Category Archives: Old-Time Sermons

The First Christmas Carol

The First Christmas Carol
A Sermon

Delivered on Sabbath Morning, December 20, 1857,
by the REV. C. H. Spurgeon
at the Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” —Luke 2:14

It is superstitious to worship angels; it is but proper to love them. Although it would be a high sin, and an act of misdemeanor against the Sovereign Court of Heaven to pay the slightest adoration to the mightiest angel, yet it would be unkind and unseemly, if we did not give to holy angels a place in our heart’s warmest love. In fact, he that contemplates the character of angels, and marks their many deeds of sympathy with men, and kindness towards them, cannot resist the impulse of his nature —the impulse of love towards them.

The one incident in angelic history, to which our text refers, is enough to weld our hearts to them for ever. How free from envy the angels were! Christ did not come from heaven to save their compeers when they fell. When Satan, the mighty angel, dragged with him a third part of the stars of heaven, Christ did not stoop from his throne to die for them; but he left them to be reserved in chains and darkness until the last great day. Yet angels did not envy men. Continue reading →

None But Jesus

None But Jesus
A Sermon
Delivered on Sunday morning, February 17th, 1861
by the
Rev. C. H. SPURGEON
At Exeter Hall, Strand

“He that believeth on him is not condemned” —John 3:18

The way of salvation is stated in Scripture in the very plainest terms, and yet, perhaps, there is no truth about which more errors have been uttered, than concerning the faith which saves the soul. Well has it been proved by experience, that all doctrines of Christ are mysteries—mysteries, not so much in themselves, but because they are hid to them that are lost, in whom the God of this world hath blinded their eyes.

So plain is Scripture, that one would have said, “He that runs may read”; but so dim is man’s eye, and so marred is his understanding, that the very simplest truth of Scripture he distorts and misrepresents. And indeed, my brethren, even those who know what faith is, personally and experimentally, do not always find it easy to give a good definition of it.

They think they have hit the mark, and then afterwards they lament that they have failed. Straining themselves to describe some one part of faith, they find they have forgotten another, and in the excess of their earnestness to clear the poor sinner out of one mistake, they often lead him into a worse error. So that I think I may say that, while faith is the simplest thing in all the world, yet it is one of the most difficult upon which to preach, because from its very importance, our soul begins to tremble while speaking of it, and then we are not able to describe it so clearly as we would. Continue reading →

True Religion – Our Business

True Religion – Our Business
By
Thomas Watson

“Don’t you know that I must be about My Father’s business?” Luke 2:49

These are the words of our Lord Jesus, whose lips dropped as a honeycomb. The occasion was this, Christ, having the Spirit of wisdom and sanctity poured out upon Him without measure, being but 12 years old, went to the temple and fell to disputing with the religious teachers, verse 46. Where should learning blossom, but upon that tree which bore several sorts of fruit? Who could better interpret secrets—than He who lay in His Father’s bosom, Colossians 2:9? According to Luke 2:47, “All who heard Him were astonished at His understanding.” Well might they admire—that He who had never been at the university should be able to silence the great religious teachers. John 7:15, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?”

While they were wondering, his mother, who now was come to seek Him, propounded this question, “Son, why have You thus dealt with us?” Luke 2:48. That is, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” In the words of the text, Christ made a rational and pious reply, “Didn’t you know I had to be about My Father’s business?” In the Greek it is “in the things of My Father.” It is as if Christ had said, “I must be doing the work which My Father in heaven has set Me about; for this I received My mission and unction, that I might do the will of Him who sent Me.” What am I in the world for but to promote His glory, propagate His truth, and be as a magnet to draw souls to heaven? “Didn’t you know I had to be about My Father’s business?” Continue reading →

Justification by Faith Alone

Justification by Faith Alone
by
Jonathan Edwards
(1703-1758)

Dated November, 1734 – Prepared from 2 Sermons

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” — Romans 4:5

Subject: We are justified only by faith in Christ, and not by any manner of goodness of our own.

The following things may be noted in this verse:

1. That justification respects a man as ungodly. This is evident by these words — that justifieth the ungodly, which cannot imply less than that God, in the act of justification, has no regard to anything in the person justified, as godliness or any goodness in him, but that immediately before this act, God beholds him only as an ungodly creature, so that godliness in the person to be justified is not so antecedent to his justification as to be the ground of it.

When it is said that God justifies the ungodly, it is as absurd to suppose that our godliness, taken as some goodness in us, is the ground of our justification, as when it is said that Christ gave sight to the blind to suppose that sight was prior to, and the ground of, that act of mercy in Christ. Or as, if it should be said that such an one by his bounty has made a poor man rich, to suppose that it was the wealth of this poor man that was the ground of this bounty towards him, and was the price by which it was procured. Continue reading →

Time’s Shortness

Time’s Shortness
By
Thomas Watson

A sermon preached July 2, 1676,
At the funeral of Pastor John Wells

“But this I say, brethren, the time is short.” 1 Corinthians 7:29

The blessed Apostle in these words shows us what our station in the world is, and what all our secular enjoyments are. They are short and transient. “But this I say, brethren, the time is short.” The text consists of two parts:

1. A kind address—”Brethren.”

2. A seasonable admonition—”The time is short.”

1. A kind address—”Brethren.” The saints of God are brethren. They are cemented together with the blood of Christ. Then let there be no strife among them, seeing they are brethren (Genesis 13:8). Believers are regenerated by the same Spirit; they suck the same breasts—the promises; and wear the same garment—Christ’s righteousness. They sit at the same board—the table of the Lord; and partake of the same glory—the inheritance in light (Colossians 1:12). Should they not love one another? There ought to be no contending among God’s people—but as to who would love most. Continue reading →

The Attributes of God

THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
From
Thomas Watson’s
“Body of Divinity”

The OMNIPRESENCE of God

God is infinite. All created beings are finite. The Greek word for “infinite” signifies “without bounds or limits.” God is not confined to any place. He is infinite, and so is present in all places at once. His center is everywhere. “In no place is God’s Being either confined or excluded,” Augustine. “Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain you.” The Turks build their temples open at the top, to show that God cannot be confined to them—but is in all places by his presence. God’s essence is not limited either to the regions above, or to the terrestrial globe—but is everywhere.

As philosophers say of the soul, “the soul is in every part of the body,” in the eye, heart, foot; so we may say of God, his essence is everywhere; his circuit is in heaven, and in earth, and sea, and he is in all places of his circuit at once. “This is to be infinite.” God, who bounds everything else, is himself without bounds. He sets bounds to the sea, “Hitherto shall you come, and no further!”

He sets bounds to the angels; they, like the cherubim, move and stand at his appointment, but he is infinite, without bounds. He who can span the heavens, and weigh the earth in scales, must needs be infinite! Continue reading →

Neglect Not the Gift

Neglect Not the Gift
by
J. C. Ryle

“Neglect not the gift that is in you, which was given you by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.” 1 Timothy 4:14

Brethren, the leading topics of the subject committed to me appear to be the ministerial office, and the imperative duty of not neglecting it. Paul speaks to Timothy of his office, as “a gift.” And he says of this gift, “neglect it not.” In opening the subject I trust I may be allowed to remind my brethren that the orders of Timothy and Titus ought to be specially interesting to them.

I consider that, strictly speaking, no minister of the Gospel of the present day, whatever may be his church or denomination, has any right to regard himself as a “successor of the apostles.” I believe that, in strict accuracy, the apostles had no successors at all. Their office was a peculiar office. Their order was a peculiar order. Both office and order ceased at their death. The apostles were specially called, and immediately set apart by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. They had the power of speaking with other languages. They were enabled to confirm the doctrines they preached by miracles and signs. They had the power of infallibly declaring God’s truth, and expounding His mind to the world. They were commissioned to bind and loose sins with authority. They could confer gifts upon others. In all these respects they stood alone. We are not their successors. They never had any successors! They were an order intended to continue until the Canon of Scripture was concluded, and no longer. The ministers of the present day are the successors of Timothy and Titus; but not of Paul, Peter, James, and John. I feel that this is a digression, but the importance of the subject must be my apology. Continue reading →