Dear Brethren,
Spurgeon, though he is dead, yet speaks:
III. This brings us to the third point: that Eternal Life is Given to all who come for it.
"There never was a man who came to Christ for eternal life, for legal life, for spiritual life, who had not already received it, in some sense, and it was manifested to him that he had received it soon after he came. Let us take one or two texts--"He is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto him." Every man who comes to Christ will find that Christ is able to save him--not able to save him a little, to deliver him from a little sin, to keep him from a little trial, to carry him a little way and then drop him--but able to save him to the uttermost extent of his sin, unto the uttermost length of his trials, the uttermost depths of his sorrows, unto the uttermost duration of his existence. Christ says to everyone who comes to him, "Come, poor sinner, thou needst not ask whether I have power to save. I will not ask thee how far thou hast gone into sin; I am able to save thee to the uttermost." And there is no one on earth can go beyond God's uttermost."
"Now another text: [and one which shall speak for itself concerning Spurgeon's view of the matter] "Him that cometh to me, {mark the promises are nearly always to the coming ones} I will in no wise cast out." Every man that comes shall find the door of Christ's house opened--and the door to his heart too.
Every man that comes--I say it in the broadest sense--shall find that Christ has mercy for him. The greatest absurdity in the world is to want to have a wider gospel than that recorded in Scripture. I preach that every man who believes shall be saved--that every man who comes shall find mercy. People ask me, "But suppose a man should come who was not chosen, would he be saved?" You go and suppose nonsense and I am not going to give you an answer. If a man is not chosen he will never come. When he does come it is a sure proof that he was chosen. "Suppose any one should go to Christ who had not been called of the Spirit." Stop my brother, that is a supposition thou hast no right to make, for such a thing cannot happen; you only say it to entangle me, and you will not do that just yet. I say every man who comes to Christ shall be saved. I can say that as a Calvinist, or as a hyper-Calvinist, as plainly as you can say it. I have no narrower gospel than you have; only my gospel is on a solid foundation, whereas yours is built upon nothing but sand and rottingness. "Every man that cometh shall be saved, for no man cometh to me except the Father draw him."
Taken from "Free Will--A Slave" a Sermon preached on Sabbath Morning December 2, 1855 at New Park St. Chapel, Southwark.
Found on-line at:
http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0052.htm
The idea of sufficiency is really no question, except in the mind of ourselves. The Blood of the Lamb of God most certainly is sufficient for all; but is applied to only those who "come" because they are those chosen. Remember Ex. 12, the night the angel of death passed through the land of Egypt, the token of the passover is the blood applied to the doorposts of the homes of the Israelites, it was not the nationality of the Israelite per say, if an Egyptian had heard the command of God and had applied the blood of that lamb upon his own doorposts, God, by warrant of His nature could not have permitted death to have visited that home; on the other hand, if an Israelite, knowing the command as well, but did not heed (or come) by applying the blood; then the nature of God would have necessarily permitted death to visit that household. Is this not true, if not, then we have no business proclaiming the gospel, only to wait until someone either stumbles upon the idea, or are coaxed by the Spirit, to visit our churches, thus our missions and such work would be useless.
May God richly bless each of you in your walk and service to Him.
Brother Dallas Eaton
Glasgow, KY
The text for the above sermon is: "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." John 5.40
[ September 14, 2002, 12:01 AM: Message edited by: Frogman ]