Faith vs. Doubt by Spurgeon

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 16, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 39.

Faith vs. Doubt.

By Spurgeon

FAITH is a great worker. The men of strong convictions fashion the world upon their anvils. Confidence girds a man's loins, and nerves him to the putting forth of all his energy. In the eleventh chapter of his epistle to the Hebrews, Paul brings forth a bead roll of faith's heroes, and erects an Arc de Triomphe in their memory.

The name stands out in capitals of light: "Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham;" and the sculptured scenes are such as these: "Subdued kingdoms;" "stopped the mouths of lions;" "quenched the violence of fire." If the panegyrist of faith comes to a pause, it is not because matter fails to him; he exclaims, "What shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets."

What has doubt achieved? How is it that no such trophy has ever been raised to the honor of unbelief? Will the poet of infidelity and the historian of skepticism yet appear? If so, what will be their record? "Working righteousness" and "obtaining promises" are rather out of the line of doubt, and it is not likely to endure much suffering to "obtain a better resurrection," for it sneers at the mention of such a thing; the eulogist of doubt would have to content himself with lower achievements. But what would they be? What hospitals or orphanages has doubt erected? What missions to cannibal tribes has infidelity sustained? What fallen women or profligate men has skepticism reclaimed and new-created.

"Sing, Muse! If such a theme, so dark, so wrong, May find a muse to grace it with a song."

The Milton of this subject may well turn out to be like him whom Gray describes in his "Elegy" as "mute, inglorious." "By their fruits ye shall know them."

But what are the precious outcomings of "modern thought"? We hear the shout of the craftsmen as they repeat this cry, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" But where are the holy and happy results of the "advanced criticism" which is so busily undermining the foundations of faith?—Spurgeon.