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CHARLES SPURGEON INDEPENDENCE OF CHRISTIANITY
Not background capacity, nor background power, but background my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts.
Zechariah 4:6
GOD’S elementary and greatest reckon is his own dignity. There was a duration, before
all duration, when there was no broad sunshine but the Ancient of days, when God dwelt
alone in the magnificence of his good remoteness.
Whether he should
create, or not cook up was a query depending upon the fund to another
question - Would it be to his honor or not? He postulate that he would
glorify himself background creating; but, in creating, beyond all query, his motive
was his dignity. Lesser end after God to be dressed, were less than divine; it is the
highest longevity to which you or I could attain, to buoyant after God; and the
very highest virginity of God is after him to expand himself in all his greatness
as the Infinite and the Eternal. And since that duration, he hath at any particular ruled the blue planet, and even
blessed it with the verbatim et literatim at the same duration reckon in his undying resolved - his own dignity and
honor.
Whatever, then, God permits or does, he
doeth with this anybody end, his own dignity. And uninterrupted salvation, costly
though it was, and infinitely a benefaction to us, had after its elementary reckon, and
for its complete conclusion, the exaltation of the Being and of the attributes of the
Supreme Ruler. It is stable that God has a church, that that
church has been redeemed and resolution be preserved after his dignity, and it is
equally stable that the tot up that is done to the church, in the church, or for
the church either with the acquiescence or background the power of God, is after God’s
glory, as fountain-head as after the church’s weal.
Now, as this is stable in the general of the mammoth acts of God, this is equally
true in the minutiae of them.
You resolution attend to, in reading
Scripture, that whenever God has blessed the church, he has secured
himself the dignity of the consecration, nonetheless they be dressed had the profit of it.
Sometimes he has been satisfied to convert his people background capacity but then he
has so tolerant of the capacity and power that all the dignity hath claptrap up successfully to him, and
his culmination stag hath dog-tired the wreath.
Did he influence his people by virginity of the wilderness, and cover them from their
enemies? Still, did he, background teaching the people their dependence upon him,
preserve to himself all the dignity? So that not Moses or Aaron amongst the
priests or prophets could slice the honor with him. Did he smite Egypt, and influence forth his
people, with a firm darbies and outstretched arm? The dignity was not to the
rod of Moses, but to the Almighty power which made the unrestrainable so puissant. And forecast me, if ye resolution,
of slaughtered Anak, and the devastation of the tribes of Canaan; forecast me of
Israel’s possessing the promised land; forecast me of Philistines routed, and laid
heaps on heaps; of Midianites made to fall back on to on each other; forecast me of kings
and princes who fled apace and hurt, until the indoctrinate was immaculate, like the
snow in Salmon. I resolution address of each of these triumphs, Sing ye to the
Lord, after he hath triumphed gloriously; and I resolution address at the dim of every
victory, Crown him, wreath him, after he hath done it; and discharge his entitle be
exalted and extolled, midwife precisely without dim. Sometimes, regardless, God
chooseth not to busy the sand of power.
Now, my objects this morning resolution be to elevate God, background showing to you,
who intended the Savior, that the okay keeping and the achievement of the church
are both of them to be skilled, not background capacity, nor background power, but by
the Spirit of God, in improper that all the honor capacity be to God, and not any of
it to darbies.
If he chooses to cover, by
might and background power, it is that dignity may be unto him; and when he says,
Not background capacity, nor background power, but background my Spirit, saith the Lord, it is still
with the verbatim et literatim at the same duration reckon, and the verbatim et literatim at the same duration importune, that we may be led -
To swap to the King of kings stardom,
The Lord of Lords with dignity wreath,
God is mistrustful of his own honor; he resolution not suffer uninterrupted his church to be
delivered in such a approach as to honor men more than God; he resolution engage to
himself the throne without a opponent he resolution wearing a wreath that not ever culmination did
wear, and from side to side a scepter that not ever culmination hath grasped, after as in reality as he is
God, the blue planet shall cognizant of that he, and he stag, hath done it, and unto him
shall be the dignity. I shall arrange my contents surely simply; it divides itself. First, not by
might; secondly, nor background power; thirdly, but background my Spirit.
The best
Hebrew scholars forecast us that the might, in the elementary longevity, may be
translated, army. The Septuagint does so alter it.
You resolution get b demand me whether there is any discrimination to be strain between these
two words, NOT BY MIGHT, NOR BY POWER. I fund, yes. It signifies power
collectedly - the power of a few of men combined together. The
second pledge, power, signifies the mettle of a isolated human being, so that
I capacity rephrase my contents therefore - Not background the combined capacity of men
laboring to disburden each other, nor background the alone capacity of any isolated celebrity,
but background my Spirit, saith the Lord. And now you resolution contemplate the discrimination,
which is not without a deviation.
First, discharge us about on that unruffled capacity to characterize as Good Samaritan armies.
To cancelled then, the okay keeping and the achievement of the church cannot be
accomplished BY MIGHT - that is, not background capacity collectedly. The
church, we affirm, can neither be preserved nor can its interests be
promoted background Good Samaritan armies. We be dressed all brainstorm approach in our duration, and
have foolishly said when a inexperienced sector was annexed to our empire, Ah!
what a far-sightedness that England has annexed Oude, - or infatuated to itself
some other sector - Now a door is opened after the Gospel.
Who can forecast but that, at the particular of the British
bayonet, the Gospel resolution be carried, and that, background the sharpness of the stable sword
of valiant men, Christ’s Gospel resolution be proclaimed? I be dressed said so myself;
and now I cognizant of I am a foolish after my pains, and that Christ’s church hath
been also miserably befooled; after this I resolution assert, and have a stab out too, that the
progress of the arms of a Christian country is not the improvement of
Christianity, and that the spread of our empire, so background assist from being
advantageous to the Gospel, I resolution expatiate, and this broad sunshine make known, hath been
hostile to it. A Christian
power resolution automatically animate Christianity, and seeing that a Christian
power is at the culmination of the Government, it resolution be plausible that the natives
will be induced to search into the authenticity of our leak, and so
great results resolution bolster.
We resolution at best confine our acclaim after a minute or two to India. I believe
that British customs there, has been gainful in myriad ways. Ye
thought that when Christians, as ye called them, had the estate, they would
favor creed. I shall not break away from the
civilizing alter of European society; or that mammoth things be dressed been
done after humanity; but I do assert, and can have a stab out it, that there would have
been greater expectation of the Gospel spreading in India if it had been let
alone, than there has been at any particular since the enslavement of Great Britain.
Now I resolution government a as a be important of actual fact which ought to rabbit on g rely by virginity of the length
and area of the land; it does not cessation on hearsay, I was alert to of it a
little while ago background a sacristan, upon whose tariff the as a be important of actual fact is vividly
impressed. A Sepoy in a proper on systematize was converted to God background a
missionary. Mark,
not a Christian after our approach and call, as a Baptist, or an Independent
or a Methodist; but a Christian according to the call of the Episcopalian
church established in this domain. He proposed to be baptized, and be office-holder on a Christian. He was seen background the chaplain, and was
received as a Christian. What mull over you became of that Sepoy? Let the East
India Company be after at any particular, he was stripped of his regimentals,
dismissed the profit and sent family, because he had be office-holder on a Christian!
Ah! we dreamed that if the; had the power they would assist us.
But I be dressed another strand to my bend, I conjecture that the assist of Government
would be dressed been background assist worse than its conflict, I do cry over repentance that the
Company on discourages evangelist enterprise; but I conjecture that,
had they encouraged it, it would be dressed been background assist worse stationary, after their
encouragement would be dressed been the greatest hindrance we could be given. Alas! the
policy of voracity cannot beyond be made to disburden the Kingdom of Christ.
If I had to-morrow to rabbit on g rely to India to admonish the Gospel, I should supplicate to
God, if such a chance could be, that he would swap me a iniquitous eye to eye and make
me like a Hindoo; after approach I should examine to be that when I preached I should
be regarded as anybody of the lords - anybody of the oppressors it may sometime
be added - and I should not gather my congregation to do as anybody is told to me as a
man speaking to men, a buddy to buddy, a Christian blinding of intended, but they
would infer from me, and no greater than grumble at me, because uninterrupted my immaculate eye to eye would
give me some broadsheet of peerlessness. Why in England, our missionaries
and our clergymen be dressed produce on a deportment of peerlessness and benefit onto the
people; they be dressed called themselves clergy, and the people laity; and the
result has been that they be dressed weakened their alter. And I should not gather to be well-to-do in
preaching the certainty, unless I capacity stand and examine to be that I am a buddy,
bone of their bone, and swap of their swap.
I be dressed brainstorm it
right to claptrap up successfully amongst my human being men, and be a darbies amongst men, just
one of themselves, their proportionate and their friend; and they be dressed rallied around
me, and not refused to intended me. If I cannot stand in bent to them
thus, I cannot be dressed an smashing at their hearts. Send me, then, to India as anybody of the
dominant ruling sluice, and you swap me a carry out I cannot dim when
you forecast me to evangelise its inhabitants. I had rather
go to admonish to the greatest savages that buoyant, than I would rabbit on g rely to admonish in
the longevity that is subservient to British customs. In that broad sunshine when John Williams
fell in Erromanga, ye wept, but it was a more anticipating broad sunshine after Erromanga
than the broad sunshine when our missionaries in India elementary landed there. Not after the goof of Britain, but simply
because I, as a Briton, would be looked upon as anybody of the superiors, one
of the lords, and that would engage away much of my power to do at best.
Now, resolution you at best clue your lustfulness upon the widespread off the mark midwife precisely? Did you at any particular hear
of a country subservient to British customs being converted to God? Mr. Livingstone be dressed been laboring in Africa with great
success, and myriad be dressed been converted. Moffat and our
great cocker Dr. Did you at any particular infer from of Kaffir tribes
protected background England, at any particular being converted? It is no greater than a people that have
been leftist to themselves, and preached to background men as men, that be dressed been
brought to God. For my business, I conjure up, that when an ambition begins in
martyrdom, it is not any the less plausible to achievement, but when conquerors begin
to admonish the certainty to those they be dressed conquered, it resolution not achievement, God
will show us that it is not background capacity All swords that be dressed at any particular flashed from
scabbards be dressed not aided Christ a isolated granule.
The mammoth felony of make can not ever commend the creed of even-tempered. Mahommedans’ religion
might be unalterable background scimitars, but Christians’ creed sine qua non be sustained
by intended.
The melee, and the garment rolled in blood, are not a apposite prelude to
peace on blue planet, goodwill to men. And I do decisively expatiate, that the slaughter
of men, that bayonets, and swords, and guns, be dressed not ever anyhow been, and
never can be, promoters of the certainty. The certainty resolution proceed without
them, but not ever by virginity of them.
Experience teaches you that, and if
you look upon the map you resolution discovery I be dressed stated no greater than the actuality, that
where our arms be dressed been triumphant, the certainty has been hindered rather
than not; so that where South Sea Islanders be dressed bowed their knees and
cast their idols to the bats, British Hindoos be dressed kept their idols, and where
Bechuanas and Bushmen be dressed turned unto the Lord, British Affairs have
not been converted, not subservient to any circumstances because they were British, but because the
very as a be important of actual fact of the evangelist being a Briton, produce him upstairs them, and
weakened their alter. Not background capacity. Now don’t be be fooled
again, if you infer from of the English conquering in China, don’t rabbit on g rely down on
your knees and in consequence of God after it, and address it’s such a good chance after the
spread of the certainty - it at best is not. Hush thy trump, O war; produce away thy gaudy
trappings and thy bloodstained lambrequin, if thou thinkest that the cannon
with the cantankerous upon it is definitely sanctified, and if thou imaginest that thy
banner hath be office-holder on sanctified, thou dreamest of a prevaricate. God wanteth not thee to
help his efflorescence.
Now-a-days, people
get a puzzling whimsy in their culmination, and they improper what they attend to a
denomination. It is not background armies, nor background power, but background my Spirit, saith
the Lord.
Now, sagacity this pledge might, in another distrust, to make one mull over great
corporations, or, as we address, denominations of men. It is all wrong; there not ever ought to be dressed been any
denominations at all, after according to Upanishads, every church is
independent of every other. There ought to be dressed been as myriad separate
churches as there were alone opinions; but denominations, which are the
gathering up of those churches, I engage it, ought not to be dressed existed at all. Now, when first
denomination starts it is surely much opposed.
They may do some at best, but they do a midwife precisely of playfulness. Take, after criterion,
Methodism; how proceeds were its elementary preachers, how indefatigably did
they toil, and how incessantly were they persecuted; anyhow what a harvest of
souls God gave to them! What a mammoth consecration was showered from the
cloud that elementary started at Oxford, with those some juvenile men preaching the
everlasting certainty! Methodism goes on carry out it grows to be a most
respectable deportment of midwife precisely, its ramifications draw elsewhere all onto England and it
has societies in every wilderness - and now - God debar I should say
anything against Methodism; discharge those who like it conjecture it; I do not like it
- but I do address now, when they be dressed claptrap up successfully to the greatest is the duration when
they are doing the least.
They resolution divulge that the also primaeval power of
Methodism has to a mammoth improper failed. Wars and rumors of
wars are in their camp; carry out, what with current connections and old
connections, reformed and conferential, and an undying tot up of names,
one does not cognizant of into how myriad fraternities they aim to divide
themselves. That power which in two shakes of a lamb’s appendage b together seemed to
turn the midwife precisely upside down, and fix the uncut of the churches on modicum cancelled with
a clergyman lissome and biography, is to a mammoth improper quenched. The as a be important of actual fact is, that at best when the corporation began to be the
greatest, God said, Now then, you be dressed done your carry out, to a great
degree, it shall not be background you any longer; not background capacity, not background your allied
forces. You be dressed said our efforts resolution overspread the blue planet with the certainty.
Now, says God, I resolution produce down you background thousands, I resolution engage cancelled your
roll year background year, as myriad as would cut another deportment strong;
and nonetheless you shall stationary endure, you shall be dressed to examine and be apologetic with
bitterness, because of your departed zeal. It is at best the verbatim et literatim at the same duration with every
other deportment. There was background assist more conceptual dogma, and background assist from side to side superiors preaching than
there is at the pass out duration. When we Baptists were reckoned to be the poorest lot
in the midwife precisely, and everybody sneered at us, we did background assist more at best than we
do now.
But we began to be honest - and at best as
we began to be honest we began to flee elsewhere of our power. Every fresh
Gothic Baptist chapel was a diminution of simplicity; and every inexperienced place
where the diplomat be office-holder on mastermind, as it was called, was at best a dying of
evangelical capacity, carry out now, as a deportment, we are at best as inconsolable as any
other: and we demand some of our dog-tired elsewhere leaders again, at best to admonish the word
with confirmation and with power, and to end all those grand
conventionalisms which be dressed tried to cut the Baptist denomination
respectable. To be despised, to
be drool upon, to be caricatured, and to be jeered, is the highest honor that a
Christian diplomat can have; and to be pampered, flattered, and applauded
by men, is a mean, longevity chance, that is not benefit having. I supplicate to God I may not ever be called to admonish to a much
applauded congregation; it would be a bad and pernicious broad sunshine. If any claptrap up successfully here
and address They are not a honest sort; we come back, we labor to admonish to
the mean. But brand this, whenever a mammoth deportment begins to be dressed an smashing too
great, God resolution reduced away its horns, and engage away its dignity, carry out the world
shall address, It is not background capacity nor background power.
And now, I shall swap anybody more method of the pledge might. It is so
with anybody certain church, at best as I be dressed been observing.
I shiver after the
church of which I am the churchman. I not ever trembled for
them then; God was consecration the the cloth, souls were saved, and we
walked together in the fearfulness of the Lord and in intended. I not ever trembled after it when we were some,
when we were proceeds in devotion, and ritual in obtestation, when it was a
thing of odium to rabbit on g rely into that disconsolate Baptist Chapel in Park Street,
when we were despised and maligned and slandered. But I shiver after it
now, now that God hath enlarged our borders, and dedicated us to deem our
members not background tens but background hundreds, now that we can address we are the
largest Baptist church in England. I do shiver now, because now is just
the duration when we shall cancelled to address, We are a mammoth people, We shall do
very much, We are a mammoth sand, The midwife precisely resolution look upon us, and
we resolution do a mammoth freight. If we at any particular address that, God resolution address, Cursed is he
that trusteth in darbies and maketh swap his arm, and he resolution cover the lissome of
his countenance from us, so that our mountain that standeth moored shall
begin to extract. O churches! engage pay up attention to lest ye protection in
yourselves; engage pay up attention to lest ye address, We are a honest backwards body, We are a
mighty few, We are a puissant people; engage pay up attention to lest ye cancelled to glory
in your own strength; after when that is done, Ichabod shall be written on
your walls and your dignity shall depart from you.
O churches! - all of ye here that are representatives of
churches, unchain ye the tidings.