FAITH AND FEELING by B. F. Robbins

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 5, 1861

FAITH AND FEELING.

By B. F. Robbins

By feeling, I mean those joyous emotions of the mind, or moving of the affections, not unfrequently enjoyed by the faithful Christian in his pilgrimage in this world of trial and conflict. Such frames of mind are eagerly desired and often too much depended upon by many as the evidence of hope, to the exclusion of a living faith in God and his precious word. Many while in disobedience to the plain commands of God will plead, in justification, an inward feeling, and claim that God blesses them, and hence, think they must be right.

But joyous emotions of mind are not confined to a religious experience. The successful worldly man has them while surveying his broad acres, rich with the golden harvests ready for the reapers, or while counting over his piles of glittering gold. The successful candidate for popular distinction has joyous emotions, when after a contested struggle he comes out of it bearing the palm over a disappointed rival. The youthful lovers of pleasure have them while reveling in worldly pleasure.

But I do not mean to disparage genuine religious emotions or the moving of the affections toward God in joy and peace. But faith is transcendently important. Many of us are prone to make religious enjoyment the test of our discipleship; and when trials and temptations come upon us we sometimes think all is lost, and very many become discouraged, and give way to unbelief, and lose their confidence. Our feelings are not subject to our will or control, but are changeable. But faith or confidence in God and his word may, and in fact must, become the continual habit of the mind in all conditions and circumstances of life, in afflictions and trials, in temptations and conflicts, come life or death. Let me contrast faith and feeling.

Take the case of Abraham, the father of the faithful. Paul says of him [Rom iv, 18-20], "Who against hope believed in hope that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be." "And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb." "He staggered not at the promise, through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God." It was against hope that he believed in hope. Why? Because he was a hundred years old and Sarah ninety. So the fulfillment of the promise of the birth of Isaac had become a natural impossibility, and yet the truth and faithfulness of God was involved in its fulfillment. Now in order to appreciate the triumph of Abraham's faith over feeling consider what was involved in the promise of the birth of Isaac. His birth was the pledge of the fulfillment of all the promises which God had given: the failure of this promise was the failure of all. For Isaac's birth was the pledge of the fulfillment of the promise: "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." It was the pledge of the coming of Jesus, and the proclamation of the gospel to gather numerous people which were to be of the faith of Abraham, the father of them all.

Isaac's birth was the pledge of a future life in the resurrection from the dead for himself and the expected myriads of the faithful to be gathered out of all nations, until time should end, through the death and resurrection of Jesus the promised seed. Isaac's birth was the pledge of a future everlasting inheritance; "the heavenly country;" "the city which hath foundations;" "the world made new." For these, by faith "he was a pilgrim and stranger." Here were mighty interests at stake involving his very existence; and though the fulfillment of the promise had become a natural impossibility, yet his faith triumphed over every feeling of discouragement, and he believed God.

But again, Paul says of him [Heb. xi, 17-19], "By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac, and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son." "Of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called." Now what kind of feeling, think we, he experienced then? In addition to his miraculous birth as the pledge of the truth and faithfulness of God, and involving his every future hope, he had the tender affections of a parent for his beloved, only son. Here again faith triumphed over feeling; "for he believed that God was able to raise him from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure."

Again, in Heb. xi, 24-26, of Moses it is said, "By faith Moses when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter," "choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." "Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt; for he had respect to the recompence of reward." Consider the refusal of Moses. This was the consecration of every worldly prospect. How would the pampered heir of wealth and worldly honor regard such a refusal? His every feeling would revolt; yet by faith Moses sacrificed wealth, honor and all. Consider also his choice: "Choosing rather to suffer affliction," &c. Feeling never prompted to this choice. It was a mighty controlling principle that prompted him; that principle was faith in the promise of God concerning his people. Hence, Moses chose affliction, trial, scorn, contempt and poverty, by an identity with the slaves of Egypt, trusting the truth and faithfulness of him who had promised.

But again, Heb. xi, 36, 37. "And others had trials of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover, of bonds and imprisonments." "They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins, and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented." "Of whom the world was not worthy; they wandered in deserts and in mountains, in dens and caves of the earth." What gave these suffering, persecuted ones acceptance with God, and the certainty of a better resurrection? Was it joyous emotions? No: it was faith in God.

Here, my brethren, is as an example worthy of our imitation. Better indeed is the opposition and scorn, the contempt and reproach from friends and brethren once so kind, and even from our dearest, most beloved ones. Under such trials our joys are turned into sadness and weeping and mourning. It is in such circumstances we prove the value of faith in God. Trusting in his promise with anguished hearts, we submit ourselves to his holy blessed will.

But let us take another view of this subject. See the woman in the pharisee's house bowing down to the feet of Jesus, washing them with her tears and wiping them with her hair, kissing them, and anointing them with precious ointment; for which did Jesus pronounce her saved? her feeling, or her faith? "And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." Luke vii, 38.

Look at the poor diseased woman, who had spent all her living upon physicians, and who came to Jesus, and touched the border of his garment. Why was she made whole? "And he said unto her, Daughter be of good comfort, thy faith hath saved thee. Go in peace."

The same with the two blind men who came to Jesus, "Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye I am able to do this? They said unto him, yea, Lord." "Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith, be it unto you." "And their eyes were opened."

Again, the Syrophenician woman. O woman great is thy (feeling? no; great is thy) faith. Be it unto thee even as thou wilt." In these instances it was faith that triumphed.

In conclusion, let me inquire, What is faith? In it is trust and confidence in the word of God, revealed in the Scriptures as the word of God. God's word constitutes reliable ground for confidence, and evidence sufficient to rest faith upon. Let me illustrate. Here is a man who with great satisfaction displays a roll of small papers with figures and engravings upon them. He says—and fully believes what he says—that they are each 1000 dollars; and yet they are only promises upon paper. Why are they each to him really 1000 dollars? His faith makes them so. It is his faith in these promises that gives that feeling of satisfaction and importance he exhibits.

Feeling, then, is the result of faith. Now suppose I merely cultivate feeling as evidence of my acceptance; the first trial or temptation may change my feelings into doubt and fear; and not having my feeling under my control I am in danger of sinking down into discouragement and unbelief.

Here is the difficulty with the unstable trusting to feeling alone. Here is the reason why there are so many stony-ground and thorny-ground professors. How can they endure with no better foundation than mere feeling? Faith in God's word is a living, abiding principle, not contingent upon circumstances, conditions or feelings; a well-spring of life forever flowing a sure foundation that never fails.

Do we wish happy, joyous emotions? Cultivate an implicit unwavering confidence in God and his word; and feeling will follow faith as surely as effect follows cause.

B. F. ROBBINS.

Friendship, N. Y.