Spurgeon...
Thursday, November 29, 2012
This Morning's Meditation
C. H. Spurgeon
"Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy
people . . . Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not
suffer sin upon him."—Leviticus 19:16, 17.
ALE-BEARING
emits a threefold poison; for it injures the teller, the hearer, and
the person concerning whom the tale is told. Whether the report be true
or false, we are by this precept of God's Word forbidden to spread it.
The reputations of the Lord's people should be very precious in our
sight, and we should count it shame to help the devil to dishonour the
Church and the name of the Lord. Some tongues need a bridle rather than a
spur. Many glory in pulling down their brethren, as if thereby they
raised themselves. Noah's wise sons cast a mantle over their father, and
he who exposed him earned a fearful curse. We may ourselves one of
these dark days need forbearance and silence from our brethren, let us
render it cheerfully to those who require it now. Be this our family
rule, and our personal bond—SPEAK EVIL OF NO MAN.
The Holy Spirit,
however, permits us to censure sin, and prescribes the way in which we
are to do it. It must be done by rebuking our brother to his face, not
by railing behind his back. This course is manly, brotherly, Christlike,
and under God's blessing will be useful. Does the flesh shrink from it?
Then we must lay the greater stress upon our conscience, and keep
ourselves to the work, lest by suffering sin upon our friend we become
ourselves partakers of it. Hundreds have been saved from gross sins by
the timely, wise, affectionate warnings of faithful ministers and
brethren. Our Lord Jesus has set us a gracious example of how to deal
with erring friends in His warning given to Peter, the prayer with which
He preceded it, and the gentle way in which He bore with Peter's
boastful denial that he needed such a caution.
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