"the doctrine of the atonement is to my mind one of the surest proofs of the divine inspiration of Holy Scripture. who would or could have thought of the just Ruler dying for the unjust rebel? this is no teaching of human mythology, or dream of poetical imagination. this method of expiation is only known among men because it is a fact; fiction could not have devised it. God Himself ordained it; it is not a matter which could have been imagined."
"a great change has to be wrought in you, far beyond any power of yours to accomplish, ere you can go in with Christ to the marriage. you must, first of all, be renewed in your nature, or you will not be ready. you must be washed from your sins, or you will not be ready. you must be justified in Christ's righteousness, and you must put on his wedding dress, or else you will not be ready. you must be reconciled to God, you must be made like to God, or you will not be ready. or, to come to the parable before us, you must have a lamp, and that lamp must be fed with heavenly oil, and it must continue to burn brightly, or else you will not be ready. no child of darkness can go into that place of light. you must be brought out of nature's darkness into God's marvelous light, or else you will never be ready to go in with Christ to the marriage, and to be forever with him."
oh, and in case you're interested, here's a good biographical sermon to read or listen to about the life of charles spurgeon.
