wrong. If the Bible is the Word of God, the doctrines of grace are true”; adding that if any man would grant him the Bible to be the truth, he would challenge him to disprove Calvinism. The doctrines of original sin, election, effectual calling, final perseverance, and all those great truths which are called Calvinism — though Calvin was not the author of them, but simply an able writer and preacher upon the subject — are, I believe, the essential doctrines of the Gospel that is in Jesus Christ. Now, I do not ask you whether you believe all this — it is possible you may not; but I believe you will before you enter heaven. I am persuaded, that as God may have washed your hearts, he will wash your brains before you enter heaven. He will make you right in your doctrines. But I must enquire whether you read your Bible. I am not finding fault with you this morning for differing from me; I may be wrong; but I want to know whether you search the Scriptures to find what is truth. And, if you are not a reader of the Bible, if you take doctrines second hand, if you go to chapel, and say, “I do not like that”: what does it matter if you do not like it provided it is in the Bible? Is it Biblical truth, or is it not? If it is God’s truth, let us have it exalted. It may not suit you, but let me remind you, that the truth that is in Jesus never was palatable to carnal men, and I believe never will be. The reason you do not love it, is because it cuts too much at your pride; it puts you down too low. Search yourselves, then, in doctrine.
19. Then take care that you remember the experiential test. I am afraid there is very little experiential religion among us; but where there is true doctrine, there ought always to be a vital experience. Sirs, try yourselves by the experiential test. Have you ever had an experience of your wretchedness, of your depravity, your inability, your death in sin? Have you ever felt life in Christ, an experience of the light of God’s countenance, of wrestling with corruption? Have you had a grace given Holy Spirit — implanted experience of a communion with Christ? If so, then you are right on the experiential test.
20. And, to conclude, take care of the practical test. “Faith without works is dead, being alone.” He who walks in sin is a child of the devil; and he who walks in righteousness is a child of light. Do not think, because you believe the right doctrines, therefore you are right. There are many that believe right, act wrong, and they perish. “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked; whatever a man sows that shall he also reap.”
21. I am finished. Now let me beseech, you, by the frailty of your own lives — by the shortness of time — by the dreadful realities of eternity — by the sins you have committed — by the pardon that you need — by the blood and wounds of Jesus — by his second coming to judge the world in righteousness — by the glories of heaven — by the awful horrors of hell — by time — by eternity — by all that is good — by all that is sacred — let me beg of you, as you love your own souls, to search and see whether you are among the beloved, to whom he gives sleep. God bless you.
{a} Lethe: Gr. Myth. A river in Hades, the water of which produced, in those who drank it, forgetfulness of the past. OED.
{b} Coat of Mail: Armour composed of interlaced rings or chain-work or of overlapping plates fastened upon a groundwork. OED.
{c} Madame Guyon (1647-1717), French quietist author. See Explorer “http://www.ccel.org/g/guyon”
Consolation Proportionate To Spiritual Sufferings
No. 13-1:93. A Sermon Delivered On Sunday Morning, March 11, 1855, By C. H. Spurgeon, At Exeter Hall, Strand.
For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ. {2 Corinthians 1:5}
1. Do you seek rest from your distresses you children of woe and sorrow? This is the place where you may lighten your burden, and lose your cares. Oh, son of affliction and misery, would you forget for a time your pains and griefs? This is the Bethesda, the house of mercy; this is the place where God intends to cheer you, and to make your distresses stop their never ceasing course; this is the spot where his children love to be found, because here they find consolation in the midst of tribulation, joy in their sorrows, and comfort in their afflictions. Even worldly men admit that there is something extremely comforting in the sacred Scriptures, and in our holy religion. I have even heard it said of some, that after they had, by their logic, as they thought, annihilated Christianity, and proven it to be untrue, they acknowledged that they had spoiled an excellently comforting delusion, and that they could almost sit down and weep to think it was not a reality. Indeed, my friends, if it were not true, you might weep. If the Bible were not the truth of God — if we could not meet together around his mercy seat, then you might put your hands upon your loins and walk about as if you were in travail. If you had not something in the world beside your reason, beside the fleeting joys of earth — if you had not something which God had given to you, some hope beyond the sky, some refuge that should be more than terrestrial, some deliverance which should be more than earthly, then you might weep; — ah! weep your heart out at your eyes, and let your whole bodies waste away in one perpetual tear. You might ask the clouds to rest on your head, the rivers to roll down in streams from both your eyes, for your grief would “have need of all the watery things that nature could produce.” But, blessed be God, we have consolation, we have joy in the Holy Spirit. We find it nowhere else. We have raked the earth through, but we have discovered never a jewel; we have turned this dunghill world over and over a thousand times, and we have found nothing that is precious, but here, in this Bible, here in the religion of the blessed Jesus, we, the sons of God, have found comfort and joy; while we can truly say, “As our afflictions abound, so our consolations also abound by Christ.”
2. There are four things in my text to which I invite your attention: the first is the sufferings to be expected — “The sufferings of Christ abound in us”; secondly, the distinction to be noticed — they are the sufferings of Christ; thirdly, a proportion to be experienced — as the sufferings of Christ abound, so our consolations abound; and fourthly, the person to be honoured — “So our consolation abounds by CHRIST.”
3. I. Our first division then is, THE SUFFERINGS TO BE EXPECTED. Our holy Apostle says, “The sufferings of Christ abound in us.” Before we buckle on the Christian armour we ought to know what that service is which is expected of us. A recruiting sergeant often slips a shilling into the hand of some ignorant youth, and tells him that Her Majesty’s Service is a fine thing, that he has nothing to do but walk about in his flaming colours, that he will have no hard service — in fact, that he has nothing to do but to be a soldier, and go straight on to glory. But the Christian servant, when he enlists a soldier of the cross, never deceives him like that. Jesus Christ himself said, “Count the cost.” He wished to have no disciple who was not prepared to go all the way — “to bear hardness as a good soldier.” I have sometimes heard religion described in such a way that its high colouring has displeased me. It is true “her ways are ways of pleasantness”; but it is not true that a Christian never has sorrow or trouble. It is true that light eyed cheerfulness, and airy footed love, can go through the world without much depression and tribulation: but it is not true that Christianity will shield a man from trouble; nor ought it to be so represented. In fact, we ought to speak of it in the other way. Soldier of Christ, if you enlist, you will have to do hard battle. There is no bed of down for you; there is no riding to heaven in a chariot; the rough way must be trodden; mountains must be climbed, rivers must be forded, dragons must be fought, giants must be slain, difficulties must be overcome, and great trials must be borne. It is not a smooth road to heaven, believe me; for those who have gone only a very few steps in it, have found it to be a rough one. It is a pleasant one; it is the most delightful in all the world, but it is not easy in itself, it is only pleasant because of the company, because of the sweet promises on which we lean, because of our Beloved who walks with us through all the rough and thorny briers of this vast wilderness. Christian expect trouble: “Count it not strange concerning the fiery trial, and as though some strange thing had happened to you”; for as truly as you are a child of God, your Saviour has left for you his legacy, — “In the world, you shall have tribulation, in me you shall have peace.” If I had no trouble I would not believe myself one of the family. If I never had a trial, I would not think myself an heir of heaven. Children of God must not, shall not, escape the rod. Earthly parents may spoil