I came
across this in an internet search. It is supposedly a quote from Spurgeon
regarding Christmas. I have not been able to document this at this point. It
does sound like something Spurgeon would have said.
Regardless
of whether it was spoken or written by Spurgeon, it does express my heart,
therefore I include it as part of this little series.
"Now
a happy Christmas to you all; and it will be a happy Christmas if you have God
with you. I shall say nothing to day against festivities on this great birthday
of Christ. We will to-morrow think of Christ's birthday; we shall be obliged to
do it, I am sure, however sturdily we may hold to our rough Puritanism. And so,
'let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice
and wickedness; but with the unleavend bread of sincerity and truth.' Do not
feast as if you wished to keep the festival of Bacchus; do not live to-morrow
as if you adored some heathen divinity. Feast, Christians, feast; you have a
right to feast. Go to the house of feasting to-morrow, celebrate your Saviour's
birth; do not be ashamed to be glad; you have a right to be happy. Solomon
says, 'Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry
heart; for God now accepteth thy works. Let thy garments be always white; and
let thy head lack no ointment.'
"Religion
never was designed to make your pleasures less."
Recollect that your Master ate butter and honey. Go your way, rejoice tomorrow,
but in your feasting, think of the Man in Bethlehem; let him have a place in
your hearts, give him the glory, think of the virgin who conceived him, but
think most of all of the Man born, the Child given. I finish by again saying,
---
"A HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO
YOU ALL"
Thanks Gregg for a most comforting post. I find it a great comfort reading your posts.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.