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No child's play!
Spurgeon, A BLAST OF THE TRUMPET AGAINST FALSE PEACE
"Peace, peace, when there is no peace." -- Jeremiah 6:14.
MINISTERS are fearfully guilty if they intentionally build up men
in a false peace. I cannot imagine any man more greatly guilty of
blood than he who plays jackal to the lion of hell, by pandering
to the depraved tastes of vain, rebellious man.
The physician who should pamper a man in his disease, who should
feed his cancer, or inject continual poison into the system,
while at the same time he promised sound health and long life--
such a physician would not be one half so hideous a monster of
cruelty, as the professed minister of Christ who should bid his
people take comfort, when, instead thereof, he ought to be
crying, "Woe unto those that are at ease in Zion: be troubled,
you careless ones."
The work of the ministry is no child's play!
Much prayer we need that we may be kept honest,
and much grace that we may not mislead the souls
whom we are bound to guide.
The pilot who should pretend to steer a ship toward its proper
haven, but who should meanwhile occupy himself below with
boring holes in her keel that she might sink, would not be a
worse traitor than the man who takes the helm of a church,
and professes to be steering it towards Christ, while all the while
he is ruining it by diluting the truth as it is in Jesus, concealing
unpalatable truths, and lulling men into security with soft and
flattering words.
We might sooner pardon the assassin who stretches forth his
hand under the guise of friendship, and then stabs us to the
heart, than we could forgive the man who comes towards us with
smooth words, telling us that he is God's ambassador, but all the
while foments rebellion in ours hearts, and pacifies us while we
are living in revolt against the majesty of heaven.
In the great day when Jehovah shall launch his thunderbolts, I
think he will reserve one more dreadful and terrible than the rest,
for some arch-traitor to the cross of Christ, who has not only
destroyed himself, but led others into hell.
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