Being Real on 2024: No excuses, part 2

We have no excuses for lack of Biblical, theological, and church history knowledge today. 

The great writings of the church are all on Internet. Seriously. 

Charles Spurgeon's sermons are all there; Edwards, Augustine's writings, Aquinas, etc. etc. 

And to contrast the preaching of 150 years ago with today, I present the opening words of the very first recorded sermon of Charles Spurgeon. https://www.spurgeongems.org/sermon/chs1.pdf  

What strikes me, of course, is the depth of vocabulary and complexity of sentence structure, and then the demands of the theology. Dare I say we have dumbed down the call of the Christian faith?

A SERMON DELIVERED ON SABBATH MORNING, JANUARY 7, 1855 BY THE REV. C. H. SPURGEON AT NEW PARK STREET CHAPEL, SOUTHWARK

 “I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” Malachi 3:6

  IT has been said by someone that “the proper study of mankind is man.” I will not oppose the idea, but I believe it is equally true that the proper study of God’s elect is God—the proper study of a Christian is the Godhead. The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father.

 There is something exceedingly improving to the mind in a contemplation of the Divinity. It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity—so deep that our pride is drowned in its infinity. Other subjects we can compass and grapple with—in them we feel a kind of self-content, and go our way with the thought, “Behold I am wise.” 

 But when we come to this master-science, finding that our plumb line cannot sound its depth, and that our eagle eye cannot see its height, we turn away with the thought that vain man would be wise, but he is like a wild ass’s colt, and with the solemn exclamation, “I am but of yesterday, and know nothing.” No subject of contemplation will tend more to humble the mind, than thoughts of God. We shall be obliged to feel, “Great God, how infinite art Thou, What worthless worms are we!