Category Archives: Evening’s With Spurgeon

  “Are they Israelites? so am I.”~ 2 Corinthians 11:22 ~ We have here A PERSONAL CLAIM, and one that needs proof. The apostle knew that His claim was indisputable, but there are many persons who have no right to the title who yet claim to belong to the Israel of God. If we are with confidence declaring, “So am… (more…)

“He that loveth not knoweth not God.”~ 1 John 4:8 ~ The distinguishing mark of a Christian is his confidence in the love of Christ, and the yielding of his affections to Christ in return. First, faith sets her seal upon the man by enabling the soul to say with the apostle, “Christ loved me and gave Himself for me.”… (more…)

“Received up into glory.”~ 1 Timothy 3:16 ~ We have seen our well-beloved Lord in the days of His flesh, humiliated and sore vexed; for He was “despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” He whose brightness is as the morning, wore the sackcloth of sorrow as His daily dress: shame was His mantle,… (more…)

“He humbled Himself.”~ Philippians 2:8 ~ Jesus is the great teacher of lowliness of heart. We need daily to learn of Him. See the Master taking a towel and washing His disciples’ feet! Follower of Christ, wilt thou not humble thyself? See Him as the Servant of servants, and surely thou canst not be proud! Is not this sentence the… (more…)

“Good Master.”~ Matthew 19:16 ~ If the young man in the gospel used this title in speaking to our Lord, how much more fitly may I thus address Him! He is indeed my Master in both senses, a ruling Master and a teaching Master. I delight to run upon His errands, and to sit at His feet. I am both… (more…)

“He will make her wilderness like Eden.”~ Isaiah 51:3 ~ Methinks, I see in vision a howling wilderness, a great and terrible desert, like to the Sahara. I perceive nothing in it to relieve the eye, all around I am wearied with a vision of hot and arid sand, strewn with ten thousand bleaching skeletons of wretched men who have… (more…)

“Who healeth all thy diseases.”~ Psalm 103:3 ~ Humbling as is the statement, yet the fact is certain, that we are all more or less suffering under the disease of sin. What a comfort to know that we have a great Physician who is both able and willing to heal us! Let us think of Him awhile to-night. His cures… (more…)

“That henceforth we should not serve sin.”~ Romans 6:6 ~ Christian, what hast thou to do with sin? Hath it not cost thee enough already? Burnt child, wilt thou play with the fire? What! when thou hast already been between the jaws of the lion, wilt thou step a second time into his den? Hast thou not had enough of… (more…)

“Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho.”~ Joshua 6:26 ~ Since he was cursed who rebuilt Jericho, I much more the man who labours to restore Popery among us. In our fathers’ days the gigantic walls of Popery fell by the power of their faith, the perseverance of their efforts, and the… (more…)

“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.”~ Lamentations 3:21 ~ Memory is frequently the bondslave of despondency. Despairing minds call to remembrance every dark foreboding in the past, and dilate upon every gloomy feature in the present; thus memory, clothed in sackcloth, presents to the mind a cup of mingled gall and wormwood. There is, however, no… (more…)

“What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?”~ 2 Samuel 9:8 ~ If Mephibosheth was thus humbled by David’s kindness, what shall we be in the presence of our gracious Lord? The more grace we have, the less we shall think of ourselves, for grace, like light, reveals our impurity. Eminent saints… (more…)

“Continue in the faith.”~ Acts 14:22 ~ Perseverance is the badge of true saints. The Christian life is not a beginning only in the ways of God, but also a continuance in the same as long as life lasts. It is with a Christian as it was with the great Napoleon: he said, “Conquest has made me what I am,… (more…)

“And they rose up the same hour, and returned Jerusalem . . . and they told what things were done in the way, and how He was known of them.”~ Luke 24:33,35 ~ When the two disciples had reached Emmaus, and were refreshing themselves at the evening meal, the mysterious stranger who had so enchanted them upon the road, took… (more…)

“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ.”~ Philippians 1:27 ~ The word “conversation” does not merely mean our talk and converse with one another, but the whole course of our life and behaviour in the world. The Greek word signifies the actions and the privileges of citizenship: and thus we are commanded to let our… (more…)

“Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money.”~ Isaiah 43:24 ~ Worshippers at the temple were wont to bring presents of sweet perfumes to be burned upon the altar of God: but Israel, in the time of her backsliding, became ungenerous, and made but few votive offerings to her Lord: this was an evidence of coldness of heart towards… (more…)

“Behold, Thou art fair, my Beloved.”~ Song of Solomon 1:16 ~ From every point our Well-beloved is most fair. Our various experiences are meant by our heavenly Father to furnish fresh standpoints from which we may view the loveliness of Jesus; how amiable are our trials when they carry us aloft where we may gain clearer views of Jesus than… (more…)

“There is corn in Egypt.”~ Genesis 42:2 ~ Famine pinched all the nations, and it seemed inevitable that Jacob and his family should suffer great want; but the God of providence, who never forgets the objects of electing love, had stored a granary for His people by giving the Egyptians warning of the scarcity, and leading them to treasure up… (more…)

“I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love.”~ Hosea 11:4 ~ Our heavenly Father often draws us with the cords of love; but ah! how backward we are to run towards Him! How slowly do we respond to His gentle impulses! He draws us to exercise a more simple faith in Him; but we have not… (more…)

“And he requested for himself that he might die.”~ 1 Kings 19:4 ~ It was a remarkable thing that the man who was never to die, for whom God had ordained an infinitely better lot, the man who should be carried to heaven in a chariot of fire, and be translated, that he should not see death should thus pray,… (more…)

“Afterward.”~ Hebrews 12:11 ~ How happy are tried Christians, afterwards. No calm more deep than that which succeeds a storm. Who has not rejoiced in clear shinings after rain? Victorious banquets are for well-exercised soldiers. After killing the lion we eat the honey; after climbing the Hill Difficulty, we sit down in the arbour to rest; after traversing the Valley… (more…)

“Thou art My servant; I have chosen thee.”~ Isaiah 41:9 ~ If we have received the grace of God in our hearts, its practical effect has been to make us God’s servants. We may be unfaithful servants, we certainly are unprofitable ones, but yet, blessed be His name, we are His servants, wearing His livery, feeding at His table, and… (more…)

“And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches. For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye and your cattle, and your beasts.”~ 2 Kings 3:16,17 ~ The armies of the three kings were famishing… (more…)

“Made perfect.”~ Hebrews 12:23 ~ Recollect that there are two kinds of perfection which the Christian needs the perfection of justification in the person of Jesus, and the perfection of sanctification wrought in him by the Holy Spirit. At present, corruption yet remains even in the breasts of the regenerate experience soon teaches us this. Within us are still lusts… (more…)

“He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom.”~Isaiah 40:11 ~ Who is He of whom such gracious words are spoken? He is THE GOOD SHEPHERD. Why doth He carry the lambs in His bosom? Because He hath a tender heart, and any weakness at once melts His heart. The sighs, the ignorance, the feebleness… (more…)

Thou art my portion, O Lord.”~ Psalm 119:57 ~ Look at thy possessions, O believer, and compare thy portion with the lot of thy fellowmen. Some of them have their portion in the field; they are rich, and their harvests yield them a golden increase; but what are harvests compared with thy God, who is the God of harvests? What… (more…)

“Fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again.”~ Genesis 46:3,4 ~ Jacob must have shuddered at the thought of leaving the land of his father’s sojourning, and dwelling among heathen strangers. It was a… (more…)

“Only be thou strong and very courageous.”~ Joshua 1:7 ~ Our God’s tender love for His servants makes Him concerned for the state of their inward feelings. He desires them to be of good courage. Some esteem it a small thing for a believer to be vexed with doubts and fears, but God thinks not so. From this text it… (more…)

“The only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”~ John 1:14 ~ Believer, You can bear your testimony that Christ is the only begotten of the Father, as well as the first begotten from the dead. You can say, “He is divine to me, if He be human to all the world beside. He has done that for… (more…)

“Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field . . . let us see if the vine flourish.”~ Song of Solomon 7:11,12 ~ The church was about to engage in earnest labour, and desired her Lord’s company in it. She does not say, “I will go,” but “let us go.” It is blessed working when Jesus is at… (more…)

“Acquaint now thyself with Him.”~ Job 22:21 ~ If we would rightly “acquaint ourselves with God, and be at peace,” we must know Him as He has revealed Himself, not only in the unity of His essence and subsistence, but also in the plurality of His persons. God said, “Let us make man in our own image let not man… (more…)

“Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.“~ John 5:8 ~ Like many others, the impotent man had been waiting for a wonder to be wrought, and a sign to be given. Wearily did he watch the I pool, but no angel came, or came not for him; yet, thinking it to be his only chance, he… (more…)

“All the days of my appointed time will I wait.”~ Job 14:14 ~ A little stay on earth will make heaven more heavenly. Nothing makes rest so sweet as toil; nothing renders security so pleasant as exposure to alarms. The bitter quassia cups of earth will give a relish to the new wine which sparkles in the golden bowls of glory.… (more…)

“He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.”~ Proverbs 16:20 ~ Wisdom is man’s true strength; and, under its guidance, he best accomplishes the ends of his being. Wisely handling the matter of life gives to man the richest enjoyment, and presents the noblest occupation for his powers; hence by… (more…)

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible.”~ 1 Peter 1:23 ~ Peter most earnestly exhorted the scattered saints to love each other “with a pure heart fervently” and he wisely fetched his argument, not from the law, from nature, or from philosophy, but from that high and divine nature which God hath implanted in His people. Just… (more…)

“A very present help.” ~ Psalm 46:1 ~ Covenant blessings are not meant to be looked at only, but to be appropriated. Even our Lord Jesus is given to us for our present use. Believer, thou dost not make use of Christ as thou oughtest to do. When thou art in trouble, why dost thou not tell Him all thy… (more…)