Joseph Irons Quotes

Joseph Irons ( 1785-1852 ) was very influential in Spurgeon's life . They never met . But it was the penny sermons of Irons that helped to shape Spurgeon's own sermons . Spurgeon started preaching about a year after the death of Irons .

" The Vineyard Song "

[ Re. Matt. 15:13 ]

" Every plant that my heavenly Father hath not planted , shall be plucked up . " Oh my soul , pause over this solemn statement , and ask how many an apparently flourishing plant will , by-and-bye , be plucked up to be fuel for the eternal burnings . ' Every plant that my heavenly Father hath not planted . ' Try it . Who planted you as a Christian ? Who planted you in your knowledge of the things of God ? Who planted you in Christian fellowship ? Who planted you in participation of external ordinances ? If it was not my heavenly Father , He will never own you . I introduce this just to mark , that this vineyard is so strictly and properly His own , that it is not only His of His own choice and protecting and fencing in , but His own also in the planting of it .

 

" The Advocate On High "

A very large portion of our modern divinity makes God out to be false ... strange things [ are ] put forward by the free-will party ... Jehovah saith " the redeemed of the Lord shall return , and come with singing unto Zion ; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head . " Modern divinity says , ... that the redeemed of the Lord includes all Adam's posterity , Cain , and Esau , and Jezebel , and Judas . God says the redeemed SHALL come ; man says they do not . this is literally saying God is a liar . ... " They shall obtain gladness and joy ; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away . " How blessed are are these SHALLS . Again , God says in so many words , " I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy , and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion .' " No ," says proud blasphemy , " God shall have mercy upon those who will accept it ... Listen to what Peter says of the family of God ; " elect , according to the foreknowledge of God the Father , through sanctification of the Spirit " -- they are redeemed by the blood of sprinkling , and called by sovereign grace . All is God's doing , and not man's ; and yet men say they must complete it ... salvation is all of grace from first to last ; the creature is only the recipient , and is made willing to be that by omnpotent grace , or he never would be .