The Second Plea

But will a discontented heart say, I am not so much troubled with my afflictions, but it is for my sin rather than my affliction, and I hope you will give leave that we should be troubled and discontented with our sin, and were it not for sin that I see in myself I should not be so discontented as I am. Oh! it is sin that is heavy upon me, and it is that that troubles me more than my afflictions.

Do not deceive your own heart, there is a very great deceit in this. There are many people that when God's hand is out against them they will say, they are troubled for their sin, but the truth is, it is the affliction that does trouble them rather than their sin, their heart does exceedingly deceive them in this very thing: For,

First, they were never troubled for their sin before this affliction came. But you will say, It is true, I was not before, for my prosperity blinded me, but now God has opened my eyes by afflictions: Has He so?

Secondly, then your great care will be rather for the removing of your sin, than your affliction. Are you more solicitous about the taking away of your sin, than the taking away of your affliction?

Thirdly, if it be your sin that troubles you, if God should take away your afflictions, yet except your sin be taken away, and your heart be better, this would not content you, you could not be satisfied. But we see it ordinarily, that if God removes their afflictions there is no more trouble for their sin. Oh! many do belie themselves in this, in saying, that they are so troubled for their sin, and especially those that are so troubled that they are in danger to miscarry, and to make away with themselves. There is not one in ten thousand that are in such a condition as this is, but it is afflictions rather than sin that puts them to it; indeed you lay all upon this, as if it were the work of the word or the spirit of bondage. I remember I heard not long since of a Divine that being judicious, and used to such kind of things, there came a man to him mightily troubled for his sin, and he could not tell what to do, he was ready to despair. The Divine looks upon him, says he, are you not in debt? He confessed that he was; and at length the Minister began to find it out, that that was his trouble rather than his sin, and so was a means to help him that way, that his creditors should not come upon him, and then the man was pretty quiet, and would not make away with himself any longer. For it is a usual thing, that if anything befalls a man that does cross him, Oh then it is their sin that does trouble them. Sometimes it is thus with servants, if their governors cross them, then they are vexed and fret, and come to deal with them, Oh then they will say they are sorrowful for their sin. But we must take heed of dallying with God that is the Seer and Searcher of the secrets of all hearts. Many of you go sullen and dumpish up and down your families, and then you say it is your sin that lies upon you, when God knows it is otherwise, it is because you cannot have your wills as you would have.

Fourthly, if you are troubled for your sin, then it will be your great care not to sin in your trouble; not by your trouble to increase your sin. But you are troubled in such a way as the truth is you do increase your sin in your trouble, and since you say you were troubled for your sin you have committed more sin than you did before.

And then lastly, if it be your sin that troubles you, then you have the more need to submit to God's hand; and accept of the punishment of your iniquity, as it is in Leviticus 26:41. There is no such consideration to take away murmuring, as to look upon my sin as the cause of my affliction.

A discontented heart may say: "I am not so much troubled by my afflictions as by my own sin. Surely you will allow that we should be troubled and distressed by our sin. If it were not for the sin I see in myself, I would not be as discontented as I am. Oh, it is sin that lies heavy on me — that troubles me more than my afflictions."

Do not deceive your own heart. There is a very great deception here. Many people, when God's hand is against them, say they are troubled for their sin — but the truth is, it is the affliction itself that troubles them. Their heart is greatly deceiving them in this, for several reasons.

First, they were never troubled for their sin before this affliction came. You may say: "That is true — but my prosperity blinded me, and now God has opened my eyes through affliction." Has He?

Second, if your sin were truly your concern, your great desire would be for the removal of your sin, not the removal of your affliction. Are you more concerned with having your sin taken away than your affliction taken away?

Third, if sin is what truly troubles you, then even if God removed the affliction, you would not be satisfied until your sin was also removed and your heart made better. But what we ordinarily see is this: if God removes the affliction, the distress over sin disappears with it. Many people deceive themselves in claiming to be troubled for their sin — especially those who are in such distress that they are in danger of harming themselves. In virtually every such case, it is the affliction and not the sin that has driven them to that edge. They may attribute everything to conviction of sin, as if it were the work of the Word or the Spirit of bondage — but it is not. I recall hearing recently of a wise minister who had experience with such situations. A man came to him in great distress over his sin, nearly in despair. The minister looked at him and asked: "Are you in debt?" The man confessed that he was. The minister gradually uncovered that it was his debt, not his sin, that was the true source of his trouble — and he helped arrange things so his creditors would not press him. At that point the man became much calmer and was no longer in danger of harming himself. This is common: when something crosses a person, they declare it is their sin that troubles them. Sometimes servants, when their employers deal harshly with them, become vexed and sullen — and when someone speaks with them, they claim it is sorrow for sin. We must be careful not to trifle with God, who sees and searches the secrets of every heart. Many of you go about your households gloomy and withdrawn, and then say it is the burden of sin — when God knows it is because you cannot have your own way.

Fourth, if you are truly troubled by your sin, your great concern will be not to sin in your trouble — not to add more sin through the way you handle affliction. But the truth is, you are troubled in such a way that you have actually increased your sin through your trouble. Since you say you were troubled for sin, you have committed more sin than before.

Finally, if it truly is your sin that troubles you, then you have all the more reason to submit to God's hand and "accept the punishment of your iniquity," as Leviticus 26:41 puts it. There is no better remedy for murmuring than to look upon your sin as the cause of your affliction.