PRESENT-DAY IDOLATRY.

Shannon News, 10 June 1924, Page 4

PRESENT-DAY IDOLATRY.

A Sermon by the REV. C. H. SPURGEON

Text: -Little children, keep yourBelvoa from idols. Amen."—John v. 21. 1 This is the conclusion of one of the j most mvsterious, most simple, and yet most sublim<\ of rJI the Divinely- mspired Books, and wo naturally expect that the closing verse of the_ Epistle will have great weight in it. This seems 'to be the practical conclusion of the I whole matter upon which John had been writing. "Little children keep ! yourselves from idols." This Epistle is I especially perfumed with love. As you I'cad it you cannot help realising- that it was written by a very tender, gentle hand; and yet, when this loving writer is giving his last words in this Epistle, the admonition \tfith which he closes is this, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." As love thus speaks im its fulness, let us be ready to give earnest attention to the message which it utters. John has, in this Epistle, written much concerning the love of Jesus, as well he might, for he knew more about that! love than any other man knew; and yet, when ho had written concerning love to Jesus, he was

MOVED TO AN INTENSE JEALOUSY lest, by any means, the hearts of,those to whom ho wrote should bo turned aside i'l'oni that dear Lover of thensouls who deserved their entire affection; and, therefore, not only love to them; but also love to Jesus, made him wind up his letter with these significant words, "Little children, ieep yourselves -from idols." 1. My first observation shall be concerning the title under which we arc here addressed: "LittlO children." I do noti think - that John meant, literally, to address little .children; nor do I think he merely referred to a certain class of believers who are very littlo'lm graco, and therefore are called "babes" in contrast to those who are men in Christ; but I think he address. ed himself to the whole body of believers to whom he was writing; and. through them, that ho b'ef :d th«> whole Church of Christ when he wrote, "Little children,, keep yonselves from idols."

I This titlo. denoteß teachableness. A little child will go to school. A littie child is not above learning its letters. We cannot often get men to do this, especially in spiritual things. They are so CRUSTED OVER WITH PREJUDICE ! that they think they know all they f need to know, yet it is little that they | do know, and even that little Is wrong, I yet it is enough to keep them from I being willing to be taught what they | really need to learn. Truly blessed is 1 the man who is a little child in relation to God. Happy and wise were the shepherds to whom the angels came, and sang and spoke concerning the birth of Jesus, for, in their simplicity, they wont straight away to Bethlehem and found the new-born King. But the wise men (happy, too, for a star cam e to guide them) in their very wisdom seemed to make mistakes,f or they went to Jerusalem, and enquired, "Where is He that is born King of the Jews?" and so, for a time, they lost their way, and caused Herod to seek the life of the Holy Child Jesus. WELL DID AUGUSTINE SAY, "Shepherds and artisans oft enter the kingdom oj! heaven while wise men and scholars are fumbling to find the latch." Know all you can that is really worth knowing; but, with your knowledge, mind that you have the childlike spirit without . which all your knowledge will be of little service to you. Alter all, there is not much difference betwen those who are .called wise men and those who know but little, for tho wisest of men really know but little; and if they are truly wise, they know that they know but little.

2. These remarks bring me to the warning which is directed to us: "Keep yourselves from idols." I hope that .1 need not say to you, dear friends, Keep yourselves uom all sorts of visible idols, for 1 trust that you abhor them as indcli as I do. The catalogue of idols that avc are apt to worship is a very long one, Hindus are said to have many miliiOns of idols, and it weald take riic a ver> long while to make "a~ list of uie various forms win 'i tho idolatry of the heart will take; but, in. a sentence, let me say to you,—Remember, that God has a righti to your whole being. Ther e is nothing, and there can be nothing, wLieh ought to do supreme in your affections save your Lord; and if you worship anything, or any ideal, whatever it may be, if you love that more than you love your God, you are an idolater, and you are disobeying ■ the command of the text, . "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." So pray to Him with Toplady,— "The idols tread beneath Thy feet, And to Thyself the conquest get: Let sin no more oppose my Lord, Slain by tho Spirit's two-edged" sword." I entreat you, beloved, in the matter of faith,

BE SURE TO KEEP YOURSELVES, from the idol of the hour. Some of us have lived long enough to see the world's idols altered any number of times.

Keep yourselves from this idol of tlie times; for it is the" pracursor of death to any church that' gives it admittance. Unitarianism, to which this so-called liberality of thought always goes, is a religion of a parasitical kind; it flourishes by feeding upon the lire of other churches, just as the ivy clings-to the oak and sucks the li£ e out of it. Let us tear this ivy down wherever we find it beginning its deadly work. Believe me, my brethren, that the Church, of Christ, if not the world, shall yetl LEARN THAT THE HIGHEST CULTURE a heart that is cultivated by Divine

grace; that the truest science is tno science of Jetus Christ and Him crucified, and that the greatest thought and the deepest of all' metaphysics are found at the foot of the cross; and that the men who will keep on simply and earnestly preaching the oldfashioned Gospel, and the people who will stand fast in the old paths, are they wlio will most certainly win the victory. When those avlio arc sailing in a frail bark, which" they or their fellow-sinners have .constructed, without a rudder, and without a pilot) at the helm, shall drift away, and be dashed to pieces upon the rocks; they who trust in the Lord and have Him as their Pilot, -shall be kept clear of the rocks on which others have made shipwreck, and shall be safely steered into the haven of peace, and there be at rest for ever.

Many of us arc about to gather around the communion table, to celebrate the death nf'our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This ordinance should help us to keep ourselves from idols; for if there is any place WHERE IDOLS DISAPPEAR, it is at the foot of the cross. Look, by faith, at your Lord and Saviour as He hung suspended upon the accursed tree.

• "Se e fi'om His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and lovo flow mingled down! Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown?"

Can you give your heart's affection to any idol after that? Has not Christ so engrossed your warmest? love that no earthly charms have any power to allure you away from Him? Are you not, as it were, fastened up by His nails? Is not your heart pierced with His spear? Are you not so crucified with Christ that the world is dead to you, and you are dead to the world? Bethink'you, did . T <..us live for sell..' What provision did He make for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof? Was not His whole life one of self-denial and self-renunciation What idol did He ever set up? To what object did He devote His life? Did He seek fame? Did He labour for earthly honour and glory? Did He hoard up wealth? .Did He say to the man of the world, "Applaud Me"? Was He turned aside from His- purpose by cither THE FROWNING OR FAWNING. OF MEN? You know it was not so; then, ye who have been washed in His blood, follow Him! O ye who are called by His name, do not blaspheme that name among the Gentiles by idolatry of any kind! Bring out your idols if you have •hidden them as Rachel hid her father's images in the camel's furniture; bring them all out, and let them be broken in pieces at the foot of the cross, or be ground to powder, as Moses treated the golden calf that-his brother Aaron had made. C>~ Jesus, where Thou art, who can worship any other but Thyself? If He came and lodged in your house, that child of yours would not be adored as it now is. If He always dwelt there, you Avould not pamper yourself as you now do. If you could see Him'as He is. you must admit Him to reign within your, heart. Well, let H be so as, you now, by faith, gaze upon Him; and as these dear memorials of His broken body and His slied blood arc fed upon by you and you remember Him, do with all your idols as the Ephesians did Avith their magical books: bring them out, and let .them bo burned, — A BLESSED HOrDCAUST in honour of Him who "hath loved us, and hath given Himself an offering and a sacrifice to„God for a sweetsmelling savour." Sing, with Cowper, and'let, the prayer ascend to your Lord from the very depths of your heart, — "The dearest idol I have known, Whate'er that idol be, Help me to tear it from Thy tihrone, And worship only Thee. "So shall my walk be close with God, Calm and serene my frame; So purer light shall mark the road That leads m c to the Lamb." God bless you; and if any of you arc living without Christ, perhaps it is some beloved idol that is keeping you from Him. If so, may you be delivered from its thraldom by coming to Jesus just now, for His dear name's sake! Amen.