In Calm Repose
The sermon emphasizes the promise of peace and rest that believers can experience through their relationship with God.
C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes the profound peace that God grants to His saints, as illustrated in Hosea 2:18, where believers are assured of safety and rest amidst earthly troubles and spiritual enemies. He highlights that true peace comes from God, who breaks the instruments of disquiet, allowing His people to lie down in calm repose. This divine rest is not just about physical relaxation but a deep spiritual assurance that believers can find safety in God's presence. Spurgeon encourages the faithful to trust in God's promise of peace, which surpasses all worries and fears, leading to a restful state in the love of Christ.
Text
I will make them to lie down safely. (Hosea 2:18)
Yes, the saints are to have peace. The passage from which this gracious word is taken speaks of peace "with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground." This is peace with earthly enemies, with mysterious evils, and with little annoyances! Any of these might keep us from lying down, but none of them shall do so. The Lord will quite destroy those things which threaten His people: "I will break the bow and the sword, and the battle out of the earth." Peace will be profound indeed when all the instruments of disquiet are broken to pieces.
With this pace will come rest, "So he giveth his beloved sleep." Fully supplied and divinely quieted, believers lie down in calm repose. This rest will be a safe one. It is one thing to lie down but quite another "to lie down safely." We are brought to the land of promise, the house of the Father, the chamber of love, and the bosom of Christ: surely we may now "lie down safely." It is safer for a believer to lie down in peace than to sit up and worry.
"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures," We never rest till the Comforter makes us lie down.
Sermon Outline
- The Promise of Peace
- The Result of Peace
- The Source of Peace
- The Comforter
- The Comforter makes us lie down in green pastures
Key Quotes
“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“I will break the bow and the sword, and the battle out of the earth.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“So he giveth his beloved sleep.” — C.H. Spurgeon
Application Points
- We can trust in God's provision and care, even in the midst of troubles.
- Resting in peace is safer than worrying about our circumstances.
- The Comforter is the source of peace and rest for believers.