memorial stone with a shout. I advanced into the land to explore it at
once. The old corn and wine of Canaan delighted me [Joshua 5:11, 12].
My weapons of warfare were bright, and I felt able to meet any foe. But
inadvertently I got into the Valley of Sighs, and lived there far too
long. I blame Giant Bad Feelings for it, yet I should not have allowed
myself to be influenced by him.
"It was not long after I had passed Jericho that Giant Bad Feelings
accosted me.
"'Good morning, pilgrim,' he said, 'how do you feel this morning. Seems
to me your feelings are not what they should be. Pilgrims in Canaan ought
to be happy all the time. You are not happy. There is a little load on
your soul. See, you are carrying burdens!' and at that he laid something
heavy upon my shoulders. 'It is true,' he chattered on, 'that pilgrims
should be always happy, and you are not. That is plain to be seen. Now,
be honest about it, aren't you sad?'
"Well, I had to confess I felt bad.
"'Certainly you feel bad. Are you sure you are all consecrated to Immanuel?
Are you certain you left all the love of Egypt behind, on the farther
side of the Jordan? Something must be wrong with you since you feel as
you do.'
"At that he blew something into my face that sickened me with feelings
of discouragement and dejection. Really, I felt worse than I did before
ever I crossed the Jordan. I felt faint and sad.
"'Probably you have failed somewhere! More than likely Immanuel has cast
you off, and some giant will carry you out of the land. You are a failure.
That is all there is to it.' And with this he struck me a hard blow that
seemed to land right on my heart. I fainted and fell.
"After this, Giant Bad Feelings visited me every day. He had the power,
it seemed, to make me feel just as he desired. At times he would throw
over me feelings that imitated envy, anger, and such like. When Bad
Feelings would shroud me with ingratitude to Immanuel, then he would
turn around and beat me for the ingratitude just as though the feelings
were my own. And really it was here that Giant Bad Feelings deceived me.
He had manufactured these feelings himself and, on encountering me, would
lay them upon me, all the while insinuating that they were my very own.
He would bring bad words to my mind, bad thoughts, ugly pictures and
ideas that my soul and mind revolted against. He would deftly cause it all
to seem as though it came from my heart. And then he would lay the most
miserable and heart-deadening feelings upon me possible.
"Finally some pilgrims found out that Giant Bad Feelings was causing me
much trouble and they visited me. 'Pilgrim,' they said, 'pay no attention
to Giant Bad Feelings. He is a big blusterer, anyway. Ignore him. Next
time he comes tell him plainly that you belong to Immanuel, and that
your feelings are consecrated to Jehovah. Tell him that if Immanuel
allows you to have feelings you do not understand, that is Immanuel's
business, and must be a blessing to you in some way or other.'
"Giant Bad Feelings came around as usual after this visit of the pilgrims.
"'Good morning, Pilgrim Sunshine. Not much sunshine in your soul today,
is there?' he bawled out.
"'Perhaps not,' I said. 'But I belong to Immanuel, and the state of my
soul is in His keeping.'
"'Oh, pshaw! you feel miserable, and you know it. Be honest! And be sure!
you might be deceived if you do not investigate very closely the state
of your feelings. Remember, as a man feels so he is, according to
Beelzebub.'
"'I am Immanuel's,' I declared vehemently. 'How I feel is His concern.
Whatever the feeling He allows, there must be good for me in the
experience. Anyway, I am His and He is mine.'
"'Come now,' said the Giant. 'Do you mean to say that you believe you
are all right when you feel as you do! Be careful!'
"'Yes, sir, I mean to say that very thing. I believe I am all right, no
matter how I feel. You have been lying to me. Get thee hence' [Matthew
4:1-11; 1 John 5:4, 2:12-14].
"At this I swung at Bad Feelings with the trusty sword of the Spirit.
It was a hard struggle, but at last I chased him away. Then I moved out
of the Vale of Sighs to this Vale of Hidden Delights."
"Oh, we feel so animated over this recital of your battle and victory
over old Giant Bad Feelings, Pilgrim Sunshine! If he attacks us we believe
we shall know what to do. Our armor and weapons are proof against him,
this one thing we know. Oh, Immanuel, help us use the weapons thou hast
so graciously put in our hands!
"Farewell Pilgrim Sunshine."
Now let us do some considering. Probably seventy-five per cent of the
people who consecrate all to God for the grace to live the victorious
life are troubled over the state of their feelings. It is so natural to
think that if one wholly abandons all to Christ, that one thereafter
should at all times feel joyful, close to Jesus, be conscious of His
presence, feel the love and peace the Christian has. In general, _feel_
at all times that all is well. And when one's feelings are opposite from
this, a serious question and doubt usually arises as to whether the soul
is really in Canaan-land or not. The fact is, one's feelings are no
standard to go by; for they are subject to a variety of conditions,
spiritual, mental, and physical, and change and fluctuate in a very swift
and unaccountable manner many times. The ups and downs of the Christian
life would indeed be violent and serious if they followed our feelings;
but our faith tells the real story, not our feelings (Ephesians 2:8,
3:17; Romans 8:28, 37-39).
When you are tempted to regard your feelings, ignore the matter altogether.
Look in another place for evidence of your standing. How is your
consecration? (Romans 12:1-3). How is your faith? (1 John 5:4, 10). Are
you all the Lord's? Do you still believe His promise? If you can say yes
to these questions, you are still on victory's side, though you may not
feel it.
The will, not the feelings, is the controlling factor in life. The
feelings are like a family of children who may, if allowed to grow up
disobedient and unruly, cause one much trouble, but if controlled and
made obedient, contribute to one's happiness. Feelings are a part of us.
Christian experiences are felt; that is, they affect the emotions as
well as the will. Feelings fluctuate, and, in fact, in many cases become
very unruly, like spoiled children, and want everything their own way.
Bad news will produce sad feelings. If you receive a letter today
announcing the wedding of a friend, you rejoice; if it announces a death,
you sorrow. If you are sick in body your feelings may partake of the
quality of your physical condition. It is well that our feelings enter
into our lives in this way, else we should lack the sympathy, love, and
other emotions that are essential to social happiness. So let us thank
God we have feelings; they connect us with the joys and sorrows of others.
But let us not gage our Christian experience by the way we feel.
Sanctified people have feelings that are natural. Man was created with
all the social instincts before the fall. Before sin came in, he was
told to multiply and replenish the earth. Out of the two natures, male
and female, arise all the social instincts that produce families, homes,
laws, and governments.
Man, however, is twofold in being, with soul and body in union. Soul and
body function together and each affects the other. By steadily thinking
you are sick, you can become sick; by overexerting the body, the mind
can be deranged; etc.
Sanctification restores man morally to where he was in Eden. Sanctification
cleanses away the nature of sin and leaves all the God-given instincts
intact.
Without trying to be technical, we may set down man's natural instincts
and feelings as follows:
Man's nature as created by God had capacity for love, joy, sorrow,
justice, fear. These may be called basic instincts. There are phases of
these we may profitably mention and discuss in connection with how or
what a sanctified person may feel.
A sanctified person may feel: (1) The working of the law of self-
preservation. (2) Sorrow at the death of loved ones. (3) Pleased when
receiving words of appreciation. (4) Rising of righteous indignation at
times. (5) Impatience at the slowness of justice or the wrong actions of
others. (6) Pleasure in social life. (7) Craving of sex impulses and
desires. (8) Hurt when illy spoken of or to. (9) Heavy through many
temptations.
Taking these in order, let us explain them more fully. And we shall give
here the results of over twenty years experience in the sanctified life,
and many of these facts have been learned by bitter experience.
1. Self-preservation is a natural law. Fear is a part of it. Perfect
love casts out fear, the fear that is slavish and results from sin; but
perfect love does not destroy all timidity nor the sense of the need of
protecting one's life. A sanctified person has just as good a right to
run to a storm-cellar when a cyclone comes as has any one else. One form
of fear is timidity. A newly sanctified person may feel somewhat timid
in performing some duty. If, however, God's will calls to duties that
mean even death, the fully consecrated soul goes on. So in such cases
the law of self-preservation gives way to the higher law of self-sacrifice
for Christ's sake.
2. Sorrow at the death of loved ones is compatible with sanctification.
Many other things cause sorrow, such as disaster, disease, and sin, and
these affect the wholly sanctified. The sanctified, however, have the
Comforter to help support them and assuage their griefs.
3. If a sanctified person receives words of appreciation, he feels
pleasure; not that they exalt him, but that they create in him a natural
joy at being so appreciated. It is said by some that sanctified persons
are "dead," and the point is illustrated by saying that pins might be
thrust into a dead man and he will not wince. If sanctification destroyed
the natural feelings, it would be a disaster rather than a blessing. It
purifies them, but does not destroy them.
4. God planted in man the sense of justice. God made man in His own
image. What we find in God, we find in man. God is just; so the principle
of justice abides in man. Sanctification destroys the selfish
vindictiveness of anger, but it does not destroy the sense of justice,
and a sanctified person will feel the rise of a righteous indignation
at evil. This is illustrated in Jesus, when He "looked round about on
them with anger" (Mark 3:5), and also when He made the whip of cords and
drove the robbers out of the temple (Matthew 21:12, 13). If the righteous
man can not feel indignant at evil, how can God judge the world? Justice
implies anger at evil. If righteous anger is wrong in man, it is wrong
in God. Because God is God does not mean that He can do a moral wrong
and it be right because God did it. His acts must be intrinsically right
of themselves. Therefore, on the fact that He will judge the world we
predicate the righteousness of sanctified indignation. And this is not
carnal anger, which raves and slays and destroys unmercifully and wickedly.
5. It is rather hard to divide impatience into a just impatience and an
unjust impatience. The point may be too fine for definition, but Scripture
and experience both prove that sanctification does not make one perfectly
patient. In fact, who should judge as to what perfect patience is if it
were a possible attainment? Sanctification does make us patient. The
constant ruffling of soul over untoward events stops. We grow patient. We
trust God. We wait and hope. But we read that "tribulation worketh
patience" (Romans 5:3); so hard experiences make us patient, that is, if
we bear them. James says, "The trying of your faith worketh patience"
(James 1:3). So what tribulations and trials work is not completely done
by the Spirit when we are sanctified.
6. It used to be said by some that sanctification destroyed social
instincts to the point of making social diversions distasteful. It seems
very hard to disentangle the true state of holiness from asceticism.
Once, holy men were supposed to be dead to social enjoyments--they would
not marry, they would not wear ordinary clothing, they would not associate
on a common plane with their fellows. But Jesus did not live that way.
He made wine for a marriage feast; He ate dinner at a rich Pharisee's
house; He enjoyed being at Martha's home. John leaned on His bosom at
the last supper. Jesus was no ascetic.
Sanctification lifts social contact to its highest level. Brilliant
conversation on a plane of purity is as enjoyable to holy people as to
others. Figures of speech, puns, and riddles may mark the conversation
of holy people as well as others. Yet their talk does not descend to the
vulgar, frivolous, giddy, jay chatter of the wicked. As is said of
conversation, so may be said of parties and picnics, which are names for
outings or gatherings of various kinds at which refreshments may or may
not be served. Should God's children be debarred from these pleasurable
associations because the world goes too far in them?
7. Sanctification does not destroy sex impulses, but it does ennoble
them and bring them under control. Hence the drawing of natures to each
other is common to all, and courtship and marriage are honorable, as
Paul said.
8. Since sanctified persons can appropriately feel pleasure at words of
appreciation, so can they feel hurt at slights and impositions heaped
on them by others. Perhaps the dividing line between what is right and
what is wrong in this matter is this: so long as one feels hurt but does
not feel like hurting in return, he may be safe; but when one is hurt
and then feels the retaliating spirit which boils over in anger, that
one feels the mark of an unsanctified soul. We may be hurt, but we also
commit and trust it to God.
9. Joy is not always overflowing in the hearts of the sanctified. Heavy
trials will produce a heaviness of spirit (1 Peter 1:6-9).
These trials are profitable, really indispensable.
Sanctification restores the soul. It purifies the affections and motives
of the life, it lifts all of life up to a plane of holiness and love,
but it leaves us men and women. Do not expect impossibilities of it, but
expect it to cleanse out sin and carnal wicked elements.
God's plan for the earth is for salvation to extend to all men until
this world shall be ruled by divine principles and love instead of lust
and selfishness.
Give yourself wholly to God, then, dear soul; fully yield all up to the
divine will and care not how you feel. Let God care for your feelings
as well as for everything else. He will "keep him in perfect peace whose
mind is stayed on" Him. Glorious peace, precious rest, delightful
confidence!
A certain woman lived a precarious existence, but she was so happy in
her life with Jesus that she was the marvel of her town.
You have given all to God, let Him keep all of you and for you.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE ROUTING OF GIANT DOUBT
Doubts! doubts! doubts! Just a company of them around me all the time
worse than Job's miserable comforters. What can I do with them? I should
like to dismiss them, but it seems I can not. They make me much trouble,
but it seems I can not get them to leave me. Especially are the doubts
concerning my entire consecration aggravating, and those, too, concerning
my entire cleansing. I fear to come out boldly and declare that I believe
that Christ fully saves me now. I believe He can and will, but the words
die on my lips when I attempt to bring it down to the present moment.
Yet I know these doubts are dishonoring to God, who has made such great
and glorious promises. Can you give me some instructions on what to do
with doubts? How did you overcome yours? Please help me, in Christ's
name.
* * * * *
Pilgrim Sincere lives in what I hear is one of the best parts of Canaan.
He had a great encounter with old Giant Doubt; so let us pay him a visit.
We have met the old Giant already, and we have no hesitation in saying
that if there is a worse giant than he in Canaan, we are not eager to
meet him. Pilgrim Sincere may tell us something about him that it will
be of profit to us to know.
Here! We are at Sincere's place already. There is no question of his
victory over Giant Doubt. Such a shield of faith as his is I never saw
before!
"Pilgrim Sincere, we have been talking with pilgrims and residents of
Canaan, and now we have come to see you. Will you tell us something that
will enable us to gain a freehold in Canaan? We have met many poor
pilgrims who say they have never yet gained a clear title to a home here.
They have been driven here and there by this or that old giant. We are
eager not to be defeated in this great adventure in Canaan."
"If you will give all honor to Immanuel and none to me, I will relate my
experiences--a few at least. There are many giants in Canaan, very many of
them. There is Giant Lust, who has slain thousands. Poor souls! Giant
Puff-up, who causes pilgrims to act as foolish as did the toad that saw an
elephant and burst itself trying to be as large; Giant Lethargy, who
operates an opiate factory in a hollow that runs directly down into Egypt;
Giant Covetousness, who decoys pilgrims to the silver-mine run by Balaam
and Demas; Giant Pride, an evil giant who has troubled pilgrims for time
out of mind; Giant Liar, who uses an abundance of camouflage; and others
[Galatians 5:19-21]."
"My, you almost scare us naming them! Can it be we must fight all of
them? Is not this that rest-land!"
"My dear pilgrims, this is Beulah-land, and Sabbath-land. Here is the
true rest. But remember, Canaan has its giants, more so than the
wilderness; the true rest is found in overcoming them. Do not be
frightened. Look at the armor with which you are equipped."
"Sincere, the armor is all right, but it is ourselves that we are doubtful
of. Can we use the sword and the shield as they should be used?"
"Indeed you can, pilgrims, no doubt of it. Why, when I got into Canaan
I was so weak I nearly lost my life fighting."
"Tell us about it."
"About twenty-five years ago I entered Canaan. It was a great day for
me! At last the long journey through the wilderness was over, the deep,
wide waters of Jordan passed! Canaan was my own! I praised Immanuel and
began to possess the land [Joshua 1:2, 3].
"Not long after that I met a lean, white-whiskered man named Legality.
He said he was my friend. He looked venerable and sincere, even if he
did appear rather stern and immovable! 'Now friend Sincere,' he said,
'I have something here that will help you walk safely and straight,' and
with that he slipped a peculiar jacket over my head and buckled it up
pretty tight around my waist [Galatians 5:1].
"'There,' he said, 'that jacket just fits you. You are in Canaan now,
and must walk, oh, so straight and carefully! Why, if you make even ever
so little a mistake, you will be punished, I fear, dreadfully. But that
jacket will help you and keep you from doing anything far out of the
way.' And with that he left me.
"Well, I wanted anything that would help me, so I kept the jacket on.
It bothered me considerably. It was made of stiff, iron stays, woven in
with rough haircloth, both of which were made, so Mr. Legality said, by
one Mr. Over-Conscientious Scruple who lives in the town of Sensitive.
"Every move I made was retarded by that jacket. By and by sore places
appeared where the end of the stays engaged my flesh. I met Mr. Legality
once and told him how bad the jacket was treating me, but he said the
cure was to buckle it on tighter. Oh, my, how it did hurt! But he said
it would be dangerous to take it off. So I continued to suffer. I could
not act freely in any matter.
"Just about this time old Giant Doubt met me. He carried a book and a
big pencil. 'Sit down here while I give you an examination; that is my
business,' he said. 'My lord has commissioned me to do this work.'
Something inside me told me that here was an enemy; but he spoke with
such a show of authority that I passively sat down. And he began.
"'How do you feel?'
"'I do not feel very good, just now.' I said.
"'I thought so. No doubt there is something wrong with you. Have you
gained an established home in Canaan yet?'
"'No, I haven't,' I replied.
"'Well, you never will; at least there are serious doubts about it. It
is my business to make sure that pilgrims possess the land. Did you put
up your memorial stone!'
"'Yes, I carried a stone out of the middle of Jordan and set it up. I
suppose it is there yet.'
"'That stone was no good, a little rough rock it was. Why didn't you
select a nice large stone such as Pilgrim Joyful carried out?'
"'I did the best I could; that was the only stone I saw in passing
through. I noticed it was not like Pilgrim Joyful's, and not like Pilgrim
Honest's, either.'
"'No good, no good! Too small! I doubt if it is really stone at all. Did
you leave all the wilderness luggage on yonder side Jordan?'
"'I intended to. I dropped the whole bundle as I stepped into the Jordan.'
"'I doubt it. I believe you have considerable wilderness trappings in
your possession. More than that, I doubt whether you left all your load
when you crossed the Red Sea. Did you?'
"'I thought I did,' I replied.
"'I doubt it. How do you feel now?' said old Giant Doubt.
"'I feel bad, worse than before the examination began.' I replied.
"'I see you do. Something is wrong with you. You have passed a poor
examination. It is my business to carry you out of Canaan as unworthy
to be in this good land. Come on,' and with that he arose and advanced
toward me with both hands extended. I trembled violently, but seemed
powerless to resist. He picked me up and started off with me. Just then
I spotted a sturdy post with a sign-board nailed to the top. I eagerly
sought to read the legend. 'Beware!' it began. 'At this place a certain
old giant, named Doubt, has a habit of stopping pilgrims and taking them
through a pretended examination. He claims to hold a commission from his
lord to do this work. His commission is true; but his lord is Beelzebub.
After the examination, he usually carries off the pilgrim who allows him
to question him. Many have fallen to his devices. He is a cruel, old
giant, and he carries his victims to'--and here I could read no more.
"We soon left the main road and entered a dark valley called Vale of
Destruction.
"'Let me go,' I shouted.
"'I will not, you are not fit to be in Canaan,' he replied.
"I struggled and shouted for help with all my might. He held me close,
however, and the vale grew darker and darker.
"'O Immanuel, do send me help! Oh, deliver me from this cruel giant!' I
cried. Just then there appeared ahead a stream of light, which came in
from one side of the valley. When we reached the light, I saw a beautiful
mansion built high up on the sides of a valley that broadened out in a
beautiful vale named Hope. Some people were singing on the lawn of the
mansion. Either they caught a glimpse of the old giant carrying me, or
my loud shouts for help reached them. At any rate, I saw two of them
start toward us [Galatians 6:2].
"Old Giant Doubt attempted to run faster, as he also caught sight of them;
but a periodic rheumatism attacked him, and he made little progress. The
two pilgrims, who I found were Valiant and Faithful, rushed to my rescue.
"'You wicked old Giant Doubt,' they shouted, 'let go of Pilgrim Sincere.'
And they attacked him with their swords.
"'Sincere,' they cried, 'take your sword and use it!'
"By this time my arm was free enough to grasp the sword, and I gave the
giant a close thrust. At this he dropped me and ran as fast as he could.
"'Poor pilgrim,' said Valiant. 'How fortunate for you that you shouted!
We heard the call. Praise and honor to Immanuel.' And Valiant reverently
lifted his hands and eyes heavenward.
"'Where did the old, evil giant overcome you?' asked Faithful.
"'Back at a place where there is a sign warning pilgrims against Giant
Doubt. But I did not see the sign till he started off with me.'
"'I wonder if we can not mark that spot more plainly, so that no pilgrim
will ever allow Giant Doubt to hold his false examination there?' asked
Valiant.
"'No,' said Faithful. 'It has been tried over and over. No sign except
the one that is there ever remains even if it is put up.'
"'What kind of garment is that you are wearing around your waist?' asked
Faithful.
"'This is a jacket that Mr. Legality gave me to wear.' I answered.