Sermons on Proverbs — Charles H. Spurgeon
The Heart: A Gift for God
A sermon (No. 1995) intended for reading on Lord’s Day, December 11th, 1887. at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, by C. H. Spurgeon.
“My son, give me thine heart.”—Proverbs 23:26.
These are the words of Solomon speaking in the name of wisdom, which wisdom is but another name for the Lord Jesus Christ, who is made of God unto us wisdom. If you ask “What is the highest wisdom upon the earth?” it is to believe in Jesus Christ whom God has sent—to become his follower and disciple, to trust him and imitate him. It is God in the person of his dear Son who says to each one of us, “My son, give me thine heart.” Can we answer, “Lord, I have given thee my heart”? Then we are his sons. Let us cry, “Abba, Father,” and bless the Lord for the high privilege of being his children. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God.”
I. Let us look at this precept, “My son, give me thine heart,” and notice first that love prompts this request of wisdom.
Only love seeks after love. If I desire the love of another it can surely only be because I myself have love toward him. We care not to be loved by those whom we do not love. It were an embarrassment rather than an advantage to receive love from those to whom we would not return it. When God asks human love, it is because God is love. As the sparks mount toward the sun, the central fire, so ought our love to rise toward God, the central source of all pure and holy love. It is an instance of infinite condescension that God should say, “My son, give me thine heart.” Notice the strange position in which it puts God and man; the usual position is for the creature to say to God, “Give me”, but here the Creator cries to feeble man, “Give me.” The Great Benefactor himself becomes the Petitioner—stands at the door of his own creatures and asks, not for offerings, nor for words of praise, but for their hearts. Oh, it must be because of the great love of God that he condescends to put himself into such a position, and if we were right-minded our immediate response would be, “Dost thou seek my heart? here it is, my Lord.” But alas! few thus respond, and none do so except those who are like David, men after God’s own heart. When God says to such, “Seek ye my face,” they answer at once “Thy face Lord, will we seek”: but this answer is prompted by divine grace. It can only be love that seeks for love.
Again, it can only be supreme love which leads wisdom to seek after the heart of such poor things as we are. The best saints are poor things; and as for some of us who are not the best, what poor, poor things we are! How foolish! How slow to learn! Does wisdom seek us for scholars? Then wisdom must be of a most condescending kind. We are so guilty, too. We shall rather disgrace than honor the courts of wisdom if she admits us to her school. Yet she says to each of us, “Give me thy heart. Come and learn of me.” Only love can invite such scholars as we are. I am afraid we shall never do much to glorify God; we have but small parts to begin with, and our position is obscure. Yet common-place people though we are, God says to each one of us, “My son, give me thine heart.” Only infinite love would come a-wooing to such wretched hearts as ours.
For what has God to gain? Brothers and sisters, if we did all give our hearts to him in what respect would he be the greater? If we gave him all we have would he be the richer? “The silver and the gold are mine,” says he, “and the cattle on a thousand hills. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee.” He is too great for us to make him greater, too good for us to make him better, too glorious for us to make him more illustrious. When he comes a-wooing, and cries, “Give me thine heart,” it must be for our benefit and not for his own. Surely it is more blessed for us to give than for him to receive. He can gain nothing: we gain everything by the gift. Yet he does gain a son: that is a sweet thought. Everyone that gives God his heart becomes God’s son, and a father esteems his children to be treasures; and I reckon that God sets a higher value upon his children than upon all the works of his hand besides. We see the Great Father’s likeness in the story of the returning prodigal. The father thought more of his returning son than of all that he possessed besides. “It was meet,” said he “that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.” Oh, I tell you, you that do not know the Lord, that if you give your hearts to him you will make him glad! The Eternal Father will be glad to get back his lost son, to press to his bosom a heart warm with affection for him, which heart aforetime had been cold and stony towards him. “My son, give me thine heart,” says he, as if he longed for our love and could not bear to have children that had forgotten him. Do you not hear him speak? Speak, Spirit of God, and make each one hear thee say, “My son, give me thine heart”!