C.H. Spurgeon – Words of Warning for Daily Living

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April 5

Those Who Take Not Warning
In all worldly things men are always enough awake to understand their own interests.
There is scarce a merchant who reads the paper who does not read it in some way or
other with a view to his own personal concerns. If he finds that by the rise or fall of
the markets he will be either a gainer or a loser, that part of the day's news will be the
most important to him. In politics, in everything, in fact, that concerns temporal affairs,
personal interest usually leads the van. Men will always be looking out for
themselves, and personal and home interests will generally engross the major part of
their thoughts. But in religion it is otherwise. In religion men love far rather to believe
abstract doctrines, and to talk of general truths, than the searching inquiries which
examine their own personal interest in it. You will hear many men admire the
preacher who deals in generalities, but when he comes to press home searching
questions, by-and-by they are offended. If we stand and declare general facts, such
as the universal sinnership of mankind, or the need of a Savior, they will give an
assent to our doctrine, and possibly they may retire greatly delighted with the
discourse, because it has not affected them; but how often will our audience gnash
their teeth, and go away in a rage, because, like the Pharisees with Jesus, they
perceive, concerning a faithful minister, that he spoke of them. How foolish this is. If
in all other matters we like personalities — if in everything else we look to our own
concerns, how much more should we do so in religion? for surely every man must
give an account for himself at the day of judgment.