Why preach upon the
doctrine of election?
AT the very
announcement of the text some will be ready to say, “Why
preach upon so profound a doctrine as election?” I
answer, because it is in God’s
word, and whatever is in the Word of God is to be preached.
“But some truths ought to be kept back from the people,”
you will say, “lest they should make an ill use
thereof.” That is Popish doctrine, it was upon that very
theory that the priests kept back the Bible from the
people, they did not give it to them lest they should
misuse it. “But are not some doctrines dangerous?” Not
if they are true and rightly handled.
Truth is never
dangerous, it is error and reticence that are fraught
with peril. “But do not men abuse the doctrine of
grace?” I grant you that they do; but if we destroyed
everything that men misuse, we should have nothing left.
Are there to be no ropes because some fools will hang
themselves? And, must cutlery be discarded and
denounced, because there are some who will use dangerous
weapons for the destruction of their adversaries?
Decidedly not. Besides all this, remember that men do
read the Scriptures and think about these doctrines, and
therefore often make mistakes about them; who then shall
set them right if we, who preach the Word, hold our
tongues about the matter?
- C. H. Spurgeon, from sermon
entitled, Election: Its Defenses and Evidences
