Clues #61-70
Clues of the Maze: Honest Faith - #61-70
61. Faith works
Sincere faith belongs not to the tribe of lazzaroni. To leave all things to come as they may, and attempt nothing, is rather the accompaniment of despair than of confidence. Convinced of the fertility of the soil, the farmer sows it; assured of victory, the soldier fights for it; confiding in his good ship, the mariner puts to sea. We cannot believe in God, who works evermore, and then work no more. Faith never reckons it to be advantageous to rust in inglorious rest. No, faith in matters of common life bores the Alps, unites the seas, invades the unknown, and braves the perilous; and when that same principle exercises itself upon God and all his purifying forces, it wrestles with habits, conquers passions, rises to self-abnegation, and makes a man a hero. When we believe best we accomplish most. Like the valve which regulates the quantity of steam which may be employed, faith by its decline or advance lessens or increases the spiritual force which is admitted to the soul from its God; and thus it becomes a matter of highest moment not only that we have faith, but that we have it more abundantly. The rule of the Kingdom is, "According to thy faith be it unto thee."
62. Faith waits
Unbelief in the heart must see in every instance an effect following a cause, or else she doubts the cause: faith is in no such hurry. In Nature the more precious operations are slow: the process which produces mushrooms in a night is admirable, but there are nobler things than fungi, and these are not with us so suddenly. To produce a certain condition the preceding phenomena may appear to be the reverse of likely: a June garden, all enwrought with many-coloured flowers, must be preceded by the clouded weeping skies of April and the fitful changes of May. What then? Faith accepts the immutability of God's nature and promise as her solace and security against the perpetual changes of outward things; and looking behind the shifting scenery of the visible, she is not perplexed by adverse appearances. God worketh as he pleases. He explains not his methods, but bids us believe his promises. The most noxious elements may appear to be cast into the alembic, and the smoke of a furnace may arise in the process, but the highest good is distilled in due time. At no moment in the forming of things would doubt be satisfied with them, for its criticisms are those of ignorance; but the believing man refrains from judging unfinished work. His eye is prophetic, and he sees the good which is to be in the end, and therefore plucks no apple till it is ripe. Hurry and worry, fret and sweat, are for short-sighted passion; but rest and quiet, force and prudence, are with strong confidence.
63. Faith sings
Faith's life is song. She marches to battle with a psalm. She suffers with a hymn upon her lips. She glorifies God in the fires. She passes out of the world to the music of the Te Deum, and not to the dolorous notes of a dirge. She thrusts out the wailers and lamenters from the chamber of her departed, and enters the room, having none with her but the Lord, who is the Resurrection and the Life. Does Doubt compose sonnets, or chant Hosannahs? Can she even write a requiem? Hers are all what the Poet calls "bitter notes." Let her go and howl by the Dead Sea over Sodom and Gomorrah!
64. Faith makes very much of Prayer The believing man resorts to God at all times that he may keep up his fellowship with the divine mind. Prayer is not a soliloquy, but a dialogue; not an introspection, but a looking towards the hills, whence cometh our help. There is a relief in unburdening the mind to a sympathetic friend, and faith feels this abundantly; but there is more than this in prayer. "When an obedient activity has gone to the full length of its line, and yet the needful thing is not reached, then the hand of God is trusted in to go beyond us, just as before it was relied upon to go with us. Faith has no desire to have its own will when that will is not in accordance with the mind of God; for such a desire would at bottom be the impulse of an unbelief which did not rely upon God's judgment as our best guide. Faith knows that God's will is the highest good, and that anything which is beneficial to us will be granted to our petitions. All things are ours already by love's gift, and prayer is the cheque by which we draw upon our own banking account with God. Thus the 65. Faith enjoys the eternal Harmonies
Trust in the Great Father suggests and fosters delight in all his works. We are out of gear with the universe till we are at peace with God, and then all the creatures enter into a league of amity with us and we with them. At home in our Father's house everything communes with us of his glory. Shrines grow needless, for the whole creation is the temple of the Lord, and nothing is any longer common or unclean. Mountains and hills break forth before us into singing, and all the trees of the field do clap their hands. It was no wonder that a great saint called the birds his "sisters," for we seem akin to all that comes of our Maker's hand. Instead of being loose stones cast out as useless, we are built into the fabric of the divine Architect, and are in accord with all the worlds. No one takes a more intense delight in Nature than the intelligent friend of God. He is the world's Interpreter and Voice, and its inmost secret is laid bare to him. "Nature to him is but a name for an effect whose cause is God." He perceives God everywhere, even the God of Gethsemane and the cross.
"One spirit—His, Who wore the platted thorns with "bleeding brows, Rules universal nature." The scientist talks of "Natural laws" and the theologian descants upon the Decalogue; but to the believer all laws are in one statute-book, and he honours all for the King's sake. He sees no holiness within walls superior to that which is outside of them; every place to him is hallowed, for God is there. The rain is holy water, the mountain tarn a baptistery, the flight of birds a sacred procession, the harvest a sacrament, the thunder a hymn, the lightning a sermon. Faith floods the universe with Deity by revealing that unbounded Presence which is evermore its life, its bliss.
66. A Stay-by In times of spiritual conflict, when the truth of the gospel has been called in question, we have known a believing man take his stand at night under the starry vault of heaven, and looking up, he has cried, "My God, I feel an intense love to thee, thy ways, thy laws, thy service! For thou art infinitely good and glorious." Then has he concluded that the gospel, which has brought him into a state of unbounded affection for God, must be true. Unconsciously the mind judges as if it saw an identity between truth and right. This instinct is true. That which makes a man pure must have truth in it; that which denies him is a lie.
67. A Further Help
Going to his chamber, the tempted one has bowed his knee, and prayed out of a full heart for all mankind, heartily desiring their welfare, and asking for grace personally to promote it. He has put in a special petition for the forgiveness of all those who without cause have done him wrong. He has pleaded against selfishness and every unloving thought. Rising from his knees, he has another weapon at hand against doubt; for the faith, which has led him into this condition of pure, heartfelt love must be the truth. Though this may be no syllogism, and the logic of it may not be acceptable to other men, yet we affirm that to the man himself it is good evidence, and in many ways better than any verbal argument. Love and truth agree in one, and the one works into the hands of the other. Truth begets love, and hatred is born of falsehood.
68. True, and as great as true
If the things which our faith receives be indeed facts, they are tremendously true, and demand from us life at its utmost stretch. Revelation deals not with trifles. Let men take heed how they behave themselves amid eternal verities.
Furthermore, the believer rejoices that these things are also gloriously true. His is an inheritance of inconceivable magnificence. The truths which surround the life of faith are worthy of immortals; yea, worthy of God himself. Let us walk according to our high vocation. Oh, for ardours fit for the temple of the Infinite, wherein we minister this day!
69. Faith and the End The Lord Jesus has promised to come again, and faith clings to this promise. Sometimes she hopes that it may be so soon fulfilled that death may be avoided; but times and seasons are of small consequence with her, since all the blessings of the Second Advent will be hers one way or another.
If the Lord should come speedily, so that we do not see death, we shall be changed; and if he delay, so that we die, we shall be raised incorruptible. In any case we shall be for ever with him. Wherefore whether we sleep or wake is a matter about which we endure no travail of heart. The believer saith, "If I live, Christ will be with me; If I die, I shall be with Christ." How slight the difference!
70. Finally
We have never met with an instance in which a dying man has repented of his faith in God, or of the life which has grown out of it. Death-beds have in myriads of instances been clouded with regrets, but no one has ever bemoaned his too early, or too complete, or too protracted confidence in God. What no man has regretted let all men pursue.
Fathers and grandsires have passed this way before us, and have entreated us to follow them: they loved us too well to have implored us to trust in Jesus if he had proved to them a vain confidence. Their dying testimony commands our reverent obedience.
Thus, then, let time and eternity bring what they may, we commit ourselves unto God as unto a faithful creator. To whom be glory for ever and ever.
Amen.