Quotes from the Sermon, "The Eternal Name," by Spurgeon
I think this is my least favorite of his sermons, so far. The sermon takes one line of Scripture, "His name shall endure forever" (Psalm 122:17), and interprets it three ways:
1. The religion of the name of Jesus is to endure forever
2. The honor of his name shall endure forever
3. The saving, comforting power of his name shall endure forever
His explanation of the first point reeks of fallacy. He basically equates the truthfulness of something with its longevity, which, ultimately, is a good concept, but one that is totally worked against when presented in a such a way that a human is supposed to expereince it with a quick survey of his senses. Spurgeon points to the pyramids of Eygpt as an example of how things outside of Christ do not last. He concedes that the pyramids are in fact there, but he insists that they are eroding. But don't we have professionals who work to maintain such pieces of antiquity? And what of other ancient religions? Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam... these things will likely last as long as Christianity in human history- all the way to the return of Christ. Spurgeon is a Bible-believer... does he not accept that most people are not going to be Christians ("But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" -Matt 7:14)? What then will that majority of people do for religion, does he suppose? Fake Christianity? The world will be covered by professing Christians, though still just a fragment will be true? I don't think that will happen.
In reaction to these fellow ancient religions, Spurgeon goes the other direction- to the point of origin. He defends the elder status, and thus superiority, of Christianity by demonstrating that it was the belief given to Adam and Eve. While this is true, is this the best argument to use to convince someone who doesn't believe in the Bible?
Spurgeon has some real nugget-of-wisdom one-liners that you can easily find on online quote sites, and he makes really artistic demonstrations of all his points, but I have so far been disappointed by his level of intellect and empathetic wisdom. He seems too quick to dismiss foreign (or maybe not so foreign) ideas.
Here's a cut on Arminians, so deep that he implies that they are not among the elect...
Would ye invent a better religion? We bid you do it, and let us hear it; we have not yet so much as believed you capable of such a discovery. What then? Would ye wake up one that should deceive us and lead us astray? We bid you do it; for it is not possible to deceive the elect. Ye may deceive the multitude, but God's elect shall not be led astray. They have tried us. Have they not given us Popery? Have they not assailed us with Puseyism? Are they not tempting us with Arminianism by the wholesale? And do we therefore renounce God's truth?
And here's a quote that demonstrates both Spurgeon deep love for Calvinism and his ultimate allegiance outside of it...
Perhaps there is only one thing on earth that I love better than the last I have mentioned, and that is the pure doctrine of unadulterated Calvinism. But if that be wrong- if there be anything in that which is fale- I, for one, say let that perish too, and let Christ's name last forever. Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! "Crown him Lord of all!"
"His name shall endure forever." - PSALM 1xxii:17
The Peace of Christ To You,
Jake