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Shut your mouth!
Spurgeon, "Grace Abounding Over Abounding Sin"
There will be no seeking after divine
grace where there is no sense of sin.
We may preach until we are hoarse, but
you 'good' people who are not guilty of
doing anything wrong, will never care for
our message of mercy.
Oh, that you felt your sins!
Oh, that you knew your need of forgiveness!
There can be no giving of divine grace
where there is no guilt. There can be no
'mercy' where there is no sin.
There can be 'justice', but there cannot be
'mercy' unless there is an owning of criminality.
If you think you are not a sinner,
God cannot have mercy upon you.
If you have never sinned, God cannot
display pardoning grace towards you
for there is nothing to pardon.
You are not in a position for Him to display
free grace to you until your mouth is shut
and you sit down in dust and ashes, silently
owning that you deserve nothing at His
hands but infinite displeasure.
Confess that whatever He gives you that is
good and gracious must be given freely to
one who deserves nothing.
Only the 'self condemned' shall be forgiven
through the precious blood of Jesus and
the sovereign grace of God.
You are in such a condition that
only the free, rich, sovereign
grace of God can save you!
The sound of the silver bells of infinite love,
free pardon, and abounding grace should make
you hasten to the hospital of mercy that you
may receive healing for your sinfulness, strength
for your feebleness and joy for your sorrow.
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