TALKING DISCOURAGEMENT.
By George I. Butler
Of all unprofitable employment, perhaps nothing is more entirely so than talking discouragement. It takes the life out of any enterprise. Its only tendency is toward failure. Whenever any cause is embraced, and its prosecution resolved upon, and our interests are united with it, it is reasonable to suppose we have done these things because we believe the cause a good one, and that it will succeed. Had the thing been of a questionable nature, those questions should have been considered before embarking in it. To be sure, we may discover reasons which cause us to conclude we have been mistaken many times. If so, like honest people we can confess such mistake, and renounce the whole thing. This is the only honorable way out. But when we still think the cause good and right, and bound to triumph, there can be no excuse for murmuring, complaining, and talking discouragement. Faith, courage, and hope, are the necessary elements to success in any enterprise. Without these little can be done. What wonders have men not realized, when they have labored in faith for the accomplishment of any purpose! No man can make great efforts when there is no courage to back them up. Every stroke will be weak. But let faith and hope nerve his arm, and his blows are given with a will. Faith is especially important in God's cause. The Lord has chosen to work through human agencies, but these must be of such a character that he can consistently work through them. The man who has satisfied himself that he is truly engaged in the work of God, that the Creator is on his side, has then reason to have hope and courage. Not only has he human efforts to rely upon, but he can consistently expect help from him who has never failed of success. To talk discouragement under such circumstances is nothing short of sinful. The case of the Israelites, going through to the promised land, is in point. When they had come near to its borders, Moses sent twelve men, one from every tribe, to go through and see what sort of a country it was, and what obstacles they would have to encounter. They searched the land through, and brought back wonderful evidences of its fruitfulness. One cluster of grapes, which they carried upon a staff between two men, was a surprising evidence of fertility. The land was one indeed which flowed with milk and honey. But they had also seen huge giants there, in whose sight they were as grasshoppers. The walls were of thick and high. The inhabitants were very numerous, and they concluded they could not conquer. The effect of their testimony was to greatly discourage the people. It was in vain that two of their number tried to talk faith. Man's heart being naturally unbelieving, and the devil being very anxious to have people doubt, the balance turned that way, and the people had no heart to go farther. God was greatly displeased with these ten men, and they died with the plague before the congregation. Why? Mainly because they had discouraged the people. That great multitude had to return over their weary course, and wander forty years in those deserts, till all the multitude died for that act. These things were our "examples upon whom the ends of the world are come." It is not necessary that we lie, or commit crime, to lose God's favor. We may question his dealings, his power, his readiness to work, until we doubt ourselves into darkness as gross as Egypt; till the sky will look blacker than a thunder cloud, and devils will be seen at every corner, where shining angels of hope might as well appear, in our mind's imagination. There is no blessing pronounced in the Bible upon unbelief; but great and mighty are the promises to hope and faith. God is pleased to have us expect great things from him, when we try honestly to serve him. He is a gracious Father, who loves to do his children good. He is not so well pleased to see us hiding and shrinking in a corner, fearing he will inflict the lash of his anger upon us, as he is to see our faces full of hope and courage and joy and peace, feeling that our Father is gracious, loving, and one who will care for us. He wants us to work with this spirit, and he will bless us in our work. This faith will enable us to do great things in his service, make our efforts felt, and fill our very bones with health. Talking discouragement never yet removed a single obstacle, but generally adds several more. Looking at darkness never brightened a single cloud, but turns us into the same image. Every one of these difficulties will have finally to be met by us manfully, sooner or later. What then is the use of lying down in cowardice and dreading the matter, and suffering an age, till we are almost ready to despair, and then have to overcome these things at last? We want men of faith, ministers of faith, to talk faith to the people. The Lord is coming. The Bible teaches it. A message of warning is to be proclaimed before the Saviour appears. The prophet says so. That message has the law of God in it; the foundation principles of morality are to test the world. Could we want a better platform than the law of Jehovah? This movement has been in progress for years, and in spite of every kind of opposition, it has made headway in all directions. Its enemies have prophesied its fall; but somehow it don't fall. It is unpopular, but it is true. It started from nothing, and now the nations and the people are beginning to inquire after it. Nothing stands in the way to hinder its mighty onward march to certain victory, but the sad, feeble, discouraged state of many of its adherents. If they would take hold as the providence of God opens the way before us, with all their hearts, and live faith, talk faith, and work by faith, their souls would warm with an unwonted fire, their countenances would beam with new emotions. It is time to look up. God lives. This is his work, and let us act as though we thought he was capable of caring for it. Let us do our duty, and let us lay aside this talking discouragement, ministers and people. Let us talk faith, hope, and courage. "When I am almost overcome," says one, "how can I?" That is just the time you should do so. You need it. You are dying for lack of it. Feed yourself upon this diet and your sickness will depart. Darkness is the very time when light is wanted. When faint and weary toiling, faith and hope will strengthen us; nothing else will. "Pilgrims, on, the day is dawning." This should be our watchword. We have a great work to do, and but a short time to do it in; therefore we must work in faith and hope and courage. GEO. I. BUTLER.