Spurgeon’s Rendition of Arminian Prayer
Charles Spurgeon is one of my favorite preachers or authors. You’d have to be an articulate communicator for people to be quoting you decades later. And Spurgeon is one of those dynamic, erudite preachers who speaks with wit, humor, and poignancy. I heard the following quote from a friend in which Spurgeon wrote his rendition of an Arminian prayer. Granted, no self-proclaimed Arminian would ever admit to confessing such a prayer, but nevertheless the core meaning behind the words accurately reflects Arminian theology.
Spurgeon’s Rendition of the Arminian Prayer:
Fancy him praying, `Lord, I thank thee I am not like those poor presumptuous Calvinists. Lord, I was born with a glorious free will; I was born with power by which I can turn to thee of myself; I have improved my grace. If everybody had done the same with their grace that I have, they might all have been saved. Lord, I know thou dost not make us willing if we are not willing ourselves. Thou givest grace to everybody; some do not improve it, but I do. There are many that will go to hell as much bought with the blood of Christ as I was; they had as much of the Holy Ghost given to them; they had as good a chance, and were as much blessed as I am. It was not thy grace that made us differ; I know it did a great deal, still I turned the point; I made use of what was given me, and others did not — that is the difference between me and them.’
The great Reformed preacher George Whitefield once said, “Man is nothing: he hath a free will to go to hell, but none to go to heaven…till God worketh in him to will and to do His good pleasure.”
And Spurgeon also once said, an Arminian on his knees prays desperately like a Calvinist. :)
I am humbly thankful for God’s mercy in sparing me from what I do deserve (a just punishment in hell), and His grace in giving me what I do not deserve (an eternity with Him in heaven).
Thank You, God, for saving me. Even when I was dead in sin and could not respond to You and had not the will to do so, You made me spiritually alive first by changing my cold heart of stone with a new heart of flesh, that I may believe and have faith, and thus come freely and willingly to Christ. Thank You for Your saving grace which is invincible — which never fails to result in the salvation of all those to whom it is extended. Please grant me a heart of humility and the desire to pursue godliness and holiness. May my life be a testimony of Your grace and Your glory alone.
September 12th, 2006 at 4:32 pm | Permalink
Amen sister!
One of my favorite quotes from Spurgeon comes from his Morning and Evening devotional book:
“No sin, corruption, devils in hell, or sinners upon earth can stop the hand of God’s grace when it intends to convert a man.” pg 507 Whitaker House paperback edition
My favorite Spurgeon sermons were the ones on The Song of Solomon. He made the bold statement that if we do not occasionally have vehement longings after God in Christ, that he can hardly consider us Christians.
I love your website as well as your lists on Amazon.com (where I found the link to this website). I noticed your list of Puritan works but I did not see “Heaven on Earth” by Thomas Brooks on there. If you have not read it yet, get a copy. It is the best book on Christianity I have ever read.
Soli Deo Gloria!
1 Peter 1:8
September 12th, 2006 at 6:11 pm | Permalink
Brackie, thanks for sharing Spurgeon’s quote. I love Charles Spurgeon. He has so many quotable quotes that I just love. Thanks also for your recommendation of “Heaven on Earth” by Brooks! I own a copy of his “Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices” and the 8-page table-of-contents alone provides a good outline of the devil’s schemes or how he tempts us. I’m interested in his other works cause he’s a very readable Puritan. So thanks again!