Spurgeon’s Dream
The Apostle says—and I hope you will keep your Bibles open to follow the text—“The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God.” (Galatians 2:20) Every moment the life of the Christian is to be a life of faith. We make a mistake when we try to walk by feeling or by sight.
I dreamed the other night, while musing upon the life of the Believer, that I was passing along a road which a Divine call had appointed for me. The ordained pathway which I was called to traverse was thick darkness, unmingled with a ray of light. As I stood in the awful gloom, unable to perceive a single inch before me, I heard a voice which said, “Let your feet go right on. Fear not, but advance in the name of God.”
So on I went, putting down foot after foot with trembling. After a little while the path through the darkness became easy and smooth from use and experience. Just then I perceived that the path turned. It was of no use my endeavoring to proceed as I had done before. The way was tortuous and the road was rough and stony—but I remembered what was said, that I was to advance as I could—and so on I went. Then there came another twist, and yet another, and another, and another, and I wondered why till I understood that if ever the path remained long the same I should grow accustomed to it—and so would walk by feeling. And I learned that the whole of the way would constantly be such as to compel me to depend upon the guiding voice and exercise faith in the unseen One who had called me!
All of a sudden it appeared to me as though there was nothing beneath my foot when I put it down, yet I thrust it out into the darkness in confident daring, and lo, a firm step was reached, and another and another as I walked down a staircase which descended deep, down, down, down. Onward I passed, not seeing an inch before me but believing that all was well although I could hear around me the dash of falling men and women who had walked by the light of their own lanterns and missed their foothold. I heard the cries and shrieks of men as they fell from this dreadful staircase. But I was commanded to go right on, and I went straight on, resolved to be obedient even if the way should descend into the nethermost Hell.
By-and-by the dreadful ladder was ended and I found a solid rock beneath my feet. And I walked straight on upon a paved causeway with a railing on either hand. I understood this to be the experience which I had gained, which now could guide and help me, and I leaned on this rail and walked on right confidently till, in a moment, my causeway ended and my feet sank in the mire! And as for my other comforts, I groped for them but they were gone! Still I was to know that I must go in dependence upon my unseen Friend, and the road would always be such that no experience could serve me instead of dependence upon God. Forward I plunged through mire and filth and suffocating smoke, and a smell as of death, for it was the way, and I had been commanded to walk there. Again the pathway changed, though all was midnight still—up went the path, and up, and up, and up, with nothing upon which I could lean! I ascended wearily innumerable stairs, not one of which I could see, although the very thought of their height might make my brain reel. All of a sudden my pathway burst into light as I woke from my reverie, and when I looked down upon it, I saw it all to be safe, but such a road that if I had seen it, I never could have trod it. It was only in the darkness that I could have performed my mysterious journey. It was only in child-like confidence upon the Lord. The Lord will guide us if we are willing to do just as He bids us. Lean upon Him, then.
I have painted a poor picture, but still one, which, if you can understand it, it will be grand to look upon. To walk straight on—believing in Christ every moment, believing your sins to be forgiven even when you see their vileness—believing that you are safe in Christ even when you seem in the utmost danger—believing that you are glorified when you feel as if you were cast out from God’s Presence—this is the life of faith.
Furthermore, Paul says, “Who loved me.” Blessed be God, before the mountains uplifted their snow-crowned heads to the clouds, Christ had set His heart upon us! His “delights were with the sons of men.” In His “book all our members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”
Believer, get a hold of the precious Truth that Christ loved you eternally—the all-glorious Son of God chose you and espoused you unto Himself that you might be His bride throughout eternity! Here is a blessed Truth, indeed!
Observe the next, “and gave Himself for me.” Not only gave all that He had, but gave Himself! Not merely laid aside His glory and His splendor, and His life, but yielded up His very Self. O heir of Heaven, Jesus is yours at this moment! Having given Himself once for you upon the tree to put your sin away, at this moment He gives Himself to you to be your life, your crown, your joy, your portion, your All in All! You have found out yourself to be a separate personality and individuality, but that personality is linked with the Person of Christ Jesus, so that you are in Christ, and Christ is in you! By a blessed indissoluble union you are knit together forever and ever!
The Apostle says—and I hope you will keep your Bibles open to follow the text—“The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God.” (Galatians 2:20) Every moment the life of the Christian is to be a life of faith. We make a mistake when we try to walk by feeling or by sight.
I dreamed the other night, while musing upon the life of the Believer, that I was passing along a road which a Divine call had appointed for me. The ordained pathway which I was called to traverse was thick darkness, unmingled with a ray of light. As I stood in the awful gloom, unable to perceive a single inch before me, I heard a voice which said, “Let your feet go right on. Fear not, but advance in the name of God.”
So on I went, putting down foot after foot with trembling. After a little while the path through the darkness became easy and smooth from use and experience. Just then I perceived that the path turned. It was of no use my endeavoring to proceed as I had done before. The way was tortuous and the road was rough and stony—but I remembered what was said, that I was to advance as I could—and so on I went. Then there came another twist, and yet another, and another, and another, and I wondered why till I understood that if ever the path remained long the same I should grow accustomed to it—and so would walk by feeling. And I learned that the whole of the way would constantly be such as to compel me to depend upon the guiding voice and exercise faith in the unseen One who had called me!
All of a sudden it appeared to me as though there was nothing beneath my foot when I put it down, yet I thrust it out into the darkness in confident daring, and lo, a firm step was reached, and another and another as I walked down a staircase which descended deep, down, down, down. Onward I passed, not seeing an inch before me but believing that all was well although I could hear around me the dash of falling men and women who had walked by the light of their own lanterns and missed their foothold. I heard the cries and shrieks of men as they fell from this dreadful staircase. But I was commanded to go right on, and I went straight on, resolved to be obedient even if the way should descend into the nethermost Hell.
By-and-by the dreadful ladder was ended and I found a solid rock beneath my feet. And I walked straight on upon a paved causeway with a railing on either hand. I understood this to be the experience which I had gained, which now could guide and help me, and I leaned on this rail and walked on right confidently till, in a moment, my causeway ended and my feet sank in the mire! And as for my other comforts, I groped for them but they were gone! Still I was to know that I must go in dependence upon my unseen Friend, and the road would always be such that no experience could serve me instead of dependence upon God. Forward I plunged through mire and filth and suffocating smoke, and a smell as of death, for it was the way, and I had been commanded to walk there. Again the pathway changed, though all was midnight still—up went the path, and up, and up, and up, with nothing upon which I could lean! I ascended wearily innumerable stairs, not one of which I could see, although the very thought of their height might make my brain reel. All of a sudden my pathway burst into light as I woke from my reverie, and when I looked down upon it, I saw it all to be safe, but such a road that if I had seen it, I never could have trod it. It was only in the darkness that I could have performed my mysterious journey. It was only in child-like confidence upon the Lord. The Lord will guide us if we are willing to do just as He bids us. Lean upon Him, then.
I have painted a poor picture, but still one, which, if you can understand it, it will be grand to look upon. To walk straight on—believing in Christ every moment, believing your sins to be forgiven even when you see their vileness—believing that you are safe in Christ even when you seem in the utmost danger—believing that you are glorified when you feel as if you were cast out from God’s Presence—this is the life of faith.
Furthermore, Paul says, “Who loved me.” Blessed be God, before the mountains uplifted their snow-crowned heads to the clouds, Christ had set His heart upon us! His “delights were with the sons of men.” In His “book all our members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”
Believer, get a hold of the precious Truth that Christ loved you eternally—the all-glorious Son of God chose you and espoused you unto Himself that you might be His bride throughout eternity! Here is a blessed Truth, indeed!
Observe the next, “and gave Himself for me.” Not only gave all that He had, but gave Himself! Not merely laid aside His glory and His splendor, and His life, but yielded up His very Self. O heir of Heaven, Jesus is yours at this moment! Having given Himself once for you upon the tree to put your sin away, at this moment He gives Himself to you to be your life, your crown, your joy, your portion, your All in All! You have found out yourself to be a separate personality and individuality, but that personality is linked with the Person of Christ Jesus, so that you are in Christ, and Christ is in you! By a blessed indissoluble union you are knit together forever and ever!