Untitled article by John Q. Foy

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, February 18, 1868

FromReview and Herald, Vol. XXXI, No. 10

A WORD TO THE DESPONDING.

By John Q. Foy

As I think of how many there are who are bowed down by sore temptation, almost ready to give up, driven almost to despair by the suggestions of Satan, to whom he is saying, “It is no use trying, you might as well give up; only a few will be saved; and there are so many who are better than you are,” &c., &c.,—when I think of this, and realize the weakness of human nature, and the almost unlimited power of this cruel adversary, how I wish that I might speak words of encouragement. But I am at a loss how to begin, or what to say. The very ones who most need encouragement, who are most sorely tempted, are generally the last to be encouraged by anything that may be said; and Satan is so busy, and knows so well how to attack them that everything designed for their benefit is turned by him into a new weapon with which to attack them, and only tends to drive them still nearer the brink of despair. Although, as I sincerely believe, God has a special care for such, and to such apply the words of our Saviour, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven,” yet Satan well knows that it is not his purpose to save them independent of their own efforts, and so long as he can make them yield to these feelings of discouragement, and thus keep them from their duty, he is satisfied.

Now if Satan is so intent on our destruction, and is so zealously engaged in the accomplishment of his purpose, is it not an evidence that there is yet hope in our case, and that God is willing to save us? Or must we charge him with such consummate folly as would be manifested in making such efforts for the destruction of those who are already beyond the reach of mercy. “But,” says one, “the harder I try, the oftener I am overcome.” Strange indeed! Think you, that when we are carelessly dreaming of our own destruction, expecting and hoping for nothing better, that shrewd enemy would take special pains to arouse us? Alas, no! We are already too securely in his power. It is when we, being made aware of our danger, make an effort to elude his grasp, when God in pity and compassion reaches down his arm to deliver, and lifting upon us the light of his countenance, dispelling the darkness with which we have been enshrouded, causing hope to revive,—it is then that this arch-fiend, seeing his prey about to be taken from him, rallies his forces, and renews the attack. And he knows just where to begin. At one time he may suggest that we are deceived, and thus cause doubts to arise in our minds; and we, by harboring these doubts, drive the Spirit of God from our hearts, and again we are in darkness. At another time he may throw us off our guard, causing us for a moment to forget our weakness, and we, by becoming careless, and ceasing to watch, and perhaps by neglecting prayer, lose the blessing; then, taking still farther advantage of us, he suggests, and generally with more or less success, that it is of no use for us to try. Here let me say, Prayer is our only hope, and has the enemy been so far successful in his efforts to discourage us that our seasons of prayer are less frequent, and our petitions less earnest, then has he gained a great victory over us, and we may be sure that so long as we neglect this imperative duty, this invaluable privilege, we shall be unprepared to withstand his fiery darts, and to resist, successfully, his evil insinuations.

“Prayer makes the darkest cloud withdraw, Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw, Gives exercise to faith and love, Brings every blessing from above.”

Then how important that we spend much time in prayer; not satisfied with praying merely morning and evening at the family altar, but pray in secret, and the promise is, our Heavenly Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Do we feel poor and unworthy? Do we, discovering the deceitfulness of our own hearts, and realizing our weakness, feel utterly insufficient for the task before us? Then should we, after making up our minds to be wholly the Lord’s (for God requires the whole heart), plead with him for the Holy Spirit to aid in this great work (for truly it is a great work, that of overcoming sin and Satan, of subduing self, and bringing our wills into complete subjection to the will of God, and every thought and feeling of our hearts into conformity to the Spirit and teachings of Christ, and requires more true courage and more real generalship than the act of subduing a nation, or even of quelling a civil rebellion), always bearing in mind, the suggestions of the enemy to the contrary notwithstanding, that so long as we are so sorely tempted and tried, the Spirit of God is yet striving with us, and we are yet within the pale of his mercy.

But why is it that we are so easily discouraged? Not so is it in things pertaining to this life. Here we may encounter difficulties and disappointments, and no matter how great, they must and will be surmounted. “Try again,” is our motto, and we do try, and generally succeed. Now, making all due allowance for the strong foe we have to contend with, I am inclined to think there is a lack of interest, a want of energy on our part, a love of ease and an unwillingness to sacrifice. Says God, through the gifts of his Spirit, “Those who are willing to make any sacrifice for eternal life will have it.” What is there that we would not give up, what effort is too great to be made, if we may but obtain eternal life? True, there is great danger of self-deception; hence the exhortation of the apostle: “Prove your own selves.” But how are we to do this? By comparing our lives with the precepts of God’s word. Here our duty is made plain. “Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” Jno. xv, 4-8. But how are we to know whether we abide in Christ? “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” Jno. xv, 10. Nor is this a work of small magnitude. Nor is it necessary in order to encourage those for whom these thoughts are intended, so to represent it. Those who are really honest, and really desire to know and do the will of their Heavenly Father, who have the cause of God at heart, who “love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity,” and realize the great “love wherewith he hath loved us,” and what he has suffered to redeem us, are willing, yea, esteem it a privilege, to “know the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings.” They have Heaven without any effort on their part? the reward without the labor, the rest without the toil, the crown without the cross? Never! Heaven would not be Heaven, nor could they enjoy that which they were at no expense to obtain. Reward sweetens labor, and vice versa. Thank God for the cross. With Paul we will “glory in the cross of Christ.” To those who are shrinking at the straightness of the way, unwilling to make the sacrifice, seeking to lay up treasure on the earth, desiring its riches, its honors, its pleasures,—to such I have only to say, Seek encouragement from another source. The Book of God affords you none except you repent. To such the language of the spirit of prophecy is, “Cut loose, cut loose.” Heeding it, you are saved; disregarding it, you are lost. There is no time to be thus wasted down here when the last sands of time are running out, “probation’s last hour expiring,” old earth, weary of the accumulated burden of almost six thousand years of sin and crime, about yielding to the throes of her last death-struggle, when victory, final, glorious victory is about to turn on Zion’s side, and they who have fought and bled, spent their lives in the cause of God, are soon to receive their reward, and realize the full fruition of their hopes, and to enter upon the enjoyment of greater bliss than ever the imaginations of mortals conceived. Oh! if all else is denied me, let me but hear the victor’s song!

Time is fleeting. Jesus is soon coming. Satan’s hosts are raging. It is a continual warfare. Here is no rest, no place to lay down our armor. How important that we learn to exercise faith in God! Without him, the strong must fail. “The weakest believer in the truth,” says the Testimony, “relying firmly upon Christ, can successfully repulse Satan and all his host.” Says Paul, “I can do all things through Christ strengthening me.” “By thee,” says David, “I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.” We may do the same. Let us take courage. Let us be in earnest, and like Bunyan’s pilgrim, putting our fingers in our ears, cry, “Life, life, eternal life!” Let us make up our minds to have eternal life at any cost, and persevere, and we shall have it. “Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” Jas. iv, 7, 8. “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money [you who feel so poor, so unworthy, so destitute of everything that would recommend you to God], come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk, without money and without price.” Isa. lv, 1. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, for he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Isa. lv, 7. And so we might continue to draw from this inexhaustible mine these pearls of untold value. But let this suffice. Read these, and many other soul-cheering promises in the word of God, remembering, and carefully complying with the conditions upon which they are based, “for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” 2 Pet. i, 11.

JOHN Q. FOY.

Hubbardsville, Madison Co., N. Y.