Next, let much grateful praise be given to him from loyal hearts. If God
is saving sinners, let us give him the glory of it. If he is at work among
us, let us not go and talk about what we have been doing; but let us tell to
men and angels, too, what HE has done. Let us never dare to handle
God’s jewels as if they were our own.
Moreover, there must be perpetual watchfulness. If God be with us, he
may give us a great victory, and yet to-morrow we may be defeated
because Achan has hidden the goodly Babylonish garment and the
wedge of gold. Unless we are sober and vigilant, we may sadly have to
mourn that the Lord has withdrawn his presence from us. There is a
fierce light that beats around his throne. “Our God is a consuming fire.”
Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall
dwell with everlasting burnings? The Scriptural answer is, “He that
walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly.” May God make us men of
such calibre as can endure that heat!
And lastly, there must be an individual fellowship with God on the part
of each one of us. It is hard work for the whole church to walk with God
every day and all the day; but if each member will see to it that his own
personal life is right, the church, as a whole, need fear nothing. Let us
each one look after his own life, and see that all is right there; then the
life of the church will soon be at flood-tide, and when we go forth to the
battle, the Philistines will know of a truth that “God is come into the
camp.” May God speedily raise us all up to this point of personal
consecration!
Dear friends, we are having sinners saved in our midst; pray for them.
Some are struggling towards the light; seek to help them. If you meet
with any such, love them, and cherish them, as a father does his child. I
cannot speak longer. Your hearts must tell you what to do. Go on serving
the Lord. May he abide with us in power for evermore! Amen.
LETTER FROM MR. SPURGEON.
BELOVED FRIENDS,–The one want of the church in these times is
indicated by the title of this sermon. The presence of God, in saving
power, in the church, will put to end the present plague of infidelity.
Men will not doubt his Word when they feel his Spirit. It will be the only
security for the success of the missionary effort. If God be with his
people, they will soon see crowds converted and added to the church. For
a thousand reasons, we need that Jehovah should come into the camp, as
aforetime he visited and delivered his people from bondage in Egypt.
Could we not all unite in prayer for this as fervently as all united in
prayer for my life? It is a far greater and more necessary subject for
intercession, and the Lord will not be slow to hear us. Come to thy
church, O Lord, in fulness of power to save! If the Great Advent is not
yet, indulge us with outpourings of grace and times of refreshing!
Oh, that all Christendom would take us this pleading, and continue it
until the answer came!
Receive, dear readers, my hearty salutations. Personally, I scarcely make
progress during this broken weather; but the doctor says I hold my own,
and that is more than he could have expected. Whether I live or die, I
would say, in the words of Israel to Joseph, “God shall be with you.”
Yours ever heartily,
C.H. SPURGEON.
Jan 9, 1892.
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
