Spurgeon quote

[Zymologist]

I saw this the other day, and it had an effect on me. This is the kind of quote that you can really like and hate at the same time.

“Brother, if any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him; for you are worse than he thinks you to be. If he charges you falsely on some point, yet be satisfied, for if he knew you better he might change the accusation, and you would be no gainer by the correction. If you have your moral portrait painted, and it is ugly, be satisfied; for it only needs a few blacker touches, and it would be still nearer the truth.”

I'm not sure where or when he said this, but cursory googling seemed to confirm that he did say it.

[Cow Poke]

I once had a Church Member, years ago, who was bound and determined to get rid of me as Pastor. Apparently, I mentioned something about homosexuality in a sermon, and he was one - I didn't even know.

Anyway, he talked the Deacons into having a special meeting to reveal all of the sin and degradation I had committed in previous Churches. Unfortunately for him, he got all his facts wrong, and his "coup de grâce" was that I had been arrested for homeschooling in the 80's. (To that, the chairman of the Deacons said, "we know all about that - he told us that when we first interviewed him")

After all his accusations were shot down, I told him quite sincerely, "if you had come to me, I could have given you an actual list of mistakes and fumbles I had made, and you wouldn't have had to make any up".

Also, I think of "the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night", and the fact that he wouldn't have to make up anything about me - there's enough stuff I've done for which I deserve Hell.....

God's Grace! Amazing, eh?

[Cow Poke]

From The Complete Works of C. H. Spurgeon, Volume 34: Sermons 2001-2061

From a sermon delivered July 1, 1888 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington.

[rogue06]

I saw this the other day, and it had an effect on me. This is the kind of quote that you can really like and hate at the same time.

“Brother, if any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him; for you are worse than he thinks you to be. If he charges you falsely on some point, yet be satisfied, for if he knew you better he might change the accusation, and you would be no gainer by the correction. If you have your moral portrait painted, and it is ugly, be satisfied; for it only needs a few blacker touches, and it would be still nearer the truth.”

I'm not sure where or when he said this, but cursory googling seemed to confirm that he did say it.

I like the quote as it carries a lot of truth in it.

[Zymologist]

I like the quote as it carries a lot of truth in it.

Oh, me too. Same reason I hate it.

[Celebrian]

I do see the truth in this, and I'm sure there is plenty to condemn me, but I think there could be false charges (like accusing me of being a serial killer) that would be worse than my actual sins (to me anyways). I suppose it depends on whether some sins are really worse than others (they are to people, but I've seen arguments both ways with God).

[Scrawly]

Great quote, thanks for sharing. It's notable that the man saying this was also most certainly one of the more holy individuals to have walked the earth.

[Bisto]

I saw this the other day, and it had an effect on me. This is the kind of quote that you can really like and hate at the same time.

“Brother, if any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him; for you are worse than he thinks you to be. If he charges you falsely on some point, yet be satisfied, for if he knew you better he might change the accusation, and you would be no gainer by the correction. If you have your moral portrait painted, and it is ugly, be satisfied; for it only needs a few blacker touches, and it would be still nearer the truth.”

I'm not sure where or when he said this, but cursory googling seemed to confirm that he did say it.

A couple of weeks ago something like that happened to me. One of my new teachers at college met a former teacher of mine. My former teacher made a comment on me having copied at one of her tests - something I never did. But I chose not to complain, because I know I still did a few shameful things in her course for which I repent. So as we walked away with my other (current) teacher, she said she hadn't thought I had some "dark" past -- to which I just replied "thank God He forgives us and lets us grow" -- to which she agreed.