Spurgeon — Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Vol. 42

FOR THE LORD TO TRUST ANYBODY WITH SUCH A PROMISE AS THIS, “Be it unto thee even as thou wilt”. Take Christ as God sets him forth, and then be it unto thee even as thou wilt.

Then Jesus went thence,

And departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon
And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts,
And cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil
And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us
But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel
Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me
Yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which far from their masters’ table
Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith
Be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter made whole from that very hour

Unless the Lord descend quickly, we too shall come to our dying bed, and then we shall hear our Savior say, “Be it unto thee even as thou wilt,” and oh. Jesus “departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon,” and this “woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts,” and so they met.

GOD, AND NOT MAN,”-WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

ON LORD’S-DAY EVENING, MARCH 17TH, 1889

When Israel was a child

Then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt
As they called them, so they went from them;
They sacrificed unto Baalim, —
But they knew not that I healed them
I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them
He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return
And the word shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, because of their own counsels
And my people are bent to backsliding from me
Though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him
How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel?
I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man;
The Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city
They shall walk after the LORD
He shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west

The Lord says, “I will not return to destroy Ephraim, for I am God, and not man.”. God’s terrible voice often makes men tremble, and that is one proof of the working of his grace in their hearts, for they tremble before him, and flee unto him.

HEREIN IS LOVE.”

The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
He leadeth me beside the still waters
He restoreth my soul
For thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies
Thou anointest my head with oil;
My cup runneth over
Surely —
Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever

Our Shepherd makes us not only to feed, but so to feed that we lie down in the midst of the pastures. He leadeth me.” There is also progress, and there is provision for our advance in the heavenly way: “He leadeth me.”.

THE RULE AND REWARD OF SERVING CHRIST

ON THURSDAY EVENING, JUNE 27TH, 1889

These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may

As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent
I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was
I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept
Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee
And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, — We also know that we, too, are in the world; we have good reason to feel
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost but the son of
And now come I to thee;
And these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves
I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, —
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word in truth
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for

Holy Father, keep through thine own name thosewhom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

THE JOY OF REDEMPTION

Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen

One shall say, I am the LORD’S; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD,
For he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread?
And your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in
Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for
Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts
For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and indeed of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for
Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although

Notwithstanding all the sin and provocation mentioned in the previous chapter, the Lord still reveals his mercy and goodness to his ancient people. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. He is very fond of the number three, the Trinity is constantly revealed throughout both the Old and the New Testaments.

All nature is in sympathy with the man who is in harmony with God; the world itself echoes to the joy of the little world within man’s bosom. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and indeed of the briershall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

BLESSED IN HIM

Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son

He shall judge thy people with righteousness and thy poor with judgement
The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness
He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor
They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations
He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth
The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts
Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him that has no helper
For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper
And to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised
There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city
The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended

Oh, that the Lord would visibly give into his hands power over all the people of the earth. It is the peculiar characteristic of the reigning Christ that he has his eye chiefly upon the poor. He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of theneedy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.

He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. And to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall bemade for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.

HOPE FOR THE WORST BACKSLIDERS

They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be
But thou has played the harlot with many lovers;
Yet return again to me, saith the LORD
Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?
Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end?
Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest
The LORD said also unto me in the day, of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every
And say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD,
Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under
And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of
At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to
And give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the host of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn
A voice was heard upon the high places,
Weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God

Your righteousness must in your own esteem become as filthy rags; you must own yourself to be defiled and undone, or there is no hope for you. If it is to be your way, it will be your ruin; but if it is to be God’s way, it shall be your salvation. It must be a true acceptance of God, to be our God henceforth and for ever.

Wilt thou ask to be admitted into his house by the blood-stained door of his Son’s atoning sacrifice. He died that sinners might live; wilt thou have his death to be thy life. No, that he will not; there is none so slow to anger as our God, and there is none so ready to be rid of it as he is.

A HARD CASE

Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters

He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain: so that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat. His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen and his bones that were not seen stick out.

If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand to show unto man his uprightness then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it prompted me not; he will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, to bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.

THE SECRET OF FAILURE

And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by

And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them
And straightaway all the people, when they behold him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him
And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?
He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me
And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief
When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee,
And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead
But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose

And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought. And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; and wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him. And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out. And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

A CURE FOR A WEAK HEART

ON THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 4TH, 1886

In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust;

Let me never be ashamed
Deliver me in thy righteousness
Bow down thine ear to me;
Deliver me speedily
Be thou my strong rock, for an house of defense to save me
For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me
Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength
Into thine hand I commit my spirit
I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy
For thou hast considered my trouble;
Thou hast known my soul in adversities;
And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy
Thou hast set my feet in a large room
Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble
Mine eye is consumed with grief,
For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing
My strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed
I was a reproach among all mine enemies,
But especially among my neighbors,
And a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me
I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel
For I have heard the slander of many
Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave
Which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues

Here is an ancient weather-beaten saint who, in the very midst of the storm, can say, “In thee, O Jehovah, do I put my trust.” There will the anchor of his soul find a sure hold. There seems to me to be a very blessed turn in the expression here used: “Pull me out of the net: for thou art my strength.”. Thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth, I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.

Should there not sometimes be the sounding of the cymbals even in the midst of our supplications. See what a fount of happiness there is in the psalmist’s heart; he longs for all the saints to love the Lord. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

THE LAMB OUR LEADER

ON LORD’S-DAY EVENING, MARCH 7TH, 1886

And with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads
And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and so the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping
And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders
And no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth
These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins
These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the
And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God
And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, se fallen, that great city, because she made as nations drink of the wine of the wrath
And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped
And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle
And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; And cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying,
And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God
And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and

Then they go out singing the song of Hoses the servant of God and of the Lamb. All through their marching in the wilderness, there was the offering of the morning lamb and the evening lamb. John cried, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world,”.

What tremendously terrible words these are: “He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb”. This is the ingathering of the ungodly, they are not the Lord’s harvest, they are the vintage of his wrath. Shall any of us ever be cast into the great winepress of the wrath of god.

JOB’S RESIGNATION

ON THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 11TH, 1886

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them

And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou?
Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job,
That there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side?
And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand
While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the
While he was yet speaking there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have

Perhaps, in stars far remote, in various parts of the universe, there was celebrated that day a high festival of honor unto Jehovah, but since sin has come into the world, since even amongst the twelve apostles there was a Judas, so in every assembly, even though it be an assembly of the sons of God, there is sure to be a devil: “Satan came also among them.” If he is not anywhere else, he is sure to be where the sons of God are gathered together. And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: and the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. Now, if that lightning had fallen on the Sabeans while they were robbing and plundering, one might not have wondered; but to fell on the flocks of a man of God who had clothed the naked with the fleeces of his sheep, and had presented many of the fat of the flock unto God in sacrifice, — that did seem strange.

This trial, too, comes right upon the back of the other, and this one would appear to be more severe than the former one because it seemed to come distinctly from God. While he was yet speaking there came also another, and said, TheChaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the word;. Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

REASONS FOR A SINGULAR QUESTION

ON LORD’S-DAY EVENING, MARCH 14TH, 1886

First, let us think of WHAT THIS SINGULAR QUESTION DID: “What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?”. These make the center of the group, and the Lord Jesus Christ, by his question, brings these two into prominence: “What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” I wish that I could fetch out of this great throng the sinner and the Savior. What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” gives you full scope, plenty of sea-room, as the sailors say.

Jesus wanted this blind man to know what he really needed; and he wants thee, sinner, to know what thou dost really need; and, therefore, he puts to thee this question, “What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” that thou mayest settle distinctly in thy mind what it is that thou art seeking. Hence he asks of each one the question, “What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?”. No, you must will what you want: “What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?”.