Spurgeon on Church Growth and Seeker Friendliness

"Now that is what I desire for Christ's church, and what every Christian should desire. We want Christ's church to be as large as possible. God forbid that by any of our winnowing, we would ever cast away one of the precious sons of Zion. When we rebuke sharply, we should be concerned lest the rebuke would fall where it is not needed and bruise and hurt the feelings of any whom God has chosen.

On the other hand, we have no wish to see the church multiplied at the expense of its purity. We do not wish to have a charity so large that it takes in chaff as well as wheat. We want to be charitable enough to use the fan thoroughly to purge God's floor, yet charitable enough to pick up the most shriveled ear of wheat and to preserve it for the Master's sake, who is the Husbandman.

I trust that God will help me to discern between the precious and the vile so that I may say nothing uncharitable that would cut off any of God's people from being part of his true and living and visible church; at the same time, I pray that i may not speak so loosely, and so without God's direction, as to embrace any in the arms of Christian affection whom the Lord has not received in the eternal covenant of His love." (C.H. Spurgeon, The Holy Spirit and the One Church)

Spurgeon on Imprecation

I'll be preaching on Psalm 129 this Sunday. The Psalmist writes, "May all who hate Zion, Be put to shame and turned backward.Let them be like grass upon the housetops, Which withers before it grows up; With which the reaper does not fill his hand, Or the binder of sheaves his bosom; Nor do those who pass by say, "The blessing of the LORD be upon you; We bless you in the name of the LORD."" A light imprecation to be sure (compared to Psalm 58, 69, and 137 to name a few)- but, nonetheless, we find in the inerrant Word a prayer that those who hate Zion be turned away, that they not receive blessing. How do we reconcile such verses with the call of Christ to 'bless those who curse you' (Luke 6:27-28)? Should we make that hermeneutical blunder which simply write such passages off (as Lewis does in his Reflections on the Psalms) as Old Testament archaisms? How do we remain haters of sin and the strategies of Satan in the world and the hearts of men, yet still seek blessing upon all men through the work of Christ?
Tough stuff. Takes discernment, the power of the Spirit, the mind of Christ, and immersion in the Word of God.

We do need to remember that the prayers of the Psalmist were offered on behalf of a physical nation with boundaries, an ethnic identity, and is a call for justice. We too can offer such prayers that criminals not prosper, crooked cops not prosper in perverting justice, and corrupt politicians come to nothing, or, that the guy who stole my wallet get caught. But in Christ, we see all such sin and struggle through the redemptive promises of God achieved by the cross. We can still pray for justice, and we don't 'overlook' sin, and we can seek civil restitution for crime, and enforce punititive consequences for sin. But, we can 'bless' all men by praying for their souls, seeking their reconciliation with God through Christ, and pleading for God's mercy upon them as he is merciful with us. We also need not be frustrated by these things, knowing that God is going to judge all men and we need not seek to avenge ourselves.

Anyway, I wouldn't say it like Spurgeon did in his comments on this Psalm in the Treasury of David- but that is because compared to the Prince of Preachers I am a total sentamentalist weenie. Here's what he wrote:

"If this be an imprecation, let it stand; for our heart says "Amen" to it. It is but justice that those who hate, harass, and hurt the good should be brought to nought. Those who confound right and wrong ought to be confounded, and those who turn back from God ought to be turned back...This present age is so flippant that if a man loves the Savior he is styled a fanatic and if he hates the powers of evil he is named a bigot...Study a chapter from the "Book of Martyrs," and see if you do not feel inclined to read an imprecatory psalm over Bishop Bonner and Bloody Mary. It may be that some wretched nineteenth century sentimentalist will blame you; if so, read another over him."