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Footsteps of Death Can Change Our Preaching Author Unknown Thought Provoking

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I. From Thomas Paine’s ‘Age of Reason’: My intention is to show that those books are spurious, and that Moses is not the author of them; and still further, that they were not written in the time of Moses nor till several hundred years afterwards...

Thomas Paine at death: I would give worlds, if I had them, if the ‘Age of Reason’ had never been published. O Lord help me! Christ, help me! Stay with me; it is hell to be left alone!

II. Voltaire, jesting in flippancy: I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: ‘O Lord, make my enemies ridiculous.’ And God granted it.

Voltaire, quite serious at death: I am abandoned by God and man! I shall go to Hell!

III. Spurgeon, on drawing salvation hope from fruit-bearing: Some say, ‘How can I discover whether I am God’s elect? I am afraid I am not God’s elect.’ Do you pray? If it can be said, ‘Behold, he prayeth,’ it can also be said, ‘Behold, he is a chosen vessel.’

Spurgeon in 1860: ...you are no Christian if you can act in business beneath the dignity of an honest man. If God has not made you honest, he has not saved your soul.

Spurgeon in 1892 (A few days before his death): This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save SINNERS. On this blessed FACT I rest my soul. Though I have preached Christ crucified for more than 40 years, and have led many to my Master’s feet, I have at this moment NO RAY OF HOPE but that which comes from what MY LORD JESUS has done for GUILTY man.

Amen to that! If one drop of your evidence of being saved has come from your fruit you had best TRUST ONLY in Christ Jesus now! Sure, all that stuff about knowing you are saved because you are "being good" makes big, tall preaching from the pulpit.

But it really doesn’t make good dying at all. You’ll see, I hope. Fruit-bearing is meant to bring general confidence of our fellowship with God, confidence of answered prayer and confidence of Millennial reign being rewarded to us at the Judgment Seat of Christ. On the other hand, what Christ did on the Cross for sinners gives ABSOLUTE ASSURANCE of salvation by GRACE ALONE to all who receive Him in repentance and faith.