If there is a true faith, there must be a declaration of it. If you are a candle, and God has lit you, then let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in the heavens (Matthew 5:16). Soldiers of Christ must, like soldiers of our nation, wear their uniforms; and if they are ashamed of their uniforms, they ought to be drummed out of the army.
I believe that many Christians get into a lot of trouble by not being honest in their convictions. For instance, if a person goes into a workshop, or a soldier into a barracks, and if he does not fly his flag from the beginning, it will be very difficult for him to run it up afterwards. But if he immediately and boldly lets them know, “I am a Christian, and there are certain things that I cannot do to please you, and certain other things that I cannot help doing even though they might displease you” – when that is clearly understood, after a while the peculiarity of the thing will be gone, and the person will be let alone.
However, if he is a little dishonest and thinks that he is going to please the world and please Christ too, he can depend on it that he is in for a rough time. If he tries the way of compromise, his life will be like that of a toad under a harrow or a fox in a dog kennel. That will never do. Come out. Show your colors. Let it be known who you are and what you are. Although your course will not be smooth, it will certainly not be half as rough as if you tried to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds, which is a very difficult piece of business.
- Charles H. Spurgeon
List of Chapters
Ch. 1: Pride
Ch. 2: Broken Keys
Ch. 3: Double-Mindedness
Ch. 4: Labor that Doesn’t Satisfy
Ch. 5: The Table of the Reprobate
Ch. 6: The Self-Righteous Guests
Ch. 7: Drunk with the World
Ch. 8: Going through the Fire
Ch. 9: Laziness
Ch. 10: Faith
Ch. 11: Awaken, Oh Sleeper!
Ch. 12: An Innkeeper’s Prayer
Ch. 13: Punishment of Evildoers
Ch. 14: Priceless Life
Ch. 15: No Excuse for Ignorance
Ch. 16: We Must Pray
Ch. 17: Popular Errors
Ch. 18: Don’t Wait Until You’re Dying
Ch. 19: Our Days Are Numbered
Ch. 20: How the World Gives
Ch. 21: Have Courage
Ch. 22: Be Faithful
Ch. 23: The Light of Evening
Ch. 24: Beds That Are Too Short
Ch. 25: Mistaken Zeal
Ch. 26: Selfish Ease
Ch. 27: Be Sober
Ch. 28: Through Floods and Flames
Ch. 29: Show Your Colors
Ch. 30: Keep Your Own Garden
Ch. 31: A Talk about Death
Charles H. Spurgeon – A Brief Biography
Charles Haddon (C. H.) Spurgeon (1834-1892) was a British Baptist preacher. He started preaching at age 17 and quickly became famous. He is still known as the “Prince of Preachers” and frequently had more than 10,000 people present to hear him preach at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London. His sermons were printed in newspapers, translated into many languages, and published in many books.