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47 - The Wilderness State - Sermons on Several Occasions · Philosophy and Faith

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Speaker 1: The wilderness state. Ye now have sorrow, but I will
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Speaker 1: see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your
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Speaker 1: joy no man taketh from you. John sixteen twenty two one.
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Speaker 1: After God had wrought a great deliverance for Israel by
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Speaker 1: bringing them out of the house of bondage, they did
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Speaker 1: not immediately enter into the land which He had promised
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Speaker 1: to their fathers, but wandered out of the way in
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Speaker 1: the wilderness, and were variously tempted and distressed in like manner.
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Speaker 1: After God has delivered them that fear Him from the
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Speaker 1: bondage of sin and satan, after they are justified freely
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Speaker 1: by His grace through the redemption that is in Jesus,
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Speaker 1: yet not many of them immediately enter into the rest
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Speaker 1: which remaineth for the people of God. The greater part
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Speaker 1: of them wander more or less out of the good
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Speaker 1: way into which He hath brought them. They come, as
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Speaker 1: it were, into a waste and howling desert, where they
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Speaker 1: are variously tempted and tormented. And this some, in allusion
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Speaker 1: to the case of the Israelites, have termed a wilderness state. Two.
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Speaker 1: Certain it is that the condition wherein these are has
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Speaker 1: a right the tenderest compassion. They labor under an evil
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Speaker 1: and sowor disease, though one that is not commonly understood,
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Speaker 1: and for this very reason it is the more difficult
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Speaker 1: for them to find a remedy. Being in darkness themselves,
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Speaker 1: they cannot be supposed to understand the nature of their
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Speaker 1: own disorder, And few of their brethren, nay perhaps of
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Speaker 1: their teachers, know either what their sickness is or how
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Speaker 1: to heal it. So much the more need there is
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Speaker 1: to inquire, first what is the nature of this disease?
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Speaker 1: Secondly what is the cause? And thirdly what is the
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Speaker 1: cure of it? One one? And first, what is the
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Speaker 1: nature of this disease into which so many fall after
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Speaker 1: they have believed? Wherein does it properly consist? And what
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Speaker 1: are the genuine symptoms of it? It properly consists in
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Speaker 1: the loss of that faith which God once wrought in
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Speaker 1: their heart. That they are in the wilderness, have not
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Speaker 1: now that divine evidence, that satisfactory conviction of things not seen,
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Speaker 1: which they once enjoyed. They have not now that inward
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Speaker 1: demonstration of the Spirit which before enabled each of them
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Speaker 1: to say, the life I live, I live by faith
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Speaker 1: in the soanved God, who loved me and gave himself
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Speaker 1: for me. The light of Heaven does not now shine
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Speaker 1: in their hearts. Neither do they see Him that is invisible.
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Speaker 1: But darkness is again on the face of their souls,
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Speaker 1: and blindness on the eyes of their understanding. The Spirit
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Speaker 1: no longer witnesses with their spirits that they are the
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Speaker 1: children of God. Neither does he continue as the spirit
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Speaker 1: of adoption, crying in their hearts. Abah, Father, they have
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Speaker 1: not now a sure trust in His love and the
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Speaker 1: liberty of approaching Him with holy boldness. Though he slay me,
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Speaker 1: yet will I trust in Him? Is no more the
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Speaker 1: language of their heart. But they are shorn of their
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Speaker 1: strength and become weak and feeble minded, even as other men. Two. Hence,
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Speaker 1: secondly proceeds the loss of love, which cannot but rise
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Speaker 1: or fall at the same time, and the same proportion
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Speaker 1: with true living faith. Accordingly, they that are deprived of
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Speaker 1: their faith are deprived of the love of God. Also
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Speaker 1: they cannot now say, Lord, thou knowest all things, Thou
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Speaker 1: knowest that I love thee. They are not now happy
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Speaker 1: in God, as everyone is that truly loves him. They
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Speaker 1: do not delight in him as in time past, and
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Speaker 1: smell the odor of his ointments. Once all their desire
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Speaker 1: was unto Him and to the remembrance of his name.
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Speaker 1: But now even their desires are cold and dead, if
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Speaker 1: not utterly extinguished. And as their love of God is
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Speaker 1: wax cold, so is also their love of their neighbor.
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Speaker 1: They have not now that zeal for the souls of men,
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Speaker 1: that longing after their welfare, that fervent, restless, active desire
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Speaker 1: of their being reckoned stile to God. They do not
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Speaker 1: feel those bowels of mercies for the sheep that are lost,
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Speaker 1: that tender compassion for the ignorant, and them that are
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Speaker 1: out of the way. Once they were gentle toward all men,
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Speaker 1: meekly instructing such as opposed the truth, and if any
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Speaker 1: was overtaken in a fault, restoring such and one in
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Speaker 1: the spirit of meekness. But after a suspense, perhaps of
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Speaker 1: many days, anger begins to regain its power. Yeay, peevishness
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Speaker 1: and impatience thrust sore at them, that they may fall.
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Speaker 1: And it is well if they are not sometimes driven
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Speaker 1: even to render evil for evil and railing for railing.
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Speaker 1: Three in consequence of the loss of faith and love follows. Thirdly,
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Speaker 1: loss of joy in the holy ghost. For if the
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Speaker 1: loving consciousness of pardon be no more, the joy resulting
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Speaker 1: therefrom cannot remain. If the Spirit does not witness with
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Speaker 1: our spirit that we are the children of God, the
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Speaker 1: joy that flowed from that inward witness must also be
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Speaker 1: at an end. And in like manner, they who once
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Speaker 1: rejoiced with joy unspeakable in hope of the glory of God.
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Speaker 1: Now they are deprived of that hope full of immortality,
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Speaker 1: are deprived of the joy it occasions, as also of
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Speaker 1: that which resulted from a consciousness of the love of God,
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Speaker 1: then shed abroad in their hearts. For the cause being removed,
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Speaker 1: so is the effect the fountain being dammed up, those
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Speaker 1: living waters spring no more to refresh the thirsty soul.
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Speaker 1: For with loss of faith and love and joy, there
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Speaker 1: is also joined. Fourthly, the loss of that peace which
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Speaker 1: once passed all understanding, that sweet tranquility of mind, that
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Speaker 1: composure of spirit is gone. Painful doubt returns doubt whether
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Speaker 1: we ever did, and perhaps whether we ever shall believe.
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Speaker 1: We begin to doubt whether we ever did find in
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Speaker 1: our hearts the real testimony of the Spirit, whether we
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Speaker 1: did not rather deceive our own souls and mistake the
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Speaker 1: voice of nature for the voice of God. Nay, and
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Speaker 1: perhaps whether we shall ever hear his voice and find
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Speaker 1: favor in his sight. And these doubts are again joined
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Speaker 1: with servile fear, with that fear which hath torment. We
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Speaker 1: fear the wrath of God, even as before we believed.
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Speaker 1: We fear lest we should be cast out of His presence,
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Speaker 1: and then sink again into that fear of death from
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Speaker 1: which we were before wholly delivered. Five. But even this
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Speaker 1: is not all. For loss of peace is accompanied with
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Speaker 1: loss of power. We know, everyone who has peace with
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Speaker 1: God through Jesus Christ has power over all sin. But
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Speaker 1: whenever he loses the peace of God, he loses also
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Speaker 1: the power over sin. While that peace remained, power also
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Speaker 1: remained even over the besetting sin, whether it were the
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Speaker 1: sin of his nature, his constitution, of his education, or
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Speaker 1: that of his profession. Yeay, and over those evil tempers
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Speaker 1: and desires, which till then he could not conquer. Sin
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Speaker 1: had then no more dominion over him. But he had
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Speaker 1: now no more dominion over sin. He may struggle, indeed,
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Speaker 1: but he cannot overcome. The crown is fallen from his head.
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Speaker 1: His enemies again prevail over him, and more or less
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Speaker 1: bring him into bondage. The glory is departed from him,
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Speaker 1: even the Kingdom of God, which was in his heart.
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Speaker 1: He is dispossessed of righteousness, as well as of peace
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Speaker 1: and joy in the Holy Ghost. Two. One Such is
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Speaker 1: the nature of what many have termed, and not improperly,
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Speaker 1: the wilderness state. But the nature of it may be
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Speaker 1: more fully understood by inquiring, secondly, what are the causes
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Speaker 1: of it? These indeed are various, but I dare not
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Speaker 1: rank among these the bare, arbitrary, sovereign will of God.
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Speaker 1: He rejoiceth in the prosperity of his servants. He delighteth
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Speaker 1: not to afflict or grieve the children of men. His
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Speaker 1: invariable will is our sanctification, attended with peace and joy
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Speaker 1: in the Holy Ghost. These are his own free gifts,
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Speaker 1: and we are assured the gifts of God are on
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Speaker 1: his part without repentance. He never repenteth of what He
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Speaker 1: hath given, or desires to withdraw them from us. Therefore
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Speaker 1: he never deserts us, as some speak, it is we
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Speaker 1: only that desert him. One. Two. The most usual cause
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Speaker 1: of inward darkness is sin of one kind or another.
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Speaker 1: This it is which generally occasions what is often a
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Speaker 1: complication of sin and misery, and first sin of commission.
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Speaker 1: This may frequently be observed to darken the soul in
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Speaker 1: a moment, especially if it be a known a wilful
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Speaker 1: or presumptuous sin. If, for instance, a person who is
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Speaker 1: now walking in the clear light of God's countenance, should
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Speaker 1: be any way prevailed on to commit a single act
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Speaker 1: of drunkenness or uncleanness, it would be no wonder if
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Speaker 1: in that very hour he fell into utter darkness. It
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Speaker 1: is true there have been some very rare cases wherein
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Speaker 1: God has prevented this by an extraordinary display of his
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Speaker 1: pardoning mercy, almost in the very instant. But in general,
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Speaker 1: such an abuse of the goodness of God so gross
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Speaker 1: an insult on his love, occasions an immediate estrangement from God,
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Speaker 1: and a darkness that may be felt. Three. But it
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Speaker 1: may be hoped that this case is not very frequent,
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Speaker 1: that there are not many who so despise the riches
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Speaker 1: of His goodness, as while they walk in His light,
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Speaker 1: so grossly and presumptuously to rebel against him. That light
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Speaker 1: is much more frequently lost by giving way to sins
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Speaker 1: of omission. This indeed does not immediately quench the spirit,
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Speaker 1: but gradually and slowly. The former may be compared to
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Speaker 1: pouring water upon a fire, the latter to withdrawing the
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Speaker 1: fuel from it. And many times will that loving spirit
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Speaker 1: reprove our neglect before he departs from us. Many are
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Speaker 1: the inward checks, the secret notices he gives before his
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Speaker 1: influences are withdrawn, so that only a train of omissions will,
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Speaker 1: for thee persist it in can bring us into utter darkness.
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Speaker 1: For perhaps no sin of omission more frequently occasions this
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Speaker 1: than the neglect of private prayer, the want whereof cannot
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Speaker 1: be supplied by any other ordinance whatever. Nothing can be
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Speaker 1: more plain than that the life of God in the
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Speaker 1: soul does not continue, much less increase, unless we use
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Speaker 1: all opportunities of communing with God and pouring out our
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Speaker 1: hearts before him. If therefore we are negligent of this,
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Speaker 1: If we suffer business, company, or any avocation whatever to
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Speaker 1: prevent these secret exercises of the soul, or which comes
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Speaker 1: to the same thing, to make us hurry them over
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Speaker 1: in a slight and careless manner, that life will surely decay,
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Speaker 1: and if we long or frequently intermit them, it will
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Speaker 1: gradually die away. Five. Another sin of a mission, which
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Speaker 1: frequently brings the soul of a believer into darkness, is
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Speaker 1: the neglect of what was so strongly enjoined, even under
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Speaker 1: the Jewish dispensation. Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy
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Speaker 1: neighbor and not suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not
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Speaker 1: hate thy brother in thy heart. Now, if we do
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Speaker 1: hate our brother in our heart, if we do not
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Speaker 1: rebuke him when we see him in a fall, but
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Speaker 1: suffer sin upon him, this will soon bring leanness to
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Speaker 1: our own soul. Seeing hereby we are partakers of his sin.
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Speaker 1: By neglecting to reprove our neighbor, we make his sin
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Speaker 1: our own. We become accountable for it to God. We
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Speaker 1: saw his danger and gave him no warning. So if
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Speaker 1: he perish in his iniquity, God may justly require his
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Speaker 1: blood at our hands. No wonder then, if by thus
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Speaker 1: grieving the spirit, we lose the light of his countenance. Six.
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Speaker 1: A third cause of our losing this is the giving
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Speaker 1: way to some kind of inward sin. For example, we
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Speaker 1: know everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination
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Speaker 1: to the Lord, And that although this pride of heart
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Speaker 1: should not appear in the outward conversation. Now, how easily
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Speaker 1: may a soul filled with peace and joy fall into
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Speaker 1: this snare of the devil? How natural is it for
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Speaker 1: him to imagine that he has more grace, more wisdom,
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Speaker 1: or strength than he really has, to think more highly
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Speaker 1: of himself than he ought to think. How natural to
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Speaker 1: glory in something he has received as if he had
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Speaker 1: not received it. But seeing God continually resisteth the proud
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Speaker 1: and giveth grace only to the humble, this must certainly obscure,
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Speaker 1: if not wholly destroy the light which before shone on
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Speaker 1: his heart. Seven. The same effect may be produced by
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Speaker 1: giving place to anger, whatever the provocation or occasion be yea,
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Speaker 1: though it were colored over with the name of zeal
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Speaker 1: for the truth or for the glory of God. Indeed,
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Speaker 1: all zeal which is any other than the flame of love,
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Speaker 1: is earthly, animal, devilish. It is the of wrath. It
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Speaker 1: is flat, sinful anger, neither better nor worse. And nothing
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Speaker 1: is a greater enemy to the mild, gentle love of
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Speaker 1: God than this. They never did, they never can subsist
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Speaker 1: together in one breast in the same proportion. As this prevails,
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Speaker 1: love and joy in the Holy Ghost decrease. This is
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Speaker 1: particularly observable in the case of offense, I mean anger
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Speaker 1: at any of our brethren, at any of those who
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Speaker 1: are united with us, either by civil or religious ties.
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Speaker 1: If we give way to the spirit of offense but
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Speaker 1: one hour, we lose the sweet influences of the Holy Spirit,
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Speaker 1: so that instead of amending them, we destroy ourselves and
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Speaker 1: become an easy prey to any enemy that assaults us. Eight.
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Speaker 1: But suppose we are aware of the snare of the devil,
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Speaker 1: we may be attacked from another quarter. When fierceness and
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Speaker 1: anger are as slip, and love alone is waking, we
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Speaker 1: may be no less endangered by desire, which equally tends
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Speaker 1: to darken the soul. This is the sure effect of
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Speaker 1: any foolish desire, any vain or inordinate affection. If we
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Speaker 1: set our affection on things of the earth, on any
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Speaker 1: person or thing under the sun, if we desire anything
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Speaker 1: but God and what tends to God, if we seek
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Speaker 1: happiness in any creature, the jealous God will surely contend
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Speaker 1: with us, for he can admit of no rival. And
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Speaker 1: if we will not hear his warning voice and return
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Speaker 1: to him with our whole soul. We continue to grieve
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Speaker 1: him with our idols, and after running after other gods,
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Speaker 1: we shall soon be cold, barren, and dry, and the
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Speaker 1: God of this world will blind and darken our hearts. Nine.
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Speaker 1: But this he frequently does, even when we do not
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Speaker 1: give way to any positive sin. It is enough. It
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Speaker 1: gives him sufficient advantage if we do not stir up
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Speaker 1: the gift of God which is in us, if we
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Speaker 1: do not agonize continually to enter in at the straight gate,
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Speaker 1: if we do not earnestly strive for the mastery and
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Speaker 1: take the kingdom of heaven by violence, There needs no
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Speaker 1: more than not to fight, and we are sure to
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Speaker 1: be conquered. Let us only be careless or faint in
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Speaker 1: our mind. Let us be easy and indolent, and our
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Speaker 1: natural darkness will soon return and overspread our soul. It
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Speaker 1: is enough. Therefore, if we give way to spiritual slow
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Speaker 1: this will effectually darken the soul. It will as surely
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Speaker 1: destroy the light of God, if not so swiftly as
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Speaker 1: murder or adultery. Ten. But it is well to be
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Speaker 1: observed that the cause of our darkness, whatsoever it be,
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Speaker 1: whether omission, or commission, whether inward or outward, sin is
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Speaker 1: not always nigh at hand. Sometimes the sin which occasioned
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Speaker 1: the present distress may lie at a considerable distance. It
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Speaker 1: might be committed days or weeks or months before. And
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Speaker 1: that God now withdraws his light and peace on account
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Speaker 1: of what was done so long ago, is not, as
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Speaker 1: one might at first imagine, an instance of his severity,
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Speaker 1: but rather a proof of his long suffering and tender mercy.
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Speaker 1: He waited all this time if haply we would see,
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Speaker 1: acknowledge and correct what was amiss, And in default of
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Speaker 1: this he at length shows his displeasure, if thus, at
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Speaker 1: last he may bring us to repentance. Two. Another general
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Speaker 1: cause of this darkness is ignorance, which is likewise of
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Speaker 1: various kinds. If men know not the scriptures, if they
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Speaker 1: imagine there are passages, either in the Old or New Testament,
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Speaker 1: which assert that all believers, without exception, must sometimes be
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Speaker 1: in darkness, this ignorance will naturally bring upon them the
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Speaker 1: darkness which they expect. And how common a case has
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Speaker 1: this been among us? How few are there that do
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Speaker 1: not expect it, And no wonder, seeing they are taught
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Speaker 1: to expect it, seeing their guides lead them into this way,
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Speaker 1: not only the mystic writers of the Romish Church, but
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Speaker 1: many of the most spiritual and experimental in our own
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Speaker 1: Very few of the last century accepted lay it down
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Speaker 1: with all assurance as a plain, unquestionable scripture, doctrine, and
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Speaker 1: cite many texts to prove it. Two ignorance also of
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Speaker 1: the work of God in the soul. Frequent occasions this
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Speaker 1: darkness men imagine because so they have been taught, particularly
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Speaker 1: by writers of the Romish Communion, whose plausible assertions too
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Speaker 1: many Protestants have received without due examination, that they are
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Speaker 1: not always to walk in luminous faith, that this is
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Speaker 1: only a lower dispensation, that as they rise higher, they
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Speaker 1: are to leave those sensible comforts and to live by
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Speaker 1: naked faith. Naked Indeed, if it be stripped both of
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Speaker 1: love and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, that
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Speaker 1: a state of light and joy is good, but a
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Speaker 1: state of darkness and dryness is better. That it is
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Speaker 1: by these alone we can be purified from pride, love
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Speaker 1: of the world, and an inordinate self love, And that
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Speaker 1: therefore we ought neither to expect nor desire to walk
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Speaker 1: in the light always. Hence, it is, though other reasons
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Speaker 1: may concur that the main body of pious men in
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Speaker 1: the Romish Church generally walk in a dark, uncomfortable way,
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Speaker 1: and if ever they receive, soon lose the light of God.
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Speaker 1: Three One. A third general cause of this darkness is temptation.
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Speaker 1: When the candle of the Lord first shines on our head,
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Speaker 1: temptation frequently flees away and totally disappears. All is calm
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Speaker 1: within perhaps without. Two. While God makes our enemies to
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Speaker 1: be at peace with us, it is then very natural
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Speaker 1: to suppose that we shall not see war anymore. And
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Speaker 1: there are instances wherein this calm has continued not only
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Speaker 1: for weeks, but for months or years. But commonly it
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Speaker 1: is otherwise. In a short time, the winds blow, the
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Speaker 1: rains descend, and the floods arise. Anew, They who know
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Speaker 1: not either the Son or the Father, and consequently hate
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Speaker 1: his children. When God slackens the bridle which is in
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Speaker 1: their teeth, will show that hatred in various instances. As
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Speaker 1: of old, he that was born after the flesh persecuted
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Speaker 1: him that was born after the spirit. Even so it
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Speaker 1: is now the same cause, still producing the same effect.
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Speaker 1: The evil which yet remains in the heart will then
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Speaker 1: also move afresh Anger, and many other roots of bitterness
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Speaker 1: will endeavor to spring up. At the same time. Satan
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Speaker 1: will not be wanting to cast in his fiery darts,
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Speaker 1: and the soul will have to wrestle not only with
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Speaker 1: the world, not only with flesh and blood, but with
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Speaker 1: principalities and powers, with the rulers of the darkness of
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Speaker 1: this world, with wicked spirits in high places. Now, when
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Speaker 1: so various assaults are made at once, and perhaps with
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Speaker 1: the utmost violence, it is not strange if it should
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Speaker 1: occasion not only heaviness, but even darkness in a weak believer,
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Speaker 1: more especially if he was not watching, if these assaults
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Speaker 1: are made in an hour when he looked not for them,
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Speaker 1: if he expected nothing less, but had fondly told himself
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Speaker 1: the day of evil would return no more. Two. The
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Speaker 1: force of those temptations which arise from within will be
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Speaker 1: exceedingly heightened if we before thought too highly of ourselves,
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Speaker 1: as if we had been cleansed from all sin. And
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Speaker 1: how naturally do we imagine this during the warmth of
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Speaker 1: our our first love? How ready are we to believe
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Speaker 1: that God has fulfilled in us the whole work of
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Speaker 1: faith with power that because we feel no sin, we
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Speaker 1: have none in us. But the soul is all love
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Speaker 1: and well. May a sharp attack from an enemy whom
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Speaker 1: we suppose to be not only conquered but slain, throw
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Speaker 1: us into much heaviness of soul, yeay, sometimes into utter darkness,
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Speaker 1: particularly when we reason with this enemy, instead of instantly
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Speaker 1: calling upon God and casting ourselves upon him by simple faith,
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Speaker 1: who alone knoweth how to deliver his out of temptation. Three.
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Speaker 1: These are the usual causes of this second darkness. Inquire
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Speaker 1: we thirdly, what is the cure of it? One? To
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Speaker 1: suppose that this is one and the sin in all
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Speaker 1: cases is a and fatal mistake, and yet extremely common
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Speaker 1: even among many who pass for experienced Christians. Yeay, Perhaps
26:11
Speaker 1: take upon them to be teachers in Israel, to be
26:15
Speaker 1: the guides of other souls. Accordingly, they know and use
26:20
Speaker 1: but one medicine. Whatever be the cause of the distemper,
26:26
Speaker 1: they begin immediately to apply the promises. To preach the
26:30
Speaker 1: gospel as they call it, to give comfort is the
26:34
Speaker 1: single point at which they aim, in order to which
26:38
Speaker 1: they say many soft and tender things concerning the love
26:42
Speaker 1: of God to poor helpless sinners, and the efficacy of
26:46
Speaker 1: the blood of Christ. Now this is quackery, indeed, and
26:51
Speaker 1: that of the worst sort, as it tends, if not
26:54
Speaker 1: to kill men's bodies, yet without the peculiar mercy of God,
26:59
Speaker 1: to destroy both their bodies and souls in hell. It
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Speaker 1: is hard to speak of these daubers with untempered mortar,
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Speaker 1: these promised bongers, as they deserve. They well deserve the
27:14
Speaker 1: title which has been ignorantly given to others. They are
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Speaker 1: spiritual mount banks. They do, in effect make the blood
27:24
Speaker 1: of the Covenant and unholy thing. They vilely prostitute the
27:29
Speaker 1: promises of God by thus applying them to all without distinction. Whereas, indeed,
27:36
Speaker 1: the cure of spiritual as of bodily diseases, must be
27:41
Speaker 1: as various as are the causes of them. The first thing, therefore,
27:47
Speaker 1: is to find out the cause, and this will naturally
27:50
Speaker 1: point out the cure. Two. For instance, it is sin
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Speaker 1: which occasions darkness? What sin it is? Outwards? Sin of
28:00
Speaker 1: any kind? Does your conscience accuse you of committing any
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Speaker 1: sin whereby you grieve the Holy Spirit of God? Is
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Speaker 1: it on this account that He has departed from you?
28:12
Speaker 1: And that joy and peace are departed with him, And
28:16
Speaker 1: how can you expect they should return till you put
28:20
Speaker 1: away the accursed thing, Let the wicked forsake his way
28:25
Speaker 1: cleanse your hands. Ye, sinners, put away the evil of
28:29
Speaker 1: your doings, So shall your light break out of obscurity.
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Speaker 1: The Lord will return and abundantly pardon. Three. If upon
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Speaker 1: the closest search you can find no sin of commission
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Speaker 1: which causes the cloud upon your soul, Inquire next, if
28:48
Speaker 1: there be not some sin of a mission which separates
28:52
Speaker 1: between God and you? Do you not suffer sin upon
28:57
Speaker 1: your brother? Do you reprove them that sin in your sight?
29:02
Speaker 1: Do you walk in all the ordinances of God in public, family,
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Speaker 1: private prayer? If not? If you habitually neglect any one
29:13
Speaker 1: of these known duties, how can you expect that the
29:17
Speaker 1: light of His countenance should continue to shine upon you?
29:22
Speaker 1: Make haste to strengthen the things that remain. Then your
29:26
Speaker 1: soul shall live today. If ye will hear his voice
29:32
Speaker 1: by his grace, Supply what is lacking when you hear
29:36
Speaker 1: a voice behind you saying, this is the way, walk
29:40
Speaker 1: thou in it? Harden not your heart be no more
29:44
Speaker 1: disobedient to the heavenly calling till the sin whether of
29:50
Speaker 1: omission or commission be removed. All comfort is false and deceitful.
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Speaker 1: It is only skinning the wound over which still festers
30:00
Speaker 1: and rankles beneath. Look for no peace within till you
30:05
Speaker 1: are at peace with God, which cannot be without fruits.
30:09
Speaker 1: Meet for repentance for But perhaps you are not conscious
30:13
Speaker 1: of even any sin of omission which impairs your peace
30:18
Speaker 1: and joy in the Holy Ghost. Is there not then
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Speaker 1: some inward sin which, as a root of bitterness, springs
30:26
Speaker 1: up in your heart to trouble you? Is not your
30:29
Speaker 1: dryness and barrenness of soul occasion by your hearts departing
30:33
Speaker 1: from the Living God. Has not the foot of pride
30:38
Speaker 1: come against you? Have you not thought of yourself more
30:41
Speaker 1: highly than you ought to think? Have you not, in
30:45
Speaker 1: any respect sacrifice to your own net and burned incense
30:50
Speaker 1: to your own drag? Have you not ascribed your success
30:54
Speaker 1: in any undertaking to your own courage, or strength or wisdom?
31:00
Speaker 1: Have you not boasted of something you have received as
31:04
Speaker 1: though you had not received it? Have you not gloried
31:08
Speaker 1: in anything save the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
31:13
Speaker 1: Have you not sought after or desired the praise of men?
31:17
Speaker 1: Have you not taken pleasure in it? If so, you
31:20
Speaker 1: see the way you are to take. If you have
31:24
Speaker 1: fallen by pride, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God,
31:29
Speaker 1: and He will exalt you in due time. Have you
31:33
Speaker 1: not forced him to depart from you by giving place
31:36
Speaker 1: to anger. Have you not fretted yourself because of the
31:41
Speaker 1: ungodly or been envious against the evildoers. Have you not
31:46
Speaker 1: been offended at any of your brethren, looking at their
31:50
Speaker 1: real or imagined sin, so as to sin yourself against
31:56
Speaker 1: the great law of love by estranging your heart from them.
32:00
Speaker 1: Then look unto the Lord, that you may renew your strength,
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Speaker 1: that all this sharpness and coldness may be done away,
32:08
Speaker 1: that love and peace and joy may return together, and
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Speaker 1: you may be invariably kind to each other and tenderhearted
32:16
Speaker 1: forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath
32:21
Speaker 1: forgiven you. Have not you given way to any foolish desire,
32:26
Speaker 1: to any kind or degree of inordinate affection. How then,
32:31
Speaker 1: can the love of God have place in your heart
32:35
Speaker 1: till you put away your idols. Be not deceived. God
32:39
Speaker 1: is not mocked. He will not dwell in a divided
32:43
Speaker 1: heart as long Therefore, as you cherish Delilah in your bosom,
32:50
Speaker 1: he has no place there. It is vain to hope
32:54
Speaker 1: for a recovery of his light till you pluck out
32:57
Speaker 1: the right eye and cast it from you. You, Oh, let
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Speaker 1: there be no longer delay. Cry to him that he
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Speaker 1: may enable you so to do. Bewail your own impotence
33:11
Speaker 1: and helplessness, And the Lord, being your helper, enter in
33:16
Speaker 1: at the straight gate, take the kingdom of heaven by violence,
33:21
Speaker 1: cast out every idol from his sanctuary, and the glory
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Speaker 1: of the Lord shall soon appear. Five. Perhaps it is
33:30
Speaker 1: this very thing, the want of striving spiritual sloth, which
33:35
Speaker 1: keeps your soul in darkness. You dwell at ease in
33:38
Speaker 1: the land. There is no war in your coasts, and
33:43
Speaker 1: so you are quiet and unconcerned. You go on in
33:47
Speaker 1: the same even track of outward duties, and are content
33:52
Speaker 1: there to abide. And do you wonder meantime that your
33:56
Speaker 1: soul is dead? Oh, stir yourself up before the Lord,
34:01
Speaker 1: Arise and shake yourself from the dust. Wrestle with God
34:06
Speaker 1: for the mighty blessing. Pour out your soul unto God
34:11
Speaker 1: in prayer, and continue therein with all perseverance, Watch awake
34:17
Speaker 1: out of sleep, and keep awake. Otherwise there is nothing
34:21
Speaker 1: to be expected but that you will be alienated more
34:25
Speaker 1: and more from the light and life of God. Six.
34:29
Speaker 1: If upon the fullest and most impartial examination of yourself
34:34
Speaker 1: you cannot discern that you are at present give way
34:38
Speaker 1: either to spiritual sloth or any other inward or outward sin,
34:44
Speaker 1: then call to mind the time that is passed. Consider
34:47
Speaker 1: your former tempers, words, and actions. Have these been right
34:52
Speaker 1: before the Lord? Commune with him in your chamber, and
34:56
Speaker 1: be still, and desire of him to try the ground
35:01
Speaker 1: of your heart, and bring to your remembrance whatever has
35:05
Speaker 1: at any time offended the eyes of His glory. If
35:09
Speaker 1: the guilt of any unrepented sin remain on our soul,
35:15
Speaker 1: it cannot be. But you will remain in darkness till,
35:19
Speaker 1: having been renewed by repentance, you are again washed by
35:23
Speaker 1: faith in the fountain opened for sin and uncleanless. Seven.
35:29
Speaker 1: Entirely different will be the manner of the cure. If
35:32
Speaker 1: the cause of the disease be not sin but ignorance.
35:37
Speaker 1: It may be ignorance of the meaning of scripture, perhaps
35:41
Speaker 1: occasioned by ignorant commentators ignorant, at least in this respect. However,
35:47
Speaker 1: knowing and learned they may be in other particulars, And
35:52
Speaker 1: in this case that ignorance must be removed. Before we
35:56
Speaker 1: can remove the darkness arising from it, we must show
36:00
Speaker 1: the true meaning of those texts which have been misunderstood.
36:06
Speaker 1: My design does not permit me to consider all the
36:10
Speaker 1: passages of scripture which have been pressed into this service.
36:15
Speaker 1: I shall just mention two or three which are frequently
36:19
Speaker 1: brought to prove that all believers must, sooner or later
36:23
Speaker 1: walk in darkness. Eight. One of these is Isaiah fifty ten.
36:28
Speaker 1: Who is among you that feareth the Lord and obeyeth
36:32
Speaker 1: the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and
36:36
Speaker 1: hath no light. Let him trust in the name of
36:39
Speaker 1: the Lord and stay upon his God. But how does
36:43
Speaker 1: it appear, either from the text or context, that the
36:47
Speaker 1: person here spoken of, ever had light? One who is
36:52
Speaker 1: convinced of sin feareth the Lord and obeyeth voice of
36:57
Speaker 1: his servant, And him we should advise, though he was
37:01
Speaker 1: still dark of soul and had never seen the light
37:05
Speaker 1: of God's countenance, yet to trust in the name of
37:09
Speaker 1: the Lord and stay upon his God. This text therefore
37:14
Speaker 1: proves nothing less than that believer in Christ must sometimes
37:20
Speaker 1: walk in darkness. Nine. Another text which has been supposed
37:25
Speaker 1: to speak the same doctrine is Hoseah two fourteen. I
37:31
Speaker 1: will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and
37:35
Speaker 1: speak comfortably unto her. Hence, it has been inferred that
37:40
Speaker 1: God will bring every believer into the wilderness, into a
37:44
Speaker 1: state of deadness and darkness. But it is certain the
37:48
Speaker 1: text speaks no such thing, for it does not appear
37:51
Speaker 1: that it speaks of particular believers at all. It manifestly
37:56
Speaker 1: refers to the Jewish nation, and perhaps to that only.
38:01
Speaker 1: But if it be applicable to particular persons, the plain
38:06
Speaker 1: meaning of it is this, I will draw him by love.
38:10
Speaker 1: I will next convince him of sin, and then comfort
38:14
Speaker 1: him by pardoning mercy. Ten. A third scripture, from whence
38:19
Speaker 1: the same inference has been drawn, is that above recited.
38:24
Speaker 1: Ye now have sorrow, but I will see you again,
38:28
Speaker 1: and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man
38:32
Speaker 1: taketh from you. This has been supposed to imply that
38:35
Speaker 1: God would, after a time withdraw himself from all believers,
38:40
Speaker 1: and that they could not till after they had thus
38:44
Speaker 1: sorrowed have the joy which no man could take from them.
38:48
Speaker 1: But the whole context shows that our Lord is here
38:51
Speaker 1: speaking personally to the apostles and no others, and that
38:56
Speaker 1: he is speaking concerning those particular events his own death
39:01
Speaker 1: and resurrection. A little while, says he, and ye shall
39:05
Speaker 1: not see me visa whilst I am in the grave,
39:09
Speaker 1: And again a little while, and ye shall see me
39:13
Speaker 1: when I am risen from the dead. Ye will weep
39:16
Speaker 1: and lament, and the world will rejoice. But your sorrow
39:20
Speaker 1: shall be turned into joy. Ye now have sorrow because
39:24
Speaker 1: I am about to be taken from your head. But
39:27
Speaker 1: I will see you again after my resurrection, and your
39:31
Speaker 1: heart shall rejoice, and your joy, which I will then
39:36
Speaker 1: give you no man taketh from you. All this we
39:40
Speaker 1: know was literally fulfilled in the particular case of the apostles,
39:45
Speaker 1: but no inference can be drawn from hence with regard
39:49
Speaker 1: to God's dealings with believers in general. Eleven. A fourth
39:54
Speaker 1: text to mention no more, which has been frequently cited
39:59
Speaker 1: in proof of the same doctrine, is one Peter four twelve. Beloved,
40:04
Speaker 1: think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is
40:09
Speaker 1: to try you? But this is full as foreign to
40:13
Speaker 1: the point as the preceding the text literally rendered runs, Thus, beloved,
40:20
Speaker 1: wonder not at the burning which is among you, which
40:23
Speaker 1: is for your trial. Now, however, this may be accommodated
40:29
Speaker 1: to inward trials in a secondary sense, Yet primarily it
40:34
Speaker 1: doubtless refers to martyrdom and the sufferings connected with it. Neither, therefore,
40:41
Speaker 1: is this text anything at all to the purpose for
40:44
Speaker 1: which it is cited. And we may challenge all men
40:48
Speaker 1: to bring one text, either from the Old or New Testament,
40:52
Speaker 1: which is any more to the purpose than this twelve.
40:57
Speaker 1: But is not darkness much more profitable for the soul
41:00
Speaker 1: than light? Is not the work of God in the heart,
41:03
Speaker 1: most swiftly and effectually carried on during a state of
41:07
Speaker 1: inward suffering. Is not a believer more swiftly and thoroughly
41:12
Speaker 1: purified by sorrow than by joy, by anguish and pain
41:17
Speaker 1: and distress, and spiritual martyrdoms than by continual peace. So
41:22
Speaker 1: the mystics teach. So it is written in their books,
41:26
Speaker 1: but not in the oracles of God. The Scripture nowhere
41:30
Speaker 1: says that the absence of God best perfects his work
41:35
Speaker 1: in the heart. Rather his presence and a clear communion
41:40
Speaker 1: with the Father and the Son. A strong consciousness of
41:43
Speaker 1: this will do more an hour than his absence in
41:48
Speaker 1: an age. Joy in the Holy Ghost will far more
41:52
Speaker 1: effectually purify the soul than the want of that joy,
41:56
Speaker 1: and the peace of God is the best means of
41:59
Speaker 1: refining the soul from the dross of earthly affections. Away,
42:05
Speaker 1: then with the idle conceit that the Kingdom of God
42:08
Speaker 1: is divided against itself, that the peace of God and
42:12
Speaker 1: joy in the Holy Ghost are obstructive of righteousness, and
42:17
Speaker 1: that we are saved not by faith but by unbelieve,
42:22
Speaker 1: not by hope but by despair. Thirteen. So long as
42:27
Speaker 1: men dream thus, they may well walk in darkness. Nor
42:31
Speaker 1: can the effect cease till the cause is removed. But
42:36
Speaker 1: yet we must not imagine it will immediately cease even
42:40
Speaker 1: when the cause is no more. When either ignorance or
42:44
Speaker 1: sin has caused darkness, one or the other may be removed.
42:49
Speaker 1: And yet the light which was obstructed thereby may not
42:53
Speaker 1: immediately return. As it is the free gift of God,
42:57
Speaker 1: he may restore it sooner or later as it pleases him.
43:02
Speaker 1: In the case of sin, we cannot reasonably expect that
43:05
Speaker 1: it should immediately return the sin began before the punishment,
43:10
Speaker 1: which may therefore justly remain after the sin is at
43:14
Speaker 1: an end. And even in the natural course of things,
43:18
Speaker 1: though a wound cannot be healed while the dart is
43:21
Speaker 1: sticking in the flesh, yet neither is it healed as
43:25
Speaker 1: soon as that is drawn out, But soreness and pain
43:29
Speaker 1: may remain long after fourteen. Lastly, if darkness be occasioned
43:35
Speaker 1: by manifold and heavy and unexpected temptations, the best way
43:40
Speaker 1: of removing and preventing this is to teach believers always
43:44
Speaker 1: to expect temptation. Seeing they dwell in an evil world,
43:49
Speaker 1: among wicked, subtle, malicious spirits, and have an heart capable
43:55
Speaker 1: of all evil, convince them that the whole work of
44:00
Speaker 1: sanctification is not as they imagined, wrought at once, that
44:05
Speaker 1: when they first believe, they are but as new born
44:09
Speaker 1: babes who are gradually to grow up, and may expect
44:14
Speaker 1: many storms before they come to the full stature of Christ.
44:18
Speaker 1: Above all, let them be instructed when the storm is
44:23
Speaker 1: upon them, not to reason with the devil, but to pray,
44:27
Speaker 1: to pour out their souls before God and show him
44:32
Speaker 1: of their trouble. And these are the persons unto whom
44:36
Speaker 1: chiefly we are to apply the great and precious promises,
44:40
Speaker 1: not to the ignorant, till the ignorance is removed, much
44:44
Speaker 1: less to the impenitent sinner. To these we may largely
44:49
Speaker 1: and affectionately declare the loving kindness of God, our Savior,
44:54
Speaker 1: expatiate upon his tender mercies which have been ever of old.
45:00
Speaker 1: Here we may dwell upon the faithfulness of God, whose
45:04
Speaker 1: word is tried to the utmost, and upon the virtue
45:08
Speaker 1: of that blood which was shed for us to cleanse
45:11
Speaker 1: us from all sin. And God will then bear witness
45:15
Speaker 1: to his word and bring their souls out of trouble.
45:19
Speaker 1: He will say, Arise, shine, for thy light is come,
45:25
Speaker 1: and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee Yea.
45:29
Speaker 1: And that light, if thou walk humbly and closely with God,
45:34
Speaker 1: will shine more and more unto the perfect day and
45:40
Speaker 1: of Section forty seven