A Sober Call to the Unconverted-Spurgeon

Some of the greatest evangelists of the past have been pastors. And a great number of them were reformed in doctrine. C. H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) is one of the more popular of these. The following is one of his many sober calls to those who have heard but not believed in Jesus Christ. It is from the sermon: "Man Humbled, God Exalted" Vol. 59). 

I will say but a few sentences, but let them be caught by your ears, and seized by your hearts. In this house tonight there are some of you who are not reconciled to God by the death of his Son. You have never humbled yourselves, and taken the Lord’s Christ to be your only hope. Now, mark this: if you will not come down by grace, you must and shall come down by judgment. You will be humbled, sinner, if not to penitence, then to remorse: if not to hopeful conversion, to hopeless despair. Every high look shall be brought down in the day when he shall sit upon the great white throne, and call the quick and the dead to judgment. “Rocks! hide us!  Mountains! fall upon us! Hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne!” Who said that? Why, the very man who once said, “Lord, I thank thee that I am not as other men are” Yes, sirs, and the very man who once said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey him?” he it is who now cries, “Hide me, hide me from the accusing face.”

Behold, ye despisers, wonder and perish! If you will not be humbled at the cross you shall be humbled at the throne of judgment. If mercy wins you not, judgment shall subdue you. If you will not bend, you shall break. He who will not melt in the fires of love shall be consumed in the furnace of wrath. Oh! my hearer, what a dread alternative is this! “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little! Blessed are all they that put their trust in him!” There is a wonderful power in humiliation. Ahab humbled himself, and though it was not with a saving humility, yet the curse did not fall upon him as it would have done. Even in a natural humiliation there may be some withdrawal of temporal chastisement, but if the Lord shall give you true brokenness of heart, remember it is written, “A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” There is not one word in the Bible against a humble soul. There is not one curse against a sinner who feels his need and comes empty-handed. Come, poor needy one, poor helpless one; thou ruined stoner, without any hope of thyself; thou bankrupt sinner, come.

“‘Tis perfect poverty alone,

That sets our soul at large;

While we can call one mite our own,

We have no full discharge.”

When we have done with self, and with all self's hopes, and projects, and plans, and trust only in the finished work of Jesus, then may we rejoice, for we are saved, and save eternally.