Direction 3

The third direction I give to such is that they keep and lend one ear as well to hear and consider what makes for their comfort as to what may make against them.

This direction meets with a great infirmity of such as are in distress, who through Satan's temptations have their hearts so deeply possessed with prejudicial notions of the misery of their estates that — as the people of God in Exodus 6:9, through the anguish of their hearts, were so far disordered that they did not listen to the good message Moses brought them nor believed that such good news could be true of them — so are the souls of many in distress so filled with anguish and sense of misery, and so strongly prepossessed with desperate opinions, and so far put out of hope, that they reject all that is spoken for their comfort. So that they will not so much as be brought to cast an eye or a thought upon anything that may be an occasion of comfort to them. Like some prisoners at the bar who through extremity of fear cannot read what is in their hearts and in the word that might save them. Tell them of what God has wrought for them and in them as evidences of his love — they often will not read them over, or if they do, they read them as a man does a book he means to refute. They pick quarrels and make objections at everything that is said, as if they were hired as lawyers to plead against themselves and to find flaws in their evidences. I have observed some who have set all their wits to work to strengthen all arguments and objections against themselves, and who have been glad if they could raise any objection that might puzzle those who came to comfort them — as if they were disputing for the victory only. And thus, through much brooding upon and considering only what might make against them, they have had the bolts of their hearts so far shot into despair and fixed in desperate sorrow, and the true workings of sound evidences so far wrenched and twisted by false keys, that when the most skilled and strongest comforters have come with true keys to shoot back the bolt, they would not turn — could scarcely get entrance.

This was David's infirmity, as at verse 10 of Psalm 77 compared with verse 2: 'My soul refused to be comforted' — he spilled all the cordials and medicine that were brought to him. He was not only void of comfort but refused it. 'What, bring me promises to comfort me?' such a one will say. 'You may as well carry them to one in hell, or give medicine to a man past recovery.' And so he will take down nothing that is given him. So also the church in Lamentations 3:17-18 — her heart was deeply possessed with a desperate apprehension: 'My hope,' says she, 'is perished from the Lord.' And what was it that shot her soul into so fixed a despair? Verse 17: she forgot all good — that is, she would not so much as take into consideration and remembrance anything that had been comfortable to her. 'All good' — all God's former good and gracious dealings with her, all the good things wrought in her and for her — she forgot. And instead, what did her thoughts feed and chew upon? Only wormwood and gall, her bitterness and distress, brooding only on what might make against her: 'I said my hope was perished from the Lord, calling to mind my affliction and my misery, my wormwood and gall.' These she could roll up and down in her mind though they were bitter, and would entertain thoughts of nothing else. But when on the contrary she began to take into consideration God's gracious and faithful supporting her in that very desertion, in faithfulness renewing his mercies every morning (verse 22-23), and that still he maintained in her heart a longing and lingering after him, and a secret cleaving to him, and that God enabled her to choose him as her portion (verse 24) — 'This I recall to mind,' says she in verse 21, 'therefore I have hope.' She spits out her wormwood and eats her own words. And now that her heart began to listen to what might comfort her, she presently began to have hope. This sullen, peevish, desperate obstinacy is a thing you ought to take heed of, for hereby you take Satan's part against those you ought to love so dearly — even your own souls. Let Satan plead his own cause; do not you do it for him. Hereby also you forsake your own mercies (as it is said of Jonah 2:8), give up your own right, and are so far befooled as to plead against your own title, your own interest in the best things you can have interest in — God's mercies, made yours by an everlasting covenant. You give up your portion bequeathed to you in your Father's will, which you ought to maintain, and you trust to the lying vanities, the fortune-tellings of Satan and of your own hearts. Hereby also you become judges of evil thoughts, for he is a poor hearer of a cause who will hear but one party speak.

The third direction for those in distress: keep one ear open to hear and consider what speaks in favor of your comfort, just as you listen to what seems to be against you.

This direction addresses a deep weakness in those who are in distress. Through Satan's temptations their hearts become so thoroughly filled with dark and gloomy assessments of their condition that — as the people of God in Exodus 6:9, so overcome with anguish that they could not listen to the good news Moses brought or believe it could apply to them — so the souls of many in distress are so full of anguish and misery, so strongly fixed in desperate conclusions, and so far driven from hope, that they reject everything that is said to comfort them. They refuse even to glance at or consider anything that might give them grounds for comfort. They are like prisoners at the bar who, in the extremity of their fear, cannot read what is written in their hearts and in God's Word that might save them. Tell them what God has done for them and in them as evidence of His love — they often refuse to read it over, and if they do, they read it as someone does a book he intends to argue against. They pick quarrels and make objections at everything said, as if they had been hired as lawyers to plead against themselves and find flaws in the evidence. I have seen some who used every bit of their mental energy to strengthen every argument and objection against themselves — who were actually pleased if they could raise an objection that stumped those who came to comfort them, as if winning the argument were all that mattered. And so, by dwelling only on what seems to be against them, they have pushed the bolts of their hearts so deep into despair and fixed them so firmly in hopeless sorrow, and twisted the genuine working of real evidence with such false reasoning, that when the most skilled and caring comforters came with the right keys to pull back the bolt, they could not turn — they could barely get the door open.

This was David's weakness, as verse 10 of Psalm 77 compared with verse 2 shows: 'My soul refused to be comforted' — he poured out every remedy and medicine brought to him. He was not only without comfort but actively refused it. 'What, bring me promises to comfort me?' such a person will say. 'You might as well carry them to someone in hell, or give medicine to a man beyond recovery.' And so he refuses to take anything offered to him. Similarly the church in Lamentations 3:17-18 — her heart was deeply gripped by a desperate conclusion: 'My strength and my hope,' she says, 'have perished from the Lord.' What drove her soul into such fixed despair? Verse 17 tells us: she forgot all good — that is, she refused to consider or even call to mind anything that had been a source of comfort to her. 'All good' — all God's former goodness and gracious dealings with her, every good thing worked in her and for her — she forgot it all. And what did her thoughts feed and dwell on instead? Only wormwood and gall, her bitterness and distress — brooding only on what seemed to be against her: 'I remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and the bitterness.' These she could roll over and over in her mind, though they were bitter — she would entertain no other thoughts. But when she began instead to consider God's gracious and faithful support of her even in that very desertion — faithfully renewing His mercies every morning (verses 22-23), and that even then He had kept alive in her heart a longing and lingering for Him, a quiet cleaving to Him, and had enabled her to choose Him as her portion (verse 24) — then 'This I recall to my mind,' she says in verse 21, 'therefore I have hope.' She spits out the wormwood and takes back her desperate words. As soon as her heart began to hear what might bring comfort, hope immediately began to return. This sullen, stubborn, desperate refusal to be comforted is something you must guard against, because by it you take Satan's side against the very one you should love most dearly — your own soul. Let Satan plead his own cause; do not do it for him. By doing this you also throw away your own mercies (as Jonah 2:8 describes), surrender your own rights, and are foolish enough to argue against your own claim — your own stake in the best things you can have a share in: God's mercies, made yours by an everlasting covenant. You give up the inheritance left to you in your Father's will, which you ought to defend, and you trust instead in the lying false predictions of Satan and your own unbelieving heart. By doing this you also become an unjust judge, for any judge who will only hear one side of a case renders a poor verdict.