Charles Spurgeon

Now I come…to plead with all my might with some of you whom God has pricked in your consciences. I have come to entreat you, if it be possible, even to tears, that you will give up your secret sins. I have one here for whom I bless God: I love him, though I know him not. He is almost persuaded to be a Christian. He is halting between two opinions: he intends to serve God, he strives to give up sin, but he finds it a hard struggle. As yet, he knows not what shall become of him. I speak to him with all love: My friend, will you have your sin and go to hell, or leave your sin and go to heaven? This is the solemn alternative.

To all awakened sinners I put it: May God choose for you! Otherwise, I tremble as to which you may choose. The pleasures of this life are so intoxicating, the joys of it so ensnaring, that did I not believe that God works in us to will and to do, I should despair of you. But I have confidence that God will decide the matter. Let me lay the alternative before you: on the one hand, there is an hour’s merriment, a short life of bliss, and that a poor, poor bliss. On the other hand, there is everlasting life and eternal glory. On the one hand, there is a transient happiness and afterwards overwhelming woe. In this case, there is a solid peace and everlasting joy, and after it overflowing bliss. I shall not fear to be called an Arminian when I say, as Elijah did, “Choose you this day whom you will serve! If God be God, serve him; if Baal be God serve him” (Josh. 24:15; 1 Kings 18:21). But, now, make your choice deliberately, and may God help you to do it! Do not say you will take up with religion without first counting the cost!…

Sinner, you will never regret that choice, if God helps you to make it. You will find yourself a happy man here and thrice happy throughout eternity.

“But,” says one, “Sir, I intend to be religious, but I do not hold with your strictness.” I do not ask you to do so. I hope, however, you will hold with God’s strictness. God’s strictness is ten thousand times greater than mine. You may say that I am puritanical in my preaching. God will be puritanical in judging in that great day. I may appear severe, but I can never be as severe as God will be. I may draw the harrow with sharp teeth across your conscience, but God shall drag harrows of eternal fire across you one day. I may speak thundering things. God will not speak them, but hurl them from His hands. Remember, men may laugh at hell and say there is none. But they must reject their Bibles before they can believe the lie….

Will you keep your secret sins and have eternal fire for them? Remember: It is of no use; they must all be given up or else you cannot be God’s child. You cannot by any means have both! It cannot be God and the world, it cannot be Christ and the devil; it must be one or the other. O, that God would give you grace to resign all; for what are they worth? They are your deceivers now and will be your tormentors forever. O, that your eyes were open to see the rottenness, the emptiness, and trickery of iniquity. O, that God would turn you to Himself. May God give you [the] grace…of repentance at this very hour to say, “Henceforth it is war to the knife with my sins! Not one of them will I willingly keep, but down with them, down with them!”

The dearest idol I have known, whate’er that idol be,
Help me to tear it from its throne, and worship only Thee.

“But oh, sir, I cannot do it! It would be like pulling my eyes out!” Yes, but hear what Christ says: “It were better for thee to enter into life with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire” (Matt. 5:29). “But it would be like cutting my arm off!” Yes, and it would be better for you to enter into life halt or maimed, than to be cast into hell fire forever (Matt. 5:30). When the sinner comes before God at last, do you think he will speak as he does now? God will reveal his secret sins: the sinner will not then say, “Lord, I thought my secret sins so sweet, I could not give them up.” I think I see how changed it will be then. “Sir,” you say now, “you are too strict!” Will you say that when the eyes of the Almighty are glowering on you? You say now, “Sir, you are too precise”; will you say that to God Almighty’s face? “Sir, I mean to keep such-and-such a sin.” Can you say it at God’s bar at last? You will not dare to do it then. Ah, when Christ comes a second time, there will be a marvelous change in the way men talk. I think I see Him! There He sits upon His throne! Now, Caiaphas, come and condemn Him now! Judas, come and kiss Him now! What do you stick at, man? Are you afraid of Him? Now, Barabbas, go! See whether they will prefer you to Christ now. Swearer, now is your time! You have been a bold man. Curse Him to His face now. Now drunkard, stagger up to Him now! Now infidel, tell Him there is no Christ now—now that the world is lit with lightning and the earth is shaken with thunder until the solid pillars thereof bow themselves—tell God there is no God now; now laugh at the Bible; now scoff at the minister. Why, men, what is the matter with you? Why can’t you do it? Ah, there you are; you have fled to the hills and to the rocks—“Rocks hide us! Mountains fall on us! Hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne” (cf. Rev. 6:16). Where are now your boasts, your vauntings, and your glories? Alas, alas for you in that dread day of wonders.

Secret sinner, what will then become of you? Go out of this place unmasked; go out to examine yourself. Go out to bend your knee, go out to weep, go out to pray. God give you grace to believe! And oh, how sweet and pleasant the thought, that this day sinners have fled to Christ, and men have been born again to Jesus! Brethren, before I finish, I repeat the words at which so many have caviled—it is now or never, it is turn or burn. Solemnly in God’s sight I say it; if it be not God’s truth, I must answer for it in the Great Day of account. Your consciences tell you it is true. Take it home and mock me if you will; this morning I am clear of your blood. If any seek not God but live in sin, I shall be clear of your blood in that Day when the watchman shall have your souls demanded of him. Oh, may God grant that you may be cleared in a blessed manner! When I went down these pulpit stairs a Sabbath or two ago, a friend said to me words that have been in my mind ever since: “Sir, there are nine thousand people this day without excuse in the Day of Judgment.” It is true of you this morning. If you are damned, it will be not for [lack] of preaching to you, and it shall not be for [lack] of praying for you. God knows that if my heart could break of itself, it would for your souls; for God is my witness, how earnestly I long for you in the bowels of Christ Jesus. Oh, that He might touch your hearts and bring you to Him! For death is a solemn thing, damnation is a horrible thing, to be out of Christ is a dreadful thing, to be dead in sin is a terrific thing. May God lead you to view these things as they are and save you for His mercy’s sake! “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16).

Lord, search my soul, try every thought;
Though my own heart accuse me not
Of walking in a false disguise,
I beg the trial of thine eyes,
Doth secret mischief lurk within?
Do I indulge some unknown sin?
O turn my feet whene’er I stray,
And lead me in thy perfect way.

From a sermon delivered on Sabbath morning, February 8, 1857, at the Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens by Charles Spurgeon, the renowend 19th-century Baptist preacher of Metropolitan Tabernacle in London.

Published by The Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth, used with permission.