The Mission of Sorrow

The Christmas season is usually about great joy, yet many don’t feel joyful at Christmas. Even Christians are reminded of their losses and sometimes feel lonely and depressed. According to 19^th Century author Gardiner Spring, sorrow has a mission to fulfill in the lives of God’s believing people.

Gardiner Spring was a Presbyterian pastor in New York City from 1810 until his death in 1873. Though he may not be familiar to many of us today, he was influential in his time. I’m not aware of any biography of him, so I’m collecting all the bits of information I can find on him in the hopes of writing a biographical vignette for his birthday in February. It took me a while just to find out his birthday. Spring was a leader in the nationwide revival known as the Second Great Awakening, but for some reason he is little known today. His memory deserves to be recovered from the mists of history.

Spring’s book The Mission of Sorrow: God’s Gracious Purposes in Our Afflictions was recently reprinted by Solid Ground Christian Books. I’ve been reading an online version, but I hope to obtain a hard copy soon. I’ve been greatly blessed in reading the text of this book. It covers a subject that is unknown or doubted by many professing Christians and denied or completely ignored by popular prosperity preachers: that God actually has a design in sending His people sorrow. The Mission of Sorrow is written from a biblical/theological standpoint: God and His glory are central to properly understanding and responding to the sorrows He sends. Man and his needs are not the primary focus, though Spring’s book shows from Scripture how man’s deepest needs are met through a proper response to sorrow’s ministry.

The Mission of Sorrow contains 9 brief chapters in only 96 pages. Though short, the book is substantial; no fluff here. His theological viewpoint gives the book a grand sweep in its interpretation of sorrow. To quote David Ash of Shiloh Online Library: "The Mission of Sorrow by Spring, is one of the most complete books ever written on the subject of SORROW. Each chapter builds upon the other, until the sorrowing believer is brought at last to heaven." Viewing the chapter titles will prove this point and illustrate the author’s method:

Chapter 1 - Sorrow God's Witness

Chapter 2 - Sorrow Deserved

Chapter 3 - Submission Under Sorrow

Chapter 4 - Sorrow Disturbs Idolatrous Attachments

Chapter 5 - Sorrow The Friend of Christian Graces

Chapter 6 - Sorrow Taking Lessons from the Bible

Chapter 7 - Sorrow At the Throne of Grace

Chapter 8 - Meetness for Heaven Through Sorrow

Chapter 9 - No Sorrow There

The author pulls no punches in showing from Scripture the reason for sorrow and how it is designed to help us. But he leads us to the throne of grace and beyond, all the way to Heaven. Those under affliction and truly seeking God will find a balm for their souls. I’m thankful for this reprint and happy to recommend it.

Also available from:

Amazon — $9.35 new | from $6.03 used and new

Reformation Heritage Books — $8.00

The Mission of Sorrow