Monday Meditation: Catch For Us The Little Foxes

 

 

 "Catch for us the foxes-the little foxes- which ruin the vineyards,
for our vineyards are in bloom."
(Song of Solomon 2:15)

 

The Fox And The Grapes
Image courtesy/Pinterest

 

In the spiritual vineyard there are foxes of many kinds. 

There is, first, the hard censurer.  He will spoil the vines if he can and especially the
vines that have the tender grapes. He finds fault with everything that he can see
  in you who are but young believers. You know that you are simply depending
  upon Christ for salvation; but the censurer says, 

"You are no child of God, for you are far from perfect."  

 

If God had no children but those who are perfect, He would have none under Heaven. 

 

These censorious people will find fault with this or that and the other in your life
and character, and you know them well enough that you have all too many 
imperfections, and if they look for them, they can soon spy them out. 

 

Then they say, "We do not believe that there is any grace at all in you," 
though you know that by the grace of God you are what you are.  

 

May God deliver you from these cruel foxes!  He will often do so by enabling you
not to mind them. After all, this is the only way in which all Christians have been tried,
there is nothing strange in your experience from these censurers. They are not your
judges, you will not be condemned because they condemn you. Go and do your best
in the service of your Lord; trust in Christ, and do not mind what they say-
and you will be delivered from that kind of fox. 

 

A worse fox then even that one, however, is the flatterer.  He comes to you smiling and
smirking and he begins to express his approval of your religion, and very likely tells
you what a fine fellow you are.  Indeed, you are so good that he thinks you are too
precise, and have gone a little over the line!  He believes in religion, he says, fully
enough, though if you watch his life you will not think so.  

 

He says that he does not want people to be righteous overmuch; he knows that there
is a line to be drawn, and he draws it. I never could see where he drew it; but still he
says he does, and he thinks that you draw the line a little to near the cross. He says,
"You might be a little more worldly...you cannot get through life your way; if you
get out of society you might as well get out of the world at once. Why do you
make yourself appear so singular?" 

 

 He wants to get you back among the ungodly. Satan misses you, and he wants
 to have you again, so he is sending Mr. Flatterer to wheedle you back, if
possible, into your former bondage to him.  Get away from that fox at once! 

 

The man who tells you that you are too precise, ought to be precisely told that you
do not want his company.  There never lived a man who was too holy, and there never
will be a man who will imitate Christ too closely, or avoid sin too rigidly. Whenever
a man says that you are too Puritanical, you may always smell one of these foxes. 

 

It would be better if we were all more Puritanical and precise. Has not our Father 
 said to us, "Be holy; for I am holy?"  Did not our Lord Jesus say to His disciples, 
"Be therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect?" 

 

Then there comes another fox, Mr. Worldly-wiseman.  He says, "You are a Christian-
but do not be a fool.  Carry your religion as far as you can make it pay; but if it comes
to losing anything by it, well then, don't you do it.  You see, this practice is the custom
of the trade; it is not right, I know, but still, other people do it, and you ought to do it.
If you do not, you will never get on in business."

 

Mr. Worldly-wiseman  further says, "Never mind if I tell you a lie or two, make your
advertisements say what is not true; everybody else does it as a matter of course, and
why should not you?  Then try whether you cannot get a slice out of your customer
here and a slice there when he does not know it, it is the custom of the trade; it is
the way other people do, and, as it is the custom, of course you must do it."

 

To all such talk I reply that there is another custom, a custom that God has, of
turning all liars into Hell...mind that you do not come under that divine rule and law
.
There is another custom that God has, namely, that of cutting down hypocrites, 
 those who do not walk honestly and uprightly towards their fellow-men.

 

The plea of custom will not stand for a moment at the judgment-seat of Christ;
and it ought to have no weight with us here. 

 

 I know that there are many young people who, unless they are watchful and careful

 at the very beginning of their spiritual life, will get lamed, and never walk 
as they ought to because this fox has bitten them. 

 

 

There is another ugly fox and that is a doubting fox.  He comes and says, "You seem
very happy, and very joyful; but is it true?  You appear to have become quite a different
person from what you used to be-but is there, after all, such a thing as conversion?
This fox begins nibbling at every doctrine, he even nibbles at your Bible, and tries
to steal from you this chapter and that verse.

 

God save your young people from all these foxes! 

 

There are some foxes of evil doctrine, and they generally try to spoil our young people.
I do not think anybody ever attempts now to convert me from my belief; the other day
when a man was arguing with another, I asked him, "Why don't you try me?"
"Oh, he said, "I have given you up as a bad case, there is no use
 trying to do anything with you".  

 

It is so when we get to be thoroughly confirmed in our convictions of the truth; 
they give us up, and they generally say that we are such fools that we cannot learn
 their wisdom, which is quite correct-and so we intend to be as long as ever we live! 

 

If you have any sign of spiritual life, if you have any tender grapes upon your branches-
the devil and his foxes will be sure to be at you.  Therefore endeavor to get as close as
ever you can to two persons who are mentioned hard by my text-
namely the King and His spouse.

 

First, keep close to Christ, for this is your life.  Next, keep close to His Church, for
this is your comfort.  Get among elderly Christian people, seek to catch up with those
who have long known the Lord.  Keep close to God's people, whoever they may be,
they are the best company for you, young believers. 

 

"Beware Of Foxes!"
Charles Haddon Spurgeon 
(1834-1892)
English Particular Baptist Preacher
Regarded as the "Prince of Preachers"
by many Christians around the world.