My Dear Friends,
How good a thing it is when we can imitate the very kingdom of heaven itself and go about our work secretly and silently (like the leaven that was hid in the three measures of meal) to the glory of God. It was the sin of the men and women of Babel, you may remember, that they desired to "make a name for themselves". And, in a different sense, that seems to be a pre-occupation with the world yet. But, the believer in Christ should not be, concerned with getting a name on earth, but with getting a name in heaven – aye, with remembering that he already has a name in heaven! How often the apostle Paul points us to this "blessed anonymity" that each of us should ever be seeking after. "Those women which laboured with me in the gospel," he writes on one occasion; "no names, no pack drill," as we would say today. "And other of my fellow-labourers", he writes again "whose names are in the Book of Life". Here is the all-important thing: that we work out of gratitude as those who already received a name in their Saviour; and that we labour as secretly and silently as possible lest any of the glory be ascribed to us and not to the One who has established our names in the heavens. Our Lord spoke of those who performed their religious deeds in the open for all to see, and said of them: "They have their reward". The name that they received for their labours of piety was the only reward that they would receive, for it was the only reward that they sought. "But ye," said the Lord, as He pointed to His own, "when ye do your works, do them in secret; and your Father which seeth in secret, will reward you openly."
What a blessed principle of Divine dealing with us that is. What an encouragement to labour on, even though misunderstood at times, and unheralded for the work that is being done where no eye, save the eye of the Lord, can see. Mordecai's good deed was soon forgotten of men - if many had even heard of it, in the first place; but it had been registered in "the book of the records of the chronicles" of the king, and Mordecai received the reward of his "secret service" at the Lord's appointed time.
Sincerely,
W. J. Seaton
(September 1971)
What was the name of that wee boy,
Who gave himself to Christ's employ,
And offered up the fish and bread,
With which the multitude was fed?
And who that noble unknown one,
Who bowed the neck to God's own Son,
And gave his beasts as offerings,
To bear the glorious King of Kings?
And yet again, what was the name,
Of he who lives in gospel fame,
The one who gave that upper room,
Where Christ foretold His awful doom?
And leaping forward through the years,
We hear the words, "Why have ye fears?"
The words that won the great John Owen,
Yet he who preached them's still unknown!
And see those wives of Bedford town,
They speak of God 'til sun's gone down,
But what their names we've never learned,
Yet through them Bunyan's heart was turned.
And with abundant names we're armed,
When Wesley's heart was "strangely warmed",
There's Luther, Romans, Aldersgate,
But he who spoke we can't relate.
And who that bold unlettered one,
Who cried, "Look unto God's own Son,"
When Spurgeon "Looked" and saw the Lord?
Search hist'rys page, there's not a word.
Unknown, unheralded, unsung,
Yet in the ladder, placed a rung,
Of God's Elect, as they were moved,
And silently, their service proved.
This Page Title – Secret and Silent Labour in the Gospel The Wicket Gate Magazine "A Continuing Witness". Internet Edition number 77 – placed on line March 2009 Magazine web address – www.wicketgate.co.uk |