Our Unhurried God

Your weekly dose of Spurgeon

The PyroManiacs devote some space each weekend to highlights from the lifetime of works from the Prince of Preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon.  The following excerpt is from The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, volume 22, sermon number 1,323, "And Why Not?"

"It is clear that any act of power can be performed by the Lord at once."

“Ah,” says one, “I wish he would come now and divide the sheep from the goats.” Why? Are not the sinners better among the saints for awhile, that the gospel may the more easily reach them? Remember, also, that the husbandman would not have the tares divided from the wheat till the harvest came. “Oh, but we wish the Lord would come and put an end to sin.” Is it not better that his longsuffering should patiently wait, calling men to repentance and culling out his own elect from the sons of men throughout many a generation? The waiting is dreary to you, but it is not long nor dreary to his infinite patience. “Oh, but this delay is tedious, and infidels are demanding, ‘Where is the promise of his coming?’” Brethren, of what consequence is it what unbelievers say? Are heaven’s affairs to be arranged to meet their foolish gibes? “He that sitteth in the heavens doth laugh; the Lord doth have them in derision.” Would it not be better for you also to scorn their scorning? Who are they that we should be afraid of their revilings? “Ah,” say you, “but error has so long prevailed, and it grows worse and worse.” What if it does? It shall still be overruled for the Lord’s glory. God is on the throne yet. He is in no hurry. Remember the infinite leisure of the Eternal. What would a million million ages be to him? Truly he comes quickly, but you must not read that “quickly” after your rendering, for “quickly” with him may be slowly enough for us. We cannot measure the paces of the Infinite, for the whole history of man is but a pin’s point to his eternity.

Our judgments of Jehovah’s going forth are sure to err: he walketh, we are told, upon the wings of the wind,—he is only walking when he moves as swiftly as the tempest. We may as readily err upon the other side, and think him slow when in reality he rideth upon a cherub and doth fly. A thousand years to him are as one day, and one day with him is as a thousand years. No, we will not beseech the Lord as yet to divide the sinners from the saints by his infallible voice: we will not expect him yet to say, “Depart, ye cursed,” and, “Come, ye blessed”: we will not beg him at once to display his great power, and to put down all the principalities of evil with his rod of iron. We will wait on, and fear not. Faith is now the watchword and the order of the day. Sight is for unbelievers, but patient trust is for the saints. This is the victory which overcometh the world, even our faith. This it is which glorifieth God, and overthroweth the powers of evil. Believe, and so shall you wax valiant in fight and put to flight the armies of the aliens. Believe, and so shall you be established. Ask not to see, for sight is wisely denied you. Heaven will be the brighter, and eternity the more glorious, because we hope for that we see not, and do with patience wait for it.

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