The Spurgeon Series 1859 & 1860. Charles H. Spurgeon

grandeur. Ah! now she is despised; the infidel barks at her, it is all he can do; the followers of old superstitions as yet pay her very little veneration. The religion of Christ, albeit that it has for us all the veneration of eternity about it — “For his goings forth were of old, even from everlasting” — yet to men who do not know him Christianity seems to be only a young upstart, audaciously contending with hoary headed systems of religion. Indeed, but the day shall come when men shall bow before the name of Christ, when the cross shall command universal homage, when the name of Jesus shall stop the wandering Arab and make him prostrate his knee at the hour of prayer, when the voice of the minister of Christ shall be as mighty as that of a king, when the bishops of Christ’s church shall be as princes in our midst, and when the sons and daughters of Zion shall each be a prince, and every daughter a queen. The hour comes, yes, and now draws near, when the mountain of the Lord’s house in her fearful grandeur shall be established on the top of the mountains.

      8. There is yet, however, a deeper and larger meaning. It is just this — that the day is coming when the church of God shall have absolute supremacy. The church of Christ now has to fight for her existence. She has many foes, and mighty ones too, who would snatch the garland from her brow, blunt her sword, and stain her banners in the dust; but the day shall come when all her enemies shall die; there shall not be a dog to move his tongue against her; she shall be so mighty that there shall be nothing left to compete with her. As for Rome, you shall look for it but find it not. It shall be hurled like a millstone into the flood. As for Mohammed’s lustful superstition, they shall ask for it, but the imposter shall not be found. As for false gods, talk to the bittern and the owl, to the mole, and to the bat, and they shall tell you where they shall be found. The church of Christ at that time shall not have kings of the earth to bind her, and to control her, as if she were only a puny thing, nor shall she have them to persecute her and lift up their iron arm to crush her; but she, then, shall be the queen and empress of all nations; she shall reign over all kings; they shall bow down and lick the dust of her feet; her golden sandals shall tread upon their necks; she, with her sceptre, with her rod of iron, shall break empires in pieces like earthen vessels. She shall say, “Overturn! overturn! overturn! until he comes, whose right it is; and I will give it to HIM” The destiny of the church is a universal monarchy. What Alexander fought for, what Caesar died to obtain, what Napoleon wasted all his life to achieve, that Christ shall have: — the universal monarchy of the broad acres of the earth. “The sea is his, and he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.” The whole earth shall come, and worship, and bow down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker; for every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

      9. I think you now have the meaning of the text, — the church growing and rising up until she becomes conspicuous, venerable, and supreme. And now let me pause here for a moment, to ask how this is to be done.

      10. How is this to be done? I reply, there are three things which will ensure the growth of the church. The first is the individual exertion of every Christian. I do not think that all the exertions of the church of Christ will ever be able to reach the climax of our text. I think we shall see something more than natural agency, even though employed by the Spirit, before the church of Christ shall be exalted to that supremacy of which I have spoken; but, nevertheless, this is to contribute to it. In the olden times, when men raised cairns to the memory of departed kings, it was usual to put a heap of stones over the tomb, and every passerby threw on another stone. In course of ages those mounds grew into small hills. Now the church of Christ in the present day is growing something like that. Each Christian converted to Christ throws his stone; we each do our part. By the grace of God let us each make sure of one stone being deposited there, and strive to add another by labouring to be the instruments of bringing someone else to Christ; in this way the church will grow; and as year after year rolls on, each Christian serving his Master, the church will increase; and it shall come to pass in the last times, that even by the efforts of Christ’s people, honoured by God the Holy Spirit, this mountain shall be highly exalted in the midst of the hills.

      11. This however, although all that we can do, is not, I think, all that we have to expect. We can do no more, but we may expect more. Besides, the church of Christ differs from all other mountains in this: — that she has within her a living influence. The ancients had a fable that under Mount Etna, Vulcan was buried. Some great giant, they thought, lay there entombed; and when he rolled over and over, the earth began to tremble, and the mountains shook, and fire poured forth. We do not believe the fable, but the church of God, truly, is like this living mountain. Christ seems to be buried within her; and when he moves himself his church rises with him. Once he was prostrate in the garden; then Zion was only a little hill; then he arose, and daily as he is lifted up his church rises with him; and in the day when he shall stand on Mount Zion, then his church shall be elevated to her utmost height. The fact is, that the church, though a mountain, is a volcano — not one that spouts fire, but that has fire within her; and this inward fire of living truth, and living grace, makes her bulge out, expands her side, and lifts her crest, and onwardly she must tower, for truth is mighty, and it must prevail — grace is mighty, and must conquer — Christ is mighty, and he must be King of kings. Thus you see that there is something more than the individual exertions of the church; there is a something within her that must make her expand and grow, until she surpasses the highest mountains,

      12. But note, the great hope of the church, although it is considered madness by some to say it, is the second advent of Christ. When he shall come, then the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be exalted above the hills. We do not know when Jesus may come. All the prophets of modern times have only been prophets because they have made profit by their speculations; but with the solitary exception of that pun upon the word, I believe they have not the slightest claim upon your credit; not even men who are doctors of divinity, who can spoil an abundance of paper with their prophesies of second Adventism; “Of that day and that hour no man knows, no, not even the angels of God.” Christ may come this morning; while I am addressing you Christ may suddenly appear in the clouds of heaven; he may not come for many a weary age; but he must come; in the last days he must appear; and when Christ shall come he will make short work of what is so long a labour for his church. His appearance will immediately convert the Jews. They have looked for the Messiah as king; there he is in more than regal splendour. They shall see him; they shall believe on him; he will then tell them that he is the Messiah whom their fathers crucified. Then they will look on him whom they have pierced, and they will mourn for their sin, and gathering around their great Messiah in glorious march they shall enter and be settled in their own land. They shall once more become a great and mighty nation, indeed, a Jew shall become a very prince among men, firstborn in the church of God. Then shall the fulness of the Gentiles be converted and all kindreds and people shall serve the Son of David. Note, the church is to rise first, and when the church has risen to eminence and greatness, the nations will flow into her. Her rising will not be owing to the nations, but to the advent of Christ, and after she has become great, conspicuous, and supreme, then the nations will flow into her. I am looking for the advent of Christ; it is this that cheers me in the battle of life — the battle and cause of Christ. I look for Christ to come, somewhat as John Bunyan described the battle of Captain Credence with Diabolos. The inhabitants of the town of Mansoul fought hard to protect their city from the prince of darkness, and at last a pitched battle was fought outside the walls. The captains and the brave men of arms fought all day until their swords were knitted to their hands with blood; many and many a weary hour did they seek to drive back the Diabolians. The battle seemed to waver in the balance, sometimes victory was on the side of faith, and immediately, triumph seemed to hover over the crest of the prince of hell; but just as the sun was setting, trumpets were heard in the distance; Prince Emmanuel was coming, with trumpets sounding, and with banners flying, and while the men of Mansoul pressed onwards sword in hand, Emmanuel attacked their foes in the rear, and getting the enemy between the two of them, they went on, driving their enemies at the swords point, until at last, trampling over their dead bodies, they met, and hand to hand the victorious church saluted its victorious Lord. Even so must it is. We must fight on daily and hourly; and when we think the battle is almost turned against us, we shall hear the trump of the archangel, and the voice of God, and he shall come, the Prince of the kings of the earth: