Direction 2

Second, let the troubled soul make diligent search. Let an inquisition be set up in your heart. So in Psalm 77:6 David in case of desertion is said to do: 'I communed with my own heart and made diligent search.'

Now in this search, make inquiry into two things.

First, what might be the true cause that provokes God thus to leave you and hide himself from you.

Second, what in your own heart is the main doubt, objection, reasoning, and apprehension that causes you to fear and thus to call all into question.

These are two distinct things. For though God has just cause and reason to leave us to this trouble, yet often the thing that troubles and disquiets us is a mere mistake, a misapprehension — even as a father sees good reason often to frighten a child, yet the thing he suffers the child to be frightened with is but a mere bogey. It is necessary to inquire into both.

First, examine what might be the true cause that provokes God thus to leave you. So in Lamentations 3:40: 'Let us search and try our ways,' spoken by the church in desertion as appears from the former part of the chapter. To help yourself in this, go over all the cases that have been proposed: have you not been carnally confident in false signs, or rested too much on true ones to the neglect of Christ and God's free grace? Did you not before neglect to stir up your own graces? Go over all those cases mentioned; something or other will be found to be the cause. This is necessary, for until the true cause is known the heart does not submit, neither will it sanctify God's name, nor will the trouble cease, until that which provokes God to lay it on is confessed and forsaken. And if it is a particular sin that God aims at, then usually God uses the horror of and guilt for that very sin to afflict you with — and then that sin itself is made the cause of your trouble in your own apprehension. So it is easily found out; you will find your sin to be the thorn in your foot, the stone in your shoe, that grated and vexed you. David knew in Psalm 51 what it was for which God broke his bones, for his very sin was the instrumental cause itself of God's executing it upon him. The horror of that murder God used as the hammer to break him with and as the rod to whip him with: 'My sin,' says he in verse 3, 'is ever before me — it was ever in my eye.' In outward afflictions it is more difficult to find out the cause why God afflicts a man. But in those inward distresses of conscience, that sin which is the true cause and moves God to afflict, God often uses the very guilt of that sin to terrify — it is both the initial cause and the executioner.

But in case you cannot find out the cause, as Job seemingly could not — and Elihu supposed he might not — therefore give him this counsel (which you also follow until God shows you the cause), from Job 34:31-32: to say to God, 'That which I see not, teach me, and I will offend no more'; and if you find it, say also as in verse 31, 'I have borne chastisement for such a sin, I will never offend anymore.' Until then God will not let you down.

The second thing to be searched into is: What is the chief and main reasoning in your heart that makes you call all into question, whether God is your God? What is the reason you think so? What makes you conclude so?

For this you must consider that although God for some sin committed does hide himself from you, terrifies, and lashes your conscience, yet that which causes and works in you this apprehension that God has cast you off is usually some false reasoning or misapprehension — some mere mistake, some device and sophistry of Satan. When the Corinthian was excommunicated for his sin, Satan had leave to terrify his conscience for it. But Satan went further — he would have swallowed him up with sorrow by persuading him that such a sin was unpardonable and that God would never own him again. The reasoning Satan used to bring this upon him was a false one, some trick and device (2 Corinthians 2:7 compared with verse 11), of which if a man is ignorant he may go mourning a long while as a castaway. Therefore take your soul aside and seriously ask it and examine it — why is it thus troubled? What reason, what ground, do you have to think that God is not your God? And then examine whether it is a true ground or not. As the apostle bids us give a reason for our faith (1 Peter 3:15), so ask of your soul the reason for its doubting.

Thus David in Psalm 42:5: 'Why are you cast down, O my soul?' And because doubts arise again and again, therefore he asks the reason again in verse 11: 'Why are you cast down?' David knew the way to dissolve them was to search into and examine the reason of them, for still when he had thoroughly examined them he found them needless and causeless to put him into such desperate fears. The child of God is often cast into prison of fears and bondage, and after he has lain long in them and begins to read over the warrant and the commitment, he finds it to be false imprisonment — a mere trick of Satan his jailer. For as carnal men, when they think their estate good and that they are in the favor of God, it is some delusion, some false reasoning that is still the ground of such their opinion — as because they prosper in the world therefore God loves them, because they perform some duties and have some good motions — which grounds they cannot endure to have examined. So contrarily, one who fears God, the ground of his apprehension that he is out of God's favor is likewise some false reasoning, which when examined appears to be such, and when it appears the soul is freed from its fears and doubts. Heman thought, and said, that God had cast him off. And what was the reason that persuaded him to think so? Because God had hidden his face. It does not follow, Heman — a father may hide his face from his son and yet not cast him off. So David also reasons in Psalm 77:2-3: 'I have sought God, prayed, and used the means, and yet I am troubled; and yet God does not reveal himself.' And what does he conclude from this in verse 7? 'Will the Lord cast off forever?' He thought, 'If God had loved me, he would presently have heard me'; he thought his soul would not have been worse after praying. This was false reasoning, for sometimes God shuts out his people's prayers (Psalm 88:14). A father may sometimes seem so angry that he throws away his child's petition and yet resolves to be his father still. It would be infinite to reckon up all the false reasonings that souls in distress have. Sometimes from a passage of Scripture misunderstood and misapplied: some who are annoyed with blasphemous thoughts against God and Christ and his Spirit — thoughts which are their greatest affliction — have thought they have sinned against the Holy Spirit, misapplying Matthew 12:31, whereas that passage is meant only of willful blaspheming of God and the work of his Spirit out of revenge (Hebrews 10:29). So some, because they have sinned after being enlightened and having tasted grace and have fallen into some gross sin, think they can never be renewed — by reason of Hebrews 6:4 — whereas he speaks of a willful and revengeful falling away with such spite as they would, if they could, crucify Christ again (verse 6). For otherwise David would not have been renewed, for he sinned presumptuously and despised the commandment. So some, if they hear of some fearful example and of God's severe dealing with others — how he cast them off upon such a sin as he did Saul — think and conclude that upon the commission of the like, God has cast them off also. But there is no certain ground for such a thought, for secret things belong to God. So because some hear that there is a time after which God sometimes offers grace no more but swears against some men, they conclude that their time is also past — which they can have no ground for. Though it is true God does so with many who hear the gospel, yet the word gives us no certain rules to judge he has done so with any of us. It is good to fear lest you should provoke him to it, but you have no sign to fear he has done so with you. And indeed herein lies the main and first business to be done in raising up a troubled soul — to find out the ground of their doubting, to examine the truth of it, and to confute it. If a man is falsely imprisoned or cast in a suit at law, what does he do to remedy it? He seeks to find out the error in the writ. So do you search out the ground of your trouble. Go to some spiritual counselor skilled in soul-work; do not keep the devil's counsel, for he opposes nothing more than making your doubts known.

Second, the troubled soul should search diligently. Set up an inquiry within your heart. In Psalm 77:6, David does this very thing in a time of desertion: 'I meditated with my heart, and my spirit made a diligent search.'

In this search, look into two things.

First, what might be the true cause that has provoked God to leave you and hide Himself from you.

Second, what is the main doubt, objection, reasoning, or fear in your own heart that leads you to call everything into question.

These are two distinct things. God may have a just reason for allowing you to be troubled, and yet the specific thing troubling and unsettling you may be a pure mistake, a misapprehension — just as a father may have good reason to let a child be frightened, while the thing the child is frightened by is nothing but an imaginary monster. It is necessary to look into both.

First, examine what might be the true cause provoking God to leave you. So Lamentations 3:40 says: 'Let us examine and probe our ways' — spoken by the church in desertion, as the earlier part of the chapter makes clear. To help yourself in this, go back over all the cases that have been presented: have you been carelessly confident in false signs, or leaned too heavily on true ones while neglecting Christ and God's free grace? Did you before neglect to stir up your own graces? Go through all those cases; you will find something that is the cause. This is necessary, because until the true cause is found the heart will not submit, will not honor God's name, and the trouble will not lift — not until what provokes God to send it is confessed and forsaken. And if a particular sin is what God is targeting, He usually uses the horror and guilt of that very sin as the means of affliction — so that the sin itself becomes the visible source of your trouble. In that way it is easily identified; you will find your sin to be the thorn in your foot, the stone in your shoe that has been grinding and troubling you. David knew in Psalm 51 what had caused God to break his bones, because his very sin was the instrument God used to do it. The horror of that murder was the hammer God used to break him and the rod to beat him: 'My sin,' he says in verse 3, 'is always before me — it was always in my sight.' In outward afflictions it is harder to identify why God is afflicting a person. But in these inward distresses of conscience, the sin that is the true cause and moves God to afflict is often the very guilt God uses to terrify — it is both the initiating cause and the means of punishment.

But in case you cannot find the cause — as Job seemingly could not, and Elihu assumed he might not — then take this counsel (and follow it yourself until God shows you the cause), drawn from Job 34:31-32: say to God, 'What I do not see, teach me; and if I have done wrong, I will not do it again'; and if you do identify the sin, say also as in verse 31, 'I have suffered for it, I will not sin anymore.' Until you come to that point, God will not let up.

The second thing to search into is this: What is the chief reasoning in your heart that leads you to question whether God is your God? What makes you think so? What leads you to that conclusion?

You must recognize that although God hides Himself from you and terrifies your conscience because of some sin, the thing that produces in you the actual conviction that God has cast you off is usually some false reasoning or misapprehension — some mere mistake, some trick and strategy of Satan. When the Corinthian was excommunicated for his sin, Satan had permission to terrify his conscience for it. But Satan went further — he wanted to overwhelm him with sorrow by persuading him that his sin was unforgivable and that God would never receive him again. The reasoning Satan used was false, a scheme and a trick (2 Corinthians 2:7 compared with verse 11) — and a person who is unaware of it may go on mourning for a long time as if he were a castaway. So take your soul aside and seriously ask it and examine it — why is it troubled like this? What reason, what ground, do you have to think that God is not your God? Then examine whether that ground is actually valid. Just as the apostle tells us to give a reason for our faith (1 Peter 3:15), ask your soul for the reason behind its doubt.

So David does in Psalm 42:5: 'Why are you in despair, O my soul?' And because doubts rise again and again, he asks the same question in verse 11: 'Why are you in despair?' David knew that the way to dissolve doubts was to examine them carefully — for when he had examined them thoroughly he found they were needless and groundless, producing fears that had no real basis. God's child is often thrown into a prison of fears and bondage, and after lying there a long time and beginning to read over the warrant for his confinement, he finds it was wrongful imprisonment all along — a mere trick of Satan his jailer. Just as worldly people, when they think their condition is good and that they are in God's favor, are usually resting on some delusion or false reasoning — such as prospering in the world, therefore God must love them; performing some duties, therefore all must be well — grounds they cannot bear to have examined, so on the other side, someone who fears God, when he concludes he is out of God's favor, has usually arrived at that conclusion through false reasoning too, which crumbles under examination, and when it does the soul is freed from its fears. Heman thought and said that God had cast him off. And what led him to think so? Because God had hidden His face. That does not follow, Heman — a father may hide his face from his son without casting him off. David reasons the same way in Psalm 77:2-3: 'I have sought God, prayed, used the means, and yet I am troubled; and yet God does not reveal Himself.' And what does he conclude from this in verse 7? 'Will the Lord reject forever?' He thought, 'If God loved me He would have heard me promptly'; he expected that his soul would not be worse off after praying. This was false reasoning, for God sometimes shuts out even His own people's prayers (Psalm 88:14). A father may at times seem so angry that he throws his child's petition aside, while still resolving to remain his father. It would take forever to list all the false reasonings that distressed souls fall into. Sometimes it comes from a passage of Scripture misunderstood and misapplied: some who are troubled by blasphemous thoughts against God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit — thoughts which are their greatest torment — conclude they have committed the sin against the Holy Spirit, by misreading Matthew 12:31, when that passage refers only to willful and deliberate blasphemy of God and the work of His Spirit out of malice (Hebrews 10:29). Some, because they have sinned after having been enlightened and having tasted grace and have then fallen into some serious sin, conclude they can never be renewed — based on Hebrews 6:4 — when that passage is speaking of a willful and spiteful falling away, with such contempt that they would, if they could, crucify Christ again (verse 6). Otherwise David could not have been renewed, for he sinned presumptuously and despised the commandment of the Lord. Some, hearing of a fearful example of God's severe dealing with others — how He cast off Saul for a particular sin — conclude that upon committing a similar sin, God has cast them off as well. But there is no solid ground for such a conclusion, for secret things belong to God. Some, having heard that there is a point after which God sometimes no longer offers grace to a person but has sworn against him, conclude that their own time has also passed — which they have no basis for concluding. While it is true that God does this with many who have heard the gospel, the Word gives us no certain rule to conclude He has done so with any particular person. It is right to fear lest you provoke Him to it — but you have no sign that He has already done so with you. And indeed, the first and most important work in helping a troubled soul is to find out the basis of their doubting, examine its truth, and refute it. If a man is wrongly imprisoned or has a judgment entered against him, what does he do to remedy it? He looks for the error in the writ. So examine the basis of your trouble. Go to a spiritually skilled counselor; do not keep the devil's counsel, for the thing he opposes most is having your doubts brought to light.