An Encouraging Message to Believers from the Pen of Charles H. Spurgeon
"Gather not my soul with sinners." - Psalm 26:9
all, thou mayst be gathered with the wicked." That fear, although marred
Fear made David pray thus, for something whispered, "Perhaps, after
recollection of past sin. Even the pardoned man will enquire, "What if at
by unbelief, springs, in the main, from holy anxiety, arising from the
the end my sins should be remembered, and I should be left out of the
little grace, so little love, so little holiness, and looking forward to
catalogue of the saved?" He recollects his present unfruitfulness--so
the future, he considers his weakness and the many temptations which beset
to pray, in fear and trembling, "Gather not my soul with sinners." Reader,
him, and he fears that he may fall, and become a prey to the enemy. A
sense of sin and present evil, and his prevailing corruptions, compel him
afraid that you shall be gathered with sinners. Have you the two virtues
if you have prayed this prayer, and if your character be rightly described
in the Psalm from which it is taken [the 26th Psalm], you need not be
the altar of God with humble hope? If so, rest assured, with the wicked
which David had--the outward walking in integrity, and the inward trusting
in the Lord? Are you resting upon Christ's sacrifice, and can you compass
you never shall be gathered, for that calamity is impossible. The
people. You cannot be gathered with the wicked, for you are too dearly
gathering at the judgment is like to like. "Gather ye together first the
tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my
barn." If, then, thou art like God's people, thou shalt be with God's
- from Spurgeon's daily devotional book entitled,
bought. Redeemed by the blood of Christ, you are His for ever, and where
He is, there must His people be. You are loved too much to be cast away
with reprobates. Shall one dear to Christ perish? Impossible! Hell cannot
hold thee! Heaven claims thee! Trust in thy Surety and fear not!
"O fear the LORD, ye His saints." Pay to Him humble childlike reverence, walk in His laws, have respect to His will, tremble to offend Him, hasten to serve Him. Fear not the wrath of men, neither be tempted to sin through the virulence of their threats; fear God and nothing else… The fear of the LORD or true piety is not only the duty of those who avow themselves to be saints, that is, person set apart and consecrated for holy duties, but it is also their path of safety and comfort. Godliness hath the promise of the life which now is. If we were to die like dogs, and there were no hereafter, yet were it well for our own happiness’ sake to fear the Lord. Men seek a patron and hope to prosper; he prospers surely who hath the Lord of Hosts to be His friend and defender.
