Chapter 1

The main proposition and subject of this discourse, thence deduced: that a child of God may walk in darkness. That thereby distress of conscience, and desertion in the want of assurance of justification, is meant, proved.

This, to be the meaning of the words, will more fully appear in opening the several propositions to be delivered out of them, whereof the first and principally intended is this: that one who truly fears God and is obedient to him may be in a condition of darkness and have no light, and he may walk many days and years in that condition.

And herein, further to explain the text and ground this great point well upon it, and more particularly to discover what the condition of a child of God thus in darkness is, we will first inquire what is meant by walking in darkness here in this place.

First, walking in darkness is taken in 1 John 1:6 for living in sin and ungodliness: in the commission of known sins, or omission of known duties, going on in the works of darkness. But so it is not to be taken here. For Christ would not have encouraged such to trust in God, who is light, and there can be no fellowship between him and such darkness, as the apostle tells us. Indeed, the Holy Ghost reproves such as do lean on the Lord and yet transgress; and besides, the text speaks of such who, for their present condition, fear God and are obedient to him, which if they thus walked in darkness, they could not be said to do.

Neither, secondly, is it to be meant of walking in ignorance, as John 12:36 it is taken. For one that has no light in that sense can never truly fear God nor obey him; the heart that lacks knowledge is not good, says Solomon; and so to walk in darkness is accompanied with walking in vanity of mind (Ephesians 4:18).

But thirdly, he means it of discouragement and sorrow. As often we find in Scripture darkness to be taken: as Ecclesiastes 5:17. As on the contrary, light, because it is so pleasant a thing to behold, is put for comfort. And that so it is taken here is evident by that which is opposed in the next verse: 'Walk you in your light, yet you shall lie down in sorrow' (Ecclesiastes 11:7).

But fourthly, of what kind of sorrow, and for what? Whether from outward afflictions, or inward distress of mind and conscience; or, to use Solomon's distinction, whether by reason of man's ordinary infirmities, or of a wounded spirit — that is yet in question.

And first, it is not to be restrained to outward afflictions only, which are called man's infirmities, as being common to man, which arise from the things of this world or from the men of the world; though to walk in darkness is so taken in Isaiah 59:9, and I will not exclude it here. For in them also a man's best support is to trust in God, and it is the safest way to interpret Scriptures in the largest sense which the words and context will bear. But yet that cannot be the only or principal meaning of it: for besides what is further to be said to the contrary, he adds withal, 'and has no light,' that is, no comfort. Now as philosophers say, there is no pure darkness without some mixture of light: so we may say, there is not mere or utter darkness caused by outward afflictions; no outward affliction can so universally environ the mind as to shut up all the crannies of it, so that a man should have no light. And besides, God's people, when they walk in the greatest outward darkness, may have — yes, often use to have — most light in their spirits. But here is such an estate spoken of, such a darkness as has no light in it.

Therefore, secondly, it is principally to be understood of the want of inward comfort in their spirits, from something that is between God and them, and so meant of that darkness and terrors which accompany the want and the sense of God's favor. And so darkness is elsewhere taken for inward affliction of spirit and mind, and want of sight in point of assurance that God is a man's God and of the pardon of a man's sins; so Psalm 88:6, Heman uses this word to express his distress. And the reasons why it is thus to be understood here are:

First, because the remedy here prescribed is faith: to stay himself upon God, and that as upon his God. He puts in 'his God' emphatically, because that is the point he is troubled about and concerning which he is in darkness, and that is it which faith — which is proposed here as the remedy — does in the first place and principally look to, as its primary aim and object.

Secondly, in the foregoing verses he had spoken of justification, whereby God pardons our sins and accepts our persons. The prophet, or Christ in the person of his elect (as some interpret), having expressed his assurance of this: 'God is near that justifies me, who shall condemn?' — which words the apostle (Romans 8:32-33) does allege in the point of justification, and to express the triumphing assurance of it, and applies them in the name and persons of true believers. Now because there might be some poor souls who, though truly fearing God, yet might lack this assurance, and upon the hearing of this might be the more troubled because not able to express that confidence which he did: therefore he adds, 'Who is among you that fears the Lord?' etc., as if he should have said, 'though you lack the comfortable sense and assurance of this, be not discouraged, but do you exercise faith, go out of yourselves, rely upon Christ and that mercy which is to be found in God: you may fear God and lack it, and you are to trust in God in the lack of it.'

Thirdly, these words have a relation also to the fourth verse, where he says — as that God had given him this assurance of his own justification for his own particular comfort in the foregoing verses — that God had also given him the tongue of the learned to minister a word of comfort in season to him that is weary and heavy laden. And thereupon in this verse, he accordingly shows the blessed condition of such persons as are most weary through long walking in darkness, and withal he discovers to them the way of getting out of this darkness and recovering comfort again. And in all the word of God there is not a more comfortable and seasonable word to one in such a condition to be found. All which argues it is spoken of inward darkness and trouble of spirit, and that in point of applying justification and God to be a man's God.

The main proposition and subject of this discourse, drawn from these words: a child of God may walk in darkness. This is shown to mean distress of conscience and the lack of assurance of justification.

That this is the meaning of the words will become clearer as we open the several propositions drawn from them. The first and most central proposition is this: a person who truly fears God and obeys Him may be in a condition of darkness with no light, and may walk in that condition for many days and years.

To explain the text and establish this great point firmly, and to show more precisely what the condition of a child of God in this darkness looks like, we will first ask what 'walking in darkness' means in this passage.

First, 'walking in darkness' is used in 1 John 1:6 to mean living in sin and ungodliness — committing known sins, neglecting known duties, continuing in works of darkness. But that is not how it is meant here. Christ would not have encouraged such people to trust in God, who is light, since the apostle tells us there can be no fellowship between Him and that kind of darkness. The Holy Spirit actually rebukes those who lean on the Lord while still sinning. Besides, the text itself describes people who at present fear God and obey Him — which they could not be said to do if they were walking in darkness in that sense.

Second, it does not mean walking in ignorance, as it is used in John 12:36. Someone who has no light in that sense could never truly fear God or obey Him. A heart without knowledge is not good, as Solomon says, and walking in that kind of darkness goes hand in hand with walking in futility of mind (Ephesians 4:18).

Third, it means discouragement and sorrow, which is how darkness is often used in Scripture — as in Ecclesiastes 5:17. Conversely, light, being such a pleasant thing to see, is used as a picture of comfort. That this is the meaning here is clear from what is contrasted in the next verse: 'Walk in your light, yet you will lie down in sorrow' (Ecclesiastes 11:7).

But fourth, we must ask: what kind of sorrow, and why? Is it from outward afflictions or from inward distress of mind and conscience? Or, to use Solomon's distinction, is it from ordinary human hardships or from a wounded spirit? That question remains to be answered.

First, it is not limited to outward afflictions alone — what are called ordinary human hardships, the kind that arise from the circumstances of this world or from other people. Though 'walking in darkness' is used that way in Isaiah 59:9, and I will not exclude that meaning here, it cannot be the only or primary meaning. God's best support for those in outward affliction is still to trust in Him, and Scripture is wisest interpreted in the broadest sense the words and context allow. But the text adds 'and has no light' — that is, no comfort at all. Philosophers note that there is no pure darkness without some mixture of light; similarly, outward afflictions alone cannot produce such complete darkness that every opening in the mind is shut off. God's people, when walking in the greatest outward darkness, may still have — and often do have — great light in their spirits. But what is described here is a condition of such total darkness that there is no light in it at all.

Therefore, second, this darkness must be understood principally as the absence of inward comfort in the spirit — something arising from what stands between the person and God — specifically the darkness and terror that accompany the loss of any sense of God's favor. This is how darkness is used elsewhere to describe inward affliction of spirit and mind, and the inability to see — in terms of assurance — that God is one's own God and that one's sins are pardoned. Psalm 88:6 shows Heman using this word to express his distress. The reasons for understanding it this way are as follows:

First, the remedy prescribed here is faith — to lean on God, and specifically on him as 'his God.' The phrase 'his God' is emphatic because that is precisely the point the person is troubled about and the point around which his darkness revolves. It is also exactly what faith — offered here as the remedy — looks to first and most directly as its primary aim and object.

Second, in the preceding verses the prophet spoke of justification — God's pardoning of sins and acceptance of persons. The prophet, or Christ speaking in the person of His elect as some interpret it, had expressed his assurance of this: 'God is near who justifies me; who shall condemn?' The apostle quotes these words in Romans 8:32-33 in connection with justification, to express the triumphant assurance of it, and applies them in the name of true believers. But knowing that some poor souls — though they truly fear God — might lack this assurance and feel even more troubled on hearing it, since they cannot express that same confidence: therefore he adds, 'Who among you fears the Lord?' and so on. It is as if he were saying, 'Though you lack the comfortable sense and assurance of this, do not be discouraged — exercise faith, go outside yourself, rely on Christ and on the mercy found in God. You may fear God and still lack this assurance, and you are called to trust God even in the lack of it.'

Third, these words also connect to verse 4, where the prophet speaks of how God had given him assurance of his own justification for his personal comfort in the preceding verses, and also gave him the tongue of the learned to speak a word of comfort in season to those who are weary and heavy-laden. Accordingly, in this verse he shows the blessed condition of those who are most weary from long walking in darkness, and he reveals to them the way to come out of it and recover comfort again. In all of God's word there is no more comforting or fitting word for someone in such a condition. All of this confirms that the passage speaks of inward darkness and trouble of spirit — specifically regarding the application of justification and knowing God as one's own God.