Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 3255
“You have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is full of pity and of tender mercy.” James 5:11.
[Another Sermon by Mr. Spurgeon upon the whole verse is #1845, Volume 31—THE PITY OF THE LORD—THE COMFORT OF THE AFFLICTED.]
WE need to be reminded of what we have heard, for we are far too ready to forget. We are also so slow to consider and meditate upon what we have heard that is profitable to have our memories refreshed. At this time we are called upon to recollect that we have heard of the patience of Job. We have, however, I trust, gone beyond mere hearing, for we have also seen i n the story of Job that which it was intended to set vividly before our mind’s eye. “You have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord.” The Romish priest professes to make men hear the voice of the Gospel by seeing, but the Scriptural way is to make men see the Truth of God by hearing. Faith, which is the soul’s sight, comes by hearing. The design of the preaching of the Gospel to the ear is “to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” Inward sight is the result of all fruitful hearing!
Now, that which is to be seen in the Scriptures is somewhat deeper and calls for more thought than that which is merely heard. “You have heard of the patience of Job”—an interesting history which a child may understand, but it needs, Divine teaching to see to the bottom of that narrative, to discover the pearl which lies in the depths of it! It can only be said of enlightened disciples, “You have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is full of pity and of tender mercy.” At the same time, that which is seen is also more precious to the heart and more bountifully enriches the soul than anything which is only heard. I count it no small enrichment of our mind to have heard of the patience of Job—it comforts and strengthen us in our endurance, but it is as infinitely better thing to have seen the end of the Lord, and to have perceived the undeviating tenderness and pity which are displayed even in His sorest chastisements. This is, indeed, a choice vein of silver, as he that has dug in it is far richer than the more superficial person who has only heard of the patience of Job, and so has only gathered surface truth. “The patience of Job,” as we hear of it is like the shell of some rare nut from the Spice Islands—full of fragrance. But “the end of the Lord,” when we come to see it, is as the kernel which is rich beyond expression with a fullness of aromatic essence!
Note well the reason why the text reminds us of what we have heard and seen. When we are called to the exercise of any great virtue, we need to call in all the helps which the Holy Spirit has bestowed upon us. All our wealth of hearing and seeing we shall have need to spend in our heavenly warfare. We shall be forced full often to gird up the loins of our mind by the recollection of examples of which we have heard, such as that of Job, and then to buckle up that belt and brace it fast with what we have. The patience of Job shall gird us and that “end of the Lord” which we have seen shall be the fastening of the band. We shall need all before our work is done. In the present case, the virtue we are called to exercise is that of patience and, therefore, to help us to do it, we are reminded of the things that we have heard and seen, because it is a Grace as difficult as it is necessary, and as hard to come at as it is precious when it is gained!
The text is preceded by a triple exhortation to patience. In the 7th verse we read, “Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.” And again, “Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain. Be you also patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming
of the Lord draws near.” Further on, in the 10th verse, we read, “Take my brethren, the Prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering, affliction and patience.” Are we thrice exhorted to patience? Is it not clear that we have even now much need of it? We are, most of us, deficient in this excellent Grace and because of it we have missed most privileges and have wasted many opportunities in which we might have honored God, might have commended religion and might have been exceedingly profited in our own souls. Affliction has been the fire which would have removed our dross, but impatience has robbed the mental metal of the flux of submission which would have secured its proper purification. It is unprofitable, dishonorable, weakening—it has never brought us gain—and never will.
I suppose we are three times exhorted to patience because we shall need it much in the future. Between here and Heaven we have no guarantee that the road will be easy, or that the sea will be glassy. We have no promise that we shall be kept like flowers in a conservatory, from the breath of frost, or that, like fair queens, we shall be veiled from the heat of the sun.