The Abiding of the Spirit the Glory of the Church
A Sermon
(No. 1918)
Delivered on Lord's-day Morning, September 5th, 1886, by
C. H. SPURGEON,
At the [11]Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington
"Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O
Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people
of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the
Lord of hosts: according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye
came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye
not."–Haggai 2:4-5.
SATAN is always doing his utmost to stay the work of God. He hindered
these Jews from building the temple; and to-day he endeavours to hinder
the people of God from spreading the gospel. A spiritual temple is to
be builded for the Most High, and if by any means the evil one can
delay its uprising he will stick at nothing: if he can take us off from
working with faith and courage for the glory of God he will be sure to
do it. He is very cunning, and knows how to change his argument and yet
keep to his design: little cares he how he works, so long as he can
hurt the cause of God. In the case of the Jewish people on their return
from captivity he sought to prevent the building of the temple by
making them selfish and worldly, so that every many was eager to build
his own house, and cared nothing for the house of the Lord. Each family
pleaded its own urgent needs. In returning to a long-deserted and
neglected land, much had to be done to make up for lost time; and to
provide suitably for itself every family needed all its exertions. They
carried this thrift and self-providing to a great extreme, and secured
for themselves luxuries, while the foundations of the temple which had
been laid years before remained as they were, or became still more
thickly covered up with rubbish. The people could not be made to bestir
themelves to build a house of God, for they answered to every
exhortation, "The time is not come, the time that the Lord's house
should be built." A more convenient season was always looming in the
future, but it never came. Just now it was too hot, further it was too
cold; at one time the wet season was just setting in, and it was of no
use to begin, and soon the fair weather required that they should be in
their own fields. Like some in our day, they saw to themselves first,
and God's turn was very long in coming; hence the prophet cried, "Is it
time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie
waste?"
By the mouth of His servant Haggai stern rebukes were uttered, and the
whole people were aroused. We read in verse twelve of the first
chapter, "Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of
Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed
the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet,
as the Lord their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the
Lord." All hands were put to the work; course after course of stone
began to rise; and then another stumbling-block was thrown in the way
of the workers. The older folks remarked that this was a very small
affair compared with the temple of Solomon, of which their fathers had
told them; in fact, their rising building was nothing at all, and not
worthy to be called a temple. The prophet describes the feeling in the
verse which precedes our text. "Who is left among you that saw this
house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your
eyes in comparison of it as nothing?" Feeling that their work would be
very poor and insignificant, the people had little heart to go on.
Being discouraged by the humiliating contrast, they began to be slack;
and as they were quite willing to accept any excuse, and here was an
excuse ready made for them, they would soon have been at a standstill
had not the prophet met the wiles of the arch-enemy with another word
from the Lord. Nothing so confounds the evil one as the voice of the
Eternal. Our Lord Himself defeated Satan by the word of the Lord; and
the prophet Haggai did the same. The subtle craft of the enemy is
defeated by the wisdom of the Most High, which reveals itself in plain
words of honest statement. The Lord cuts the knots which bind His
people, and sets them at liberty to do His will. He did this by
assuring them that He was with them. Twice the voice was heard–"I am
with you, saith the Lord of hosts." They were also assured that what
they builded was accepted, and that the Lord meant to fill the new
house with glory; yea, He meant to light it up with a glory greater
than that which honoured the temple of Solomon. They were not spending
their strength for nought, but were labouring with divine help and
favour. Thus they were encouraged to put their shoulders to the work:
the walls rose in due order, and God was glorified in the building up
of His Zion.
The present times are, in many respects, similar to those of Haggai.
History certainly repeats itself within the church of God as well as
outside of it; and therefore the messages of God need to be repeated
also. The words of some almost-forgotten prophet may be re-delivered by
the watchman of the Lord in these present days, and be a timely word
for the present emergency. We are not free from the worldliness which
puts self first and God nowhere, else our various enterprises would be
more abundantly supplied with the silver and the gold which are the
Lord's, but which even professing Christians reserve for themselves.
When this selfish greed is conquered, then comes in a timorous
depression. Among those who have escaped from worldliness there is apt
to be too much despondency, and men labour feebly as for a cause which
is doomed to failure. This last evil must be cured. I pray that our
text may this morning flame from the Lord's own mouth with all the fire
which once blazed about it. May faint hearts be encouraged and drowsy
spirits be aroused, as we hear the Lord say, "My spirit remaineth among
you: fear ye not."
I shall enter fully upon the subject, by the assistance of the Holy
Spirit, by calling your attention to discouragement forbidden. Then I
shall speak of encouragement imparted; and, having done so, I shall
linger with this blessed text, which overflows with comfort, and shall
speak, in the third place, of encouragement further applied. Oh that
our Lord, who knows how to speak a word in season to him that is weary,
may cheer the hearts of seekers by what shall be spoken under this last
head of discourse!
I. To begin with, here is DISCOURAGEMENT FORBIDDEN. Discouragement
comes readily enough to us poor mortals who are occupied in the work of
God, seeing it is a work of faith, a work of difficulty, a work above
our capacity, and a work much opposed.
Discouragement is very natural: it is a native of the soil of manhood.
To believe is supernatural, faith is the work of the Spirit of God; to
doubt is natural to fallen men; for we have within us an evil heart of
unbelief. It is abominably wicked, I grant you; but still it is
natural, because of the downward tendency of our depraved hearts.
Discouragement towards good things is a weed that grows without sowing.
To be faint-hearted and downcast happens to some of us when we are half
drowned in this heavy atmosphere, and it also visits us on the wings of
the east wind. It takes little to make some hands hang down: a word or
a look will do it. I do not, therefore, excuse it; but the rather
condemn myself for having a nature prone to such evil.
Discouragement may come and does come to us, as it did to these people,
from a consideration of the great things which God deserves at our
hands, and the small things which we are able to render. When in
Haggai's days the people thought of Jehovah, and of the temple for Him,
and then looked upon the narrow space which had been enclosed, and the
common stones which had been laid for foundations, they were ashamed.
Where were those hewn stones and costly stones which, of old, Solomon
brought from far? They said within themselves, "This house is unworthy
of Jehovah: what do we by labouring thus?" Have you not felt the
depressing weight of what is so surely true? Brethren, all that we do
is little for our God; far too little for Him that loved us and gave
Himself for us. For Him that poured out His soul unto death on our
behalf the most splendid service, the most heroic self-denial, are all
too little; and we feel it so. Alabaster boxes of precious ointment are
too mean a gift. It does not occur to our fervent spirit to imagine
that there can be any waste when our best boxes are broken and the
perfume is poured out lavishly for Him. What we do fear is that our
alabaster boxes are too few, and that our ointment is not precious
enough. When we have done our utmost in declaring the glory of Jesus,
we have felt that words are too poor and mean to set forth our adorable
Lord. When we have prayed for His kingdom we have been disgusted with
our own prayers; and all the efforts we have put forth in connection
with any part of His service have seemed too few, too feeble for us to
hope for acceptance. Thus have we been discouraged. The enemy has
worked upon us by this means, yet he has made us argue very wrongly.
Because we could not do much, we have half resolved to do nothing!
Because what we did was so poor, we were inclined to quit the work
altogether! This is evidently absurd and wicked. The enemy can use
humility for his purpose as well as pride. Whether he makes us think
too much or too little of our work, it is all the same to him as long
as he can get us off from it.
It is significant that the man with one talent went and hid his Lord's
money in the earth. He knew that it was but one, and for that reason he
was the less afraid to bury it. Perhaps he argued that the interest on
one talent could never come to much, and would never be noticed side by
side with the result of five or ten talents; and he might as well bring
nothing at all to his Lord as bring so little. Perhaps he might not
have wrapped it up if it had not been so small that a napkin could
cover it. The smallness of our gifts may be a temptation to us. We are
consciously so weak and so insignificant, compared with the great God
and His great cause, that we are discouraged, and think it vain to
attempt anything.
Moreover, the enemy contrasts our work with that of others, and with
that of those who have gone before us. We are doing so little as
compared with other people, therefore let us give up. We cannot build
like Solomon, therefore let us not build at all. Yet, brethren, there
is a falsehood in all this; for, in truth, nothing is worthy of God.
The great works of others, and even the amazing productions of Solomon,
all fell short of His glory. What house could man build for God? What
are cedar, and marble, and gold as compared with the glory of the Most
High? Though the house was "exceeding magnifical," yet the Lord God had
of old dwelt within curtains, and never was His worship more glorious
than within the tent of badger's skins; indeed, as soon as the great
house was built, true religion declined. What of all human work can be
worthy of the Lord? Our little labours do but share the insignificance
of greater things, and therefore we ought not to withhold them: yet
here is the temptation from which we must pray to be delivered.
The tendency to depreciate the present because of the glories of the
past is also injurious. The old people looked back to the days of the
former temple, even as we are apt to look upon the times of the great
preachers of the past. What work was done in those past days? What
Sabbaths were enjoyed then! What converts were added to the church!
What days of refreshing were then vouchsafed! Everything has declined,
decreased, degenerated! As for the former days, they beheld a race of
giants, who are now succeeded by pigmies. We look at one of these great
men, and cry,
"Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus; and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs, and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves."
But, brethren, we must not allow this sense of littleness to hamper us;
for God can bless our littleness, and use it for His glory. I notice
that the great men of the past thought of themselves even as we think
of ourselves. Certainly they were not more self-confident than we are.
I find in the story of the brave days of old the same confessions and
the same lamentations which we utter now. It is true that in a
spiritual strength we are not what our fathers were; I fear the
Puritanic holiness and truthfulness of doctrine are dying out, while
adherence to principle is far from common; but our fathers had also
faults and follies to mourn over, and they did mourn over them most
sincerely. Instead of being discouraged because what we do is unworthy
of God, and insignificant compared with what was done by others, let us
gather up our strength to reform our errors, and reach to higher
attainments. Let us throw our heart and soul into the work of the Lord,
and yet do something more nearly in accordance with our highest ideal
of what our God deserves of us. Let us excel our ancestors. Let us
aspire to be even more godly, more conscientious, and more sound in the
faith than they were, for the Spirit of God remaineth with us.
Brethren, it is clear that discouragement can be produced by these
reasons, and yet they are a mere sample of a host of arguments which
work in the same direction: hence discouragement is very common. Haggai
was sent to speak to Zerubbabel, the governor, and to Joshua, the high
priest, and to all the remnant of the people. The great man may become
discouraged: he that leads the van has his fainting fits; even Elijah
cries, "Let me die!" The consecrated servant of God whose life is a
priesthood is apt to grow discouraged, too: standing at God's altar, he
sometimes trembles for the ark of the Lord. The multitude of the people
are all too apt to suffer from panic, and to flee at the sight of the
enemy. How many are they who say, "The old truth cannot exceed: the
cause of orthodoxy is desperate; we had better yield to the modern
spirit"! This faith-heartedness is so common that it has been the
plague of Israel from her first day until now. They were discouraged at
the Red Sea, at the mere rattling of Pharaoh's chariots; they were
discouraged when they found no water; they were discouraged when they
had eaten up the bread which they brought out of Egypt; they were
discouraged when they heard of the giants, and of the cities walled to
heaven. I need not lengthen the wretched catalogue. What has not
cowardice done? The fearful and unbelieving have brought terrible
disasters upon our camps. Discouragement is the national epidemic of
our Israel. "Being armed and carrying bows" we turn back in the day of
battle. This is as common among Christians as consumption among the
inhabitants of this foggy island. Oh that God would save us all from
distrust, and cause us to quit ourselves like men!
Wherever discouragement comes in it is dreadfully weakening. I am sure
it is weakening, because the prophet was bidden to say three times to
the governor, high priest, and people, "Be strong." This proves that
they had become weak. Being discouraged, their hands hung down, and
their knees were feeble. Faith girds us with omnipotence, but unbelief
makes everything hang loose and limp about us. Distrust, and thou wilt
fail in everything; believe, and according to thy faith so shall it be
unto thee. To lead a discouraged people to the Holy War is as difficult
as for Xerxes' commanders to conduct the Persian troops to battle
against the Greeks. The vassals of the great king were driven to the
conflict by whips and sticks, for they were afraid to fight: do you
wonder that they were defeated? A church that needs constant exhorting
and compelling accomplishes nothing. The Greeks had no need of blows
and threats, for each man was a lion, and courted the encounter,
however great the odds against him. Each Spartan fought con amore; he
was never more at home than when contending for the altars and the
hearths of his country. We want Christian men of this same sort, who
have faith in their principles, faith in the doctrines of grace, faith
in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost; and who
therefore contend earnestly for the faith in these days when piety is
mocked at from the pulpit, and the gospel is sneered at by professional
preachers. We need men who love the truth, to whom it is dear as their
lives; men into whose hearts the old doctrine is burned by the hand of
God's Spirit through a deep experience of its necessity and of its
power. We need no more of those who will parrot what they are taught,
but we want men who will speak what they know. Oh, for a troop of men
like John Knox, heroes of the martyr and covenanter stock! Then would
Jehovah of hosts have a people to serve Him who would be strong in the
Lord and in the power of His might.
Discouragement not only weakens men, but it takes them off from the
service of God. It is significant that the prophet said to them, "Be
strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work." They had
ceased to build: they had begun to talk and argue, but they had laid
down the trowel. They were extremely wise in their observations, and
criticisms, and prophecies; but the walls did not rise. One person knew
exactly how big the former temple was; another declared that their
present architect was not up to the mark, and that the structure was
not built in a scientific manner: one objected to this, and another to
that; but everyone was wiser than all the rest, and sneered at
old-fashioned ways. It is always so when we are discouraged: we cease
from the work of the Lord, and waste time in talk and nonsensical
refinements. May the Lord take away discouragement from any of you who
now suffer from it! I suppose some of you do feel it, for at times it
creeps over my heart and makes me go with heaviness to my work. I
believe that God's truth will come to the front yet, but it hath many
adversaries to-day. All sorts of unbeliefs are being hatched out from
under the wings of "modern thought." The gospel seems to be regarded as
a nose of wax, to be altered and shaped by every man who wishes to show
his superior skill. Nor is it in doctrine alone, but in practice also,
that the times are out of joint. Separateness from the world, and holy
living, are to give place to gaiety and theatre-going. To follow Christ
fully has gone out of fashion with many of those from whom we once
hoped better things. Yet are there some who waver not, some who are
willing to be in the right with two or three. For my own part, even
should I find none around me of the same mind, I shall not budge an
inch from the old truth, nor sweat a hair of fear of its overthrow; but
I shall abide confident that the eternal God, whose truth we know and
hold, will vindicate Himself ere long, and turn the wisdom of the world
into babble, and its boasting into confusion. Blessed is the man who
shall be able to stand fast by his God in these evil days. Let us not
in any wise be discouraged. "Be strong; be strong; be strong," sounds
as a threefold voice from the Triune God. "Fear not" comes as a sweet
cordial to the faint: therefore let no man's heart fail him. Thus much
about the discouragement.
II. Secondly, here is THE ENCOURAGEMENT IMPARTED, which is the grand
part of our text. "According to the word that I covenanted with you
when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye
not." God remembers His covenant and stands to His ancient promises.
When the people came out of Egypt, the Lord was with them by His
Spirit; hence He spoke to them by Moses, and through Moses He guided,
and judged, and taught them. He was with them also by His Spirit in
inspiring Bezaleel and Aholiab, as to the works of art which adorned
the tabernacle. God always finds the workmen for His work, and by His
Spirit fits them for it. The Spirit of God rested upon the elders who
were ordained to relieve Moses of his great burden. The Lord was also
with His people in the fiery cloudy pillar which was conspicuous in the
midst of the camp. His presence was their glory and their defence. This
is a type of the presence of the Spirit with the church. At the present
day, if we hold the truth of God, if we live in obedience to His holy
commands, if we are spiritually-minded, if we cry unto God in believing
prayer, if we have faith in His covenant and in His Son, the Holy
Spirit abideth among us. The Holy Ghost descended upon the church at
Pentecost, and He has never gone back again: there is no record of the
Spirit's return to heaven. He will abide with the true church evermore.
This is our hope for the present struggle. The Spirit of God remaineth
with us.
To what end, my brethren, is this Spirit with us? Let us think of this,
that we may be encouraged at this time. The Spirit of God remaineth
among you to aid and assist the ministry which He has already given.
Oh, that the prayers of God's people would always go up for God's
ministers, that they may speak with a divine power and influence which
none shall be able to gainsay! We look too much for clever men; we seek
out fluent and flowery speakers; we sigh for men cultured and trained
in all the knowledge of the heathen: nay, but if we sought more for
unction, for divine authority, and for the power which doth hedge about
the man of God, how much wiser should we be! Oh, that all of us who
profess to preach the gospel would learn to speak in entire dependence
upon the direction of the Holy Spirit, not daring to utter our own
words, but even trembling lest we should do so, and committing
ourselves to that secret influence without which nothing will be
powerful upon the conscience or converting to the heart. Know ye not
the difference between the power that cometh of human oratory, and that
which cometh by the divine energy which speaks so to the heart that men
cannot resist it? We have forgotten this too much. It were better to
speak six words in the power of the Holy Ghost than to preach seventy
years of sermons without the Spirit. He who rested on those who have
gone to their reward in heaven can rest this day upon our ministers and
bless our evangelists, if we will but seek it of Him. Let us cease to
grieve the Spirit of God, and look to him for help to the faithful
ministers who are yet spared to us.
This same Spirit who of old gave to His church eminent teachers can
raise up other and more useful men. The other day, a brother from Wales
told me of the great men he remembered: he said that he had never heard
such a one as Christmas Evans, who surpasses all men when he was in the
hwyl. I asked him if he knew another Welsh minister who preached like
Christmas Evans. "No," he said, "we have no such man in Wales in our
days." So in England we have neither Wesley nor Whitefield, nor any of
their order; yet, as with God is the residue of the Spirit, He can
fetch out from some chimney-corner another Christmas Evans, or find in
our Sunday-school another George Whitefield, who shall declare the
gospel with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. Let us never fear for
the future, or despair for the present, since the Spirit of God
remaineth with us. What if the growing error of the age should have
silenced the last tongue that speaks out the old gospel, let not faith
be weakened. I hear the tramp of legions of soldiers of the cross. I
hear the clarion voices of hosts of preachers. "The Lord gave the word;
great was the company of those that published it." Have faith in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ! When He ascended on high He led
captivity captive, and received gifts for men. He then gave apostles,
teachers, preachers, and evangelists, and He can do the like again. Let
us fall back upon the eternal God, and never be discouraged for an
instant.
Nor is this all. The Holy Spirit being with us, He can move the whole
church to exercise its varied ministries. This is one of the things we
want very much–that every member of the church should recognise that
he is ordained to service. Everyone in Christ, man or woman, hath some
testimony to bear, some warning to give, some deed to do in the name of
the holy child Jesus; and if the Spirit of God be poured out upon our
young men and our maidens, each one will be aroused to energetic
service. Both small and great will be in earnest, and the result upon
the slumbering masses of our population will surprise us all. Sometimes
we lament that the churches are so dull. There is an old proverb which
says of So-and-so, that he was "as sound asleep as a church." I suppose
there is nothing that can sleep so soundly as a church. But yet the
Spirit of God still remaineth, and therefore churches go to be
awakened. I mean that not only in part but as a whole, a church may be
quickened. The dullest professor, the most slovenly believer, the most
captious and useless member of a church, may yet be turned to good
account. I see them like a stack of faggots, piled up, dead and dry. Oh
for the fire! We will have a blaze out of them yet.
Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove, brood over the dark, disordered
church as once thou didst over chaos, and order shall come out of
confusion, and the darkness shall fly before the light. Only let the
Spirit be with us, and we have all that is wanted for victory. Give us
His presence, and everything else will come in its due season for the
profitable service of the entire church.
If the Spirit be with us, there will come multitudinous conversions. We
cannot get at "the lapsed masses," as they are pedantically called. We
cannot stir the crass infidelity of the present age: no, we cannot, but
He can. All things are possible with God. If you walk down to our
bridges at a certain hour of the day you will see barges and vessels
lying in the mud; and all the king's horses and all the king's men
cannot stir them. Wait until the tide comes in, and they will walk the
water like things of life. The living flood accomplishes at once what
no mortals can do. And so to-day our churches cannot stir. What shall
we do? Oh, that the Holy Spirit would come with a flood-tide of His
benign influences, as He will if we will but believe in Him; as He must
if we will but cry unto Him; as He shall if we will cease to grieve
Him. Everything will be even as the saints desire when the Lord of
saints is with us. The hope of the continuance and increase of the
church lies in the remaining of the Spirit with us. The hope of the
salvation of London lies in the wonder-working Spirit. Let us bow our
heads and worship the omnipotent Spirit who deigns to work in us, by
us, and with us.
Then, brethren, if this should happen–and I see not why it should
not–then we may expect to see the church put on her beautiful
garments; then shall she begin to clear herself of th errors which now
defile her; then shall she press to her bosom the truths which she now
begins to forget; then will she go back to the pure fount of
inspiration and drink from the Scriptures of truth; and then out of the
midst of her shall flow no turbid streams, but rivers of living water.
If the Holy Ghost will work among us we shall rejoice in the Lord, and
glory in the name of our God.
When once the Spirit of God putteth forth His might all things else
will be in accord with Him. Notice that in the rest of the
chapter–which I shall read now, not as relating to that temple at all,
but to the church of God–there is great comfort given to us. If the
Holy Spirit be once given, then we may expect providence to co-operate
with the church of God. Read verse 6: "Yet once, it is a little while,
and I will shake heaven and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land. I
will shake all nations." Great commotions will co-operate with the Holy
Spirit. We may expect that God will work for His people in an
extraordinary fashion if they will but be faithful to Him. Empires will
collapse, and times will change, for the truth's sake. Expect the
unexpected, reckon upon that which is unlikely, if it be necessary for
the growth of the kingdom. Of old the earth helped the woman when the
dragon opened his mouth to drown her with the floods that he cast
forth: unexpected help shall come to us when affairs are at their
worst.
Specially do I look for a shaking among the hosts of unbelief. How
often did the Lord of old rout His enemies without Israel drawing
sword! The watchword was, "Stand ye still, and see the salvation of the
Lord." The adversaries of old fell out among themselves; and they will
do so again. When Cadmus slew the dragon with his javelin, he was
bidden to sow its teeth in the earth. When he did so, according to the
classic fable, he saw rising out of the ground nodding plumes, and
crested helmets, and broad shoulders of armed men. Up from the earth
there sprang a host of warriors; but Cadmus needed not to fly; for the
moment they found their feet, these children of the dragon fell upon
each other till scarcely one was left. Error, like Saturn, devours its
own children. Those that fight against the Lord of hosts are not agreed
among themselves; they shall sheathe their swords in each other's
bosoms.
I saw in the night vision the sea, the deep and broad sea of truth,
flashing with its silver waves. Lo, a black horse came out of the
darkness and went down to the deep, threatening to drink it dry. I saw
him stand there drinking, and swelling as he drank. In his pride he
trusted that he could snuff up Jordan at a draught. I stood by and saw
him drink, and then plunge further into the sea, to drink still more.
Again he plunged in with fury, and soon he lost his footing, and I saw
him no more, for the deep had swallowed him that boasted that he could
swallow it. Rest assured that every black horse of error that comes
forth to swallow up the sea of divine truth shall be drowned therein.
Wherefore be of good courage. God, who maketh the earth and the heavens
to shake, shall cause each error to fall like an untimely fig.
And next, the Lord in this chapter promises His people that they shall
have all the supplies they need for His work. They feared that they
could not build His house, because of their poverty; but, saith the
Lord of hosts, "The silver and the gold are mine." When the church of
God believes in God, and goes forward bravely, she need not trouble as
to supplies. Her God will provide for her. He that gives the Holy Ghost
will give gold and silver according as they are needed; therefore let
us be of good courage. If God is with us, why need we fear? One of our
English kings once threatened the great city of London that if its
councillors talked so independently, he would–yes–he would, indeed he
would–take his court away from the city. The Lord Mayor on that
occasion replied, that if his majesty would graciously leave the river
Thames behind him, the citizens would try to get on without his court.
If any say, "If you hold to these old-fashioned doctrines you will lose
the educated, the wealthy, the influential," we answer: But if we do
not lose the godly and the presence of the Holy Ghost we are not in the
least alarmed. If the Holy Ghost remaineth with us, there is a river
the streams whereof make glad the city of God. Brethren, my heart leaps
within me as I cry, "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is
our refuge." "Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed,
and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea."
The best comfort of all remained: "The desire of all nations shall
come." This was in a measure fulfilled when Jesus came into that latter
house and caused all holy hearts to sing for gladness; but it was not
wholly fulfilled in that way; for if you notice, in the ninth verse it
is written, "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of
the former; and in this place will I give peace," which the Lord did
not fully do to the second temple, since that was destroyed by the
Romans. But there is another advent, when "the desire of all nations
shall come" in power and glory; and this is our highest hope. Though
truth may be driven back, and error may prevail, Jesus comes, and He is
the great Lord and patron of truth: He shall judge the world in
righteousness, and the people in equity. Here is our last resource;
here are God's reserves. He whom we serve liveth and reigneth for ever
and ever; and He saith, "Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with
me, to give every man according as his work shall be." "Therefore, my
beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the
work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain
in the Lord."
III. I should have done if it had not been that this text seemed to me
to overflow so much, that it might not only refresh God's people, but
give drink to thirsty sinners who are seeking the Lord. For a moment or
two I give myself to ENCOURAGEMENT FURTHER APPLIED.
It is at the beginning of every gracious purpose that men have most
fear, even as these people had who had newly begun to build. When first
the Holy Spirit begins to strive with a man to lead him to Jesus, he is
apt to say–"I cannot; I dare not; it is impossible. How can I believe
and live?" Now I want to speak to some of you here who are willing to
find Christ, and to encourage you by the truth that the Spirit lives to
help you. I would even like to speak to those who are not anxious to be
saved. I remember that Dr. Payson, an exceedingly earnest and useful
man of God, once did a singular thing. He had been holding inquiry
meetings with all sorts of people, and great numbers had been saved. At
last, one Sunday he gave out that he should have a meeting on Monday
night of those persons who did not desire to be saved; and, strange to
say, some twenty persons came who did not wish to repent or believe. He
spoke to them and said, "I am sure that if a little film, thin as a web
of the gossamer, were let down by God from heaven to each one of you,
you would not push it away from you. Although it were almost invisible,
you would value even the slightest connection between you and heaven.
Now, your coming to meet me to-night is a little link with God. I want
it to increase in strength till you are joined to the Lord for ever."
He spoke to them most tenderly, and God blessed those people who did
not desire to be saved, so that before the meeting was over they were
of another mind. The film had become a thicker thread, and it grew and
grew until the Lord Christ held them by it for ever. Dear friends, the
fact of your being in the Tabernacle this morning is like that filmy
thread: do not put it away. Here is your comfort, the Holy Ghost still
works with the preaching of the word. Do I hear you say, "I cannot feel
my need of Christ as I want to feel it"? The Spirit remaineth among us.
He can make you feel more deeply the guilt of sin and your need of
pardon. "But I have heard so much about conviction and repentance; I do
not seem to have either of them." Yet the Spirit remaineth with us, and
that Spirit is able to work in you the deepest conviction and the
truest repentance. "O sir, I do not feel as if I could do anything":
but the Spirit remaineth with us, and all things that are needful for
godliness He can give. He can work in you to will and to do of His own
good pleasure. "But I want to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ unto
eternal life." Who made you want to do that? Who but the Holy Spirit?
Therefore He is still at work with you; and though as yet you do not
understand what believing is, or else I am persuaded you would believe
at once, the Spirit of God can instruct you in it. You are blind, but
He can give you sight; you are paralyzed, but He can give you
strength–the Spirit of God remaineth.
"Oh, but that doctrine of regeneration staggers me: you know, we must
be born again." Yes, we are born again of the Spirit, and the Spirit
remaineth still with us; He is still mighty to work that wondrous
change, and to bring you out of the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom
of God's dear Son. The Spirit remaineth with us, blessed be His name!
"Ah, dear sir," says one, "I want to conquer sin"! Who made you desire
to conquer sin? Who, but the Spirit that remaineth with us? He will
give you the sword of the Spirit and teach you how to use it, and He
will give you both the will and the power to use it successfully.
Through the Spirit's might you can overcome every sin, even that which
has dragged you down and disgraced you. The Spirit of God is still
waiting to help you. When I think of the power of the Spirit of God, I
look hopefully upon every sinner here this morning. I bless His name
that He can work in you all that is pleasing in His sight. Some of you
may be very careless, but He can make you thoughtful. Coming up to
London to see the Exhibition, I hope you may yourselves become an
exhibition of divine grace. You think not about things, but He can make
you feel at this moment a sweet softness stealing over you, until you
long to be alone and to get home to the old arm-chair and there seek
the Lord. You can thus be led to salvation.
I thought when I came in here that I should have a picked congregation;
and so I have. You are one of them. Wherever you come from, I want you
now to seek the Lord. He has brought you here, and He means to bless
you. Yield yourselves to Him while His sweet Spirit pleads with you.
While the heavenly wind softly blows upon you open wide every window.
You have not felt that you wanted it; but that is the sure proof that
you need it; for he that does not know his need of Christ, is most in
need. Open wide your heart that the Spirit may teach you your need;
above all, breathe the prayer that He would help you this morning to
look to the Lord Jesus Christ, for "there is life in a look at the
Crucified One–there is life at this moment for you." "Oh," you say,
"if I were to begin I should not keep on." No; if you began perhaps you
would not; but if He begins with you He will keep on. The final
perseverance of saints is the result of the final perserverance of the
Holy Spirit; He perseveres to bless, and we persevere in receiving the
blessing. If He begins, you have begun with a divine power that
fainteth not neither is weary. I wish it might so happen that on this
fifth day of the ninth month, not the prophet Haggai, but I, God's
servant, may have spoken to you such a word by the witness of the Holy
Ghost, "From this day will I bless you"! Go away with that promise
resting upon you. I would like to give a shake of the hand to every
stranger here this morning, and say, "Brother, in the name of the Lord
I wish you from this day a blessing." Amen and amen.
PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE READ BEFORE SERMON–Haggai 1; 2:1-9.
HYMNS FROM "OUR OWN HYMN BOOK"–956, 957, 451.