In this sermon, Spurgeon discussed spiritual new birth by examining physical death. His imagery about the worm of death is particularly vivid, and beneficial for any persons trying to imagine the death bed experience and the benefits of being eternally minded and of ready for death.
Thereafter he looks at three different biblical characters, stating the types of corruption inherent in these persons; then considering the habits of corrupting sins that accompany each state; he continues to follow that line of thinking via speculating on the types of struggles each would encounter if they’d been given the new birth.
The following points are sermon highlights:
- The Holy Spirit gives new birth
- The Savior raised three dead persons: the young maiden; the widow’s son in his casket; and Lazarus, from his tomb
- Those 3 persons represent the different states of men, all dead
- Illustrations of the different means of grace raising them
- Illustrations of the after experience of quickened men
- Conditions of men by nature, all dead: each person’s state described more clearly
- Lazarus, “he stinketh,” his flesh is rotting
- People in his congregation, fair in appearance, if unregenerate, dead still
- The corruption that belongs to each of these three described in terms of the types of sins they are given to
- The young maiden, many examples here: she is dead, but still has beauty even though she does not have life; how can such a fair character be dead
- Some of you are fair, loved by us, without grave clothes, like the maiden, no evil habits – just like the living, the Christian, but you are dead: the other two described similarly
- Without faith in Christ, dead
- Each person’s state of death examined in terms of the types of sin, habits of sin that corrupted them
- Progression of sinful habits of corruption
- The various types of persons in his congregation and in London
- The quickening, giving of new life, by Jesus: each quickened in a different manner, in accordance with their state of corruption – habits of sinfulness
- After the new birth, each had different needs
- The most corrupt may need to spend much of the remainder of his earthly existence throwing off sinful habits
- Watch the heart with all diligence
The next post will be on Lasciviousness, by Dr. Duane Spencer. That is a state of sinfulness, of corruption which is nearly beyond the new birth.