Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 579
Delivered on Sunday Morning, July 10, 1864, by the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington
Lamentations 3:58.
THE Prophet speaks experimentally as of a matter which he had proved for himself. There is no true understanding of the Truths of God except by a personal experience of them. We have heard of men sitting in their drawing rooms and writing volumes on voyages and travels—but such books always bear the marks of fiction upon their title page—they can never vie in interest and freshness with the adventures of men who have actually traversed lands unknown. The botanist who shall never have seen a flower must necessarily be a mere pretender to the science. And the soldier who has never shouldered a gun is nothing but a raw recruit.
And so the man who knows the Truth of God only in the letter of it, by what he has heard with his ears, but does not know it by what, “he has tasted and his hands have handled and his eyes have looked upon of the Word of Life,” knows, indeed, nothing to any purpose and it were well for him to confess his ignorance. Our Prophet puts it not, “Lord, You have pleaded the causes of another man’s soul,” but, “You have pleaded the causes of my soul.” At the opening of this discourse I invite you to ask yourselves whether you have an interest in this pleading. Has the Lord pleaded the causes of your soul?
Such a suggestion may be of great service to you. That eminent Puritan preacher, Mr. Thomas Dolittle, was once teaching the catechism to the children of the congregation, as was the custom of the Puritans on Sunday. He came to the question, “What is effectual calling?” The answer was given, as it stands in our admirable catechism, “Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ and renewing our wills, He does persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the Gospel.”
The good man stopped and said to the lads around him, “Let us use the personal pronoun in the singular—are there any among you who can say that all this is yours?” To his great joy there stood up one who with many tears and many sobs, said, “Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby, convincing me of my sin and misery, enlightening my mind in the knowledge of Christ and renewing my will, He has persuaded and enabled me to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to me in the Gospel.”
Now this is the true way to understand any doctrine as set forth in the Word of God—by being able to feel that in your own personal case God has worked upon your soul—has brought you into reconciliation with Himself and enabled you to rejoice in His gracious promises! You are greatly blessed if, like the Prophet, you can speak experimentally. You must not fail to observe how positively he speaks. He does not say, “I hope, I trust, I sometimes think that God has pleaded the causes of my soul.” He speaks of it as a matter of fact not to be disputed. “You have pleaded the causes of my soul.”
Let us, Brethren, by the aid of the gracious Comforter, shake off those doubts and fears which so much mar our peace and comfort! Be this our prayer today that we may have done with the harsh croaking voice of surmise and suspicion and may be able to speak with the clear, melodious voice of full assurance, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him.” I like to hear a Christian, when he tells his own experience, speak of these things as one who knows what he is talking about—not as though it were all guesswork with him— but as one who with infallible certainty, the Spirit of God bearing witness with his spirit, knows that he is speaking the Truth of God.
“You have pleaded the causes of my soul.” Here I must bid you observe how gratefully the Prophet speaks, ascribing all the glory to God alone. You perceive there is not a word concerning himself or his own pleadings. He does not ascribe his deliverance in any measure to any man, much less to his own merit. But it is “You”—“You, O Lord, have pleaded the causes of my soul; You have redeemed my life.” A grateful spirit should ever be cultivated by the Christian. And especially after deliverances we should prepare a song for our God. O Believers, wake up your hearts and tune your tongues to compete with angels before the Throne! Earth should be a temple filled with the songs of grateful saints and every day should be a censer smoking with the sweet incense of thanksgiving! How joyful Jeremiah seems to be while he records the Lord’s mercy! How triumphantly he lifts up the strain!
He has been in the low dungeon and is even now no other than the Weeping Prophet, poor Jeremiah. And yet in the very book which is called, “Lamentations”—clear as the voice of Miriam when she dashed her fingers against the timbrel and shrill as the note of Deborah when she met Barak with shouts of victory—we hear the voice of Jeremy going up to Heaven—“You have pleaded the causes of my soul; You have redeemed my life”! O children of God, seek after a vital experience of the Lord’s loving kindness and when you have it, speak positively of it! Sing gratefully! Shout triumphantly! And let none of your enemies stop your glorying this side of Heaven, for on the other side of the river the free Grace of God shall be your glory forever and ever—and you shall sing eternally, “You have pleaded the causes of my soul; You have redeemed my life.”