CHARLES SPURGEON — SERMON NOTES



94.

WHEN other nations fall they rise no more, but to the covenanted people future still remains.

Even the land given by covenant has an entailed blessing on it, for these words are to the "mountains of Israel."

To hypocrites and formalists an end cometh; but true children of God rise again after decays and declensions. As saith the prophet, "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me" (Mic. 7:8).

A greater blessing than that which they have lost may yet be granted to restored wanderers.

The text contains a great promise. Oh, that we may enjoy it!

I. WHAT WAS THERE SO GOOD IN OUR BEGINNINGS?

As Israel's land in the beginning flowed with milk and honey, so our first estate had a singular richness about it. Oftentimes, in looking back, we sing,—

"Where is the blessedness I knew
When first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul-refreshing view
Of Jesus, and his Word?"

1. We enjoyed a vivid sense of free and full forgiveness.
2. We had a delicious proof of the joy of true religion.
3. We gained repeated victories over sinful inclinations, and outward temptations; and this made us jubilant in Christ.
4. We felt great delight in prayer, the Word, communion, etc.
5. We abounded in zeal and service, and the joy of the Lord was our strength.
6. We were in our first love, and everything was lively, intense, hopeful, wonderful, to our humble, happy mind. We were simplehearted and confiding, had not yet found out the imperfections of our brethren, and were too humble to look for them. We have not gained much by losing that confidence if in its room we have received suspicion.

We read of the "first ways of David" (2 Chron. 17:3). We are bidden to do our "first works" (Rev. 2:5).

II. CAN WE ENJOY SOMETHING BETTER THAN OUR BEGINNINGS?

Assuredly we shall if the Lord will fulfill this promise; and that he is sure to do if we walk more closely with him.

1. Our faith will be stronger, more steadfast, and intelligent.
2. Our knowledge will be fuller and deeper.
3. Our love will be more constant, practical, enduring.
4. Our prayer will be more prevalent.
5. Our usefulness will be more extended, more abiding.
6. Our whole being will be more mature.

We are to shine more and more unto the perfect day (Prov. 4:18).

Growth in grace brings with it many good things.

III. HOW CAN WE SECURE THIS BETTERNESS?

There must be a re-settlement according to our old estates in our own souls, and then there will be a renewed settlement by the act of God.

1. We must return to our first simple faith in Jesus.
2. We must quit the sins which alienated us from God.
3. We must be more thorough, and earnest.
4. We must seek after closer fellowship with Christ.
5. We must more resolutely strive to advance in divine things.

Admire the liberality of our God! He promises to do better unto us than at our beginnings. What more can he do?

See the constancy of his love-how he maintains ancient settlements, and restores old estates! Covenant heritages are entailed upon their holders by the unchanging grace of God.

Mark with what tenderness he woos us to return to his fellowship: he draws, he allures, he wins by greatness of love!

Let us, in the power of his Holy Spirit, return to him!

Doors of Hope

God's dealings with his people are best at last; they may have much kindness and mercy in the morning, but they shall have more in the evening. "I will settle you after your old estates;' etc. The Jews had the best wine at last; they had milk and honey before, but the feast of fat things full of marrow, and of wines on the lees well-refined, were at the latter end of their day given in; they had Christ and the Gospel at last. Abraham had much of the world at first, and his Isaac afterward. "God blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning." Simeon in his latter days saw Christ, and had him in his arms. — Wm. Greenhill

No instance of backsliding can be More aggravated than that of the apostle Peter, and yet no recovery was more signal. While that stands upon record, no traitor to his Lord and Master is justified in saying, "The door of hope is closed against my return." The Scriptures contain several instances in which the lamentable and disgraceful lapses of God's people are shown to be followed by their recovery and restoration. Frequently such characters, after they have been corrected and chastened of the Lord, have risen to stations of great eminence in his church. David in the Old Testament, and Peter in the New, while both illustrating the shame and sorrow of a backsliding state, stand forth as monuments of that sovereign grace which can forgive the penitent wanderer, and once more infuse into his heart the "peace that passeth all understanding." — Leifchild

Fractures well cured make us more strong. — Herbert

The joy of conversion is great:

Earth has a joy unknown to heaven,
The new-born peace of sins forgiven!
Tears of such pure and deep delight,
Ye angels! never dimmed your sight:

but there are wondrous joys as yet unknown to the inexperienced soul, and concerning which the most advanced believer has to sing—

I have a heritage of joy
That yet I must not see:
The hand that bled to make it mine,
Is keeping it for me.

Those that will not return to the duties they have neglected, cannot expect to return to the comforts they have lost. — G. S. Bowes

He is a skillful physician indeed who, finding a man sorely afflicted, not only succeeds in restoring him to health, but actually causes him to be better than he was before, dealing with his medicine, not only with the disease which caused pain, but with some other which lay deeper, but had scarcely been perceived by the patient. Such is the medicine of mercy. Thus graciously doth God deal with repenting sinners. He must be worse than a brute beast who would turn this into an argument for sinning. A true child of God feels the water standing in his eyes when he thinks of such superabounding love.

CHARLES HADDEN SPURGEON

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