Use 4

Then there are those whose spirits are comfortless, dead, and hard, who call God's love and their own spiritual state into question — especially if they were in the sunshine before but now sit in the valley of the shadow of death. If they were once dandled in God's lap and kissed, now to be lashed with terrors and his sharpest rods, and on the tenderest place — the conscience — to have their songs in the night turned into the writing of bitter things against them: how bitter it is to them! Once they say they could never come to the throne of grace without their hearts being welcomed and their heads stroked, and they went seldom away without a white stone, an earnest penny put into their hands. But now God is a terror to them, and when they arise from prayer or the like duty, their hearts condemn them more than when they began. Once they never looked to heaven without receiving a smile; now they may cry day and night and not get one kind look from him. Once, they say, they never hoisted sail for any duty without a fair and good wind — God went along with them. But now they have both wind and tide against them — God and the deadness of their own hearts alike. In a word, God is gone, light is gone; God answers them neither by vision nor by prophets, neither in praying nor in hearing; and therefore, they say, he has forsaken them, cast them off, and will never be merciful. 'Oh woe to us,' say they, 'we are undone.'

You err, poor souls, not knowing the Scriptures and the manner of your God and his dealings with his people. You think that his mind is changed when his countenance is, and so run away from him as Jacob ran from Laban. You think he has cast you off when he has but returned to his place that you may seek him more earnestly. Like children when their mother has gone aside for a moment, you fall a-crying as if you were undone. So it appears that you are always in the extremes — if he shines on you, then your mountain shall never be moved; if he hides his face, then he will never be merciful. As it is a fond and childish fault, so it is brutish also, thus to judge — I call it so because you are led therein by sense alone, and like beasts believe nothing but what you feel and see, and measure God's love by his looks and outward carriage. When Asaph did this in other afflictions as you do in this, he cries out that he was ignorant and as a beast (Psalm 73:22). What, will you trust God no further than you can see him? It will shame you one day to think how much trouble your childishness put the Spirit of God to. As what trouble it is to a wise man to have a foolish wife who, if he is abroad about necessary business perhaps for her maintenance, yet complains he does not regard her but leaves her; if he corrects her for any fault, then she says he hates her, and is so distempered by it that a whole day's kindness cannot quiet her again. Thus you deal with God. Though he has given you never so many fair and clear evidences of his love, repeatedly renewed and reiterated, yet still you are jealous, never quiet, always doubting, questioning all upon the least frown. Either God must let you go on in your sinful dispositions without ever rebuking you, or else lose the acknowledgment of all his love formerly shown and have it called into question by your peevish, jealous misconstructions upon every small expression of his anger toward you.

But you who are more deeply and lastingly distressed — I pity you; I do not blame you for being troubled. For when he hides his face the creatures all are troubled (Psalm 104:29). God would have you lay it to heart when he is angry (Isaiah 57:17). God took it ill there that when he struck him, he went on stubbornly. If you should not lay it to heart, it would be a sign you had no grace, that you had not made him your portion, if you could bear his absence and not mourn. Carnal men having other comforts can bear the want and absence of him well enough, but not you who have made him your portion and your exceeding great reward. Yet though you are to lay it to heart so as to mourn under it, you are not to be discouraged — not to call all into question. For though you change, yet God does not, nor his love — for his love is himself (1 John 4:8-10). We may change in our apprehensions and opinions, and God's outward dispensations may be changed toward us, but not his rooted love. We are not today what we were yesterday, but Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. To say that he has cast you off because he has hidden his face is a fallacy drawn from the devil's arguments and injurious to him. For in Isaiah 54:8: 'In a little wrath I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on you.' First, he has only hidden his face, not cast you out of mind. Second, though in anger, yet only a little anger. Third, for only a moment. Fourth, all that while he is full of you — 'I remember you.' Fifth, and this with kindness from everlasting to everlasting. When the sun is eclipsed — which eclipse is rather of the earth than of the sun, which shines as brightly as ever — foolish people think it will never recover its light, but wise men know it will.

But you will say: If this desertion were but for a moment it would be something, but it has lasted for many years.

How many years? This life is but a moment, and God has eternity of time to show his love — time enough to make amends for a few years from that everlasting kindness. Remember the text says one who fears God may walk in darkness — not a step or two, but many wearisome turns in it. Heman was afflicted from his youth; David so long that in Psalm 77 he thought God had forgotten him. 'Does his promise fail forever?' Remember what is said in another case in Luke 18:8 — that though he bears long, yet he comes speedily — that is, though long in our eyes, yet speedily in his own. He has all time before him and knows how much time remains to be spent in embraces with you.

But you will say: It is not only that he hides his face, but I suffer terrors; he is angry; he is turned enemy; he fights against me; and therefore I am a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction.

So it was with Job (chapter 13:24), and so with Isaiah 63:10 and Psalm 88:16. But all those are but the effects of a temporal wrath. There is a wide difference between a child under wrath and a child of wrath. You may be a child under wrath without being a child of wrath. God as he may afflict you in your estate and body, so he may afflict your spirit — as a Father, for in Hebrews 12:9 he is called 'the Father of spirits.'

Ten directions for those who are more deeply troubled and the means to be used to recover light and comfort.

For the sake of those who are thus more deeply troubled, I will prescribe some directions on how they are to behave themselves in such a condition so as to come out of it more comfortably and more speedily. For it is in these long and great sicknesses of the soul as in those of the body — men are kept the longer in them and under them for want of right directions and prescriptions, as we see in long fevers and the like diseases.

Then there are those whose spirits are comfortless, dead, and hard, who question God's love and their own spiritual condition — especially those who were once in the sunshine but now sit in the valley of the shadow of death. For someone who was once cradled in God's lap, now to be lashed with terror and His sharpest rods — and on the most tender place, the conscience — to have their songs in the night turned into God writing bitter things against them: how bitter this is to them! They say that once they could never approach the throne of grace without their hearts being welcomed and their heads stroked, and they rarely went away without a token of assurance pressed into their hands. But now God is a terror to them, and when they rise from prayer or some other duty, their hearts condemn them more than before they began. Once they never looked toward heaven without receiving a smile; now they may cry day and night and not get one kind look from Him. Once, they say, they never set sail for any duty without a fair wind — God went with them. But now they have both wind and tide against them — God and the deadness of their own hearts alike. In short, God is gone and light is gone; God answers them neither in vision nor through His Word, neither in praying nor in hearing; and therefore, they say, He has abandoned them, cast them off, and will never show mercy. 'Oh, woe to us,' they say, 'we are ruined.'

You are mistaken, poor souls — you do not know the Scriptures or the ways of your God and His dealings with His people. You think His heart has changed when His face has, and so you run from Him as Jacob ran from Laban. You think He has cast you off when He has only withdrawn to His place so that you will seek Him more earnestly. Like children when their mother has stepped away for a moment, you fall into crying as if you were undone. You are always in extremes: if He shines on you, your mountain will never be moved; if He hides His face, He will never be merciful. This is a childish and foolish way to judge — I will call it that, because you are being led by feeling alone, and like animals you believe nothing but what you feel and see, measuring God's love by His outward expression toward you. When Asaph did this in other afflictions, he cried out that he was stupid and like a beast (Psalm 73:22). Will you only trust God as far as you can see Him? One day you will be ashamed to think of how much trouble your childishness put the Spirit of God to. It is like the trouble a wise man has with a foolish wife who — if he goes out on necessary business, perhaps for her own benefit — complains that he doesn't care about her and has abandoned her; and if he corrects her for any fault, she says he hates her, and is so upset by it that a whole day's kindness cannot settle her again. That is how you deal with God. Though He has given you so many clear and certain evidences of His love, repeatedly renewed and confirmed, you remain suspicious, never settled, always doubting — calling everything into question at the slightest frown. Either God must let you continue in your sinful habits without ever correcting you, or He must forfeit all acknowledgment of the love He has previously shown — because your jealous and peevish misreading of every small expression of His displeasure calls it all into question.

But those of you who are more deeply and lastingly distressed — I have compassion on you; I do not blame you for being troubled. When He hides His face, even the creatures are troubled (Psalm 104:29). God would have you take it to heart when He is angry (Isaiah 57:17). He took it badly in that passage when, after He struck the person, the person went on stubbornly without humbling himself. If you did not take God's absence to heart, it would suggest you had no grace — that you had not made Him your portion, if you could endure His absence without mourning. People of the world, having other comforts, can bear His absence well enough — but not you, who have made Him your portion and your exceeding great reward. Yet though you are to take it to heart and mourn under it, you must not be discouraged — you must not call everything into question. Though you change, God does not — nor does His love — for His love is Himself (1 John 4:8-10). Our perceptions and feelings may change, and God's outward dealings with us may vary, but His deep-rooted love does not. We are not today what we were yesterday, but Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. To say He has cast you off because He has hidden His face is a false conclusion drawn from the devil's arguments, and it wrongs God deeply. For in Isaiah 54:8: 'In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, but with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you.' First, He has only hidden His face — He has not put you out of His mind. Second, though in anger, it is only a little anger. Third, it is only for a moment. Fourth, all that while He is full of you — 'I remember you.' Fifth, this is accompanied by kindness from everlasting to everlasting. When the sun is eclipsed — which is really an eclipse caused by the earth, not the sun, which shines just as brightly as ever — foolish people think it will never recover its light, but wise people know it will.

But you may say: If this desertion lasted only for a moment it would be bearable, but it has gone on for many years.

How many years? This life itself is but a moment, and God has all eternity in which to show His love — time enough to make up for a few years from that everlasting kindness. Remember that the text says a person who fears God may walk in darkness — not just a step or two, but through many long, weary stretches of it. Heman was afflicted from his youth; David so long that in Psalm 77 he wondered whether God had forgotten him. 'Has His promise failed forever?' Remember what is said in another situation in Luke 18:8 — that though God may seem to delay, He comes quickly — that is, though long in our eyes, it is quickly in His. He has all time before Him and knows how much of it remains to be spent in closeness with you.

But you may say: It is not only that He hides His face — I suffer terror; He is angry; He has turned against me; He fights against me; and therefore I must be a vessel of wrath fitted for destruction.

So it was with Job (chapter 13:24), and with what is described in Isaiah 63:10 and Psalm 88:16. But all of this is only the effect of a temporary wrath. There is a great difference between a child who is under wrath and a child of wrath. You may be a child under wrath without being a child of wrath. Just as God may afflict your circumstances and your body, He may also afflict your spirit — but as a Father, for in Hebrews 12:9 He is called 'the Father of spirits.'

Ten directions for those more deeply troubled, and the means to recover light and comfort.

For the sake of those who are more deeply troubled, I will give some directions on how to conduct themselves in such a condition so as to come out of it more comfortably and more quickly. It is with these long and severe sicknesses of the soul as it is with the body — people are kept in them longer than necessary for want of right guidance, as we see with long fevers and similar illnesses.