Produced by Joel Erickson, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
ADVENTURES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN
By Robert Lee Berry
FOREWORD
This book comes out of our heart. It is intended to go to the hearts of
others. Some of the things written here were learned by long and bitter
experiences. Our "Adventures" were very real, and it is our hope that
some of them our readers will never have. The real battles are fought
within, and the struggle for mastery goes on in the soul, hidden in the
mysterious depths of the spirit. Usually these battles are fought out
alone, many times when others are not aware that anything of moment is
happening.
Super-critical minds may not find this book interesting; we do not know;
we wrote with no other intention than to bless the hearts and lives of
the great common man and woman.
We hope you will enjoy this book. We hope it will do you good. If it
does, our purpose will be achieved, and we shall thank God, whose help
we gratefully acknowledge in the writing of this book.
R. L. Berry.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introductory: The Land of Canaan
1. Getting Ready to Enter Canaan
2. The Crossing of the Jordan
3. The Jordan Memorial Stone
4. Troubles of Lingering at the Crossing
5. Exploring Canaan by Faith
6. The Best Inheritance in Canaan
7. In the Hands of Giant Accuser
8. Conflicts with Giant Mistake
9. In the Dungeon of Giant Discourager
10. The Torments of Giant Bad Feelings
11. The Routing of Giant Doubt
12. The Wine of Prayer
13. Pilgrims of the Victorious Life
ADVENTURES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER
THE LAND OF CANAAN
The story of the Israelites from their being in bondage in Egypt to their
conquering Canaan is a type of the experiences of a man from his bondage
in sin to his entire sanctification.
As a Scriptural basis for these remarks, see Galatians 3:6-29, where
Paul, the great Apostle to the Gentiles, quotes a part of the Abrahamic
covenant and applies it to Gentile Christians, the complete fulfillment
of the covenant being expressed in verse 14, where the promise of the
Spirit is spoken of as the "blessing of Abraham." It is also made plain
in this chapter that salvation in Christ makes us "Abraham's seed," and
therefore "heirs according to the promise." Hence the promise to Abraham
has its complete fulfillment in New Testament salvation.
In Romans 4, Paul again dips deep into the promise of God to Abraham and
brings forth beautiful teaching which shows that, to him, God's promise
to Abraham was spiritual as well as material, that there was to be a
spiritual seed as well as literal seed, and that "faith" is as potent
as natural birth in making men children of Abraham. Also in these verses
Abraham is made the "father of us all," even of Gentiles, which of course
could not be true except in a spiritual sense.
The same subject is treated again in chapter 4 of Hebrews. Here the
figure is "rest." The rest of the Israelites was their settling in Canaan,
and in verse 6, speaking of the fact that some did not enter rest because
of unbelief, allusion is made to the failure to enter Canaan from
Kadesh-barnea. Then ten spies brought back such a bad report that the
whole camp wept, and would not go over. For forty years these rebels
wandered in the wilderness, until all were dead except Caleb and Joshua,
the two faithful spies.
There is a beautiful analogy between the events of the Israelites in
their journey out of Egypt into Canaan and the fundamental experiences
of the Christian. Note these parallels--far too close not to have been
planned as type and antitype by the great Author of salvation:
1. Abraham was promised two things: first, his seed should inherit the
land of Canaan; second, in him should all families of the earth be blessed
(Genesis 12:1-3).
2. Abraham was the father of both a literal and a spiritual seed, the
first inherited literal Canaan and the second inherited spiritual Canaan
(Romans 4; Galatians 4).
3. There was a rest promised both to the Israelite and to the Christian
believer (Hebrews 4).
4. Israel was in bondage to Pharaoh and his taskmasters in Egypt, and
sinners are in bondage to the devil and sin.
5. By a miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea, Israel escaped from
Egyptian bondage; and sinners are saved by the miraculous new birth.
6. By another miracle of power, Israel entered Canaan through the bed
of the Jordan River; and by a second work of grace, believers are wholly
sanctified by the Spirit through the blood.
7. By refusing to believe and obey, the Israelites wandered for forty
years in the wilderness, just as Christians fall away, grow lukewarm and
backslidden many times when they see their privilege of being made pure
in heart and refuse to walk in the light.
8. After the Israelites entered Canaan, they had to fight for their
possessions; and so, too, do we have to fight for our spiritual possession
in the state of holiness.
9. The literal land of Canaan was a good land, "flowing with milk and
honey," where the Israelites ate the old corn and wine of the land. Just
so spiritual Canaan is the best place of grace under heaven; indeed it
is heaven's border-land, where saints have sweet communion with God and
Christ and are ready for the great crowning-day.
In several chapters of this book we shall treat the subject of entire
sanctification allegorically, using the types as prefiguring Christian
experience. The battles of the soul against foes are real conflicts,
which leave their scars and marks on many a Christian. Perhaps, out of
the experiences of others, the reader will gather something of profit
to himself, and be enabled to fight more effectively and not merely beat
the air. There are spiritual powers in high places that challenge us to
battle; blessed is he who has the armor, the courage, and the skill to
win.
CHAPTER ONE
GETTING READY TO ENTER CANAAN
Can you tell me, please, the first step to take in obtaining the experience
of entire sanctification? I have heard much about it, have heard many
sermons on it, too; but the way to proceed is not yet plain to me, not
so plain as I wish it were. Can't you tell me the first step, the second,
third, and all the rest? My heart feels a hunger that seems unappeased,
I have a longing that is unsatisfied; surely it is a deeper work I need!
And so I plead, "Tell me the way."
* * * * *
Gladly will the endeavor be made to point out the way into the "holiest"
of all (Hebrews 10:19). Probably the very first thing to know is that
you must understand whether or not you are sanctified. Are you, or are
you not? On which side of the Jordan are you, on the Canaan side or on
the wilderness side? A definite answer to this question is essential.
Sometimes there are doubts in your mind whether you are or are not
sanctified. Well, let us first get rid of all doubts. The experiences
of God in the soul are too definite to need their possession entertained
with a doubt; and to know where we are spiritually is unquestionably our
privilege.
If you find yourself on the wilderness side of Jordan, the next thing
to find out is whether you are yet out of Egypt--whether you are justified
before God, whether your sins are all washed away and you are a child
of God.
If you are sure you are justified now, but have not by faith entered the
Canaan experience--are not wholly sanctified--then you may know for
certain that the experience awaits you.
Then there is one more very essential thing--you must believe with all
your heart that sanctification is unquestionably an experience which the
Bible holds out to all believers. Do you thus believe? If so, all is
clear, and all you need to do is to go forward; or, in the words God
used to Joshua, "Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan" (Joshua 1:2).
Do you need your faith strengthened in this particular doctrine? Let it
then meditate and grow upon these promises and words of God:
"Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own
blood, suffered without the gate" (Hebrews 13:12).
"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17).
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole
spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and
gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the
washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a
glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but
that it should be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:25-27).
"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the
fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1).
After you have meditated on each of these texts for ten or fifteen
minutes, consider these further promises concerning the giving of the
Holy Ghost:
"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter,
that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the
world can not receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him:
but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (John
14:16, 17).
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send
in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26).
"That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus
Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith"
(Galatians 3:14).
"And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the
Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and
them, purifying their hearts by faith" (Acts 15:8, 9).
This great experience which Peter speaks of came to the disciples on
Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost filled the whole company, and it changed
a band of common men into the most powerful gospel band the world has
ever seen.
Nothing feeds the soul as does the Word of the Lord. Meditate on the
texts given, drink in the full meaning, comprehend what all of grace and
love and spiritual power they hold for you; yea, consider at what a cost
these blessings were purchased for you by the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ!
That you may see what your duty is in the matter, permit reference to
these things:
On the cross of Calvary Jesus gave all, all for you and your salvation.
There He cried, "It is finished." There He paid the last debt of all of
us. There He proved His love, perfect, fadeless, unfathomable, boundless.
Go to the foot of that cross! See the Savior hanging there! Every motive
that can move a soul finds its fountain there. Can you, in the shadow
of the cross, be anything less than a full Bible Christian? Can you do
less than give all to Him? Does not any selfish feeling or thought of
holding back the full surrender seem sinful, utterly displeasing to your
soul and to God?
Your duty, then, is clear. From henceforth you can not be less than all
for Christ, you can not do less than go all the way for Him. Being a
faithful Christian, you can not do less than your duty, once duty is
clear.
Since conviction is a matter of knowledge, consider this: Christ's work
hobbles along because there are so few whole-hearted, wholly consecrated
souls to work for Him, whereas Jesus expects all to be whole-hearted in
their service to Him.
Will you think also of the sin there is in the world, gnawing ugly wounds
in the hearts and marring the lives of millions, and yet Jesus died to
save every mother's child of them.
What is Jesus going to do if there are not a greater number of volunteers
to carry on His work? For every sanctified soul is all the Lord's, ready
for anything.
After Jesus died on the cross, He ascended to heaven. One day the angel
Gabriel met Jesus and said: "Master, did you not suffer great pain on
the cross?"
"Yes," answered Jesus simply and quietly.
"And, Master, that suffering was to redeem men to God, was it not?"
"Yes," answered Jesus.
"Well, how many know of your death and your suffering to redeem men? How
will the world of sinners find it out? Have you made any plans?" asked
Gabriel.
"I have told Peter and his brother Andrew, and James and John, and the
rest of the twelve to go tell the people about it," said Jesus.
"Suppose they do not go?" asked Gabriel. "Have you made any other plans?"
"No, I am counting on them," said Jesus.
This is only a story, but it illustrates the point of how necessary it
is for us to be consecrated and ready for the Master's service. Jesus
is counting on us!
* * * * *
So you conclude you are still on the wilderness side of the Jordan? Very
well, thank God you are out of the Egypt of sin, that the wilderness
journey through justification is behind you, and that Canaan, that fair
land where milk and honey flows, lies just before you. Only the Jordan
intervenes. Of course the Jordan always is running strong and out of its
banks every time, it seems, when souls are to cross, just as it was for
Israel in Joshua's day. But this is only a necessary test to prove the
sincerity and valor of the soul.
Thousands have made bold to strike their feet in Jordan's waters in the
name of God and start across. You can see them over on the other side
from where you are. Be encouraged; cross over the Jordan and enter the
Canaan of soul-rest.
CHAPTER TWO
THE CROSSING OF THE JORDAN
Just how did you feel at the time you were sanctified? I have heard some
tell of how the holy fire of the Spirit seemed to go all through them.
Others have told of a deeper, more complete peace. Some have shouted for
joy. Others have wept for joy. And I am wondering how one ought to feel.
Can you tell me? And how can I know that I am consecrated? Every teacher
of entire sanctification that I ever heard says that the consecration
must be complete; but how am I to know when it is complete? I have
consecrated over and over, but I do not feel certain that all, really
all, is given up. Might there not be some self-will left that I do not
know of? Please help me.
* * * * *
Probably it might not be wise to tell you just how I felt when the Lord
sanctified me and made me whole, because it might tempt you to want the
experience in the same way it came to me; and, besides, while the blessed
experience is, in its essential features, the same in each case, yet
each person has his own feelings and personal experiences along with it.
These experiences are suited to each one's need; they follow the trend
of one's natural disposition, and are a source of pleasure to us. The
really important thing is to be wholly sanctified.
When Israel under Joshua arrived at the Jordan River, they were commanded
by the Lord to "sanctify" themselves and prepare to cross over. This
command to "sanctify yourselves" points to the perfect consecration that
must be made before the sanctifying power falls upon us. Crossing the
Jordan signified to them leaving the wilderness life forever behind them
and entering upon a new life on the Canaan side. And in order properly
to enter upon that new experience they were asked by God to set themselves
apart by a solemn purification and consecration of themselves.
To begin with, then, let us consider what a consecration is, and next
we shall consider the evidences of its being perfect and acceptable to
God.
Several words and phrases cover what is meant by consecration, as
"abandonment," "surrender," "lay all on the altar," "die," "subject the
will to the will of God," "let Christ have his way."
"Abandonment" here expresses the idea that from now on your soul, your
life, your interests, your time, talents--your all--are no more your
own, but are abandoned to the will of God. You know how some people
abandon themselves to a life of vice; they know no limit, but give
themselves entirely over to it. Well, you are to abandon yourself to a
life of holiness and service to God.
Did you ever see a potter at work on a piece of clay making a vessel of
it? He gathers up a lump of clay and lays it on the wheel. As it turns
and turns He builds up whatever it is that He wishes to make. The clay
being inanimate, dead, yields absolutely to the potter, who makes of it
whatever He pleases. This illustrates the abandonment you are to make--
though with this difference: you have a will and reason, and your
abandonment is to be the yielding of yourself to God because your clearest
reason and most mature judgment tells you that such is best. From now
on, instead of willing to do your own will, you are going to submit to
God's will; for the most blessed thing in the world is the will of God.
Just here is where you may be tempted to draw back; for something may
whisper, "Why, if you abandon yourself what will become of you? Maybe
God would require of you something very hard for you to do. Is it not
dangerous thus to yield?"
To illustrate this, suppose you are the mother or father of a boy. Like
all boys, yours has given you more or less trouble by wanting his own
way. There has been more or less of a battle of wills, his will against
your will. You feel, and rightly, that your experience gives you a better
idea of what is good for him than his experience gives. Suppose he were
to come to you tomorrow and say: "From now on, Mother, I will do anything
you want me to. I abandon my way and will for your way and will."
What would you do in that case? Would you make up your mind that now is
a good time to put hardships upon him and make life as miserable as you
can for him? "Indeed not," you would indignantly say.
Well, then, can the great God, who is love, take advantage of His children
and, when they give all to Him, lay heavy and grievous burdens on them
because He can? Just as you, when your boy yielded, would love him all
the more and do all you could to make life pleasant even if there were
some hard things in it, so God seeks to lighten the load His consecrated
children must bear. To abandon yourself to God is an act of highest
intelligence and wisdom.
"Surrender" implies the cessation of rebellion. Of course the sinner,
to be converted, must surrender, and does surrender. And you have already
surrendered in that way. Yet there is a self-life or a self-will that
shrinks more or less from the will of God until we enter the Canaan of
entire sanctification. This rebellion takes on the form of refusing or
objecting to some of the Lord's ways with us. For instance, we may feel
a call to special service--to the ministry, or to the missionary service,
or to personal work--and we may have mapped out an entirely different
life for ourselves and ate to submit to God's leadings.
Surrender of the will is a part of the consecration. There can be no
inner soul-rest so long as our wills pull us one way and God's will pulls
us another. When Jesus said His yoke is easy and His burden light He
meant it is easy if we pull with Him, not against Him. How can two walk
together except they be agreed? Then lay your will down; or, rather,
actively, enthusiastically, delightedly will that God's will be done in
and with you.
"Lay all on the altar" is a favorite expression with many teachers of
full salvation and the victorious life. The figure comes from the
sacrifices made under Moses' law. Every Israelite had to offer sacrifices.
The main thing about the sacrifice was, whether sheep, goat, lamb, dove,
or something else, it had to be a perfect, unblemished sacrifice. God
would not accept any lame, maimed, blemished, or otherwise marred
sacrifice. It had to be the best of its kind. After it was brought to
the priest and dedicated to the Lord, it was laid on the altar and
consumed. It was the Lord's. The one offering it had no more to say about
it whatever.
Then on God's altar you should lay all--time, talents, earthly goods,
soul, body, and will. Once when Abraham had made a sacrifice, birds came
to steal it. Abraham was careful to drive away the birds. A beautiful
figure is found in Abraham's action. We might say that after you have
laid all on God's altar you may need to guard the offering; for the birds
of self-will, pride, unbelief, and evil desire may carry off your
sacrifice.
"Die" is a favorite expression with other teachers of perfect holiness--
die to self; die out to God; die to all but Jesus. The figure is full
of vital meaning. Mrs. Cleaveland, in her delightful poem on the river
of death, pictures the clergymen of various denominations as losing all
their distinguishing marks as they cross the river, and over on the other
shore not one can be told from another so far as sectarian peculiarities
are concerned. This is even true of entire consecration, or crossing the
Jordan into Canaan; for in Canaan there is a delightful absence of
sectarian conflict; every one is too busy doing the will of God.
Dying is used to express consecration because some felt that the
consecration was so acute that it seemed they had to suffer the pains
of death. Others have not so felt. Whatever the feeling, there must be
the dying.
Two women, one a widow and the other her daughter, lived together. They
were both devout. The younger woman became sick, and grew worse and
worse. At last all hope of life was gone, and mother and daughter began
praying that the dying girl might have "dying grace."
The condition for obtaining this grace consisted in an absolute submission
to die, a yielding of all to God's will; as she met the condition, so
she received "dying grace." But the sequel was unexpected. While one
receiving dying grace was supposed to die, this young woman lived and
got well. But her "dying grace," as they termed it, was still hers. One
day she spoke of it to her mother and said: "Mother, I am coming to
believe that 'dying grace' is the grace we need to live by." And it is.
This young woman had made the deathbed consecration. God had accepted
the sacrifice, had poured out His grace, and the young woman was sanctified
wholly; and that was exactly what she needed to live by. She had died
to self.
Now, how shall you know that all is given up and the sacrifice acceptable
to God? This may well engage our attention.
First of all, remember that your will is your own, and that you yourself
know what your intentions are. Whenever you decide to go to town to buy
a hat or coat, you have no trouble in knowing your mind, do you? Of
course not! And you can be just as sure of your mind or will in the
matter of consecration to God.
You might begin this way: I desire to be wholly the Lord's: my will I
desire to surrender; and my life I wish to be lived for God. Since the
Lord in His Word has said, "By the mercies of God ... present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service" (Romans 12:1), you may rest assured that God only awaits this
surrender, and will be glad to accept it.
Now, do not only desire to be consecrated, but at once begin to count
yourself the Lord's, permanently, irrevocably, for time, for eternity.
Some, in the earnestness and intensity of their souls, in the solemn
hour of their complete and definite surrender or consecration have written
it out on paper, in the form of a will, and, signing it, have called on
angels and God to witness the solemn act of their souls. But whether it
is written out on paper or be simply the unchangeable determination
within the heart, the point must be come to when all is yielded. There
must be a final "yes" to God; the gift must be deposited on the altar,
and from henceforth you are to consider yourself wholly the Lord's no
matter how you feel about it. It must amount to a transaction, like the
signing of a deed, or a contract, and when it has come to this point
where you do actually hand yourself over to the Lord, body, soul, and
all to be His forever, then you are to count the offering complete and
the die cast forever.
Should you be tempted to investigate whether you "feel" that you are all
consecrated, remember that your feelings have nothing to do with it.
Your will is master here. As your will goes, you go.
"When thy soul is on the altar laid,
Guard it from each vain desire;
When thy soul the perfect price hath paid,
God will send the holy fire."
Do you lay all on the altar? "Whether is greater, the gift, or the altar
that sanctifieth the gift?" (Matthew 23:19). If you have everything on
the altar, your feet, like the priest's in Joshua's day, are dipping
into the brim of the Jordan. You are ready to pass over. Just pass on
over! Call the transaction closed. Your heart feels a deep security in
handing all over to God, and there is the witness of your own soul that
you have, now, given up all and God accepts the offering.
What next? Ask God to purge your soul until He is satisfied concerning
its purity. Ask Him to kill all the things which displease Him, and
destroy the last remains of inbred sin. Ask Him to restore the image of
God in your soul, to come in and possess His temple. Ask God to fill you
with the Holy Spirit, to let the Comforter take up His abode in you and
abide with you forever. Swing wide open your heart's door to the Spirit.
Believe that God does what He promised to do; believe He sanctifies you
wholly. Since you are His, you are to trust Him to carry on this work
in His own way. It is yours to yield and to believe. And we are "sanctified
by faith" (Acts 26:18). Our hearts are purified by faith (Acts 15:8, 9).
Let your faith wrap its arms around God's promise, and the work is done.
Oh, marvelous grace of God!
CHAPTER THREE
THE JORDAN MEMORIAL STONE
One thing has always troubled me, and that is the witness of entire
sanctification. How may one know all the time that He is sanctified?
What is the witness to sanctification? Is it a feeling? an assurance? a
peace? or what is it? Is it equally strong at all times, or does it come
and go? If you can give me any information on this line, I shall greatly
appreciate it.
* * * * *
One of the things that Joshua commanded the Israelites to do at the
crossing of the Jordan has always been intensely interesting and
suggestive. It was not a miracle, and there was nothing marvelous about
it; it was just a thing that any man could do. When the crossing was
being made, Joshua selected twelve men, one from each tribe, to do a
special service. After all the people had passed over and the twelve
priests were standing still in the River's bed, with the ark of God,
Joshua commanded the twelve men to go to the middle of the Jordan and
each take up a stone, place it on his shoulder, and carry it across to
the camp in Canaan. Here the stones were to constitute a memorial: "And
these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel forever"
(Joshua 4:7). Joshua also set up twelve stones where the priests' feet
had stood in the River; but it is these stones on the bank in Canaan
that are of most interest to us.
We shall call these stones the "stones of testimony." They testified to
a great fact, a great miracle, a great crossing, to the beginning of a
new era in the lives of those hundreds of thousands of Israelites.
Whenever an Israelite saw those stones, he was reminded of this fact.
Now, dear, seeking soul, as you cross the Jordan of entire consecration,
the line between the place where you are not wholly consecrated and where
you are wholly consecrated, the line between the time when you hope to
be sanctified and the time when you shall know you are, as you cross
this, carry out your stone of testimony. You have never passed this way
before, and you need not pass it again; so get your stone of testimony
now.
First note that this memorial was stone. It was not wood, that would
rot, burn up, or float away to the Dead Sea. It was not gold or some
precious metal that would be needed for other uses. It was not a piece
of parchment or paper upon which was written an account of the crossing.
It was common, solid, enduring stone. So, too, the testimony of your
sanctification is solid and enduring--as solid and enduring as the Word
of God, the directions of which you have followed.
Notice also that this memorial was rather large, too large to carry
around all the time, but was dropped and left as a reminder. There is
of course an inner witness that is yours forever; but the crossing of
the Jordan, that is, the obtaining of entire sanctification, is an event
that will forever stand out as a time when you really received the
experience of entire sanctification. There should be those witnessing
spiritual realizations that differentiate it from all the other of your
spiritual experiences. In short, it should mark your entrance into Canaan,
the land of rest, of milk and honey.
What are these realizations? First, that you have been brought to a
knowledge of God's will to sanctify you wholly. Next, you have definitely
and solemnly dedicated yourself to God to be His and His alone forever.
Then you have asked God to sanctify you according to His Word. You have
believed that the work is done. All these steps are in direct harmony
with what God said for you to do, and they, being carried out with the
help of the Spirit, constitute the charter or receipt or evidence of
your entire sanctification. You have met all conditions, and the grace
is yours. You are sanctified wholly, filled with the Spirit, and you
drop your memorial stone on the Canaan side of the Jordan.
As long as you remain true to your vows, to your covenant and consecration,
you will continue in possession of your experience. You have no need of
ever going back into the wilderness, much less to the Egypt of sin, but
the fair land is before you--launch out and explore it. Enjoy for yourself
the boundless riches of the grace of God and eat honey out of the rock.
CHAPTER FOUR
TROUBLES OF LINGERING AT THE CROSSING
Some time ago I consecrated to God for entire sanctification and thought
I was sanctified. Then I began to doubting whether I was wholly sanctified;
so I consecrated again. This I have done a number of times; in fact, so
many times that I don't know what to do. Can you help me any in this
difficulty? I am in doubts about my consecration. I am as consecrated
as I know how to be, yet there is a feeling of unreality and uncertainty
about it that is distressing, and I have found no way to end my distress.
I am almost ashamed to tell how many times I have consecrated, and I am
ashamed to tell the Lord that I am; for I have doubted so much that I
am not sure of myself. My faith is weak also. If you can help me, I shall
be very thankful.
* * * * *
The story of Pilgrim Exactly will probably be interesting, as well as
helpful, to you. He told me the story. I will tell it to you as well as
I can remember it.
Pilgrim Exactly crossed the Jordan for Canaan the first time twenty-two
years ago, and he had never got away from the place where people cross
over. Every now and then you could have seen him examining his memorial
stone; and by and by he would pick it up, wade out as far as possible,
drop his stone with a pathetic sigh, and then go on back to the wilderness
side the best way he could. However, he did not stay over there long, but
soon started for Canaan again. He always aimed to and vowed that he would
select another memorial stone; but, mind you, he always came out with the
same one he first brought over.
Do you ask why he did such a thing? The reason is simply this, brother:
Pilgrim Exactly wanted to be so sure that he was in Canaan that he was
never quite sure that he was there. He was not satisfied with the best
of evidence. No one was brighter in the wholly-sanctified experience
than he, nor did any one cross over into Canaan with any better evidence
of his crossing than did he. But there is a bad, little, dwarfed giant
named Doubtful, who lives close about the crossing-place, a half-brother
to old Giant Doubt. Doubtful kept company with this pilgrim. More than
likely that was one source of his trouble. The strongest pilgrims warned
Exactly of the pernicious plots of this little, hard old dwarf, but he
seemed not to heed their warnings.
Exactly would plant his memorial stone with a look that says, "It is
done for the last time!" Then Doubtful would slip up to him, and this
is practically what one present would have seen and heard:
Pilgrim Exactly: "By the grace of God, I solemnly promise never to doubt
my experience of sanctification again, no never. Lord, hear my vow,
never, never to doubt again! I have staid by the crossing too long now.
I must explore Canaan."
Giant Doubtful: "Good morning, dear Pilgrim. Are you sure you got this
stone out of the right place this time? Seems to me, too, it is the same
old stone you have brought over ever so often. You know you have never
been satisfied with that memorial, and I do not see how you can be,
either. Isn't it doubtful whether you really crossed the Jordan? Your
consecration is likely faulty, and you know your faith is weak. Better
be careful. You do not want to be deceived, do you?"
Exactly, wiping the sweat from his face: "That is a fact. This is the
same old stone. My God, can't I get a better experience than this? O
Lord, help!" And the poor Pilgrim would seem the very embodiment of
distress.
Doubtful: "It is my opinion that something is wrong somewhere. Probably
you crossed too soon. Maybe you have left something out of your
consecration. By the way, were you not neglectful of duty yesterday? And
then, you know, you promised God you never would doubt. Now just see, you
are doubting somewhat at this minute. It is to be seen that you have
failed somewhere. I believe you had better try it again. Something is
wrong! you had better try it over." And dwarf Doubtful would rattle on
much more in the same strain.
Just then Pilgrim Exactly would feel of his side, and his hand would
touch the handle of the sword of the Spirit. Just when he would about
draw it to deal Giant Doubtful a blow, Doubtful would say, "There can
be no harm in being sure. If you cross over Jordan properly you will be
satisfied, and it will not take long to go back and do a really thorough
work of it."
At this Exactly wilted, dropped the sword, staggered toward his memorial
stone, and, lifting it to his shoulders, limped back toward the Jordan
to cross and recross again.
But the next day when Pilgrim Exactly got over into Canaan with the same
stone, because there was no other stone in there when he crossed, as
every man has his own stone, he would plant it as before.
One day, however, after planting the stone, he said, "By the grace of
God, I am done with doubting."
When the little old dwarf Giant Doubtful came out that day, Pilgrim
Exactly swung a terrific cut with the sword straight at the dwarf's neck.
Doubtful never before ran so fast as he did getting away from that trusty
sword. Since then Exactly has advanced into the land, overcome several
other giants, and won a home for himself in Canaan.
The feeling of unreality which you have in regard to your consecration
may be the result of your vacillation. No one can feel sure of his
condition if he consecrates and then deserts his word, consecrates again
and then doubts that. All of this should and must be cut off shortly by
your honoring your own word and refusing to be confused about it. It can
be ended by gathering yourself in hand in coming to a real, final
conclusion in favor of your sanctification. If you are as consecrated
as you know how to consecrate, then that should be sufficient. In that
case, all you lack is to bring the affair to a point, a conclusion, and
give it all over to God, and let that be the end of it.
Now that you are ready to make this final decision, it will be worth
while for you to examine your consecration. Are there any idols to which
your affections fondly cling? Is it a delight to do something for Christ
in behalf of others? Does it seem hard for you to give of your money to
the blessed cause? Is prayer a burden? Are you really all the Lord's?
Do not make the mistake of thinking a good disposition toward Jesus is
consecration. To consecrate means to come definitely to the point of
yielding all up to Christ once forever.
Possibly one reason for your feeling of unreality is because you can not
see God and can not hear Him say, "I receive you." If God could be right
before you as a visible person while you knelt and gave yourself to Him,
you might think your experience more real. But it would not be. His word
has been given, and it is "him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast
out" (John 6:37), and He asks us to "bring ... all the tithes into the
storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now
herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows
of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room
enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10). Faith comes in all our dealings
with God. He may appear not to notice us; but rest assured that He does.
Of course, after consecrating and doubting you have lost confidence in
yourself; but this, too, should end quickly, and it will if you pursue
a right course. To recover your self-reliance, self-balance, dismiss all
the discouraging and doubtful thoughts about yourself. Take a real
inventory of yourself. What are you, anyway? Are you honest? Does your
word mean anything? Can you carry out a resolution? a decision? Very
well then, refuse to be bothered about the past. Quit thinking of the
past; utterly dismiss it from mind, and calmly and deliberately consecrate,
and mean it.
Another difficulty in regard to consecration is that you may think you
have lost yours when it is a trial sometimes to live up to it. You may
think that to be consecrated means that every duty will seem delightful.
In this you are mistaken. Did not Jesus, at one with the Father in will
and mind, pray three times, 'O my Father, if it be possible, let this
cup pass from me. Nevertheless not my will, but thine be done'? Some of
the things God may lay on you or allow to be laid upon you are hard
things, things which you will have to ask God for grace to do or bear.
The crucial test, however, is will you do or bear them? If, in spite of
the temptation to evade or go around God's will, you do obey, then your
consecration is perfect.
Then, soul, end all this uncertainty, end all this unreality by coming
now to the altar of God and placing thereon your whole self-life, body,
soul, spirit, heart, talents, time, goods and gold, will, and all else.
Tie it securely by one strong indomitable, irrevocable decision of your
will. Count yourself all the Lord's. Begin to reckon and consider every
event of your life in this light.
Allow nothing to come between you and God; let Him be first and be all
to you.
Please do not think of this dedication as in any wise meritorious, or
capable of purchasing any blessing. It is nothing on these points.
Consecration is placing yourself in an attitude or position where God
can have His way with you. And this He asks you to do for your good. As
long as any of your will stands in His way, He can not pour out the Holy
Ghost upon you, and neither could you enjoy the fullness of salvation.
Nothing is quite so good as the will of God, nothing so adorable. In
that will is bound up for you the noblest life, the fullest and freest
expression of your individuality, the best adaptation and use of your
talents, the greatest joy, the sweetest pleasures, the quietest rest,
the purest delights in this world and pleasures forever at God's right
hand.
Oh, embrace that will of God! Seek it, hide in it, revel in it, be
enthusiastic about it, run to it. Oh, never evade it, fight shy of it,
neglect it, nor refuse it! Dropping into God's will means dropping into
our own niche in life and being happy in fulfilling our destiny as God
has marked out by His infinite wisdom.
CHAPTER FIVE
EXPLORING CANAAN BY FAITH
I can not understand faith. What is faith, anyway? I try to believe;
sometimes I feel that my faith is strong, but at other times I feel that
my faith is giving way. Can you help me in this matter? Faith seems such
a hazy, intangible, elusive thing; now I think I have it, now it seems
certain I have it not. I feel at times that my faith is so strong I could
believe anything, then again I feel that every bit of faith I had is
gone. Can you give me any instructions that will help me?
* * * * *
Suppose we imagine we have an invitation to visit Caleb today (Numbers
13:30; Joshua 14:6-14), and we embrace the opportunity.
We should expect to find the old warrior at home on such a day because
it is bright and fair; he did the most of his fighting in bad weather.
It is not far to Hebron, where he makes his home. See, we are there now!
Isn't the prospect from here beautiful and inspiring! To the north along
the ridge is Bethlehem and Jerusalem; to the east the silvery waters of
the Dead Sea glitter in the sun; westward is Gath, where Goliath the
giant came from; and to the south is Beersheba.
Tell us, Caleb, some of your experiences in Canaan.
"Forty and five years ago I first saw Hebron. It was when Moses had sent
twelve spies, of whom I was one, to determine the character of the people
and land of Canaan. Long ago our father Abraham trod this soil, and God
Almighty promised to give it to him and his seed for an everlasting
inheritance. When I first heard of Canaan, down in Egypt, my faith was
strong that it was a good land, flowing with milk and honey, as God said,
and I longed to set foot upon it.
"When we twelve first left Kadesh-barnea for Canaan [Numbers 13:1-3,
17-33], I noticed that ten of the spies kept close together; but Joshua
and I were eager to see all that we could of the land, and we ranged as
far and wide as we could. Not far from where your feet rest now we got
our first sight of the Anakims, giants of Canaan. They were giants indeed.
Their legs looked like tree-trunks, and covering their faces was a dense
growth of beard out of which their eyes gleamed like crystals in a
haystack. The sight of them set my heart all aflutter, because I knew
at once that they were very dangerous foes, not easily reckoned with.
We were very cautious that they should not see us, and I must say that
part of our company trembled violently with fear and, as soon as we got
away a little distance, they ran with all their might.
"But something in my heart said that if God gave this land to Israel,
then God would give us power over the Anakims, no matter how many or how
strong they were.
"By and by we came to the walled cities. Joshua and I talked over the
matter of taking them. While we could not see just how we were to do it,
we decided that, since God had unmistakably promised the land to Abraham,
and since He had already marvelously delivered us from the hand of
Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and his dark bondage, and since He had helped
us along through the wilderness and now had brought us to the very borders
of the land, surely He expected us to have Canaan. And this I told to
the others.
"'We can never take it,' they said, 'never in the world. Let us get out
of here and back into Egypt as quickly as we can. We feel so faint. We
can not conquer such a country. Why, see those giants, we are no bigger
than grasshoppers by the side of them! And look at those walls, reaching
almost to the sky! Let us get back.'
"'But if God said we should inherit this land, shall He not help us?'
said Joshua and I.
"'We thought surely God promised us the land,' the ten replied. 'But we
did not expect to have to fight for it. We supposed God would just give
it to us without any fighting or trouble on our part.'
"'Oh, no, God never promised Canaan without a battle,' we replied. 'But
He will help us fight, then we shall properly appreciate both God and
Canaan and the fighting will make us stronger.'
"Well, we could not convince them, and our arguments fell upon very
impervious minds, hardened as they were by unbelief and doubting [Numbers
14].
"Then for forty years we wandered in the black wilderness.
"Five years ago we crossed the Jordan, blessed be God. Those were great
days in Canaan! God was very near us, and our foes trembled. Jericho
fell down, Ai was taken, kings of darkness and giants of iniquity melted
before the army of the Lord, until the land was in our possession.
"Then I went to Joshua and made known my request for Hebron, my home in
Canaan. There were several giants making Hebron their home, and I was
eager to dispossess them; for I liked the situation. Joshua gave me
permission, and I marched toward it fully confident that our God would
help me.
"There is no use to tell you the rest. Here am I, by God's help, at home
in my possession. The giants are dead, and I hold peaceable possession
by right of divine promise, the oath that God swore to our father Abraham
that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him
without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of
our life [Luke 1:74, 75]. Thanks be to God for His great gift!"
We may visit Caleb again, since the recital of his conflicts and victories
has uplifted our souls so greatly.
You say you can not understand faith. Let me ask you if you can understand
joy? or sorrow? or a heartache? or rapturous rejoicing? Can you find the
cubic contents of anger? or measure love in bushels or weigh it on scales?
And because these things are intangible and elusive, do you think they
are not real? Indeed not! You love someone, and while you can not cube
your love, nor weigh it, the reality of it you never question. So also
with acts or decisions of your will. Who ever saw a will in action? And
yet the outer life, in all its forms, is proof enough that a will has
been functioning all the while.
Now faith is the same kind of thing as joy and love. It belongs to that
family of intangible, unseen realities of life. They have to do with the
spiritual part of our nature, and through them we rise higher or sink
lower than we can through any mere physical feelings or actions. Faith,
joy, love, are spiritual qualities, spiritual things, things of the soul,
affecting it favorably or adversely according as they themselves are
affected by causes good or bad. Doubt, unbelief, anger, wrong ambition,
pride, and such are as intangible as are faith and love, but they are
at the opposite pole.
Faith is no harder to understand than is doubt. Faith is believing, and
doubt is not believing. One is the opposite of the other, just as heaven
and hell are opposites. Considering doubters more closely, we find that
doubters believe; but they believe the opposite of what they should
believe. Doubters believe the wrong thing. A doubter is one who could
and ought to believe facts, but for some reason or other can not bring
himself to do it. Instead, he believes another set of things, which
appear to be facts but are not.
Let us illustrate faith and doubt. You pick up a newspaper this morning
and read that a fire destroyed a hotel in Chicago and four persons were
burned, that a train ran off the track in Iowa and no one was hurt, and
that a Congressman from Florida died. Do you doubt these facts or believe
them! If you believe them, that is proof that you have faith. You look
at the almanac and find it says that tomorrow there will be an eclipse.
If you prepare to look at the sun through smoked glass, it is proof that
you have faith. If you receive a letter stating that your uncle John
died and feel sad at the thought of his leaving his family in destitute
circumstances, it is proof that you have faith. If someone in your place
of business brings you a report that fire has destroyed your warehouse
and you feel at once the loss, it is proof that you have faith.
Then, of course, there are things which you doubt. You are told that
some one has discovered perpetual motion. You smile, and do not believe
it. You doubt. Doubt is simply the opposite of faith.
Now to show or illustrate how faith works instantaneously always, let
us suppose you are a parent and one of your children is lost. It is your
youngest child but one. You have hunted until you are exhausted, and
find no trace of the child. Your heart is sick; a load as heavy as lead
bears down upon you. You can think of a dozen different things that could
have happened to the child; he may have been kidnapped, may have been
run over and killed, may have fallen into the water and drowned, may be
weeping his heart out somewhere. At last the whole neighborhood gets out
to search, and you, exhausted, sit impatiently waiting. By and by you
hear some one halloo. Then you hear another. And then some one runs up
excitedly and says, "The child is found, safe." The very moment you
believe that news the load lifts, the heart is light, the soul is happy.
Tears of joy flow freely.
But suppose it proves a premature report, and by and by another comes
and says it is a mistake, that the child was found dead. Then all your
joy is turned immediately to sadness. Faith always works instantaneously.