Wednesday, December 05, 2007

What Spurgeon Thought about Christmas

I find very few people funnier than CH Spurgeon. When delivering a sermon on December 23, 1855, Spurgeon opened (what would you get in your homiletics class if you used this as an introduction?) with these words:

This is the season of the year when, whether we wish it or not, we are compelled to think of the birth of Christ. I hold it to be one of the greatest absurdities under heaven to think that there is any religion in keeping Christmas-day. There are no probabilities whatever that our Saviour Jesus Christ was born on that day, and the observance of it is purely of Popish origin; doubtless those who are Catholics have a right to hallow it, but I do not see how consistent Protestants can account it in the least sacred. However, I wish there were ten or a dozen Christmas-days in the year; for there is work enough in the world, and a little more rest would not hurt labouring people. Christmas-day is really a boon to us; particularly as it enables us to assemble round the family hearth and meet our friends once more. Still, although we do not fall exactly in the track of other people, I see no harm in thinking of the incarnation and birth of the Lord Jesus...
With that he began his sermon on the incarnation of Jesus. Awesome!

1 comment:

Tom Gee said...

Spurgeon was a great gift to the church. His images and terms were marvelous.

I am reading through volume 1 of his autobiography, and even though he is writing, not preaching, the man could not help but proclaim in almost every word.

This quote has been a good source of fruitful thought for me:

"The doctrine of the cross can be used to slay sin, even as the old warriors used their huge two-handed swords, and mowed down their foes at every stroke. ... If Christ has died for me, ungodly as I am, without strength as I am, then I cannot live in sin any longer ... I cannot trifle with the evil that slew my best Friend. I must be holy for his sake. How can I live in sin when He has died to save me from it?"