Spurgeon on Calvinism

I have my own opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel if we do not preach justification by faith without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing unchangeable eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the gospel unless we base it upon the special and particular redemption of His elect and chosen people which Christ wrought out upon the cross. (Charles Spurgeon, The New Park Street Pulpit, Vol. 1, 1856)

Paton

John G. Paton was a Scottish missionary to the New Hebrides of the South Pacific during the 19th century. The inhabitants of the islands were cannibals; in 1839 the London Missionary Society had sent John Williams and James Harris there to be missionaries. Both were killed and eaten by cannibals. This, therefore, was risky, perilous business for Paton as he began work in 1858.

Before he left a certain Mr. Dickson said to Paton, "The cannibals! You will be eaten by the cannibals!" Paton's response is classic: "Mr. Dickson, you are advanced in years now, and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave, there to be eaten by worms; I confess to you, that if I can live and die serving and honoring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by cannibals or by worms; and in the Great Day my resurrection body will rise as fair as yours in the likeness of the risen Redeemer."

In 1887, Paton wrote the following: "On our New Hebrides, more than 12,000 cannibals have been brought to sit at the feet of Christ . . . and 133 of the Natives have been trained and sent forth as teachers and preachers of the Gospel."

Ranavalona

Missionary work began in Madagascar in the 19th century under the auspices of the London Missionary Society. Welsh missionaries, David Jones and David Johns, did some great work there . . . the church grew to around 1,000 members during their time there. However, all the missionaries were expelled from the island when a new queen, named Ranavalona, came to the throne. She then persecuted the church for nearly 30 years. By the time of the queen's death . . . the church numbered 7,000 members! Ranavalona had killed almost 1,000 Christians, yet during her rule the church had grown to 7,000 members. How can this be? How could this happen? One of the Christian women who went through the persecutions gave the answer: "The Queen does not know that the best teacher of all, the Holy Spirit, is still with us."

From Whitefield's Journal

Evesham, April 8. Several persons came to see me, amongst whom was Mr. Benjamin Seward, whom God has been pleased to call by his free grace very lately. It pleased God to cast him down, by eight days sickness; in which time, he scarce ever ate, or drank, or slept, and underwent great inward agonies and tortures. After this, God sent a poor travelling woman, that came to sell straw toys, to instruct him in the nature of our second birth, and now he is resolved to prepare for holy orders, and to preach Christ and those truths which once he endeavored to destroy. He is a gentleman of a very large fortune, which has has now devoted to God. Blessed be God, that although not many rich, not many mighty, not many noble are called, yet some are.

A poor seller of straw toys is the means God uses to bring a rich man to faith!

M'Cheyne on 1 John 1:1-4

"Learn the true way of coming to peace.-It is by looking to manifested Jesus. Some of you think you will come to peace by looking in to your own heart. Your eye is riveted there. You watch every change there. If you could only see a glimpse of light there, oh, what joy it would give you! If you could only see a melting of your stony heart, if you could only see your heart turning to God, if you could only see a glimpse of the image of Jesus in your heart, you would be at peace; but you cannot,-all is dark within. Oh, dear souls, it is not there you will find peace! You must avert the eye from your bosom altogether. You must look to a declared Christ. Spread out the record of God concerning His Son. The Gospels are the narrative of the heart of Jesus. Spread them out before the eye of your mind, till they fill your eye. Cry for the Spirit to breathe over the page, to make a manifested Christ stand out plainly before you; and the moment that you are willing to believe all that is there spoken concerning Jesus, that moment you will wipe away your tears, and change your sighs for a new song of praise"~Robert Murray M'Cheyne from sermon on 1 John 1:1-4

The Example of Mrs. Talbot

In the 18th century, the godly curate of St. Giles church in Reading, a Rev. Talbot, died. He was to be replaced by a godless man, W. B. Cadogan, who was Oxford educated and had obtained many literary honors. "Mr. Cadogan's views of religion were entirely different from those of his predecessor; and the people heard of his appointment with grief . . . Many left the church. Mrs. Talbot, however, considered it her duty to remain, hoping for a better state of things, and that she might encourage and help forward those to whom her husband's labours had been blessed. She opened her house for religious services, and invited clergymen like-minded with herself to conduct them. At the same time prayer was continually offered up under her roof for Mr. Cadogan's conversion. By all this he was greatly offended. Letters passed full of remonstrance and even reproach on Mr. Cadogan's part, but which Mrs. Talbot's letters answered with meekness and wisdom. Mr. Cadogan was overcome, and ever afterwards confessed that Mrs. Talbot's letters and example were the principal means of leading him to the saving knowledge of Christ." Then he preached the truths of Jesus, those truths that he had so strenuously opposed. Multitudes began to flock to hear him preach the gospel.

Grimaldi

I came across the story of a young man who came to a famous doctor in Paris complaining about depression, lack of peace, and no happiness. The doctor thought of another young man named Grimaldi who was living a life of carousing in the night-life of Paris. The doctor said to the patient, "Introduce yourself to Grimaldi. Let him show you how to enjoy yourself and your will get well." The downcast young patient looked up with a sardonic smile and said to the doctor, "I am Grimaldi."