He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning--
The existence of the devil and the origin of evil
I.
Refute the three theories in which the devil-denying doctrines are comprised.
1. The doctrine that two principles, of good and evil, eternally existed, and that the devil is only the evil principle personified.
2. The theory that the devil, specified in the Bible, is only the personification of fallen human nature.
3. The theory that sinful actions are the only devil that the Bible guards us against.
II. Explain the origin of evil, and exhibit the real existence of satan, as established by reason and revelation. (W. Barnes.)
Children of the devil
1. The unregenerate sinner, living in the habitual practice of sin, is of Satan, because his will harmonises with Satan’s will; and it follows, therefore, that all the powers and faculties which he possesses, influential as they are upon those with whom he associates, become instrumental to the working out of the dictates of Satan’s will rather than God’s will.
2. The unregenerate sinner, living in the habitual indulgence of sin, is under the despotic influence of Satan, whose slave and vassal he is. He may be a free member of a free community, but his heart, his intellect, his body, all are bound in unresisting submissiveness to Satan.
3. The unregenerate sinner, living in the habitual indulgence of sin, must, if unreclaimed by sovereign grace, share the final end of Satan. If he is of the devil in sinning, he must be of the devil in suffering. (G. Fisk, LL. B.)
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil--
Satan’s works destroyed
I. The fact--that the Son of God was manifested
1. By His mysterious incarnation.
2. By His personal ministry.
3. By the promulgation of His gospel.
4. By the presence of His Spirit.
II. The design of this manifestation--“that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (J. Jowett, M. A.)
Christ a destroyer
I. The works of the devil. What these may be in the unseen world we know not; we find enough of them here in our world to astonish us.
1. Moral evil, sin, is one of these works. It is this which the apostle has more especially in his mind here, and which we may regard as the foundation of all the rest.
2. What we call natural evil, suffering, is another of his works. It grows out of sin.
3. And then comes discord, another work of Satan. Man and his God were walking together at first in a blessed amity. Satan came in and severed between them. And think of the contentions which have ever been going on between man and man in nations, societies, churches, and even families--Satan has fostered them all; nay, given rise to them all.
4. And then there is the deception which prevails in our world. We must trace this also to Satan. He is called in Scripture “the father of lies,” of all lies, but more especially of all spiritual lies. Well knowing that he cannot keep religion altogether out of the world, he deludes men with false religions.
5. Another work of Satan is the obscurity he has thrown here over Jehovah’s glory. He seems to have baffled God in all His purposes as to our world; to have brought to nothing all the designs of His goodness towards it when He created it.
6. And one thing more must be added--death. This crowns the work of Satan.
II. The manifestation of the Son of God to destroy them. Even the omnipotent Son of God cannot be a Saviour unless He is at the same time a destroyer. The works of Satan must be demolished, or God’s great work of mercy cannot be accomplished.
III. The destruction of these works.
1. The Lord Jesus effects their destruction in a wonderful character. Had we been told that the Son of the Highest was about to manifest Himself in our world as a Destroyer, we should have expected Him to appear among us in His glorious majesty, withering Satan, as He will do hereafter, by “the brightness of His coming.” But the Lord is wiser than we. This would have been a display of the Divine power only. The Lord would not thus honour Satan. He lays aside His majesty when He comes forth to this work of destruction. Satan and his works shall be overthrown by one of those very creatures whom Satan has long triumphed over.
2. If the character was wonderful in which our Lord achieved this work, the means whereby He achieved it were still more so. “Through death,” we are told, “He destroyed him that had the power or death, that is, the devil.” (C. Bradley, M. A.)
The design of Christ’s incarnation
I. As for the manifestation of the Son of God, though it principally relates to the actual coming of Christ into the world, yet it is a term of a larger comprehension, and so ought to carry our notice both to passages before and after His nativity. We find Him first exhibited in promises, and those as early as the first need of a Saviour, even immediately after the fall; by such a hasty provision of mercy, that there might be no dark interval between man’s misery and his hope of recovery (Gen_3:15). But when at length prophecy ripened into event, and shadows gave way upon the actual appearance of the substance, in the birth of Christ, yet then, though the Son of God could be but once born, He ceased not to be frequently manifested; there was a choir of angels to proclaim His nativity, and a new star to be His herald. Christ was the light of the world; and nothing is more manifest or visible than that which manifests both itself and all things else; and needs no invitation to the eye, but will certainly enter, unless it be forcibly kept out. But the Jews were purposed not to believe their eyes; to question whether it was day when the sun shined. It is clear, therefore, that the Jews rejected the Son of God, not because He was not manifested, but because they delighted to be ignorant, and to be sceptics and unbelievers even in spite of evidence.
II. The end of His manifestation, “that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
1. I reduce the works of the devil, destroyed by the manifestation of the Son of God, to these three--
(1) Delusion.
(2) Sin.
(3) Death.
There is a natural coherence between these: for sin being a voluntary action, and so the issue of the will, presupposes a default in the understanding, which was to conduct the will in its choices; and then when the delusion and inadvertency of the understanding has betrayed the will to sin, the consequent and effect of sin is death. Christ therefore, that came to repair the breaches, and cure the miseries of human nature, and to redeem it from that frenzy into which it had cast itself, designs the removal and conquest of all these three.
2. I come now to show what are the ways and means by which He destroys them.
(1) As a prophet He destroys and removes that delusion that had possessed the world, by those Divine and saving discoveries of truth exhibited in the doctrine and religion promulged by Him.
(2) As for the second work of the devil, sin, this the Son of God destroyed as a priest, by that satisfaction that He paid down for it; and by that supply of grace that He purchased, for the conquering and rooting it out of the hearts of believers. By the former He destroys the guilt of sin, by the latter the power.
(3) As for the third and last work of the devil, which is death; this Christ, as He is a king, destroys by His power: for it is He that has “the keys of life and death, opening where none shuts, and shutting where none opens.” At the command of Christ “the sea shall give up its dead,” the graves shall open, and deliver up their trust; and all the devourers of nature shall make a faithful restitution. (R. South, D. D.)
The purpose of the incarnation
I. The mystery of Christ’s incarnation--the Son of God was manifested.
1. The propriety, to whom this work of subduing the devil and destroying his works, properly belongs; that is God.
(1) He only had right to do it; whether we consider Him either as the Judge, or as the party wronged.
(2) He only had strength and power to effect this destruction of Satan’s works.
2. The appropriation of this work. It is ascribed to the second Person in the glorious Godhead; to the Son of God. And that the Son of God should undertake this work, there are two congruities.
(1) The first congruity is grounded upon His relation, in that He is the Son of God. And suitable to this there were two works of the devil to be destroyed; and none so fit to do it as the Son of God.
(a) The first work of Satan, was to make us degenerate from our original, and to become the children of the devil; that was our woeful condition (Joh_8:44). This work must be destroyed by our spiritual adoption; that rescues us out of that cursed family, and reduces us to a new sonship, makes us become the children of God. Now, who so fit to make us adopted sons as the natural Son of God?
(b) The second work of the devil was the defacing and destroying that holy image of God, in which we were created, and so stamping upon our souls that blemish of the devil’s similitude. Now, who so fit to deface the image of Satan, and to repair the blessed image of God upon our souls, as the Son of God, who is the lively express image of God the Father (Rom_8:29)?
(2) A second congruity is grounded upon that special attribute which is ascribed to the Son of God; that is, the attribute of wisdom. Well, did craft and subtlety ruin us? Here is wisdom of God to restore us (1Co_3:19).
3. The manner of effecting this work, the dispensation observed in it, theft is called here His manifestation.
(1) It is a manifestation, that is the representation of that which was before, but did not appear before.
(2) Christ’s incarnation is the appearing of Him, who before was invisible.
(3) Christ is now really and actually exhibited to the sons of men; before He was promised only, but now that promise is fully performed to us.
(4) This degree and temper of His manifestation was thus ordered and proportioned for these considerations.
(a) This manifestation under the veil of His flesh was fitted for our capacity, we could not otherwise have beheld Him. We can fix our eyes upon the sun when it is under a cloud; we cannot do so when it is in its full splendour.
(b) This manifestation was under the veil of the flesh to make way for the exercise of faith; and faith was to have a principal part in the work of our redemption. And the property of that is to believe that which we see not. And therefore, that our faith might have what to believe, he concealed His Divinity under the veil of His humanity.
(c) His manifestation was under the veil of the flesh, as the fittest way to conquer and destroy the devil.
(i) It was a fit way to requite the devil, He wrought our ruin by a counterfeit incarnation, appearing to our first parents in another habit; and Christ works Satan’s ruin by a real incarnation.
(ii) This was done to bring on the devil to this encounter, by which he might be destroyed. He durst not have assaulted our Saviour appearing in His glory.
II. The work and employment of our incarnate Saviour. It was “to destroy the works of the devil.” The fruit and benefit of our Saviour’s incarnation hath other expressions in Scripture (Mat_18:11; 1Ti_1:15; Joh_6:41; Joh_10:10). These are all comprehended in this of St. John, it was “to destroy the works of the devil.”
1. What is that which Christ sets Himself against and opposes? They are the works of the devil. So then, in general, the work for which Christ came into the world is a spiritual work, to oppose spiritual wickedness. The gospel is conversant in mortifying of sins, not in invading of possessions, as Bernard speaks.
(1) See the extension of the object that Christ comes to destroy.
(a) Sin, that is the work of the devil.
(b) Death, that is the work of the devil; and Christ destroys both.
(2) The limitation. That which Christ came to destroy is the works of the devil, those and only those. The works of God, those Christ came not to destroy, but to preserve and restore, to improve and better them (Isa_58:12); the souls of men, to recover them; the lives of men, He came not to destroy, but to save (Luk_9:56). It must teach all undertakers of works of destruction to carry a steady hand in so perilous a work. They had need of three caveats;
(a) Look to thy warrant and authority. Every man is not to be a destroyer, even of those things that deserve to be destroyed.
(b) Take heed you mistake not a work of God for a work of the devil.
(c) When these two works meet in one--the work of God and the work of the devil--then separate the precious from the vile, discern and distinguish them.
2. The opposition which Christ makes against the works of the devil. It is called a destroying. It is a full word, of great vehemence and intention. Christ came not only to abate the power of Satan, and to bring him under, as Saul did with Agag, or the Israelites did with the Canaanites: spared their lives, but subdued them only, and made them tributaries. It is charged on them as a sin (Psa_106:34). No; sin and Satan are to be devoted to utter destruction. Not only restrain sin, but root it out and destroy it. And that we may do this, we must beget in us a destroying affection. What is that? Hatred--a double hatred.
(1) Hatred of enmity, that must be against the devil; hate him with a perfect hatred.
(2) Hatred of abomination, that must be against sin, the work of the devil. These two, the hatred of emnity against Satan, and the hatred of, loathing, and antipathy against sin: that will make us imitate the work of Christ, in destroying of sire And this Christ doth in three degrees, till sin be utterly destroyed.
(a) He destroys the condemning power of sin by purchasing the pardon of sin, and confers this upon us in our justification.
(b) He destroys the dominion and reigning power of sin by inspirations of His grace, thereby mortifying sin in our sanctification.
(c) He destroys the very being of sin; roots up the bitter root of sin by His final and finishing grace in our glorification. Thus do thou--
(i) Sue for the pardon of sin.
(ii) Strive against the power of sin.
(iii) Long for the final abolishing of sin.
III. The design and intendment of this work: “For this purpose.”
1. This destroying of sin and Satan and so the rescuing of us from both, was His intention. He foresaw our fall, and pitied our misery, and forecasts our recovery: His eternal thoughts of grace and mercy were employed about us.
2. This work was His primary intention. The main end of His coming into the world was to destroy Satan and to free us from his bondage and captivity.
3. This destroying of Satan’s works is His effectual and real intention. Did He purpose it? Then surely He will accomplish it, and effectually perform it. (Bp. Brownrigg.)
The first promise accomplished; or, the head of the serpent bruised by the seed of the woman
Thetext is a distinct doctrine, viz., that the Son of God was manifested for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
I. To offer some things with relation to this renowned champion.
1. He is a person of a noble extract and pedigree; He is the Son of God by eternal generation, His Father’s first born, and therefore higher than the kings of the earth.
2. This renowned person, the Son of God, had an ancient kindness for our family; for He from eternity “rejoiced in the habitable parts of the earth, and His delights were with the sons of men.”
3. That He might be in a capacity to help and relieve us from the hand of the enemy, He marries our nature into a personal union with Himself. Law and justice required that the same nature that sinned should suffer.
4. This renowned Champion is one of a very martial and heroic spirit; He fears no enemy that stands in His way (Isa_59:16-18).
5. He is one that is successful in all His enterprises: He never lost a battle, victory follows Him in His train.
6. He is incomparable for power and wisdom; hence His name is “Christ the power of God, and Christ the wisdom of God.”
II. To offer a few thoughts concerning the grand enemy of mankind, that the Son of God had in His eye when He appeared upon the stage, and that is the devil.
1. That he was once an angel of light, and had his habitation at first in glory.
2. Pride and ambition was the sin of the devil.
3. Being cast out of heaven, he was filled with the madness of revenge and enmity against God.
4. By virtue of the curse of the broken law, the devil comes to have a legal title to, and dominion over, every son of Adam by nature.
5. The enemy into whose hands we are fallen is of all others the most dangerous and terrible.
(1) He is a very powerful enemy.
(2) He is a subtle and cunning enemy.
(3) He is an experienced enemy.
(4) A most vigilant enemy.
(5) He is a most fierce and raging enemy.
(6) He is a numerous enemy. His name is legion.
I will tell you of some works of the devil brought about by sin.
1. The dishonour of God.
2. The disturbing of the creation.
3. The ruin of man.
4. The erection of his own kingdom of sin and darkness.
III. The manifestation of the Son of God in order, to His destroying these works of the devil.
1. He was manifested initially in the first promise (Gen_3:15).
2. He was manifested typically to the children of Israel in the Mosaic economy. The tabernacle, the temple, the passover, the manna, the rock that followed them, the sacrifices and ceremonies of that dispensation--what else were they but the “shadows of good things to come”?
3. To this there was added a prophetical manifestation of the Son of God.
4. He was manifested personally in the fulness of time by the assumption of the nature of man (Gal_4:4).
5. There is a declarative manifestation of the Son of God in the dispensation of the gospel.
6. He is manifested sacramentally.
7. Christ is manifested in a spiritual and efficacious way in the day of conversion.
8. There is the public and solemn manifestation of the Son of God at the last day (Rev_1:7). Thus you see how it is that the Son of God is manifested; and in every one of these manifestations He had in view the destruction of Satan and his works.
IV. To speak of the Son of God destroying the works of the devil.
1. The first thing is, to prove that it was the great business of the Son of God to destroy the works of the devil.
(1) Was it the plot of hell to have God dishonoured in all His attributes and perfections by the sin of man? Well, Christ counteracts the devil in this; for He brings a great revenue of glory to the crown of heaven by the work of redemption.
(2) It was the work of the devil to disgrace the holy law of God, by breaking it himself, and teaching man to break in upon it; but the work of Christ is, to “magnify the law, and to make it honourable.”
(3) Was it the work of the devil to disturb God’s government in the world, and to cast all into disorder? Well, God the Father lays the government upon Christ’s shoulders on purpose that He may restore everything into the order wherein He had set them at first (Rom_8:19, etc.).
(4) Was it the devil’s work to establish his own kingdom of darkness in this lower world, by establishing error, ignorance, unbelief, atheism, pride, carnality, profanity, and all manner of sin and wickedness? Well, it is the work of Christ to pull down these strongholds of Satan’s kingdom.
(5) Was it the devil’s work to break all fellowship and friendship betwixt God and man? Well, it is the work of Christ to bring them into friendship one with another; therefore He is called a Mediator, or a Peacemaker.
(6) Was it the work of the devil to bring man under the curse and condemnation of the law, that so he might be in the same condition with himself? Well, it is the work of Christ to “redeem us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.”
(7) Was it the work of the devil to deface the image of God which He stamped upon man? It is the work of Christ to restore it.
2. The second thing here is, to inquire, How is it that Christ destroys the works of the devil? Christ destroys the works of the devil four ways.
(1) By the virtue of His blood.
(2) By the light of His Word.
(3) By the power and efficacy of His Spirit.
(4) By the prudence of His government and administration.
3. The third thing was, to observe upon some particular times and seasons wherein Christ destroys the works of the devil.
(1) The day of Christ’s death gave a notable blow unto the devil’s kingdom.
(2) The day of Christ’s resurrection gave a signal blow to the works of the devil; for He “rose for our justification.”
(3) The day of Christ’s ascension into heaven was a notable destruction unto Satan and his works; for “when He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive”; He opened a passage between this world and heaven, through the territories of the prince of the power of the air, by which all His friends might follow Him to glory.
(4) In the day of Pentecost Christ gave another stroke to the devil and his works.
(5) The day of a sinner’s believing in Christ is a time when Satan’s works are destroyed.
(6) Times of espousals, nearness betwixt God and a soul, are times of destroying the works of the devil.
(7) When at any time an honourable testimony is given to the Lord, to the doctrine, discipline, worship and government of His Church, in a day of uncommon defection and backsliding.
(8) When a believer dies, and goes away to glory, under a guard of angels, along that road that Christ opened.
4. The fourth thing here was, to give the reasons why Christ the Son of God is manifested to destroy the works of the devil.
(1) Christ encounters this enemy, and destroys his works, because it was His Father’s will and pleasure; and He did always these things that pleased His Father, rejoicing always before Him.
(2) Christ destroys the works of the devil, because it was for His own honour to engage in this expedition.
(3) Christ destroys the works of the devil, out of the ancient and wonderful love that He did bear to man upon earth.
(4) Out of regard to His own law, which the devil by his works had dishonoured.
(5) Christ destroys the works of the devil that He may “still this enemy and avenger.”
(6) He destroys the work of the devil, for the manifestation of all the Divine perfections.
V. The last thing in the method was the use of the doctrine, which I shall despatch in the following inferences.
1. See hence a glorious ray of the Godhead or supreme independent Deity of the glorious Redeemer.
2. See hence how the kindness and love of God hath appeared toward man upon earth.
3. See hence the evil of sin, and the folly of those that are in love with it, and give themselves up to its power and service.
4. See hence a good reason why the believer is at war with sin in himself, and wherever he finds it.
5. See hence why hell and earth took the alarm when Christ appeared in the world.
6. See one great reason why believers breathe so much after manifestations of the Lord.
7. From this doctrine we may see how much it is our concern to keep up the memorials of a Redeemer’s death, and why the truly godly love to flock to a sacrament.
Use second may be of trial, whether the Son of God was ever savingly manifested to thy soul.
1. If ever She Son of God was manifested in thy soul, thou wilt be for pulling down the works of the devil, and for building up the works of the Son of God.
(1) You will pull down self-righteousness, and put on the righteousness of Christ.
(2) You will be much employed in pulling down the image of the first Adam, and in setting up the image of the second Adam in your souls.
(3) You will be clear for pulling down the wisdom of the flesh, and for setting up the wisdom of God above it.
2. If ever the Son of God was manifested savingly unto thy soul, the union of the two natures in the person of Christ will be the wonder of thy soul.
3. It will be your great design, in attending ordinances, to have new manifestations of His glory, as David (Psa_27:4; Psa_63:1-11; Psa_84:1-12, etc.).
4. You will be concerned to manifest His glory to others. The last inference is this, Is it so that the Son of God was manifested? See hence noble encouragement to all honest ministers and Christians to make a stand against the defections of the day we live in. (E. Erskine, D. D.)
The works of the devil destroyed
I. First, the works of the devil. This very strong expression is descriptive of sin; for the preceding sentence so interprets it.
1. This name for sin is first of all a word of detestation. Sin is so abominable in the sight of God and of good men that its various forms are said to be “the works of the devil.” Think of that, ye ungodly ones--the devil is at work in you, as a smith at his forge.
2. Next, it is a word of distinction: it distinguishes the course of the ungodly man from the life of the man who believes in the Lord Jesus. If you have not the life of God in you, you cannot do the works of God. The mineral cannot rise into the vegetable of itself, it would require another touch from the creative hand; the vegetable cannot rise into the animal unless the Creator shall work a miracle; and, even so, you as a carnal man cannot become a spiritual man by any spontaneous generation; the new life must be imparted to you by the quickening Spirit.
3. The language before us is, next, a word of descent. Sin is “of the devil,” it came from him; he is its parent and patron. Sin is not so of the devil that we can lay the blame of our sins upon him, for that is our own. It is our work because we willingly yield. Let us be thoroughly ashamed of such work when we find that the devil has a hand in it.
4. Consider, next, that we have here a word of description. The work of sin is the work of the devil because it is such work as he delights in. He has led the human race to become accomplices in his treason against the majesty of heaven, allies in his rebellion against the sovereignty of God most high. The works of the devil make up a black picture: it is a thick darkness over all the land, even a darkness that may be felt.
II. The purpose of God--“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” Yes, mark that word, “destroyed,” not limited, nor alleviated, nor neutralised, but destroyed.
1. The work which lies in this purpose is assuredly a Divine work. The Lord who can create can certainly destroy.
2. And there is, to my mind, about it the idea of a conquering work. When are the palaces and the fortifications of great kings destroyed? Not till the kings themselves have been overthrown in fair fight; but when their power is broken then it is that the conquerors raze the castle and burn the stronghold.
3. This means also a complete work. The product of evil is not to be cut down for a time and left to grow again.
4. It is a complete work and a conclusive work; for the Lord Jesus will so break the head of the old dragon, that he shall never wear the crown again. Sin in every shape and form the Lord shall destroy from off the face of the earth forever.
III. Our text plainly tells us how this is to be done--by the manifestation of the Son of God. Behind, and under, and over the works of the devil the Lord had ever the design that this evil should be permitted that He might baffle it with love, and that the glory of His grace might be revealed. My text has in it to my mind a majestic idea, first, of the difficulties of the case--that the Son of God must needs be manifested to destroy the works of the devil; and then, secondly, of the ease of His victory.
1. First, Christ’s manifestation, even in His incarnation, was a fatal blow to the works of Satan. Did God come down to men? Was He incarnate in the infant form that slept in Bethlehem’s manger? Then the Almighty has not given up our nature to be the prey of sin.
2. Next, look to the life of Christ on earth, and see how He there destroyed the works of the devil. It was a glorious duel in the wilderness when they stood foot to foot--the champions of good and evil! All our Lord’s preaching, all His teaching, all His labour here below was in order to the pulling away the corner stone from the great house of darkness which Satan had built up.
3. But oh, it was in His death that Jesus chiefly overthrew Satan and destroyed his works. Man, accepting this great sacrifice, loves and adores the Father who ordained it, and so the works of the devil in his heart are destroyed.
4. Our Lord’s rising again, His ascension into glory, His sitting on the right hand of the Father, His coming again in the latter days--all these are parts of the manifestation of the Son of God by which the works of the devil shall be destroyed. So also is the preaching of the gospel. If we want to destroy the works of the devil our best method is to manifest more and more the Son of God.
5. Lastly, on this point, our blessed Lord is manifested in His eternal power and kingdom as enthroned in order to destroy the works of the devil; for “the government shall be upon His shoulders, and His name shall be called Wonderful, the mighty God, the Father of the ages.”
IV. A few words of inquiry as to the experience of all this in ourselves. Has the Son of God been manifested to you to destroy the works of the devil in you?
1. At first there was in your heart an enmity to God; for “the carnal mind is enmity against God.” Is that enmity destroyed?
2. The next work of the devil which usually appears in the human mind is self-righteous pride. Have all those rags gone from you? Has a strong wind blown them right away? Have you seen your own natural nakedness?
3. When the Lord has destroyed self-righteousness in us, the devil generally sets us forth another form of his power, and that is despair. But if the Lord Jesus Christ has been manifested to you, despair has gone, that work of the devil has been all destroyed, and now you have a humble hope in God and a joy in His mercy. What next?
4. Have you any unbelief in your heart as to the promises of God? Down with it! Christ was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. All mistrusts must die. Not one of them must be spared. Do fleshly lusts arise in your heart? In whose heart do they not arise? The brightest saint is sometimes tempted to the foulest vice. Yes, but he yields not thereto. He cries, “Away with them!” It is not meet even to mention these vile things; they are works of the devil, and to be destroyed. Do you quickly become angry? I pray God you may be angry and sin not; but if you are of a hasty temper, I entreat you to overcome it. Do not say, “I cannot help it.” You must help it, or rather Christ must destroy it. It must not be tolerated. Oh, there is to be in every true believer the ultimate abolition of sin. What a prospect this is!(C. H. Spurgeon.)
