[Charles] Simeon himself is our example here. The feature of his preaching which most constantly impressed his hearers was the fact that he was, as they said, “in earnest”; and that reflected his own overwhelming sense of sin, and of the wonder of the grace that had saved him; and that in turn bore witness to the closeness of his daily fellowship and walk with his God. As he gave time to sermon preparation, so he gave time to seeking God’s face.

“The quality of his preaching,” writes the Bishop of Bradford, “was but a reflection of the quality of the man himself. And there can be little doubt that the man himself was largely made in the early morning hours which he devoted to private prayer and the devotional study of the Scriptures. It was his custom to rise at 4 a.m., light his own fire, and then devote the first four hours of the day to communion with God. Such costly self-discipline made the preacher. That was primary. The making of the sermon was secondary and derivative.”

Read it all.

Today the Episcopal Church commemorates Charles Simeon, Priest, Evangelical Divine, 1836 https://t.co/bspWQhUQtI

Image: Stained glass in Ridley Hall chapel, Cambridge, Photo by Steve Day, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, via flickr pic.twitter.com/0RYr0FGGFU

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) November 12, 2019

He grew downward in humiliation before God, and he grew upward in his adoration of Christ.

Handley Moule captures the essence of Simeon’s secret of longevity in this sentence: “‘Before honor is humility,’ and he had been ‘growing downwards’ year by year under the stern discipline of difficulty met in the right way, the way of close and adoring communion with God” (Moule, 64). Those two things were the heartbeat of Simeon’s inner life: growing downward in humility and growing upward in adoring communion with God.

But the remarkable thing about humiliation and adoration in the heart of Charles Simeon is that they were inseparable. Simeon was utterly unlike most of us today who think that we should get rid once and for all of feelings of vileness and unworthiness as soon as we can. For him, adoration only grew in the freshly plowed soil of humiliation for sin. So he actually labored to know his true sinfulness and his remaining corruption as a Christian.

I have continually had such a sense of my sinfulness as would sink me into utter despair, if I had not an assured view of the sufficiency and willingness of Christ to save me to the uttermost. And at the same time I had such a sense of my acceptance through Christ as would overset my little bark, if I had not ballast at the bottom sufficient to sink a vessel of no ordinary size. (Moule 134f.)

He never lost sight of the need for the heavy ballast of his own humiliation. After he had been a Christian forty years he wrote,

With this sweet hope of ultimate acceptance with God, I have always enjoyed much cheerfulness before men; but I have at the same time laboured incessantly to cultivate the deepest humiliation before God. I have never thought that the circumstance of God’s having forgiven me was any reason why I should forgive myself; on the contrary, I have always judged it better to loathe myself the more, in proportion as I was assured that God was pacified towards me (Ezekiel 16:63). . . . There are but two objects that I have ever desired for these forty years to behold; the one is my own vileness; and the other is, the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ: and I have always thought that they should be viewed together; just as Aaron confessed all the sins of all Israel whilst he put them on the head of the scapegoat. The disease did not keep him from applying to the remedy, nor did the remedy keep him from feeling the disease. By this I seek to be, not only humbled and thankful, but humbled in thankfulness, before my God and Saviour continually. (Carus, 518f.)

Please do read it all.

If you’re a preacher, Charles Simeon has influenced you more than you realise. Find out how: http://t.co/D9fE5aY4cv pic.twitter.com/wEtSDLF4fh

— Moore College (@MooreCollege) May 13, 2015

Blessed Lord, the only living and true God,
the Creator and Preserver of all things,
We live by you;
and our whole dependence is upon you,
for all the good that we either have or hope for.
We now desire to bless your name for those mercies,
which in so large a measure
you have generously given us.

Worthy are you, O Lord our God,
to receive all honor and glory,
all thanks and praise,
and love and obedience,
as in the courts of heaven,
so in all the assemblies of your servants upon earth;
for you are great, and you do wondrous things;
you are God alone.

Charles Simeon, born 260 years ago today in my home town of Reading. Top preacher, top town. That's all. pic.twitter.com/PQgs3Z0v2Q

— Jon Barrett (@RevJonBarrett) September 24, 2019

John Stott on Charles Simeon at Taylor University from Randall Gruendyke on Vimeo.

He stood for many years alone, he was long opposed, ridiculed, shunned, his doctrines were misrepresented, his little peculiarities of voice and manner were satirized, disturbances were frequently raised in his church or he was a person not taken into account, nor considered in the light of a regular clergyman in the church.

–as quoted in William Carus, Memoirs of the Life of the Rev. Charles Simeon (New York: Robert Carter, 1848), p.39

Charles Simeon kept a portrait of Henry Martyn over his fireplace. Years later, Simeon would say to guests, "See that blessed man. No one looks at me the way he does … and seems always to be saying, "The years are short. Be serious. Be in earnest. Don't trifle – don't trifle." pic.twitter.com/mEUgdKvu2B

— Mark O'Donoghue (@revmarko) October 19, 2019

O loving God, who orderest all things by thine unerring wisdom and unbounded love: Grant us in all things to see thy hand; that, following the example and teaching of thy servant Charles Simeon, we may walk with Christ in all simplicity, and serve thee with a quiet and contented mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Many Christian heroes made a difference to the world by travelling it; Charles Simeon made a difference by staying in the same place ministering for fifty-four years.

Read my latest blog at https://t.co/kFvFxd2wJT pic.twitter.com/chMes2PS5Z

— J.John (@Canonjjohn) October 17, 2020

Into Thy hands, Almighty Father, Who dost will peace and purpose loving-kindness, we commend our spirits: our minds to know Thee, our hearts to love Thee, our wills to serve Thee, for we are Thine. Into Thy hands, Incarnate Saviour, Who hast taught us that Thou art the way, the truth, and the life, do Thou receive us and draw us after Thee, that we may follow Thy steps. enlighten and guide us, lest the night of sin and error overwhelm us; abide in us and quicken us by the power of Thine indwelling. Into Thy hands, O Lord the Spirit, Who createst good and destroyest evil, do Thou take us and fashion us after Thine image; let Thy comfort strengthen, Thy grace renew, and Thy fire cleanse us. Soul and body, in life and in death, in this world of shadows and in Thy changeless world of light eternal, now and for ever, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, into Thy hands.

–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)

Hilltop house. Mount Fanjinghttps://t.co/xOUm7wUDAE pic.twitter.com/JH2J858vBm

— Architecture Hub (@architecturehub) November 12, 2020

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

–Psalm 23 KJV

La speranza mette radici anche nella roccia.

( Józef Bułatowicz)

Sperando in tempi migliori per tutti, Vi auguro un sereno fine settimana 🕊🙏🌈
…📷mia… pic.twitter.com/pa4CpZghJN

— Patrizia Giancotti (@patriGiancotti) October 31, 2020