The good fight

“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.” ~ Proverbs 9:9

Up until about a year ago I had never heard of Charles Simeon but after reading a short biography about him it is understandable why his testimony might be ignored. It is not because he did not have a stellar testimony in the face of opposition; it is more than likely due to the fact in our present society his endurance in the face of criticism and rejection is so foreign to us. I was introduced to Charles Simeon through a series of biographies written by John Piper subtitled “The Swans are Not Silent”. In his third book in the series “The Roots of Endurance” Piper wedges Simeon between two better known individuals; John Newton and William Wilberforce. While their stories are equally inspiring I came away pondering Simeon’s life and times with a sense of wonderment. Yet this little known man was loved by his students and his graceful perseverance in the face of criticism made a lasting impression on his pupils, and is hailed as something of an ancestor to the evangelical movement in England.

Charles Simeon was the Pastor of Trinity Church in Cambridge England for 54 years and you would think with that length of service he would have been well loved by his congregation but nothing could be further from the truth. He became a teaching fellow at King’s College in Cambridge in 1782, the same year he was installed as the Pastor at Trinity. His appointment was so unpopular with his parishioners that his preaching was often interrupted and he was accosted in the streets. You see the congregation did not want Simeon as their pastor. When the previous vicar died Simeon was appointed by the Bishop rather than the assistant curate Mr. Hammond. Simeon offered to step aside but the Bishop told him that even if he did Mr. Hammond would not be appointed to the pastorate. The congregation’s first tactic was to not let him preach the afternoon service, and this went on for 12 years. Their second tactic was to lock the pew doors on Sunday mornings so even if they decided not to attend there would be no seats for those who came in off the street. When Simeon set up chairs at his own expense the church wardens threw them out in the church yard. The locking of the pews went on for 10 years. According to Piper the response from Simeon was to “let his steady, relentless ministry of the Word and prayer and community witness gradually overcome the resistance.”

Simeon was once asked about the wrongs he experienced and he said; “My rule is—never to hear, or see, or know, what if heard, or seen, or known, would call for animadversions (critical remarks) from me. Hence it is that I dwell in peace in the midst of lions.” As Piper states; “In other words, we would do well not to be curious about what others are saying about us. There is little good that can come of it: pride, if the comments are good; discouragement, if they are critical; anger if they are false. These are not emotions we need to cultivate. Trusted counsel from reliable people, not rumors, is the stuff for good self-assessment.”

When Piper first introduces us to Simeon he mentions how we all tend to “need inspiration from another century” because we all are prone to be “a child of my times.” Piper states; “And one of the pervasive marks of our times in emotional fragility. It hangs in the air we breathe. We are easily hurt. We pout and mope easily. We blame easily. We break easily. Our marriages break easily. Our faith breaks easily. Our happiness breaks easily. And our commitment to the church breaks easily. We are easily disheartened, and it seems we have little capacity for surviving and thriving in the face of criticism and opposition. When historians list the character traits of America in the last third of the twentieth century, commitment, constancy, tenacity, endurance, patience, resolve, and perseverance will not be on the list. The list will begin with an all-consuming interest in self-esteem. It will be followed by the subheadings of self-assertiveness, self-enhancement, and self-realization. And if we think we that we are not children of our times, let us simply test ourselves to see how we respond when people reject our ideas or spurn our good efforts or misconstrue our best intentions.” All I can say is…OUCH!

In the last few months of his life Simeon wrote; “In truth, I love to see the creature annihilated in the apprehension, and swallowed up in God; I am safe, happy, triumphant.” In the face of life-long opposition Simeon was able to pen the following; “By constantly meditating on the goodness of God and on our great deliverance from that punishment which our sins have deserved, we are brought to feel our vileness and utter unworthiness; and while we continue in this spirit of self-degradation, everything else will go on easily. We shall find ourselves advancing in our course; we shall feel the presence of God; we shall experience His love; we shall live in the enjoyment of His favor and in the hope of His glory…You often feel that your prayers scarcely reach the ceiling; but, oh, get into this humble spirit of considering how good the Lord is, and how evil you all are, and then prayer will mount of wings of faith to heaven. The sigh, the groan of a broken heart, will soon go through the ceiling up to heaven, aye into the very bosom of God.”

Charles Simeon endured and persevered. He could echo the words of the Apostle Paul in II Timothy 4:7-8; “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” Can we say the same?