TRUSTING IN GOD by J. Clarke

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 19, 1861

TRUSTING IN GOD.

By J. Clarke

TRUST in the Lord and do good, so shall thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

The carnal heart distrusts God; while the renewed, the holy soul, leans wholly upon God, and trusts him as the only sure refuge, the fortress in which he finds safe repose; the name of the Lord is a strong tower for the godly man, and in time of trouble he flees into this tower.

Prosperity and worldly ease, tend to lessen the confidence of men in God, because human nature is so easily led away from the giver, in the possession of the gift. Thus we find the people of God, in all ages, tried in much adversity, which seems to be necessary (generally) in order to wean the soul from earth, and teach the child of God to meditate much upon his heavenly treasure.

If our heavenly Father saw fit, he could easily heap earthly treasures upon his children here; he could defend them in every case from heat and cold, from hunger and thirst, from flame and sword; he could make them strong to overpower the wrong, so that the wicked could not stand before them for a moment; but should he do this, christianity would, in less than a century, become popular, and soon there would be no test, but all, the bad as well as the good, would put on the garb of heaven, merely for the loaves and fishes; and all content with present pleasures, and worldly ease, would lose sight of that heavenly treasure. Indeed there would then be no battles to fight, and man rescued wholly without knowing the depths from which he had been rescued, would neither be able to appreciate the work of Christ, in his sufferings, his pleadings or his travail of soul for man.

If man were thus saved, without seeing and experiencing for himself, how utterly hopeless the sinner's case is, were he taken from the pit, without seeing and realizing his own sad lost state, how could he ever appreciate the condescension, and sacrifice, and benevolence, and labor of heaven, in his behalf? What is now a volume, would in such a case be a blank; what is now experience, would be dry theory; and man would be only a dull occupant of heaven, a mere hanger on. It is doubtful whether it would be consistent with the character of God, to do anything arbitrarily thus, without the response of the common sense of his intelligent holy beings; but it is a well-attested fact that scripture and the providence of God, agree in thus justifying Him in his character and works. God is good.

It seems clear that without trust and confidence in God (that is without faith), it is impossible to please God; and the more perfect this trust is, the more sure the prize: I say perfect, for this trust (faith) must be whole, strong, enduring, childlike, confident. There must not be a shadow of a doubt, not a cloud of darkness to intercept its exercise. True, clouds may hover over the godly soul, but they must not hinder the exercise of faith, but rather increase it; for the greater the effort put forth to exercise faith, the more benefit results to the soul that thus acts. The sorer the trial the more arduous the labor; and the greater the labor the greater the blessing; and thus, by acquiring the habit of conquering, the more confidence in that mighty deliverer who grants the victory. Thus we learn to value faith (trust), above happiness; knowing that faith is the key which unlocks the mysteries of the kingdom, while happiness is the sure result of right-doing; and while we are sure of finally possessing it, we are not particular about the few clouds of darkness which linger occasionally above us, while we march through the enemy's land, to the king's country. It is to be expected, and consequently we are prepared for

it; and these trials, and this darkness, these mists, only sharpen our spiritual senses, by the constant exercise occasioned thereby.

So in ancient time, when a valiant army was beset with foes, and unceasing vigilance was called for, they marched on in triumph; but when unassailed by foes, when prosperity crowned their efforts, and they began to feel safe, then some hidden foe leaped from his ambush, and the army, once so unconquerable, was not only disgraced by defeat, but ruined and destroyed.

For one, I would not that the way to heaven was less rough, I would not that one fiery trial was quenched, or one test softened; for well we know that our leader will not willingly afflict, nor will he appoint to any of his flock, greater trials than his promised grace is able to overcome. But this is required: that we trust in him; that with every effort our eyes are upward to him, in childlike trust and confidence. In every trial, the eye of faith can find a ray of light piercing the darkness. At least some reflected rays will fringe the borders of those thick clouds. But even if for a moment the darkness is total, faith will wait with confident expectation for the rising of the bright and morning star. Faith cannot be overcome; for it will wait, and while it waits, it finds a heaven in contemplation of what God has done, and then faith becomes stronger in what God will do. And while faith thus waits and meditates, light bathes the soul in its sweet and holy influence. This creates no surprise. Faith expects it, and expects it still; and when darkness again for a moment covers the sky, this creates no surprise; faith expects it, and so faith gets to be just the same in all weathers. It is like some faithful and experienced veteran of the seas. You accost him when the skies are clear, and prosperous winds fill the sails, and he is calm; for he knows that storms may come; and when tempests toss his ship from billow to billow, you accost him, and he is calm; for he expects it, and his sails are furled; but he is looking for good weather soon. You cannot find him disturbed, he knows there is danger, and when he left the port he had weighed the matter, and his manly heart feared not the storm; for his eye was upward to Him who hold the winds.

J. CLARKE.