when "the desire of all nations shall come" in power and glory; and
this is our highest hope. Though truth may be driven back, and error may
prevail, Jesus comes, and He is the great Lord and patron of truth: He
shall judge the world in righteousness, and the people in equity. Here is
our last resource; here are God's reserves. He whom we serve liveth and
reigneth for ever and ever; and He saith, "Behold, I come quickly; and my
reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is
not in vain in the Lord."
III. I should have done if it had not been that this text seemed to me to
overflow so much, that it might not only refresh God's people, but give
drink to thirsty sinners who are seeking the Lord. For a moment or two I
give myself to ENCOURAGEMENT FURTHER APPLIED.
It is at the beginning of every gracious purpose that men have most fear,
even as these people had who had newly begun to build. When first the Holy
Spirit begins to strive with a man to lead him to Jesus, he is apt to say--
"I cannot; I dare not; it is impossible. How can I believe and live?" Now I
want to speak to some of you here who are willing to find Christ, and to
encourage you by the truth that the Spirit lives to help you. I would even
like to speak to those who are not anxious to be saved. I remember that Dr.
Payson, an exceedingly earnest and useful man of God, once did a singular
thing. He had been holding inquiry meetings with all sorts of people, and
great numbers had been saved. At last, one Sunday he gave out that he
should have a meeting on Monday night of those persons who did not desire
to be saved; and, strange to say, some twenty persons came who did not wish
to repent or believe. He spoke to them and said, "I am sure that if a
little film, thin as a web of the gossamer, were let down by God from
heaven to each one of you, you would not push it away from you. Although it
were almost invisible, you would value even the slightest connection
between you and heaven. Now, your coming to meet me to-night is a little
link with God. I want it to increase in strength till you are joined to the
Lord for ever." He spoke to them most tenderly, and God blessed those
people who did not desire to be saved, so that before the meeting was over
they were of another mind. The film had become a thicker thread, and it
grew and grew until the Lord Christ held them by it for ever. Dear friends,
the fact of your being in the Tabernacle this morning is like that filmy
thread: do not put it away. Here is your comfort, the Holy Ghost still
works with the preaching of the word. Do I hear you say, "I cannot feel my
need of Christ as I want to feel it"? The Spirit remaineth among us. He can
make you feel more deeply the guilt of sin and your need of pardon. "But I
have heard so much about conviction and repentance; I do not seem to have
either of them." Yet the Spirit remaineth with us, and that Spirit is able
to work in you the deepest conviction and the truest repentance. "O sir, I
do not feel as if I could do anything": but the Spirit remaineth with us,
and all things that are needful for godliness He can give. He can work in
you to will and to do of His own good pleasure. "But I want to believe in
the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." Who made you want to do that? Who
but the Holy Spirit? Therefore He is still at work with you; and though as
yet you do not understand what believing is, or else I am persuaded you
would believe at once, the Spirit of God can instruct you in it. You are
blind, but He can give you sight; you are paralyzed, but He can give you
strength--the Spirit of God remaineth.
"Oh, but that doctrine of regeneration staggers me: you know, we must be
born again." Yes, we are born again of the Spirit, and the Spirit remaineth
still with us; He is still mighty to work that wondrous change, and to
bring you out of the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of God's dear Son.
The Spirit remaineth with us, blessed be His name! "Ah, dear sir," says
one, "I want to conquer sin"! Who made you desire to conquer sin? Who, but
the Spirit that remaineth with us? He will give you the sword of the Spirit
and teach you how to use it, and He will give you both the will and the
power to use it successfully. Through the Spirit's might you can overcome
every sin, even that which has dragged you down and disgraced you. The
Spirit of God is still waiting to help you. When I think of the power of
the Spirit of God, I look hopefully upon every sinner here this morning. I
bless His name that He can work in you all that is pleasing in His sight.
Some of you may be very careless, but He can make you thoughtful. Coming up
to London to see the Exhibition, I hope you may yourselves become an
exhibition of divine grace. You think not about things, but He can make you
feel at this moment a sweet softness stealing over you, until you long to
be alone and to get home to the old arm-chair and there seek the Lord. You
can thus be led to salvation.
I thought when I came in here that I should have a picked congregation; and
so I have. You are one of them. Wherever you come from, I want you now to
seek the Lord. He has brought you here, and He means to bless you. Yield
yourselves to Him while His sweet Spirit pleads with you. While the
heavenly wind softly blows upon you open wide every window. You have not
felt that you wanted it; but that is the sure proof that you need it; for
he that does not know his need of Christ, is most in need. Open wide your
heart that the Spirit may teach you your need; above all, breathe the
prayer that He would help you this morning to look to the Lord Jesus
Christ, for "there is life in a look at the Crucified One--there is life at
this moment for you." "Oh," you say, "if I were to begin I should not keep
on." No; if you began perhaps you would not; but if He begins with you He
will keep on. The final perseverance of saints is the result of the final
perserverance of the Holy Spirit; He perseveres to bless, and we persevere
in receiving the blessing. If He begins, you have begun with a divine power
that fainteth not neither is weary. I wish it might so happen that on this
fifth day of the ninth month, not the prophet Haggai, but I, God's servant,
may have spoken to you such a word by the witness of the Holy Ghost, "From
this day will I bless you"! Go away with that promise resting upon you. I
would like to give a shake of the hand to every stranger here this morning,
and say, "Brother, in the name of the Lord I wish you from this day a
blessing." Amen and amen.
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