Only a prayer meeting - Spurgeon - XX - 'The eye, an emblem of faith', 'Nothing to say' and 'Fasting and backsliding'

--> Required reading
Only a prayer meeting by Charles Spurgeon (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read the chapters entitled 'The eye, an emblem of faith', 'Nothing to say' and 'Fasting and backsliding'.

My summary
This week we read three short chapters.

Firstly Spurgeon teaches us that the eye is an emblem of faith: 'I was thinking that the eye is the type and symbol and emblem of faith. Nobody in his right senses wishes to have anything in his eye; he wants his eye to be, just as an eye should be, without anything at all in it, but bright, and strong, and clear; and that is precisely what we want our faith to be,—bright, and strong, and clear,—with nothing in it, so that we may just simply look away to Christ, and be saved.'

Secondly Spurgeon tells us that we should have nothing to say when:
(i) under conviction of sin;
(ii) first seeing the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour.

Thirdly Spurgeon speaks about the dangers of spiritual fasting: 'I have known some professing Christians who seemed to be trying to see how long they could live without eating spiritually. Prayer is neglected, the reading of the Scriptures is forgotten, attendance upon the means of grace is very much slackened; and as for coming out to a week-night service, that is given up altogether.'

What grabbed me
I loved Spurgeon's rebuke for trying to unite our work with Christ's work: 'If you mix up anything of your own,—your feelings, or your tears,—with Christ, you do dishonour to Him. Will you stitch your filthy rags on to the glistening robe of His stainless righteousness? Far be it from any one of us to attempt such a thing. Go and yoke a gnat with one of the cherubim, and see how they will work together; but never seek to join Christ and yourself in trying to do the work that He has com­pletely and for ever finished. Why, it would be an impertinence akin to profanity! Shake thyself clear of everything like trust in what thou art or canst be.'

What a great line: 'Go yoke a gnat with one of the cherubim'.  An impossible task. 

Yet we so often attempt to do the even more impossible task of adding to Christ's work.

Next week's reading
Commence Section IV. Miscellaneous Addresses by reading the chapters entitled 'Preaching to sinners' and 'A full Christ for empty sinners and saints'.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.