Facing the Wind
(No. 2918)
A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 1905.
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ON THURSDAY EVENING,
SEPTEMBER 28, 1876.
"But you, brethren, be not weary in doing good," 2 Thessalonians 3:13
THE Christian church ought to be an assembly of holy men. Its members
should, all of them, be eminently peaceable, honest, upright, gracious
and Christlike. In the main and in spite of all our failures I trust
these characteristics may be seen in the churches of our Lord Jesus
Christ. But, still, from the beginning there has been a mixture. Judas
in the sacred college of the 12 Apostles seemed to be a prophecy to us
that there would always be troubles in Israel. It was so in the Church
at Thessalonica to which Paul wrote two Epistles, part of the last of
which we have just now been reading. There was evidently, then, a class
of people who because the charity of the church was very large, imposed
upon it and, under pretense of great spirituality, refused to work,
busying themselves instead in doing mischief according to the old adage
that–
"Satan finds some mischief still For idle hands to do."
We sometimes complain of our churches now. I very greatly question
whether an average church of Christ in modern times is not considerably
superior to any church that we have read of in the New
Testament–certainly very superior to some of them. In the Church at
Corinth they tolerated a brother who lived in incest. I trust there is
no Christian church, at least in our own denomination, that would
endure such a thing for an hour! And when this man had been put out by
Paul's command and proved penitent, then the Church at Corinth, which
was a church that did not believe in ministry, you know, (there is a
class of Christians of that sort, now, which resembles greatly these
Corinthians), because they had once put him out, refused to receive him
again though he was penitent and wanted to return.
I scarcely know a Christian church that would refuse to receive into
its membership again, a brother who had erred if he showed signs of
true repentance. The churches of today, compared with the early
churches of Christ, can say that the Grace of God has been extended to
us, even as unto them–and we now have no right to be continually
crying down the operations of the Holy Spirit in the churches by making
unfair comparisons between them and the churches of old. They had their
faults, as we have ours. They came short in many respects, even as we
do. Instead of bringing a railing accusation against churches as they
are, the best thing is for everyone of us to do his best in the sight
of God to make them what they should be, by seeking our own personal
sanctification and endeavoring that the influence of a holy life shall,
in our case, help to leaven the rest of the mass.
Paul turns from the consideration of those who had grieved him in the
church to speak to the rest of the brethren and says to them, "But you,
brethren, be not weary in doing good." In expounding these words we
shall, first, notice that our text contains a summary of Christian
life–it is called, "doing good." Secondly, we shall see it gives out a
very distinct warning against weariness and it hints at some of the
causes of weariness in the Christian life. In the third place, I shall
close the discourse by giving some arguments to meet the reasoning of
our soul when, at times, it seems to plead its own weariness as an
excuse.
I. First, then, Brothers and Sisters, our text contains A SUMMARY OF
CHRISTIAN LIFE. It is "doing good." This is all you have to do–you
that have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus and renewed in the spirit
of your minds. You have to spend your lives in doing good!
Now this is a very comprehensive term and we are certain that it
includes the common acts of daily life. You perceive the Apostle had
been speaking of some who would not work–"working not at all," he
says, and he commands them that they should labor and should eat their
own bread. It is clear, then, from the connection, that the work by
which a man earns his daily bread is a part of the doing good to which
he is called. It is not only preaching and praying and going to
meetings that are to be commended. These are useful in their place. But
doing good consists in taking down the shutters and selling your goods,
tucking up your shirt sleeves and doing a good day's work–sweeping the
carpets and dusting the chairs if you happen to be a domestic servant.
Doing good is attending to the duties that arise out of our
relationships in life–attending carefully to them and seeing that in
nothing we are eye-servers and men-pleasers–but in everything are
seeking to serve God. I know it is difficult to make people feel that
such simple and ordinary things as these are doing good. Sometimes
stopping at home and mending the children's clothes does not seem to a
mother quite so much "doing good" as going to a Prayer Meeting. And yet
it may be that the going to a Prayer Meeting would be doing ill if the
other duty had to be neglected. It is still a sort of superstition
among men that the cobbler's lap stone and the carpenter's adze are not
sacred things and that you cannot serve God with them–you must get a
Bible and break its back at a revival meeting, or give out a hymn and
sing it lustily in order to serve God.
Now, far am I from speaking even half a word against all the zeal and
earnestness that can be expended in religious engagements. These things
you ought to have done, but the other things are not to be left undone,
or to be depreciated in any way whatever. When Peter saw the sheet come
down from Heaven, you remember it contained all manner of beasts and
creeping things. God said even of the creeping things that He had
cleansed them and they were not to be counted common–from which I
gather, among a great many other things, that even the most menial of
the forms of service– even the most common actions of life–if they
are done as unto the Lord, are cleansed and become holy things and are
by no means to be despised. Do not cry down your church, but make your
house also your church! Find fault as you like with vestments, but make
your ordinary smock-frock your vestment and be a priest in it to the
living God! Away with superstition! Kill it by counting every place to
be holy, every day to be holy and every action that you perform to be a
part of the high priesthood to which the Lord Jesus Christ has called
every soul that He has washed in His precious
blood!
That these common things are doing good is very evident if you will
only think of the result of their being left undone. There is a father
and he thinks that to go to his work–such common work as his–cannot
be especially pleasing in God's sight. He means to serve God and so he
stays home! He is upstairs in prayer when the factory bell is ringing
and he ought to be there. He hears that there is a conference in the
morning, so he attends that–and then he has another period of
prayer–he spends all the week like that and then on Saturday night
there is nothing for his wife. Now, you see, directly, that he has been
doing ill because it was his duty to provide for his own household. And
if a man, being a husband and a father, neglects to find daily food for
his wife and little children, all the world cries shame on him! Does
not Nature, itself, say, "This man cannot be engaged in doing good"? It
cannot possibly be so. Though at first sight the ordinary toil for
daily bread looks to be a very commonplace thing, yet if you only
suppose it to be neglected, the leaving of it out is no commonplace
thing, but brings all manner of mischief.
Suppose, on the other hand, that the Christian woman were to become so
very devout–so ashamed to be like Martha–so certain not to be
cumbered with much serving that she would not serve at all in Martha's
direction, but always sat still and read and prayed, and meditated
leaving the children unwashed and nothing done for the household? The
husband–perhaps a worldly man–may be driven away from the house by
the lack of comfort in it and sent into ill company. He may, indeed, he
ruined. You can all see that whatever pretence there might be of doing
good about the wife's conduct, it would not, it could not really be
doing good, for the first business of the Christian woman placed in
that position is to see to it that her household is ordered aright,
even as Jesus Christ would have it. Oh, dear Friends, it is an art to
balance duties so as never to sacrifice to God one duty stained red
with the blood of another duty that you have destroyed in getting this
one ready for the sacrifice! Render unto Caesar the things that are
Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's. Give to husband and
child and to the household the share that is due and then–I will not
say give God the rest–but give God that service and all besides! He
would not have you bring robbery for burnt offering and He will accept
that as done to Him which you have, as a matter of duty, done to
others. So then, common life is included in the term, "doing good."
I think, also, from the connection, that anyone would conclude that
attending to the poor and doing good to all that are in need is
included in the term, "doing good." The connection seems to say that
there were certain persons in the Thessalonian Church who had abused
Christian charity–living upon it instead of working and eating their
own bread. The Apostle says, "But you, brethren be not weary in doing
good." Do not say, as some do, "There are really so many imposters that
I shall give nothing at all. I have been deceived so many times and
have given to persons who have only put my gift to bad use, that I do
not intend to open my wallet any more, but shall keep what I have or
lay it out in some other way." "No," says the Apostle, "you must not do
that–be not weary in doing good." It is the part of a Christian to
seek as much as lies in him to do good unto all men–and especially to
those of the household of faith. It is one of Christ's precepts to
"Give to him that asks of you and turn him not away who would borrow
from you." A general spirit of generosity to those in need is
synonymous with the Gospel–the reverse may be suitable to the Law with
its rigor–but not to the Gospel with its noble-hearted love! Christian
Brothers and Sisters, you must remember those who are in need as being,
as yourself, a part of the body of Christ! As much as lies in you,
"comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient towards all
men."
So we see that within the range of "doing good" is included a kind and
tender consideration of all those who are in need.
But, Brothers and Sisters, the circle of "doing good" which is to be
the Christian's life, though it makes a wide sweep, includes the things
that are nearer the center ' 'Doing good" means that I love the Lord,
my God, with all my heart–that I commune with Him–that I dedicate
myself to Him and give all that I have to the extension of His Kingdom
and to the honoring of His glorious name!
If you want to know what doing good is, I will give you a few hints and
tests. Everything is doing good that is done in obedience to a Divine
command. If you have God's Word for it, it is doing good. Some may call
you imprudent, but it is doing good if you do what God bids–and it is
prudent, too. In the long run you shall find it so. When God says, "Do
this," let it be done at once–that is doing good. And if He says, "You
shall not," the doing good is fleeing from the accursed thing! Let not
your own wisdom and prudence ever fly in the teeth of a positive
command of God! When you are doing what God bids you, you are doing
well–and you need have no difficulty in defending yourself. God will
not allow that man ever to be confounded who makes the will of God to
be the law of his life. So may it always be with us.
Taking the first condition for granted, in the next place everything is
doing good that is done in faith.' 'Whatever is not of faith is sin."
That is to say, even though the thing you do is right, if you do not
believe it to be right it is not right for you. There are many things
that I may do that you must not do because you do not think it would be
right to do them. Therefore you must refrain. Even, I say again, if the
thing is not in itself a wrong thing, yet if it seem wrong to you, it
will be wrong to you–therefore do it not. Paul could eat the meat that
had been offered to idols without being troubled in his conscience, but
there were some who thought that if they ate it, they would be
partakers with the idol. Paul did not think so and, moreover, he said,
"An idol is nothing in the world. Whatever is sold in the shambles, I
eat asking no question for conscience sake." Still, "he that doubts is
condemned if he eats." If he has his doubts about it and thinks he
should not do it, he must not do it. He will not be practicing the art
of doing good if he does that concerning which his conscience raises
any scruple. If you can say with Scripture warrant, "God permits this
and I can do it, feeling that He permits it," you are doing well in so
doing.
Again, everything that is done out of love to God is doing good. Ah,
this is a motive that sways no man till he is born-again. But when God,
who is Love, has begotten us into His own likeness, then we love God
and love becomes the motive of all our actions. I hope, Beloved, this
is the mainspring of our doings and goings–that you would be God's
servants or God's ministers because you love God–that you seek to bear
up under poverty or to use with discretion and liberality the riches
with which you are entrusted because you love God. If a man loves not
God, how little there can be of doing good about him! Yes, he lacks the
very root of it all if he has not love to God.
Doing good includes doing what we do in the name of the Lord Jesus. How
this should stop some professors in a great many actions. Have we not
the exhortation, "Whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name
of the Lord Jesus"? If there is anything you cannot do in the name of
the Lord Jesus, do it not, for to do it will not be doing good! In the
name of the Lord Jesus you may go to your daily labor, for He went to
His for 30 years and worked in the carpenter's shop. In the name of the
Lord Jesus you may undertake all the duties of your calling if that
calling is a right one. But if it is not, you have no right to be in it
at all, but should get out of it at once! You may do in the name of the
Lord Jesus all that men would do if you are a saved soul and your heart
is right towards Him.
Still further, doing good includes that which we do in Divine strength.
There is no doing good except we get power to do it from the Holy One
of Israel. The Spirit of God is the Author of all true fruit in the
Christian life. Except we abide in Christ and receive the sap of the
Sacred Spirit from Him, we cannot bring forth fruit, for, "without Me,"
He says, "you can do nothing." But to work in the Divine strength is
doing good. Poor and feeble though it is, if I do it out of love to
Christ and with the little strength I have, acknowledging that I would
not even have that but for His Grace, my act is an act of doing good.
Even though I have to mourn my failures and mistakes, nevertheless I
may feel that with a true heart I am striving to glorify God and that I
am surrendering myself to the Divine impulses so as to be ready to do
everything as unto my Master. Then am I living as a Christian should
live in doing good.
Brothers and Sisters, we are very great at wishing well and "if wishes
were horses, beggars might ride." If wishing well meant anything, there
would be some very great saints about! But the practice of a Christian
should be to do what he knows should be done–doing good. Resolving
well is a very common habit. Suggesting well and criticizing well are
tempers of mind familiar to most of us. Some of you could take a high
degree in admirably criticizing everybody else that does anything–and
putting your own hands into your pockets and keeping them there!
Talking well is also a great deal more common than doing good. But the
Christian life lies in none of these things. If God has given you the
life of the Spirit, you will not bring forth only buds and blossoms and
flowers, but there will be fruit–the fruit of doing good!
So much concerning the first point.
II. Now let us turn to the second point which is this–there is A
WARNING AGAINST WEARINESS IN DOING GOOD. Is it possible, you say, "that
a child of God can ever grow weary of doing good?" I suppose so, for I
remember another text which says, "Let us not be weary in doing good,
for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." And the marginal
reading of this text, itself, is, "Faint not." I suppose that blessed
as it is to be doing good and to be living unto God, yet while the
spirit is willing, the flesh is weak and there is a danger of our
getting weary in the most happy exercise.
The first danger is mentioned in the context. There is a tendency to
cease from doing good because of the unworthy receivers of our good
deeds. As I have already said, there were those in the Thessalonian
Church who received the gifts of the faithful and who sat still and did
nothing that was of any good. They became a pest and nuisance to their
neighbors. Now, the natural tendency of others in the Church would be
to say, "Well, I do not know what others think about it, but I shall
give no more." "No," says the Apostle, "be not weary in doing good." It
is bad that that man should make a bad use of your gifts, but it will
be worse, still, if he should induce you to harden your heart! It is a
loss, perhaps, to give to a man who wastes, but it will be a greater
loss not to give at all! I remember one who spoke on the missionary
question one day saying, "The great question is not, 'Will not the
heathen be saved if we do not send them the Gospel?' but, 'Are we
saved, ourselves, if we do not send them the Gospel?'" And so it is
with regard to Christian gifts. It is not so much a question how far
this or that man is benefitted or hurt by what we give, but what about
ourselves if we have no heart of compassion for a Brother or Sister who
is in need? What about the hardening influence on our own soul if we
get, at last, into a condition that we say, "I am weary in having done
what I have done because I see to what an ill use it is turned"? I
believe that to be a common temptation of the present age and I see
that all the political economists and the newspaper men almost as good
as tell us that it is one of the most wicked things we can ever do, to
help the poor at all–it is indeed a dreadful thing unless we do it
through that blessed machinery of the poor Law which seems to be the
next thing to the Kingdom of Heaven in their estimation! There seems to
me to be, however, a very long distance between them and I trust that
Christians will continually, by their actions, bear their protest
against the steeling of the believing Christian's renewed heart against
their fellow men because they seem to pervert the doing good into evil.
We have need of warning because idle examples tempt others to idleness.
If there were in the Church at Thessalonica some who did not work,
there would no doubt be others who would say, "We will do the same.
Since that fellow never does a hand's-turn, but only goes about and
talks and makes a good thing of it, why should not I do likewise?"
"No," says the Apostle, "be not weary in doing good. Do not give up
your daily work. Do not give up any form of service because others have
done so, for you can see, if you look at them, that they turn out to be
busybodies. You do not need to
become mischief-makers such as they are! Therefore shun their
conduct–avoid it with all your might–and do not weary in doing good
even if you see others who apparently prosper by doing nothing at all."
Again, I think the Apostle would say to us, "Be not weary in doing good
because of unreasonable and wicked men." We read about them just now
and I made a remark about them. [In the Exposition printed at the end
of the sermon.] Whenever anybody gets very earnest for Christ and lays
himself out for God's Glory, there is sure to be a little lot of
unreasonable and wicked men who get round him. The birds go flying
through the orchard and they do not say a word to one another till they
come to a cherry tree where the cherries are very sweet and ripe. Then
they all fall at once and begin to peck away with all their might! So
of an ordinary Christian who is doing little for his Master–nobody
says much, except, perhaps, "He is a very good respectable man. Never
bothers anybody with his religion." But let him become earnest–let his
fruit be ripe and sweet before the Lord and, believe me, more birds
than you ever thought were about will come–and they will peck at the
ripe fruit. That which God approves most will be just that which they
most violently condemn! If you get into such a case as that, my
Brothers and Sisters, be not weary of doing good because of your
critics. Does it matter, after all, what men think of us? Are we their
servants? Do we live on the breath of their nostrils? Do they think
that their praises inflate and exalt us? Do they dream that their
censures can make us sleep a wink less or even ruffle our spirits? I
trust, if we know the Lord aright, we are of the mind of Ann Askew,
who, after she had been racked, sat up with every bone out of joint
and, as full of pain as she could live, said to her tormentors–
"I am not she that lists
My anchor to let fall
For every drizzling mist.
My ship's substantial."
And she bore out the storm and did not intend to cast anchor because of
her persecutors! Glory be to God when He shall have delivered you
altogether from the bleating of the sheep and from the howling of the
wolves, too, and make you willing to let your enemies say their
say–and say it over again as long as it pleases them–but as for you,
your heart is fixed to go on in what you know to be doing good till
your Master, Himself, shall say to you, "Well done!"
Once more. There is a temptation to cease from doing good not only
because of unreasonable and wicked men outside the church, but,
according to the context–and I am keeping to that–because of
busybodies inside the church. Some of these are men–some of them are
not. There are busybodies about everywhere. They do not speak out very
distinctly–they whisper and they do it with a sigh! Perhaps nothing is
said, but there is a shrug of the shoulders. "So-and-So is an excellent
woman." "What a wonderful work she is doing for Christ!" "Well–yes,
but–such-and-such a man! How greatly God honors him in the winning of
souls." "Yes–ah, yes–I suppose i t is so." That is the style. And
then straightway there are ambiguous voices sounding abroad and
depreciating things said! I have known some of tender heart that have
suffered–I dare not think how much–from the insinuations of idle
people who, I hope, did not know the suffering they were causing or
they would have run to give help instead. But there is so much of this
thoughtless babbling of innuendos even among those who, we trust, are
God's people, that if any such are here I would earnestly entreat them
to give up that bad business! And if any Brother or Sister here has
suffered from such people, do not suffer more than you can help it, for
this idle chatter is not worth a thought!
Do not let it prey upon your mind because, well, there is nothing in
it! All the dirt that people can fling will brush off when it is dry.
You do not expect, do you, to go to Heaven on a grassy path that is
mowed and rolled for you every morning with all the dew swept off? If
you expect that, you will be mistaken. You may even learn something
from what these busybodies say about you. It is not true, of course,
but, Brother, if they had known you better, they might have said
something worse that wastrue! They picked a fault where there was none.
Well, but you know there aresome faults that they do not know and had
not you better amend them lest they should pick those next time? The
eagle eyes of envy and malice should even be sanctified to our good to
keep us the more watchful–and to make us more earnestly seek to be
diligent in doing good. Courage, faint heart–it will all be over,
by-and-by, and we shall be before that Judgment Seat where the talk of
friends and the threat of foes will go for nothing! We are being
examined here by this and that, but what matters the result of the
examination? The Lord weighs the spirits and if in those great scales
we shall, at last by Divine Grace, escape from having the sentence
pronounced, "You are weighed in the balance and found wanting," it will
be a theme for everlasting joy! Let us look to that verdict and not
care for the praise or blame of men.
III. Now I am going to close by bringing up A FEW ARGUMENTS TO KEEP MY
DEAR BRETHREN WITH
THEIR FACES TO THE WIND. I want you that are going uphill for Christ
and find the wind blowing very sharp, to set a hard face against a
strong wind and to go right straight on all the same. If you have to
fight your way to Heaven through every inch of your life, I would
encourage you to keep on. May God's Spirit give you strength to do so!
And first, you say, "Oh, but this service–keeping your garments always
white–is hard work. Doing good needs so much effort. I am afraid I
shall be weary." Now, I would ask you to remember that when you had
just begun business and you needed to make a little money, how early
you rose in the morning, how many hours you worked in the day! Why, you
that are getting gray now knew that in those days everybody wondered at
you because you threw such strength into everything–you did the work
of two or three men! What was all that effort for? For yourself, was it
not? My dear Brother, can you put all those exertions forth for
yourself and cannot you put out as much effort for Christ? That was
only for the worldly things–shall there not be something like that in
the spiritual things? It is enough to shame some people–the way they
toil to get on in business and then the little energy they show in the
things of Christ!
I used to tell a story of a Brother I once knew who, at the Prayer
Meeting, was accustomed to pray in such a way that I was always sorry
when he got up, for nobody could hear him. And I always thought that he
had a very feeble voice. I had indistinctly heard the Brother mutter
something to God and I felt that we had better not ask him again, for
his voice was so thin. But I stepped into his shop one day–he did not
know that I was there and I heard him say, "John, bring that
half-hundred weight." "Oh," I thought, "there is a very different tone
in the business from what there is in the Prayer Meeting!" It is
symbolical of a great many people. They have one voice for the world
and another voice for Christ. What weight they throw into the ordinary
engagements, but what little force and weight there is when they come
to the things of God! If that should touch any Brother here, I hope he
will carefully take it to himself. I am afraid it has to do with a
great many of us and I put it thus–if for the poor things of this
world we have often manifested so much vigor, what ought to be expected
of us–of us who are under such obligations to Divine Grace–in the
service of such a Master in reference to eternal things?
"But," says one, "such doing good requires so much self-denial I trust
I am a Christian, but I sometimes hesitate because to deny one's self
again and again and again and to lead a life of constant self-denial
is, I am afraid, too much for me." Yes, but, dear Brother, recollect
what Paul bids you remember. He was thinking of the men that went to
the boxing matches and the men that went to the races among the
Greeks–how they had to contend for a crown that was only of parsley or
laurel. Weeks and months before they ran, they kept under their body,
brought it into subjection and denied themselves all sorts of things
they would have rejoiced in, till they got the muscles well out and by
degrees pulled the flesh off their bones to get them into condition to
enter into the arena. Now, says the Apostle, they do it for a
corruptible crown, but we for an incorruptible! I am sure the hardships
to which some of those champions in the public games put themselves
were enough to make the cheek of professors mantle with crimson when
they think that the little self-denials of their life are often too
severe for them! May God in Infinite Mercy help us not to be weary in
doing good since these stand before us as examples!
"Yes," says one, "but I grow weary because, though I could deny myself,
continued doing good brings such persecution. I am surrounded by people
who have no sympathy with me. On the contrary, if they could stamp out
the little spark of spiritual religion that I have in me, they would be
glad to do it." Now, my dear Brother, be not weary in doing good
because of this, but look up yonder! I can see in vision a white-robed
throng. Each one bears a palm branch and together they sing an exultant
song of triumph. Who are these that thus wear a ruby crown?–
"These are they who bore the cross, Faithful to their Master died,
Suffered in His righteous cause, Followers of the Crucified/"
Take down Master Fox's Book ofMartyrs and read a dozen pages–and after
that see whether you are able to put yourselves on a par with the
saints of old. "You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against
sin." Your persecution is only a silly joke or two against you, a bit
of frivolous jesting–that is all. These things break no bones! O Sirs,
ask Divine Grace to enable you to rejoice and to be exceedingly glad
when they say all manner of evil against you falsely for Christ' s
sake! For so they prosecuted the Prophets that were before
you–therefore be not dismayed.
But another says, "No, Sir, I could bear anything for Christ, but do
you know I have been trying to do good to my neighbors, to the children
of my class, and to the others–and I really think that the more I try
to do good to people, the worse they are–doing good is followed by so
little result. I have labored in vain and spent my strength for nothing
and, you know, Sir, that hope deferred makes the heart sick. They seem
to refuse and reject my message though I put it very kindly." Now
listen to me, if ever you listened in your life! You must not–you dare
notcomplain of this because–and I know you well, there once came to
your door one who loved you better than you love these people–He
knocked with a hand that had been pierced for you and you refused Him
admission! He knocked and knocked again, and said, "Open to Me, for My
head is filled with the dew and My locks with the drops of the night."
But you would not open to Him. Then He went His way and you were much
worse than before. Sometimes you said you would open, but you did not.
And by the month together–ah, perhaps I do not exaggerate when I say,
by the yeartogether–"that Man of Love, the Crucified," came to you
again and again and again and pleaded His wounds and blood with you and
yet you refused Him! You have now admitted Him, but no thanks to
you–you would never have done it if He had not put in His hand by the
hole of the door and then your heart was moved for Him. Then He came
into your soul and He is still supping with you. Now, after that, you
must never say a word when they shut the door against you! You must,
say, "This is how I treated my Master. It has come back to me and in
good measure, but not pressed down or running over. And so I am well
content to bear rebuffs for His sake since He bore them from me, even
from me."
"Still," says one, "I have gone on and on, trying to do good in my
sphere. I have given much and I still desire to do the same, but I do
not appear to get much return–doing good does not earn much gratitude.
If I had some thanks I would not so much mind. Indeed, I do not seem to
be doing any good, either. If I saw some results I would not be weary."
Once more I speak and then I am done. Do you not know that there is One
who thus every day bade the showers descend upon the earth? And when
they fell, He did not say to the raindrops, "Fall on the crops of the
grateful farmers and let the Christian men have all the benefit of the
shower." No, He sent the clouds and they poured out the rain that fell
on the churl's land and watered his property! Tomorrow morning when the
sun rises, it will light the blasphemer's bed as well as the chamber of
the saint. And tonight God lends His moon to those that break His Laws
with a high hand and defile themselves as well as to those who go forth
on ministries of mercy. He stops neither rain nor sun nor moon, nor
makes a star the to shine less, nor sends less oxygen into the
atmosphere, or less health in the winds because man sins!
And there are whole nations where, when God gives His bounties, idols
and images are thanked and not the gracious Giver! There are other
nations where, when God makes the vine to produce its fruit, the people
turn it into drunkenness. And when He bids the corn be multiplied, they
turn it into gluttony and surfeit and pride. Yet He does not restrain
His gifts. Therefore you keep on even as the great God continues to
work unweariedly. He has done good to you and to thousands like you. If
you were to skip doing good to men, what would you be saying to God?
"Lord, this race does not deserve that You should do it any good. Do
not do any more good." Your conduct in saying that your fellow
creatures do not deserve that you should do them any good says, in the
most emphatic manner, that you do not think God ought to do them any
good, either, for if God should do them good, much more should you who
are so much less than He. And if you stop your hand and say, "It is no
use doing any more good," you, in effect, pray God never to do any more
good to your fellow men! That is an inhuman prayer and tempts God. I
pray you let not the action which incarnates such a prayer ever spring
from us again!
Come, Brothers and Sisters, the Lord Jesus Christ has blotted out our
sins. He has bought us with His blood! We belong to Him and whatever
service He gives us to do, He will give us the strength to do it! So
let us go back to our work with joy. If we have been grumbling–if we
have complained at all–let us ask His forgiveness and buckle our
harness on anew, saying, "Master, You shall not find me skulking, but
as long as the day lasts and You give me strength, I will reap in Your
fields, or work in Your vineyards according to Your bidding, thankful
for the great honor of being permitted to do anything for You and even
for having to put up with inconvenience for Your sake. Seeing that You
did endure so much for me, why should I not bear something for You?"
You may have to face a gale of wind, but you may face it gaily in the
strength of your Lord! Keep on and keep on keeping on! You shall be
more than conquerors through Him that loved you, over all the
oppositions of men. Why, be comforted, beloved fellow laborers, and let
no Brother's heart fail him because of anything that has happened to
him.
Let no Sister's hands hang down, but, "be you steadfast, immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that
your labor is not in vain in the Lord." I pray God to lead many others
to enlist in this service, but they must first believe in Jesus Christ.
When they have done so, then they may also come and share in the
blessed warfare–and they shall have their reward! The Lord bless you,
for Christ's sake.