C.H. Spurgeon Quotes

Every grace can be counterfeited, even as jewels can be imitated. AP3 A boy in the streets, selling mince-pies, kept crying, “Hot mince-pies!” A person bought one of them, and found it quite cold. “Boy,” said he, “why do you call these pies hot?” “That’s the name they go by, sir,” said the boy. So there are plenty of people who are called Christians, but they are not Christians—that’s the name they go by; but all the substance is drained out of them by other matters. BA35 “Is your father a Christian?” said a Sunday-school teacher to a child. The girl answered, “Yes, I believe that father is a Christian; but he has not worked much at it lately.” No doubt there are many of that sort. Their religion has taken a holiday, and they themselves have gone to a sluggard’s bed. Let them be aroused, for it is high time to awaken out of sleep. BA125 Fish sometimes leap out of the water with great energy, but it would be foolish to conclude that they have left the liquid element for ever, in a moment they are swimming again as if they had never forsaken the stream; indeed, it was but a fly that tempted them aloft, or a sudden freak, the water is still their home, sweet home. When we see long-accustomed sinners making a sudden leap at religion, we may not make too sure that they are converts; perhaps some gain allures them, or sudden excitement stirs them, and if so they will be back again at their old sins. Let us hope well, but let us not commend too soon. FA46 If you profess to be a Christian, yet find full satisfaction in worldly pleasures and pursuits, your profession is false. ME355 It very often happens that the converts that are born in excitement die when the excitement is over. SW16 Ah, souls! ye may paint yourselves as ye will, but unless ye have the genuine matter, ye will never be able to pass the judgment-seat of God. Ye may gild and varnish, but he will say, “Take it away,” and like the painted face of Jezebel, which the dogs did eat, despite the paint, so shall you yourselves be utterly devoured, despite the fair picture that you made. 423.604 If I had an offer now of losing this right arm and having to endure in this church some such falls as we have had to mourn over, and as the world has seen of late among high professors, I do feel I can say without hypocrisy, I would choose to be cut limb from limb sooner than see those whom I have loved and honoured fall from the faith; for it is a bitter thing to us who are ministers of Christ; it is our curse and plague; it costs us sleepless nights and miserable days when we hear of those that did run well apparently who turn back to the world, who play the Judas (it were bad enough if they played the Peter) and become the devil’s servants, though they once wore the livery of Christ. 717.595 An ungodly man may lie down in the church of God with the lambs of the flock, and nothing may lead you to suspect his true character, but when the time comes for him to make profit by sin, or to get pleasure by sin, or to escape from persecution by sin, then you find out what he is. 976.102 Let them get home to their knees and pray God to give them manliness enough at least to be damned honestly, and not go down to perdition wearing the name of Christian when Christians they are not. 1158.107 We would with the utmost charity hope the best, but we cannot conceal from ourselves with fear and trembling that a large mass of professors are so worldly, so fond of every trifling amusement, so given up to self, and so negligent of anything like zealous service of God, that they cannot be Christians, though they profess to be such. 1177.332 Many professors only keep upright because they stand in a row, and derive support from their associations. 1418.328 He who does nothing believes nothing—that is to say, in reality and in truth. Faith is but an empty show if it produces no result upon the life. If a professor manifests no energy, no industry, no zeal, no perseverance, no endeavour to serve God, there is cause gravely to question whether he is a believer at all. 1599.282 Nobody can do as much damage to the church of God as the man who is within its walls, but not within its life. 2088.310 Multitudes of religious persons are like wax-works, well-proportioned, and you might mistake them by candle-light for life; but in the light of God you would soon discover that there is a mighty difference, for the best that human skill can do is a poor imitation of real life. 2186.53 There are too many of our converts about; we may find them everywhere except in heaven; but woe unto the man who is content with being the convert of his fellow-man! 2599.585 Why, these are sham Christians; they are not genuine Christians; they are of the world, and do the things of the world. We may conclude that their hearts and natures are worldly, for if they were spiritual they would love spiritual things, and their hearts would be engaged in spiritual exercises. 3366.383