TREMBLING AT THE WORD OF THE
NO.2071
INTENDED FOR READING ON LORD’S DAY, FEBRUARY 24,
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON,
ON THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 1, 1884.
“To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembles at My Word.”
Isaiah 66:2.
PORTRAIT painting is a great art. Many pretend to it but the masters of the art are few. In the Word of God we have a gallery of portraits so accurate, so striking, that only the hand of the Lord could have drawn them. Most of us have been startled to see our own portrait there. The best of all is that at the bottom of each likeness we have the Lord’s judgment upon the character so that we are able to form an estimate of what our true condition is before the Lord. Here you have a man drawn—he is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembles at the Word of the Lord. Here, also, you have the Lord’s estimate of him—“To this man will I look.”
I hope to dwell chiefly upon the character described in the closing words, “And trembles at My Word.” Support the text by the fifth verse, “Hear the Word of the Lord, you that tremble at His Word.” This trembling is, in God’s esteem, an admirable trait in their character. The glorious Jehovah from His Throne in Heaven speaks of those contrite ones who tremble at His Word—and then the Prophet takes up the strain and cries, “Hear the Word of the Lord, you that tremble at His Word.” It is a
very great mercy that there are descriptions of saints given in the Word of God which go very low and reach the feeblest degrees of Divine Grace and the saddest frames of mind.
We find the children of God sometimes upon very high places—their spiritual life is vigorous and their inward joy is abounding. When we give you descriptions of saints in that condition, many of the Little-Faiths at once cry out, “Alas, I know nothing of this! Would God it were so with me! But, indeed, it is not.” They are greatly discouraged by those very things which should raise their spirits and stimulate their desires—for surely if one Believer is able to climb the Delectable Mountains, there is all the more hope that another may do so.
Yet, we have to thank God that in His priceless Scripture, He has painted for us portraits of the Believer in his low estate. In the picture gallery of those saved by faith we find Rahab as well as Sarah and erring Samson as well as holy Samuel. In the Family Continue reading →