CHARLES SPURGEON — SERMON NOTES



91.

THIS is the voice of mercy, anxious about each individual.

Justice might slay the sinner in his sin; but mercy would slay the sin, and spare the sinner.

Yet it is the voice of holiness, opposed to each man's special evil way; and claiming of each man an acceptable life. The Lord Jesus has not come to be the Minister of sin, but the Destroyer of it.

Let us hear each one for himself on this occasion, for have we not every one some evil way of his own?

It is Jehovah's voice, and concerning its message we enquire:

I. WHAT? "Return."

This includes three things.

1. Stop! Stand still! Go not a foot further in your evil way.
2. Turn round! Face towards God, holiness, heaven, etc.
3.Hasten back! Practically move in the right way, and continue in that good course which is the reverse of your present one.

II. WHEN? "Return ye now."

1. Every step makes so much more to retrace.
2. Every step makes it more difficult to return.
3. Further wandering will be wanton and willful; a presumptuous rejection of the warning which is now so earnestly given.
4. Never again may you have an opportunity to return.

Every reason pleads for now, but for delay there is no excuse.

III. WHO? "Return ye now every one."

The personality of the call to each hearer of it is necessary, for—

1. Each man has his own peculiar way of sin.
2. Each man is apt to think of his neighbor's sin more than his own.
3. Each man needs a special effectual call ere he will turn.
4. Each man is now lovingly invited to return.

IV. FROM WHAT? "From his evil way."

"We have turned every one to his own way" (Isa. 53:6). This way of your own you are to return from,—

To many it will be important to be able to discover this favorite sin.

1. It is that into which you are most easily led.
2. It is that which has already been most indulged by you.
3. It is that about which you are most irritated if you are rebuked concerning it. Darling sins must not be touched, or their fond friends grow angry.
4. It is that for which you give up other sins; a covetous person will not be extravagant, a hypocrite will deny himself, etc.
5. It is that with which you are most loth to part.
6. It is that on which you spend most money, energy, etc.

From such a darling sin each man must turn.

V. TO WHAT? "Make your ways and doings good."

Negative religion is not enough, there must be positive goodness.

1. Your general habits or ways must be made good as a whole.
2. Your ways in reference to yourself.
3. Your doings towards both God and man.

Personal examination of the utmost importance.

Practical repentance an absolute necessity.

Yet how difficult is the way back. To descend into sin is easy, but to retrace your steps, this is the work, this is the labor.

Only by faith in the Lord Jesus can it be accomplished, a look at his cross breeds more repentance than anything in the world besides.

To those who believe in Jesus, he will send the Holy Spirit to lead them in the way everlasting.

Explanatory

There are two things proper to a man that returneth: first, to go a way clean contrary to the way he went before; secondly, to tread out and obliterate his former steps .... First, I say, he must go a way clean contrary to his former way. Many men think that the way to hell is but a little out of the way to heaven, so that a man in a small time, with small ado, may pass out of the one into the other; but they are much deceived: for as sin is more than a stepping aside, v/z., a plain, a direct going away from God; so is repentance, or the forsaking of sin, more than a little coasting out of one way into another. Crossings will not serve; there is no way, from the road of sin to the place we seek, but to go quite back again the way we came. The way of pleasure in sin must be changed for sorrow for the same. He that hath superstitiously worshipped false gods must now as devoutly serve the true; the tongue that hath uttered swearings, and spoken blasphemies, must as plentifully sound forth the name of God in prayer and thanksgiving; the covetous man must become liberal; the oppressor of the poor as charitable in relieving them; the calumniator of his brother a tender guarder of his credit; in fine, he that hated his brother before must now love him as tenderly as himself. — Joseph Mede

"Now," thou resolvest, "I will hereafter look to it better than I have done before." Alas, this will for hereafter is no will! First: because it is only to shuffle off the willing of the present. The heart is unwilling to obey, and therefore it puts off the commandment to the future, not for any desire that it hath to do it hereafter, but only because it is unwilling to do it for the present; like a man that is unwilling to lend. "I'll lend you hereafter," says he, only because he would shuffle off lending at all. Secondly: this will for hereafter is no will, because it goes without God's will. God's will is now; thine is hereafter. "He that will not when he may, when he would he shall have 'Nay.'" Take heed lest when thou wouldst fain be pardoned, and criest,"Lord, open to me," thou dost find thyself too late. — William Fenner

A missionary in India, addressing the natives on the question of sin, asked, "What say your own shasters?—

'I a sinner, you a sinner, sinners every one;
Sinless — none are found who dwell beneath the sun.'"

(1) He that leaves not all sin; (2) He that leaves sin only outwardly; (3) He that leaves sin because he cannot commit it; (4) He that leaves sin out of sinister respects; (5) He that leaves one sin for another; (6) He that leaves sin but for a time; (7) He that leaves sin, but does not endeavor to subdue it; (8) He that so turns from sin as not to turn to God — has not had complete repentance. — Clarkson

Many would kill the adder, and spare the viper; as in Hudibras, they—

"Compound for sins they are inclined to,
By damning those they have no mind to."

CHARLES HADDEN SPURGEON

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