For Atheists and Backsliders: An April 1 Message from Charles Spurgeon

39 CommentsGreat Quotes, Think about it!

This is from Charles Spurgeon’s devotional, Morning and Evening for April 1:

THIS month of April is said to derive its name from the Latin verb aperio, which signifies to open, because all the buds and blossoms are now opening, and we have arrived at the gates of the flowery year. Reader, if you are yet unsaved, may your heart, in accord with the universal awakening of nature, be opened to receive the Lord.

Every blossoming flower warns you that it is time to seek the Lord; be not out of tune with nature, but let your heart bud and bloom with holy desires. Do you tell me that the warm blood of youth leaps in your veins? then, I entreat you, give your vigour to the Lord. It was my unspeakable happiness to be called in early youth, and I could fain praise the Lord every day for it.

Salvation is priceless, let it come when it may, but oh! an early salvation has a double value in it. Young men and maidens, since you may perish before you reach your prime, “It is time to seek the Lord.” You who feels the first signs of decay, quicken your pace: that hollow cough, that hectic flush, are warnings which you must not trifle with; with you it is indeed time to seek the Lord. Did I observe a little grey mingled with your once luxurious tresses? Years are stealing on apace, and death is drawing nearer by hasty marches, let each return of spring arouse you to set your house in order.

Dear reader, if you are now advanced in life, let me entreat and implore you to delay no longer. There is a day of grace for you now—be thankful for that, but it is a limited season and grows shorter every time that clock ticks. Here in this silent chamber, on this first night of another month, I speak to you as best I can by paper and ink, and from my inmost soul, as God’s servant, I lay before you this warning, “It is time to seek the Lord.”

Slight not that work, it may be your last call from destruction, the final syllable from the lip of grace.

Comments (39)

  2. Steve L.

    Reply

    Absolutely nobody like Spurgeon, save J.C. Ryle! No one could write with such eloquence and speak with such power! If only there were more like him today!!

    • Steve L.

      Reply

      Steve L. says:

      “Absolutely nobody like Spurgeon! No one could speak with such power! If only there were more like him today!!”

      Well, Bro Steve Sanchez comes close!! :<)

  3. perdita

    Reply

    Still missing anything demonstrating that your beliefs in God and an afterlife are real. Asking me to believe something that can’t be demonstrated because, hey, I’m going to die at some time, just doesn’t make sense.

    • Steve L.

      Reply

      perdita says:
      “Asking me to believe something that can’t be demonstrated”

      Perdita:
      The purpose of John’s gospel was just this;
      “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
      (John 20:30-31 ESV)

      Please give that some thought!

      • perdita

        Someone saying that someone else did miracles in front of another group of people. How is that compelling? Should I actually believe Benny Hinn was performing miracles because people were convinced they saw him heal others?

      • vintango2k

        Its awfully convenient, tell but don’t show, just assume he did a bunch more amazing stuff that we can’t talk about. Also I think that statement would fail to convince her just as much as the first one did, because it still lacks any demonstrative.

        You would think an omnipotent God who wanted us all to love him and obey him would have known this and given us something better than the incorrect stories of the Bible.

        Perhaps he could have created a gigantic cross on the moon the day Jesus died for the whole world to see… that might have been good for starters. He could have manifested a stone tablet of the ten commandments to every civilization of mankind with the instructions that Jesus has now died for your sins, if you believe on him then you don’t have to go to hell. (And explained what hell is to the people who were ignorant of it)

        He could have even made the tablets indestructible or immaterial, so that no one could destroy or hide them, that way EVERYONE has the word of God (And now just the Hebrews for whatever reason) that way all those poor Native Americans wouldn’t have had to keep going to hell since they didn’t know about Jesus, can you imagine, tens of thousands of them dying and going to hell because for 1500 years they weren’t worthy of any sort of judeo-christian revelation? Those poor people.

      • Nohm

        Hi Steve L.,

        I don’t see how that answers perdita’s question. Please explain.

      • Nameless Cynic

        Well, Nohm, you’re right. He didn’t answer perdita’s question. Because he was answering vintango.

        Hence “Vin:…”

      • Nohm

        Nameless,

        My response was to “Steve L.”, as you can see, and not “Steve S.”

        My question still stands for Steve L.

      • Steve L.

        perdita says:
        “Should I actually believe Benny Hinn was performing miracles because people were convinced they saw him heal others?”

        Absolutely not!!!
        But please understand, I’m quoting from the living Word of God and if what you read doesn’t stir your heart, then perhaps it will at another time! The best “we” can do is to continue to share the Word and let the Lord, in His time, bring the harvest!

      • theB1ackSwan

        But Steve L, what good does reading the “Good News” to us actually do, considering that the Bible says that salvation starts with the Holy Spirit entering us? What if it just never feels like entering us to begin with, and we’re doomed from the get-go?

        You’re being inconsistent. I dare say I’m shocked.

        Oh, wait. Not shocked. Sorry.

      • perdita

        But please understand, I’m quoting from the living Word of God…

        Still missing the part where anyone demonstrates that the Bible is the Living Word of God and not completely made by humans.

        Should I believe the Koran because people are convinced these are God’s revelations made to Mohammad?

    • Glenn Parker

      Reply

      And yet, you probably believe in molecules to man evolution because some other people believe it. Sheep!

      • theB1ackSwan

        No. I accept it because I’ve read the journals and the studies, so I understand the numbers and the procedures taken in the experiment. Seeing this information, it’s reasonable to conclude that evolution is a viable explanation of the origins and distributions of species.

      • Garrett

        It says a lot that you continue to think that in spite of being told otherwise countless times.

        Are stupid, insane, or willfully ignorant?

      • vintango2k

        @ Steve

        How is it bad to ask for a sign? Is gullibility really the most admirable trait God wishes to encourage in people?

        @ Glenn

        You don’t have to trust men, go out there and do the research for yourself, if your findings hold up to scrutiny and your conclusions beat out falsifications based on the evidence available you could win a Noble Prize. If you don’t want to do any work then by all means, go to Creation Ministries International and let the good people there do all the thinking for you, its much easier that way. =)

      • Nohm

        I can’t speak for perdita, but as we discussed before, Glenn, that’s certainly not why I think it’s the best answer we have.

        To clarify, I think it’s the best answer we currently have due to the methodology used. One of my main problems with theism is the methodology used to arrive at claims; I think that particular methodology is broken and results in unreliable claims.

      • Nohm

        Also, Glenn, I find “my belief is just as unsupported as yours” (paraphrasing, there) to be a strange response.

      • vintango2k

        That was Glenn folks, goodnight everybody! He’ll be on all week! =)

  6. Nameless Cynic

    Reply

    Spurgeon just gave us an early example of fundamentalism’s love for just rewriting any history they don’t approve of. In this case, he took exception with the openly pagan roots of the calendar:

    THIS month of April is said to derive its name from the Latin verb aperio, which signifies to open, because all the buds and blossoms are now opening, and we have arrived at the gates of the flowery year.

    Um, sorry, Charlie.

    April
    c.1300, aueril, from O.Fr. avril (11c.), from L. (mensis) Aprilis “(month) of Venus,” second month of the ancient Roman calendar, dedicated to the goddess Venus and perhaps based on Apru, an Etruscan borrowing of Gk. Aphrodite. In English in Latin form from mid-12c. Replaced O.E. Eastermonað, which was similarly named for a fertility goddess. Re-spelled in Middle English on Latin model (apprile first attested late 14c.).

    • Donald "The Dog" Allen

      Reply

      Don’t Atheist ever check their facts? I am having a hard time taking anything the atheists state as fact as serious.

      Spurgeon wasn’t in error. Notice that Spurgeon said, “is said to derive its name from.” He wasn’t rewriting any history. His knowledge was probably in line with other scholars of his era.

      The derivation of the name (Latin Aprilis) is uncertain. The traditional etymology is from the Latin aperire, “to open,” in allusion to its being the season when trees and flowers begin to “open,” which is supported by comparison with the modern Greek use of ἁνοιξις (anoixis) (opening) for spring. Since some of the Roman months were named in honor of divinities, and as April was sacred to the goddess Venus, the Festum Veneris et Fortunae Virilis being held on the first day, it has been suggested that Aprilis was originally her month Aphrilis, from her equivalent Greek goddess name Aphrodite (Aphros), or from the Etruscan name Apru. Jacob Grimm suggests the name of a hypothetical god or hero, Aper or Aprus.[1]

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April

      • perdita

        I am having a hard time taking anything the atheists state as fact as serious.

        Donald, we’re a diverse bunch. Just like Christians (even True Christians) are a diverse bunch.

        In determining trustworthiness, I recommend taking each individual (Christian, non-Christian theist, or atheist) individually. This has worked extremely well for me.

      • Schmader

        Donald many atheists are intellectually lazy. A few aren’t. Try not to lump them all together because it hurts their feelings.

      • perdita

        Are you our ever-changing sock-puppet?

        Better to have said, “Many people are intellectually lazy. A few aren’t. Try not to lump them all together and you won’t look like such a dolt.”

      • Nameless Cynic

        Golly, Schmader. What a cute comment.

        Let me take your two chunks of ignorance in reverse order.

        Try not to lump them all together because it hurts their feelings.
        You mean, “statements that generalize about one group of people, as if they were all identical clones and not individuals, might cause offense”? Is that what you mean?

        Let me suggest some similar statements.

        “Many blacks are lazy.”
        “Many Jews are greedy.”
        “Many Christians are bigots.”

        As soon as you can justify using any of those statements, then you can start a sentence with “Many atheists are…”

        Now, on that subject, let’s check the first half of your statement.

        many atheists are intellectually lazy
        Can you define “intellectually lazy” for me? Because as far as I can tell, taking the Bible as the absolute truth, unable to be questioned, will pretty much fall into any reasonable definition of that term.

        Winston Churchill is often attributed with having said “I will not fight a battle of wits with an unarmed man.” Think about that before you make arguments that fall apart that easily.

      • Donald "The Dog" Allen

        Schmader, I agree with what you wrote. Atheists do get their feelings hurt a lot. I don’t know how I can tone down the truth but I will try to be more aware of their sensitive and delicate psyches.

      • perdita

        Donald, don’t be so patronizing. “Town down the truth”? Really? Do you honestly think you come across as some sort of beacon of truth?

  7. Nameless Cynic

    Reply

    Donald “The Dog” Allen:

    Don’t Atheist ever check their facts? I am having a hard time taking anything the atheists state as fact as serious.
    I guess I could just point to the last two paragraphs of my reply to Schmader. But then, I gave my source. Are we required to check two sources before we respond to something?

    Did you notice the unverified statements you included, both in your paragraph and the one you pasted?

    His knowledge was probably in line with other scholars of his era.
    Really? I’m going to demand the same standard of scholarship from you that you require of me. Exactly when did the “common knowledge” about the etymology of “April” change? Was it, in fact, a standard Victorian belief, or had it already been debunked by that time? And cite your sources.

    You should know by now that most of the atheists who come to visit here are a feisty bunch. You should also have noticed that I’m one of the friendlier ones. I don’t get insulting until you do. So try not to be a moron.

    • vintango2k

      Reply

      In regards to the simple post I made above in response to the Dog’s bigotted statement, I’m not allowed to change bigoted posts anymore? So posting bigoted comments when its just in regards to atheism is okay on this blog? If you’re going to delete or edit bigotted posts how about doing it with all the posts Steve, its fair after all =)

      • Donald "The Dog" Allen

        Vintango’s remark just demonstrates how atheists react in the face of someone calling them out on their “humbug”.

      • theB1ackSwan

        You didn’t need to put it in quotes, you know. Not only did I actually justify my post, but the Oxford definition of humbug actually means nonsense, so in that case quotes aren’t necessary.

        Thanks though. Oh, by the way, about that source for the word ‘ibu’. Where is it?

    • Donald "The Dog" Allen

      Reply

      Namesless Cynic I have noticed that you and theB1ackswan make wild and unfounded claims. Other atheists in here are more credible than you two.

      • theB1ackSwan

        Notice how I *stated my source* and you outright denied it. Moreover, notice how you *never cited your claims* at all about not only the word for ‘steal’ but other nonsensical statements you made.

        It’s truly “put up or shut up”.

      • Nameless Cynic

        Really? I can’t speak for ‘Swan, but I’m happy to defend my own statements.

        I notice that you like to make dismissive, insulting comments with no foundation in reality. But that seems to be fairly common among the God-floggers around here.

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