^ Chief Justice Coleridge once confessed that his mind was sorely perplexed on the question of inspiration. He was told that " most of the men who had difficulties on that subject were too wicked to be reasoned with." We may be sure that this answer was as little pleasing to our Lord Jesus Christ, for whom the man who gave it was mistakenly zealous, as was the desire of the sons of Zebedee to call down fire from heaven against opponents. Believers should recognise those weak in faith as "men of like passions" with themselves, and give them credit for wishing to believe if they could do 80, instead of, by their manner, conveying to them, while
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using the endearing term "beloved brethren," the compliment which some Egyptian kings are said to have paid their people before asking for any special favour, " By the head of Pharaoh, ye are all swine." They should let them see that they appreciate the difficulties to faith which are felt only by those who try to realise to themselves the meaning of what they profess to believe. Very often unbelievers are in revolt, not against Christianity, but against a grim, repulsive perversion of it.^
2. What constitutes the difference between the believer and the unbeliever, since they both doubt and both believe ? Are they not therefore in the same spiritual order ? Think not so. The great fact, the determining fact, in the life of the believer is his belief; in the life of the unbeliever it is his doubt. The believer clings to his faith, and suspects his doubt. The unbeliever clings to his doubts and suspects his faith. The poor man of the text, the man with a sick child (and how we pity him, and pity the child !) — is he a believer or an unbeliever ? Which does he put first, his faith or his unfaith ? " Lord, I believe." That is the first thing in his mind. That counts most. The other thought is secondary. So he is a believer, but he is a doubting believer. His prayer is the prayer of a doubter, but he is a believing doubter. There is a world of difference between honest doubt and stupid or stubborn unbelief. Jesus dealt differently with the two, and so should we. " Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful dis- putations." And again, " Tarry one for another." Some are able to make more rapid progress in truth than others ; let not such despise those who find it hard to take their first few steps in faith.
^ You know how it is in school. There are always some bright, precocious scholars who leave the others far behind. You know the contempt with which the prize scholar sometimes looks upon the "trailer." You know the impatience of the teacher sometimes when a whole class is held back by one student who cannot get over a hard place or see through an intricate problem. I do not know that the best pedagogy would say to the teacher, "Tarry for the slow scholar," but many a slow scholar has caught up with his class because some teacher patiently tarried for him. You know what soldiers do on a long march. They tarry for the weak and the lame, except in the emergency of
' E. J. Hardy.
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approaching battle. The strong and vigorous will bear the arms of the weak, and if one sinks down by the roadside, there is an ambulance for him, and, in the absence of an ambulance, officers have been known to dismount, and repeat the beautiful self- denial of the Samaritan who put a wounded man on his own beast and brought him to the inn. Look at the Master's treatment of this doubter. The man confesses his faith is faltering. Something is in the way of his belief. I have wondered if it may not have been that barrier to faith which all of us have stumbled over at times when approaching some great promise of God, that common reflection, "It is too good to be true." Whatever it was, it was no barrier to the love and power of Jesus, for, without delay. He granted the father's request, and spoke the word that released and relieved the afflicted child.^
ii. The Power of Christ.
1. The father of the boy comes to Christ as a doubter; he is sure of nothing but his own distress. " If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us." Christ gives him back his doubts. He repeats the father's words, and places them in contrast with the spiritual facts which he had yet to learn : " If thou canst ! For one who believes, all things are possible " : i.e. it is for thee rather than for Me to decide whether this thing can be done ; it can be, if thou believest.
It is the majestic power of Christ that draws the distracted father to lay hold of His omnipotence. His word is like the blow of steel upon flint ; it strikes a little spark of faith which lights up the soul, and turns the smoky pillar of doubt into clear flame of confidence, " I believe ; help thou mine unbelief."