Sunday Spurgeon

What son is there whom the Father chastens not? You ministers of God who preach the Gospel—is there among your ranks one son whom his Father chastens not? Unanimously they reply, “We all have been chastened.” You holy Prophets who testified God’s Word with the Holy Spirit from Heaven—is there one among your number whom God chastened not? Abraham, Daniel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Malachi, answer! And unanimously you cry, “There is not one among us whom the Father chastens not.” You kings, you chosen ones, you Davids and you Solomons—is there one in your high and lofty ranks who has escaped chastisement?

Answer David! Were you not obliged to cross the brook Kidron in the darkness? Answer Hezekiah! Did not you spread the letter before the Lord? Answer Jehoshaphat! Had not you your cross when your ships were broken that were sent to Tarshish for gold? Oh you starry hosts above—translated out of the reach of the trials of this world—is there one among you whom the Father chastened not? Not one. There is not one in Heaven whose back was unscarred by the chastening rod, if he attained to the age when he needed it. The infant alones escapes, flying at once from his mother’s breast to Heaven.

There is one more whom I will ask—the Son of God—the Son par excellence, the Chief of all the family. You, Son of God Incarnate, did You escape the rod? Son without sin, were You a Son without punishment? Were you chastised? Hark! The hosts of earth and Heaven reply—the Church militant and triumphant answers—“The chastisement of our peace was even upon Him—He suffered. He bore the Cross. He endured the curse as well as any of us. Yes, more—He endured ten thousand-fold more chastisement than any of us can by any possibility endure.” “My son, despise not you the chastening of the Lord, neither faint when you are rebuked of Him.”