The Fruits of Submission

What are the blessed fruits and effects of this disposition? There are four real, positive blessings which it procures.

First, it gives inward peace, be the burden or trial what it will. “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13). But this cheered him, this revived, composed, and settled him, that God would appear on his side and right his cause against the many that breathed out cruelty (verse 12). We read this also in Isaiah 26:3, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.” There is nothing but peace at such a time, because he has a God to overbalance every trouble. Trust enters into the secret of his heart; his thoughts are full of it. He no sooner allows himself to think, but he begins I to trust and stay himself upon his God; and there is enough in God to bear him up.

Can a soul sink that has almightiness, everlasting strength, and faithfulness to lean on, who has a rock underneath him which has borne it out against all storms and will never fail until everlasting life comes? Hence David prays, “When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2). This gives perfect peace; let whatever trial come, though it may shake him, it does not unsettle him; his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. Oh! how deep are His counsels, how wise His designs! His thoughts are not as our thoughts; our thoughts are of yesterday, but His are of old, even from everlasting. We see but some rough sketches of His work; but faith throws a beauty upon these, because it gives subsistence to things hoped for, and a convincing demonstration even of things as yet not seen.

As for God, says faith, His work is perfect; let Him alone with His own work, His own cause; it is in the best of hands. What! shall His gospel drop because we see a flower fade which we thought would have been very beautiful and adorning in His church? Yea, let God choose for Himself, that you may know He is God. He will lay aside an instrument we thought ready polished for His work, and choose and square another which shall do equal, it may be more, service. He will appear God in all things. Believe all to be well, and amidst the most distressing vicissitudes of providence, your soul shall be at rest. This is one blessing arising from the disposition of which my text speaks.

Secondly, it gives an enduring patience. “Behold,” said the apostle, “we count them happy which endure” (James 5:11). Whence arises this endurance, this longsuffering, which is the crown of patience? Paul tells us, “We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience” (Romans 5:3). It is from a review of the blessed issue of all former trials: tribulation has worked patience; all things have worked together for good, and that unthought of by us; and why should the stream of God's everlasting love, or the tenor of His covenant, be now turned backwards? Why must our God cease to be Jehovah now, any more than heretofore? What new trial can be so shocking as to unrivet our faith, our trust, and affiance in Him, seeing there is no trial new to God, no trial for which He did not lay by support and comfort for us, according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ before the world began? Everlasting strength! what burden is so heavy as to depress that? Everlasting consolation! what trial so great as to suck up the fullness and sweetness of that? A covenant ordered in all things and sure! what stress of sorrow can make a confusion there?

Our Savior knew the virtue and good of patience, as well as His disciples' need of it, when He commanded them, “In your patience possess ye your souls.” A man cannot possess himself without this; he is at the beek of every trial. Every mere inconvenience in life has power to depress him and to hurry him away from himself. Oh, whither does a poor soul fly when he forgets his God? He wanders from mountain to hill, and he comes back just as he went, finding no resting place. A Christian cannot enjoy himself if he does not at the same time enjoy his God, because the springs of patience are all hid in Him. There is no waiting patiently for the Lord if there be not a believing that God does all things well. This disposition begets enduring patience.

Thirdly, it creates in the soul living expectations. “And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth His face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for Him” (Isaiah 8:17). It denotes not only the soul's willingness to stay God's time, but a blessed expectation of some great fruit of his faith and patience. “He will come at last,” says the Christian when in this state, “and salvation is in His hand. Unto the Lord our God belong the issues from death; even His rod shall bud and blossom; and I am looking out to see the return of my long prayers; how God will sanctify and sweeten this affliction, and make it turn to my soul's good. It shall be well; I can see so much of God in the appointing, ordering, continuing this trial, that I am sure the end will be peace. It shall be well if He removes His hand; it has been a prayed mercy, therefore, come when it will, it will be sweet. It shall be well if He continues the trial; I shall lose the more dross, and my grace be purer and fitter for exercises in the service of a holy Lord God. And it shall be well if I am removed by it; for, Lord, Thy time is mine, so I get safe to glory. Thou shalt choose the way. O my gracious God, always choose for me, and spare not the rod for Thy child's crying, though this state should not always abide. I have now living, precious, increasing comforts, and these are not given for nothing. Why not die and go to heaven now, when my heart is there already? I can triumph in the Lord, and why should not my next work be to rejoice eternally in His presence?”

This is the height of Christian expectation; and this also flows from the disposition in my text.

Fourthly, it begets in the soul settled praise and thankfulness. The Christian is in a state in everything to give thanks, as the apostle directs (1 Thessalonians 5:18). He can bless a taking as well as a giving God. He is assured all is well; and were God to put the question, “Wherein wilt thou have it otherwise?” with all cheerfulness he would refer the matter back again to Him and would dare by no means to set up for his own choosing.

Brethren, look back, and you will find your moods have been usually sweetest when your trials have been sorest; when tribulations abound, comfort abounds, too. “Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” This holds good of every Christian; and communion with Christ is a heaven upon earth. To enjoy Him is to enjoy everything. Hence Job blessed God in the loss of all things; and our holy reformers sang praises in the flames. Nothing terrified, nothing distressed them; they knew that they had in heaven a God, a Christ, a mansion prepared. They saw all was well, and they were satisfied, they were delighted. They were “more than conquerors,” as the apostle speaks (Romans 8:37), “through Him that loved” them.

Oh, how sweet, how becoming, is a praising disposition! “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me” (Psalm 50:23). In your most afflicted state, there is a foundation for praise; and then there will be a disposition for praise when, looking into God's providential dispensations, you can say with this good woman in my text, “It is well.”

(1711-1746)

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