"Have Faith and Doubt Not."
By Frank Hope
DOUBT is the opposite of faith, and as faith bestows on man his sweetest comfort, so doubt often brings the most bitter anguish. Doubt always costs, and if entertained in a Christian's mind it will eventually destroy all spiritual life. There is no condition of mind so deplorable as doubt,—a state of uncertainty is a state of anguish. One of the curses pronounced on Israel in case of disobedience was, "And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life; in the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning!" To be in doubt implies being in suspense, and a state of suspense is a state of great trial. The mother who is watching over her sick child perhaps suffers most while the child's life is in the balance. This is illustrated in the case of David, while there was an uncertainty as to the fate of his child he was in great anguish. "And David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth; but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them." But as soon as his child was dead and the doubt removed, David became resigned, the great burden was removed, he arose and did eat. "And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me." Doubt not only throws us into a state of gloom and anguish but it also deprives us of the blessings that it is our privilege to enjoy. This is shown in the case of Thomas, if it had not been for his unbelief he might have been rejoicing with the other disciples in a risen Saviour, and might have had sweet communion with him. But as it was, Thomas stayed away from the other disciples and spent many days alone in the gloom and darkness that the tragedy of Calvary had brought him. Thomas learned that faith is more precious than doubt. The last days are to be an age of doubt. Says the apostle: "There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming?" And we have only to read 2 Tim. 3:1-5 to see what sort of characters this doubting spirit develops. Modern civilization has brought with it a contempt for everything biblical for which it cannot account. Men no longer believe, they discuss, despise, and reject. Skepticism is mistaken for intelligence, yet these same men will, with little question, accept the wildest theory or even the crudest speculations of scientists; and we must remember that the most popular scientist is the one who gets farthest from the word of God. Indeed, to be popular one must doubt the Bible. So great will be the mania of doubt in the last days that some, even of those who are looking for the Saviour, will depart from the faith. Some will begin to entertain doubts, and to say in their hearts, "My Lord delayeth his coming." And what becomes of the individual who is among these? He will immediately turn round and most bitterly oppose the truth; he will begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken. In the light of these truths surely we ought to regard the admonition of Paul, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering." It is not difficult to believe. It is only natural for us when told anything to take it for granted that it is so, and why should we not do this with God? Simple, confiding belief is very precious in the sight of the Saviour. "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Let us cultivate such a faith as this, for the time is near when our belief in God's word must be so firm that though we go contrary to our senses, yet we shall not waver. Let our prayer be, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."