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Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - September 5 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar." - Psalm 120:5 As a Christian you have to live in the midst of an ungodly world, and it is of little use for you to cry "Woe is me." Jesus did not pray that you should be taken out of the world, and what he did not pray for, you need not desire. Better far in the Lord's strength to meet the difficulty, and glorify him in it. The enemy is ever on...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - September 4 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "I will; be thou clean." - Mark 1:41 Primeval darkness heard the Almighty fiat, "light be," and straightway light was, and the word of the Lord Jesus is equal in majesty to that ancient word of power. Redemption like Creation has its word of might. Jesus speaks and it is done. Leprosy yielded to no human remedies, but it fled at once at the Lord's "I will." The disease exhibited no hopeful signs or tokens of recovery, nature contributed nothing to its own healing, but the unaided word effected the...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - September 3 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Thou whom my soul loveth." - Song of Solomon 1:7 It is well to be able, without any "if" or "but," to say of the Lord Jesus-"Thou whom my soul loveth." Many can only say of Jesus that they hope they love him; they trust they love him; but only a poor and shallow experience will be content to stay here. No one ought to give any rest to his spirit till he feels quite sure about a matter of such vital importance. We ought not to be satisfied with...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - September 2 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her." - Mark 1:30 Very interesting is this little peep into the house of the Apostolic Fisherman. We see at once that household joys and cares are no hindrance to the full exercise of ministry, nay, that since they furnish an opportunity for personally witnessing the Lord's gracious work upon one's own flesh and blood, they may even instruct the teacher better than any other earthly discipline. Papists and other sectaries may decry marriage, but...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - September 1 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory." - Psalm 73:24 The Psalmist felt his need of divine guidance. He had just been discovering the foolishness of his own heart, and lest he should be constantly led astray by it, he resolved that God's counsel should henceforth guide him. A sense of our own folly is a great step towards being wise, when it leads us to rely on the wisdom of the Lord. The blind man leans on his friend's arm and reaches home...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 31 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "On mine arm shall they trust." - Isaiah 51:5 In seasons of severe trial, the Christian has nothing on earth that he can trust to, and is therefore compelled to cast himself on his God alone. When his vessel is on its beam-ends, and no human deliverance can avail, he must simply and entirely trust himself to the providence and care of God. Happy storm that wrecks a man on such a rock as this! O blessed hurricane that drives the soul to God and God alone! There is no...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 30 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Wait on the Lord." - Psalm 27:14 It may seem an easy thing to wait, but it is one of the postures which a Christian soldier learns not without years of teaching. Marching and quick-marching are much easier to God's warriors than standing still. There are hours of perplexity when the most willing spirit, anxiously desirous to serve the Lord, knows not what part to take. Then what shall it do? Vex itself by despair? Fly back in cowardice, turn to the right hand in fear, or rush forward in...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 29 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Have mercy upon me, O God." - Psalm 51:1 When Dr. Carey was suffering from a dangerous illness, the enquiry was made, "If this sickness should prove fatal, what passage would you select as the text for your funeral sermon?" He replied, "Oh, I feel that such a poor sinful creature is unworthy to have anything said about him; but if a funeral sermon must be preached, let it be from the words, 'Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 28 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Oil for the light." - Exodus 25:6 My soul, how much thou needest this, for thy lamp will not long continue to burn without it. Thy snuff will smoke and become an offence if light be gone, and gone it will be if oil be absent. Thou hast no oil well springing up in thy human nature, and therefore thou must go to them that sell and buy for thyself, or like the foolish virgins, thou wilt have to cry, "My lamp is gone out. " Even the consecrated lamps...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 27 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "How long will it be ere they believe me?" - Numbers 14:11 Strive with all diligence to keep out that monster unbelief. It so dishonours Christ, that he will withdraw his visible presence if we insult him by indulging it. It is true it is a weed, the seeds of which we an never entirely extract from the soil, but we must aim at its root with zeal and perseverance. Among hateful things it is the most to be abhorred. Its injurious nature is so venomous that he that exerciseth...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 26 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "He hath commanded his covenant for ever." - Psalms 111:9 The Lord's people delight in the covenant itself. It is an unfailing source of consolation to them so often as the Holy Spirit leads them into its banqueting house and waves its banner of love. They delight to contemplate the antiquity of that covenant, remembering that before the day-star knew its place, or planets ran their round, the interests of the saints were made secure in Christ Jesus. It is peculiarly pleasing to them to remember the sureness of the...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 25 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "His fruit was sweet to my taste." - Song of Solomon 2:3 Faith, in the Scripture, is spoken of under the emblem of all the senses. It is sight: "Look unto me and be ye saved." It is hearing: "Hear, and your soul shall live." Faith is smelling: "All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia"; "thy name is as ointment poured forth." Faith is spiritual touch. By this faith the woman came behind and touched the hem of Christ's garment, and by this we handle the things...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 24 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "The breaker is come up before them." - Micah 2:13 Inasmuch as Jesus has gone before us, things remain not as they would have been had he never passed that way. He has conquered every foe that obstructed the way. Cheer up now thou faint-hearted warrior. Not only has Christ travelled the road, but he has slain thine enemies. Dost thou dread sin? He has nailed it to his cross. Dost thou fear death? He has been the death of Death. Art thou afraid of hell? He has barred it...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 23 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "The voice of weeping shall be no more heard." - Isaiah 65:19 The glorified weep no more, for all outward causes of grief are gone. There are no broken friendships, nor blighted prospects in heaven. Poverty, famine, peril, persecution, and slander, are unknown there. No pain distresses, no thought of death or bereavement saddens. They weep no more, for they are perfectly sanctified. No "evil heart of unbelief" prompts them to depart from the living God; they are without fault before his throne, and are fully conformed to his image....

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 22 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love." - Song of Solomon 5:8 Such is the language of the believer panting after present fellowship with Jesus, he is sick for his Lord. Gracious souls are never perfectly at ease except they are in a state of nearness to Christ; for when they are away from him they lose their peace. The nearer to him, the nearer to the perfect calm of heaven; the nearer to him,...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 21 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "He that watereth shall be watered also himself." - Proverbs 11:25 We are here taught the great lesson, that to get, we must give; that to accumulate, we must scatter; that to make ourselves happy, we must make others happy; and that in order to become spiritually vigorous, we must seek the spiritual good of others. In watering others, we are ourselves watered. How? Our efforts to be useful, bring out our powers for usefulness. We have latent talents and dormant faculties, which are brought to light by exercise. Our...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 20 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "The sweet psalmist of Israel." - 2 Samuel 23:1 Among all the saints whose lives are recorded in Holy Writ, David possesses an experience of the most striking, varied, and instructive character. In his history we meet with trials and temptations not to be discovered, as a whole, in other saints of ancient times, and hence he is all the more suggestive a type of our Lord. David knew the trials of all ranks and conditions of men. Kings have their troubles, and David wore a crown: the peasant has...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 19 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "He shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord." - Micah 5:4 Christ's reign in his Church is that of a shepherd-king. He has supremacy, but it is the superiority of a wise and tender shepherd over his needy and loving flock; he commands and receives obedience, but it is the willing obedience of the well-cared-for sheep, rendered joyfully to their beloved Shepherd, whose voice they know so well. He rules by the force of love and the energy of goodness. His reign is practical in its character....

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 18 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the Lord's house." - Jeremiah 51:51 In this account the faces of the Lord's people were covered with shame, for it was a terrible thing that men should intrude into the Holy Place reserved for the priests alone. Everywhere about us we see like cause for sorrow. How many ungodly men are now educating with the view of entering into the ministry! What a crying sin is that solemn lie by which our whole population is nominally comprehended in a National Church! How...

THE HEART OF THE GOSPEL One of twelve sermons from the book bearing the same title. DELIVERED AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, IN THE AUTUMN OF 1891. BY ARTHUR T. PIERSON, D.D. London: PASSMORE AND ALABASTER, PATERNOSTER BUILDINGS, E.C. To the Memory of CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON, THAT VALIANT SOLDIER OF THE CROSS, WHO FOR FORTY YEARS WIELDED WITH SUCH POWER THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD, AND BRAVELY BORE THE BANNER OF THE CROSS UNTIL IT FELL FROM HIS DYING GRASP, THIS VOLUME OF SERMONS, WHICH REPRESENTS A HUMBLE EFFORT TO PERPETUATE HIS TESTIMONY TO THE...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 17 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "The mercy of God." - Psalm 52:8 Meditate a little on this mercy of the Lord. It is tender mercy. With gentle, loving touch, he healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He is as gracious in the manner of his mercy as in the matter of it. It is great mercy. There is nothing little in God; his mercy is like himself-it is infinite. You cannot measure it. His mercy is so great that it forgives great sins to great sinners, after great lengths of time,...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 16 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name." - Psalm 29:2 God's glory is the result of his nature and acts. He is glorious in his character, for there is such a store of everything that is holy, and good, and lovely in God, that he must be glorious. The actions which flow from his character are also glorious; but while he intends that they should manifest to his creatures his goodness, and mercy, and justice, he is equally concerned that the glory associated with them should be...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 15 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide." - Genesis 24:63 Very admirable was his occupation. If those who spend so many hours in idle company, light reading, and useless pastimes, could learn wisdom, they would find more profitable society and more interesting engagements in meditation than in the vanities which now have such charms for them. We should all know more, live nearer to God, and grow in grace, if we were more alone. Meditation chews the cud and extracts the real nutriment from the mental...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 14 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work." - Psalm 92:4 Do you believe that your sins are forgiven, and that Christ has made a full atonement for them? Then what a joyful Christian you ought to be! How you should live above the common trials and troubles of the world! Since sin is forgiven, can it matter what happens to you now? Luther said, "Smite, Lord, smite, for my sin is forgiven; if thou hast but forgiven me, smite as hard as thou wilt"; and in a similar...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 13 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "The cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted." - Psalm 104:16 Lebanon's cedars are emblematic of the Christian, in that they owe their planting entirely to the Lord. This is quite true of every child of God. He is not man-planted, nor self-planted, but God-planted. The mysterious hand of the divine Spirit dropped the living seed into a heart which he had himself prepared for its reception. Every true heir of heaven owns the great Husbandman as his planter. Moreover, the cedars of Lebanon are not dependent upon man for...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 12 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice." - Psalm 97:1 Causes for disquietude there are none so long as this blessed sentence is true. On earth the Lord's power as readily controls the rage of the wicked as the rage of the sea; his love as easily refreshes the poor with mercy as the earth with showers. Majesty gleams in flashes of fire amid the tempest's horrors, and the glory of the Lord is seen in its grandeur in the fall of empires, and the crash of thrones. In all...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 11 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Oh that I were as in months past." - Job 29:2 Numbers of Christians can view the past with pleasure, but regard the present with dissatisfaction; they look back upon the days which they have passed in communing with the Lord as being the sweetest and the best they have ever known, but as to the present, it is clad in a sable garb of gloom and dreariness. Once they lived near to Jesus, but now they feel that they have wandered from him, and they say, "O that I...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 10 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Christ, who is our life." - Colossians 3:4 Paul's marvellously rich expression indicates, that Christ is the source of our life. "You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins." That same voice which brought Lazarus out of the tomb raised us to newness of life. He is now the substance of our spiritual life. It is by his life that we live; he is in us, the hope of glory, the spring of our actions, the central thought which moves every other thought. Christ is the sustenance...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 9 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "The city hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it." - Revelation 21:23 Yonder in the better world, the inhabitants are independent of all creature comforts. They have no need of raiment; their white robes never wear out, neither shall they ever be defiled. They need no medicine to heal diseases, "for the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick." They need no sleep to recruit their frames-they rest not day nor night, but unweariedly praise him in his temple. They need no social...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 8 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "They weave the spider's web." - Isaiah 59:5 See the spider's web, and behold in it a most suggestive picture of the hypocrite's religion. It is meant to catch his prey: the spider fattens himself on flies, and the Pharisee has his reward. Foolish persons are easily entrapped by the loud professions of pretenders, and even the more judicious cannot always escape. Philip baptized Simon Magus, whose guileful declaration of faith was so soon exploded by the stern rebuke of Peter. Custom, reputation, praise, advancement, and other flies, are the...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 7 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "The upright love thee" - Song of Solomon 1:4 Believers love Jesus with a deeper affection then they dare to give to any other being. They would sooner lose father and mother then part with Christ. They hold all earthly comforts with a loose hand, but they carry him fast locked in their bosoms. They voluntarily deny themselves for his sake, but they are not to be driven to deny him. It is scant love which the fire of persecution can dry up; the true believer's love is a deeper...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 6 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Watchman, what of the night?" - Isaiah 21:11 What enemies are abroad? Errors are a numerous horde, and new ones appear every hour: against what heresy am I to be on my guard? Sins creep from their lurking places when the darkness reigns; I must myself mount the watch-tower, and watch unto prayer. Our heavenly Protector foresees all the attacks which are about to be made upon us, and when as yet the evil designed us is but in the desire of Satan, he prays for us that our faith...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 5 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God." - Romans 8:28 Upon some points a believer is absolutely sure. He knows, for instance, that God sits in the stern-sheets of the vessel when it rocks most. He believes that an invisible hand is always on the world's tiller, and that wherever providence may drift, Jehovah steers it. That re-assuring knowledge prepares him for everything. He looks over the raging waters and sees the spirit of Jesus treading the billows, and he hears a voice...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 4 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "The people that do know their God shall be strong." - Daniel 11:32 Every believer understands that to know God is the highest and best form of knowledge; and this spiritual knowledge is a source of strength to the Christian. It strengthens his faith. Believers are constantly spoken of in the Scriptures as being persons who are enlightened and taught of the Lord; they are said to "have an unction from the Holy One," and it is the Spirit's peculiar office to lead them into all truth, and all this...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 3 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "The Lamb is the light thereof." - Revelation 21:23 Quietly contemplate the Lamb as the light of heaven. Light in Scripture is the emblem of joy. The joy of the saints in heaven is comprised in this: Jesus chose us, loved us, bought us, cleansed us, robed us, kept us, glorified us: we are here entirely through the Lord Jesus. Each one of these thoughts shall be to them like a cluster of the grapes of Eshcol. Light is also the cause of beauty. Nought of beauty is left when...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 2 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." - Ephesians 1:11 Our belief in God's wisdom supposes and necessitates that he has a settled purpose and plan in the work of salvation. What would creation have been without his design? Is there a fish in the sea, or a fowl in the air, which was left to chance for its formation? Nay, in every bone, joint, and muscle, sinew, gland, and blood-vessel, you mark the presence of a God working everything according to the design of infinite...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - August 1 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn." - Ruth 2:2 Downcast and troubled Christian, come and glean to-day in the broad field of promise. Here are abundance of precious promises, which exactly meet thy wants. Take this one: "He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax." Doth not that suit thy case? A reed, helpless, insignificant, and weak, a bruised reed, out of which no music can come; weaker than weakness itself; a reed, and that reed bruised, yet, he will...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - July 31 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "I in them." - John 17:23 If such be the union which subsists between our souls and the person of our Lord, how deep and broad is the channel of our communion! This is no narrow pipe through which a thread-like stream may wind its way, it is a channel of amazing depth and breadth, along whose glorious length a ponderous volume of living water may roll its floods. Behold he hath set before us an open door, let us not be slow to enter. This city of communion hath...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - July 30 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "And when he thought thereon, he wept." - Mark 14:72 It has been thought by some that as long as Peter lived, the fountain of his tears began to flow whenever he remembered his denying his Lord. It is not unlikely that it was so, (for his sin was very great, and grace in him had afterwards a perfect work. This same experience is common to all the redeemed family according to the degree in which the Spirit of God has removed the natural heart of stone. We, like Peter,...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - July 29 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Nevertheless I am continually with thee." - Psalm 73:23 "Nevertheless,"-As if, notwithstanding all the foolishness and ignorance which David had just been confessing to God, not one atom the less was it true and certain that David was saved and accepted, and that the blessing of being constantly in God's presence was undoubtedly his. Fully conscious of his own lost estate, and of the deceitfulness and vileness of his nature, yet, by a glorious outburst of faith, he sings "nevertheless I am continually with thee." Believer, you are forced to...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - July 28 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "So foolish was I, and ignorant; I was as a beast before thee." - Psalm 73:22 Remember this is the confession of the man after God's own heart; and in telling us his inner life, he writes, "So foolish was I, and ignorant." The word "foolish," here, means more than it signifies in ordinary language. David, in a former verse of the Psalm, writes, "I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked," which shows that the folly he intended had sin in it. He...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - July 27 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Exceeding great and precious promises." - 2 Peter 1:4 If you would know experimentally the preciousness of the promises, and enjoy them in your own heart, meditate much upon them. There are promises which are like grapes in the wine-press; if you will tread them the juice will flow. Thinking over the hallowed words will often be the prelude to their fulfilment. While you are musing upon them, the boon which you are seeking will insensibly come to you. Many a Christian who has thirsted for the promise has found...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - July 26 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge, etc." - 2 Peter 1:5, 6 If thou wouldest enjoy the eminent grace of the full assurance of faith, under the blessed Spirit's influence, and assistance, do what the Scripture tells thee, "Give diligence." Take care that thy faith is of the right kind-that it is not a mere belief of doctrine, but a simple faith, depending on Christ, and on Christ alone. Give diligent heed to thy courage. Plead with God that he would give thee the...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - July 25 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "He left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out." - Genesis 39:12 In contending with certain sins there remains no mode of victory but by flight. The ancient naturalists wrote much of basilisks, whose eyes fascinated their victims and rendered them easy victims; so the mere gaze of wickedness puts us in solemn danger. He who would be safe from acts of evil must haste away from occasions of it. A covenant must be made with our eyes not even to look upon the cause of...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - July 24 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord." - Exodus 14:13 These words contain God's command to the believer when he is reduced to great straits and brought into extraordinary difficulties. He cannot retreat; he cannot go forward; he is shut up on the right hand and on the left; what is he now to do? The Master's word to him is, "Stand still." It will be well for him if at such times he listens only to his Master's word, for other and evil advisers come with their...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - July 23 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Even thou wast as one of them." - Obadiah 1:11 Brotherly kindness was due from Edom to Israel in the time of need, but instead thereof, the men of Esau made common cause with Israel's foes. Special stress in the sentence before us is laid upon the word thou; as when Caesar cried to Brutus, "and thou Brutus"; a bad action may be all the worse, because of the person who has committed it. When we sin, who are the chosen favourites of heaven, we sin with an emphasis; ours...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - July 22 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "I am married unto you." - Jeremiah 3:14 Christ Jesus is joined unto his people in marriage-union. In love he espoused his Church as a chaste virgin, long before she fell under the yoke of bondage. Full of burning affection he toiled, like Jacob for Rachel, until the whole of her purchase-money had been paid, and now, having sought her by his Spirit, and brought her to know and love him, he awaits the glorious hour when their mutual bliss shall be consummated at the marriage-supper of the Lamb. Not...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - July 21 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "The daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee." - Isaiah 37:22 Reassured by the Word of the Lord, the poor trembling citizens of Zion grew bold, and shook their heads at Sennacherib's boastful threats. Strong faith enables the servants of God to look with calm contempt upon their most haughty foes. We know that our enemies are attempting impossibilities. They seek to destroy the eternal life, which cannot die while Jesus lives; to overthrow the citadel, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail. They kick against...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - July 20 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "The earnest of our inheritance." - Ephesians 1:14 Oh! what enlightenment, what joys, what consolation, what delight of heart is experienced by that man who has learned to feed on Jesus, and on Jesus alone. Yet the realization which we have of Christ's preciousness is, in this life, imperfect at the best. As an old writer says, "'Tis but a taste!" We have tasted "that the Lord is gracious," but we do not yet know how good and gracious he is, although what we know of his sweetness makes us...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - July 19 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "The Lord our God hath shewed us his glory." - Deuteronomy 5:24 God's great design in all his works is the manifestation of his own glory. Any aim less than this were unworthy of himself. But how shall the glory of God be manifested to such fallen creatures as we are? Man's eye is not single, he has ever a side glance towards his own honour, has too high an estimate of his own powers, and so is not qualified to behold the glory of the Lord. It is clear,...