Direction 1

First, take heed of rash, desperate, impatient, and unbelieving speeches and wishes — such as you will be forced to recall again with sorrow. As David when he was in fears uttered a desperate speech — namely, that Samuel's prophecy concerning him and message from God that he should be king would prove false. He said not only that one day he should perish by the hand of Saul (1 Samuel 27:1) — the ground of which was that he found himself every day in some danger or other of his life, and so though God had preserved him again and again, yet he thought that some of the many arrows shot against him continually might at one time or other hit him — but he says further, 'I said in my haste' (Psalm 116:11) that all men are liars, the prophet Samuel and all, that it was but the promise of a vain man. But he soon recalls himself and adds, 'I said this in my haste.' So likewise in Psalm 31:22: 'I said in my haste, I am cut off' — rash speeches, as he confesses, spoken in haste. Even so many a poor soul breaks forth and says — after having had strong hopes at first conversion that a kingdom is theirs, that heaven is theirs, and that it is reserved for them and they kept for it through the power of God — yet the devil being let loose to buffet them as Saul did David, and God hiding his face, and the arrows of the Almighty flying thick about their ears, the sorrows of the grave encompassing them and well-nigh cutting them off every moment, they (though upheld again and again) are apt to say that one day or other they shall in all likelihood be cut off by God's hand, swallowed up by Satan, and everlastingly destroyed. And when told of the hopes they had at their first conversion and the promises made to them, they are apt to say that their grace by which they should now claim those promises is all a lie, false and counterfeit, and but hypocrisy — this they say in their haste, too often. So at another time, when David was in doubt about that other promise of an eternal kingdom made to him, he says God will never be merciful. What a weak speech was this — that what a man sees not at present, he should conclude will never be! But he acknowledges his error: 'It was my infirmity' (verse 10) thus to speak. So the church in Lamentations 3:17-18: 'I said, my hope is perished from the Lord' — what a desperate speech. But she eats her words again with grief, in verse 21: 'This I recall to mind, therefore I have hope.' Job, though for a while at the beginning of the storm he was somewhat calm and quiet in spirit, and it was his commendation — and therefore in chapter 1:22 it is said that in all this he had not charged God foolishly — yet this held only through chapters 1 and 2. For when he began to be soaked through once, and the drops of God's wrath began to soak into his soul, then he falls a-roaring in chapter 3 and curses the day of his birth; and in chapter 6:8-9 wishes God would cut him off; and in chapter 7:15 says his soul chose strangling rather than life. For these speeches God in the end steps out — as it were from behind the curtain, having overheard him — taking him up for them: 'Who is this,' says he in chapter 38:2, 'that talks thus?'

But good souls, you who are in trouble — oh take heed of such impatient wishes or speeches as these or the like: that all which you have had was but hypocrisy, and 'Oh that God would cut me off, that I were in hell and knew the worst!' Take heed, I say. When a man is sick and raves, whereas otherwise the physician and those standing about him would in pity use him gently, they are forced to hold and restrain him. An impatient patient makes a physician more severe than he would otherwise be. So God would deal more gently with you but for such impatience. And know that this is taking God's name in vain to a high degree. You must know that the graces of God written in your hearts are part of God's name, as whereby his love is manifested to you. Now for you to call the truth of these in question and say they are counterfeit is as if you should say of the king's hand and seal, when it comes down to you, that it were forged and deny it — which is high treason. So if a special friend or your father had given you some old precious pieces of gold or jewels as tokens of their love, for you to say in a distempered fit of jealousy that all these are but counterfeit coins and base metal would exceedingly wrong and abuse their love. Thus it is if you deny God's handwriting in your own hearts, when he has written therein by his Spirit — joy, fear, love, zeal — and say it is not like his hand. So if you deny the seal of the Spirit after he has sealed you up to the day of redemption, and say that all the earnest pennies of heaven are counterfeit and worth nothing, in so doing you take his name, his love, his mercy, and all in vain. Yes, you lie against the Holy Spirit, as the apostle said in another case. Though God gives you full leave to try and examine all his graces in you and his dealings with you, yet do not desperately at the first glance and upon the least mistake or flaw say they are no graces and that he will never be merciful. You abuse him when you do so. Take heed of it.

First, guard against rash, desperate, impatient, and unbelieving words and wishes — the kind you will later be forced to take back with sorrow. David, when he was gripped by fear, spoke desperate words — claiming that Samuel's prophecy that he would be king would prove false. He said not only that he would one day be killed by Saul's hand (1 Samuel 27:1) — reasoning that since he faced danger to his life every day, and so many arrows were continually aimed at him, one would eventually find its mark — but he went further, saying 'I said in my alarm' (Psalm 116:11) that all men are liars, including the prophet Samuel, and that the promise had been nothing but an empty man's word. But he quickly corrected himself and added, 'I said this in my alarm.' Likewise in Psalm 31:22: 'I said in my alarm, I am cut off' — rash words, as he acknowledges, spoken in haste. In the same way, many a poor soul — after having had strong assurance at their first conversion that the kingdom is theirs, that heaven is theirs, reserved for them as they are kept for it by the power of God — yet when the devil is let loose to batter them as Saul did David, and God hides His face, and the arrows of the Almighty fly thick around their ears, and the terrors of the grave close in on them at every moment, they are prone to say that sooner or later they will surely be cut off by God's hand, swallowed by Satan, and eternally destroyed. And when reminded of the hopes they had at their first conversion and the promises made to them, they are prone to say that the grace by which they should claim those promises is all a lie, false and counterfeit, nothing but hypocrisy — they say this in their haste, and too often. At another time, when David doubted the promise of an eternal kingdom made to him, he said that God would never be merciful. What a weak conclusion — that because a man does not see something at present, he should decide it will never come! But he acknowledged his error: 'It was my infirmity' (verse 10) to speak that way. So the church in Lamentations 3:17-18: 'I said, my strength has perished, and so has my hope from the Lord' — a desperate thing to say. But she takes it back in grief at verse 21: 'This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.' Job, though fairly calm and composed in spirit at the beginning of the storm — which was noted to his credit, so that in chapter 1:22 it is said that in all this he did not sin by blaming God — maintained this only through chapters 1 and 2. Once the drops of God's wrath began soaking into his soul, he began to cry out in chapter 3 and cursed the day of his birth; in chapter 6:8-9 he wished God would cut him off; and in chapter 7:15 said his soul chose strangling rather than life. For these words God finally steps forward — as if from behind a curtain, having heard everything — and calls him to account: 'Who is this,' He says in chapter 38:2, 'who speaks like this?'

But good souls, you who are in trouble — be on guard against impatient wishes or words like these: that everything you have experienced was only hypocrisy, and 'Oh that God would cut me off — I wish I were in hell and knew the worst!' Be on guard, I say. When a person is sick and raving, doctors and those around him who would normally treat him gently are forced to hold him down and restrain him. An impatient patient makes a doctor more severe than he would otherwise be. So God would deal more gently with you, but your impatience prevents it. Know also that this is taking God's name in vain to a high degree. The graces of God written in your hearts are part of God's name — they are how His love is made known to you. To call the genuineness of those graces into question and say they are counterfeit is like receiving a letter with the king's own signature and seal and declaring it forged — which is high treason. Or imagine a close friend or your father gave you precious old gold coins or jewels as tokens of their love, and in a jealous fit you declared them all counterfeit and base metal — this would deeply wrong and dishonor their love. It is the same when you deny God's handwriting in your own heart, when He has written there by His Spirit — joy, fear, love, zeal — and you say it does not look like His hand. If you deny the seal of the Spirit after He has sealed you to the day of redemption, and declare that all the pledges of heaven are counterfeit and worthless, you take His name, His love, and His mercy all in vain. Yes, you lie against the Holy Spirit, as the apostle said in another context. Though God gives you every right to examine and test all His graces in you and His dealings with you, do not desperately, at the first glance and on the smallest flaw, declare that there is no grace and that He will never be merciful. You wrong Him when you do that. Be on guard against it.