Soul yielding to God’s power – Charles Spurgeon

I LOOKED last Friday night at a very remarkable sight, the burning of a huge floor-cloth manufactory. I was just about returning home from my Master’s work when I saw a little blaze, and in an incredibly short space a volume of fire rolled up in great masses to the skies. Why blazed it so suddenly? Why, because for months before many men had been busily employed in hanging up the floor-cloth and in saturating the building with combustible materials; I do not mean with the intention of making a blaze, but in the ordinary course of their manufacture; so that when at last the spark came it grew into a great sheet of flame all at once. So sometimes when the gospel is faithfully preached a sinner gets present peace and pardon, and he is so full of joy his friends cannot make him out, his progress is so rapid. But be it remembered that God has been mysteriously at work months before in that man’s heart, preparing his soul to catch the heavenly flame, so that there was only a spark needed, and then up rolled the flame to Heaven. O that I could be that spark to some heart in whom God has been working this morning, but HE alone can make me so! I noticed when that factory was on fire from top to bottom that it seemed to glow like pure gold, or like transparent glass, and then I expected to see it fall, and by-and-by fall it did, for after about half-an-hour all on a sudden one timber went over, and then the whole mass fell with a tremendous crash. I venture to compare that final crash with the actual salvation of a soul long prepared to receive it. The heart has been glowing with a divine desire, a heavenly flame for even months and years, and then at last, in a moment, the final movement is made, and doubts, and fears, and sins fall to the ground, and there is room to build a temple for the living God.