DOUBT
Our failure lies in want of faith, not in excess of it. It would be hard to believe God too
much: it is dreadfully common to believe him too little. AP89
I heard of a little girl whose mother found her one day with a carving knife and the
family Bible. “What are you doing?” she asked, in some surprise, for the safety of
both Bible and child. “O mother,” she said, “I was reading about the man who came
to Jesus and said, ‘If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean;’ and I thought he ought
not to have said ‘if’ to Jesus; so please, mother, I am scraping it out.” A very good
thing to do with all our “ifs.” BA136
We believe on evidence. Now the most foolish part of many men’s doubts, is, that they
do not doubt on evidence. 246.170
If you believe a thing you want evidence, and before you doubt a thing you ought to
have evidence too. To believe without evidence is to be credulous, and to doubt
without evidence is to be foolish. 246.170
Why did Simon Peter doubt? He doubted for two reasons. First, because he looked too
much to second causes, and secondly, because he looked too little at the first cause. 246.170
Atheism denies God’s existence—unbelief denies his goodness, and since goodness
is essential to God, these doubts do, in reality, stab at his very being. 439.145
Some of you are always fashioning fresh nets of doubt for your own entanglement.
You invent snares for your own feet, and are greedy to lay more and more of them.
You are mariners who seek the rocks, soldiers who court the point of the bayonet. It
is an unprofitable business. Practically, mentally, morally, spiritually, doubting is
an evil trade. You are like a smith, wearing out his arm in making chains with which
to bind himself. Doubt is sterile, a desert without water. Doubt discovers difficulties
which it never solves: it creates hesitancy, despondency, despair. 2100.455
Would it not be better to be dumb when we are doubtful? Muzzle that dog of unbelief! 2237.1
I usually find that the greatest doubters are the people who do not read the Bible. 2623.247
Doubt thee, my Lord? I could doubt all except thee; and doubt myself most of all. 2721.162