LORD, Have Mercy, And Open Our Eyes To YOUR Grace And Love!

A prayer for the devil!
(Charles Spurgeon, "Free Will--A Slave" 1855)

You have heard a great many
Arminian sermons, I dare say; but
you never heard an Arminian prayer--
for the saints in prayer appear as
one in word, and deed and mind.

An Arminian on his knees would
pray desperately like a Calvinist.
He cannot pray about free-will--
there is no room for it.

Imagine him praying:

"LORD, I thank you I am not like
those poor presumptuous Calvinists.
LORD, I was born with a glorious
free-will; I was born with power by
which I can turn to you of myself;
I have improved my grace.

If everybody had done the same
with their grace that I have--
they might all have been saved.
LORD, I know YOU do not make us
willing, if we are not willing ourselves.

YOU give grace to everybody; some
do not improve it, but I do. There are
many that will go to Hell as much
bought with the blood of CHRIST
as I was; they had as much of
the HOLY SPIRIT given to them;
they had as good a chance, and
were as much blessed as I am.

It was not YOUR grace that made
us to differ; I know it did a great deal--
still I turned the point; I made use of
what was given me, and others did not--
that is the difference between me and them."

That is a prayer for the devil, for nobody
else would offer such a prayer as that!

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GraceGems has published Andrew Bonar's powerful article,
"The Cup of Wrath!"