I was just reading a sermon by
Spurgeon from Job 1:22 entitled,
Patient Job, and the Baffled Enemy. I spent a considerable amount of time studying Job about a year ago as I led my class through the book on Sunday mornings. So, I was naturally drawn to this collection of sermons from Job by
Spurgeon. After a conversation yesterday with a co-laborer about the problem of evil and pain, was moved to read form the sermons again today. I found in the final statements of the message a glory.
In all of this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. Spurgeon starts by making much of the phrase, "in all this." He reminds of all that is contained in that phrase: all that had happened to Job, Satan's attacks, the trial by his friends, the curse of his wife. In all of this Job sinned not.
Spurgeon points out first that in all of our affairs the main thing is, not to sin. Second, he emphasises that in all time of trial there is a special fear of sinning. In this, he means that "suffering is fruitful soil for certain forms of sin." Thirdly, he shows that in acts of mourning we need not sin. He shows that, "Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground and worshipped." Fourthly,
Spurgeon reminds us that in charging God foolishly we sin greatly. He warns it is best to not charge God at all. "To call God to our judgement-seat is a high crime and misdemeanour." He says that we sin when we require that we understand God, when we imagine that He is unjust, when we bring charge against His love, His power, or His wisdom.
Finally,
Spurgeon says that to come through great trial without sin is the honour of the saints. Not that we are honored per
se, but that it is our honor. "If we are tried, and come forth from it naked as when we were born, we need not be ashamed: but if we come out of it without sinning, then the greatness of the affliction increases the honor of our victory." He says it is part of the glory with which grace covered him. He says, "Suppose your life was all ease, what then? Assuredly you could never be noted for patience." He points out, "who would ever have heard of Job if he had not been tried? None would have said of him, 'In all of this Job sinned not.'
Only by his patience could he be perfected and immortalized." It is from this platform that
Spurgeon writes one of the best pages I have ever read. First he cast a vision for the life of a believer. "Suppose that your record should be: from birth a sufferer, throughout life a
struggler; at home a wrestler, and abroad a
soldier and a cross-bearer; and, notwithstanding all this, full of joy and peace, through strong
believing: tried to the uttermost, yet found faithful.
In such a chronicle there is something worth remembering. There is no glory in being a feather-bed
soldier, a man bedecked with
gorgeous regimentals, but never
beautified by the scar, or ennobled by the wound."
He goes on to show how if we could see things as God sees them we would choose the troubles and not spare ourselves one single pain. "
Who wants to paddle around a duck-pond all his life? Nay, Lord, if thou wilt bid me go upon the waters, let me launch out into the deep." It is in the trial that we find maturity.
"Discomforts and dangers make men of us, and then we deal no more with childish things, but with eternal matters." It is in suffering and trial that we truly learn about ourselves and God, we are awakened from the insanity of this world to see the truth of the reality of the presence of God in our lives. "
Tried souls can tell of the infinite mercy and love of God, who helped them, and delivered them. Give me an interesting life, after all; and if it is to be an interesting life, then it must be one that has its full share of trouble, as Job's had." Spurgeon says that being found faithful in the life of trial is the "
honor of a Christian, or, let me say, the honor of God's grace in a Christian."
He does not stop
there, but urges us to go on swimming to the other shore. He says, "crowd your life with action, and adorn it with patience, so that it shall be said, 'In all this, he sinned not.'" He then adds two final words.
One to the believer, "yet, I, who have suffered so little, have often sinned, and I fear in times of anguish, have charged God foolishly."
One to the unbeliever, "Suppose I were to sum up your lives, and wrote it out in this fashion. How falsely should I speak if I were to say, 'In all of this he sinned not!' Why in all this, you have done nothing else but sin."
In his final word
Spurgeon says, "Be more concerned to be kept from sinning than from suffering and daily pray, 'Holy Father, keep me as a dear child, obeying and serving thee, with all my heart, and soul, and strength, till I go up higher to dwell with thee forever.' Then shall He be glorified in you, and you shall have joy. Amen, and Amen."
Let me exhort you, parents, as much as lieth in you, to give your children sound instruction in the great doctrines of the gospel of Christ. I believe that what Irving once said is a great truth. He said, "In these modern times you boast and glory, and you think yourselves to be in a high and noble condition, because you have your Sabbath-schools and British-schools, and all kinds of schools for teaching youth. I tell you," he said, "that philanthropic and great as these are, they are the ensigns of your disgrace; they show that your land is not a land where parents teach their children at home. They show you more is a want of parental instruction; and though they be blessed things, these Sabbath-schools, they are indications of something wrong, for it we all taught our children there would be no need of strangers to say to our children 'Know the Lord.'"
