Are you a Ciceronian? by Charles Spurgeon from Joy Born at Bethlehem Perhaps you know the legend, or perhaps true history, of the awakening of Augustine. He dreamed that he died and went to the gates of heaven, and the keeper of the gates said to him, Who are you? And he answered, I am a Christian. But the porter replied, no, you're not a Christian. You are a Ciceronian. For your thoughts and studies were most of all directed to the works of Cicero and the classics, and you neglected the teaching of Jesus. We judge men here by that which most engrossed their thoughts. And you were judged not to be a Christian, but a Ciceronian.

When Augustine awoke, he put aside the classics which he had studied and the eloquence at which he had aimed, and he said, I will be a Christian. And from that time he devoted his thoughts to the word of God and his pen and his tongue to the instruction of others in the truths of the gospel.

Oh, I would not have it said of any of you. Well, he may be somewhat Christian, but he is far more a keen money-getting tradesman. I would not have it said, well, he may be a believer in Christ, but he is a good deal more a politician. Perhaps he is a Christian, but he is most at home when he is talking about science, farming, engineering, horses, mining, navigation, or pleasure-taking.

No, no, you will never know the fullness of the joy which Jesus brings to the soul unless, under the power of the Holy Spirit, you take the Lord your Master to be your all in all, and make Him the fountain of your most intense delight.